tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post2231430810670014487..comments2023-09-01T11:51:48.718-04:00Comments on Tia's Writing Blog: Rejections on PartialsTia Nevitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-49393047619830635772009-03-04T21:01:00.000-05:002009-03-04T21:01:00.000-05:00Which is what I didn't have in my original opening...Which is what I didn't have in my original opening.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-33820752962050246602009-03-04T20:55:00.000-05:002009-03-04T20:55:00.000-05:00No offense taken, superwench83 :) I think word ch...No offense taken, superwench83 :) I think word choice is such a personal thing that the author should feel free to choose the ones she wants, without fear of being criticized. :)<BR/><BR/>And I agree that some telling is perfectly fine. It's all about balance. :)Tabithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-86407113756639293472009-03-02T20:05:00.000-05:002009-03-02T20:05:00.000-05:00Thanks, Katie.I'm pretty obsessive about backups, ...Thanks, Katie.<BR/><BR/>I'm pretty obsessive about backups, too. My Writings folder is just huge. Plus I have some old hard drives on top of my computer with old manuscripts on them. Maybe one day I'll retrieve them.<BR/><BR/>But then again, maybe not. I could probably rewrite them from scratch and they'd be much better. IF I ever decide to do anything with them.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-1164421443296789832009-03-02T18:05:00.000-05:002009-03-02T18:05:00.000-05:00I'm glad you saved a copy before you overreacted, ...I'm glad you saved a copy before you overreacted, too! I tend to overreact a lot, which is why I save every single draft I write, no matter how small the changes. It's saved me from myself quite a few times.<BR/><BR/>I also like the idea of starting with a short, punchy sentence like, "I hurried up to the embassy as if I belonged there." I understand what Tabitha said about that being a telling line instead of a showing line, and maybe there's a way to show <I>and</I> still have a short, punchy sentence at the same time. I don't know. But having <I>some</I> telling isn't a bad thing, in my opinion. Sometimes, you just have to tell and launch the story forward. "I hurried" quickly and efficiently communicates to the reader what is going on right now. I like it.<BR/><BR/>(And no offense intended to you, Tabitha, should you wander back here and find this. I'm merely babbling again.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-73028395003921855082009-02-28T05:11:00.000-05:002009-02-28T05:11:00.000-05:00Lisa,Thank you again! I agree with you about the t...Lisa,<BR/><BR/>Thank you again! I agree with you about the talent to agent/publisher ratio. <BR/><BR/>I'm not sure I understand your "being told to question" comment. I'm trying to interest the reader with something intriguing to start the book with. She's trying to sneak into an embassy. <BR/><BR/>I hurried up to the embassy, trying to keep my stride brisk and purposeful--as if I belonged there.<BR/><BR/>I don't know--is that going a bit too far? I wanted a short, punchy sentence.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-37553716172658211572009-02-27T22:11:00.000-05:002009-02-27T22:11:00.000-05:00It's important that the reader understands when th...It's important that the reader understands when they are being told to question compared to it being accidental.<BR/><BR/>I agree with Tabitha, in that the sentence didn't leave me thinking that I was being told to question, but it left me wondering why I was told more. <BR/><BR/>I STILL love the story and there are plenty of published writers that don't have your skill.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes it's the luck of the draw I think.<BR/>Based on some of the Beta's I've read, we have quite a bit of talent out there, but only a few agents/publishers to publish them.<BR/>sighLisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866730185060307014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-58625988375996607672009-02-27T20:15:00.000-05:002009-02-27T20:15:00.000-05:00Thank you, Robin!! I'm just glad I saved a copy be...Thank you, Robin!! I'm just glad I saved a copy before I overreacted.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-83438341802027661742009-02-27T20:12:00.000-05:002009-02-27T20:12:00.000-05:00Nicely done, Tia! With my novel, I got feedback fr...Nicely done, Tia! <BR/><BR/>With my novel, I got feedback from agents saying "your story starts here..." about 10 pages in. Oops. So I promptly slashed those pages and the next feedback I got was "you need more opening pages. It starts too abruptly."<BR/><BR/>For the love of...!!!!<BR/><BR/>So I went back and edited and realized the truth was somewhere in between. It's easy to over react and under react. It's hard to develop that eye that can see it yourself. But it sounds like you're doing it!!!