tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post1211328261237361715..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Question: what constitutes a book series?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8982602475932699402015-07-11T13:54:31.248-04:002015-07-11T13:54:31.248-04:00I'm still a bit confused. I've read sever...I'm still a bit confused. I've read several books by Kristan Higgins where each book can stand alone in the sense that the MC's story has a beginning and end but those characters frequently pop up in her other novels as secondary characters. Are they connected stand alones or is it a series? I get the explanation of the Athenian mystery series. Although I haven't read those books (but now I will), I'm assuming the MC's story is not resolved until the last book (like the Hunger Games books and True Blood books).<br /><br />Also, I'm curious where editors stand regarding connected stand alones? I understand they want a series because of the earning potential there. Is that also true for connected stand alones?Romantic Writing Divahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05955054413880652093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37212446010626780432015-07-09T09:22:24.295-04:002015-07-09T09:22:24.295-04:00I DO have a series, Ms. Reid! The Blue Heron serie...I DO have a series, Ms. Reid! The Blue Heron series. Hope you like the books! xoxKristan Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01653599254570345492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86431990717828335442015-07-08T17:54:24.476-04:002015-07-08T17:54:24.476-04:00Oops... so much for proofreading. That link should...Oops... so much for proofreading. That link should just be: http://www.savagechickens.com/2015/07/sharks.htmlPanda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87558195910202169012015-07-08T17:52:40.218-04:002015-07-08T17:52:40.218-04:00I wasn't going to comment, but any mention of ...I wasn't going to comment, but any mention of jasper Fforde dissolves my resolve., Laura Brennan. It's so much more fun to hang out with writers than visual artists. Ya'll are much funnier, I must say. <br /><br />My personal Fforde fave is "The Fourth Bear", but that's partly because I have a thing for bears and partly because the concept of Dorian Gray as a used car salesman is the funniest thing I ever read.<br />Interesting to know that he didn't originally plan "The Eyre Affair" to be the first in a series, which of course explains the title of book 2, "First Among Sequels".<br /><br />And dang if being amongst all these writerly types isn't causing me to go back and proof read and correct my comments. What DOES one pack for summer camp on Carkoon? I wouldn't want to be caught wearing the wrong attire.<br /><br />I offer up this link to a shark cartoon by Doug Savage, for your amusement: http://www.savagechickens.com/2015/07/sharks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SavageChickens+%28Savage+Chickens%29 <br />Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45545420450812470972015-07-08T09:51:48.384-04:002015-07-08T09:51:48.384-04:00Bingo, LynnRodz. That's gotta be it.
JulieH: ...Bingo, LynnRodz. That's gotta be it.<br /><br />JulieH: Chocolate is usually a good idea. If they don't like it, they'll appreciate the thought and share it with someone. Even with others on the floor.<br /><br />(The teddy bears sound kinda cool, too.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77165816187871941172015-07-08T06:17:28.985-04:002015-07-08T06:17:28.985-04:00Didn't have time to read the comments yesterda...Didn't have time to read the comments yesterday, but it's obvious why there are less of them when Colin isn't around. He alone comments around 10 times a day which causes a chain reaction. Tada! Simple mathematics and I'm usually bad in math.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-54222500956454014822015-07-08T05:24:25.403-04:002015-07-08T05:24:25.403-04:00I don't think any genre is 'dead' so l...I don't think any genre is 'dead' so long as what you write is different and done well. However, I do think timing is key, and anyone with a Vampire/Zombie/Werewolf novel might do well to shelve it for a little while!<br />Having said that, I do love me some Zombies! I'll give anything zombie related a go. I loved Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy and have Darren Shan's Zom-B series stacked up waiting to be read. I tend to dip out if it gets dull and starts treading too-familiar routines, but hey, Zombies gotta Zomb. It's what they do best. <br /><br />Thanks for all the advice on what to write next whilst Book 1 is out doing the rounds. I wonder if I'm clever enough to work on two books at the same time? I'm making lots of notes for book 2, but also have a seedling growing for a completely different idea altogether.<br /><br />Horse before cart though, finish book 1!Laura Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604133412050870730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64685308491052967282015-07-07T22:24:48.853-04:002015-07-07T22:24:48.853-04:00Colin, you can subscribe to my philosophy, which y...Colin, you can subscribe to my philosophy, which you can modify to refer to commenting if you want. A closed mouth gathers no feet. Dena Pawlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444683810125395220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12870110399897797362015-07-07T22:16:43.800-04:002015-07-07T22:16:43.800-04:00@Colin - ROUND of Applause for Colin! Standing O! ...@Colin - ROUND of Applause for Colin! Standing O! So glad to see ya!<br /><br />Tomorrow's my favorite part of the stay (not just the leaving part) - but the part where I get to leave good chocolate bars for the nurses to say thanks. Not looking forward to how pale Brian will get when he realizes that I stayed for a week, and that's 7 days and two shifts and both a nurse and an LPN each shift, and a <i> GOOD </i> chocolate bar for each one, but hey, right's right.