tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post8069924983935110349..comments2023-04-30T15:55:35.969+01:00Comments on Susan Elliot Wright: THE WRITING LIFE - IT OFFICIAL, THE FIRST DRAFT IS CRAP!Susan Elliot Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07330077083045451606noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-87390917867221075162015-01-23T10:10:54.677+00:002015-01-23T10:10:54.677+00:00My pleasure. I should point out that I'm not s...My pleasure. I should point out that I'm not saying it's impossible to finish a novel to a good standard without editorial advice, just that I think getting that advice speeds things up a bit. We get so close to our work we just can't see it objectively and we'd have to put it aside for a very long time in order to get the distance on it. Susan Elliot Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07330077083045451606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-23238874342890715702015-01-22T19:06:31.235+00:002015-01-22T19:06:31.235+00:00Thank you so much for the wonderful and detailed r...Thank you so much for the wonderful and detailed reply, Susan! I hadn't even thought of a Literary Consultancy or Professional Editing Service. This is why your blog is compulsive reading and so inspiring. It's very generous of you to take the time to explain the process. Thanks, again! Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680813337238122710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-7648462681938049322015-01-22T15:26:07.578+00:002015-01-22T15:26:07.578+00:00It's a very good point, Jo, and I asked myself...It's a very good point, Jo, and I asked myself the same question. If this was Novel 1, my next step would be to pay for professional advice from a critique service such as The Literary Consultancy or a private editor (which is in fact exactly what I did with Novel 1!) I think it cost about £300, and I could ill afford it, but it was money well spent. As for how you know it isn't working, that can be difficult. With this novel, it's been a struggle from the very first paragraph. I've discussed it with my editor and agent several times, but it's now at the point where they really needed to see it to make proper judgements. As to your last question, if I'm perfectly honest, if this was a first novel, I'm not sure an agent would take it on, because they couldn't be sure that I'd be prepared to do the amount of work required, nor could they be sure that I was capable of doing what was required. The wonderful thing about the position I'm in now is that I have a track record, and my agent and editor have faith in me. Also, I think I now have more faith in myself, too – with the first novel, it was more difficult to know the areas that weren't working, and harder still to work out what to do about them, which is why I paid for editorial advice at that stage. I think this is a particularly difficult book, though; I needed advice and feedback on book 2 as well, but not as much as on this one! This is one of the sad and difficult things about publishing. A writer may know for certain that she is prepared to work all hours of the day and night on her novel; she may know that she is prepared to rewrite and rethink huge chunks of it, or even to take it to bits and start again if necessary. But I think it's a difficult to get an agent to take you on and work with you in that situation, although from what I can gather, it wasn't so unusual in the past – I seem to remember hearing the lovely Jojo Moyes speak about being taken on by an agent but still not getting a publishing deal until her fourth novel. I think she's now published 10 or 11! What a long and waffly reply – hope it's useful, anyway.Susan Elliot Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07330077083045451606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-918484503093249272015-01-22T14:55:08.070+00:002015-01-22T14:55:08.070+00:00It makes me wonder what kind of position you'd...It makes me wonder what kind of position you'd be in, if you didn't already have an editor and agent. If you were on your own with Novel 3 and it was, for example, Novel 1, what do you think your next step would be and how would you know it wasn't working or needed A LOT more work? Not sour grapes, by the way, I'm genuinely interested. If it was a first novel, would an agent see the potential and be willing to work with you on it, I wonder. Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680813337238122710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-71313642643603329432015-01-20T17:03:19.911+00:002015-01-20T17:03:19.911+00:00Yep! 'Sinking feeling' just about sums it ...Yep! 'Sinking feeling' just about sums it up!Susan Elliot Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07330077083045451606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196270920705499712.post-2243282802932167932015-01-19T23:45:36.582+00:002015-01-19T23:45:36.582+00:00Oh that sinking feeling when you know you've g...Oh that sinking feeling when you know you've got to shake all the dross from a novel and begin to tease it into its proper shape!JOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03127111575563904349noreply@blogger.com