@janeshuff
Active 3 years ago-
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Elle posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoThanks @philippaeast about the activity thread post! @kazg – sounds like you are on a real rollercoaster, just hang on and fingers crossed about that new editor.
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Philippa East started the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section….. in the forum
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoWe are here, just on the activity threads!
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KazG posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 2 months agoGood for you @philippaeast. You more than deserve that break! What a rollercoaster in a whirlwind you’ve been riding, but also, what an awesome result. Do you have an outline for book 2?
My update is that backat the end of last year I thought that Penguin Random House had gone too quiet and all was lost (my agent was getting ready to go out on…[Read more]
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That’s brilliant news Kaz. It’s like snakes and ladders, isn’t it?? Glad you’re still on an upward trajectory, and really looking forward to this book
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This is AMAZING news, Kaz! Well done! Sounds really hopeful and positive and generally fantastic. I’ll be keeping fingers and toes crossed that aquisitions are quickly on board. WIll your agent be subbing more widely anyway, or are you waiting on this one first? And good luck getting back to the NaNo book. It feels like a looooong time since the…[Read more]
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Ooh that sounds fantastic Kaz. Exciting, exciting, exciting!!! I’m watching this space…
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Thanks @raine, @daedalus, @janeshuff! Yes, Snakes and Ladders is exactly how it is. We’re only submitting to PRH at the moment; the situation is a bit unusual in that I got a response from them after pitching directly to them, before I’d even signed with my agent (which happened just after, actually). They’ve already given me editorial feedback so…[Read more]
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Oh gosh, so exciting! And well don’t for grafting out those edits. Really pleased they worked for you, and hopefully it just means you’re even happier with the book. Now I’m keeping everything crossed, but given that (if I understand correctly) your agent hasn’t even sent anywhere else yet, this is all looking super optimistic! Good luck on the…[Read more]
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Thanks @philippaeast. Yes, we’ve only submitted to PRH so far. The silence is killing me!
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Oh man, I feel your pain!!
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ps I’m trying to put an outline together for Book 2 as we speak. I’m not keen to go writing off into the wilderness as I did with Book 1! Still trying to find all the pieces, and how they might fit together….
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Oh good luck! I’m doing the same, to try to stop things flying off in all directions. What outline template are you using? By chapter?
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I’m using the Story Grid Global Foolscap template, where you block out your beginning hook (act 1), middle build (act 2) and ending payoff (act three), identifying the key plot points in each (inciting incident, progressive complications, crisis, climax and resolution). This template also gets you to define your overall genre (e.g. love story,…[Read more]
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Oh that looks interesting! A new approach. I’ve just done a plotting workshop that looks at different ways of approaching this so my head’s trying to incorporate it all and decide on the best approach for me right now. I’ll summarise and post when I get a moment. Thank you!
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And GOOD LUCK 🙂
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 2 months agoI am planning to start working in earnest on Book 2 from March onwards, after giving myself a break from writing / editing for all of February.
I hope you will help me my cheerleading / offering tea / kicking my butt, hard.
Hope you are all getting on well with your own writing tasks. xx-
Fine with the cheerleading and tea. Not a great one for kicking people I fear.
My own writing is slow, with moments of excitement, thank you for asking 🙂
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Go for it, @philippaeast.
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I have pom poms, kettle, and boots at the ready…
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Thanks guys! I like the sound of Pom poms….
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I also today have banana, pecan and white chocolate muffins if you want one. There were overripe bananas lurking in my fruit bowl that needed a home.
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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 3 months agoJanuary update from Fife – Last week I thought that a) I’d never ever in the universe get to the end of the huge wip edits, b) not hit the word count target. And c) not get to write a short for RwaV in time. And d) just meh, really.
But since then, got to end of edits, hitting my word target, and now am mid first RwaV target with DAYS left in…[Read more]-
Wahey! I’ve been working on RWAV too, today, and it’s started to come together. Got an idea for the sting in the tail, too…
Feels good to be able to feel a bit of success in our plans, doesn’t it?
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It so does, @squidge. Celebrate those mini-successes. 🙂
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Ooo! A sting! That sounds great, especially since you were worried your plot was a little linear before. Fab!!
