Have I mentioned lately

[rolanni]

...that I Really Hate to Write Proposals? Honest to ghod, I would rather write a whole book on spec; it's less trouble and more fun. And I feel like monster, kinda sorta maybe promising the characters that maybe they might get to actually live in this book someday and could they, y'know, work for me just a little, on condition (and not enough to actually wake up, because if they wake up we're in Very Big Trouble), and if somebody buys the proposal, I'll get back to them.

So, anyway.

The proposal's done, or as done as I can make it, given my general squeamishness regarding the process.

And tomorrow I'll reward myself by working on The Nameless Novella.

Comments

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Or is it not that simple this time ...?

Not so simple this time. New universe. New genre. Intended for a whole 'nother publisher.

Last time, our editor called us up when the first contract was about to go over and asked the magic question, "What are you writing for me next?" To which we answered, "An expansion of 'Balance of Trade' and the two books of the Great Migration." And he said, "Great. I'll put the contract in the mail." So soothing.

I realize that proposals are written for the marketing department. But considering the almost-dead-certainty that the characters will at some point during the actual writing of the book revolt, tear the story out of the author's hands and rush off at high speed in an entirely unexpected direction, thereby, as jhetley notes, rendering two-thirds of the proposal moot -- does make writing the proposal seem like an extended exercise in futility.