tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post5398493027289428850..comments2023-09-29T05:32:04.308-07:00Comments on StrangePegs: Things I've Forgotten To SayAndrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-15003982655348506152012-05-21T12:28:25.939-07:002012-05-21T12:28:25.939-07:00Shannon: It's so much harder than it sounds.
...Shannon: It's so much harder than it sounds.<br /><br />M.J.: More of them? I'm always worried I give too many as it is!<br /><br />Teresa: She is! I think she knows it, too. Even her annoying behaviors are so cute we can't be upset about them.<br /><br />You know, I'm not sure my mom ever believed in me, but my kids did, so that works for me!<br /><br />ABftS: You know, I don't want an agent enough to sift through all the agent crap to find one. At this point, I'll have to have one approach me, and we all know how likely that is to happen!<br /><br />Briane: It's up! It's up!Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-31781367696057085002012-05-21T08:56:55.831-07:002012-05-21T08:56:55.831-07:00AHEM! I was promised a big announcement today. Do...AHEM! I was promised a big announcement today. Don't make me sic Rusty's Chartreuse Ocelot on you.Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-8532187876333834302012-05-21T07:52:49.491-07:002012-05-21T07:52:49.491-07:00We both still want an agent, but with that said, w...We both still want an agent, but with that said, we agree with you 100%. For us, it's finding the right agent for us, not just finding any agent. Hell, take the same novel to 20 different agents and you'll get 20 completely different opinions. Just because an agent doesn't like it or doesn't think they can sell it, it doesn't mean that no one else will or can.A Beer for the Showerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17029139745335325356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-15062931981332954892012-05-21T05:11:28.224-07:002012-05-21T05:11:28.224-07:00Aww, I LOVE your doggie. So cute.
I think liking...Aww, I LOVE your doggie. So cute. <br /><br />I think liking the debut novel of a writer is all up to the reader. I love to read Stephen King but his first novels are my favorites--I think. <br /><br />I know!! "Believe in yourself" is the best advice. I might add that no one (except your mom and your dog) will never believe in you more than yourself. So don't let others tear you down, because they don't care. Well they don't care that much. :)<br /><br />TeresaT. Powell Coltrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02160774009926623671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-79612404671694132072012-05-20T23:38:20.914-07:002012-05-20T23:38:20.914-07:00My dogs are fond of watching the local animal shel...My dogs are fond of watching the local animal shelter show...<br /><br />I rather enjoyed your soapbox speech. You should give more of them.M.J. Fifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15626475963328519693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-55187984075194805392012-05-20T23:00:56.397-07:002012-05-20T23:00:56.397-07:00Wonderful advice! Believing in oneself is somethi...Wonderful advice! Believing in oneself is something we should all be able to do, but yet so few can. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thewarriormuse.com/" rel="nofollow">Shannon at The Warrior Muse</a>, road tripping through the #atozchallenge <a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" rel="nofollow">participants</a>!Shannon Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934641808195675935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-37836413404518059892012-05-19T11:27:38.605-07:002012-05-19T11:27:38.605-07:00Grumpy: True, you did. And most people probably do...Grumpy: True, you did. And most people probably do have several failed attempts and false starts before the get a "first" novel.<br /><br />Pish: I'm all for not living someone else's ideas.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-80399082635638366282012-05-19T07:35:44.224-07:002012-05-19T07:35:44.224-07:00I agree - the "first" novel often isn...I agree - the "first" novel often isn't anywhere near the first. So yes nothing is that simple. And I think we can be driven crazy by trying to listen to common wisdom because it almost always contradicts itself. Just follow the passion. Even if it doesn't work, I'd rather live following the passion than live trying to fit someone else's idea.Pish Poshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13777846744497845820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-28051669563821909002012-05-18T20:07:42.216-07:002012-05-18T20:07:42.216-07:00Well I did say "a lot of".
BTW, you can...Well I did say "a lot of".<br /><br />BTW, you can read a lot of my earlier stories on my archives site: http://roguemuttarchives.blogspot.comPT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-47808535742561560192012-05-18T10:06:37.678-07:002012-05-18T10:06:37.678-07:00Grumpy: I don't think that's true. The Spa...Grumpy: I don't think that's true. The Sparrow was Russel's first novel. Neuromancer was Gibson's first. In fact, he wrote on request. Watership Down was Adams first. From a story he told his daughters on a car trip and they bugged him to write. Speaking of Adamses, Hitchiker was Douglas' first. And, unless he's mirepresented things, CassaStar was Mr. Ninja Alex' first, and that's an Amazon best seller. Sure, some people write a lot of novels before they get one out there, but some people don't.<br /><br />Michael: I don't believe in the trash. heh<br /><br />Elizabeth: Yeah, I want to write them all, too. At least, all the ones in my head. Right now. That's why I need clones!<br /><br />My dog is SO cute. She's like the cutest thing ever. Even cuter than the 10-week old puppy next door, and it takes a lot to out cute a puppy.<br /><br />Susan: And that is why we DON'T need dogtv! It's bad enough that people are addicted; can you imagine having to get a TV set for the dog because it won't let you watch the show you want to watch?<br /><br />L.G.: Me? Easily distracted? Pfft! I don't know what you're talking about! <br />And the guessing is what bothers me. Not that they're guessing but that they try to represent it as other than guessing.<br /><br />Rusty: Is that comfortable, keeping all of those manuscripts under your belt? Maybe that's what's causing the weight problem you used to mention... Butcher wrote 3 Dresden books before he got picked up; I believe he'd only written one novel before that. Of course, all three Dresden books made the cut.<br /><br />Lee: There was certainly some amount of fear on the part of Harper Lee. She said she would never write a better book, so she just wasn't going to try. Some of them, though, I think only had the one story.<br /><br />Briane: Man, your thing with Elvis really does go back, doesn't it? But it sounds like a good story. Sort of U2 and Rattle and Hum.