Juliana Haygert

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Categories: #ROW80, Blogging, My writing

#ROW80 Checkin 12/04

 

Omigosh, guys, it’s December already! Jeez, this year is sure flying by …

Note: this post was written Friday night and scheduled to go live on Sunday morning (so no news from Sat and Sun). Though on Sat I’ll go to my cousin’s wedding. I’m her wedding godmother (wedding tradition in Brazil is quite different than in the US). 

 

Reminder of my goals:

  1. Revise my NaNo novel (G.H.)
  2. Read 1 book per week
  3. Blog at least once per week (besides the #ROW80 check-ins)
  4. Comment on #ROW80 friends’ blogs

Oh, and I think I’ll add exercise again to my goals since I started Pilates this past week (Monday and Wednesday)!

 

Blogging

All done.

 

Reading

Finished How To Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey last Saturday.

Read Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

I’m reading Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

 

Writing

My daughter has stayed with me most of the morning, so that takes a couple of my writing hours, but it’s for a good cause =)

As you may remember, I finished NaNo last week (and November is GONE!).

Monday: about 2,500 words.

Tuesday: another 2,500 words. And I finished my ms (G.H.)

Here is how my revision usually goes: First, I re-read my manuscript and add to scenes, or add whole scenes, see if the story flows and such and fix major issues that are jumping from the page. Then, I give it to my beta-readers and wait for answers (what is not working, what is really good, awkward sentences, etc). Next, I re-read it, using my beta-readers’ notes and paying attention to my prose … I try to line-edit the manuscript, though I’m not an expert on it, and fix major grammar stuff … Usually, when I think the ms is strong enough, I send it to a professional copy-editor (with whom I worked before and trust). And the last step is getting ready for querying.

So, my next step is to re-read G.H. for the first time ;)

Wednesday: took a break (more like procrastination, actually). Feeling very bad about it (though I played with my daughter, read a lot and went to my pilates class!).

Thursday: I’ve began re-reading and fixing it. The manuscript has 43 scenes and I stopped on scene 19.

Friday: Procrastination all over. I woke up feeling like a cold was coming down on me and spent my day reading …

 

I’m feeling kinda bleh … or blue. I don’t know if it’s the cold plus the ending of another project, but I know that maybe it’s associated with my heroines. You see, I write protagonists aged 19-21, the so called New Adult, and most agents shun away from that … I queried one of my manuscripts about 2 weeks ago. I’ve received a few rejections already and some of them advised I made a choice between Young Adult (14-18) or Adult (adult to me it’s not about the age of the protagonists. It’s about the hotness in the sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong. I love reading JR Ward and such, but I just don’t feel okay writing like that). Anyway. They tell me that I should put my college-aged heroines in high school. And that saddens me. For many reasons. First, I want a character a little more mature than high schoolers. Second, I would have to re-write each one of my manuscripts just because of age? And I would have to change a lot of the story (of each manuscript) because high-school kids has less freedom than college students. So, as G.H. is getting ready to be sent to beta-readers, I’ve been thinking of my next manuscript and my heroine’s age. All my stories and ideas are molded to fit college life. Should I try and change my ideas to high school? Should I try digging into YA for the next project so I’ll have a bigger chance with agents? I think I should, but I don’t know if I want to, and that is making me feel bleh lol

I’ve been writing a blog post about New Adult for a few weeks now. Each day I add some thought to it. I don’t know if I’ll ever hit publish …

Anyway. I’m sorry for my rant/rambling.

 

To check other #row80 members’ progress, you can visit the blog and click on today’s check-in post. There you’ll find a linky list with all the participants.

Have a great week, everyone!

Comments

  1. Great week! what a shame about the ‘new adult’ being rejected – publishers could be missing out on a whole audience ignoring this age-group! I think a coming of age genre would be great, not everyone wants to read about high school kids or ‘experienced adults’ there is such great scope for the ‘new adult’! :/ good luck for next week, hope the blues pass :)

    • Yeah, I know, they could be missing out, because I know a lot of people/readers who would like to read books with college-age protagonists.
      Thanks!

  2. Great week, Juliana. And it’s too bad about those rejections. Once again, I think it comes down to subjectivity. I think more readers out there than agents realize would enjoy reading new adult. Keep querying – and try e-publishers, too. And of course, don’t forget about self-publishing. A lot of books that “don’t fit” have found success that way.

    Good luck!

  3. Good luck with your revisions! It’s too bad New Adult isn’t a bigger market because I know there are a lot of writers in your position. But that’s the way the market goes, I guess. The good thing is there isn’t just one way to get published, so if you feel strongly about your New Adult projects, you can always consider self-publishing or finding a small press. I’m sorry you have to deal with the rejections!

  5. Hey Juliana. Best of luck with the revisions. I really appreciate you sharing your process – I learn so much reading about how everyone else does it!
    I am really sorry to hear about the rejection. That’s definitely hard on the soul when you’ve put so much love, time and devotion into it. I am stunned that agents are jumping all over the New Adult scene – that sounds right up my alley. Although I enjoy YA, I’d be interested in reading something in that same style but with characters a bit older and more mature. Dang. I hate the idea of you having to try and morph your story into something that’s not your vision and especially where you are so happy with the feel. I can’t imagine how that feels to hear…sending you a huge virtual hug!!!

  6. I know New Adult is tough. I’ve read several and some are awesome, others not so much. I’m struggling with a manuscript for this same issue. I’ve had to lower the age of the heroine to 16, but I HAD to keep the hero older. At a minimum he’ll be 18 when the book starts. That means he’ll have to be at a minimum of 19 before the series ends. I’d still market it YA. Many sixteen and seventeen year old girls date older guys. That being said, seventeen with nineteen isn’t technically okay because it is against the law. I’ve been looking for a work around for a long time now. Of course, Edward was like a couple hundred years old. :)

    • I was 17 when I met my husband. He was 22 lol Not legal, but it worked ;) And I know what you mean. As writers we shouldn’t go against the law, especially such a moral one.
      I’ve been thinking about trying to write a YA story. Perhaps a novella first to see if I’ll like it lol Let’s see.
      Thanks!

  7. I hope you had a wonderful time at the wedding and I seem to be mirroring you completely! I felt a bit lost and my cold wasn’t helping last week but I focused on the wedding. Now my bridesmaid duties are done I am even more lost! Next is to decide where to go writing wise.

    Have a lovely week!

  8. Okay, not published, haven’t even queried anything yet, but my gut says to stick to your guns. I’d be looking at e-pubs for sure. Best of luck! Hope you have a great week.

  9. First – loved Twenty Boy Summer! Second – yeah, I can see the frustrations you’re having. The New Adult genre is starting to be a little more buzz-worthy, but I’ve talked to agents who don’t see it going anywhere. It’s disheartening. But also a unique challenge to take something you’ve written and making your characters younger. I have a similar problem, but in the opposite direction. I need to make my characters a little older in one of my stories – one day I’ll go back and do it.

    Good luck!

  10. I do not understand this fascination with the high school aged heroines…(for YA it’s great, but not for adult!) I would think that you’d have a great big audience in the age-group of 19-25 with the characters’ ages you’ve written about….but what do I know, right? Ha!

    Keep plugging away – and stay true to your story…maybe you’ll be the next trend-setter!