Tag Archive: silk


Getting Feedback

Filed under: My Writing, Silk Over Razor Blades — Leave a comment
November 8, 2011

It seems simple, but so many writers forget it. In fact, I was guilty of it until maybe a couple of years ago.

Getting feedback for your work is one of the most vaulable processes for making your work (novel/short story/article/flash fiction) ready for submission/publication. Without it you are, in no way, giving yourself the best chance to showcase the true potential of your writing.

When To Be A Teenage Vampire was ‘ready’ the first thing I did was start writing to publishers. I actually completely skipped the agent stage and when on to search for a publishing house who would take me on. Never mind that I was 15/16 years old and in no way ready for what that actually meant. And something that makes me cringe now was that I’d never given the piece to someone else to read. Oh I might have given it to a couple of friends from school – they wanted to read it because they were in it! – but the most I got was the correction of a couple of typos and a ‘hey, this is great! I love it! When is it going to be published?’

-_-

All very nice and encouraging, but not helpful. …sorry girls, but it wasn’t. :p

ClingThese days I’m far more aware of the need for other people to read the piece, whatever it is, and let me know what they think. To critique it. To pull it to pieces by giving me opinions on word choice, structure, strength of plot, characterisation…. Small traps that writers fall into which will bore the reader within a page of opening your tome. Things that I can’t possibly see myself because I’m too close to the writing. I can’t really let go of it.

And that’s at the core of it really. I love Silk Over Razor Blades. As you can probably tell, I’ve been working on it for so long, and there’s so much of myself in it, that I just can’t bare the thought of handing it to someone to read and being told ‘this isn’t so great,’ ‘this piece of plotting is a bit weak,’ ‘your opening couple of chapters are a little slow,’ ‘are you sure you’ve used the most powerful words here for the effect you’re trying to create’ (incidentally, these are all questions I’ve asked myself in reading the novel in recent months, not questions from other people). Its bad enough that even though I love SORB, I hate it passionately (its a complex rainbow of emotions), but to potentially get that from other people as well? Yikes!

But it needs to be done.

I’ve seen and read enough horror stories from publishers and agents through Twitter and blog entries about writing that has obvious potential, but it hasn’t been properly harnessed because the author rushed getting their work out. In fact, part of the big stigma related to self publishing and ebooks these days is that such things have made it so easy for any old ‘writer’ to publish their ‘masterpiece,’ that the quality of such novels is lacking. Its not always that case, I hasten to add, but it can be. Because these people are in such a rush to see their words in print.

I know the feeling. Reeeeeeeeeeeeally; I know the feeling.

But its not the way to go. I’ve joined a writing group where in the few months I’ve been with them, I’ve been able to scrap 37k words from SORB because they:

  1. Didn’t progress my plot
  2. Actually slowed the damn plot down
  3. Formed pointless digressions which will actually stand well enough on their own to make short stories or flash
  4. Took my characters to places which didn’t make sense for them as people
  5. Were just empty and pointless, offering flowery embellishment that took some of the power and strength out of what I was trying to say

I’m not so great at recognising that in listening to other people’s words yet, which is why I’m not as vocal as I want to be at these writer’s meetings, but in terms of applying my learning to my own work… its paying dividends.

SORB now, compared to this time last year (during my last freak out) is so much more ready to be seen that I should, really, be calling for beta readers.

In fact, why the hell not?!

If I don’t make myself do it… I’m going to keep hiding from it and shying away from it until it never happens. And I refuse to send this piece to any more agents/publishers before more eyes have seen the whole story.

Call outOkay! I guess that means that I’m asking for beta readers. Is that the right phrase? People to read my 107k vampire fiction to give me their thoughts on ‘how ready I am’ to submit? Well, its the phrase I’m going to use.

Spread the word dear readers; Ileandra Young is finally ready to let go of her baby and send it out into the world, to see if its big enough to cope. ^_^

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80 Post Challenge – Post 29

Filed under: 80 Post Challenge, Real Life Chatter — Leave a comment
September 17, 2011

Name something you would like to devote more time to seeing or doing.

Okay, this could be the easiest one in the world to answer, but rather than going with the obvious (writing) I’ll talk about something else.

Guitar.

I was at a wedding a couple of weeks back and ended up on a table with people I didn’t know during the meal. I was worried at first, but it turned out fine because we had plenty to talk about in the end when we all realised that we liked music. I talked about Dave and his band and the chaps beside me talked about their bands. I ended up talking about the fact that I had been learning guitar, but I stopped because I hated having to keep my fingernails short.

Cop out right?

But that’s not the only reason. Yes I like having long(ish) nails and at the moment their painted this really deep, glittery blue and all nicely shaped and whatever. I would have to cut them right down to play anything like I was doing before and keep them that length to continue. But it was also time.

Now that I’ve finished my chunky rewrite of Silk Over Razor Blades (I can’t even call it an edit; I have to call it a rewrite because I did far too much to it) I’m having a break from novels. I’m letting my brain expand again and looking into smaller projects. But that’s given me, suddenly, a huge amount of time. Because I’m not rushing home each evening to sit in the office and type. I’m not spending my weekends in my pyjamas going through text and making it better. That’s all done for the moment.

