Monday, May 5, 2008

Butt on the chair again

I just arrived home after attending a writers’ conference this weekend. It’s so encouraging to meet with authors, agents, editors and other writers who all have one thing in common: a love for the written word. Much has been reported lately about how no one reads anymore, and I think this weekend reaffirms that you can believe what you want. But ultimately writers create, readers read (whether traditionally or now via e-readers), and the goal is to continue to entertain with stories told in new and meaningful ways.

Feedback on my writing was a bit all over the place. I got great responses from a few authors, author mentors and book doctors. The negative came from an agent and editor—who unfortunately are the gatekeepers into the publishing world. This leads me to believe it’s not that I can’t write, I might not be writing what publishers want to publish. So, it was a bit of a rollercoaster weekend.

Today, I put all that aside and attack the pile of assignments I have on my desk. Then later this week I’ll dive back into the fantasy world of fiction, fine tune my query, reevaluate my manuscript and continue to write my work-in-progress. And at some point, I hope to enroll in an online workshop. Who needs to sleep, right? I hear it’s overrated.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hurry up and get back to the WIP......I'm craving a new chapter!

Jennifer

Wila said...

I'm sure agents and editors are on top of the current trends but... My husband just finished reading an eye witness account of the explorer LaSalle's death on the Brazos River here in Texas. It was written in the 1680's by his friend who kept a daily journal on the exploration. It was written in the 1680s, translated from French to English in the 1990's and published last year!

You never know when trends will change. Write what you know and love.

Pamela Hammonds said...

It takes months to write a manuscript, typically months to find an agent and then by the time the book is sold to a publisher, the process can take up to a year before the book hits the shelves. Therefore, what's hot today is old news by the time your book might come out. And if you DON'T write what you know and love, it shows. So, you are very right, Wila.

Anonymous said...

Came across your blog on the Writer's Guild digest and have enjoyed reading some of your posts. I'll add you to my favorites!

Best wishes on placing your manuscript. Yep, you gotta write what you love, because the next fad is already over.