<br /><br />That's a cool idea for blogfest, too. I'll be emailing you...<br /><br />And I'm glad you like my first, but I do hope I get better. Actually, I can't wait for you to see the sequel. heh heh<br />Electric ink sounds fun... just don't put your tongue on it!Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-76789167326092057922012-05-18T09:46:02.495-07:002012-05-18T09:46:02.495-07:00I think more people should tell you what their fir...I think more people should tell you what their first novels ACTUALLY WERE. That would be a heck of a blogfest.<br /><br />The first (complete) novel I ever wrote was called "Finding Elvis." I wrote it back in 1993-1994. It was about a guy who decides to go to Graceland because he really wants to find his dad but doesn't want to admit it to himself. Then he goes to find his dad anyway and is kind of disappointed when he does.<br /><br />I wrote it for a contest and then it lost, and eventually I tossed out the manuscript. Now I kind of wish I'd kept it. <br /><br />I like YOUR first novel a lot. "House..." is a great book. If you get any better as a writer, the words will need to be written in electric ink. (Electric Ink, Inc. is patent-pending. All rights reserved.)Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-22863384763696059982012-05-18T08:57:41.118-07:002012-05-18T08:57:41.118-07:00Okay, I know what you're talking about--I thin...Okay, I know what you're talking about--I think. At least I have my interpretation of what you're saying based on my point of view. That's part of the first book thing. If a writer's written more than one book some readers may think the first one is the best and others may prefer another book. It's all opinion. <br /><br />As far as the writers who stop at one book, maybe they've told the story they wanted to tell and don't want to talk about it any more. Then again maybe there's some kind of failure fear at play--they don't want to have to top themselves or they fear judgement of not meeting expectations. I'm sure there are a ton of variations to the first book story and many different interpretations.<br /><br />The authors I admire and won't be unhappy if I follow suit are the ones who write a less than stellar book first and follow it up with a bunch of similar stuff and they make a ton of money doing it. Yeah, I'm mercenary, but I've got bills to pay and travel I want to do. <br /><br /><br />Lee <br />An A to Z Co-Host <br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a>Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-64066930573404199842012-05-17T19:25:36.333-07:002012-05-17T19:25:36.333-07:00I've got half a dozen novels under my belt. We...I've got half a dozen novels under my belt. Well, I have half a dozen drafts of assorted novels under my belt. I enjoy reading about Brandon Sanderson's rise to publication. The guy had written something like 13 novels before one of them got picked up and then it was several years before he actually began a novel knowing it was going to be published upon completion. It just seemed funny to me.Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-83131606503275643862012-05-17T18:21:04.355-07:002012-05-17T18:21:04.355-07:00First, I know I don't need to point this out, ...First, I know I don't need to point this out, but you get easily distracted. :P<br /><br />Second, you're so right! I'm totally not following convention at the moment. I wrote a novel. Loved it. Didn't immediately find an agent for it (quite after 16 queries), so I decided what the heck, I'm going to write a trilogy. So, I'm working on my second novel in the trilogy, only it's really the first one in the order of things. It's confusing, but I get it. When I'm done, I hope others get it as well. We'll see. But, yeah, agents and publishers are really just guessing at stuff, and half the time they get it wrong.Luanne G. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-89648880515596034212012-05-17T14:54:33.378-07:002012-05-17T14:54:33.378-07:00I think how good a first novel is depends on how m...I think how good a first novel is depends on how much time the writer is willing to put into it. First drafts usually leave a lot to be desired, whether it's the first book or the twenty-first, but proper editing can polish that lump of coal into a diamond. Or so I hope. I've been polishing the crap out of my book for a looooong time.<br /><br />Oh, and one of my son's dogs is addicted to television. No kidding. I never saw anything like it before. He actually reacts to what's happening on the program he's watching. AND can turn the TV on by himself, too. (Hasn't figured out how to use the remote yet, though.)Susan Flett Swiderskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425315552148200073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-29137048380747101852012-05-17T14:37:48.557-07:002012-05-17T14:37:48.557-07:00This was a rousing post. I want to write all the b...This was a rousing post. I want to write all the books and stories now!<br /><br />Agreed, there's your first novel and then there's your first novel. I wrote my first when I was sixteen, on a typewriter in the spare room of my parents' house which I turned into my study. Years later I found some of the pages and read them and you know what? They were not bad. I thought, gee, I could have kept going with this. <br /><br />In the past few years, I've started and in some cases completed novel manuscripts that just didn't feel right. Last year, I got a complete draft that I can work with. This time, I think I'll keep going.<br /><br />Also, your dog? Oh wow your dog is so cute. She's killing me. Buy her all the TVs and some treats immediately.Elizabeth Twisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133959633383307056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-23646412017456566982012-05-17T13:54:56.855-07:002012-05-17T13:54:56.855-07:00My first novel is in the trash bin somewhere (or o...My first novel is in the trash bin somewhere (or occupying a landfill). Yeah I seriously tossed it. Slipstream is actually the fifth novel of my career. Kudos though to anyone that gets it right first time out of the box.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-60329738691524090192012-05-17T13:41:56.402-07:002012-05-17T13:41:56.402-07:00I think the misnomer about the "first novel&q...I think the misnomer about the "first novel" is a lot of times it's not really the first. I have no idea what my "first novel" would have been because it was probably something I wrote back in 7th Grade. Most writers I'm sure have quite a few things in their proverbial drawer before their "first" novel ever gets published.<br /><br />I do think on the balance the first novel is not the best. There are some tremendous first novels but usually it takes a writer some seasoning to be able to get it just right.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.com