tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post116676092802997303..comments2023-10-11T09:22:33.136-04:00Comments on Paperback Writer: Friday 20Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166864627084649392006-12-23T04:03:00.000-05:002006-12-23T04:03:00.000-05:00PBW wrote: I was counting on "Harry Potter and The...<I>PBW wrote: I was counting on "Harry Potter and The Unfortunate Ending that Alienates All of His Readers" myself.</I><BR/><BR/>Heheh.<BR/><BR/>That may of course still come to pass....nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166840278998201792006-12-22T21:17:00.000-05:002006-12-22T21:17:00.000-05:00Cora wrote: Just dropping in to say Merry Christma...Cora wrote: <I>Just dropping in to say Merry Christmas!</I><BR/><BR/>Merry Christmas, Cora. :) <BR/><BR/><I>I'm not really digging the new HP book title, but I'm sure it will grow on me eventually.</I><BR/><BR/>J.K. does go for rather oddly-worded titles, doesn't she? I only hope she doesn't kill Harry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166840129004212822006-12-22T21:15:00.000-05:002006-12-22T21:15:00.000-05:00Charlene wrote: Yes, HOW did you write through hur...Charlene wrote: <I>Yes, HOW did you write through hurricanes?</I><BR/><BR/>It was my way of spitting in the face of the storms. It also helped the kids to see me working and keeping things as normal as possible. <BR/><BR/><I>I managed to write through this year's storm that shut down the Evergreen floating bridge, the two heat waves, the 36 inches of rainfall and subsequent flooding which produced standing water in our apartment, but the series of lengthy power outages from gale force and hurricane force winds I could not write through. I also could not concentrate for crap with the wind sounding like it was about to tear the roof off.</I><BR/><BR/>Writing allows me to tune out the world most of the time. I also wore headphones and listened to music when the winds were shrieking their worst. About the hardest time to write was between storms during the day, when the temperatures rose to 95F + and the house became sweltering. I took my lapdesk outside, sat under my favorite tree and wrote in the shade, but God, all I did was sweat. When they finally cleared the roads and we could drive out, I took the kids to the nearest mall with power (30 miles away) and spent the day there at the food court. We had a wonderful time, luxuriating in the A/C and nibbling on junk food. I worked most of the afternoon on my PDA there while they played their GameBoys.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166839321942799502006-12-22T21:02:00.000-05:002006-12-22T21:02:00.000-05:00May wrote: Merry Christmas PBW!Thanks, May. :)May wrote: <I>Merry Christmas PBW!</I><BR/><BR/>Thanks, May. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166839258479019972006-12-22T21:00:00.000-05:002006-12-22T21:00:00.000-05:00Shanna wrote: Just took six months away from my pa...Shanna wrote: <I>Just took six months away from my paying job to write my first novel ... any words of advice?</I><BR/><BR/>Bravo! I suggest going at it the same way you would working at a day job: decide on what you want to get accomplished during the next six months, set your daily work hours and stick to them, and keep track of how much you're getting done every week. If you plan to write and finish a novel, you might want to think about a submission plan for when it's finished. Be reasonable with yourself and what you want to get done so you don't burn out.<BR/><BR/>Most of all, have a good time with it and enjoy yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166838999045015442006-12-22T20:56:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:56:00.000-05:00Just dropping in to say Merry Christmas! I'm not r...Just dropping in to say Merry Christmas! <BR/><BR/>I'm not really digging the new HP book title, but I'm sure it will grow on me eventually. *wink*Cora Zanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09461246984192089505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166838134236333972006-12-22T20:42:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:42:00.000-05:00Shiloh wrote: Merry Christmas, PBWHey, you -- Sant...Shiloh wrote: <I>Merry Christmas, PBW</I><BR/><BR/>Hey, you -- Santa tells me you should expect a surprise sometime tomorrow. Merry Christmas. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166838050062325392006-12-22T20:40:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:40:00.000-05:00Tech wrote: Just wanted to stop in and wish you a ...Tech wrote: <I>Just wanted to stop in and wish you a Merry Christmas.</I><BR/><BR/>Nice to see you, Tech. Merry Christmas to you and yours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166837989481809702006-12-22T20:39:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:39:00.000-05:00Buffysquirrel wrote: I remember almost convincing ...Buffysquirrel wrote: <I>I remember almost convincing a friend that the next HP book was going to be titled Harry Potter and the Cauldron of Money.