So there is more time. I don’t want to pick up anything that is too far reaching (more DnD games would be lovely, but they’ll make things difficult in November) and I don’t want it to be anything that doesn’t have a use. Guitar… since I started learning last year, wouldn’t consume all my time and wouldn’t be of no use. I’d love to play an instrument again. I used to play recorder and in primary school I was part of the steel band for two years. I love music. Its just natural.

So. Guitar. Its definitely right up on there on the list of things that I want to do more of, or that I would love to try in a bit more detail. So maybe I will.

In fact… its hanging right next to me. I’ll just give that a go….

 

 

 

 

My 80 Post Challenge is brought to you with help from Tom Slatin’s 80 Journal Writing Prompts.

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Step Three: Acknowledgement

Filed under: My Writing, Silk Over Razor Blades — 3 Comments
August 4, 2011

I got my postcard back from the agents. ^_^ I must admit, I shouldn’t be too surprised that it did, since I made it as easy as I possibly could. I addressed it, stamped it and what not, but it was such a pleasant surprise to come through the door into the kitchen and find it among the post. I saw the massive Maltesers and thought ‘ooooh, that’s me!’

It was when I flipped it over that I had the best surprise. Rather than just whipping it back into the post, the agency editor has actually written a little something on it. She expressed thanks for the submission and that they would be in context again in six weeks, and then a little joke about the quote I included about chocolate.

It may be a small thing, but I really feel encouraged by that. It serves not only to remind them that I’m just a person at the other end of the book, but it reminds me that they are too! What woman after all, anywhere in the world, doesn’t have a special relationship with chocolate? I used this particular card on a whim, but I like that I was able to find a quote that matched it.

I bought a whole load more cards as well for the same sort of thing and I’m encouraged enough by this response that I’ll keep doing it. The other cards are supposed to be a reflection of my personality and sense of humour which, coupled with the quote I choose, will give an insight to me that I’m not able to include in my cover letter or literary CV. The new ones are a couple of prints either claimed or accredited to Banksy and some other just funny ones that made me giggle the second I saw them on the rack. That’s how I picked them, by the way; pictures that I knew I liked already (Banksy) or things that leapt out at me when I saw them. I figure those are the best way to show what I like and what I appreciate. Though one of them is a tad childish, hehee. I might send that one to a friend instead.

I need to get myself a folder now and some fat, white labels. Over the weekend I’m going to label the folder ‘REJECTIONS’ in big, black letters and put a smiley face next to it. Not necessarily to celebrate the rejection of my work (!) but to acknowledge that each rejection is another step closer to the agent who deserves to represent me. And I really do feel that is the right way to put it. I’m starting to build enough confidence in my work that I can submit it in the first place; therefore I feel that when (not ‘if,’ ladies and gentlemen) I get taken on, it will be an agent who has seen something and wants to run with it because the writing deserves it (and because they can sell it, obviously). There is risk involved with new authors, everyone knows that, but the people who take that plunge do get to reep the benefits.

Anyway that’s my first acknowledgement and I plan to send another pack out soon. Once I get two or three out I’ll be in a position of wanting to start something new as it will be the waiting game. I’ve never really been good at that.

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Step Two: Submission

Filed under: My Writing, NaNoWriMo 2010, Silk Over Razor Blades — Leave a comment
July 30, 2011

Fuck yeah! Its been a great week for productivity. I mean a really great week! Considering that it started so slow and I didn’t know what I was doing and I was annoyed at not getting the new job and my printer was down and all sorts of other small things that were bugging the hell out of me… Now, I feel a shit load better. ^_^

I have made four submissions of my work this week. Four! And now that I’ve started the ball rolling I think I can get it moving quiet consistently to one submission a week, be it electronic or hard copy.

The first submission was to Inspired Quill. I’ve been saying it for a while, but since obtaining the proof for Clash of The Animal Kings I figured I had two choices. I could proceed through CreateSpace and risk falling by the wayside, being utterly ignored and lost in the pool of all those self published authors who can’t afford the advertising. Or I could take a risk and go with a publishing house that I know full well are designed for and looking out specifically for new authors.

Sara Slack is incredibly passionate about books and the fact that she is the figurehead and the driving force behind Inspired Quill gives me plenty of confidence. It also makes me feel loads better to read her comments and understand that she would appreciate my making a submission. So, I thought, why not? Its safe for me to do so; Clash is not currently available through CreateSpace and I haven’t approved the proof with them, so I am still permitted to approach other publishers, agents, vendors to publish the work. I feel that while I am still at that stage with CreateSpace it would be foolish not to. So I put together my sample chapters, the synopsis and my cover letter and sent it off to them earlier in the week. Now I just need to sit tight and wait. ^_^

The next three submissions are all of Silk Over Razor Blades. Its been a fabulously productive week for all of my work so far! The first submission was processed electronically and sent to Carden Wright Literary Agency. They take submissions through email so it was one of those that was relatively simple to put the work together, make the attachments neat and tidy, make sure that they are properly presented and attach them to an email. It was the same with Jonathan Clowes Ltd. Both of these I processed on Thursday night and they flew merrily across the blue nowhere to their respective inboxes some time ago. Just need to wait to hear back from them now.

