Wednesday 20 January 2010

From short story writing to Novels!

Here I am blogging again, and so quickly after last post. How hard is the transition from short story writing (for anthologies)to that of full length novel?

Answer, damn hard work!

Yee gods, the world moves at one hell of a pace when your eyes are shut, too.

I've been reading guideline after guidelines on pitching blurbs to premise' and first chapters of completed novels.

How hard is that? Hard work!

How time consuming? Immense!

How well have I done with pitching? Varies: one reply positive and extremely helpful.

The rest: have yet to hear a reply. . .

So, the nail-biting continues. Well, not really, just getting down to more of the same is a writer's lot.

5 comments:

Ju Dimello said...

Hey Francine,

Good luck for your other pitches :)

Getting a positive response on a pitch is fab ! Use that to build rapport with editor and show case your writing.

Btw, what publisher was that?

Francine Howarth said...

Ju,

The Commissioning Editor at MacMillan!

It was a typed letter, (not a tiny complimentary slip) and the bonus being hand-written compliments and extras. I was b****y amazed and thrilled! I was not discouraged from sending again, nor for sending something else.

If nothing comes of future sends it's nevertheless a huge boost to one's morale. ;)

Ju Dimello said...

Wow, that's just so nice :) Yay for you :))

Btw, are you participating in any of the pitches at eharlequin.com?

Donna's pitch contest, then superromance pitch and Nocturne bite pitch?

You can also get any of your first chapter critiqued at : http://chasethedreamcontest.wordpress.com/, where for every week they choose a winner + mini-critique and loads of editors and all participate out there ..

Francine Howarth said...

Ju,

Yes is the answer to your query: have sent out a few pitches to e-harlequin. I did the Winnie one, and her feedback was very useful. She offered to read a second attempt (corrections) but time difference got in the way. I missed the boat!

I'll chase any thing that takes my fancy - sort of in the blood I guess!

The trouble is there are so many opportunities at e-harlequin, and although I have played around with a historical erotic vampire novel, I haven't gotten beyond the first chapter. To be honest I'd love to push it, at the same time I'm really a big fan of blockbuster romance, even though I used to love reading Anne Rice vampies.

If I can find the vampy one in the archives - but probably on old lap top which is loaned out to one of my daughters at the mo and hundreds of miles away - I'll post it here for comments. It is quite disturbing, yet love is the key!

How's your pitching coming along?

Ju Dimello said...

Mine - I pitched one to Donna and preparing the first chapter ready - just in case for it :) Call me wierd, but the new idea I have - a spice brief seems to be the best yet and I haven't started writing it yet..but I pitched it !!!! Grrrr.. I am seeing in the forums that we can expect some response on Monday - but is it the pitch finalists (5 will be chosen to send first chapter) or in general response, I am not sure.
So, if by Monday the "5" lucky ones are chosen, then that's my deadline to have the chapter ready..and it is already weekend here.. er Friday night actually and am just about to crawl into bed !

The nocturne bite pitch, am done with my story and am re-vamping it to keep it nice and shiny :) I have to send out the pitch to Rae !

And I am checking out some publishers like ellora / samhain too..and wondering if any R's from ehar can go straight to them.

Let's see how goes.. Sorry about the long "ramble" but you know, sometimes in a dazed limbo, words flow out :-D

Wish it were on my manuscript though..

How about you? What is going on?