Comments on: My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-93 http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/ Writer Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:11:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: New “Making Good” Column: Deadlines « Caleb Monroe http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-381 New “Making Good” Column: Deadlines « Caleb Monroe Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:04:15 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-381 [...] Comments Caleb Monroe on My Leap Year: Small Steps 90-9...Caleb Monroe on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9...Daniel on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9...Max on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9...Max on My Leap [...] [...] Comments Caleb Monroe on My Leap Year: Small Steps 90-9…Caleb Monroe on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9…Daniel on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9…Max on My Leap Year: Small Steps 92-9…Max on My Leap [...]

]]> By: Caleb Monroe http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-368 Caleb Monroe Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:37:37 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-368 Thanks everyone! Max, I hope to see yours in the finals, and agree you can't "trick" yourself per se...you have to literally believe the deadline is earlier. I imagine the more one does it the easier it becomes for the mind to process. Prem: It's always good to learn something about yourself and your writing that you didn't know before. Most writers seem to agree that summarizing/pitching is never nearly as fun or easy as writing the full thing in the first place. But I've been writing quite a few pitches lately and discovering that, like any muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. The best example I've seen of a pitch capturing not merely the events of the story but the tone and excitement of it is Warren Ellis's original 1-page pitch for <i>Nextwave</i>. You can find it in the back of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNextwave-Agents-H-T-E-This%2Fdp%2FB000UAMBLG%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1202006072%26sr%3D8-4&tag=calebmocom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325" rel="nofollow">Volume 1 collection</a> or the issue of <i>Marvel Spotlight</i> that features Ellis. I learned a ton by re-reading that pitch several times. Thanks everyone! Max, I hope to see yours in the finals, and agree you can’t “trick” yourself per se…you have to literally believe the deadline is earlier. I imagine the more one does it the easier it becomes for the mind to process. Prem: It’s always good to learn something about yourself and your writing that you didn’t know before. Most writers seem to agree that summarizing/pitching is never nearly as fun or easy as writing the full thing in the first place. But I’ve been writing quite a few pitches lately and discovering that, like any muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. The best example I’ve seen of a pitch capturing not merely the events of the story but the tone and excitement of it is Warren Ellis’s original 1-page pitch for Nextwave. You can find it in the back of the Volume 1 collection or the issue of Marvel Spotlight that features Ellis. I learned a ton by re-reading that pitch several times.

]]> By: Daniel http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-367 Daniel Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:06:45 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-367 That sucks! It's their loss though... That sucks!
It’s their loss though…

]]> By: Max http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-366 Max Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:12:36 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-366 I wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck with the competition, but I'm not. You know why? Because it sounds like you just increased the probability of your concept being published to 100%. And that's good. I delivered mine early that morning, only to get it back an hour later because something went wrong delivering the mail. Luckily, it worked the second time. As for your question: If you're like me, I don't think you can fool yourself into getting those good last-minute ideas two days ahead. Part of the trick is to really believe in the deadline. The harder it is, the better. I wanted to say I’m sorry to hear about your bad luck with the competition, but I’m not. You know why? Because it sounds like you just increased the probability of your concept being published to 100%. And that’s good.

I delivered mine early that morning, only to get it back an hour later because something went wrong delivering the mail. Luckily, it worked the second time.

As for your question: If you’re like me, I don’t think you can fool yourself into getting those good last-minute ideas two days ahead. Part of the trick is to really believe in the deadline. The harder it is, the better.

]]> By: Prem http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-364 Prem Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:46:05 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-364 I only knew about the deadline because I spend well too much time on the comic book forums. I did think it was weird at the time because if other writers are anything like me they'll want to meditate on their work up until the last minute, even if that isn't necessarily the most responsible thing. I got in two submissions, but I wasn't satisfied them. When I began brainstorming ideas for the contests I found myself getting very involved in them, and essentially focusing on the ten ideas I'd amounted, but then micromanaged the plot of only three. When I finally got around to writing the paragraph I found myself at a terrible dead end. I'm very week at summarizing! I didn't know this about myself. I put butt in chair eventually and forced out paragraphs for two of my ideas, and found that although they really captured the essence of the plot, they failed to contain any of the excitement of the story. They say, "show not tell" but in one brief paragraph I only knew how to tell. So that was an interesting revelation about my writing. And this seemed as good a place as any to mention it. I only knew about the deadline because I spend well too much time on the comic book forums. I did think it was weird at the time because if other writers are anything like me they’ll want to meditate on their work up until the last minute, even if that isn’t necessarily the most responsible thing.
I got in two submissions, but I wasn’t satisfied them. When I began brainstorming ideas for the contests I found myself getting very involved in them, and essentially focusing on the ten ideas I’d amounted, but then micromanaged the plot of only three. When I finally got around to writing the paragraph I found myself at a terrible dead end. I’m very week at summarizing! I didn’t know this about myself.
I put butt in chair eventually and forced out paragraphs for two of my ideas, and found that although they really captured the essence of the plot, they failed to contain any of the excitement of the story. They say, “show not tell” but in one brief paragraph I only knew how to tell. So that was an interesting revelation about my writing. And this seemed as good a place as any to mention it.

]]> By: Caleb Monroe http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-361 Caleb Monroe Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:00:38 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-361 Well, Elton, the advantage of it all is I now have no divided loyalties. I can root for you to go all the way! Well, Elton, the advantage of it all is I now have no divided loyalties. I can root for you to go all the way!

]]> By: Elton Pruitt http://comeunitypress.com/2008/02/01/my-leap-year-small-steps-92-93/#comment-360 Elton Pruitt Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:03:26 +0000 http://belacaleb.wordpress.com/?p=321#comment-360 Daniel's rockin' it on Carrier, Caleb. This looks absolutely fantastic! Sorry about the deadline fiasco, but I'm glad to hear you're considering moving forward with your superheroine ideas. If I don't make the cut, I'm definitely pursuing one of my pitches via the traditional submission process. Daniel’s rockin’ it on Carrier, Caleb. This looks absolutely fantastic!

Sorry about the deadline fiasco, but I’m glad to hear you’re considering moving forward with your superheroine ideas. If I don’t make the cut, I’m definitely pursuing one of my pitches via the traditional submission process.

]]>