233 queries in my inbox today, 233 queries in my inbooooooxxxxx, take one down, request a partial, 232 queries in my inbox today.
232 queries in in my inbox today, 232 queries in my inboooooxxxxxxxx, take one down, gah rhetorical question?, 231 queries in my inbox today.
231 queries in in my inbox today, 231 queries in my inboooooooooxxxxxx, take one down, aliens are you sure?, 230 queries in in my inbox today
And so on.
Open thread! I will be dipping in and out as I’m catching up.
Scott says
Oh, John brought to mind a question I've been wanting to ask:
What do NaNoWriMo authors do with their novels after they're finished? They're usually too short to query, aren't they?
Nathan do you get loads of queries for 50k word novels?
Kia says
233!
I know it's been said many times before by nearly all of us here but we really, seriously do appreciate (and are awed by) the fact that you keep the blog updated even with your crazy workload. Thank you.
M.J. Nicholls says
I always resist commenting on this blog because most of America responds within a few minutes of each post.
Regardless, I enjoy dipping in and out of your musings, strange overseas agent fellow.
Have a relaxing Wednesday.
Mira says
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
Open thread!!!
Open thread!!!!!!
I LOVE open thread. I LIVE for open thread. And it's been so long….so very, very long….
and TODAY. ARRRGGGHHH.
I have my major paper due tomorrow and a major presentation due as well. There is no WAY I can do justice to an open thread.
I want to tell you all about my life, my trials and tribulations, my hopes and dreams, my ideas for all 77 of my potential novels (aka, my masterpieces), my frustrations that I can't hook my $%#$# printer up to my #$@#@ computer. I want to tell you all about my car problems and what I ate for Thanksgiving. But NO. NO. I have to WORK.
It's so unfair. So terribly, terribly unfair.
Life sucks.
Hmmm. Maybe I can fit that into my paper on the oppression of women.
I must return to my writing.
Hey! Maybe once I'm done with my paper I'll query Nathan with it. He loves queries so much, he's taking a break from his blog to give them all of his attention.
I'll be back.
anaquana says
Scott, I'm going to expand my NaNo novel by another 30k or so words, polish it until it is blinding, then hope and pray that the first book in the series finds an agent and gets sold.
Marilyn Peake says
Dawn,
What am I working on? I recently discovered that I won honorable mention in a writing contest hosted by Tracy Marchini, Literary Agents Assistant at Curtis Brown, Ltd., and I’m really psyched about that!
As far as novel-writing goes, I’m taking a break until after the new year. I’ve been working out on the treadmill, going to the movies and doing other fun stuff, catching up on doing laundry and other chores, and decorating my house for Christmas. I’ve also been reading quite a few books. I’m currently reading BONESHAKER by Cherie Priest, an awesome, incredibly well-written steampunk novel.
Anonymous says
Hi Nathan,
I hear so much about how you respond in about 24 hours to queries, but what should someone do if they haven't heard anything, positive or negative? :S
Scott says
Scott, I'm going to expand my NaNo novel by another 30k or so words, polish it until it is blinding, then hope and pray that the first book in the series finds an agent and gets sold.
Thanks for the response, anaquana. Sounds like you had a plan all along. I was getting the impression that many might be stuck with novellas that they couldn't hope to sell. Either that, or they were all writing YA, which could partially explain the proliferation of YA novels doing the rounds.
Terry says
Wow, 233 queries in your inbox today! If it were 233 bottles of beer on the wall, I'm sure we'd all be happy to pitch in and take one down….
Just catching up with yesterday's post, too. Most helpful, especially the "be systematic" one, great one, even for my own changes.
Marilyn Peake says
Aliens? LOL. That's a huge part of my science fiction novel, GODS IN THE MACHINE, except they turn out to be genetically modified humans time-traveling back in time from the year 2501 AD to the year 2032 AD. And, of course, humans visited by the "aliens" split into two camps: those who want to kill the "aliens" (which in reality is the future of the human race) before the aliens have a chance to attack them, and those who want to step back and view the situation more rationally. I cannot wait to begin editing this manuscript with Alan Rinzler at the beginning of the new year!
Since this is an open thread, I thought I’d post a link to a rather depressing article on Salon.com, entitled The confessions of a semi-successful author. OK, it isn’t really rather depressing … It’s more like very, very, very depressing. I printed it out in order to keep my hopes and dreams grounded. After reading it, I started to notice how many authors with successful, popular books by the large publishing houses are juggling regular day jobs and talking on Twitter about having difficulty buying rather inexpensive stuff. Anyone else have an opinion about this article?
