Luck - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T18:53:37Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:14462?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A14825&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noMost of my "lucky breaks" hav…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-29:537324:Comment:148252007-03-29T00:50:50.100ZJ.D. Rhoadeshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JDRhoades
Most of my "lucky breaks" have involved events transpiring that keep me from suffering the full brunt of my own screwups. <br />
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No, I don't care to discuss it further.
Most of my "lucky breaks" have involved events transpiring that keep me from suffering the full brunt of my own screwups. <br />
<br />
No, I don't care to discuss it further. For the most part, I think wh…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-29:537324:Comment:148162007-03-29T00:43:20.558ZMeriah Crawfordhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Meriah
For the most part, I think what most people call luck is basically chance, which certainly does play a role in life and success. And I read an article somewhere in the last year saying that people had statistically unlikely runs of what researchers called luck when playing cards. But, yeah, an awful lot of success is hard work. It certainly isn't going to happen magically. No one who is successful as a writer got their work published because the publisher came banging on their door, and the…
For the most part, I think what most people call luck is basically chance, which certainly does play a role in life and success. And I read an article somewhere in the last year saying that people had statistically unlikely runs of what researchers called luck when playing cards. But, yeah, an awful lot of success is hard work. It certainly isn't going to happen magically. No one who is successful as a writer got their work published because the publisher came banging on their door, and the books obviously don't write or revise themselves (alas). But what about the untalented hacks who are wildly successful? (In the interests of avoiding a flame war, let me mention Dan Quayle, who is indefensible regardless of your personal leanings.) We're all lucky to an extent.…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:146252007-03-28T21:14:59.235ZMichael Carrhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KingM32
We're all lucky to an extent. We could have been born dull-witted or scrabbling to survive in some remote village. I do feel fortunate to be where I am and hope to make the most of what I've been given.
We're all lucky to an extent. We could have been born dull-witted or scrabbling to survive in some remote village. I do feel fortunate to be where I am and hope to make the most of what I've been given. There is a tide in the affair…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145932007-03-28T20:15:25.157ZEric Christophersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/datahog
There is a tide in the affairs of men, <br />
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; <br />
Omitted, all the voyage of their life <br />
Is bound in shallows and in miseries. <br />
--William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
There is a tide in the affairs of men, <br />
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; <br />
Omitted, all the voyage of their life <br />
Is bound in shallows and in miseries. <br />
--William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar Clearly you've never worked i…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145692007-03-28T19:26:26.845ZDavid Terrenoirehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Terrenoire
Clearly you've never worked in academia. Those bastards buy hyphens by the carload.
Clearly you've never worked in academia. Those bastards buy hyphens by the carload. I'm always amused at stories…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145502007-03-28T18:32:51.180ZHarry Hunsickerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/harryhunsicker
I'm always amused at stories about actors who get a <i>lucky</i> break after 20 years of paying their dues with weekly cattle-call auditions, mind-numbing commercial work, and non-speaking roles in straight-to-video movies. <br />
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(I think I just set a record for most hyphens in a sentence.)
I'm always amused at stories about actors who get a <i>lucky</i> break after 20 years of paying their dues with weekly cattle-call auditions, mind-numbing commercial work, and non-speaking roles in straight-to-video movies. <br />
<br />
(I think I just set a record for most hyphens in a sentence.) I've been told that getting a…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145222007-03-28T17:35:59.109ZElizabeth Zelvinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/lizzelvin
I've been told that getting a novel published takes talent, persistence, and luck. For me, that's it in a nutshell. For the past 5 years, it was persistence, persistence, persistence until three months ago, when luck kicked in. I've written about the serendipitous process that got me my deal elsewhere (thread on Submissions, I think). Talent increases when we scribble, scribble, scribble and when we are open to critique. But I still think it's worth saying that it may be lack of luck rather…
I've been told that getting a novel published takes talent, persistence, and luck. For me, that's it in a nutshell. For the past 5 years, it was persistence, persistence, persistence until three months ago, when luck kicked in. I've written about the serendipitous process that got me my deal elsewhere (thread on Submissions, I think). Talent increases when we scribble, scribble, scribble and when we are open to critique. But I still think it's worth saying that it may be lack of luck rather than lack of talent when all those rejection letters say "I just didn't fall in love with it" or "Do you have any paranormal romance?" or "I loved it but I only take cozy technothrillers." Luck, Fate, Serendipity. Does…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145162007-03-28T17:19:52.164ZRobin Burcellhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/rburcell67
Luck, Fate, Serendipity. Doesn't matter what you call it. It boils down to having the right book in front of the right person at the right time. And unless you've done the sweat equity, written the thing, it ain't gonna happen.<br />
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That's not to say that talent doesn't come into play. And, don't forget that it's the order of the thing we can't control. Sometimes someone will write a book, and wham, it gets picked up right away. Sometimes it takes years and years to get everything lined up, right…
Luck, Fate, Serendipity. Doesn't matter what you call it. It boils down to having the right book in front of the right person at the right time. And unless you've done the sweat equity, written the thing, it ain't gonna happen. <br />
<br />
That's not to say that talent doesn't come into play. And, don't forget that it's the order of the thing we can't control. Sometimes someone will write a book, and wham, it gets picked up right away. Sometimes it takes years and years to get everything lined up, right book in front of the right person. <br />
<br />
Luck? Sure, if that's what you want to call it. You just never know, do you,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145152007-03-28T17:14:30.615ZDavid Terrenoirehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Terrenoire
You just never know, do you, Donna.<br></br><br></br>When I couldn't get an agent interested in my first two novels I decided I'd try another tack and wrote a half dozen short stories. I sent them off to EQMM and Janet accepted two. But her assistant read all of them and took them home to show to his wife. His wife worked for Jay Acton who called me and asked if I'd be interested in ghosting a novel for John Douglas, the FBI profiler. I said I would. When Jay said he wasn't interested in repping my own…
You just never know, do you, Donna.<br/><br/>When I couldn't get an agent interested in my first two novels I decided I'd try another tack and wrote a half dozen short stories. I sent them off to EQMM and Janet accepted two. But her assistant read all of them and took them home to show to his wife. His wife worked for Jay Acton who called me and asked if I'd be interested in ghosting a novel for John Douglas, the FBI profiler. I said I would. When Jay said he wasn't interested in repping my own work I asked my editor if he knew of someone who might be. That's how I ended up at ICM, then with a book deal.<br/><br/>Ironically, it wasn't the stories that sold that landed an agent, it was the stories that didn't sell. I don't know if you call that luck or not, but it's definitely not a tactic you'll find in your average How To Get Published self-helper. I agree with the talent thing…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-28:537324:Comment:145112007-03-28T17:06:59.259ZDavid Terrenoirehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Terrenoire
I agree with the talent thing. I don't know how I acquired a good ear, but I've had it as long as I can remember. That was luck. <br />
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All the rest is sweat and disappointment.
I agree with the talent thing. I don't know how I acquired a good ear, but I've had it as long as I can remember. That was luck. <br />
<br />
All the rest is sweat and disappointment.