The Fucking Book – Less Than Mystery – My first English novel is done.
Finally, here is a copy of the Fucking Book, Less Than Mystery.
It is almost as thick as the length of this lighter; total 6 parts, 484 pages, 129,237 words. It has taken three versions of the manuscripts. The very first one, which was finished within one week, was crap. The whole book took me about two years to complete – one year of writing, one year changing and editing. More precisely, if not counting the parts on suffering from writer’s block, traveling and worrying about other things, it would be half a year of writing and half a year of changing and editing. It is sometimes like a lighthouse sometimes a nightmare.
Why is it the Fucking Book? Because sometimes it weighs as heavy as my heart can carry sometimes as thin as the air that my lungs need to breath in and more importantly, because it holds my life between something and nothing.
To be honest, I thought I would celebrate it, but now it is more like a victory that brings no joy. Why? Because it is not the final victory. Just not yet.
It may not be great but absolutely unique. Initially, it is quite a fanciful illusion – with a structure like Pulp Fiction, a language like William Faulkner’s, a sort of anger like Henry Miller’s and a rightful dream for women’s liberation in China like Simone de Beauvoir’s in The Second Sex. What is it now? – My angers, my wonders, my observations and my beliefs wrapped in mysteries. In a word, it has my character.
The next book is In Between.
At the moment, there is the same question – “To be or not to be”.
But –
I must write, or I die. If I write, I must survive too.
Congratulations! Writing a complete book is a great achievement.
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Thank you for your encouragement! I’m so glad to hear that. 🙂
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The joy will come.
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Thank you very much! Just a matter of time now, I believe. 🙂
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Congrats, but are you sure? If you haven’t made your synopsis and started the other steps to get it published; I would just call it close to finished. Going through an agent means you have to hook fast. Preparing for the next step may convince you to make changes,
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Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s not the final joy but a long-lasting battle. Already started hooking for agents in UK. Will keep hunting for it. Ready for the changes. So apart from self publishig like Amazon, do you have any ideas about the hook for agents? Anything is very much appreciated.
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I’ve researched agents, but I haven’t sent queries. The sexual overtones of my novel and probably yours–means we may search for similar agents. Contemporary or literary fiction genres seem the best fit. Your cultural aspects will draw different agents than me. Don’t send out query letters until you research the agent and the process because you get one shot per agent. The Curtis Brown agency, in the UK, had two agents that interested me and that is one of the biggest agencies in the world. Their submission process does not favor me, but your insider view of China may work for your benefit.
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Big Thank You! I too have done some research and so far submitted to about ten agents. No luck yet. I hope you are right. I don’t write chick-lit but literary novels.
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Curtis Brown also on my list. Similarly, due to their submission process, I haven’t contacted them yet. There are plenty, only three at a time. So are you a published author ?
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No, I’m not published but I’ve researched the process. It is easy to publish, but hard to sell.The length of your novel will hurt your chances, but the cultural aspect may get you noticed. Agents prefer 60,000-word novels for first-time authors. You need a good hook line for your query and the first few pages of the novel have to sell the book.
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Thank you for being so honest to me. I really appreciate it. For the length, I also have considered and already cut several chapters out. I think you’ve offered several good points here – very precious. I’ll take them in my heart. 🙂
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Congrats! That is truly an accomplishment. Good Job!
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Thank you, my friend! I’ll keep it up! 🙂
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Has anyone read your “fucking book” yet?
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Hi Tobias, yes me, my editor, a writer friend and the agent who got Harry Porter published. 🙂
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