Comments on: You Had Me At Halo… http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/ Adventure into Romance Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:57:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: julia http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4394 julia Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:41:08 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4394 Woo! Yay! Woo! OK, I've calmed down a smidgeon. I'll email you pronto. Woo! Yay! Woo!

OK, I’ve calmed down a smidgeon. I’ll email you pronto.

]]> By: Shelley Munro http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4375 Shelley Munro Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:24:35 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4375 Thanks so much for visiting, Amanda, and for the great post. ******************** WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT ******************** Congratulations to Julia who wins a copy pf You Had Me At Halo. I'm sure you'll love this book. :grin: Julia - just email me your address and details and I'll forward them on to Amanda. shelleymunro @ gmail.com (no spaces) Congratulations!! Thanks so much for visiting, Amanda, and for the great post.

********************
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
********************

Congratulations to Julia who wins a copy pf You Had Me At Halo. I’m sure you’ll love this book.

Julia - just email me your address and details and I’ll forward them on to Amanda.

shelleymunro @ gmail.com (no spaces)

Congratulations!!

]]> By: Grace http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4366 Grace Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:18:43 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4366 Kia ora Amanda! (actually I don't know what that means, but i sure hope it means hello!) I love Eoin Colfer, especially his Artemis fowl series- I was obesessed w/ them when i was younger and i still read those books now! Congrats on your nomination for the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award! PS. those halos are adorable! Kia ora Amanda! (actually I don’t know what that means, but i sure hope it means hello!) I love Eoin Colfer, especially his Artemis fowl series- I was obesessed w/ them when i was younger and i still read those books now!

Congrats on your nomination for the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award!

PS. those halos are adorable!

]]> By: amanda ashby http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4354 amanda ashby Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:46:37 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4354 Sara - whoops, I think you might've caught that off me! jenyfer - I think when the story makes you continue, is the best sign you can have to keep going! Cora - you're a girl after my own heart!!! I think having cps and or an agent you trust makes it easier to put things aside if they don't like them! AJ - I think you're right - when a story is close to you it demands more attention. I have a bad habit of sending off half-cooked ideas which is probably not so clever! Jennifer - oh, thank you! I love my title as well - my clever agent came up with it! Sara - whoops, I think you might’ve caught that off me!

jenyfer - I think when the story makes you continue, is the best sign you can have to keep going!

Cora - you’re a girl after my own heart!!! I think having cps and or an agent you trust makes it easier to put things aside if they don’t like them!

AJ - I think you’re right - when a story is close to you it demands more attention. I have a bad habit of sending off half-cooked ideas which is probably not so clever!

Jennifer - oh, thank you! I love my title as well - my clever agent came up with it!

]]> By: Jennifer Shirk http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4353 Jennifer Shirk Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:29:25 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4353 The title made me smile. :grin: I'm definitely going to keep it in mind when I go book shopping! The title made me smile. I’m definitely going to keep it in mind when I go book shopping!

]]> By: aj http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4352 aj Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:48:17 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4352 You know, I think it depends on how much I believed in the story myself. If it was just something I was playing around with and everyone hated it, I probably wouldn't continue writing it. I wouldn't dump it either, I never do. But I would put it aside and think about it in a year or two. If it was a story that was close to my heart and that I really believed in then I would probably write it anyway with the expectation that it would be hard to publish. But the hope would be that there's a home for every good piece of fiction out there somewhere. You know, I think it depends on how much I believed in the story myself. If it was just something I was playing around with and everyone hated it, I probably wouldn’t continue writing it. I wouldn’t dump it either, I never do. But I would put it aside and think about it in a year or two.

If it was a story that was close to my heart and that I really believed in then I would probably write it anyway with the expectation that it would be hard to publish. But the hope would be that there’s a home for every good piece of fiction out there somewhere.

]]> By: Cora Zane http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4351 Cora Zane Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:52:04 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4351 I would shelve it without a second thought. I may love the characters or plot or whatever, but if an agent or editor doesn't like it, it's pretty much out. I'd save it in a file in case there are parts of it that can be used later. But if my critique partners hate it, it goes in the trash. I look at my cp's as friends, co-workers,<i> and</i> the voice of my readers. If they don't like my story, I know other readers won't either. Of course, I'd depend on them to tell me why they didn't like it first so if it's something that can be fixed, I can determine if it's worth the time. And that's really what it all boils down to. When I hit a rough wip like that, I have to justify whether it's worth the time invested over the long haul to repair it or start fresh. More often than not, it's better to just ditch the project and start a new document. ~Cora BTW, the cover for "Halo" is gorgeous! I would shelve it without a second thought. I may love the characters or plot or whatever, but if an agent or editor doesn’t like it, it’s pretty much out. I’d save it in a file in case there are parts of it that can be used later.

But if my critique partners hate it, it goes in the trash. I look at my cp’s as friends, co-workers, and the voice of my readers. If they don’t like my story, I know other readers won’t either. Of course, I’d depend on them to tell me why they didn’t like it first so if it’s something that can be fixed, I can determine if it’s worth the time.
And that’s really what it all boils down to.

