QUERIES- sent for KISSING FOR COFFEE since September: 32
Rejections: 13
Requests: 4
No responses: 15
Still waiting on one full and one R&R
NANOWRIMO- has handed my arse back to me, tied in a pretty white bow made from my very own flag of surrender. I’m sad to report that I pretty much stopped writing the first week. My competitive side kept trying to make me go back to it but the truth is I don’t think I can write anything I’ll be proud of in 30 days and time is too precious for me to waste it on a project I’m not 100% in love with.
REAL LIFE- I’m currently doing Thanksgiving with my French students. It’s amazing how many French people have no concept of what Thanksgiving is or why we celebrate it. I’ve heard it referred to as the ‘American Christmas’ or ‘the victory over Indians day’. These people must have gotten their lines crossed somewhere and it is a personal pleasure of mine to teach French kids the truth about this fantastic holiday.
BLOGGING- Thank you guys so much for all of your kind comments about my blogging breakdown. I’m still sticking to a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule even though time for visiting and commenting has gone down considerably. The thing is, living overseas, I don’t usually post my blog until 1 pm (7 am US time) in order to take part in the usual visiting/commenting banter with the Americans doing their morning blogging. But now that I’m working four afternoons a week, I have to post my blog via phone and don’t get to actually sit down to catch up until after the kiddies are in bed at night and by then I’ve pretty much missed everything going on in bloglandL Hoping to catch up over the holiday vacation!
How are all of you doing? What are your querying/writing/real life/blogging stats?
40 comments:
Sounds like you have a lot going on. I'm struggling to maintain my own blogging schedule, but it isn't--and won't be--easy. So I feel your pain there! Good luck with that R&R! I hope you get some excellent news soon.
It's a tough go, NaNo is. At least you tried, though! I've been (barely) keeping up but I'm worried as the finish line draws nearer.
I didn't realize you were posting from outside the US. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Good luck with your querying! Those are some pretty impressive stats.
And Happy Thanksgiving! :)
Don't feel down about NaNo. I'm like you I can't write that fast. Hopefully, it gave you a great start.
You're stats look good. Are you still sending out queries?
I'm waiting to hear back on two fulls. I hate waiting.
BTW, I like getting comments at "unusual times." It means I get to spend more time savoring them.
Don't feel down about NaNo. I'm like you I can't write that fast. Hopefully, it gave you a great start.
You're stats look good. Are you still sending out queries?
I'm waiting to hear back on two fulls. I hate waiting.
BTW, I like getting comments at "unusual times." It means I get to spend more time savoring them.
I had no idea you were across the pond.(^;
Don't worry about the blogging schedule, you seem to get plenty of people stopping by and making a comment. I may get only one response, or none with mine )^,
The NaNo thing is crazy, as far as I'm concerned. Why frustrate yourself with it? You have a writing style that isn't suited to it. I know my limtations and writing 50K in 30 days is not something one can do when they might have one or two hours in a day to devote to it (or loose sleep in order to do it merely as a crazy contest which has no returns for it as far as I can see).
Good luck on the writing/query. I hate the query stuff. It drove me nuts!
I had no idea you were across the pond.(^;
Don't worry about the blogging schedule, you seem to get plenty of people stopping by and making a comment. I may get only one response, or none with mine )^,
The NaNo thing is crazy, as far as I'm concerned. Why frustrate yourself with it? You have a writing style that isn't suited to it. I know my limtations and writing 50K in 30 days is not something one can do when they might have one or two hours in a day to devote to it (or loose sleep in order to do it merely as a crazy contest which has no returns for it as far as I can see).
Good luck on the writing/query. I hate the query stuff. It drove me nuts!
I MISS COMMENTING!!! I, myself, have thought about backing down come the new year and only doing Monday, Wednesday, Friday so I can better visit my blog friends. I've told Elana I haven't been able to breakdown and do it yet!! ARGH! *pulls hair out* So stressful!!!
Now with three short stories out next year and possibly more to come I don't want to miss any opportunity to not be able to chat with all my writer buddies. Maybe stepping back is key!
HOW FUN to teach students about US Thanksgiving!!! It's such a fun time! I can't wait for this Thursday... the pumpkin pie is calling my name!
Don't sweat NaNo...I've been there and know exactly how you feel. I just figure, why beat myself up? With three books under my belt, it seems silly. I know I can write a book!
Awesome looking stats! I posted mine today, too. Wishing you so much luck! :)
NaNo kicked my ass a few years ago, too. So badly I still haven't tried to finish the book I was working on for it.
Right now I'm deep in edits for my novel and trying to juggle several batches of feedback from beta readers, some of which offer suggestions that are mutually exclusive!
I"ve never done Nano for that reason either. I don't need to rush to be motivated, not when it means more work later!
These are pretty darned good stats!! Yay for you! You've listened to your heart about your nano project! That takes courage!
My stats:
chocolate consumption = 100%
blogging = 75 %
telly watching = 110%
writing = erm...
wine = yes please.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Take care
x
Congrats on the requests for Kissing for Coffee!
My stats? This week is recover from Mexico holiday laziness and get ready for Thanksgiving rolled into one. And we do Christmas at Thanksgiving because we don't see that side of the family on the actual day....sooooo the moral of this story is there's not much writing getting done this month!
Wow, you've got so much going on that it makes me feel guilty for thinkging I have so much going on!
Let's see - this weekend, I edited a few chapters of COMING HOME. Still on schedule for release in early 2012.
