tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post4902954628741910962..comments2024-02-21T05:25:03.233-05:00Comments on Adventures in YA Publishing: Fanfiction, 10,000 Hours, and Accepting that You Can't Ever Get It PerfectMartina Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-91040183757500443612014-02-22T16:34:34.389-05:002014-02-22T16:34:34.389-05:00SCBWI Conferences are great aren't they? I wis...SCBWI Conferences are great aren't they? I wish I was at the one in New York right now. But I think there's a danger (at least there was for me) with attending conferences that offer information or advice at the same level as those you've attended before. As with feedback and the writing itself, we need to be stretching ourselves. I had a fabulous experience at the Miami SCBWI conference a couple of years ago where they had half-day classes truly devoted to specific aspects of craft. Courses that are deep show you how much you have to learn, and that opens all sorts of doors. It was that experience that made me hungry enough to want to take a week long workshop. And seriously, that was a fabulous decision for me. I guess the bottom line is that I suspect is it rare for anyone to make real progress without some form of feedback--whatever form of feedback that takes, right? : )Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-24065718038600808752014-02-21T16:52:34.729-05:002014-02-21T16:52:34.729-05:00How exciting that you're done!!! Congrats for ...How exciting that you're done!!! Congrats for that, and on the great blurb you received. :D Nope, have never written fanfic. I prefer to make up my own characters, I guess. I wrote my first 10 novels with not much feedback. While fun, I really didn't start growing until more info became available online. I did attend SCBWI conferences too--very helpful. :)Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-4244331265749823922014-02-18T15:52:00.445-05:002014-02-18T15:52:00.445-05:00Yep. Or your editor kills you. :D Thank goodness m...Yep. Or your editor kills you. :D Thank goodness mine is lovely and patient!Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-17977740741007085742014-02-18T15:50:43.296-05:002014-02-18T15:50:43.296-05:00Never say never, right? Maybe it's the Rainbow...Never say never, right? Maybe it's the Rainbow Rowell effect, but honestly, it makes so much sense from a practical experience perspective, right?Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-19880242740707348552014-02-18T15:49:28.583-05:002014-02-18T15:49:28.583-05:00Hi Kate,
Thank you! My publicist at Simon Pulse i...Hi Kate,<br /><br />Thank you! My publicist at Simon Pulse is handling all ARC requests, but I'll send you an email with her information and I'll drop her a line about it too. : ) Hopefully we can work out something! (And hugs for that!)<br />Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-23523253000384861972014-02-18T06:15:02.462-05:002014-02-18T06:15:02.462-05:00So excited your book is at ARC stage. Can't wa...So excited your book is at ARC stage. Can't wait to read it. And yes, you can always look at a manuscript and find ways to improve it. But at some point, you just have to be done with it.Natalie Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03756087804171246660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-72040108089133052922014-02-17T23:51:23.138-05:002014-02-17T23:51:23.138-05:00Congrats on this great big step with your novel. I...Congrats on this great big step with your novel. I've never tried fan fiction, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Rosihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01294774973863802821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-43485987275501451362014-02-17T22:07:36.084-05:002014-02-17T22:07:36.084-05:00So happy for you! :) I can't wait to read it! ...So happy for you! :) I can't wait to read it! I have no idea how much say you have in it, but I would LOVE an ARC of <i>Compulsion</i>. I'd be happy to review on my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, wherever!The Magic Violinisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08889060820055920735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-80208827283771927192014-02-17T21:24:58.093-05:002014-02-17T21:24:58.093-05:00Oh, I can't WAIT to see your WIP, Carol! I kno...Oh, I can't WAIT to see your WIP, Carol! I know it's going to be amazing. I remember your voice so clearly. And you know, I hadn't actually divided it out until you said that, but 10,000 hours works out to 3 1/2 years of working 8 hours a day, 350 days a year. YIKES. Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-75583999038575468932014-02-17T21:22:33.064-05:002014-02-17T21:22:33.064-05:00Lol! I'll take the Carpenters music, thanks! A...Lol! I'll take the Carpenters music, thanks! And I know YOU know what I'm talking about. But it's hard, isn't it? We can know in our heads that this is the first book, that it's never going to be perfect or anywhere close to it. It's the foundation for the books to come. But we want so much for our characters and we so don't want to disappoint our readers. We writers are an angsty lot--but I think that's comes with the active imagination and the empathy we need to have to create stories in the first place, right? :)Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-38004948857218678442014-02-17T20:05:17.596-05:002014-02-17T20:05:17.596-05:00Congratulations that Compulsion is off to becoming...Congratulations that Compulsion is off to becoming an arc. How exciting for you. I don't think I'll try fan fiction..but am working towards accumulating those 10,000 hours. (Shucks! I should have been keeping track!) I agree with everything you said. And pretty soon I'm going to be ready for your first 5 pages workshop!Carol Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444182118975929045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-47058680228386214052014-02-17T18:37:57.870-05:002014-02-17T18:37:57.870-05:00Martina, I'm so excited that your baby is off ...Martina, I'm so excited that your baby is off to the printer! That is SO exciting. <br /><br />I struggle with perfection a lot. I try and try and try, even knowing that perfection isn't possible. But I actually think it's a good thing to strive for perfection. We aren't taking our readers for granted, and we keep reaching out and learning more.<br /><br />Your book will be wonderful, and will continue to be well received. You've only just begun! *cue Carpenters music*Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-81351390632894345262014-02-17T17:40:55.622-05:002014-02-17T17:40:55.622-05:00Wow, Mary! See? That's the kind of practice th...Wow, Mary! See? That's the kind of practice that will stand you in good stead eventually, I have no doubt. But maybe it's time to take the next step and find a mentor who can tell you what you need to work on. I was at that point after I had completed Compulsion. I knew that I had near misses and a number of agents who had asked to see more work, but I felt like there was still something I was missing. I took the Your Best Book workshop from Free-Expressions, and I was lucky enough to hear exactly what my manuscript needed. Sometimes, when you're ready to hear the advice you've already heard a hundred times, getting it in just the right moment and in the right way can be the kick that gets you the rest of the way across the finish line. Hang in there!Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-19970868523782207442014-02-17T17:36:07.591-05:002014-02-17T17:36:07.591-05:00Thanks, Jemi! It is hard, isn't it? It's a...Thanks, Jemi! It is hard, isn't it? It's amazing to me the sheer number of ways that we manage to beat ourselves up or burden ourselves with the weight of expectation. Maybe it's the whole idea of having each word potentially existing somewhere forever that becomes crippling. Think of the hours a violinist spends pouring notes into the atmosphere. The notes fade away and there is only the memory of them, the benefit of the learning that went into them. But we writers expect our words to have staying power and heft from the beginning. It's crazy. And crazy-making. :)Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-21892406818860213192014-02-17T17:32:55.716-05:002014-02-17T17:32:55.716-05:00Thanks for sharing, Alex! It's great that you ...Thanks for sharing, Alex! It's great that you have been able have that experience and explore your own ideas within the context of a world that you already loved. : )Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-5173285794104980572014-02-17T14:40:02.404-05:002014-02-17T14:40:02.404-05:00I've been writing consistently since I was 11,...I've been writing consistently since I was 11, and a lot of that was fan fiction. I think it's an excellent way for aspiring writers to start out if they're not ready yet to create their own characters or worlds. Plus the community in most fandoms is great. I made a lot of friends through fan fiction.<br /><br />I'm 25 now and still not published. I feel like I'm closer than I was even a year or two ago, but it's still discouraging to keep getting mostly form rejections every time I submit something. Oh well, I guess everyone's journey is different.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06940487957045564029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-54759586719053981222014-02-17T14:37:08.942-05:002014-02-17T14:37:08.942-05:00That is such an important observation about the di...That is such an important observation about the difference in getting feedback from fan girls (or boys), to use the common term, and getting feedback from writers! One of the things I try very hard to do when I critique is to point out what someone is doing right--in at least a general way. Knowing the emotional effect you have on the reader is critical. <br /><br />And can I just say 1,000,000 words? WOW! Respect. That's awesome, and I'm sure you are seeing that paying off!Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-29362203691204706332014-02-17T14:18:26.466-05:002014-02-17T14:18:26.466-05:00That Trust in Ourselves thing is hard. Really, rea...That Trust in Ourselves thing is hard. Really, really hard! I'm so looking forward to Compulsion! It's going to be great! :)Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-7216038828186718572014-02-17T14:08:03.402-05:002014-02-17T14:08:03.402-05:00Nice post! I have tried myself on fanfiction. I wr...Nice post! I have tried myself on fanfiction. I wrote a novel which apart from the new characters i had created, i used the Disney characters and a new setting on my plot line. I have never taken any writting classes concerning writting fan fiction but i am aware of the rights and the limitations. I simply liked the idea that popped in my head and wrote it. Here's the link if you are interested! XD<br />http://www.wattpad.com/story/5485544-roxanne-and-the-blue-rose-disney-fanficAlexandra Perchanidouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08523008432694508414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-89302619557948926872014-02-17T12:36:23.329-05:002014-02-17T12:36:23.329-05:00I got started writing fanfic. In fact I read somew...I got started writing fanfic. In fact I read somewhere - and this goes along with your 10000 hours thing - that a writer should write a million words before they call themselves a writer. I don't agree with that, but it was a goal I held myself to, and in just fanfic I passed that million. One million words posted publicly, read, and reviewed. And yeah, it's just fanfic, but that's more than most writers will ever get. I owe any talent I have now to that experience. <br /><br />The feedback becomes addictive, and the hardest thing to leave behind when you switch to original fiction. Writing fanfic never feels lonely or solitary like original writing does. To me, at least. The closest thing I can compare it to, aside from contests and one beta at a time - is being on a writer's forum like Absolute Write, posting the first few pages of a WIP for critique. Even then, though, the other writers on forums are looking for things to critique to make you sharper, while the readers of fanfic are looking for reasons to enjoy and gasp and squeal over whatever it is you get right. They're very different things, and it takes some adjusting.<br /><br />I've always said that I'll know I've written something great when I find fanfiction based on it. That will be a great day. JL Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942982940027400316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-28054050153642463262014-02-17T08:40:32.103-05:002014-02-17T08:40:32.103-05:00Hi Emma,
I love your point about the faith of our...Hi Emma,<br /><br />I love your point about the faith of our readers giving us confidence. That is definitely true, and that confidence is a HUGE part of surviving the querying, submission, editorial, and publishing process too. There are so many rejections and pitfalls along the path that any novel takes getting into the hands of the reading public. Having love from knowledgeable people who have read it not only tells you the book is ready to start that journey, but it also gives you a well of thoughtful commentary to go back to when your confidence takes a hit. You're right. That's so important!Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-29642486467946159922014-02-17T08:33:20.755-05:002014-02-17T08:33:20.755-05:00Great post! I think finding feedback is one of the...Great post! I think finding feedback is one of the biggest struggles for new or aspiring writers - even my creative writing degree wasn't as valuable as insightful feedback from someone who reads the genre. This is why critique partners and beta readers are so valuable - it's their faith in our work that can give us confidence in our work.ELAdamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com