<BR/><BR/>Congratulations on even getting the partial requests. It's only a matter of time. :)Robin Lemkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254896327174187893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-19428517364950385112009-02-27T18:40:00.000-05:002009-02-27T18:40:00.000-05:00I would never ignore feedback. Thank you. You are ...I would never ignore feedback. Thank you. You are entirely correct, of course.<BR/><BR/>"I hurried up to the embassy as if I belonged there."<BR/><BR/>Hmm. She doesn't have a watch, because they haven't been invented yet. She's in disguise, trying to look like a servant.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-52286601121978832532009-02-27T18:34:00.000-05:002009-02-27T18:34:00.000-05:00Just my $0.02 here, so feel free to ignore. :)I t...Just my $0.02 here, so feel free to ignore. :)<BR/><BR/>I think you could make that second sentence even stronger. "I hurried" is telling. You're telling us *that* the MC hurried, not *how* it looks or feels to be in a hurry. Did she run up some steps? Did she attempt to blend in with the crowd? Is she checking her watch and pretending to be late for a meeting? These kinds of things create a stronger visual for the reader, and show us more of the character and what she's capable of, which draws us in faster. <BR/><BR/>*shrug* Like I said, feel free to ignore. :)Tabithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-58471937000091351362009-02-27T08:50:00.000-05:002009-02-27T08:50:00.000-05:00Well, I already responded to you at my blog. Suff...Well, I already responded to you at my blog. Suffice it to say, you're right about that personalized feedback being priceless! Cherish it always, frame it in gold, show your grandchildren one day. But, also, give yourself a few days to digest it and maybe not even look at your story for a week. Then, go back at it all with a fresh brain and decide if you can use any of it, if you really want to, and how.<BR/><BR/>I've received truckloads of requests for partials and a few Fulls on all three of my novels. I have no idea how I made the leap from partials to Fulls, because none of the agents provided any feedback (except on one Full.) Maybe the agents who requested the Fulls were high on their morning coffee when they did it. Beats me.<BR/><BR/>It seems the only way to get professional feedback, besides these few, free little crumbs, is to pay for it and who can afford it? Buying food for my children is more important. So, we muddle through the best we can with a little help from our friends.<BR/>;)Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-24313398851136310512009-02-27T08:43:00.000-05:002009-02-27T08:43:00.000-05:00Oooh, conversion. I rather like that. Stealing it...Oooh, conversion. I rather like that. Stealing it!<BR/><BR/>I'm still querying on it, nearing the end of my list of agents. Which is really perfect timing, because I hope to start querying the next one in April, I think. I'm going to go much faster with this one, because the querying for BotH has dragged out for a year, and that's just ridiculous.Kristy Baxterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07720394064601831599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-81773706373973745222009-02-27T05:30:00.000-05:002009-02-27T05:30:00.000-05:00Oh, and thank you! Are you still querying BotH? Or...Oh, and thank you! Are you still querying BotH? Or are you waiting on that contest?Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-59269416548503669102009-02-27T05:29:00.000-05:002009-02-27T05:29:00.000-05:00I am getting more partial requests for Starcaster,...I am getting more partial requests for Starcaster, but none of them have converted into requests for fulls. With Forging, I got one conversion (as I call it) from a major agent. But an ultimate pass.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-27955977923505441942009-02-26T23:25:00.000-05:002009-02-26T23:25:00.000-05:00I went through the same thing with Battle of the H...I went through the same thing with Battle of the Hexes, Tia, so I know where you're coming from. Those rejections can be killer when you honestly hoped for more.<BR/><BR/>Good for you, getting back on the horse so quickly and fixing what the agent pointed out. And for talking about your rejections. Braver woman than I!<BR/><BR/>And FWIW, I still say it's a great book. I couldn't tear myself away. =) And no, no sunshine up your ass from these quarters!Kristy Baxterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07720394064601831599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-46778949768961603682009-02-26T21:58:00.000-05:002009-02-26T21:58:00.000-05:00I usually am not shy about that sort of thing. One...I usually am not shy about that sort of thing. One thing I love about being over 40--I am much less hesitant about risking a no.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859423114554025557.post-46579923856420003972009-02-26T21:42:00.000-05:002009-02-26T21:42:00.000-05:00I hope you're going to drop that agent a line and ...I hope you're going to drop that agent a line and ask if s/he'd like to see a revision.Susan Helene Gottfriedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12778191943289129869noreply@blogger.com