13 fellas
I officially turned in my manuscript to Wiley yesterday. Woohoo! One of my editors, Tiffany, laid out the remaining path to publication.
First it’s off to production where someone will read over the manuscript looking for excessive vulgarity or endorsements of Hitler. Once it passes that it heads to a copyeditor who will edit punctuation, grammar, and style.
It was in her explanation of copyediting that Tiffany paid me the best compliment I’ve had as a writer, “We’ll send notes to the copyeditor telling them to preserve your style. We’ll tell him to keep all the fellas.”
There are two reasons why this was such a big compliment:
1) I’m honored to have a style that someone feels is worth preserving.
2) I’m really happy the fellas won’t be going anywhere because fella just might be my favorite word. In fact, at the most recent writer’s conference I attended, a fellow attendee wanted to talk craft. They went into great detail about their influences and their genius of melding styles – somehow managing to take all of the good stuff from the greatest writers of our time and none of the bad. They went on for about 10 minutes. When they felt they had sufficiently hashed out the depth of their style’s glory they asked me about mine. My response: “I like to use the word fella.” After their craptastic craft spiel, I couldn’t muster up anything else.
Out of my manuscripts 68,792 words I use 13 fellas. Allow me to introduce you:
1) more of a Warner Bros. fella
2) A fella sat on the maroon couch
3) A new fella has taken a seat
4) this poor fella lost his business
5) a short Kiwi fella
6) this fella vigorously scribbles
7) pretty jovial fellas
8) one fella is in shorts
9) a fella named Brice
10) a muscular fella with grey stubble
11) two fellas that couldn’t be more different
12) a fella obsessively moving at random from rack to rack checking out women’s clothes
13) the fella who watched the demolition
I’m 4 of the 13 fellas. Any guesses as to which 4? An Advanced Reader Copy of the book to anyone that gets them first try.
My guess as to which 4 fellas you are:
1) more of a Warner Bros. fella
maybe as opposed to a Disney fan?
6) this fella vigorously scribbles
7) pretty jovial fellas
obviously you would only be one of them…
12) a fella obsessively moving at random from rack to rack checking out women’s clothes
Do I win?
Your new fan,
Malayna
1) more of a Warner Bros. fella
6) this fella vigorously scribbles
8) one fella is in shorts
12) a fella obsessively moving at random from rack to rack checking out women’s clothes
No winner yet.
1
7
8
11
I’m guessing you’re not the fella named Brice…But I am guessing 1, 7, 11, 12.
Still no winner. I’ll offer a hint this afternoon and welcome re-entries.
1, 6, 7, and 12. That said, Terome wants a signed copy, regardless! I’ve tried to explain to him what your book is about, but he still seems genuinely perplexed that you haven’t included any wizards, dragons, or spaceships.
Oops just noticed mine was the same as Malayna. I’m going with (EDITED BY KELSEY…this was the right answer). This is a perfect Friday morning (i’m tired of staring at numbers in Excel) activity. Thanks, Kels! Oh, and I really think that I nailed it this time.
Kyle had the right answer in #8, but since he is my brother and he’s read the manuscript already he had a bit of an advantage. He doesn’t count. No one with the last name of Timmerman does (sorry Jen).
The contest is still open!
1
8
11
12
C’MON!
A hint:
Guess 1 and 2 are only one off.
And Kent at guess 12 is only one off. Feel free to guess again Kent.
“He doesn’t count.” That hurts, dude.
I feel pretty good that I had the same guesses as the brother of a man I’ve never met, and whose book I haven’t had a chance to read! So Kyle, you totally count to me!
My new guesses: 1, 6, 11, 12.
I was going to do 1, 6, 11, 12 but since I was beaten to the punch my new guess is is:
1
7
11
12
Looks like Malayna wins it.
Thanks to all for playing.
Kent, as one of the most loyal readers of WAIW?, I’m sure we can find a way to rig a contest in the future so you win. After all, you’ve got the underwear to match already.
Yay me! Whoo hoo! Kent, I won’t even play in the next game, so you’ll be a shoe-in. But watch out for that Kyle 😉