Friday, May 28, 2010

Day 20: Queries here, Queries there

More emails finally coming back... still none of the ones with pages. I've decided to send out more queries since I'm stuck in the computer lab for a while.

So after blogging yesterday, my computer charger decided that it hates me and snapped itself in two. As a result, that partial I was suppose to send Nathan yesterday got delayed until tomorrow, because that's when the replacement charger's coming.

Status

Queries sent: 35
Query Rejections: 10
Material Requests: 7
Waiting on: 18

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Day 19: Smile! =D

Life = Win!

Been having a bit of a slump lately. After sending out 17 queries and realizing that their average response time is... a month x_x (ranging from 3 weeks to "??? wait you want a reply?"), I decided to have more readers around the floor read my novel. I got some quality feedback from one girl. Did a massive add/edit to my novel that changed/ improved everything.

So yesterday, I finally got the courage up to query Nathan Bransford, and this morning... 30 page partial request! =D

I'm so happy that my roommate and I set off party poppers!

...and accidentally scared the RA (^_^; oops...)

Monday, May 24, 2010

Day 18: Midterms and Requests

Got my chem midterm back. Did a lot better than I thought. The grades were a mess though... Most people failed and the average was a D. I was scared at first because everyone I talked to got 400-something for spect-orange absorption and I got 620nm. Turns out it was actually 620.

Also got an interview for research. Hoping for some research. Beryllium is my new chemical partner.

Another full request. I've decided to put a little more color in my main character. The other agent who had my full responded with a negative, but gave some feedback. She said the quality of writing was one of the best she's seen in a while (yay?) but the main character needs more thoughts and emotions. I was attempting to show a development of emotions in an initially stoic character, but it seems that the point wasn't well perceived.
I gave the girl some more thoughts and feelings through the narration. Hopefully that solves the problem.

Sun's up, once more around, faces down.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Day 17: Too quiet...

I can't stand the silence anymore, so I went ahead and filed off 5 more queries. I'd like to hear back from somebody, even if it's just a rejection. My friends aren't in a literary mood right now. They just finished Azimov's Foundation series, and have decided to wait for each other to discover another good book. Meanwhile, we've got a deck of cards...

My second book is coming out nicely, but the Physics midterm tomorrow is not giving me a chance to write.

Can't wait for the weekend...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Day 16: Kind of quiet...

Nothing happen anymore. I haven't gotten a e-mail from anyone for a week. Maybe I should have sent out a "query only" query last week so that I'd have some kind of news this week...

In the meantime, I've had more people on my floor edit my book. A sort of "experiment", if you will. I sat four of my friends down and asked them to read my novel to the point where they get bored. The results were very interesting.

A (boy): Chapter 2 midway, went to play Starcraft
B (boy): Chapter 3, started homework
C (girl): Chapter 5, had to go to class
D (girl): Chapter 20, it was 2 am in the morning...

They also gave me some helpful feedback, so it's back to editing. I think I've read my own novel enough times that I've memorized the first 5 chapters...

I wonder if there's such a thing as "over-editing"? While personally I can live with the quality and progression of my novel, I can't help but think that it can always be improved. Words rephrased, humor redone, dialog rewritten to give the character the extra flair that we value in interesting people.

Or it could just be 5-am in the morning thinking...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Day 16: Two days, four hours of sleep...

I'm so glad no one but my lab partners can see me right now, especially since cute guys #1 and #2 both live in the next building. Round two of midterms are here, and this time they brought projects. At the rate this is going, everyone will look like Edward Cullen (giant bags under eyes from lack of sleep) by the end of the day. Even the girls...

Just once, I'd like two days to sit and work on my book. No distractions, no angry people screaming the F-word down the hall, no professors averaging 30% on a midterm with no curve. Why? Prof. Pang? Why?

I've started looking for research and realized how un-capitalisitic it is. Here are mobs of intelligent pre-med students fighting tooth and nail, practically getting on their knees and groveling for the chance to contribute free labor to an already established professor and his project so that when they succeed, said professor can become even more established. All for a piece of paper from the professor that basically tells med school that the kid isn't stupid. It's inefficient, it's outrageous, it's... something I want almost as badly as I want this book published.

Now I must leave. I promised my partners I'd help them finish the lab...

PS: I am curious. To all the writers out there: Do you feel comfortable sharing your queries with the public? Or do you feel there's a reason to hide it?

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Day 15: More queries

So I couldn't resist sending out two more queries, one of them being to another agent at CB (Nathan's agency, but not to Nathan. I'm building up courage to querying him...) I hope their policy isn't "no from one means no from everyone".

Still editing book... no matter how many times I do it, something can always be improved

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Day 14: I misread...

Chem midterm tomorrow. I'm nervous. Please God, give me an A...

Also heard back from another agent. No go =(

Funny thing happened today, so I apparently, I read the name of the full-manuscript-requesting agent wrong. It wasn't my partial-requesting-agent; their names are just similar. The partial the full-manuscript-requesting agent was referring to was actually the attached first five pages at the bottom of the email. So in other words...

Status

Queries sent: 8
Query Rejections: 3
Silence: 1

Partial Requests: 2
Whole Manuscript Requests: 2
Partial to Whole Requests: 0

Partial rejections: 1
Whole rejections: 1

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Day 13: Reply from partial

Lots of midterms lately, so I haven't had any time to deal with the querying process. I decided earlier this quarter that I wanted better grades, even if it means putting the queries on hold for a month and a half.

So today I got a reply from the partial I sent out two weeks ago. It asked to see the full. I have to say, it's a huge relief because my first few chapters are slower than the rest of the book. If she got through the beginning and is still interested in it... then maybe luck is on my side for once?

Status

Queries sent: 8
Query Rejections: 2
Silence: 3

Partial Requests: 2
Whole Manuscript Requests: 1
Partial to Whole Requests: 1

Partial rejections: 1
Whole rejections: 1