</I><BR/><BR/>Good one. I was counting on "Harry Potter and The Unfortunate Ending that Alienates All of His Readers" myself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166837791757080402006-12-22T20:36:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:36:00.000-05:00Shawna wrote: By the way, I was mad at you last ni...Shawna wrote: <I>By the way, I was mad at you last night. I finished reading Beyond Varallan. It's a darn good thing I have the next book here waiting for me to read it, because if I'd had to wait months to find out what happens next, I'd be really ticked.</I><BR/><BR/>I sincerely apologize. BV was my second published novel and, like a rookie, I thought a cliffhanger would be cool. I had no idea the book would make people want to strangle me. I do warn as many people as I can about the ending now. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166837131788947842006-12-22T20:25:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:25:00.000-05:00Michele wrote: What do you do to plan your output ...Michele wrote: <I>What do you do to plan your output for the upcoming year?</I><BR/><BR/>I plan it two years in advance, as everything I write next year will be books that I actually sold last year. I try to keep the schedule open for an unexpected book or two, and try to stay flexible as deadlines and release dates can shift without warning.<BR/><BR/><I>How do you work in the inevitable changes to your plan?</I><BR/><BR/>Leaving a little room in the year allows me to move things forward or backward on the schedule without too much problem. I do my best to accomodate my publishers because they're the folks who pay me.<BR/><BR/><I>And finally -- how did your plans for this year work out? I did pretty well, but one of my goals is to keep upping my output in 2007.</I><BR/><BR/>Everything was turned in, ,y editors were happy with it, and I got paid for all my contracted work and was offered new contracts, which is my definition of a successful year. One of my experiments attracted a lot of notice from unexpected directions, which may end up becoming something cool after the first of the year (I will pass along details as soon as I have confirmation.) Anyway, 2006 went pretty much according to plan. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166836581262047692006-12-22T20:16:00.000-05:002006-12-22T20:16:00.000-05:00Darlene wrote: What things do you suggest doing to...Darlene wrote: <I>What things do you suggest doing to keep current with what's happening in a particular genre? Other than reading voraciously?</I><BR/><BR/>Gather all the information you can from reliable sources that provide it for free, because the stuff you have to pay for is usually publisher-controlled, big money hype that has no value for the average working writer. <BR/><BR/>You can find current news articles about publishing with any search engine; I get most of mine off Yahoo.com news (book biz articles are under the entertainment tab.) The books sections from USAToday and The New York Times can also be read online for free or for registration.<BR/><BR/>Check in regularly with writer/bloggers in your genre who share very helpful info about what's happening in the biz (as Jordan Summers did with <A HREF="http://www.jordansummers.com/js/GetArticle.aspx?id=862" REL="nofollow">this post</A>.) Find new genre blogs or genre-related posts by using blog tag search engines like <A HREF="http://www.technorati.com" REL="nofollow">Technorati.com.</A><BR/><BR/>Check out writer info sites like WriteNews.com and see what sort of <A HREF="http://www.writenews.com/industrylinks/" REL="nofollow">industry links</A>, as well as bookseller news sites like <A HREF="http://news.bookweb.org/" REL="nofollow">Bookselling This Week</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166833538661304162006-12-22T19:25:00.000-05:002006-12-22T19:25:00.000-05:00Wendelin wrote: Which other author do you know who...Wendelin wrote: <I>Which other author do you know who'd create headlines just by announcing the title of her next book?</I><BR/><BR/>Besides Ann Coulter? Not that anyone really wants to know... <BR/><BR/><I>As far as puzzles on her site go, this was one of the easier ones. You wouldn't believe what we had to get through a couple of years ago to find out three *chapter titles* from the sixth book.</I><BR/><BR/>Oh, make me feel better, W! Lol. I admire the lady a lot, but I think I'd better skip her web site games. <BR/><BR/><I>You'd think I'd have more pride than to still be panting after her, begging for more information... but I don't. :) I do love the books.</I><BR/><BR/>That's all that matters. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166833318769384832006-12-22T19:21:00.000-05:002006-12-22T19:21:00.000-05:00Jess wrote: I like to set goals for myself to kee...Jess wrote: <I> I like to set goals for myself to keep motivated, but I told my 3 best friends that their Christmas present would be my reaching 30k on my new novel by the end of the month and there's nothing like having OTHER people counting on you to make you write more.</I><BR/><BR/>Friends are great motivators, and can nag you better than a parent. One thing I used to do was get into wordcount wars with other writers via online chat. That helped and was a fun way to cheer on others in the same boat.<BR/><BR/>Merry Christmas, Jess. Now get back to work. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166833068016971722006-12-22T19:17:00.000-05:002006-12-22T19:17:00.000-05:00Estella wrote: Why keep it a secret?I'm rather per...Estella wrote: <I>Why keep it a secret?</I><BR/><BR/>I'm rather perplexed, too. I know Harry Potter fans are a lot like my generation was with D&D, and I'm all for entertaining the readers, but all this to-do for a lousy book title?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166832876449355962006-12-22T19:14:00.000-05:002006-12-22T19:14:00.000-05:00Andi wrote: Not to ruin the fun or anything, but I...Andi wrote: <I>Not to ruin the fun or anything, but I found it easier to just read the title in an MSNBC article on Ms. Rowling yesterday. Then again, I suck at video games.</I><BR/><BR/>Sister! See, it's not just me who is A-B-reset button-challenged. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166826032494135492006-12-22T17:20:00.000-05:002006-12-22T17:20:00.000-05:00Yes, HOW did you write through hurricanes? I manag...Yes, HOW did you write through hurricanes? I managed to write through this year's storm that shut down the Evergreen floating bridge, the two heat waves, the 36 inches of rainfall and subsequent flooding which produced standing water in our apartment, but the series of lengthy power outages from gale force and hurricane force winds I could not write through. I also could not concentrate for crap with the wind sounding like it was about to tear the roof off. Seriously, how'd you do it?charlenetegliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14061754720849284938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166822067450023482006-12-22T16:14:00.000-05:002006-12-22T16:14:00.000-05:00Merry Christmas PBW!Merry Christmas PBW!Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06185883760690309984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166820800474373402006-12-22T15:53:00.000-05:002006-12-22T15:53:00.000-05:00Just took six months away from my paying job to wr...Just took six months away from my paying job to write my first novel ... any words of advice? Happy Holidays.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166814466828324812006-12-22T14:07:00.000-05:002006-12-22T14:07:00.000-05:00Merry Christmas, PBWMerry Christmas, PBWShiloh Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07785046046157000126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166810989980079022006-12-22T13:09:00.000-05:002006-12-22T13:09:00.000-05:00PW,Just wanted to stop in and wish you a Merry Chr...PW,<BR/><BR/>Just wanted to stop in and wish you a Merry Christmas. I rarely comment, but I read your blog daily and always find it worthwhile. Thank you and Merry Christmas.<BR/><BR/>TechSBBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00210338251868486006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166810370831871232006-12-22T12:59:00.000-05:002006-12-22T12:59:00.000-05:00I remember almost convincing a friend that the nex...I remember almost convincing a friend that the next HP book was going to be titled <I>Harry Potter and the Cauldron of Money</I>. Almost. If I'd gone for "Gold" I'd probably have nailed it.<BR/><BR/>:)nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166809496277780982006-12-22T12:44:00.000-05:002006-12-22T12:44:00.000-05:00My good-at-games oldest child had trouble finding ...My good-at-games oldest child had trouble finding his way through that "room" last night, too- I finally resorted to reading the CNN article to him, step by step. And then he's like, what? That's a AWFUL title. I agreed. Rowling site tends to be difficult to navigate as a rule, though, so this instance isn't out of the ordinary.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I was mad at you last night. I finished reading Beyond Varallan. It's a darn good thing I have the next book here waiting for me to read it, because if I'd had to wait months to find out what happens next, I'd be really ticked. And yes, that's a (grumpy) compliment.Shawnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15511854435352811924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166806108817337412006-12-22T11:48:00.000-05:002006-12-22T11:48:00.000-05:00Hello PBW! Happy holidays and New Year!OK...I hav...Hello PBW! Happy holidays and New Year!<BR/><BR/>OK...I have some questions. What do you do to plan your output for the upcoming year? How do you work in the inevitable changes to your plan? And finally -- how did your plans for this year work out? I did pretty well, but one of my goals is to keep upping my output in 2007.<BR/><BR/>Thanks so much for sharing your insights and even your crankiness with us. We all appreciate it.<BR/><BR/>MicheleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1166801444847151722006-12-22T10:30:00.000-05:002006-12-22T10:30:00.000-05:00What things do you suggest doing to keep current w...What things do you suggest doing to keep current with what's happening in a particular genre? Other than reading voraciously?<BR/><BR/>Merry Christmas and thanks for all you do here on your blog.Sofie Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830230500527705589noreply@blogger.com