From The Writing Desk: Gearing Up, and a Brainstorm Brewing
Good news on the fiction front: I’m still unemployed.
Which doesn’t mean that I’m not working seven days a week, since until late July, I don’t only have eight smaller articles to write, no, this past week, I also got “an offer I cannot refuse” from Italy – an invitation to write an essay for a rather pretigious anthology, but of course for free and just for the honors, and only because somebody else bailed out, so they’re in a hurry since I am a last minute replacement, so I only get the slot if I manage to get the script done by late July.
Late July… wait, didn’t I have some deadline there already?
But if I want to get a foot in the door of this academic circus where there might be contacts that drop names when it comes to actual job offers, I cannot decline. So July is jammed up beyond recognition already, and as always, that’s when the ideas start popping up.
Late at night while doing the dishes. Underneath the shower in the morning. During long library hours.
And that’s when I start to take notes on the back sides of work papers and scribble away when I shouldn’t.
I think my new story – I repeat that it is just a small Über fic (Killing Game, 1940s, noir), so don’t expect anything like “Campus” or “Small Steps” – will get a posting slot (Friday nights, here we come!) starting in August. Unless I get called for another article or for an actual job interview (little likeness of the latter, at least).
This past week, I started to toss around banner ideas and screencaps and font types with the wonderful Rykoe, who was also on the team for the last chapter of “Campus”. More scribbling ensued. The storyboard is almost done (the soundtrack, too), with just a few blank spots remaining. The only thing that is still glaringly missing is a story title.
Looking at the blog numbers, I figure that sometimein early August, Eye Bags will reach 666,666 hits, so after the obligatory search term post, there is going to be fiction to celebrate that number.
I feel as if I am standing in front of a lake in a swimsuit, with my big toe just hovering above the water surface, knowing that the water will be really cold, but also really, really missing the sensation of swimming.
It’s so good that you’ll be writing fiction again!
And I hope all the free-work you’re doing will payback soon with a good job.
it will be wonderful to read your fiction again but mostly i just wanted to offer my encouragement for your enduring of the “academic circus,” sending you good thoughts that all this work will result in good things for you.
Seconded!
Cheers to new fiction! Love your writing.
Seconded!
I also send you my encouragement and good thoughts as well as thinking its wonderful that you are writing fiction again.
Sending you best wishes from the USA, and looking forward to your next project.
“If you feel like giving us… a lifetime of fan fiction…. I second that emotion” (apologies to Smokey Robinson)
but seriously, yay to you for all the above! being invited to write for an anthology is a pretty cool thing, honorarium or no. cheers to you!
I’m an editor, a writer, and a fanfic beta reader with a couple of degrees in English Lit and Comp. I found Campus about six months ago and enjoyed it very much. It’s a fantastic story with the right amount of angst, romance, and sex.
I think it’s a publishable novel, with some changes. There are a number of smaller lesbian presses that would take this story in a heartbeat, but not at it’s current length. Editors have this wonderfully awful saying “you must kill your babies.” It hurts to make the cuts but the finished product comes out so much better. Honestly, you need to cut down by half. Getting rid of the repetition will help the pace and the page count.
If you would like some real-world advice on how to edit this for publication, I can help you. Warning: I do not work for a publishing house and cannot help you with connections. But I can help you with story and structure. The story is so good, I want it to succeed. And you to succeed as well.
Good luck on your endeavor.
–Jae
Thank you for your input and for the kind offer, Jae! I’m always interested in another pair of eyes when it comes to editing.
I know length is the main issue (apart from style/pacing inconsistencies in between early and later chapters); I’m just doubtful whether cutting it down to half would be sufficient (that would still be around 400pgs Word, so even more in print – might still be too long), and whether I can even cut it down to that extent without having it lose its voice and style and I don’t want to reduce the side characters to stereotypes or cut them out.
I’ll email you with a few questions, if you don’t mind?
Please do email me. I’m happy to help. I think you can cut this story to 400 pages and not reduce it to stereotypes. The version I read clocked in at 1000 pages and was very “loose” and repetitive. The side characters are great and don’t need to go away. Everything just needs to be tighter, more succinct.
My very first published story was submitted at 3000 words. The editor said cut it in half and I’ll publish it. I was shocked. But the 1500 word version was far superior — the economy of words forced a focus on pace and content that was frankly hurting the longer version.
Don’t be afraid of “killing your babies.” Help them grow up.
A good example — the hints to Joanna’s secret idenity should stay just thatm — hints and secrets. Cut all her early extensive worrying about being found out, which includes massive amounts of exposition to the reader. We don’t need to know. A line here or there just so the reader knows there is a secret — then later when Eliane discovers the truth, it’s a shock to the reader as well as Eliane. It’s more emotional punch. The reader is now just as shocked and eager to find out as Eliane is. The reader feels the betrayal that Eliane feels. That change alone would produce more suspense and angst, cut multiple pages of early exposition, and tighten the pace.
The rewrite is the best part. Good luck.
–Jae
thanks, that’s a good point I had never given any thought so far.
Will definitely mail you in-depth, although it probably won’t be before August (a few non-fiction deadlines this July).