Hatrack River Writers Workshop: where's your battle buddy?

This is topic where's your battle buddy? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Reagansgame (Member # 8149) on :

Over the past few weeks I've noticed that everyone here is at different(sometimes infuriating) stages of our journey. Just off of the top of my head, I can see stories that are written, those that are unwritten, those that are published and ready for publication, those stuck in blocks, those stuck period... etc.

For me, I'm dreading the Query. I can't sell myself and I hate trying. I'm pretty much retarded when it comes to the business side of the process and all of my research has me feelin a bit more retarded.

The most difficult thing, I think, is that in a day to day world, someone like me -- well, I don't have anyone to discuss this kind of thing with. I get the feeling that when I start talking about seriously finding an agent or a publisher, people think I'm chasing a pipe dream. Instructive advice is hard to come by where I am, unless it deals with how to get grease based stains out of colors. Most of the time, the answer is I don't know, sometimes its negative, like, reminding me exactly how impossible it is to get noticed... and so on.

That's not the only difficult stage. The other thing I find impossible is beating out a full story in under 4K words.

I'm aware that I also have strengths. I think there are specific areas that someone on here may be having difficulty with that I can help along.

The thing is, this afternoon while Blue is searching for her clues, I sat down to do the daunting, looming task of starting the query. I can tell people who haven't been through the process how hard it is, and they see that I've written 2 books with combined counts of 300K but I can't write a single, stupid query. I was just thinking how it might be kinda helpful if I had a battle buddy in this. My husband is no help! He's the guy who everybody likes, but on paper.... well, I won't go into that.

You know how you have a work-out buddy and it helps at the gym? I'd really like to find a writing buddy who can help me through this speedbump. If there is anyone here at the hatrack who is going through the same thing, or has been through the same thing that I can vent to or get advice from or just wants someone else to go through this together for motivational help or whatnot, please email me.

I'd suggest if anyone else is struggling with a specific area, maybe you can add to this post as a sort of classified. So, in addition to the help gained from Hatrack, there's at least one or two specific people who are sort of walking with you so it doesn't seem so horribly out of reach. (Also, if you post, you'll have relieved me of feeling like such a loser)

Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :

It might be an interesting exercise for two writers to write each others queries, based on information they share, to see if that would produce a better or worse query. Sometimes it's easier to talk objectively about someone else than yourself.

Posted by Tiergan (Member # 7852) on :

Welcome to Query Hell. I have offically been here longer than it took to write the first draft of my novel. Granted I did start early in the process to get the most dreaded first 10 attempts of the query out of my system, but I seem stuck there, rehashing the same lines. If I tell only the inner part of the characters, their motavations and such, it seems an ordinary fantasy. If I tell the plot and what seperates it from other novels out there, I lose the voice and the inner struggles of the chracters. And I guess thats the problem, alone, as some query's suggest, base it on only the main character its rather simple, but throw in the other main charater, and bamn! you have the catalyst of the entire piece.

Anyways, I am there with you. Would be happy to attempt to be a battle buddy, but can't really commit until next week to doing any actual work on it. Drop me a line if you are interested, or we can continue to vent our frustrations through this post. Either way, hang in there, and take your time. The sad truth is, that as far as agents are concern, this is "as" important as the novel.

Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :

What about a face-to-face writer's group? I'm headed to mine this evening (makes note to herself to find some good point-of-view exercises like she promised. We've been talking POV lately and it's a subject that I would think these experienced writers would be experienced in, but they seem no further than me in understanding the nuances.)

I found this one at the local bookstore (big chain) but it was started by a guy, just one guy, about 5 or 6 years ago.

There's also one at my town's library. I'm in a distant suburb of about 30k people, and there's a writer's group at my library. If there isn't one, maybe you should start one? I have seen some good posts on blogs recently about starting a writer's group. Can't remember the name of it, but I stumbled across a Missouri writer's group's shared blog recently and it had a lot of tips on starting a group, what works, what doesn't, etc.

While at first my writer's group seems unimpressive - most are unpublished and seem to enjoy coming more for camaraderie than actually making progress on their WIPs, I'm finding gems along the way. One woman, who mostly writes her church newsletter now, is a wicked good editor. Another is an oral storyteller (!) another a travel writer, another has recently self-published in a genre I am not interested in (a faith-based book) but has tons of tips on marketing yourself that are applicable to anyone regardless of publication method. Another is writing his third or forth novel, while querying the first (or second, or third - I forget. I think he has two on the shelf and the third is what he's querying on.) He also writes as a profession doing advertising and marketing/PR - so he's been a valuable career coach to me.

And then I'm finding that *I* (little 'ol me, LOL) have something to offer as well. I am always working on some detail of writing - POV, plot, beginnings, characterization, hook, etc. They're happy to have my struggles be part of our conversation. It's been a productive thing for me. Even though it looks like a bunch of middle-aged nobodies sitting on a couch somewhere, it really works for me and I come away from writer's group with new energy each time.

Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :

I've also gotten a lot IM-ing with people that I met here at Hatrack. It's a great feeling to have back-and-forth interaction.

Posted by Palaytiasdreams (Member # 8154) on :

Reagan,

I feel the same way!!!

I have had IM buddies (and still do) that would be there for me online to toss ideas at and vent and use for moments when I need spontaneous dialogue.

I'll be your Battle Buddy if you'd like. The more the merrier.

Pal...pondering..

Posted by Crank (Member # 7354) on :

IM is a tool I don't often associate with writing, but I'm always looking for an advantage (both in my own writing, and in assisting others tighten their game if I can), so I might just join in the fun.

S!
S!...C!

Posted by Palaytiasdreams (Member # 8154) on :

Oh I tell you what, IMing while writing has saved my bahootie many a times.

I have/had two friends that I could say "Hey I need a quick dialogue." and BAHM...we'd role play out a scene.

Makes for some wonderful stuff!

Pal...pretty darn pleased with her IM scenes

Posted by sakubun (Member # 5719) on :

Great idea. It's something I could use as well.

I'm 36, living in a small town in Japan. The nearest people around me are 22-28 and mostly concerned with drinking and then telling others how drunk they were recently. There's one guy that writes, and just signed up for Hatrack, and we chat occasionally.

There's no one in my town to the extent that someone sent me a postcard that said "Resident Foreigner" and had only the zip code. It came straight to me.

It's like a watered down more personal version of this board. I thought about starting something like this in Japan for the foreign English teachers, but I couldn't find enough interested parties.

I hope the buddy system works out. I'll join.