Dear New Character Created Just for This Book,
Well. You are a problem, aren't you?
That is all,
Me
Well. You are a problem, aren't you?
That is all,
Me
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif){kind=small}
Reminder:
Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building
their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be
before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise,
you're just wasting time and postage.
About Jennifer: Jennifer, a martial artist and writer, is the author or co-author of more than 25 nonfiction books in the how-to and self-help genres, including the popular and award-winning Dojo Wisdom series, which includes Dojo Wisdom for Writers (Penguin). She has also written about writers’ concerns for The Writer, Writer’s Digest, American Writer, and others. For the past several years, she has mentored writers at various stages throughout their careers. She earned a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and can still translate Old English if she thinks hard enough. Her website is at www.jenniferlawler.com. She blogs about the writing life at www.jenniferlawler.com/wordpress. (She even previously did a GLA blog guest column.) She joined The Salkind Agency in 2009.
She is seeking: " Self-Help and How-To books, including books on personal growth, sports, crafts, self-care and home-care. Jennifer also has a lively interest in history and narrative nonfiction, including memoirs."
How to submit: jennifer@studiob.com. Send a query that explains about the work and you as an author (publishing history, credentials for nonfiction). If you choose, you can send a proposal as an attachment even without getting a blessing ahead of time (though this policy may change over time).
About Jennifer: Jennifer, a martial artist and writer, is the author or co-author of more than 25 nonfiction books in the how-to and self-help genres, including the popular and award-winning Dojo Wisdom series, which includes Dojo Wisdom for Writers (Penguin). She has also written about writers’ concerns for The Writer, Writer’s Digest, American Writer, and others. For the past several years, she has mentored writers at various stages throughout their careers. She earned a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and can still translate Old English if she thinks hard enough. Her website is at www.jenniferlawler.com. She blogs about the writing life at www.jenniferlawler.com/wordpress. (She even previously did a GLA blog guest column.) She joined The Salkind Agency in 2009.
She is seeking: " Self-Help and How-To books, including books on personal growth, sports, crafts, self-care and home-care. Jennifer also has a lively interest in history and narrative nonfiction, including memoirs."
How to submit: jennifer@studiob.com. Send a query that explains about the work and you as an author (publishing history, credentials for nonfiction). If you choose, you can send a proposal as an attachment even without getting a blessing ahead of time (though this policy may change over time).
I just saw a great
post on this over on the KidLit
blog (run by agent Mary Kole) and wanted to address the question: "How Do You
Know if Your Project is Ready to Send Out?"
The common answer is something about how each project is different and it all depends, yadda yadda yadda—but that answer doesn't help you. The next thing people say is that you don't want to send it out before it's ready, meaning that it's much better to work on it longer and refine it rather than send it out too early just because you're sick of looking at it. (As one playwriting agent once said: "No play ever got produced too late.") This is damn good advice—one of the most important tips you can heed—but it still doesn't answer the question as specific to your manuscript.
The best answer I can give on the subject is this: If you think the story has a problem, it does. When I have edited full-length manuscripts in the past (some for SCBWI friends and others on a freelance editor basis), a lot of time, when I am addressing a problem in the book, the writer will nod before I even finish the sentence. What this means is that they knew about the problem and I just confirmed what they already knew.
For example, some typical concerns were stuff like this:
This shows the importance of beta readers—friends who will review the work once it's written. They will come back to you with concerns, both big and small. You address the concerns in a revision and send the work to more readers. Once readers stop coming back with concerns, you're starting to get somewhere. If you think you have issues, or multiple critiquers agree on a problem, then you're not ready for Querytime. If you're not sure the beginning starts fast enough, it probably doesn't. When you and your readers can look at a book and say that all concerns are adequately addressed, then you're ready.
