McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Small Victories

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Cyclone Jack:


This thread is for the writers among us to post about their small victories in the war known as Being A Writer.

Tonight I both finished and managed to edit down a short story for a magazine contest. The word limit was 2500. It was firm. I have the most trouble with that length.

:)

Spectacular Sameth:
I did actually finish writing a book. I call it a small victory because I haven't sent it in yet or finished editing it.

I did win runner's up in a citywide short story contest once.

Tasmin21:
Last night, I got a partial request from an agent I've queried on my finished novel.  It's my second partial request, but the first agent passed after reading.

the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
Every novel I've finished in a through draft, which is four.

Having a short story with which I am happy out there in the world getting responses. [ I am naturally discursive; a short story generally takes me about as long to get right as a hundred-thousand word novel. ]

The one of those novels that is sitting on an editor's desk by request.

The different one of those that is sitting on an agent's desk.

The time one of the writers I admire most in the world read one of these novels and mailed me back saying "I am enjoying this far too much to provide meaningful criticism of it."

Having feedback I have given as a beta-reader incorporated into works by published authors and being considered as actively helpful.

First being mentioned in the acknowledgements of a novel.

First being mentioned in the acknowledgements of a Hugo-nominated novel.

meg_evonne:
My 2007 goal was to get one query off before the end of the year.  I got four off. 

Three came back right away (all were e-filed) but the blasted 4th one, coming from one was a 2nd query from same agency, sat and sat.  I started fretting because it's one huge historical manuscript from the 1100's that hasn't been vet-ed yet.  Finally after 2 long months I got a very nice rejection, "very interesting but we located a manuscript that better met our goals in this area."  Best of ALL WORLDS!  They liked, but didn't want it!  It wasn't rejected out of hand!

To me folks that is really top notch.  I sent back a thank you for having seriously considered it and did not mention the damn thing wasn't anywhere up to snuff for sending to agent. Shouldn't have sent it in the first place, but they were specifically asking for similar work so I took a chance that I shouldn't have. I've been told that I write similar to Phillipa Gregory (Tudors-that's been a Showtime series) mine is much farther back in history. It runs the same time frame as Follet's Pillars of the Earth.  I've spent over 10 years on the blasted thing and have loved the research & the travel to investigate and have grown to love a wonderful family as if they were my own.  They truly are amazing people! So that, for me, is extremely gutsy. 

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