What’s Up Wednesday
Summer has kicked in full throttle here in Eastern NC with temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius). It doesn’t usually get this warm this early, but we did have a long winter, and we seem to have decided to skip spring, so I suppose this is what we get. But enough about the weather. What’s happening with me?
What I’m Reading
I decided to resume my WAR AND PEACE reading having taken a break after volume one of the three-volume version I have. During that break I read some great novels, culminating in Erin Bowman’s exciting debut TAKEN. I’m determined to finish W&P however. I think there’s a good story in there somewhere, though I fear it’s being obscured by the translation I’m using. I’m already considering a re-read next year using a more up-to-date translation. But I want to give this set a chance.
I’m also in the midst of beta reading. I had such a good experience being on the receiving end of beta reader comments, I want to pay it forward for someone else. It’s actually a lot of fun, and very instructive. I find myself pointing things out, then making a mental note to be sure I don’t do the same thing in my own work.
What I’m Writing
I’m still in the query trenches with nothing worth reporting so far. In my last WUW, I mentioned a detective novella I was working on turning into a novel. That’s still churning away in my head, but in the meantime, the first chapter of a completely different story has been writing itself in my head all week, so I started on that. I’m not one to work on more than one project at a time, but at this point I feel like I’m testing ideas to see which one captures my imagination the most. That will be the one I run with.
What Inspires Me Right Now
I have had a couple of personalized rejections from Agents that were actually quite encouraging. Also watching the World Cup, and seeing the athleticism and determination shown by these teams can’t help but inspire.
What Else I’ve Been Up To
As I explained on Monday, the World Cup is possibly the only sporting event I follow. Given my negative appreciation of sports, one month every four years is about as much as I can manage. Seriously, though, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for real football, and though I have never been a die-hard fan, I appreciate the skill and athleticism involved in the game. Especially when played by the best players in the world, which is why the World Cup is usually such a delight. Some World Cups are better than others in terms of team performance, and this one has so far been one of the best I’ve seen. Brazil and Mexico played a hard-fought game yesterday, and while no goals were scored, they both played to win, pulling out their best skills and keeping us all riveted to our seats. So for the next four weeks, I’ll be talking like a sports fan. But don’t be alarmed–it won’t last.
What have you been up to? To join in the blog meme, visit the blog of either Jaime Morrow or Erin Funk for details and the linky list.
Personalised rejections are nice, aren’t they? It’s always a sign you’re on the right lines. Good luck! Hope you get some really good news soon.
Had Brazil and Mexico spent less time rolling around on the pitch wailing about imaginary injuries, they might’ve actually scored. That’s the one thing that really winds me up about football – the childishness of it all. Don’t see rugby players pulling that nonsense.
Have a great week!
Yes, personalized rejections are cool, especially when you genuinely feel the rejection came down to liking vs. loving. I can live with that.
The ref on the Brazil-Mexico match seemed to ignore every foul the first half, so I can sort of understand the players wanting to try to get his attention when a foul was committed. And I think a lot of that acting up is just that–trying to get the ref’s attention to some unfair play (at least from the player’s perspective). But I agree, it can get a bit annoying. Still, I can’t get over the quality of play this time around.
I played a bit of rugby in school, but never really got into it. At least with football, the physical injuries aren’t supposed to be part of the game… 🙂
Have a great week yourself, Cole!
I read the Signet Classics version of War & Peace and thought the translation felt fairly modern. It didn’t translate the phrases that the nobility spoke in French, so there were a few “huh?” spots, but it didn’t affect my overall understanding.
The personalized rejections are a good sign. Frustrating, but good 🙂
Enjoy your week! I’m hoping our mid-Atlantic heatwave will soon be on its way out. I can deal okay with summer (80s), but not SUMMER (90 and above).
I picked up one translation in B&N the other week that seemed pretty good. The translator had included footnotes that noted things like when Tolstoy wrote something in French, or where there was some word play in the original that doesn’t translate in English. I liked the prose style better too. That might be the one I use for the next read.
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m with you on on summer vs. SUMMER. This is a nice novelty, especially after the extended winter we had, but I’m ready for something a bit tamer.
I’m not a soccer fan–or much of an any-sports fan–but I love the enthusiasm surrounding the World Cup.
I like very warm summer weather (at least until mid-August, when even I get sick of it), so I’m excited that it’s supposed to hit 90 today. Most people do seem to think that’s crazy of me. 🙂
Have a great week!
The 2014 World Cup is shaping up to be the one to get excited over. I hope it makes a lot of fans of the sport in the US, especially since the US did so well in their opening game. Football can be a real yawnfest when it’s played badly, or without passion. But when the players bring their all to the field, as they have so far in this WC, it’s a joy to behold!
Wow–I don’t know many people who actually like SUMMER (as Jennifer called it). I’m okay with it for a week, just to say “hello, it’s really summertime!” But I much prefer when it’s in the low 80s with a breeze. Maybe 90s in NYC isn’t as bad as 90s in NC?