I wrote another 5k for NaNo. I think I'll get it done.
Watched a movie with hubs.
We're hosting Thanksgiving, but thank goodness we do potluck. I only need to make a veggie side dish and a sweet potato one.
I started querying FALLEN KNIGHT about the same time you did, but I've only sent out a dozen or so letters so far (with no nibbles). I'm still not 100% happy with my query letter, thus my hesitance. *sigh*
Awesome stats on the querying front. I hear you on NaNo. I didn't official join in this year, but subconsciously I was attempting an effort. FAIL. Simply too much going on in my life, right now.
Only queried 12 back in September. Received 7 requests. Still waiting to hear on a full. Decided to edit the opening just a bit more, and then start querying again. )
Hang in there with all of the juggling CQG. I would love talking Thanksgiving with students--the food and family makes it one of my fav holidays.
You straighten out those French kids!
Doesn't matter when you do your visiting and commenting, Katie. At least not to me.
I hope you find your love for your NaNo project again! I think you're smart not trying to force yourself to write something you're not excited about. Good luck! And have a great French Thanksgiving!
I tried Nano once, and figured out within the first 3 days that it was not the contest for me. I don't do much of anything quickly, especially writing.
I've been querying since mid-October, but I haven't sent out nearly as many queries as you. I need to get my butt in gear! Good luck to you!
I thought about NaNo, but I realized it wasn't my style. Even if I'd finished the 406,000-word sequel to my barely-shorter Russian historical novel before November began and been able to move onto the book I'm writing now, I just wouldn't be able to get hung up on counting words over writing a good story.
All my non-YA stuff runs well over 100,000 words, so there's no question of not being able to finish an adult novel in only a month. Apart from my now-348,000-word Russian novel, which I wrote during three main writing periods over 8.5 years, I've only taken a few months to write my other two adult sagas. I'm actually thinking, though, that the book I'm working on now, the third book in a contemporary historical family saga, might be on the short side for me, perhaps within the vicinity of 150,000 words.
I think I'm going to try selectively querying a few more agents for my Russian historical novel, agents who love historical fiction and deliberate sagas, but I think I'm going to put my non-YA historicals out as e-books.
I'm not as far along on my NaNo WIP, but my ultimate goal wasn't to make it to 50,000 words. I hope you hear back from that agent soon, and with good news!
With Nano, your job and the time difference, I'm impressed that you still manage to blog! Enjoy Parisian Thanksgiving. I remember the challenge of finding a large turkey in Paris!
NaNo was the easy party for me this month. Waiting on responses from agents for a novel I wrote earlier this year? That is the hard part. Heh.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Just chill, life is too short to get so stressed about blogging Katie :)
That's great that you have 4 requests and a full out!
NaNo--started and quit this year. I'd finished one about 5 years ago, but it was too short for its genre (adult paranormal fiction), and I didn't feel like going back and adding 30,000 words. I've started another book, and I'm letting the characters/plot just brew in my head while the Thanksgiving season is upon us (whoever scheduled NaNo in Nov. didn't have family--it's at least a week of no-wip-progress).
Keep up the querying. And enjoy this wholly American holiday!
I'm still chewing my fingernails off for you on the R&R front.
Report cards and parent conferences have taken a toll on me, and my blogging is way down. I visit and comment less, and my posts have been a skimpy.
I sent a revised version of STRANGE TRUTHS back to my agent, and I've taken a look at the sequel to see whether I dare share it with my agent and find out if she thinks its existence is a good thing or not.
I've been toying with a new project, but haven't written more than a couple sentences yet. November saps the life out of me, and I don't even NaNo.
Ha, you're French students view of Thanksgiving is hilarious. I never thought of it that way.
My blogging stats are mixed. I'm trying to be consistent, but it's hard during the holiday season. I just want to cocoon myself with a cup of tea and a good book.
You were brave even to attempt NaNo -- I thought about it for about ten seconds before giving up.
Hang in there on the submissions. Did you know The Help was rejected by almost 50 publishers? All of whom must now be kicking themselves.
You've got some great querying stats! I know how hard it is to keep up on the blogging and commenting. I'm lucky if I make it once a week. But that's enough considering I'm still writing nearly everyday.
Happy Victory Over The Indians Day!
Your stats look great to me!
I just reached 65K on my nano novel. The rough draft will probably be around 80K. My goal is to completely finish the rough draft before December.
Good for you, sharing Thanksgiving with the French! :) I always loved teaching my Chinese friends about American holidays when we lived in China, especially Christmas. So fun!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)
Well done with the requests you've had! Good luck with those you're waiting on.
I'm on track with NaNo but not hugely inspired this year!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holidays, one of the few in the world that gives back.
It is what a person makes of it, whether an excuse to shop or a time to show appreciation for the life we have.
*still chuckling* over your stats comment, btw. Nano is a great motivator but holy cow, how do people do it?
Great post.
Commiserations over nano but it probably wasn't meant to be. As you say when you have such a busy life you have to prioritise! Good luck with the writing and happy thanksgiving!
Victory Over Indians Day? Oh my.
You have a lot going on, but it all sounds great! And Nano is only for the crazy, so it's okay to quit (says the person who would never even try it). ;) Happy Thanksgiving!
erica
WOW You are busy but it's over all too soon. You are wise to make such good use of your time.
Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck
hi to all creepyquerygirl.blogspot.comers this is my first post and thought i would say hi -
regards speak again soon
garry
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