Surviving the Submission Process

Writing the novel seems like the difficult part. And for the most part, it is. Trying to get your newly finished book published, however, is a whole different ball game.

In my opinion, writing the book is more fun—by far. But, if you want to see the words you slaved over in a nice hardcover book, just writing those words is only half the battle. You have to learn to move from the creative side to the business side.

This is not easy, if it was I would be published already! But I know that sticking to it will bring great rewards. You just have to remain motivated enough to see it through. I am struggling with this currently, so I thought I would share some tips that I’ve found to help you get through the submission process and all of the not so fun things that come with it. Author Karina Fabian says, “No one has the same submission process. It takes work and imagination—and perseverance.”

1.       Keep sending it! Keep finding agents and publishers to send it to, and send it!

As much as we would all like to crawl in bed and give up after the first rejection, you can’t give up! Cry a little, sure, but then send it again. Different people have different opinions. Just because one agent didn’t like your book, that doesn’t mean that the next one will think the same way. One day, you will find the perfect agent for your book. So you just have to keep sending it to people until you find them.

Literary Agent Carly Watters says, "But most of all you need perseverance and belief in your skill...keep on submitting. Because the offer might be around the corner and you’ll never know unless you keep pushing."

2.       Don’t stop writing.

But you’re done with the writing process, right? Wrong. Never stop writing. Tweak your book until its perfect, and when you’re finished with that, write something else. Start a new book, write a short story, try out poetry. Anything! Just don’t ever stop writing. Strengthening your skills can only make the submission process easier!

Author Robin McKinley says, "So if you think your manuscript is good, keep sending it out. But go on writing something else. Breaking into print is an enormous, glorious, intoxicating triumph, but the only, the only thing that makes you a writer, is writing."

3.       Stay positive

You’ve put enormous amounts of work…blood, sweat, and tears…into this book. Believe in yourself and the quality in your book, and never give up on seeing it published. It may take days, months, or years, but if you keep developing your skill and sending your work out, it will pay off. I promise.

Author Katrin Schumann says, "Writing can be a long journey. Are you learning and enjoying yourself along the way? Then keep at it."

4.       Have fun

Stop working every once in a while and do something you enjoy…besides writing! You finished an entire novel, you certainly deserve it! Getting your focus off of your work is important. And when you come back to it, you’ll have more determination and energy to get the job done. Win-win!

Digital publisher Nick Cross says, "Do find a new hobby to fill the tense weeks and months while the book is out for submission. Consider embarking on writing a multi-book series about wizards or vampires, or buy a really, really big jigsaw."

The submission process seems daunting, and it can be stressful at times, but if you keep working and continue to believe in yourself and your work, you can achieve your ultimate goal: your book in print. And who doesn’t want that?

 

Critique Partners

Critique partners. It is a difficult subject, one I am struggling with myself right now.
Should you get a critique partner?
Do you need a critique partner?
Can you trust your critique partner?

These are all completely valid questions. And do I have the perfect answers? Not really. But I will attempt :)

First of all, what is a critique partner? According to YA Author, Cindy Thomas, a critique partner is "someone who willingly reads your writing and provides honest feedback that will both encourage and push you to write better. They'll tell you what's missing and what's working, and will (hopefully) be someone you can go to time and time again to discuss writing with."
It's important here to stress on the word partner. Your critique partner will not just read your work. You have to commit to reading theirs, and working as hard as you can to help them make their book better-just like you know they will do for you.

The Positives

Having a critique partner, and taking the time and effort to find one that works best with you, will ultimately help your writing immensely. It is a fresh pair of eyes, one that is experiencing the same things you are experiencing in the road to perfecting their own book. They will be able to see the things that you are not able to see. And as much as we'd all like to think that we can find the flaws in our own books, it's not true. A critique partner will be able to see these things and point them out, which can be invaluable.

Beth Revis from goodreads.com says that you need a critique partner because...

"Because you're not perfect. Because everyone needs help to write better. Because you cannot see the forest for the trees. Because you cannot identify your own mistakes--very few people can. Because critiquing other people's work will help you learn to identify your own mistakes, and because that will make you a better writer. Because it's a part of being professional. Because it's cheaper than hiring an editor--and you can rarely trust someone you pay money to be honest with your flaws. Because if you want to be a professional writer (i.e. published), then you have to learn to work with others on editing a manuscript."

And that pretty much sums it up.

