tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post6536463988862981561..comments2014-09-03T11:32:23.566+01:00Comments on A Handful of Stories: The Passenger.JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-68399947275853116652010-12-14T14:17:29.938+00:002010-12-14T14:17:29.938+00:00Thank you, Jeanne. Very good of you to say so. I a...Thank you, Jeanne. Very good of you to say so. I appreciate it.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-87630354066755045572010-12-14T14:12:38.527+00:002010-12-14T14:12:38.527+00:00Great story! This is quite the 'page turner...Great story! This is quite the 'page turner' - I didn't want it to end!<br />And the subject matter is one that I have seldom seen written about. <br />You have quite the talent.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15918915129013117664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-87262769066984487442010-07-04T16:54:57.468+01:002010-07-04T16:54:57.468+01:00Sorry to be a pessimist, Della, but I have a sneak...Sorry to be a pessimist, Della, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Germany could win the cup. Imagine that!JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-54786357168788389062010-07-04T15:01:19.309+01:002010-07-04T15:01:19.309+01:00Thanks for the support, Jeff. I look forward to yo...Thanks for the support, Jeff. I look forward to your thoughts on "Employment Phobia from an Emily Bronte Perspective." Something to rally the masses with these days. Maybe not, maybe only football does that :) (Berlin almost self-destructed yesterday with glee but we were all safely indoors this time!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-25575723026539541332010-07-03T12:27:06.468+01:002010-07-03T12:27:06.468+01:00Oh, Della. You have the classic dilemma, don't...Oh, Della. You have the classic dilemma, don't you? I know how soul-destrying the corporate atmosphere is. I understand how essential it is that you keep away from it. And from what you say, it sounds like the novel is worthy just as it is. <br /><br />I remember having several discussions over the POV issue a year or so ago. Some editors/publishers are obsessed with the absolute 'rule' that you must stick to a single one. And yet I've seen others who specify that they want 'omniscient voice.' What's wrong with having stories seen from lots of different viewpoints? It's just a different approach, and just as valid.<br /><br />Aside from that, some time soon I plan to put up a post on my theory regarding 'employment phobia.' Emily Bronte put me onto it.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-74478573711554544582010-07-03T05:58:33.089+01:002010-07-03T05:58:33.089+01:00I can really empathize with your situation. Who kn...I can really empathize with your situation. Who knows what puts agents off, though, they're probably just hunting for that one novel they think is a gold mine. Like you, I also derive great joy from telling stories, making something from nothing. I wrote my collection specifically to hear the different voices of people who knew each other, side by side. I wanted to enhance subjectivity, to show there is no one look at things or one approach in life. That will still be a theme of mine, so if the preferred genre is a novel, I can do that too. If I'm supposed to know why I want to be published, I'd say I think my vision is worth sharing. A career author? Well, money to get by on would definitely be an added benefit. Mainly because I cannot go back to working in a corporate atmosphere again – it was just too soul destroying. :) Good luck to you too – but you're too good a writer not to care at all about being published!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-4612874113096808202010-07-02T21:47:45.080+01:002010-07-02T21:47:45.080+01:00I’m not sorry I asked at all, Della. Interesting d...I’m not sorry I asked at all, Della. Interesting dilemma you have there. <br /><br />As far as I understood it, short story collections are hardly publishable at all by the mainstream these days (which surprises me a little, since I would have thought they’d be well suited to today’s celebrated short attention span.)<br /><br />This whole thing raises a lot of questions with me, though. <br /><br />For a start, I suppose my ‘novel’ could be said to be a collection of related short stories too. Maybe the fact that I describe it as ‘episodic’ in the synopsis is putting agents off wanting to take it further. I can say, though, that the same three characters travel through each of the episodes and the whole thing is written strictly in one POV.<br /><br />But the big question for me will always be: why write the thing in the first place? In my case, I just like to tell stories. It isn’t dragging me down that nobody is showing any interest yet, and probably never will. When I was much younger I wanted to be a career author, but I couldn’t write fiction for toffee in those days. I was far too left brained. Everything came out sounding like a business letter. By the time I discovered the language of fiction, I’d got to the point of just wanting to do my own thing (which was why I was pleased to read about Emily Bronte.) I just write what comes into my head as I sit at the keyboard. Any notion of a career is meaningless to me now.<br /><br />For you it’s different, no doubt. Good luck.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-64936850164847376762010-07-02T16:43:07.503+01:002010-07-02T16:43:07.503+01:00My editor friend in London has just sent back my M...My editor friend in London has just sent back my MS with many thoughtful comments and warm praise for its (albeit) first draft state. After back and forth discussion, I'm facing the hard, cold truth that I either revise the book as it is now – a series of related short stories which I've stubbornly been calling a novel, OR, I take her recommendation (reinforced by the comments of other readers and my own gradual realizations) and develop the first story into an actual novel of something between 55 and 75,000 words, the YA standard. <br /><br />The current MS is approximately 90,000 words and took three years to reach its first draft state, so I'm trying not to despair at what is essentially starting over again. I think, however, that it would be time better spent to produce one good novel rather than try to improve the current work. The stories now vary in point of view and character focus and as a result some are more successful than others (I bit off more than I could chew) and because I've heard that novels are generally more readily "publishable" than short story collections, it makes sense to take my best story and build on it. <br /><br />I'm just in the thinking stage now – with occasional scribbles I call an "outline" – so it's hard to feel geared up to go. It takes me a long while to hatch a tale because I can only do that in my head, without the computer in front of me, and usually on long walks.<br /><br />So, that's where I am now Jeff – in case I disappear for a while or just become very grumpy, you'll know why :) (wow, this is long, sorry you asked?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-48664563224898325032010-07-02T12:37:14.870+01:002010-07-02T12:37:14.870+01:00Thanks, Della. I'll have to muse on this one. ...Thanks, Della. I'll have to muse on this one. Maybe my 'locals' will give me some ideas. The nice fae appear in the novel I've already written. Any luck with your work yet?JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-13665987515540258692010-07-02T07:31:21.610+01:002010-07-02T07:31:21.610+01:00This is a fascinating look at the fae – you certai...This is a fascinating look at the fae – you certainly bring the idea to life in a realistic manner. I was intrigued by the rules and ways of fairies which you hint at, and wanted to hear more on this. This could be expanded into a (young adult) novel, Jeff, because you treat the subject with an unusual gravity. As you know, it isn't the subject of a novel/short story which must be original, it's how it's handled, and I'm always amazed how there seems to be an infinite number of ways. Very enjoyable, thanks for sharing this!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-38815558411192942572010-07-01T11:50:31.820+01:002010-07-01T11:50:31.820+01:00Thank you so much, Victoria. It was a longer read ...Thank you so much, Victoria. It was a longer read than usual, and I'm grateful that you took the time. Your comments are always welcome.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16069822009799120415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005662072921677276.post-35010213476059842212010-07-01T07:16:26.805+01:002010-07-01T07:16:26.805+01:00Very deftly written, JJ. A fine mix of horror, co...Very deftly written, JJ. A fine mix of horror, compassion, and courage...I throughly enjoyed reading it!Victoriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10851516387194415387noreply@blogger.com