The common answer is something about how each project is different and it all depends, yadda yadda yadda—but that answer doesn't help you. The next thing people say is that you don't want to send it out before it's ready, meaning that it's much better to work on it longer and refine it rather than send it out too early just because you're sick of looking at it. (As one playwriting agent once said: "No play ever got produced too late.") This is damn good advice—one of the most important tips you can heed—but it still doesn't answer the question as specific to your manuscript.
The best answer I can give on the subject is this: If you think the story has a problem, it does. When I have edited full-length manuscripts in the past (some for SCBWI friends and others on a freelance editor basis), a lot of time, when I am addressing a problem in the book, the writer will nod before I even finish the sentence. What this means is that they knew about the problem and I just confirmed what they already knew.
For example, some typical concerns were stuff like this:
- "This part where he gets beat up—it doesn't seem believable that so many people just took off school like that."
- "If the main character is so stealth, then how come he gets caught by the bad guys here?"
- "It starts too slow."
This shows the importance of beta readers—friends who will review the work once it's written. They will come back to you with concerns, both big and small. You address the concerns in a revision and send the work to more readers. Once readers stop coming back with concerns, you're starting to get somewhere. If you think you have issues, or multiple critiquers agree on a problem, then you're not ready for Querytime. If you're not sure the beginning starts fast enough, it probably doesn't. When you and your readers can look at a book and say that all concerns are adequately addressed, then you're ready.
I recently attended the Writer Idol Event at Boston
Book Fest. It was not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to brave public
ridicule, it was a great way to get helpful feedback.
This is how it worked: An actress picked manuscripts at random and read the first 250 words out loud for the panel and the audience. If at any point a panelist felt he would stop reading, he raised his hand. The actress read until two or more panelists raised their hands, at which point the panel discussed the reasons they stopped, or in cases where the actress read to the end, they discussed what worked. Helene Atwan (Director of Beacon Press) and agents Esmond Harmsworth, Eve Bridburg, and Janet Silver (all from Zachary Shuster Harmsworth) served on the panel.
This guest column by Livia Blackburne.
Livia is a graduate student at MIT.
She describes her blog as "A Brain Scientist's
Take on Creative Writing."
These panelists were tough! I'd say less than 25% made it to the end of the passage. Here are some of the common reasons panelists stopped reading.
1. Generic beginnings: Stories that opened with the date or the weather didn’t really inspire interest. According to Harmsworth, you are only allowed to start with the weather if you're writing a book about meteorologists. Otherwise, pick something more creative.
2. Slow beginnings: Some manuscripts started with too much pedestrian detail (characters washing dishes, etc) or unnecessary background information.
3. Trying too hard: Sometimes it seemed like a writer was using big words or flowery prose in an attempt to sound more sophisticated. In several cases, the writer used big words incorrectly. Awkward or forced imagery was also a turnoff. At one point, the panelists raised their hands when a character's eyes were described as “little lubricated balls moving back and forth.”
4. TMI (Too Much Information): Overly detailed description of bodily functions or medical examinations had the panelists begging for mercy.
5. Clichés: "The buildings were ramrod straight." "The morning air was raw." "Character X blossomed into Y." "A young woman looks into the mirror and tells us what she sees." Clichés are hard to avoid, but when you revise, go through and try to remove them.
6. Loss of Focus: Some manuscripts didn't have a clear narrative and hopped disjointedly from one theme to the next.
7. Unrealistic internal narrative: Make sure a character's internal narrative—what the character is thinking or feeling—matches up with reality. For example, you wouldn't want a long eloquent narration of what getting strangled feels like—the character would be too busy gasping for breath and passing out. Also, avoid having the character think about things just for the sake of letting the reader know about them.
Hope these tips are helpful. Do you see any of these mistakes in your writing?
Want more on this subject?
This is how it worked: An actress picked manuscripts at random and read the first 250 words out loud for the panel and the audience. If at any point a panelist felt he would stop reading, he raised his hand. The actress read until two or more panelists raised their hands, at which point the panel discussed the reasons they stopped, or in cases where the actress read to the end, they discussed what worked. Helene Atwan (Director of Beacon Press) and agents Esmond Harmsworth, Eve Bridburg, and Janet Silver (all from Zachary Shuster Harmsworth) served on the panel.
