Search found 32 matches

by commando8
January 2nd, 2011, 9:01 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: What are you reading now?
Replies: 528
Views: 308581

Re: What are you reading now?

Just finished Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

Absolutely hated it - worst read of 2010 for me...
by commando8
October 29th, 2010, 4:53 pm
Forum: Finding An Agent
Topic: Mention Previous Partial?
Replies: 9
Views: 4864

Re: Mention Previous Partial?

So the forum members say no, and the agent says yes! That kind of made me laugh.
by commando8
October 27th, 2010, 3:50 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: How to know you're not a writer?
Replies: 56
Views: 17936

Re: How to know you're not a writer?

All that sounds very familiar! Yes, I've been to more docs than anyone would care to count, including some of the best hospitals in US like the Mayo Clinic. No one knows what I have, and no one's been able to help. You just have to keep positive and count your blessings - that's the only way I'm mak...
by commando8
October 27th, 2010, 3:28 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: How to know you're not a writer?
Replies: 56
Views: 17936

Re: How to know you're not a writer?

Look at it from another angle - sometimes you just need to be glad that you CAN write. I've wanted to be a writer for a long time now, but sometimes life has a way of making things as hard as they can possibly be. My challenge is physical - every keystroke, mouse click, moment I'm sitting down, and ...
by commando8
October 27th, 2010, 11:31 am
Forum: Finding An Agent
Topic: Mention Previous Partial?
Replies: 9
Views: 4864

Mention Previous Partial?

I received a request for a partial from a particular agency about a year ago. They passed on it (as did everyone else!). Now that I'm ready to start the query process again for that same novel, I'm just wondering what the etiquette is on mentioning a previous partial in your query. Good idea? Bad Id...
by commando8
August 25th, 2010, 4:48 pm
Forum: Nominate Your Query or First Page for a Critique on the Blog
Topic: Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog
Replies: 720
Views: 452029

Re: Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog

Title: Heaven Genre: Science Fiction Word Count: 173 Silence. One word. One meaning. Deceit. At least that was what the Builders had always said. Silence before their time had been different, an array of states and definitions that encompassed everything from the absence of sound to the tranquility ...
by commando8
August 23rd, 2010, 11:15 am
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1

Question---if you're describing your story a certain way in your query I would think it's because that description makes the story sound good...and if those story elements make the plot sound so good shouldn't you consider adding them to your actual work? Yes. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be...
by commando8
August 22nd, 2010, 11:32 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1

Yeah, I expect some harsh response (a lot worse than that!). It's probably deserved. It still begs the question, though, that if an agent likes your query, requests pages, and finds out that your story/query don't quite match, does he just drop it there, even if he loved the pages? Not that I'm plan...
by commando8
August 22nd, 2010, 6:53 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1

Wow, Quill!! That's some serious commentary (and a nice kick in the pants, if I may say so)! Thank you for your help. Edit: As I go back and read through these comments and my queries and actually go through each chapter in the story, I realize that my queries are actually way off! Half of the thing...
by commando8
August 22nd, 2010, 5:22 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1

I've been at this for awhile now and think I've got it down to a good length with some more precise detail. That old third paragraph seems to have been the main problem, so that's where the focus was. I just hope I'm not giving away too much! Also, after reading numerous 'successful' queries, I thin...
by commando8
August 20th, 2010, 10:40 am
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven

Again, very helpful suggestions. Thank you.

I sat down last night thinking I'd hammer out revisions in a quick 5. An hour later, I was basically nowhere. Curse the query process!!!
by commando8
August 19th, 2010, 5:48 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven

Checkout Nathan's latest blog post from today:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/08 ... etter.html

Timely!
by commando8
August 19th, 2010, 2:19 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven

Both of those posts are very helpful. Thank you! I have absolutely no expertise to offer you, but I've done an extensive amount of query research and have learned a lot of things. The first thing to keep in mind is that agents all have slightly different preferences for query style---some want bio i...
by commando8
August 19th, 2010, 11:39 am
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Re: Query: Heaven

Points well taken. Thanks.

Just as a reference, this is methodology I believe I am basing my query on:

http://arcaedia.livejournal.com/213850.html

Some might recognize the agent...
by commando8
August 19th, 2010, 10:25 am
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: Heaven - Rev. 1
Replies: 19
Views: 7446

Query: Heaven - Rev. 1

I've been urged to post a query for one of my novels here numerous times, but I've always resisted - just that stupid pride that I could do it myself I guess. The truth is that I need some serious help with my query writing skills. Various revisions of the query below have been sent to around 40 age...