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Ten days on my own - what to do?

edited February 2016 in Writing
The OH is going away on Wednesday for ten days and I don't want to waste them, so here's the situation - any ideas? Bearing in mind that I'm not firing on all cylinders yet (I've been ill) where do I start?

The options:

Search for an agent for my novel 'Helter-Skelter' - a family saga set between the wars.

Or for 'Rock Child' - the first in a series of five prehistoric fantasies, four of which need extensive editing as they were the first books I wrote.

Or for 'Strange Adoption' - a novel in which an unconventional adoption leads to a boy learning to live again after serious abuse.

These are all in such different genres that I can't imagine one agent taking them all!

Or I could return to the WIP - a novel which at present is only 15,000 words, but if I don't get an agent at all, what's the point of writing yet another book to gather dust?

So there you have it. The mind's scurrying around like a rat in a trap and getting nowhere. There are too many ifs and buts. HELP!

Comments

  • Research the agents, draft your correspondence, work on the WIP.

    ;)
  • Is one calling to you? You've left the between wars one for a while, do you think you should read it first, perhaps printed out to see how it feels now?
  • Agent, for whichever of your books you feel is the most marketable.

    There will be a long wait after you've contacted them - you can look at the WIP then.

    As well as getting lots of rest and looking after yourself of course!!
  • Take plenty of rest breaks in-between them.
  • Sunbathe.
  • Dora - I live in England now . If I sat outside in a bikini they'd take me off to the loony bin!

    Helter-Skelter has been worked to perfection, IMO, so that's probably the one to try first. I have a hard copy of it, Liz, so I'll read it again just to be certain.
  • edited February 2016
    Get one out there doing the rounds while you pick up the next most-finished one for a thorough read-through.

    In the meantime, look into self-publishing options, just in case. You've got the time, and the peace.

    What about the agent who said your novel was good but you lived too far away? Might be worth drafting a letter, quoting whatever it was they said, and telling them you're in England now.

    Stop chasing your mental tail, and do those things that you can do effectively. Take time out for rest and simple non-energetic pleasures, too.

    If I can be of any use, you have my email somewhere!
  • Good point about that agent, Mrs Bear. It's certainly worth a try, Lizy.
  • Some good advice there, Mrs Bear, and your offer of help is lovely.

    Before Christmas I contacted that agent about Helter-Skelter - the book I have had proof-read. She remembered me and my book but said her list was full now, so that option is no longer on the table.

    I still have the list of other agents I went through orignially. I don't know whether I should consider them out of bounds now. On the other and, they've pprobably had so many subs that they've forgotten rejecting mine years ago.

  • edited February 2016
    One way to prioritise would be to analyse the various content and see if there are any anniversary tie-ins that might tempt an agent. H-S might be set between the wars, but wasn't Dunkirk key to the plot? You've missed that anniversary, i.e. 2015 might have worked. But review all the books and consider if you can take advantage. For the abuse book, look at the NSPCC. There are so many important milestones for that charity, you might find a date that you can hang the book on - 2017 sees the 100th anniversary of something or other. You need to plant the seed in a potential agent/publisher's mind of how they can 'borrow' publicity.

    Back to H-S - any anniversaries for piers?

    Those early books, if you have to re-visit their content, why not do some research and see if you can incorporate something that can be used, i.e. look at the important museums - any big anniversaries there?

    Once you start thinking out of the box, you might be flooded with new ideas.
  • Fabulous ideas, TBers.
  • Ten days alone? When I read the thread title I thought: what bliss!
    The important thing is to ENJOY however you decide to use your time. :)
  • Netflix! ;)
  • 10 days will go quickly, keep calm search for the agent then forget about it once you send off, then carry on writing and wait for the great news they want your novels.
  • Netflix is like a Black Hole Karen, once you enter it every other aspect of your life can be sucked into oblivion in a matter of minutes! I love it though! Already excited for the new season on Orange.

    I'm not sure what advice I could give on this Lizy, I find when I embark on some much sought after alone time I never make the most of it, but I can give some warnings based on my experience.

    1. Do not sleep the days away, just because the bed is warm and cosy and you don't have to get up. It will be 3pm before you realise.

    2. Do have some sort of schedule to avoid the time you may sit there unsure of where to begin

    3. But don't over-schedule, things can then become a burden

    4. Goals are good but be sure you aren't putting too much pressure on yourself

    5. Do not watch Netflix or your biggest achievement when the OH is back home is that you've watched all three seasons of Orange is the New Black- which isn't a waste of time (it's very very good and could give some brilliant character inspiration) but it probably won't achieve what you actually want.


  • It looks to me as though you are already on the right track as you're not wasting time on here!

    The trouble with lots of pots on the boil is that you need to keep stirring each one, so prioritising your time to one project is key. I would try to perfect my covering letter, making it stand out from the crowd and then begin to put together submission packages, taking very careful note of any differences between requirements of different agents/publishers.

    If you're submitting a children's book, I recommend the 'Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook', instead of the usual red one. Then you just need to work through. A tip I have heard is to start at the back as they get fewer submissions.

    So that's my advice. Now I just need to take it, too!
  • My fantasy's MC is an adoleccent-growing to independent young man through the months of this story. My daughter and I think it's probably a YA book that would appeal to adults. Would that come under Children's WAYB?

    And I have actually opened the WIP for the first time since Christmas and rewritten an entire chapter!

    Finding an agent will take priority after dropping Don off at Gatwick on Weds afternoon and stopping off for a Nan cuddle on the way home.
  • Yes, agents/pubs requesting YA are listed in my CWAYB book, Lizy.
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