[books] The Beckoning Silence, Joe Simpson

[kaberett]

Some months earlier I had begun writing my second novel without a contract or an advance. I had assured my agent, Victoria Schuster, that I didn't need one and it would help keep away the pressure of a deadline.

"But that's the only way you write, Joe," she said. "You come over all Lapsed Catholic and guilty because you have signed the deal and that gives you the discipline to finish it."

"Well, yes, that was true in the past," I agreed. "But this time it will be different."

"A likely story," she said, accurately discounting any chance of seeing a manuscript within her lifetime. I vowed to prove her wrong and enthusiastically began tapping at my keyboard. I had completed 25,000 words, only to find that I had written myself into a cul-de-sac. There were only two characters in the novel and I discovered to my incredulous dismay that I had killed off both of them. This was a fairly major plotting error.

so he moved house about it.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

There were only two characters in the novel and I discovered to my incredulous dismay that I had killed off both of them. This was a fairly major plotting error.

... whoops.

[kaberett]

YOU'RE WELCOME

Looks like carelessness

[oursin]

Lady Bracknell has entered the chat....

[conuly]

That's... quite a step to take.

[shannnon_foraker]

Oops. I've been writing as well lately and hope to actually turn this one piece into a novella. It stars (set in space) a missing ancient warship and a CO who's not command track and three ranks too junior for her job, trying to find and fix the ship up with a skeleton crew.

Oh, and my friends and I have all been sick with nasty colds.

[silveradept]

That's certainly one way of inducing the necessary panic.

Also, might I suggest getting certain kinds of evaluations to that author?