Savannah Hendricks's Blog, page 20

WHAT TO DO WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE TO SELL MANUSCRIPT?!

In 2004 I set out writing a middle grade reader story. I went though countless revisions and edits. I hired an editor to line edit it. Then went back through and re-edited for another year. I started to submit it in 2006 and received word that it was the top five in a submission pile of over one-thousand manuscripts, only to be denied some time later. In 2011 I received a contract with a small publisher (who will remain nameless because they didn’t handle the situation like a professional would) and was dropped from the contract in 2012 due to issues with editing.

I sent my manuscript back out for another round to publishers for about a year. And then in 2014 I decided that it would be better suited for a lower age group and rewrote the entire story as a chapter book for early readers. Again it went out. And I recently switched to submitting it to literary agents (a first for me).

Still rejection after rejection are coming in. Yet at this point in my writing career the rejections do not say all the things they used to (“lack of story arc, the voice is not right for me, it’s too short). Now it appears that the story is simply not at a marketable level (and I feel that maybe it never will be at this point in the game).

Writers are always told don’t throw your manuscripts out, don’t ever give up on them (Yes I know Stephen King was rejected). Yet is there a point when a story is simply not a piece that will ever work or ever be “sell-able?” Is over 100 submissions/rejections a turning point to say…hmmmm…would make a nice little fire to roast a marshmallow… Or does one take bits and pieces from 10 years of work and create a new piece with used parts? Give the story away for free to the internet world (because the story is great!!! even if no one sees it yet)?

Road Adventure Photos

MISSING FALL

Prescott – Fall of 2011

Fall like temperatures finally arrived in Phoenix, Saturday, that’s correct this past Saturday (As I type this my A/C is running to keep the house at 80 degrees). Highs in the 90’s, lows in the 70’s. I try not to complain about the sunshine and the warm weather, yet I am coming upon my 10 year mark in Phoenix and the lack of seasons is slowing starting to bug me. I spent my teenage years and few before and after seeing maple trees turn colors and snow dust the roads in the winter. When I lived in southern California as a tween I spent fall and spring in Minnesota and Wisconsin. So you can see that I am used to four seasons.

So even though, every time I told people I would never miss four seasons, I have to say, I DO! I SO DO! (The episode of Newhart with the cast wearing jackets and stomping off snow, that I saw last night didn’t help).

Friends on Instagram and Facebook are posting pictures of hot cocoa, jackets and scarfs, and leafs changing. I’m so jealous!

Any of my readers live where there are a lack of seasons? How do you handle it? Does it bother you or no?

Why it’s Important to Write for Yourself

​ On the season premiere of Shark Tank last week a gentleman came on and said he spent $1 to start up his company. This was because he won $8,000 in the Florida State lotto, providing him with enough money to start the company without taking any from his own pocket.
How great would it be to win extra money? But for us writers… Unless we self publish you cannot buy a publishing contract. Money will not place your book on New York Times bestseller (unless you buy all the copies yourself).
Writing takes talent, hard work, and yes even luck. While winning extra money can provide you with more time to write, you are the only one that can make your writing career flourish.

So why is it important to write for yourself? Does it even make sense? You had a great idea, well crafted paragraphs, you want others to read it, you think this as you write. It’s why you up the challenge for your characters, and put them in horrible spots,  and create beautiful landscapes. You want a million people to talk about your story!

Writers hear it all the time,

write because you love it

because chances are you will never make it big and you will never make money.

So why should you write for yourself even if you want others to see it?

Because if you are without fear you can create the best stories. You can hold nothing back because you are thinking,

I am the only one that will see this! I can say whatever I want!

The Girl on the Train ~ Book Review (no spoilers)

I must first admit that I do not like to read books at take place overseas (these places seem out of touch for me, unreal even sci-fi, so I usually avoid them). Nor do I enjoy most books written by former journalist. Yet, The Girl on the Train opened by gripped me with its stellar writing. Paula Hawkins ability to paint a picture of a true and flawed character made getting into the story easy.

That ability fell flat for me by mid-story. I struggled with the two main characters, Megan and Rachel,​because they sounded the same, even when Anna was later added. I don’t mind the constant switching each chapter to a different character, but there needs to be differences in their mannerisms, how they speak, how they react that doesn’t require the reader to constantly have to remember which one is which.

After reading seventy-five percent of the book I found I didn’t care what the outcome was, I was just ready for the story to conclude. For a book that started off so well, and provided vivid images, it fell into a black hole of sub-par writing and storytelling . Additionally, after finishing the book, I found that many reviews that were not impressed with the ending and some even confused. I wished that the story had kept its momentum until the very last sentence.

