The best and worst of times

[pbray]

Continuing the theme of life after trilogy, my guest blog on balancing creative desires with publishing realities is up at Writer Unboxed.

Comments

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

Well written. Sometimes the muse and the publisher don't see eye to eye.

I wish you well with your next endeavor, and I hope that you can balance the two aspects of writing--commercialism and creativity--continually.

Catherine

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the good wishes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

Great column :) I hope you do get to do the current project -- from what you've said so far, it sounds like great fun!

I think I may be having the same problem. I got a rejection letter earlier this week -- a really lovely letter, a thoughtful and personal letter from the agent I'd queried -- which said that s/he* thought that the concept and plotting sounded "exquisite" and "right up [his/her] alley", and that I am "clearly a very talented writer", but that the language was "too austere for the YA market". In other words, it sounds like a great book, but I'm pretty sure I'd never sell it. I'm encouraged by the commendation of concept and plotting, which I thought were the weak points; but although of course there's trimming and shaping and pruning to be done, I don't think I could write about these characters in any other sort of language. Odd how a letter can be so encouraging and so discouraging at the same time :)

* Yes, I know which it is ;), I'm just trying to be a little discreet.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

That rejection letter sounds interesting. It's one of those comments that can go either way--if you agree then you can consider reworking the project, but if you're satisfied with the language, then my advice would be to just print off a clean copy and send it out to the next agent on your list. What one agent considers "austere" another agent (or editor) might enjoy.

Individual taste plays a huge role in agents' decisions--I've seen this many times, where several agents pass on a story, before it finds the right agent who loves the story and is able to sell it.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

Yes. Important always to remember that agents and editors are human beings :)

[susanjett.livejournal.com]

Interesting post & great photo!