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Post by paulwest on Jan 4, 2013 11:38:37 GMT -5
Happy New Years to everyone here. I hope this year, this forum can grow a bit, but we all have to be active here and recruit other members for that to happen.
What are your writing goals/Wishes/Dreams for 2013?
My biggest goal/wish/dream is to have my novel "Bridge to Destiny" published by a legitimate publisher. Wish me luck.
What are yours?
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Post by charlie on Jan 4, 2013 23:29:45 GMT -5
My primary hope is for T. Lynn to stop by and tell us how things are going for her and her writing. We haven't heard from her for quite awhile.
My goal is to finish 'Destination Zion', the story of my GG grandfather and after that I'm not sure.
Good luck to you, Paul. To everyone, I hope 2013 is a wonderful year. Keep writing, stay strong in the gospel and always keep Jesus Christ first in your lives.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 7, 2013 19:09:44 GMT -5
My primary hope is for T. Lynn to stop by and tell us how things are going for her and her writing. We haven't heard from her for quite awhile. I agree. TLynn? Where are you? |
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Post by charlie on Jan 14, 2013 12:20:29 GMT -5
Just received word my ms 'Love and Miracles' has been rejected once again. It's ok other than it took them 18 months to tell me. That seems like a long time even in the publishing industry. Oh well, I guess I just move on. I don't believe I'll pitch this story again, but I may consider self publishing. Right now that doesn't seem like a viable option, however.
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Post by Gary McCallister on Jan 15, 2013 8:33:15 GMT -5
I posted my sad story on lack of writing back in the Dec. section. I'm finally catching up a little and hope to maybe get back to writing soon. Sorry about your rejection Charlie.
My writing goals for this year are to:
continue writing my column,
finish Religion and Science
and perhaps attempt creating an e-book
Of course those are on top of other goals, so I suspect I won't get very much of it done. I am so concerned about our country and the world that at time my writing seems pretty trivial. My wife and I are presently setting some extensive goals for our family.
Well, Happy New Year all!
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Post by Gary McCallister on Jan 15, 2013 8:35:19 GMT -5
Here is the post I made back in the Dec. section. Thought you might like to see why I have been missing in action a little.
Crazy life! Want to hear our story?
Took Dad to Utah, came home same day. Left the next day to drive to Kentucky. Arrived KY after driving 24 hours straight. Spent the day and evening recuperating with daughter who was pregnant but on bed rest. She is 40 yrs. old and her youngest is thirteen. The next day we we had Christmas with them. That night she went to the hospital and lost the baby. We also got a phone that Dad had gotten the flu and maybe we should come home. Left and drove home. To old to do another 24 hour stint, so took two days. While on the road, got word that Dad died. Arrived home to make funeral plans and transportation plans from Utah back, since he will be buried here. Drove to Utah for a memorial service there, then drove home the same day to beat a major storm. Family arriving from everywhere today. Funeral here tomorrow. Daughter from KY, son from Boise here for the next couple of days. My wife is executor so next week is business for the estate. I haven't written a word in days.
But Dad is finally reunited with his wife and his suffering is over. The Gospel is true and and I have to go shovel the walks because it snowed last night. Ahhhh. The writing life.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 15, 2013 10:01:59 GMT -5
Charlie. So sad to hear your rejection. I know how disheartening that can be. Good luck in getting 'Destination Zion' published. It sounds fascinating. I know stories based on real people and incidents are the best kinds of books.
Gary, its good to see you back. Sounds like you have had a lot going on. I'm still anxious to read your Religion and Science book. It sounds fascinating.
I've been trying to find an agent for my first novel for over 10 years. I should give up, but what the heck. Just maybe someone will like it someday.
Sachiko, Michael, and TLynn, any one else who wants to join in, are you there? Anxious to hear from you all too.
Happy New Years to everyone and good luck with your 2013 writing and other goals.
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Post by charlie on Jan 23, 2013 13:14:37 GMT -5
It has been several days since anyone has checked in so I thought I'd say "hi" and see what's up. I have personally been very lazy concerning writing. Haven't done much of anything. I have been reading a good book by Claire Poulson called Switchback. The author is LDS and I like his writing style and stories.