<br /><br />I'd give 'em coffee, but not everyone <i> likes </i> coffee, and <i>most</i> people like chocolate.<br /><br />Hm. Now I'm angsting over whether they might not like coffee.<br /><br />Janet? Whaddya give the person you just want to say "thanks" to who might not want chocolate? I can't give them all Air Sharks. Ideas? I'll probably be sprung sometime 'round noon (Eastern time) tomorrow.<br /><br />I figure I could give 'em all a Green Mountain chocolate bar and... I dunno... a box of Munchkins? A Dunkie's Big Box (coffee)? Now Eliciting Active Solicitation (I know it doesn't work, but it <i>sounds</i> so cool) of advice from Shark and Sharkbites... After all, they <i> did </i> sort of treat me nicely for a whole week with no real incentive.<br /><br />Oo! I wish I'd thought of this earlier, but I could've gotten them a VT Teddy Bear in scrubs with a "Thanks from Julie in 480" on the back. Hm. Maybe I could still order one and have it mailed.<br /><br />Whaddya all think?Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041316285692964293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34080811682114855582015-07-07T22:11:43.454-04:002015-07-07T22:11:43.454-04:00Colin, you just make us wanna talk more, that'...Colin, you just make us wanna talk more, that's all. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85886787185514347942015-07-07T21:49:18.297-04:002015-07-07T21:49:18.297-04:00Ummm... ummm... feeling the pressure to say someth...Ummm... ummm... feeling the pressure to say something... ummm... ummm...!!!! Hello! Jolly wot and all that rot. Good show! Oh my giddy aunt! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34740709319998642372015-07-07T20:34:46.620-04:002015-07-07T20:34:46.620-04:00Sorry, I meant to say "I think I can do zombi...Sorry, I meant to say "I think I can do zombies well" ("well" being the ultimate subjectivity of my own judgement, obvs). Because if nothing else, for that book, I felt tremendously inspired. If I felt that kind of inspired, I could do vampires well (again, in my own opinion ^^). But I don't want to "kitchen sink" my urban fantasy world; there are many series I enjoyed quite a bit at the beginning, when it was limited Critters in the Dark scope, but when they started adding the length and breadth of the fantasy folkloric catalog my interest fell away.<br /><br />Then there's a few notable standalones I <i>wish</i> were series, like Annette Curtis Klaus' BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE, which was such a compelling modern werewolf series I was completely enamored of it from beginning to end (and I tend not to like it when a love story gets in the way of the rest of the story).Jennifer R. Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363886899308588391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1358782731498616742015-07-07T19:06:24.124-04:002015-07-07T19:06:24.124-04:00Donna (and Colin): We haven't had more than 69...Donna (and Colin): We haven't had more than 69 since last Thursday. And last Thursday was 100, and Colin did comment then. And only 30 on the WiR - that is so not normal.<br /><br />Coinkidink? I think not.<br /><br />Now salads. Anything can be a salad these days. (And I rarely eat salad. Because lettuce is evil.) I just chose the bits with something green in it and those seemed to work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-39691935789773221352015-07-07T19:01:23.884-04:002015-07-07T19:01:23.884-04:00Hank: You don't have to prove yourself because...Hank: You don't have to prove yourself because you sign in with a Blogger profile.<br /><br />Those of us who prefer to sign in differently (like I prefer my WordPress profile) must always prove we are not robots. Because Blogger clearly has a 'if you're not one of us, you must be a robot' bias.<br /><br />And Captcha wants me to choose steaks. Then, after an OpenID error, it made me choose cakes. I'm hungry now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83503656849085288792015-07-07T18:53:30.324-04:002015-07-07T18:53:30.324-04:00Not odd Hank. I've been doing that now too - ...Not odd Hank. I've been doing that now too - and glad we can! Saves time and is helpful to my poor limp along brain.<br /><br />BJ - Less comments sans Colin??? Holy cow, one of the days Colin wasn't around I think QOTKU blog had like...IDK..., 100 or so? Somebody out here made up for Colin's absence.<br /><br />(twern't me)Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36005172976080346502015-07-07T18:52:20.359-04:002015-07-07T18:52:20.359-04:00Jennifer,
"Zombies, I think zombies can be w...Jennifer,<br /><br />"Zombies, I think zombies can be well done."<br /><br />Anything can be well done. That's why I don't worry much when people decry this anti-fad or that. Every fad started with someone writing a really great book about something. I just try to be the person who writes the next great book.<br /><br />Kate,<br /><br />Not everything ahs to be a series or should be a series. Write what you love. Mary Stewart certainly did well with many books that were stand alones.<br /><br />Hemingway didn't write series books.<br /><br />I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life on a series. I have too many other stories I want to write and I'm too far on the north side of forty to tarry. <br /><br />And I can almost hear agents saying, "I know something that'll get on your nerves, get your nerves, get on your nerves."<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYZsm-qNJEgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83973398837209607602015-07-07T17:01:09.371-04:002015-07-07T17:01:09.371-04:002Ns: It's like typing on a rear view mirror! h...2Ns: It's like typing on a rear view mirror! howl<br /><br />epic!<br />(I don't check "I'm not a Robot I jumt hit Publish your comment <br />and it goes through. Odd?)french sojournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14262858704848580714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-90488855028269393842015-07-07T16:22:09.547-04:002015-07-07T16:22:09.547-04:00And I've figured out the Captcha glitch.