The Fear

A common fear about critique partners is that if you send them your work, they will steal if from you. However, its highly unlikely that will happen. I've struggled with this fear as well, and I just have to keep telling myself that it won't happen. A critique partner will only have agreed to work with you if they have a work of their own that they are passionate about making better. So if they're so into their own idea...why would they take yours? Beth Revis says, "Don't be paranoid. Also? If I told you the idea of my next book, would you write it? Or would you rather write your own idea? We all have an idea of what we want to write--and writers are stubborn by nature and are unlikely to abandon their idea for yours. Also also? The key is the writing not the idea."

What I Think

I believe that a critique partner is a great idea in the long run. It may be extra time, extra effort, but the time you spend critiquing their work is so worth it. Just by reading and editing your partner's work, you will learn more about the craft of writing and how to edit your own work. The feedback you get from your partner will outweigh the extra time and effort a thousand times over. The viewpoint of just one set of fresh eyes will benefit your writing, and could even take your book from good to great. It is highly unlikely that anyone will try and take your ideas...but even so, the chance of finding a good partner is worth the risk of putting yourself out there. And you don't have to send someone your entire book! If you're nervous, try sending a chapter or two at a time, and see if you will work well with the person. But definitely find a critique partner, you will be glad you did!

Can't hurt...might help :)

So, the answer to the first three questions? YES.

Go find yourself a critique partner! And if you can't find one, I'm always willing!

Happy writing!

Les Misérables

Photo Credit:
http://thoughtsofasimplecitizen.blogspot.com/
2012/12/why-les-miserables-matters.html

The Original

Les Misérables, the novel, was written by Victor Hugo and published in 1862 in Brussels.

Although the novel was criticized and even banned by the government, it received immediate success and was enormously popular. The novel came with great excitement, and booksellers practically fought for the 48,000 copies of the book that were sold on the first day of its release. Hugo "observed the specific incident that triggers the novel's action on the streets of Paris in 1845." He saw a poor man arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, then watched as the man stared at a rich woman in a carriage who was completely unaware of him and his plight.

"Les Misérables has been translated into nearly every language and, during the past century, has become one of the best-selling books in history."

The Play

Charles Hugo, Victor Hugo's son, was the first to adapt the novel into a play in an attempt to "satisfy the ever-growing public fascination with his father's work." Many others followed after him, causing Les Misérables to become one of the most adapted works in history. Like the novel, the musical version of Les Misérables was widely successful. The play came with great anticipation, and the popularity spread quickly by word of mouth. The musical has been performed and remade countless times, and the popularity and excitement remains.

 

My Opinion



This Christmas, the movie adaptation of Les Misérables was released in theaters. I had not heard the story before seeing the movie, and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy three hours of nothing but singing. Not too long into the movie, however, my doubts were forgotten. The story was heart-wrenching; it caught my attention and kept it for the entire length of the movie. The singing was beautiful and I was incredibly impressed with the actors and their interpretations of the characters.
Les Misérables is a beautiful and complex story about life, love, and sacrifice. It is a story that will continue to be relevant, whether the story continues to be popular for another ten years, or another one hundred. Bradley Stephens says, "When more than 80% of the world's population lives in countries with ever-widening income differentials, when one in three women are physically abused, and where every second child on the planet lives in poverty, Les Misérables still sings a painful but powerful song."
If you haven't seen the movie or heard the story, I highly recommend it. It is one you will not soon forget!
Here is the trailer:

Washington's Thanksgiving

Photo credit: http://rangerville.sbcisd.net

Thanksgiving is in only a few short days, and many of us are busy preparing the food, cleaning the house, and bracing ourselves to deal with crazy relatives. But in all the chaos, we can't forget the meaning of Thanksgiving, or the reason President Washington declared it a national holiday in the first place.

Washington's Decree

Washington signed a decree that set the day aside as a "Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer." The decree was titled General Thanksgiving and it said that the day was to "be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

The History

Many thanksgivings were held before the day was recognized as a national holiday, and two hundred years ago, when colonies recognized days of thanksgiving, they were meant for fasting and prayer, not large amounts of food like today.
Thanksgiving in early days of America was strictly meant to give thanks to God and recognize all the blessings that He had given them. As time passed, the idea of thanksgiving and the way of celebrating it changed drastically.

The Holiday Today

Thanksgiving today is much different from the thanksgivings of our American ancestors. Instead of fasting, we feast, and often the only prayer is the one before the meal. While there is nothing wrong with feasting, we can't forget what thanksgiving originally meant. While we enjoy the food we have been blessed with, we need to remember to take time and give thanks to the God that provided it for us. We are blessed beyond measure to just be able to have a meal on thanksgiving and we can't forget that.

