Happy Halloween or Oct 31st, depending on your preference for the spooky. In honor, I’ve created a list of the things that go bump in the night and often the day for my writer friends. Feel free to add your own in the comments:
- There is less than 20 hours until NaNoWriMo starts
- Editors who change deadlines from Jan 2 to Nov 1 (yes, this is my life)
- The editorial letter (which always seems like the longest email in the history of emails)
- Agents. In general.
- Non-compete clause in a contract
- Lifetime rights
- PW No Star Reviews
- Amazon’s rating system. Who thought up the cruel 1-5 star ratings? Sadists, that’s who.
- Roving Goodreads reviewers
- Typing THE END
- Typing the first word in a new work. Mine is usually a swear one.
- Failing
- Succeeding
- Pitching in an elevator, that then get’s stuck between floors after the agent/editor says the idea sucks.
- Query letters
- Reader expectations
- Having 40k done on Nov 30
- Paying for college tuition for kids off what we make as writers
BOO! Your turn. What scares you?
#3 is the scariest. The one thing I’d add to your list is “the short synopsis.”
The sagging middle I’m staring at. (mine, as well as the book)
Shannon, you made me laugh out loud with that one.
Hitting the send button to an agent or editor, and then rereading what you sent.
OMG Terri — that’s the worst!! I recall one of my friends doing that, and mis-spelling the agent’s name. Argh! Eek! Scream! :-O
The send button.