Another Word on Word Count

Courtesy of Jay Lake's Link Salad, I give you a very good journal entry by Caren Johnson on word count.

I have a few things to say about this, but I'll keep it concise, because, you know, word count.

1. Do what they tell you for the first book. You can be all special later, when and if they let you. Your goal is to break in.

2. Caren says, "I think writers with those long sprawling manuscripts should rethink their word count. Look at the writers you admire and those who you'd like to compare your work to (another reason why I ask who your contemporaries are; those who don't know better start reading to find out). Are their books longer or shorter than yours? Are you making yours longer because its essential to tell your story or because you're trying to match their writing style? Think about all this before you submit that 100,000 plus word manuscript to more agents. It could be the difference between getting an offer or representation vs hearing that your story took too long to grab them or sagged during the middle and that's why they're passing on your book."

Food for thought. I am always on the other end of the spectrum. My initial manuscripts are short, and I usually plump them up with more details that are essential to the story. I envy those of you with words to spare.

***
Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Speculation

I've been thinking about the future.

Currently, I am receiving laudits from the college because of all the growth and new curriculum in the ELA program. They've let me have new and exciting software for the language lab. They've expanded our number of sections, and I'm hiring like mad. All is well in the ELA universe.

So well that my dean is going to ask for a couple of full time positions for the program next year, besides mine. There is no guarantee that the college would approve the positions, but if so, that would be great.

It would also be my chance to become a teacher again, rather than a teacher/administrator. Don't get me wrong. I love my job, even though there are times when it is really difficult and overwhelming. I generally plow through, so it's nothing I can't handle.

The issue is the writing. I would have LOADS more time to write if I were a teacher, rather than a teacher/administrator. Scads more. Oodles. I would be a fool, as someone who wants to publish and write books, if I passed up that opportunity.

I'm not going anywhere this year. Nothing can change until May for sure, or when the board decides how we're going to budget for next year. Really, though, it's not a hard decision to make. It sort of makes itself.

It's nice to think about the future. It never does anything but surprise you. I'm listening, powers that be. Send me your cues.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Ani-Coz Wig Tutorial

Somehow I missed it when it came out in March, 2009, but here's a link to that wig article I wrote for Ani-Coz last year. The one you want to download is volume 3, issue 2.

There's a little nonfiction for you, then. In case you want to design your own hair.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.