Jamie says
Good luck!
LucyD says
I was sooooo proud to send in my query that i had worked soooo hard on. I thought i was soooo smart until…..NaNoWriMo.. Yes i am one of those idiots that sent out a query on the worst day of the year, that little thing called a calendar never reminded me.
Sorry Nathan, i don't mean to contribute to an overflowing mailbox.
Rachel Fenton says
Open thread – what's next, loose thread?
Poetry of Flesh says
Whenever someone has an open thread, I feel like starting a coup and overthrowing the monarchy of the blogger.
But it never seems to work out.
Perhaps if I find a conch shell and a pig head on a stick, I can inspire those around me.
Moira Young says
*stares at the blank comment form, waiting for inspiration to strike*
Oh, I know! Nathan, I've always wondered at what point you stop reading comments (if you do). Do you receive a notification everytime someone comments, carefully filtered or do you just check each post from time to time?
And completely unrelated, but: I think NaNo can be useful, especially for breaking a dry spell or getting started on a new idea. The difference is recognizing that whatever you produce in that process will require serious reconstruction, probably at the cellular level.
Bron says
Are all the queries today really the result of Nano, or do you think it's more that people have had the chance to polish and finalise them over the holiday weekend?
Marilyn Peake says
I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo, but I refuse to doubt that an author could complete a successful novel within that time frame. Cormac McCarthy wrote THE ROAD in three weeks, and several authors of YA books published by the big publishing houses wrote their novel in one week and edited it in another week. It can be done. Bad novels can also take ten years to write. As with anything else in writing, it just all depends on the final product. 🙂
Blogger is giving me fits today. First, it tells me one of my comments failed to post; then it posts it twice. Later, it doesn’t post my new comment, but the comment magically appears later. Perhaps aliens have taken over Blogger. BwaaaaaHaaaHaaa…
Dara says
Also wondering if it's a surge of NaNo queries. If so, that's really sad…
Kalika says
I did NaNo my own way this year: I edited 55 pages of a previous NaNo novel. So I'm now 60% done with the edits on that novel. Wee!
Open question: anyone can rec me good fantasy novels set in Japan or Japan-like lands? With mythical creatures and magic? I've got a draft like that and no clue where it'd even fit on the market.
Andrea Cremer says
Wow, Nathan. May the force be with you.
Laurel says
I have another theory for the proliferation of queries…holiday weekend! Everybody with a real job (you know, regular hours, gender specific clothing) spent the four day weekend running from their inlaws by finishing up query letters.
Diana says
AMOK! AMOK! AMOK!
It could be worse, that could be 232 short stories from people who ignore the basic rules of grammar you need to edit… 🙂
Joseph says
Having read your blog for as long as I have, I realize that our tastes are very different from one another (this is particularly telling in your contest winner selections). I queried Ginger who I hope has similar preferences to my own. This makes me sad only because I do not know which season of the Wire was her favorite and thus couldn't include my own opinion in my query letter. 😉
Rachel says
Nathan,
Any really exciting queries from NaNoWriMo? It must be nice to sift through all of them as maybe, maybe not, not so much, not ever, and then find something really enticing.
Hope you enjoy the load today!
Alma says
hey, you and betsy lerner have been thinking alike lately. yesterday you both wrote about authors (not) taking on editorial comments. And there was one other time, recently… tongues will wag.
Cary says
What if your nose decided to go on strike…would you picket?
Grimmster24 says
As Dawn wondered this morning, I am slightly annoyed with the fact that I only have 3 days of college left before I can dive fully into my writing for the next 60 years or so. Why is that annoying? Because I know that those 3 days are going to feel like a month. BUT, sooner or later I will finish my novel and query agents (yes, most likely you, too, Nathan, haha), and be able to move on to the next stage of my life.
Dawn: My word verification: "obilican." Isn't that what's attached to a baby at birth?? haha.
Happy writing, thinking, dreaming, and querying, everyone!
I'm Erin says
ha ha. Nice character voice, and personality, Nathan. Though, I can't say I'm sold on the song. I think there's a lack of concrete detail.
Moses says
Eh, books schmooks.
Nathan, I'm hoping my Suns can eventually keep the Lakers from repeating, but LA looks tough right now. Who's your team?
Kristin Laughtin says
Hey, at least the first one got a partial request!
I work full-time and went back to grad school (library science) this semester, and final papers/exams are killing my writing time for the last week and this one…but then in a few days I'll be free to resuuuuuuuuume!