Hope all is well with my friends here. Hope to hear from you soon.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 23, 2013 14:44:01 GMT -5
I'm here and check in almost every day. Yes, it's been quiet, too quiet.
I'm seriously considering going the INDIE publishing route with my first novel "Bridge to Destiny." I've sent out queries to well over 100 agents now, all with no nibbles, let alone bites. I think my novel is probably too complex for most of them to figure a genre for it to sell it to publishers, even though I say it's a young adult, coming of age, story set in the mid 1960s. All I ever get back is something to the effect that it's not their cup of tea. All form rejections.
I'm reading a lot lately about how to make an INDIE published book sell. First I need to translate my MS Word file into an e-pub format (not difficult). Then comes the difficult part - try to sell it. I will need to get very active on FaceBook, Twitter, Linked In, Google+, other writers' blogs, writers' forums, target audience sites, etc.
I haven't totally decided to go this route, but I'm seriously considering it.
What are all you guys working on? Do you have any comments on this idea of mine?
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Post by Gary McCallister on Jan 24, 2013 8:41:10 GMT -5
School started Tuesday so am back at work. I needed that so I could rest up. ;-) But I am sure it will cut into my writing time as usual. I am also teaching a beginning bee keeping course for the next eight weeks and we are taking two of my grand daughters to a Dulcimer camp next week end.
Paul, you might check out Book Baby. They can do a lot of stuff for you as far as self publishing goes.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 24, 2013 14:32:40 GMT -5
Gary, thanks for the tip. I took a look at Book Baby but don't feel it's right for me. To get the most out of them you gotta pay at least $500 and more if you need specialized help. While that's not really a huge cost, as far as INDI/self publishers go, (actually pretty low) it's more than I can afford. But thanks for the idea.
I wish I could take your bee keeping course. I love bees but can't have any where I live. As a teenager, I read up on anything I could find about bees and bee keeping. I had three good sized hives and extracted the honey every summer. I got lots of quarts of honey every year. It was fun, and I didn't get stung too often ; ).
Except for one time, when someone said I could have his hive if I could move it. Well, I waited until dark, when the bees were less active, then stuffed the entrance with grass and nailed a small board across it. What I didn't count on is when it's dark, bees crawl, not fly. Evidently I didn't get all the bees. The ones I missed crawled up my pants legs and I got close to 50 stings in my ankles. My ankles swelled up huge and I had a hard time walking - and it was track season. Well, I got the bees moved on the tail gate of my dad's station wagon and a week later I ran track anyway, winning all my events. The swelling went down in a couple of weeks.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 29, 2013 19:24:35 GMT -5
Sent out 6 queries. Here's to not holding my breath, but hopeful just the same. Wish me luck. Better yet, say a prayer for me. I'm getting tired of all this querying stuff.
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Post by charlie on Jan 30, 2013 13:14:20 GMT -5
Good luck, Paul. I wish I had your "don't give up" attitude.
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Post by paulwest on Jan 30, 2013 16:58:05 GMT -5
Thanks Charlie. I guess the "don't give up attitude" comes from realizing I ain't got nothin' to lose.
I already got one rejection back from those I sent out yesterday. I wish I could find some way to interest these agents in at least taking a look at my novel. Maybe the book is just plain bad and I need to realize it.
That brings up another reason for my "don't give up attitude" Maybe I'm just plain stupid and don't realize it. Still, I believe in my book and some day...!!!
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tlynn
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by tlynn on Feb 4, 2013 12:37:06 GMT -5
Hey guys, I'm here. You all sound like you are moving forward. That is great. Paul, your story about the bees is fascinating...tough guy to run and win with 50 bee stings so one sting in a rejection letter is small, right? Keep at it. You'll get a win!
I've been busy with my job, still writing for them. This weekend I worked on my new novel for the first time since Christmas. That felt nice. I've also been trying to build my presence as an author on social media...a big thing for authors apparently. I lamented to my hubby when I had to start a new Facebook page for me as an author "but I don't have any friends!"
Alas...apparently that is the purpose of social media...to get "friends" to play with me.
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