This guest column by Livia Blackburne.
Livia is a graduate student at MIT.
She describes her blog as "A Brain Scientist's
Take on Creative Writing."
These panelists were tough! I'd say less than 25% made it to the end of the passage. Here are some of the common reasons panelists stopped reading.
1. Generic beginnings: Stories that opened with the date or the weather didn’t really inspire interest. According to Harmsworth, you are only allowed to start with the weather if you're writing a book about meteorologists. Otherwise, pick something more creative.
2. Slow beginnings: Some manuscripts started with too much pedestrian detail (characters washing dishes, etc) or unnecessary background information.
3. Trying too hard: Sometimes it seemed like a writer was using big words or flowery prose in an attempt to sound more sophisticated. In several cases, the writer used big words incorrectly. Awkward or forced imagery was also a turnoff. At one point, the panelists raised their hands when a character's eyes were described as “little lubricated balls moving back and forth.”
4. TMI (Too Much Information): Overly detailed description of bodily functions or medical examinations had the panelists begging for mercy.
5. Clichés: "The buildings were ramrod straight." "The morning air was raw." "Character X blossomed into Y." "A young woman looks into the mirror and tells us what she sees." Clichés are hard to avoid, but when you revise, go through and try to remove them.
6. Loss of Focus: Some manuscripts didn't have a clear narrative and hopped disjointedly from one theme to the next.
7. Unrealistic internal narrative: Make sure a character's internal narrative—what the character is thinking or feeling—matches up with reality. For example, you wouldn't want a long eloquent narration of what getting strangled feels like—the character would be too busy gasping for breath and passing out. Also, avoid having the character think about things just for the sake of letting the reader know about them.
Hope these tips are helpful. Do you see any of these mistakes in your writing?
Want more on this subject?
- How can you improve your query letter?
- Need to write your query to Peter and want some guidance? Check out
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<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/7+Reasons+Agents+Stop+Reading+Your+First+Chapter.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/7+Reasons+Agents+Stop+Reading+Your+First+Chapter.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,41e8ae11-86ef-4f52-8fd0-348b50b968f1.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,41e8ae11-86ef-4f52-8fd0-348b50b968f1.aspx</a></p><font color="#000000">I recently attended the Writer Idol Event at <a href="http://bostonbookfest.org/">Boston
Book Fest</a>. It was not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to brave public
ridicule, it was a great way to get helpful feedback.<br>
<br>
This is how it worked: An actress picked manuscripts at random and read the first
250 words out loud for the panel and the audience. If at any point a panelist felt
he would stop reading, he raised his hand. The actress read until two or more panelists
raised their hands, at which point the panel discussed the reasons they stopped, or
in cases where the actress read to the end, they discussed what worked. Helene Atwan
(Director of Beacon Press) and agents Esmond Harmsworth, Eve Bridburg, and Janet Silver
(all from <a href="http://www.zshliterary.com/">Zachary Shuster Harmsworth</a>) served
on the panel.<br>
<br>
</font><font color="#000000">
<br>
</font>
<div align="center"><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/bwhat.jpg" border="0" height="202" width="136">
<br>
<br>
<i><font color="#000000">This guest column by</font></i> <i><font color="#000000"><b>Livia
Blackburne</b>.
<br>
Livia is a graduate student at MIT.</font></i>
<br>
<i><font color="#000000">She describes <a href="http://blog.liviablackburne.com">her
blog</a> as "A Brain Scientist's
<br>
Take </font></i><i><font color="#000000">on Creative Writing."</font></i>
</div>
<br>
<font color="#000000">
<br>
These panelists were tough! I'd say less than 25% made it to the end of the passage.