It...And I've figured out the Captcha glitch.<br />It's decided that anyone with enough chutzpa to say, "I'm not going to submit to your random despotic proclamation that I must prove myself not to be what you clearly <i>are!</i> - And what kind of psychology is implied therein, might I add? Is this some kind of random dating screening service?", is clearly not of its own kind.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041316285692964293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16826250751765512422015-07-07T16:19:38.615-04:002015-07-07T16:19:38.615-04:00Just reread my comment and please allow me to add ...Just reread my comment and please allow me to add the one word which jumped out at me because it was not there. <br /><br /><br />Writing a great book is like being married to your best friend. Having fun, turns to commitment, doubts, satisfaction, love and a whole lotta Jim Beam.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51531718572661885412015-07-07T15:35:33.108-04:002015-07-07T15:35:33.108-04:00bj: "You may have noticed, the number of comm...bj: "You may have noticed, the number of comments has dropped since you went away. I blame you for not being here. :P" Oh, I think the wonderful verbosity of the regular commenters more than makes up for any absence on my part! :)<br /><br />Yes, finding an engine was the problem. Thankfully our mechanic (yes--we found a mechanic we can trust, and those are like gold dust, so we are blessed), can get us a refurbished/rebuilt engine from the same place that builds them for Ford. But since he's not a Ford dealership, he can offer it to us for cheaper. And it is a good deal. Comes with a three year unlimited mileage warranty too.<br /><br />Thanks for joining your Yays with ours! :DColin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69461013763134464922015-07-07T15:32:32.730-04:002015-07-07T15:32:32.730-04:00JULIA, I know you're the one with the M&M ...JULIA, I know you're the one with the M&M fetish and <br />JULIE is the cowgirl pole dancers’ author.<br /><br />My comment was a mind-fart typo because I was communicating via my Kindle Screen. It's like typing on a rear view mirror. But, it's the only thing I can sneak in at work. And don't even get me started with typing on my phone, eeeeeek! <br />Okay I feel better and hope you do too.<br /><br />Regarding series, trilogies, anthologies, stand-alones, live-alones, live-ins and marriages lasting an epilogue plus a day, it's all the same. <br />Writing a great book is like being married to your best friend. Having fun, turns to commitment, satisfaction, love and a whole lotta Jim Beam.<br />Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88813286571192189642015-07-07T15:16:05.853-04:002015-07-07T15:16:05.853-04:00Hank, if you mean 'All creatures great and sma...Hank, if you mean 'All creatures great and small' by James Herriot, I'd call that a series. He covers a number of years of his practice, though it may not have been written completely in chronological order, it does have a chronology that runs through it. Of course, it's also non-fiction. I loved those books. <br /><br />JulieH: Yay! Farewell to Henrietta today, the hospital tomorrow. Glad you're feeling better! It must have been the M&M.<br /><br />Kate: No one says you have to write a series. And just because series are popular (mostly because it means more money and develops a following) doesn't mean your books are any less desirable. Don't add any more stresses to your wilderness creature brain. We're all stressed out enough by realities. Let the worries slide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32353009987323633302015-07-07T15:07:23.668-04:002015-07-07T15:07:23.668-04:00Julie H: Yay!! Here's to a D/C tomorrow! :) An...Julie H: Yay!! Here's to a D/C tomorrow! :) And thoughts & prayers to your roomie. May she follow you out soon. :)<br /><br />Kate: When in doubt, go back to first principles: Write an awesome book. Editors and agents may prefer series, but I've never heard of one turning down a novel they loved and believed in, series or not. We know there are plenty of obstacles between "The End" and publication. What's one more? All you can do is write the best novel you can. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70352284292627744412015-07-07T14:47:43.048-04:002015-07-07T14:47:43.048-04:00This is one of those posts that stokes fear into m...This is one of those posts that stokes fear into my writer's heart because I just don't want to write series. I've written 11 or 12 books now (is it bad that I can't remember?), and there isn't a single one I would want to write a sequel to. Once I've finished a book, I've taken those characters on their journey and I'm ready to move on to torturing a new set of characters. Once I tried to take a minor character from one story and make him a major character in another, but I never really liked the result.