I also discovered I forgot to change my title page back after the Nicholl submission, so everyone I've sent the script to has a version with no name on it. Hope they remember who I am.
That also burned through all my connections. Every person I know who could have put this script in good hands has passed on it mostly because of the issue I described yesterday.
And unfortunately I did all my changes after I sent it away to everyone who requested it, so I hope they don't have the same problem, and I hope to get more requests.
Speaking of requests, I clearly have a decent query letter. All in all I sent out 22 queries, and I got four requests - all managers so far. So despite my angst of yesterday, the concept is NOT fundamentally flawed. My logline works. Two of the requests were sent half an hour after I emailed the query.
I'll share the query after I no longer need it, but I play up my voice because I know that's my strength.
I will most likely figure out what kind of changes I want to make, then wait a couple of weeks, then ask somebody else. And we persevere.
Whenever you update your blog, I feel bad that I'm letting mine collect cobwebs...
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new reads.
Yeah stop being such a slacker. ENTERTAIN ME.
ReplyDeleteA big thank you for trail blazing, and creating new shared mental real estate for kick ass women characters. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what Matt Nix, creator of my favorite kick ass TV character, Fiona, or Lisa Joy (former Scott Myers student and writer of one of my favorite Burn Notice episodes, the princess saves herself, Where There's Smoke), thought of your character's decision.
Wanted was based on raunchy character (comic book, could not put it down, but wow was it ugly), so there was some familiarity with character.
Me, I know my problem would be with the words, that the character I envisioned and felt could be true and authentic, and any shortcomings in conveying her would be on my wordsmithing end. So I'd do what you've already done, pull out that difference, that flaw, that whatever, that is different from usual, and punch it up, echo it more, for folks not savvy to full kick assery.
I'm a newbie at the wordsmithing, but I'm a decent problem solver, and I rock at coming up with alternative approaches and solutions. Fingers crossed what you've done is sufficient, but if not, and you need some fresh mojo to get your brain firing, I'd be delighted to provide tinder.
I only rewrite from page 1 when I learn of a theme of the story that wasn't apparent to me before.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm of the belief that every story has a theme. So perhaps what you need to do is strength/unify the theme (or change the theme) so that every reader will understand the plot, the character journey, and story within that context.
Well-behaved women rarely make history, honey.
ReplyDeleteI saw a good post, I think on Go Into The Story about the vagueness of the term "voice", and how it is a buzzword people use when they can't pinpoint the strengths of a piece.
ReplyDeleteWhat does "voice" mean to you, in terms of you? How would you describe your writer-voice? Do you mean the overall tone of your work? Your action descriptions?
Just curious.
Jen that's exactly what one of my characters would say.
ReplyDeleteYoung, that's kind of what I ended up doing. Beating the reader over the head a bit more.
Z. That sounds like a whole post. I'll put something together.