Here are some of the common reasons panelists stopped reading.<br>
<br>
<b>1. Generic beginnings:</b> Stories that opened with the date or the weather didn’t
really inspire interest. According to Harmsworth, you are only allowed to start with
the weather if you're writing a book about meteorologists. Otherwise, pick something
more creative.<br>
<br>
<b>2. Slow beginnings:</b> Some manuscripts started with too much pedestrian detail
(characters washing dishes, etc) or unnecessary background information.<br>
<br>
<b>3. Trying too hard:</b> Sometimes it seemed like a writer was using big words or
flowery prose in an attempt to sound more sophisticated. In several cases, the writer
used big words incorrectly. Awkward or forced imagery was also a turnoff. At one point,
the panelists raised their hands when a character's eyes were described as “little
lubricated balls moving back and forth.”<br>
<br>
<b>4. TMI (Too Much Information):</b> Overly detailed description of bodily functions
or medical examinations had the panelists begging for mercy.<br>
<br>
<b>5. Clichés:</b> "The buildings were ramrod straight." "The morning air was raw."
"Character X blossomed into Y." "A young woman looks into the mirror and tells us
what she sees." Clichés are hard to avoid, but when you revise, go through and try
to remove them.<br>
<br>
<b>6. Loss of Focus:</b> Some manuscripts didn't have a clear narrative and hopped
disjointedly from one theme to the next.<br>
<br>
<b>7. Unrealistic internal narrative:</b> Make sure a character's internal narrative—what
the character is thinking or feeling—matches up with reality. For example, you
wouldn't want a long eloquent narration of what getting strangled feels like—the character
would be too busy gasping for breath and passing out. Also, avoid having the character
think about things just for the sake of letting the reader know about them.<br>
<br>
Hope these tips are helpful. Do you see any of these mistakes in your writing?<br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div align="center"><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/Picture%201%5B1%5D%5B2%5D%5B3%5D.png" border="0" height="47" width="480">
<br>
</div>
<font color="#000000">
<br>
</font><strong><u><font color="#000000" size="1">
<br>
Want more on this subject?</font></u></strong>
<ul>
<font color="#000000">
<li>
<font color="#a52a2a"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+Can+You+Improve+Your+Query+Letter.aspx"><font size="1">How
can you improve your query letter?</font></a></font>
</li>
<li>
<font size="1">Need to write your query to Peter and want some guidance? Check out <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=c105043a-f242-47c8-b6b9-c4d240c2b9ed&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2fthe-writers-digest-guide-to-query-letters%2fget-published" ?=""><i><font color="#990000">The
Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters</font></i></a>.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000"> </font>
</li><font color="#000000">
<li>
<font size="1">Have some questions on your road to landing a literary agent.
Ask me! Join me for my <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/land-a-literary-agent-live-webinar-registration/?r=chuckblog111709">"How
to Get a Literary Agent"</a> webinar on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 - and learn about
queries, proposals, synopses, submissions, research and much more.</font>
</li></font></font>
</ul>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=41e8ae11-86ef-4f52-8fd0-348b50b968f1" />
Agent Interview by
contributor
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<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agent+Advice+Peter+McGuigan+Of+Foundry+Literary+Media.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agent+Advice+Peter+McGuigan+Of+Foundry+Literary+Media.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,959bdf87-e356-49f6-ab8f-d8046990439b.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,959bdf87-e356-49f6-ab8f-d8046990439b.aspx</a></p><div align=center><font color=#000000><b>Agent Interview by</b></font><font color=#000000><font color=#000000><strong> </strong></font></font>
<br>
</div>
<div align=center><font color=#000000><font color=#000000><strong>contributor <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=ab235733-96bd-487f-9f4c-9a2fbfaf688a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fct.ashx%3fid%3d411c45b4-a049-4ff2-bd30-fe3e3823cf82%26url%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252fblog%252fct.ashx%253fid%253d168d3199-416c-4ad9-a1cd-095060aad630%2526url%253dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.rickischultz.com%25252f" ?=""><font color=#990000>Ricki
Schultz</font></a>.</strong></font></font>
<br>
</div>
<div>
<br>
<font color=#000000><font color=#000000><strong>"Agent Advice"</strong> is a series
of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with <em>Guide to Literary
Agents</em> about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else. <font color=#000000><font color=#000000>
<br>
<br>
This installment features <b>Peter McGuigan </b>of <a href="http://www.foundrymedia.com/">Foundry
Literary + Media</a>. Peter</font></font></font></font><font color=#000000> has more
than 15 years of publishing experience. He has worked as an active agent for more
than ten of those years and served as Rights Director for two literary agencies. Peter
studied creative writing, journalism, and literature at Virginia Tech and Virginia
Commonwealth University and has a degree in English.</font>
<br>
<font color=#000000><b>
<br>
He is looking for</b>: </font><font color=#000000>smart, offbeat nonfiction, particularly
narrative nonfiction on pop culture, niche history, biography, music and science.
