Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tell Me!



It’s sharing time.  Since I’ve had a spike in followers lately and expect to see more with the Crusaders stopping by, I thought this would be a nice time for us to get to know each other.  Please answer these six questions in the comment section and read what others have said as well.

1)      What genre(s) do you write?
2)      What genre(s) do you read?
3)      Where are you on your publishing journey? (published, agented, contest finalist, intermediate, beginner)
4)      Do you belong to a crit group or have a critique partner?  If not, are you searching for one? (Hey, maybe some of you can “hook up” through this.)
5)      What’s been the hardest part of your journey so far?
6)      What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned on your journey?

Thanks for sharing.  Nice to "meet" you.

Here are my answers:

1)      romantic suspense (and I might dabble in paranormal suspense, but so far those are just ideas)
2)      romance of most types, especially r/s and p/s; and a little bit of this and that—It’s the story that hooks me more than the genre.
3)      I’m a contest finalist.  I’ve never submitted to an agent or publisher because the perfectionist in me has yet to give me permission.  Plus, I’ve been really busy with my editing business.  You manuscript comes before mine.
4)      I have two super crit partners.
5)      I think every month I could come up with a different answer for this.  Right now, I’m struggling to balance everything: work, writing, kids, hubby, exercise, and life.  However, in the fall, the twins will be in school full time, so that’ll make life a lot easier.
6)      I’ve noticed too many writers send their stories in before they’ve learned enough about the craft.  There’s more to getting published than just telling a great story.  You need to understand HOW to tell that story.  From this, I’ve learned to take my time and not rush through my writing.    

Looking forward to learning more about you.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Lynnette! Pleased to meet you, fellow Crusader! :)

    1. I write YA historical fantasy.
    2. Most everything I read these days is YA, but I'm all over the board—contemporary, historical, romance, fantasy, you name it! I do get giddy when I stumble across a really good historical fantasy though. :)
    3. Unagented/unpublished for now. I'm taking things very, very slowly as I learn this business.
    4. I have a wonderful, generous and wise crit group. I would be lost without them.
    5. P.A.T.I.E.N.C.E.
    6. This is no one else's journey but your own. Don't compare yourself to others and let things happen organically.

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  2. Thanks for sharing with us! Let's see...

    1) Young Adult.

    2) I stick to young adult and plain ol' regular fiction.

    3) Currently querying my third novel, and just started a new one.

    4) I have an excellent critique group, but I'm always looking for more people to share with, so if anyone's interested, give me a buzz. esolodow at gmail dot com

    5) Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Usually for bad news.

    6) Love what you write. And trust your instinct. If you're not 100% happy with something you've written, rewrite it until you can honestly say that it's perfect.

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  3. It's great to learn more about a fellow crusader!

    1. Adult/YA; horror, mystery, fantasy, particularly paranormal stuff

    2. Pretty much anything, although I must admit I don't like reading much non-fiction unless it is about history.

    3. Published author, just short stories so far. I'm still working on the novels.

    4. Yes, I have four critique partners and I belong to Valley Writers, and we crit each others work at meetings.

    5. The hardest part is developing a thick skin and finding time to write and edit as much as I would like.

    6. I agree with your number six, Lynnette. Don't send things in before they are ready. Plus, be open to learn anything and everything you can about the craft. Definitely never stop learning.

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  4. 1) Cross Genre Literary Fiction
    2) General, Lit Fiction, Suspense
    3) Finished first novel and querying agents
    4) Have great Beta Readers / CP's
    5) What’s been the hardest part of your journey so far?
    6) Not all literary agents are listed where you'd expect them to be.

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  5. What a great idea to get to know people!

    1. YA sci fi
    2. just about everything-- love all things YA and sci fi, and I also really love fantasy
    3. Just about to query my third novel
    4. I've got a fabulous crit group.
    5. The hardest part lately is finding time to write. I'm a mom and work from home, so I have to squeeze it in whenever I can.
    6. The two basic rules for writing: have a take (a unique spin on an idea), and don't suck. :)

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  6. Hey this is a neat idea, I'm going to copy it.

