The Ambiguous "Soon"

Like most of you, I've been around the rejection block a few times. And, like most of you again, I've waited long periods of time to hear from those rejections. Rejections from agents. Rejections from editors. Rejections from various writing contests. Rejections from publishers. You name it, I've probably been rejected by it. And I'm certain, that most of you can sympathize with me. Rejection is a normal process in the world of publishing.

So it's been seven months since I submitted to a publisher's open door submission. I've waited, and instead of a rejection, my manuscript has slowly ascended to the ranks of the chosen few. Out of nearly 1,000 submissions, mine is one of approximately 24 that made it to the editors desk. I feel great about that accomplishment! However, the waiting tends to drive me a little batty at times.

Sure, I know all the tricks. Write. Do something. But when the publisher posts twitter comments and posts about giving us an answer "very soon", I know-- from my experience--that soon means nothing in the world of publishing. That "soon" was posted over a month ago. And still I wait to know my fate.

A couple of months ago, I also submitted to a twitter contest for Random House UK, for a picture book. They asked if they could take my manuscript to a meeting. "Sure!" I replied. "Next week" has come and gone. A month ago they said that emails were going out "today". Well, "today" has long since come and gone.

(sigh)

It brings me to wonder, is there a secret language only known to editors? Do they have a code that "soon" actually means 3 months?  Or does "next week" actually mean give or take a month or two. I have yet to discover the hidden secrets in the editorial lingo. I have learned though, that one should never take an ambiguous "soon" as gold. Things happen. Meetings are pushed back. Things appear on their desks. And as one of many writers, we must learn patience (dang it). Makes me wonder if agents, editors, publishers, are teaching us to wait. Maybe we'll finally get used to it all when we get that contract. For if/when we do, we have to wait for our books too. :o)

Writers' Thoughts: What Makes A Re-Read?

We all love books. There's something wonderful about opening the cover for the first time and escaping into another world. And, unless it's The Neverending Story, we all know a book ends. But what quality does a book need to make you read it over and over again?"

So grab your beverage of choice (don't forget the cookies), sit back and let's talk.


Katrina: A re-readable book facilitates escape (read that like Dory on Finding Nemo) Es-cop-ay! Its characters are relatable, but way more exciting than me, so I can imagine living in their world--and the very thought gets me geeking out. A good example of this is Twilight. Bella is an every-girl, and yet she's brave (like I would hope to be in her situation). Since I'd rather not actually face homicidal freaks of nature, I'm happy Bella's there to go through it in my place. Also like Twilight, a re-readable book must have suspense. I can pick Twilight books up mid-chapter 39 and get sucked into the scene because of the artful suspense. And finally, a re-readable book must have humor--like Emmet, or in HP's case, Fred & George Weasley--to keep me coming back for more.

p.s. you guys, I'm sorry my answers are so long. I'm really not good at short answers.

Amparo: I'm a sucker for voice. It doesn't matter the genre or premise, I just want to feel like I'm genuinely inside someone else's head the entire time. Bonus points if that head is filled with snarky thoughts

Kelly: The books that I re-read for pleasure have it all: great characters who I want to spend time with, a compelling story with suspense that drives me forward, a satisfying resolution that I want to experience again, and beautiful writing that allows me to get lost in the pages.

My standards for books I re-read for craft aren't as impossibly high. Those books just need to solve problems that I grapple with as a writer in a way that I both admire and think I can achieve.

Lindsay: What makes a book a re-read for me is a mixture of voice, great characters, and a story that interests me. I love reading books where I'm sad when my time with the characters come to an end. One of my favourite books is Pride and Prejudice. I can still re-read that and get so caught up in the story (and characters) I forget I already know what will happen.

That, for me, is what makes a book a re-read. :)

Kristal: Gosh. Hard Question. I have such a short term memory, so any book I re-read is practically like entering the world all over again!

Seriously though... One reason I re-read a book is when a writer hides their secrets well. I love a book that tells me what's going to happen through hints, but I never spot them until the end. So I'd re-read that book to try to catch them as they happen. I also re-read when a book has passion. And I don't mean the smutty romance type of passion. I mean real emotional passion that sucks me in. I love to have my emotions sore. And I love a happy ending.

So that's us. We open the blog floor to you. What makes a book a re-read?

Writers' Thoughts: What is Awesome?

Awesome is a word we use a lot. Heck, we've even got it in our blog's name. But what is awesome?

Here's what the dictionary says about the word awesome:

Awesome
adj

1. impressive and frightening: so impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear.
2. excellent: used as a general term of enthusiastic approval (slang)

So, being talkative people, we decided to have a little group chat about what makes a writer awesome.

Amparo: Support. Making others feel like they belong somewhere--awesome doesn't get any better than that to me.

Kristal: An awesome writer is someone who writes, even in the midst of rejections and disappointments. It is someone who steps back from their failures, and instead of wallowing in them, uses them to improve their craft. It is someone who never gives up on their goals and dreams. And even when they achieve them, they still strive forward. An awesome writer never lets success stop them from wanting to learn more.

Kelly: Being awesome as a writer means aiming beyond your skill level, and then working to raise yourself up. It means that when you get discouraged or rejected, you lick your wounds and eventually find a way to get better. It means finding new stories to tell and new ways to the tell them, while remaining true to your own voice and vision.

Lindsay: What makes a writer awesome is not only the way they have honed their craft, but the way they never give up. Through the journey they write on regardless of publishing glory, money, or fame. They write because it's scorched across their soul. It feels as natural as breathing, but no less harder than living. An awesome writer writes for the story. Because the story is what makes the writer awesome.

Angie: Listen, learn and be still. Listen to the reasons your work is being rejected. Learn from seasoned authors. Let peace into your heart, stay positive. Take all that you've learned and use that knowledge to improve your work.

Katrina: To answer this, I thought of a few of my favorite authors: C.S. Lewis, LM Montgomery, Stephenie Meyer, Kiersten White (she's new, totally check her out). Totally different writing styles, all. The thing that makes them all awesome is their uniqueness. They're true to themselves. They have a distinct voice that sets them apart, and they're not trying to be like everybody else. That's what makes a writer awesome: being true.

So that's what we OA gals think. What about you?

What do you think makes a writer awesome?

P.S. Don't forget to pop back tomorrow for our spectacular Mystery Agent revelation. Oh yeah, and the winner will be announced as well. :)