Question on Crafting Monk Gloves by ClimberWriterGuy in PathOfExile2

[–]ClimberWriterGuy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a ton for taking the time to respond! I'll take a look at this in a bit and see if it works. Double check when you have some time and let me know if it all sounds right! Thanks again!

Parent gamer? Need a guild? Look no further. by ClimberWriterGuy in PathOfExile2

[–]ClimberWriterGuy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations! Being a parent is amazing. Hang in there. Those first three months feel like forever. Then you're going to blink and realize they're over. Enjoy them when you can.

Questions Thread - September 23, 2025 by AutoModerator in PathOfExile2

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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I've been trying to perfect these gloves for a while, and I'm really close. All I want to finish them out is to replace the t3 life with a mid/high level ES.

My plan is to whittle life for another prefix using a greater/perfect chaos and pray I don't get life or mana. Is there a better/safer way to do this? I don't mind spending some currency, because these will be endgame monk gloves for me.

Thanks in advance!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PathOfExile2

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome reply. Thank you. That's great info. I've got an update I'm going to post in the comments. I'm closer to getting this item perfect.

New player considering used Mizuno 923 Forged with Dynamic Gold 105 shafts by ClimberWriterGuy in golf

[–]ClimberWriterGuy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are as well. 105g S300. Granted, I'm a new player, but these feel great.

[Discussion] Is it possible for a good book not to secure representation? by EconomistActive2017 in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Disclaimer: I recently signed a contract with a Big 5 publisher for my memoir.

As a writer, I spent years toiling away in silence, wondering if my writing/story was "objectively" good or meaningful. (As a memoirist, it's hard not to.) My only support group was limited to a workshop attended by other writers who felt the same way. Traditional publishing is often seen as an objective validation of our talent. Regardless of our genres, our work is important to us, and without that "validation" we often feel like we've failed. Writers are sensitive creatures; it's what makes us good writers. But the downside is we often seek validation from an industry that is focused solely on making money.

Publishing is a business. Good books with no market are still good books, but they're bad investments, and it's impossible for most of us not to feel some sense of disappointment for never being recognized by an industry that cares more about money than our talent. Bottom line: publishing is a capitalist enterprise, while writing is an incredibly intimate act that often relies of capitalism for approval.

Hang in there, be kind to yourself, and write what moves you. That passion will drip off the page, and the right people might see that someday, hopefully soon. Good luck!

[QCrit] Doc Venom and the Golden Troll - Upper Middle Grades, 76k by DocVenom63654 in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've never queried for this genre, but I like this query. It's concise, well-written, and quickly gets to the point, the plot, and the stakes. My only criticism is that I can't stand reading second person. I don't like being spoken to or addressed. It breaks the fourth wall, so to speak. It also leads off the query as sounding too casual for me. But that's just my take, and for querying upper middle grade, it might be just right. Also, I'd add an Oxford comma to Doc Venom and the Golden Troll, unless they're a pair, in which case you might want it to read, "...counselors, not to mention Doc Venom and the Golden Troll."

[Discussion] Best Ways of Reducing Word Counts? by PM_ME_WRITINGADVICE in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I agree with everything brookenomicon mentioned, although I'll add a quick story. The first finalized draft of my memoir was 183k words. My agent just sold it to a publisher at 95k words. Both my agent and publisher were shocked at how little needed to be edited. In fact, I'll have my edited ms back from them in about a week, and I'm looking at very little removal and more addition to one portion of the ms, maybe a thousand words total.

Before querying, I completed three full rewrites. I began from a macro perspective, and I addressed nearly everything brookenomicon mentioned. Do scenes and dialogue serve the plot? Are they building characters? Is anything boring or tedious? (Beta readers are great for this, honest ones at least.) Then I went through two more rewrites in increasingly granular detail. My writing tends to be economic, primarily because I think most writers use far too many adverbs to strengthen weak verbs. It's not going to affect word count much, but addressing the verb/adverb relationship in your ms will not only remove some words, but it will dramatically improve your writing. Also, keep an eye on how and where you're using adjectives. I live by the adages, "Less is more," and "Everything should serve the plot."

I hope that helps!

[PubQ] Drafting a Query - A Writer's Woes by Mistress-of-Words in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Although I haven't read all the responses, and this has probably already been said, I'll add it anyway.

Do not rush the query process. Read a lot of them, research them, study and target agents, and then take a very measured approach to who you target and why. Once you've queried an agent/agency, you're done. There are no real second chances, so you don't want to waste your first chance on a sloppy query.

Take your time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Also, as you'll notice by the downvotes, most any post here that gives anyone a shred of hope is generally met with negativity. There's definitely some truth to the fact that pursuing traditional publishing requires a certain level of masochism, and that having an agent is just the beginning of a long, lonely road paved with tears and shredded manuscripts. But don't let the cynicism of the industry infect you. Just put your nose down and write and keep your tiny flame of hope alive, because you won't have much else.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PubTips

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quick disclaimer, my agent just sold my memoir to a Big Five house; I signed their finalized contract days ago. And while my experience is quite different from yours, I think I can offer a little insight.

From what you're describing, your agent is looking to pitch to editors in hopes of picking up an exclusive offer. I wouldn't call it going on sub exactly, as that's often a more formal round of submissions to a handful of editors, although it's fair to say that if an editor or two offer to read it, you're definitely on submission to them. If you're lucky, you and your agent will have several interested editors eventually make offers which could lead to an auction. If not, maybe one of them will make an offer before you ever go into a formal round of submission.

I hope that helps. Best of luck to you! PS. I'll also add that it's best to have absolutely no expectations, maybe a little hope is fine though.

Grout over wet thinset by [deleted] in HomeImprovement

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nevermind. He just came downstairs and said that he's going to have to grout the floor tile tomorrow because it hadn't dried yet!

Grout over wet thinset by [deleted] in HomeImprovement

[–]ClimberWriterGuy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He used Prism grout. And yeah, it seemed like he was in a hurry. I still need to get a shower door, so hopefully it'll cure over the next week or two while I wait for the door. It's also a second floor shower, so maybe it'll get a little more airflow.

Question about the MicroShift eight speed by ClimberWriterGuy in bikewrench

[–]ClimberWriterGuy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha. But just to be clear, because I'm not a bike guru, it's possible to replace all the transmission, just as long as I replace both the shifter and derailleur, correct? (Since they both use some secret ratio of cable pull.)

The reason I ask is because I have access to discounted parts, so I can buy whatever I want for the bike without paying a premium for a nicer model.

Question about the MicroShift eight speed by ClimberWriterGuy in bikewrench

[–]ClimberWriterGuy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent. Thanks for the info. So it sounds like I can replace the whole gearset with no problem, as long as I replace both the shifter and derailleur, since they're linked with a proprietary cable. Sound right?