I'm sure I've mentioned, at least in passing, the revisions (I like to think of it as a surgical procedure, at the very least) I did back in February/March on my superhero novel. The one I was slapping around in preparation for presenting it to my agent.
The good news is that he likes it. Yay! On Tuesday, we chatted a while about revisions and something he said made me laugh (internally, I'm pretty sure I didn't giggle about it over the phone). (Paraphrasing) "You wrote this before THREE DAYS, right?" "Yes."
Which is where growth comes into play. I have a lot of trunk novels, and I don't regret a single one of them. They helped make me into the writer I am now. I needed the practice, and that simple exchange was confirmation that I have grown as a writer. And growth is important.
The superhero novel still has flaws. Most of my Jonathan's notes hit upon some of the problems I still had with the book, and some of the things my lovely beta Nancy had pointed out to me. Things that still need to be fixed. But I let my subconscious work out the problems for me these last few days, and I think I figured out how to solve several of those issues in one fell swoop.
Cross your fingers for me.
How about you guys? Any moments like this where you realize, "Hey, I have gotten better at this writing thing"?
Because life is full of oxymorons...and writers know this more than most.
About Me
- Kelly Meding/Kelly Meade
- Eastern Shore, MD, United States
- Author of the Dreg City UF series (Bantam) and the MetaWars superhero series (Pocket). As Kelly Meade, author the Cornerstone Run paranormal romance trilogy.
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Oracle: The Project Files Part 1
(Book one of two)
The Night Before Dead (Dreg City 6)
Pangaea (Anthology)
ReDeus: Beyond Borders (Anthology)
White Knight (Cornerstone Run #3)
Gray Bishop (Cornerstone Run #2)
Black Rook (Cornerstone Run #1)
Chimera (MetaWars 4)
Requiem for the Dead (Dreg City 5)
Carniepunk
Tempest (MetaWars 3)
Changeling (MetaWars 2)
Trance (MetaWars 1)
Wrong Side of Dead (Dreg City 4)
Another Kind of Dead (Dreg City 3)
As Lie the Dead (Dreg City 2)
Three Days to Dead (Dreg City 1)
A Glimpse of Darkness
THREE DAYS TO DEAD - Links
Early Buzz For THREE DAYS TO DEAD
"Dark, dangerous and delectable. A fantastic debut impossible to put down!"
--Gena Showalter, The Lords of the Underworld series
“THREE DAYS TO DEAD is one of the best books I’ve read. Ever. Evy Stone is a heroine’s heroine, and I rooted for her from the moment I met her. Kelly Meding has written a phenomenal story, one that’s fast-paced, gritty, and utterly addictive. Brava! More! More! More!”
~ Jackie Kessler, co-author of BLACK AND WHITE
"Action-packed, edgy, and thrilling, THREE DAYS TO DEAD is a fabulous debut! Kelly Meding's world and characters will grab you from the first page. You won't want to miss this one."
-- Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series.
Three Days to Dead is gritty, imaginative and a terrific read. Debut author Kelly Meding is a real storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her work.
--Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson series
--Gena Showalter, The Lords of the Underworld series
“THREE DAYS TO DEAD is one of the best books I’ve read. Ever. Evy Stone is a heroine’s heroine, and I rooted for her from the moment I met her. Kelly Meding has written a phenomenal story, one that’s fast-paced, gritty, and utterly addictive. Brava! More! More! More!”
~ Jackie Kessler, co-author of BLACK AND WHITE
"Action-packed, edgy, and thrilling, THREE DAYS TO DEAD is a fabulous debut! Kelly Meding's world and characters will grab you from the first page. You won't want to miss this one."
-- Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series.
Three Days to Dead is gritty, imaginative and a terrific read. Debut author Kelly Meding is a real storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her work.
--Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson series
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3 comments:
Congratulations on your recent revelations for the superhero novel! That is just the best feeling, so invigorating...
Recently, when I decided to get serious about publishing, I took out three finished first drafts to decide which one might be good enough to edit and eventually submit. I did them all in different years for NaNoWriMo. The difference in my own writing from year to year just blew me away, and the draft I chose to edit really is so much better than the earlier stuff I wrote!
It gave me a lot of confidence that I'm finally ready to pursue publication - a very cool, defining moment.
For me, it’s usually just a feeling of increased confidence. When I find myself really rolling, that little nagging voice -- you know, the one that questions the placement of every comma -- becomes fainter and harder to hear. (Or perhaps just easier to ignore.) That’s a lovely thing.
Kelly, how many trunk novels do you have? Also, I take it that your agent is open to you concentrating on projects outside the urban fantasy genre? Is that normal with most agents, do you know?
Jamie - Awesome and good luck with your publication pursuit. It can be a tough process, but is so worth it. And I have to admit: I've never managed to win at NaNo.
Bill - Seems like confidence is a theme here. :)
I have six trunk novels, if you include the superhero novel, and I love each and every one of them for different reasons. And while superheroes aren't quite the same as urban fantasy, both ball under the contemporary fantasy umbrella. The same, but different.
Another thing I've learned is that there really is no "normal" for agent preferences. They all work a little differently, and the trick is finding one you work well with. I have a funny feeling, though, if I pitched a historical western as my next project...might not go over as well, since it's a huge departure from my current genre. ;)
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