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Poop though, I don’t think I’m going to make the RWaV deadline. I will gracefully bow out, but GOOD LUCK to everyone xx
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Oh, such a shame you aren’t going to make it @philippaeast, I always look forward to reading your stories. But understandable, given the Monster Edit of Doom. 😀
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Well done, @raine! I’m so proud of you, as i know what a daunting task it felt. AND getting that word count down. RESULT! (How do you think you did it, BTW? There might be a useful lesson for all us us about cutting / reducing)
I know what you mean about how impossible it can seem. I honestly couldn’t see how I was supposed to achieve these edits.…[Read more]-
Thank-you @philippaeast. It was a good feeling writing that new word count into my cover letter! I did it partly by stripping out a character, which meant a bit of structural shenanigans but did streamline bits of the plot. I also cut out a minor PoV. But a lot came from just line edits, which is quite scary re how much there was that I could cut.…[Read more]
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Love it! Some big, brave cuts, and then all those little trims of fat round out prose too. And I LOVE a good bit of motivational number crunching!! Well done again. What are the next steps for you, once you are happy with your edited draft?
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 3 months agoHey guys, how are you all doing? I am crawling very close to the finish line with this latest round of edits. I don’t honestly know how I’ve done it! Sheer bloody mindedness, I think. I’m hoping to do an overall read through over the next week to check it all hangs together, and then I think I’ll be done. Until the next round begins….
How are…[Read more]-
Exciting, Philippa – it’s a great feeling when the end just starts to hove into view isn’t it? Hope the rest of the journey is smooth.
Just signed a contract for three histfic novellas. Which is nice, but now I have to write them
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@daedalus! That’s amazing!! Congratulations 😊 and WELL DONE @philippaeast…what a great feeling. I’m staggering towards my deadline this week too and am hoping I’m nearly there with this round!
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Congratulations to all three of you. Lovely to hear what everybody’s up to. Excellent work @philippaeast and @kazg! Histfic novellas @daedalus – tell more! I’ve been bumbling around in the dark. Trying to find my next novel, working on short stories and feeling fairly down – the result of going into 2018 with such high hopes and having them all…[Read more]
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Thanks @janeshuff! And sorry to hear about your dashes hooes ☹️ All credit to you for keeping going, even if it feels like bumbling right now. Hope you feel more positive soon x
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*dashed hopes
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Oh, @janeshuff, I am sorry to hear that. It’s so hard to get back up from dashed hopes. I SO enjoyed reading the extract from your novel, and am keeping everything crossed for a nice slew of successes in 2019
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successes for you
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Well done Kaz!! Is this for book 1? Sounds like we will be reaching our editing finish lines around the same time!
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Oh WOW @daedalus!!! This is amazing!! Can you tell us more? Who is the publisher?? What are your time scales?? And – of course – what will the books be about? This is such amazing news. Should go on the podium really 🙂
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Yay @philippaeast for reaching the end – that really has been an epic act of bravery, so well done. And I’ll keep fingers crossed Sarah’s verdict is ‘Yes! Out on sub now!’ 🙂
@daedalus three novellas!?!? THat’s fantastic news, you kept that quiet, you sly thing you! So pleased for you, hope that gives you a huge, well earned boost.
And @janeshuf…[Read more] -
Thanks @philippaeast and @raine …um, yes, the novellas. I don’t really want to talk about them too much until I’ve written them. I haven’t even started yet and am a bit panicked about it. Will add more when I’m a bit more comfortable with how things are going.
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I don’t think you have any reason to panic, @daedalus. They will be wonderful.
Thanks @raine and @philippaeast. Encouragement and hugs and tea are exactly what I need!
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@daedalus It’s no wonder you are feeling a little daunted. Funny isn’t it? You’d think having the contract there at the start would be a dream, but it’s a whole different kind of pressure I guess. Sending you lots of good luck. You will do them brilliantly, I know you will. xx
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Absolutely fair do-s
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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoFirst day of school hols, which means a final, wonderful end to all the school xmas events (slides into exhaustion coma…) AND I am now ALONE till sunday, for which YAAAAAY!!!
