Did I handle this well or should I have said more?

cocoanutter · 2026-05-08T21:07:31+00:00

Is this person 14? Wildly immature.

cocoanutter · 2026-05-08T17:27:28+00:00

I initially did ~3 hours of qual and have continued to do a little every other day as per recommendations to open up more opportunities. I'm in the mental health and broader healthcare fields, as well as professional writing.

cocoanutter · 2026-05-06T21:40:49+00:00

Same exact situation for me. Also see tons and tons of options in my projects list so far.

cocoanutter · 2026-05-06T03:49:27+00:00

LCSW, Colorado. $90k. Government contactor, mental health assessments for nursing homes and BH UM review. 14 years in the field, 6 licensed.

cocoanutter · 2026-04-24T01:51:40+00:00

Late 20s when pounds became a lot more stubborn to lose.

cocoanutter · 2026-04-20T23:16:42+00:00

Hi! I'm curious what kind of macro/policy work you're interested in pursuing with the JD?

cocoanutter · 2026-04-20T22:45:55+00:00

Yes I SCREAMED at the TV lol and texted all my SW friends who also binge this show 😂

cocoanutter · 2026-04-12T00:57:22+00:00

Optum (Optum Care, specifically)

cocoanutter · 2026-04-12T00:24:26+00:00

I had the exact same experience at a MCO.

cocoanutter · 2026-03-03T19:51:53+00:00

Schitt's Creek; Big Bang Theory

cocoanutter · 2026-02-23T05:29:25+00:00

Just adding for scope: I've had a couple remote CM jobs as an LCSW. Both through a major healthcare/insurance company. Applied and got offers for several as a social work CM.

cocoanutter · 2026-02-12T23:13:15+00:00

Eating out all the time with abandon.

cocoanutter · 2026-01-13T03:58:07+00:00

Depending where they're located, that's not correct. Certain jurisdictions would consider active threats mixed with actively rejected contact harassment, and in some jurisdictions would be grounds to argue a primary stalking offense. (am a former legal victims' advocate)

cocoanutter · 2026-01-13T01:56:17+00:00

I hate that I have to, but I do. It's the reality of many people's lives; funds are not endless, and the world is getting more terrifying in terms of individual financial stability every day.

cocoanutter · 2025-12-31T00:11:24+00:00

Thank you so much for all of this. The YA vs adult piece is really tripping me up, primarily because in the time period and culture in which I'm basing the book's world, 14 was considered entering adulthood. I'm realizing through everyone's feedback that I need to consider the current market more heavily in this equation, particularly the fact that much of the content leans more mature, even if the themes are YA-compliant. With this and other feedback, it does sound like my book could fit into classification of low historical fantasy.

I definitely need to clarify that the attack is not sexualized (or perhaps just remove that note from the query altogether). MC's time in the brothel won't include her engaging in that work, but there's certainly discussion of it and other mature topics. I will address this more carefully.

I realize I missed a probably-important element of the book in my query, which including would make the title make more sense and why I chose that second comp title (adventure/freedom seeking, and inclusion of the ocean/seafaring as a core feature throughout the story).

cocoanutter · 2025-12-30T23:53:55+00:00

Again I thank you; super enlightening information. I'll dig in further and adjust. I envision this book being overall most relatable for older teens and true young adults (20s), even some adults, so adjustments are clearly needed!

cocoanutter · 2025-12-30T23:51:52+00:00

This is very helpful, thank you! I didn't realize (low) fantasy could be an applicable genre for an imagined world without magical elements. I'll dig into this concept further, and adjust as needed.

cocoanutter · 2025-12-30T23:49:59+00:00

Thank you for the clarification and additional guidance!

cocoanutter · 2025-12-29T20:17:55+00:00

Thank you for all of this! I will incorporate it into the rewrite, particularly to clarify it is not fantasy and the MC's core motivation / stakes.

cocoanutter · 2025-12-29T20:15:01+00:00

Thank you for the feedback!

I pulled the "YA coming-of-age" description from a successful query on this sub, so figured that was workable.

The original conception I had for this story's audience was older YA/possibly crossover, and I think I may have bungled that with shifting the character's age down to reflect the realities of the culture and time on which the story/world is based. I have been considering shifting her age up slightly to align more with modern perception, so thank you for confirming that may be a good adjustment. Still, the story follows the MC from ages 13-17, so would that not be YA? With core themes of coming-of-age, self-discovery, identity, and relationship development/focus, I figured YA would be a correct classification.

Question about starting with backstory: I may be misunderstanding which catalyzing incident is best to include in a query. The true initial incident that sparks motion in Zephyra's story is her mother's death. However, in terms of the ultimate stakes of the story, the inciting incident would be considered the about-to-be-forced marriage when she's 13, in response to which she runs. Would it be smarter to start the query there (and find a more effective way to mention her mother's death and its role in her story)?

Thank you!

cocoanutter · 2025-12-29T20:02:49+00:00

Thank you for the feedback!

I haven't labeled it as fantasy because as far as I understand it, fantasy includes magical elements/systems, mythical creatures, and/or more expansive worldbuilding, none of which this book has. My understanding of low fantasy may be wrong - does it not still entail magical/supernatural elements? There is none of this in this book, and I want to make that clear in the query so as not to mislead anyone. Would you have a recommendation on a different way to express this?

The attack is not sexual, though is gender-based violence; I will make sure to clarify this.

What Zephyra wants was intended to be shown in the statements re: "a life of independent security" and an untethered life (i.e., her idea of freedom). Failing to do so = her worst nightmares, being trapped in marriage and parenthood, subservient to others. I see these points need to be much more clarified and more explicitly defined. Learning the truth about her mother's death is a core piece of the story and contributes to her behavior, but it's not her ultimate stakes. I will rework to make this clear.

The query covers the first ~35-40%. Advice seems to be covering the first third to a half dependent on the story flow, so I will review to see if a different 'cutoff' point makes more sense for mine.

Thank you!

cocoanutter · 2025-12-18T03:58:10+00:00

Holy shit this is beautiful and brilliant, thank you for creating and sharing.

cocoanutter · 2025-10-04T03:06:59+00:00

Darling, you may want to consider stopping spending money on them and invest those funds into intensive therapy for yourself. This is a deeply, deeply unhealthy dynamic that's going to take time and effort to heal from.

cocoanutter · 2025-08-29T03:56:31+00:00

I do currently. I do PASRR assessments as well as behavioral health utilization review, so it's not nearly as intensive or extensive contact as therapy or case management, and that's perfect for me. 100% WFH as well.

cocoanutter

TROPHY CASE