The last submission was a full, hard copy pack which I had to send through the post. This one went to Darley Anderson Literary TV and Film Agency. These guys wanted three chapters, a literary CV, a synopsis and my cover letter. So I sent it to them. I also sent them an SAE (you have GOT to do this if you want your work back – and I also arranged for it to be recorded delivery) and a SAP. The SAP was an idea I read somewhere on the internet (if I can find the site, I promise I’ll share it), but I liked it so much as an idea that I had to use it. A stamped, addressed postcard, made out to myself, which I have asked the agent to put with their outgoing mail when it comes in. No more effort is required than that, but it means that I will be able to see when they received the work and it will assure me that the pages have not just become lost in Royal Mail’s basement somewhere. That shouldn’t really be an issue because I did the whole thing by recorded delivery, but you never can be too careful. I’m sure there are some agents from the last time I did this that didn’t even respond at all, and I can’t guarantee that they even received the work. So this should take care of that and offer them a witticism about chocolate at the same time.

Never can be bad right?

All of these people are from the Authors and Artists Yearbook 2011 except for Inspired Quill. I’m looking forward to doing one of these each week and seeing my spreadsheet of submissions grow and grow. A strange part of me is also looking forward to the rejections if only because it means that people out there have seen my work. They may have decided that I’m not for them, but at the same time, its also about spreading my name. Like a virus.

Heh, that’s it; I wanna go viral!

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Step One: The Enquiry Letter

Filed under: My Writing — Leave a comment
July 5, 2011

So I’ve actually bitten the bullet and decided to start drafting my letter to approach agents. Its really strange, but the more I think about how much further I can push this, the more frightened I get. I suppose that’s natural right? But over the last couple of days I’ve found myself making excuses. ‘I can’t write, I need to respond to these emails.’ or ‘I can’t write, the kitchen is a wreck and smells like mackerel.’ On Sunday, when I had the entire day to myself, I managed to write a flash-fiction piece (500 words) and start on a short story. I really did just start it; I think I made it to 1,000 words of my 2,000 limit. Now… that’s crazed because that’s usually an hours work for me; ordinarily, I can just sit down and the words flow right out of me.

I feel that because those pieces were only short, the second I started I was already much closer to finishing than any other novel I’ve completed so far. That, after all, is really intimidating, because what comes after completion? Editing, assessment and critiques from others of course! I don’t think I’ve had enough experience of that yet. Obviously its never going to stop being scary, but I think I really need to push for more feedback and constructive criticism because I have to get used to it. That’s what the publishing world is like and that is how the crap gets separated from the gold. Obviously there are some things which slip through the net, but I don’t want to be classed as one of those. I want to be one of those ones who is eagerly snapped up because of the quality of writing and good story telling.

So… with all that in mind, last night I sat down and starting writing. Well… I was supposed to. What I actually did was go back upstairs, pick up the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2011 and reread some of the chapters about approaching agents, why I do or don’t want an agent and how to get one. Then I opened up Excel and began a little spreadsheet to record all of the agents I’ve approached. Then I went back through my computer archive and found all the agents I approached before I left for university. There were three clusters of them; some I approached when I was sixteen, another set at nineteen and then a further set at twenty-one.

It was fascinating reading through those with the power of hindsight on my side. Looking at the naive and child-like words its a wonder that anybody took me seriously. They did though; I have a whole folder of rejection letters upstairs. Some of them are very obviously standard template letters with my name scrawled in at the top, others were handwritten notes with a pp signature at the bottom and some were even typed letters which obviously had some work put into them and discussed points about the idea of To Be A Teenage Vampire that might be marketable and others that might not.

So… I’ve done this before. I’ve had positive responses before; not positive enough to get representation, but enough for people have looked at the work (or their secretaries have).

Anyway, after I’d done all of then, then, at last, I managed to open up a new .doc file and start writing. I started at the top of course, made sure my letter head was absolutely perfectly, that my address was changed from my last flat and that it was up to date with all my contact numbers and new email address. And the website of course. Then I had no excuse left. I had a drink in front of me, nothing else to do and a partner quietly working away on his own computer, mixing a track he intends to make a video for later on (it was lovely hearing him singing while I was working).

At this point however, there is no excuse left. I have to get on with it, so, at last I started to tap out the words. Slowly, slowly, hesitantly, with regular stops to bite my nails, retie my hair, check my watch, change the music on my media player, refer to the yearbook and so on.

I did everything in my power to avoid writing for as long as possible until there was no choice left. Now I really do understand what Graham Joyce was talking about! Procrastination is everybody’s enemy.

I have managed to write the letter, or at least a template that needs some work before I’d feel happy sending it to any sort of professional. It includes what Silk Over Razor Blades is about in brief as well as an idea of the other things I do (I like to talk about other things that make me more marketable, like the radio). And perhaps just as importantly I explained the audiences I’m writing for. Because that’s important too; one has to know the target is, otherwise every shot will just fly wide.

I’ll edit the letter today and let you know how I go. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you I’m sending it out really soon!

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