<br /><br />Guess I'm doomed….Kate Larkindalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06202347563426692610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63554595581612840802015-07-07T14:40:36.762-04:002015-07-07T14:40:36.762-04:00OHHH my goodness. Colin, I swear, I can NEVER get ...OHHH my goodness. Colin, I swear, I can NEVER get these things done correctly on the first try. Julie's Rule Number One wins again. I'm losing aaalll kinds of time, here. Oy. FOURTH try.<br /><br />THEEEERRRRE we go! I hope. Fourth try. Magic white-out applied, and now phone number, etc, have been removed. :) Pls don't delete (at least on those grounds - if on some other... go ahead and I'll be confused. :) ).<br /><br /><br />@Colin / @Carolynn / @Julie M O Great Julie - Just to clarify, I'm the one with the M&M gambling problem; OGJ is the one with the Book Of Impending Greatness coming to you Right now, Right here, Live, in front of this very audience, co-signed by the Fins of Fantastic Ferocity.<br /><br />I have no such impending anything.<br /><br />I have a few books sitting around gathering dust because I'm afraid of queries.<br /><br />I have a query that I've had professional help assembling, and the professionally altered query is now ( Right now...) sitting in my inbox, where I'm avoiding it because I'm (cough) sick. (I am legitimately ill; but I'm worried about looking at this thing because it brings me one step closer to sending it out.<br /><br />And I have another book that I finished at the End of May.<br /><br />Then I decided that Better was better than Good and messed with it.<br /><br />Now I have fragments of said book sitting in pieces in this laptop while I toy with them and send various characters to the hospital and give others substance abuse problems. Said characters all stare ruefully at me and growl, "Thaaaaanks."<br /><br />One even fingers his Beretta and mutters, "Didn't you say something about not editing while you were in the hospital?"<br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />Julia: M&M Toxicity and Manuscript Anxiety<br />Julie the Greek Goddess (perhaps Julisia or Juliedite, Juliephone or Juliestasia... :)): Impending Elevation in already amazing status (Coming up next: A "Stupid Julie Joke" of my own.)<br /><br />And @Colin, O Colin (O Colin, My Colin...), I'm not so sure about my Carkoon potential. I think I've had one toe over that line since before I ever started typing in the comment box.<br /><br />My goodness, I'm soooo tired...<br /><br />OH! OH, OH, OH! P'raps this will be of interest to my reef-members and Maaaaaybe (dare I hope?) even to the Great Rainbow-Scaled Wonder herself.....<br /><br />Guess what?<br />You'll never guess.<br />I'll give you a hint.<br /><br />I got to unplug Henrietta an hour ago.<br /><br />https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291115563391328933/<br /><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291115563391328933/" rel="nofollow"> Here's My Hatty Hint!<br /></a><br /><br />https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291115563391329329/<br /><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291115563391329329/" rel="nofollow"> And a better hint, but no hat.<br /></a><br /><br />Love to you all, Hats on and hats off...<br />Squirt.<br />(Aww, you made me iiiinnnnk....)<br /><br />(And pls send thoughts out for my roomie. The poor lady was getting better all week and was headed out with me tomorrow but she got sick overnight and is having an MRI today - looks like it'll be a while for her. If you've been reading along, you know I'm on the chronic illness (read "mostly cancer and some other weird (like Julie) longterm illness floor, so everyone here has been through the ringer. She's pretty elderly and I was pulling for her, hoping she'd actually get to go past the nurse's desk alongside me and Brian, but no go. So any thoughts or prayers for my friend "D" would be really appreciated. Thanks. :) )<br /><br />And, reciprocally, WHOA - those fires! PLEASE be safe all you guys and your family and friends. (((HUGS AND PRAYERS!)))<br /><br />I'll be getting back to my Cone of Shame Editing While Under the Influence now.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />Squirt (Again)Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041316285692964293noreply@blogger.com