Monday 31 January 2011

So You've Written A Novel?


Congratulations. After many long hours, days, weeks, months (sometimes years) of doing this: 



You have turned you bubbling mass of ideas into a book type thing. Okay, a book. 

Now what? 

Obviously you've let it simmer, edited it into submission, and passed it around your critique group/beta readers/people who read your stuff. Those are given. But what about those printed copies?  You know, the red pen of doom scrawled on ones that sit in an unloved pile? 

Fear not. I have some handy uses.

1) Got an annoying door that won't stay open? Use that MS as a literary doorstop. When people trip over it you can tell them it's your book. Instant conversation starter. 

2) Stand on it for extra height when talking to taller people. 

3) Want a unique focal point? Wallpaper. A room covered in your words = priceless.

4) Do your friends/family/co-workers pester you to read your book? Give them a birthday/Christmas treat by wrapping their present in your pages. Not only will it look chic, but they'll get a sneak peak of your writing. Two birds, one MS. 

5) Build a fort. Okay, it may be the first small brick, but the foundations are important. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Any more creative uses for that hard copy MS I've missed? 

P.S Got a completed manuscript? It's Mystery Agent contest time over on Operation Awesome tomorrow! We have 50 places available The prize? A full manuscript submission to the Mystery Agent judging the contest. So polish those 25 word MG or YA pitches. 

17 comments:

Renae said...

These are far better than any uses I've come up with. Great list!

Sarah Ahiers said...

Ha! These are awesome!
In all seriousness, though, i always shred mine and then donate the shredded paper to the animal shelter

Heather Hellmann said...

I am short, so #2 will be useful. Also, I can use my MS as a booster seat so I can sit a little higher in my car.

Amie Borst said...

firewood...or firepaper as you will. yup. that's what mine is good for :)

Janet Johnson said...

Great ideas! I've let my kids use the back to draw on. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Build a fort - I like that one!

Colene Murphy said...

Ooo. Great ideas! lol!

Christina Lee said...

LMAO!!!! *love*

Hannah said...

I will be doing all of these things. ;) I'm a big shred/recycler but now that I know there are other options, I'm all over it.

Creepy Query Girl said...

lol- I always wondered what I should do with my printed MS- now I know!!

Katrina L. Lantz said...

Awesome! I am so going to use #2! I'm 5'2" so talking to tall people can be pretty difficult. I don't know why I never thought of using my old hard copy MSs as platform shoes.

I love this post. Happy Monday, everybody!

Talli Roland said...

A door-stop?! Noooooo!

Then again, it would provide some use of all those stack of papers built up over the past threee years...

Unknown said...

Build a fort! I love that idea. I actually want to build a real fort now!!!!

I'll do it old school, grab some blankets put it over the table and make a blanket/pillow fort, lol.

Shannon said...

Great post! Loved it, Lindsay!

Sherilyn Nicole said...

Yes! I'm using #3. My apartment is just plain white why not add some words to it!

Stephanie said...

hee! good suggestions (and I love H.A.A.H!).

Melissa said...

THANK YOU for making me laugh so hard on a monday!