Today I mailed off a set of excerpts from my manuscript "No I Don't Want to Hold Your Baby." Along with those 20 pages was a newly constructed cover letter and a one-page synopsis. The package with its two crisp and clean copies is now on its way to the NC Writers Network Manuscript Mart folks. They will assign them to an agent who I'll meet with for an assigned half hour at the upcoming NCWN conference in Charlotte. Read More
All the Words and Art Happenings Up in Here
CHECK OFF THAT JOB FROM THE LIST OF STUFF TO DO
October 18, 2010
7 Comments
Comments
Oct 19, 2010 4:50 PM EDT
Good Luck!!!!!
- Susan
Oct 20, 2010 8:27 AM EDT
Chris - good luck. This sounds like a sensible & productive way of going about getting it in front of someone actually capable of taking a decision (always an appallingly hit-and-miss thing in this busness for some reason . . .
- Nick
Oct 25, 2010 4:06 PM EDT
Chris, I'm so glad to read about your "writingness" and your excitement about the conferences. It's a refreshing thing to read, especially for an old-timer who sometimes forget what a gift he's been given (that sounds conceited, but you know what I mean). "Keep up the work, whether it's good or not" is a rule I learned a long time ago, and gladly pass it along. Another one, if I may be so bold (as the creepy waiter said to Jack N. in "The Shining"), is to take what you think you need from a critique and to heck with the rest. Many times critiques are a mixed bag: some excellent advice, combined with dumb-as-hell incomprehension. Don't let it get to you, it's the same for everyone. No critic or manuscript guru or what-have-you can ever really get inside you to know which parts of a text you feel especially attached to. In other words, if the guru misses something in your text that's obvious to you, or misunderstands something you meant to say, it's not his/her fault, as they are not you. But don't ditch the whole page, or idea, or joke, or whatever just because they didn't get it. Just re-write it in different ways until you're pretty sure your point is clear. Hey, I ought to be getting paid for this!
- Lil Johnny Grooms
Oct 25, 2010 4:12 PM EDT
Lil Johnny, thanks for the wise words. After all, some of my doing this is all your fault anyway for giving me a chance way back in the olden days!
- Chris Arvidson
Oct 28, 2010 1:51 PM EDT
I'm so proud of you Chris! I just sent a little something off myself...and it is scary...especially when you don't hear back from the immediately (ah, perspective). I'll keep my fingers crossed.
- Nicole
Dec 20, 2010 3:31 PM EST
That's great! You have been writing. I hope it goes well in Charlotte.
- Lynda
Mar 31, 2011 5:53 PM EDT
How exciting! I love the title and relate so well to the subject, seems so prevalent they should leap at the chance to publish it. I hope you get an advance. I've been published and have self-published. If at all possible the former is better.
- Emily Weinstein