While you're enjoying the food and the company of close friends this Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks for your blessings and recognize Thanksgiving as what Washington meant it for all those years ago: a day to "acknowledge with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Credit: http://7hillscanvass.org/?p=94





Another Skill Banned from Cheer

This post is a small extension of my last post-No More Double Downs.
A standing full and a standing double are two skills that have also been banned from high school cheerleading, and I just thought I'd share the video because I think they look cool :)
A standing double is when a cheerleader jumps into the air and twists twice before landing. Here is the video:

Awesome right? :)
A standing full would be if he jumped up and only twisted once.
And believe me, I completely agree with the banning of these two. They are crazy scary!

No More Double Downs

I am a member of a very successful (Back to Back State Champs!) competitive high school cheerleading team. A big topic of discussion in the cheerleading world this season is the fact that cheerleading teams around the country are having to adjust to some big rule changes.
First, so you can understand what in the world I'm talking about, here are some basic terms when talking about cheer:
Base
Flyer
Cradle
Extension
Stunt (This link refers to it as a mount, but it is more commonly known as a stunt.)
Also, USASF (United States All Star Federation) has a list of pretty much every cheerleading term there is here.

The Changes

High school teams in particular are no longer allowed to do double downs (this is when a flyer is in a stunt, the bases pop her up, she twists twice, and the bases catch her in a cradle.)

Here is a video of a double down so you can picture it:

This particular skill has been a part of high school cheerleading for quite awhile, and many elite teams have worked to perfect it. Higher level skills like this one previously earned teams difficulty points and set the more advanced teams above the others. Now, however, these top teams will have to find other ways to stay ahead of their competition.

The Reason

Double downs in particular have been removed because of the high risk of injury and the amount of serious injuries that have resulted from this skill in the past few years.

Concussions were part of the main issue-here is a story about a cheerleader who suffered from not one, but two concussions resulting from some form of a failed double down.
The amount of head injuries that were caused by double downs are already large and increasing. Though many cheerleaders are able to perform this skill successfully, the amount of injuries was impossible to ignore. And because double downs were a big part of the problem, the National Federation of State High School Associations made the decision to remove them completely.
Here is an article explaining the issue further.

What I Think

The argument of banning or not banning double downs is very difficult. While I agree that the amount of injuries is unsettling, I also believe that the cheerleaders that have worked hard to earn the ability to do the skill safely should not be held from doing it. That being said, there are many other ways that a team can show their talent and remain competitive. The elimination of double downs is not the end of the world, and there are plenty of other difficult stunts that cheerleaders can perform. The health and well-being of the athletes should always come first-no high school cheerleader will be cheering for the rest of their lives, and an injury caused by the sport should not affect the quality of their entire adult life. In the scheme of things, who is going to look back on their high school cheerleading career and wish they could have just done that one double down?

You guessed it. No one.

 



The Odd Life of Timothy Green

This past weekend, my sister and I went to see "The Odd Life of Timothy Green". I hadn't really cared to see it beforehand-it was my sister that wanted to go-but I am so glad we did!

"The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is the story of a young couple who are unable to have a baby. They have given up hope, and as a final effort to move on, they write down every quality they would want their child to have, place them in a box, and bury it in the backyard. After a large storm, a little boy shows up claiming to be their child. I won't spoil the ending, but the movie was just plain adorable, and I loved every minute of Timothy Green's 'odd life'. The actor portraying Timothy, CJ Adams, was wonderful. He was able to balance on the fine line of perfection, keeping Timothy adorably perfect, when he could have easily been annoyingly perfect.
You can read more about the movie here and here.

One of the messages in this movie that I loved was 'Never Give Up'. It was one of the qualities the couple in the movie hope their child will have, and one of the qualities that Timothy ultimately portrays. Timothy's parents refuse to give up in their hope for a child, and Timothy refuses to give up on them, and on playing soccer, even though he is-comically-terrible at it. This message can easily be applied to mine and everyone else's lives. Oftentimes what we want isn't easy to accomplish-and what fun would it be accomplishing it if it was? But we can't give up on our dreams, no matter how impossible, how difficult it might seem. Even when everyone is saying we can't, we can't give up and agree with them. Nothing worth pursuing in life is easy, and just because we might not get it right the first time doesn't mean its impossible. 'Never Give Up' is a message I can apply to all aspects of my life, and its something I will always need to remember.

If you want something badly enough, nothing can get in your way. And when you're feeling discouraged, just remember the couple who was told they could never have a baby-and the miracle that they received because they didn't give up on that little bit of hope. :)