Hello everyone

I've spent a lot of time reading the bits of WW that are accessible to the general public before plucking up the courage to sign up for a month's trial membership. Maybe I don't feel enough like a writer!

I've been writing my first/only novel for far too long, and now it's finished and I'm paralysed with indecision. I submitted it to several agents a few years ago, and got nowhere (a few vaguely nice comments but nothing useful). Since then I've radically revised it, in between babies and other life events, and I've got to the point where I really need either to submit it or stick it in a drawer and forget about it.

Thing is, when you get turned down by agents they don't tell you why. It could be because the novel was rubbish (but it might be a bit better now - I think it is), or because I had absolutely no idea how to write a synopsis or query letter, and still don't. I've been swithering about sending it to a critique service so I'd at least get some feedback, but I've read enough on WW already to make me think twice about that, although I haven't ruled it out.

I'm hoping that hanging out virtually with some people who understand the system may help, so any advice gratefully recieved. Apparently I can submit one piece of work to a group - what sort of size? How many chapters, and to which group would be most appropriate?

thank you

RR

Hi, Rozzie, and welcome to WriteWords

I think you've definitely come to the right place; there are published authors and struggling to be published writers here, who've all been through the submissions mill and can give you advice.

First off, as a trial member, you can dip your toe in the water by joining one writing group and uploading one piece of work. If you are gearing up to resubmit to agents then it's a toss up between joining one of writing groups and uploading the first couple of thousand words of your manuscript for feedback. Or you could join the Synopsis and Outline group and upload your synopsis for feedback, (and where you'll also discover the difference between a Query letter and a cover letter).
Since UK agents usually read the submitted chapters before the synopsis, it may be best to upload the opening of your mss to see if there are any problems in writing technique that are holding you back. Then, if you like us and decide to become a member, you can join as many groups as you want, including the Synopsis group and get some more feedback before sending out your revised submission.

If you need any help navigating the site just give us a shout.

- NaomiM

Hello, and welcome! If it's any comfort, I have recently acquired an agent and a publisher and mostly still don't feel like a "writer", so you are absolutely not alone in that.

What kind of writing do you do? You will find someone who shares your interests, I'm sure.

Hello Rozzie and welcome to RR. It is all very baffling sometimes (even the very old hands are baffled on occasion) but there's a lot of experience on WW, so don't be shy about asking!

Emma

Thank you for your welcoming words.

The first problems is, i'm not even completely sure which genre my novel fits into. I'd like to think it's general commercial fiction, a romantic adventure which would definitely appeal more to women, meant to be an easy holiday read. Does this make it Chick Lit - is that an actual genre or just a slang term, and what's the definition of chick lit anyway?

The other issue is that I've compeletly made up the world that the story is set in, so does that make it Fantasy by default? Defintely no swords or sorcery - in fact the world is exactly like our own and the characters have cars, mobiles and laptops etc. I made up the world just so that I could make up its history to fit my plot.

So which group might be best to show a couple of thousand words of it to?

Rozzie

Hmm, that does sound intriguing!

Maybe check out the list of groups and decide which of the busier groups fits you best. Sounds like it could be women's fiction?

If nothing else, the people there might be able to tell you whether it matches that description in terms of agent-think.

You could try Womens Fiction (or Intensive Critique, if it's non-genre specific).

What sort of history have you made up? It might be Magical Realism if things are slighlty out of whack, but not enough to classify it as Fantasy or SteamPunk - eg, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Cloud Atlas; The Time Traveller's Wife.

<Added>

Time Traveller's Wife would also come under Womens Fiction.

Chick-lit is targetted at a younger adult readership, and is characterised by an up-beat humorous tone.

<Added>

Just to confuse you even more, there's also Dystopian Fiction, eg, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Thank you Naomi, Emma and Flora - that's all helpful.

I've just joined the Women's Fiction group - Intensive Critique seems a bit scary for a first tentative outing for my ms, but maybe later I'll be bolder. I'll need to check with them that my ms is suitable though - from what you've said I'm thinking it is along the Chick-lit lines, and the work in the WF group I've read seemed much more serious than mine.

Sounds very silly when I describe it, but it's kind of a grown up fairy story - I imagine a woman reading it in a day on a beach, and hopefully not wanting to put it down. But we'll see what some seasoned WWs make of it.

Rozzie