3 out of 5 stars

R.I.P Charley Girl

 

The house has not been the same since you left. The skies have been cloudy since your peaceful end, they must know the gray  in my heart. A part of me thinks that you are hiding in a different room and I will see you in a second. Another part of me thinks that you, like a grown child, have left for college and I will see you as soon as you run out of clean clothes. The saddest part of me knows I will never see you again, this is the part that makes me cry.

I know you are in a better place, Yet my heart is in the worst place

I loved you with all I had, And you loved me without question, You will remain loved

Your spirit was sweet, It will remain no doubt

You will never be replaced, That is impossible

You will never be forgotten, Remaining a part of this family in spirit

Your love will remind me to open my home, Welcome a new member in

Forever you will be missed

Forever my girl

Forever Bayou’s sister

Forever at peace

 

 

Bon Appetit ~ 3rd Attempt

My latest attempt of a recipe from Bon Appetit is from the August issue, Spaghetti with No-Cook Tomato Sauce and Hazelnuts.

This recipe was easy and quick and I was really excited to try it. Plus a cold spaghetti dish in the hot summer of Arizona sounded perfect. Yet the ingredients caused higher hopes that didn’t turn out as I imagined. I was unable to find hazelnuts anywhere! Although the recipe said one can swap out for almonds, so I did that. (And I didn’t add the red pepper flakes).

2 out of 5 stars – which had I found hazelnuts I am thinking I would have liked it better.

M.G. and Y.A. Galore!

I’ve been reading middle grade and young adult books like a booking loving thirteen year old on summer break. I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having!

I stumbled, at the library, on several books that were not on my To Read List (I think there is some fancy acronym for this). Stumbled…in the sense that I pulled random books off the shelves. Here are some of my thoughts on what I have been reading.

The Truth about Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh: A fun, delightful read that morphed into a dramatic arc of drama! LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!!!

Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt: An okay read. I wasn’t too fond of the repeated plot line. But then again I didn’t like the Groundhog’s Day movie.

Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart: A “funtastic” read. Who would have thought a story…essentially about the ups and downs toilet paper could play into such a story-line. (I have enjoyed all of Ms. Gephart’s books thus far).

First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond: This is one of the few young adult books I have read to date. I liked the idea of the story, but the story arc fell flat and too late for me. (But I did cry…of course). I did love the quote from Walt Whitman at the end: Missing me one place, search another. I stop somewhere waiting for you.

The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Leila Howland: This book seemed more focused on the parents than the three girls. I was not found of the third person writing style for this age level reader.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (book 1) by John Grisham: I thought the book was okay, because Grisham can write! But it seemed over the top for the age level reading this series.

P.S. Want to know why I write? Check out the new sidebar on the left of the blog titled: I WRITE BECAUSE…

Going Back to the Original

The last few years I have been lazy when making the traditional family pfaumenkuchen dessert. This year…is different. I went back to the original way my father had taught me to make the dessert and how my Grandma Marie made it in her Minnesota kitchen.

My father used to hand me a small…small ball of dough and a large cookie sheet and I had to stretch the crust with my hands to cover the entire cookie sheet. The original way to make this crust means you have finger prints in it from making it thin and many areas where you can see the pan color below. (It’s a pain to do it this way!!)

It is a rather easy desert to make. Yet if you don’t like pies or crisps then it wouldn’t be the dessert for you.

I really enjoy making pfaumenkuchen, not only because it’s a family tradition, but because it means fall is on its way. And because unless you freeze enough for the year (and don’t eat them all!!) you can only enjoy this dessert but once a year :)

***A story about my Grandma Marie, “Grandma Known, Unknown” can be found in the anthology Dear Nana: Grandmother Tales of Love, Secrets, and Going Home, 2015.

5 Perks to Being a Children’s Author

While I write for both adults and children, there is something to be said for being a children’s author. (I’ve read some exciting books this summer, MG and YA, that I will be discussing in an upcoming post). These are the five perks I find for children’s writers/authors.

1. Accessibility to the authors. MG author Donna Gephart, and YA author Crissa-jean Chappell have always been kind in replies. I have even had tea and brownies at author/illustrator Wendy Watson’s home. (If I commented on John Grisham’s Facebook page I would never receive a reply).

2. The ultimate excuse to not feel weird or guilty about wandering through the kids section at the library or bookstore without a child attached to your hip. Being able to feel like a kid again with the power of reading a fresh and fun story that doesn’t contain too many real world problems we face as adults.

3. Receiving honest feedback when you read your manuscript to a child. My best friend’s daughter is usually the first to hear my stories and she is always a very up front about what she likes and doesn’t like.

4. Getting a chance to be a kid again. When writing for children the author needs to channel what it was like to be young again, to have fun, to think like a child. Color, finger paint, run in the rain.

5. Not having to edit 100,000 word manuscript. While 300  or 800 words is just as important and challenging to write, probably even more so, knowing it won’t take you a month just to do a first edit draft is a nice feeling.