    1.SF, fantasy, horror, short stories and poems.
    2. Any of the above, plus 19th and 20th century novels -- all the good stuff.
    3. Well, I am professionally published (short stories), but I feel like a beginner.
    4.No crit groups
    5. When I can't get my perfect stories out of my head onto the page.
    6. My lesson, differs from some of the others. I've learnt that I am no judge of my work, so I just sub everything that gets finished. Let the editor decide.

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  7. 1.What genre(s) do you write?
    YA/Adult romance, fantasy, paranormal
    2)What genre(s) do you read?
    Mainly romance
    3)Where are you on your publishing journey? (published, agented, contest finalist, intermediate, beginner)
    Beginner
    4)Do you belong to a crit group or have a critique partner? If not, are you searching for one? (Hey, maybe some of you can “hook up” through this.)
    I just gained an amazing CP who is tough and really gets my novel
    5)What’s been the hardest part of your journey so far?
    Having a former editor butcher my book and wasted my time
    6) What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned on your journey?
    Seek knowledge, learning the craft of writing a great novel.

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  8. Thanks so much for sharing. Super lessons to have learned. If you want to meet a few more writers, check out the responses on my other blog: www.lynnettelabelle.com

    Lynnette Labelle

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  9. 1) Sci fi, mystery, romance, in various combinations. Just started trying short stories and a little poetry just for fun.

    2) Mystery, sci fi, general fiction. Not a lot of straight romance but I always want a romantic element.

    3) Mine's been a long a winding road with lots of extented breaks. I got as far as having a book picked up by an agent once but nothing came of it. I did just receive an Honorable Mention in the Writers Digest Annual Short Story contest, which wasn't bad since that was only the second short story I'd ever written.

    4) No, this is something I need. I have a friends and family beta-read group but we all know the problem with friends and family (they like everything just because I wrote it)

    5) Staying with it. I've allowed myself to put the dream on the back shelf too many times.

    6) Most recently that I've been writing in a vacuum. Until this year I never tapped into this great on line writing community.

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  10. 1)Urban fantasy, Paranormal suspense, flat out suspense...right now my current WIP crosses urban fantasy, true crime, GLBT and Adult.
    2)Pretty much the same types I write.
    3)I am working on being the next best seller ;) Honestly, I'd love to sell books and have them enjoyed.
    4) Would love a crit partner
    5)Self-doubt, lack of time and constant interruptions
    6)Uhhh...I'm supposed to be learning? I've learned so much about writing/publishing and the industry in general, I wouldn't know where to start explaining it all.

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  11. Yes, new follower and fellow crusader here *waves*

    1. I write YA Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, New Adult - Crossover, Dystopian, some mystery.
    2. I read everything because I enjoy everything from children's books to erotica. I'm very open minded.
    3. I am in the beginner phase. Still writing working on querying for a finished Adult paranormal MS.
    4. Crit partners are always welcome. I will read anything too.
    5. Always finding the time to get everything done. Life goes by so fast these days.
    6. I have learned that no matter what level writer that you are that there are people out there that will be supportive of you and give you a chance without even meeting you and you can make really great friendships that way too. :)

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  12. Hey fellow crusader, this is a great idea! I write YA contemporary realistic. I read all over the map. I've finished several manuscripts but like you, I've not yet submitted anything to an editor. When I finish my current WIP, and I am in the revision stage, this one, I will query. I have a crit group. The hardest part of the journey is finding time to write. When my kids were young, I didn't believe in myself. Then I started working full time, and so it's more about not having adequate time. I was also seduced away for many years by making a great income and being employed in a great job. The most important lesson for me is to treat it like an enjoyable game. It's a game I hope to win, but even if I don't, my life is pretty great anyway.

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  13. Lynnette,
    It’s nice knowing a little more about you. As for me
    1. I write romantic suspense, women’s fiction and young adult
    2. Let’s just say I read across several genres but haven’t yet got my feet wet with anything Paranormal.
    3. I’m published, but looking for an agent.
    4. Yes, I work with a critique group.
    5. Editing has been a challenge. I have to be in the mood for it, which isn’t often. Marketing is another thing I’m learning as I go. I feel like a pimp every time I mention my novel, but I know it’s necessary to get my book and name noticed.
    6. Taking time to learn the craft and to continue learning are important lessons.

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  14. Nice "meeting" you! If you want to learn more about other crusaders, check out the blog on my website: www.lynnettelabelle.com

    Lynnette Labelle

    ReplyDelete