When I hit a rough wip like that, I have to justify whether it’s worth the time invested over the long haul to repair it or start fresh. More often than not, it’s better to just ditch the project and start a new document.
~Cora

BTW, the cover for “Halo” is gorgeous!

]]> By: Jenyfer Matthews http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4350 Jenyfer Matthews Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:14:57 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4350 My current WIP has gotten some mixed feedback - people either love it or hate it, LOL. I've kept at it though because I myself love the story and have to see it through. But, like others have said, if everyone uniformly hated it I'd want to know specifically why. In the case of my current WIP, a few people have said they just don't like first person narrative. For me, that is not a compelling enough reason to stop since plenty of people out there do like first person, myself included :) Critique partners can be valuable for feedback - if you have the right ones. And if I had an agent I suppose I would take their opinion very seriously. In the absence of either, I say just trust yourself and write what feels right to you. My current WIP has gotten some mixed feedback - people either love it or hate it, LOL. I’ve kept at it though because I myself love the story and have to see it through.

But, like others have said, if everyone uniformly hated it I’d want to know specifically why. In the case of my current WIP, a few people have said they just don’t like first person narrative. For me, that is not a compelling enough reason to stop since plenty of people out there do like first person, myself included :)

Critique partners can be valuable for feedback - if you have the right ones. And if I had an agent I suppose I would take their opinion very seriously. In the absence of either, I say just trust yourself and write what feels right to you.

]]> By: Sara Hantz http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4349 Sara Hantz Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:11:17 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4349 As another of Amanda's CPs I can vouch for her Mary Poppins bag of ideas............. I will also shelve a project if my agent doesn't like it. Or if my CPs don't like it either. Because I too have no idea if what I'm writing is going to be the next million dollar book (I wish...) or something to never see the light of day for fear of monumental embarrassment. As another of Amanda’s CPs I can vouch for her Mary Poppins bag of ideas………….

I will also shelve a project if my agent doesn’t like it. Or if my CPs don’t like it either. Because I too have no idea if what I’m writing is going to be the next million dollar book (I wish…) or something to never see the light of day for fear of monumental embarrassment.

]]> By: amanda ashby http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4348 amanda ashby Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:03:01 +0000 http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/2008/03/25/you-had-me-at-halo/#comment-4348 Wow, you guys sure are great!!! Amy G - half of my writing friends don't use cps and half do, it's definitely an individual thing and it sounds like you've got a great system of evaluating feedback! Marlayne (love that name!) thank you so much!!!!! Jane - snap, I'm exactly the same. I tend to dwell on the bad and brush over the good. Something i'm working on! Brooke - oh, yay, another tv girl!!! And glad you like the Halo. I actually need to update it for my zombie book which is a bit scary!!! Estella - yeah, it was a hard lesson to learn but worth it!! Amber G - yes, it's so crazy to try and chase the market because it seems to change ALL the time! Hey Samantha - great last name!!! I love it when an idea is soooo strong that it forces you to write and rewrite and keep on chipping away until you find the story within. Those are the most satisfying books to write! Meredith - wow, thank you so much (especially since I'm ploughing through revisions and am struggling to remember how to finish a book!!!) Lis - they often say it's better to have no agent than a bad one and I think this extends to cps as well. A bad one can really scar you and it's so important to try and protect your work! RR - thanks. When I saw those halos I knew I had to have one (well, actually I bought about 120 at the time!!!!) Amy - I really love your take on it because it seems to keep the creative/business sides balanced! Laura - you're an angel! And I'm like that as well, I get easily turned off my own ideas (apart from when really stubborn heroines come along and bug me!!) Book Muncher - Hehehe - I love my title as well, though my agent must take the credit! And NZ is soooo gorgeous!! Wow, you guys sure are great!!!

Amy G - half of my writing friends don’t use cps and half do, it’s definitely an individual thing and it sounds like you’ve got a great system of evaluating feedback!

Marlayne (love that name!) thank you so much!!!!!

Jane - snap, I’m exactly the same. I tend to dwell on the bad and brush over the good. Something i’m working on!

Brooke - oh, yay, another tv girl!!! And glad you like the Halo. I actually need to update it for my zombie book which is a bit scary!!!

Estella - yeah, it was a hard lesson to learn but worth it!!

Amber G - yes, it’s so crazy to try and chase the market because it seems to change ALL the time!

Hey Samantha - great last name!!! I love it when an idea is soooo strong that it forces you to write and rewrite and keep on chipping away until you find the story within. Those are the most satisfying books to write!

Meredith - wow, thank you so much (especially since I’m ploughing through revisions and am struggling to remember how to finish a book!!!)

Lis - they often say it’s better to have no agent than a bad one and I think this extends to cps as well. A bad one can really scar you and it’s so important to try and protect your work!

RR - thanks. When I saw those halos I knew I had to have one (well, actually I bought about 120 at the time!!!!)

Amy - I really love your take on it because it seems to keep the creative/business sides balanced!

Laura - you’re an angel! And I’m like that as well, I get easily turned off my own ideas (apart from when really stubborn heroines come along and bug me!!)

Book Muncher - Hehehe - I love my title as well, though my agent must take the credit! And NZ is soooo gorgeous!!

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