I’m half way through the book edit and have cut from 120k to 110k. Which means I’m on target to get to 100k… so far. I want to get to 99k for that subliminal 5figure…[Read more]
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Great work, Raine! Sounds like you are definitely on track, well done. Fingers crossed for the next 11,000 xx
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JaneShuff posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoCongratulations to my fellow December SloMo members on all your achievements in December. I know there is a third of the month to go but I am about to disappear in Christmas – ferries permitting. December hasn’t worked out for me quite how I thought it would and has ended up being more of time to reflect. I have written and edited a lot in 2018…[Read more]
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I sympathise, Jane – my SloMo has been NoGo. A continuation month – CoMo? – in January would be great
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I’m the same as you Daeds…NoGo. I’ll plump for CoMo, and try to get something out for RWaV 😉
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I’m also a NoGo. Hoping January will be more of a GroMo or a FloMo 🙂
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It is really helpful isn’t it? Seeing others’ updates and getting little boosts. Lets go for a SomethingMo. If only to get me through the most miserable month of the year…
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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoHad a lot of NoMo here recently. But that was to be expected. And today I have the mini home sick, so am going to attempt to edit against a backdrop of Attenborough programmes!! Actually, despite the painful slowness, I figured out a couple of key plot changes that I think will go miles towards addressing the issue of the final stakes not being…[Read more]
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Sounds really good progress @raine despite all the frustrations. And every cloud has a silver lining 🙂
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Well done, Raine. So pleased you have managed to steal back a little space and time for yourself. And thrilled that you’ve untangled that problem of the stakes. That must feel great! I am so sorry about the migraines. I am in awe of how you work despite them. x
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KazG posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoStill SloMoing along and hitting my very modest targets. Chip, chip, chip. Over 10,000 words now and it’s been pretty easy going, really, esp after NaNo.
I got some editorial notes from a publisher who’s shown some interest – all of which is gold and so useful – but one of the comments was that a 2 book series would be easier to sell, so I…[Read more]
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Well done @kazg on keeping that word count going. 10k in the run up to xmas is a pretty impressive feat!! And I think your plan makes sense – write the thing first, then see how overall structure might work across the novels. Saves having to be thinking ont he large scale whilst trying to write. So what are you focussing on atm? Drafting #2 or editing #1?
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Thanks @raine 😊 finishing book 2 is my focus. I have to keep some momentum up or that book world will feel cold, if you know what I mean. Also it might affect book 1 edits once I know what happens next!
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I know what you mean about momentum @kazg. Once lost it can take a while to get back on track.
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Oh wow! Huge credit to you, @kazg for staying so steady as you work through this and absorb that editorial feedback. I think your strategy is a good one – get your vision down first, then step back and review. Really good luck!
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Thanks @philippaeast! God knows I’ll need it 🙂
Yes, momentum has an energy it itself I find @libby. Even just a little helps.
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Hilary posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoHello fellow slomoers (?)
I’ve been very slow… but I now know how my novel is going to end! I have an outline for the bits I’ve still got left to write. Need to flesh them out a bit and then get on with it. That will be the third draft done, then.
Well done to all of us! And keep going all of us! Might do a Janowrimo!-
That’s fantastic @hilary! What a relief for you. Such a good feeling when structural chunks fall into place like that. Well done you, and everyone! I’m liking SloMo very much – think I’ll be joining you for JanNoWriMo!
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Well done @hilary! I never know the exact ending till about 2/3 of the way through, and it’s always a bit of a relief to figure it out! Hope it helps you move through the last few bits now you’ve got it mapped out.
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Yeaaaarrrsss! Nice work, Hil on the ending! Looking forward to hearing more about it…. Yes, please can we continue in January???? I need all the kindly support I can get!!
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RichardB posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoVisiting EmmaD’s blog last night for the first time in a while, I found a delightful phrase that could be the motto for this group, though it’s actually from Jenn Ashworth rather than Emma herself. Anyway, I love it.
No word count boot camp, no productivity porn.-
hah hah! Love it. I also love Jenn Ashworth, for the record, so love that it’s her phrase. Good point, I haven’t browsed EmmaD’s blog for a while either…
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JaneShuff posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoI’ve had a few days off as we went to London to see children and grandchildren as far as Mr Janeshuff was concerned although I’d organised two surprise birthday celebrations for him as well. We’re back now after a wonderful but exhausting time and I’m hoping to restart tomorrow. I’ve spent the best part of a month planning this WIP and after only…[Read more]
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Great work on making a start, even if it went in a different direction! I think there must be something about trusting your instincts on this though? Sounds like a good plan to take a step back and relax and switch to something else for a while to allow your brain a chance to catch up with your muse!
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I agree with Philippa, @janeshuff.
Sounds like you’ve achieved a lot with the writing, what with family celebrations as well.-
It’s exciting when things veer off plan, especially when there’s energy in the veering, rather than just a ‘I’ve lost momentum and don’t know where to go now’ type of thing. I would listen to it if I were you @janeshuff. Might, just might be something great bubbling up from your subconscious? An early Xmas gift perhaps??
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How right you all are. It is exciting. The new ideas are much better. It’s all part of the process. I have been trying to keep a diary this time so I can remind myself next time how tortuous the process of coming up with and writing a new WIP is. I have let the diary slip because of everything else, but must get back to it.
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