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Post by dalekbuster523finish on Jun 19, 2016 14:01:41 GMT
Hi Elvwood
Your advice (and Alison's - do thank her for me), is very useful and makes a lot of sense.
I've managed to cut my synopsis from over 1500 words to a current 600 words, and am hopeful that a bit more trimming of what you correctly identify as extraneous detail will smooth out what is now a far more broad outline of the plot. My extract is likely to run slightly over 500 words too, as I've already written my story and don't want to cut a paragraph in half (particularly an exciting one which involves lots of expensive special effects - always easier to do on radio than a 1980's BBC budget!).
I wish you the very best of luck with your entry.
Chriss C.
And the best of luck to you too! My story is very low on special effects (or indeed action!) until the climax, where it all goes a bit, uh, crazy... My first story has videogame action and my second is more Graham Williams-style silliness. Honestly, with my second one I wouldn't be surprised if whoever's judging the competition wonders if I need to see a psychiatrist!
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 19, 2016 14:23:25 GMT
Hi Elvwood
Your advice (and Alison's - do thank her for me), is very useful and makes a lot of sense.
I've managed to cut my synopsis from over 1500 words to a current 600 words, and am hopeful that a bit more trimming of what you correctly identify as extraneous detail will smooth out what is now a far more broad outline of the plot. My extract is likely to run slightly over 500 words too, as I've already written my story and don't want to cut a paragraph in half (particularly an exciting one which involves lots of expensive special effects - always easier to do on radio than a 1980's BBC budget!).
I wish you the very best of luck with your entry.
Chriss C.
And the best of luck to you too! My story is very low on special effects (or indeed action!) until the climax, where it all goes a bit, uh, crazy... There's nothing wrong with crazy. Douglas Adams built a career on crazy...
My synopsis is finally finished and my story is at the cusp of completion. It's 'base under siege' with a twist. Also of crazy...
Chriss C.
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 6:59:21 GMT
By some miracle, my submission is finished and ready to be sent off. Can anyone tell me how they headed their e-mail submission (Dear Sir/Madam, or if they addressed it to a named person)?
I don't want to torpedo my entry by being too formal or informal in the query e-mail after putting more effort into it than I ever did for my GCSE coursework!
Thank you.
Chriss C.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 8:27:11 GMT
I just said
Hi. Here's my entry into the Paul spragg competition.
Enjoy.
And my header included the name of the story
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 8:58:14 GMT
I just said Hi. Here's my entry into the Paul spragg competition. Enjoy. And my header included the name of the story That's brilliant. Thank you so much for coming back to me.
I think I will go for the slightly more formal 'Good morning', but I will drop all the 'Prithees', 'Perchances' and 'Mayhaps'. In fact, I'm going to send it off right now...
Chriss C.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 9:23:43 GMT
No worries.
I'm a great believer in letting work speak for itself
I also once read in a writers guide... the perfect pitch letter to an agent is...
Hi.
I need an agent. You are an agent.
Here's some stuff.
Cheers.
Though I've now had 25 rejections from agents in the last month. So what do I know.
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 9:37:09 GMT
No worries. I'm a great believer in letting work speak for itself I also once read in a writers guide... the perfect pitch letter to an agent is... Hi. I need an agent. You are an agent. Here's some stuff. Cheers. Though I've now had 25 rejections from agents in the last month. So what do I know. You are totally right and you make me feel more confident.
I wish you every luck in finding an agent - your sample letter above may need a little padding though to be completely professional (perhaps a couple of kisses and an emoticon?).
Chriss C.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2016 11:00:07 GMT
No worries. I'm a great believer in letting work speak for itself I also once read in a writers guide... the perfect pitch letter to an agent is... Hi. I need an agent. You are an agent. Here's some stuff. Cheers. Though I've now Are agents really worth investing your efforts into? I'm pretty new into the writing world (had a couple of things published by small places - most notably an entry in the Erimem spin-off books) so I'm still finding my feet. What advantages are there to agenting rather than just doing it yourself? James
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 12:00:42 GMT
Big publishers won't look at your book if you don't have an agent.
I don't want one. But it's like the bloke with tenticles at jabbas plaice... you need to go through him to get to the boss.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 12:03:20 GMT
Im temper to self publish. Amazon / kindle is fine. But physical/traditional content is also great...
And for me... feels better. More real.
So. If it's self published... then that's a croud fund project.
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 13:06:20 GMT
Im temper to self publish. Amazon / kindle is fine. But physical/traditional content is also great... And for me... feels better. More real. So. If it's self published... then that's a croud fund project. Having not been able to publish the books I've already written (fantasy/historical fiction genre), I'm currently writing a book specifically to self-publish for the Kindle.
My aim is to test the marketplace and see if it is a viable way to publish work, so I'm writing something I think there will be a ready market for (nothing naughty or involving vampires!) but which I'm not emotionally invested in to the extent of my existing books so if it's a flop, it won't feel too bad.
It would be amazing if the Short Trip came up though...
Chriss C.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 13:15:25 GMT
We should set up a divergent universe publishers!
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 13:25:03 GMT
We should set up a divergent universe publishers! I must admit that I've always fancied setting up a publishing company which says yes to every decent writer, whether or not there is an obvious market for their well-written book, and which says a definitive NO! to celebrities who have written very, very bad books.
It's a whole new business model...
Chriss C.
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Post by mark687 on Jun 27, 2016 13:32:50 GMT
We should set up a divergent universe publishers! On a related note given that Paramount now have official Guidelines for Trek fan-fiction how long to dose anyone think it will be before the BBC do the same thing for DW FF? or wouldn't they bother?
Regards
mark687
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 14:06:59 GMT
Writers guidelines for doctor who would be pointless...
It's the infinite genre machine
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2016 15:10:37 GMT
We should set up a divergent universe publishers! I'm not sure how feasible that is, but equally it'd be super cool to do some kind of anthology with you guys. Maybe consisting of our rejected Short Trips, should that happen? James
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Post by chrisscorkscrew on Jun 27, 2016 15:19:28 GMT
We should set up a divergent universe publishers! I'm not sure how feasible that is, but equally it'd be super cool to do some kind of anthology with you guys. Maybe consisting of our rejected Short Trips, should that happen? James I'm sort of hoping that the quality of Short Trips submissions is so high that Big Finish take on several, perhaps an entire year's worth, and we'll all become part of official DW canon!
Chriss C.
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Post by TinDogPodcast on Jun 27, 2016 15:38:56 GMT
I like what everyone has said.
Yes. We all hope we win. Oe become someone they come back to.
Buy. .. An anthology.
Sounds good.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2016 21:40:49 GMT
How visual are people's stories, generally? I know it's prose narration, but I'm concerned that aspects of mine are maybe too reliant on bad 1970's CSO.
James
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Tony Jones
Chancellery Guard
Professor Chronotis
Still rockin' along!
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Post by Tony Jones on Jun 28, 2016 5:44:43 GMT
How visual are people's stories, generally? I know it's prose narration, but I'm concerned that aspects of mine are maybe too reliant on bad 1970's CSO. James How do you mean?
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