Letters home from the querying trenches by a weary writer, describing the travails of flogging a manuscript.
Essays:
Tools in the Trench
A Brief Rant About Editing
Wabbit Hunting
Commercial Enough?
Too Good to be True?
Silent Rejection
A Sharp Left
Did the Rabbit Die?
Sanity Saver?
We Create Our Rejections
Writers and the Bird
Inventing Quicksand
A Question of Style
120
Comparable
5 Things
Tappity
.
Newest Post
-
In the Trenches: Catching-up
Perhaps I have already spoken about it among the other issues I have discussed in this blog but I am woefully behind in my reading. Specifically, I am behind in my reading for the particular genre I am writing.
Long ago, I used to devour fantasy books, and I do mean devour. Between grade school and graduating high school I could read a 300+ page book in a night. I was avid to the point of rabid in relation to reading. And, in particular, I read fantasy.
I started with The Hobbit and quickly moved on. Xanth, you remember those. The Belgariad when it first came out. The first Mercedes Lackey, if I have those in the right place in my memory. Et cetera.
I hadn’t noticed how radically my reading habits had changed until recently. I discovered the change as I started to look for comparables for the novel I am attempting to interest folks in representing or publishing. I realized I hadn’t picked up a fantasy book in a decade, maybe more.
What? Seriously? Well, dang. I guess so.
What had I been reading? Lots of history, western european, eastern european, Russian, American. I even squeezed in a couple of histories involving the Panama canal. Scanning my shelves I see whole sections on pandemic history: influenza, plague, yellow fever, polio, tuberculosis. Ya know, like most people do. <ahem>
What else was there? Lots and lots of sociology and politics. A fair number of modern biographies were in the mix. Loads of books on textile history, knitting and other fiber arts.
And classics. I certainly went through a ‘classics’ phase. And then more modern writers like Angelou and Morrison.
So, in all my reading there had been very little fantasy. I hadn’t even read George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series. Still haven’t read most of it.
So, now I am playing catch-up just as quickly as I can. It’s a challenge to cram a decade and a half of reading into a few months, that’s for sure. But this is where I need a bit of help. Ya ready?
What are, in your opinion, the most important fantasy reads of the last two decades? I will happily give them a look-see. And, seriously, thank you.
Blog Posts
-
In the Trenches: A Note on Noting
In the Trenches: A Note on Noting I have a habit of annotating my manuscripts. Thoroughly. But, just how far is too far?
-
In the Trenches: Eye Opener
In the Trenches: Eye Opener Taking a bit deeper look at the types of inboxes you can find in Query Tracker. Probably working up to an essay here, but unitl then, a few thoughts.
-
In the Trenches: Jon Taffer and Organic Chemistry
In the Trenches: Jon Taffer and Organic Chemistry Some days writing is a breeze. Some days writing is a chore. Anyone who tells you they adore being a writer 24/7 is either lying or they aren’t really a writer.
-
In the Trenches: Lost in Limbo
In the Trenches: Lost in Limbo Yeah the last few days have not been good and that’s an understatement. Between the physical health and the mental health problems it’s not a pretty sight.
-
In the Trenches: Take Two!
In the Trenches: Take Two! I dedicated a year to learning my craft, a process which is in no way finished. Fingers crossed as I try this again.
-
In the Trenches: Motivation-less
In the Trenches: Motivation-less Attempting to herd the pieces of a new essay into line.
-
In the Trenches: An Ill Advised Note to Neil Gaiman
In the Trenches: An Ill Advised Note to Neil Gaiman There is a great image of Neil Gaiman floating about the internet. Hold on. Let me go find it….
-
In the Trenches: Friendly Questions
In the Trenches: Friendly Questions Disappointment properly applied can lead to advancement.
-
In the Trenches: Data Head
In the Trenches: Data Head Data is good. I’ve been data mining into the QueryTracker timeline feature.
-
In the Trenches: Forward
In the Trenches: Forward Finding the right formula for your query can be a frustration, especially when a major step is, wait.
-
In the Trenches: Inventing Quicksand
In the Trenches: Inventing Quicksand The phrase ‘rich world building’, if that isn’t the ultimate invitation to do, and over do.
-
In the Trenches: Cutting Bait
In the Trenches: Cutting Bait Knowing when to cut your losses and watching how others approach the question… “Is it time?”
-
In the Trenches: Little Strokes
In the Trenches: Little Strokes In 6th grade I learned the phrase “Little strokes fell great oaks.” I’ve never found it more applicable than in querying.