So here's where I'm at... I've written my first novel and I think its not too shabby. I've been querying agents, carefully checking their wishlists before hitting send. So far I've had no nibbles.
(Warning - you may get the urge to slap your forehead at this point.) Every scrap of advice I've read concerning getting your book published has said the same thing over and over - never start your book with the main character waking up. Take a wild guess how my book starts. Yip. Sad hey?
Now here's the thing...
I have valid reasons for making Rebecca wake up on page one. And they are all sound. Do any of the agents I've queried agree? Apparently NOT. I truly believed that my manuscript was unique, and that any agent worth their salt would be able to tell that from the get-go inspite of the glorious rule-breaking clanger.
So I'm thinking I should probably have a go at re-writing my opening scene.
I'll let you know how things turn out.
What rules have you broken lately... and, most importantly, did you get away with it?
I'm currently experimenting with polyphasic sleep, which break the 'rules' of normal sleep. (Break? It utterly MANGLES them!)
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know in 13 days if I've gotten away with it ;-)
SuperDude - that sounds like torture! The big q is... WHY???
ReplyDeleteHmm... Polyphasic sleep:
ReplyDelete"Polyphasic sleep, a term coined by early 20th-century psychologist J.S. Szymanski,[1] refers to the practice of sleeping multiple times in a 24-hour period—usually more than two, in contrast to biphasic sleep (twice per day) or monophasic sleep (once per day). It does not imply any particular sleep schedule. The circadian rhythm disorder known as irregular sleep-wake syndrome is an example of polyphasic sleep in humans. Polyphasic sleep is common in many animals, and is believed to be the ancestral sleep state.[2] The term polyphasic sleep, or often Uberman's sleep schedule, is also used by an online community which experiments with ultra-short napping to achieve more time awake each day."
Sounds more like someone I know than they realise heh
K, perhaps it's not quite the same... someone I know goes more like this:
ReplyDelete"...ultra-long work hours to achieve more time awake each day"
Hey! Is that kid in the pic trying to break into Bag End?
ReplyDeleteHey, rules are made to be broken, lol! I'm sure I've broken all of them. But yeah, maybe rewriting the first scene would be good - it's just that waking from sleep has been pretty over-done. (I've done it too.)
ReplyDelete