Writing Should Be Fun, or Why Evil Never Sleeps is On Hold
Hello my friends!
A lot has happened since I last wrote. First of all, I finished the edits on Evil Never Sleeps. Second, I submitted it to an editor at Harper Collins.
Yes, that's right.
At Colorado Gold this year, I met an editor from Harper Collins, chatted her up at dinner, and she requested my full manuscript.
Now, before you get all crazy happy dance cabbage patch face about it, she passed on it.
HOWEVER, her rejection was personalized, and she said, "I know you'll go far with this."
My first official rejection.
I know this book has been through so many revisions, versions, and edits, but I also know that it is currently making me miserable.
After a mixed response to my new, simplified opening, and weeks of text/email brainstorming with some of my critique partners, I came to the conclusion that I need to set this book aside for now. It pains me to do so, because it has come so far from what it was originally.
The fact of the matter is this...
Hello, my name is Claire L. Fishback, and I write horror.
I can't swing it any other way. MAYBE supernatural suspense is the right genre for ENS. MAYBE I just need to be more horrifically creative and make ENS straight horror, which I'd love to do, but the whole thing is making me miserable right now.
The fact is, I write horror and, according to MH (Crit Partner), I write it well.
I have also started writing every morning to a prompt found in A Writer's Book of Days (not the version available on Amazon... my copy is much older, but I will be getting the new version for next year because the prompts are different). The purpose of the morning pages in this book is to figure out the themes and things you like to write about. About 90% of my morning pages are horror. And I have enjoyed every second of those little vignettes and story snippets.
I've decided, thus, to start a new project. One that will be a horror novel. It currently doesn't have a title, though I thought Photos in Darkness might be it. I'm not loving that title anymore, though. So, for now, it is Untitled Horror Novel #1. That's all I'm going to say about it right now, because I am keeping this to myself for as long as possible.
What this means is I either A) need to pitch ENS as is at PPWC this year and hope someone thinks it sounds great and takes it. or B) Write my ass off and get a solid first draft by April 15th.
Option 2 does not sound fun. It is doable. I think. If I can write 50,000 words in November (back when I used to do NaNoWriMo), why not 80,000 between February and March? I can certainly try. In fact, I will try. Starting tomorrow I will write at least 1,000 words a day for the next 80 days. That is incredibly doable. I can do this! Thank you so much for making me see the light! For holding my hand and giving me moral support!
Okay, so, that's the plan. Holy crap! And to think I was doubting myself.
Of course, in that time I will also need to prepare a query letter. Once I have a solid idea of the plot, that won't be too big an issue.
Oh my gosh! I'm so excited and daunted at the same time! HAHA! I'm feeling a little giddy!
Peace and Keep Writing!
Claire L. Fishback
A lot has happened since I last wrote. First of all, I finished the edits on Evil Never Sleeps. Second, I submitted it to an editor at Harper Collins.
Yes, that's right.
At Colorado Gold this year, I met an editor from Harper Collins, chatted her up at dinner, and she requested my full manuscript.
Now, before you get all crazy happy dance cabbage patch face about it, she passed on it.
HOWEVER, her rejection was personalized, and she said, "I know you'll go far with this."
My first official rejection.
I know this book has been through so many revisions, versions, and edits, but I also know that it is currently making me miserable.
After a mixed response to my new, simplified opening, and weeks of text/email brainstorming with some of my critique partners, I came to the conclusion that I need to set this book aside for now. It pains me to do so, because it has come so far from what it was originally.
The fact of the matter is this...
Hello, my name is Claire L. Fishback, and I write horror.
I can't swing it any other way. MAYBE supernatural suspense is the right genre for ENS. MAYBE I just need to be more horrifically creative and make ENS straight horror, which I'd love to do, but the whole thing is making me miserable right now.
The fact is, I write horror and, according to MH (Crit Partner), I write it well.
I have also started writing every morning to a prompt found in A Writer's Book of Days (not the version available on Amazon... my copy is much older, but I will be getting the new version for next year because the prompts are different). The purpose of the morning pages in this book is to figure out the themes and things you like to write about. About 90% of my morning pages are horror. And I have enjoyed every second of those little vignettes and story snippets.
I've decided, thus, to start a new project. One that will be a horror novel. It currently doesn't have a title, though I thought Photos in Darkness might be it. I'm not loving that title anymore, though. So, for now, it is Untitled Horror Novel #1. That's all I'm going to say about it right now, because I am keeping this to myself for as long as possible.
What this means is I either A) need to pitch ENS as is at PPWC this year and hope someone thinks it sounds great and takes it. or B) Write my ass off and get a solid first draft by April 15th.
Option 2 does not sound fun. It is doable. I think. If I can write 50,000 words in November (back when I used to do NaNoWriMo), why not 80,000 between February and March? I can certainly try. In fact, I will try. Starting tomorrow I will write at least 1,000 words a day for the next 80 days. That is incredibly doable. I can do this! Thank you so much for making me see the light! For holding my hand and giving me moral support!
Okay, so, that's the plan. Holy crap! And to think I was doubting myself.
Of course, in that time I will also need to prepare a query letter. Once I have a solid idea of the plot, that won't be too big an issue.
Oh my gosh! I'm so excited and daunted at the same time! HAHA! I'm feeling a little giddy!
Peace and Keep Writing!
Claire L. Fishback
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