Have a wonderful week, Rebecca!
PS: Congrats for selling your next novel! All the best with that. 🙂
Personalised rejections are a sign you’re on the right track! 🙂 Best of luck in the trenches!
I certainly hope so, Emma. Thanks! 🙂
Rejections are hard but personalized ones seem to soften the blow a bit so I’m always grateful when I get one. I still remember the exact agent who sent me a very nice one from my first novel.
I’ve gotten into different sports at different times but soccer has never been one of them. I find nowadays I just don’t have the time to devote to something I only have lukewarm feelings for.
Like I said to Cole, personalized rejections are especially nice when it’s clear the agent liked the writing, but just didn’t love the story. That’s fine. I’ve read plenty of best-selling novels that I didn’t love but clearly many others did.
I’m glad the World Cup only comes around every four years, otherwise I’d never get anything done, unless I became a professional sports writer. 🙂
Feels kind of weird to say, but personalized rejections are lovely. Good luck with the queries! I’m loving hearing people’s comments on the World Cup and it makes me want to watch it myself. I intended to but I’ve been distracted.
Thanks, Rachael! Normally I might recommend a particular game to watch out for, but the way this World Cup’s going, you can pretty much catch any of the games and be guaranteed an entertaining couple of hours of football. Maybe at least plan to watch the final. Those will be two special teams that survive that far! 🙂
I don’t know why I love the Word Cup so much. I’m waiting for another match to come on now!
90 mins of action with a 10-15 min break in the middle. No half-time show. No stops for commercial breaks during play. And it’s truly a worldwide event–teams from all over the world compete. Those are some of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I’m sure at least some of those would be on your list, Jessie. 🙂
Have fun watching the games–and have a wonderful week! 🙂
Oh, goodness. If there’s a story somewhere in W&P I’ll eat my own foot. Okay, maybe not, but you get the idea. Maybe my translation of the story is less than stellar as well? All I can say is that I won’t be rereading this one again when I’m done. A million years from now.
As crummy as rejections are, I always felt buoyed when I received the personalized kind. Even better if there was some indication why they were passing. That fact that they took the time to say something, anything, goes a long way. I hope you get some awesome news soon. The very opposite of a rejection! 😀
If I find a story in W&P, I’ll let you know, but I’ll be surprised if it’s this time around!
Thank you, Jaime. There are a lot of Agents out there, and I’ve only just started scratching the surface when it comes to querying them, so it’s early days yet. 🙂
I’m glad you’re seeing the positive side of rejections. It can be such a bummer and so easy to get disheartened but if you can find a way to turn it into a writing lesson then good on you! Keep your chin up!
Here’s keeping my fingers crossed that someone out there is looking for a historic alien WiP! I’m sure you’ll get snatched up by an agent!
Thank you, Robin! I appreciate your words of encouragement. It really does help when one or two agents take the time to let you know it’s not the writing, it’s really just that personal connection. So much better than simply not knowing why.
Hey Colin,
Mid 30s Celcius. Wow! I don’t think I could take that kind of heat! I’d melt!
Did you enjoy Taken? I love the idea of it but the reviews have been a little mixed?
Best of luck with the querying. Personalised feedback is fantastic! We all hear about the huge slush piles so it must mean a lot to get feedback. I read somewhere before that they only do that when they think a writer is nearly there! Best of luck in your search!
Hey Triona! Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to your comment. Yes, I did enjoy TAKEN. It’s a good story with good characters and a nice twisty plot. Well worth checking out, IMO. Here’s my (non-spoiler) Goodreads review if you want more of what I thought: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/689048299
I hope you’re right about the rejection feedback, and thanks for the well-wishes. 🙂
Usually the only sport I really follow is (American) football, and occasionally baseball during the playoffs if a team I like is playing. But my roommates are both soccer nuts, so I’ve been watching some of the matches with them, and have been getting surprisingly into it. I might actually turn into a fan by the end of the month (GASP).
I think we hit 90 degrees one day last year. Maybe two. It doesn’t happen often around here. Too much above 75 and we start to melt. Air conditioning is all but unheard of around here.
I hear you about personalized rejections! There were a couple I’ve gotten that were super helpful and nice, and I’ll definitely be querying those agents first if I end up having to query another MS.
This is most definitely the World Cup to make football fans of people. Nearly all the games I’ve seen have been packed with excitement and skill. I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Stephanie. 🙂
We don’t often think about it, but there are two sides the querying author/agent relationship. On the one hand, we’re trying to attract agents with our queries and samples in the hope one will take us on and sell our project. But on the other, agents want authors to send their work to them in the hope that one will be the big seller that makes them a lot of money. So the more agents can do to entice authors (e.g., sending personalized rejections to authors they’d like to hear from again), the better. And, like you, those agents who 1) respond to queries, and 2) personalize the responses, will be the first to hear from me should there be a next time.