Word verification: "pasts". Yay for when the WV is actually a word!
(goes back to work)
~Sia McKye~ says
Whatever you're drinking, I want some, lol!
Except, now I've got that blasted tun stuck in my head, tyvm!
Only ONE request, sheesh.
Kay Theodoratus says
Be Thankful (better late than never) that I didn't send you a query.
Calliopenjo says
Hi Nathan,
First of all I enjoy your blogs very much. Thank you very much for the information you provide each day.
Congratulations on your book deal. I can imagine you doing the happy dance when you found out.
I have acquired the Sony eReader. I like it.
Is it better than the published novel that went through the presses at the expense of trees? To me it's a matter of the written word. Not the form it comes in.
I write some sci-fi stories and remember Star Trek when I do. I grew up with that show. I loved that show. Having something like that in my hands I get imagine myself in a world like that.
I wish you much success both in going through the emails and your authorship.
Anonymous says
I've noted for the last several decades that when a motif like vampires or dragons or samurai-like mythical warrior-scholars become trite and overworn and widely proclaimed as such by publishers, editors, agents, writers, and readers is when a breakout novel comes along in that motif and disproves the consequent.
The new vampire was, is, will always be the old vampire in a new light and right.
Word verificate: shentsho, a vampire dragon warrior scholar with paranormal clairvoyance striving to end the criminal craziness of misguided violent insurgent rebellions in a mundane realm through metaphysical application.
Susan Quinn says
Oh my. Sorry about the inbox crush. I promise mine isn't in there.
Did you beat last year's post-Turkey-Day onslaught?
🙂
Eleanor says
Nathan – I've been stewing over the subject of paragraphs since your contest.
You mentioned that some of the entries were obviously several paras cobbled together. This is actually how I view most people's paragraphs, but I'm pretty sure that's just a consequence of years of editing short news stories for a living!
How do you decide what makes a paragraph?
Thanks
Elaine 'still writing' Smith says
I wrote with NaNo this year.
I decided to write MG because 50,000 words is a good length.
My class of ten-year-olds have been cold reading, and proof reading, all month. (This project has elevated me to "Best Teacher in the… Universe" status – ask Jess!)
I thought of it as experience working to deadlines – the class thought it was all about their learning 🙂
Also, Star Trek is vastly superior, in any of it regenerations, to Star Wars!
Elaine 'still writing' Smith says
Nathan,
You got some… no messages can be received when reading queries at faster-than-light warp speed type-thing happening?
}:( harbinger in the works?
Beth says
Wow! Did it snow queries in California over the weekend? Good luck digging your way out.
Melanie Avila says
This post made me smile. Not at you or anything, just in general.
Ink says
Moses,
Nathan is a Sacramento Kings fan. Lord only knows why.
🙂
Anonymous says
Mr. Bransford,
I am amazed at your patience and at how many questions you answered here! I hope your own book sells big when it comes out and that karma kisses you with wonderful deals for all your clients. You're doing your job, I know, but that many queries plus taking the time for us? Thanks.
Bane of Anubis says
Another Lakers hater, eh? That's alright, Bane'll represent!
anne says
i rarely have fewer than 300 emails when i hit work in the morning, but on the other hand many are for viagra and none are queries, although some take 2-3 pgs to do an adequate response. you'd love working in academic medicine! on the third hand, i get to photograph a lot of surgery 😉
wendy says
Well, Dawn, actually, and thank you for asking, I'm working on an art calendar which I'm currently designing, online, at Zazzle.com This is a fun site where you can upload (orignal) art or photos and add them to any product you fancy – e.g. clothing, cards, calendars, mouse pads, mugs, stamps, etc. You can order for yourself, or for gifts or for online sale at the Zazzle shop.
Sorry this isns't writing related, but art is my current obsession. *g*
Tina Lynn says
I am crying on the inside for you.
Anonymous says
Nathan,
I have a prologue question. When you get a request for a 3 chapter partial, do you count the prologue as a separate chapter or as part of Ch. 1?
Courtney Price says
Oh my gosh. NaNoWriMo? Did they read your FAQs?
Anonymous says
Yes, I'm lazy and not logging in.
In honor of say what's on our mind day…
BACK UP YOUR WORK!!!
I spent 2 days writing some excellent stuff in my current WIP only to boot up the old computer the next morn and find it all oddly missing…
8000 words gone in a flash. My last back up was a week old.
DOH!!!
Wickerman – loser in more than one sense..
Laurie says
Good Gosh that's alot of queries! You can do it!!! Read on Rock Star…:)~