He also represents novelists, both commercial and literary, across all genres, especially
first-time writers.
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000></font>
</div>
<br>
<div align=center><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/mcg%20good.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
<i><font color=#808080>Peter McGuigan</font></i>
<br>
</div>
<font color=#000000>
<br>
<i><b>
<br>
GLA</b></i>: How did you become an agent?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>Mostly by chance.
My first job in publishing was at a small agency, but I was just figuring out how
everything worked. Then I spent four years working for publishing houses, and near
the end of that period, I began to feel my entrepreneurial side coming out. I had
been frequently suggesting book ideas to my colleagues and leaving magazine articles
for them on their desks, and lo and behold, some of these ideas turned into real books.
<br>
So I thought maybe this was the right direction for me. I didn't like the endless
meetings and politics of corporate publishing, and I felt that I belonged on the other
side, as an advocate for writers. I was a writer myself, but I lacked the necessary
discipline. Being an agent works well with my short attention span: I can juggle a
number of creative projects, protect my writers and help them navigate their way through
the publication process, which is almost never smooth sailing.
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>Tell us about
something you’ve sold recently.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>I sold a sweet and
funny memoir by SNL alum Jim Breuer recently to Gotham. I also sold a follow-up book
to my biggest success so far, <i>Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the
World</i>, to Dutton. Both of these books exemplify what I try to do most often: Put
together projects that are both commercial and high quality.
<br>
<i>Dewey</i> may look like a silly cat book, but it's actually
very intelligent and extremely moving—and it sold in 30 foreign countries. Jim may
be known as that stoner guy from <i>Half Baked</i>, but when you read about his family,
his struggles, and his faith in mankind, you can't help but be pleasantly surprised.
That, to me, is the perfect combination.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>What are
you looking for right now and not getting?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>I am looking for
every kind of book. I do literary fiction and kids books, history, and rock-n-roll
bios. Really, if I like the writing and the subject, I'm open to it. And if it's good,
but it's not for me, it's probably for one of my other Foundry colleagues.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>Does that
mean you give submissions to colleagues you feel the book is more appropriate for,
or do you reject and refer the writer to a different agent at Foundry?<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>We're lucky at Foundry
in that we all overlap in interest, yet each of us has a core competency that is obvious.
So when any of us finds a project that is good, it will find its way to the right
Foundry agent without delay.
<br>
I've actually sold books in the past, at other agencies,
where one of my colleagues had rejected it rather than walk it 30 feet to my desk,
yet the author found me, and we were a perfect fit. That's exactly what we are not
about here. I think we enjoy a great balance: entrepreneurial yet collegial.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>Your bio
says you are “happiest when representing controversial, out of the ordinary, or provocative
subjects and authors.” Can you give us a few examples of books you’ve repped
that fit this bill so authors know what to send you?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>I have a book coming
out next year called <i>Chasing the White Dog</i> by Max Watman (S&S). It's about
America's secret history with whiskey, especially the illegal, homemade kind. Let's
just say that the author spends equal amounts of time with the folks fighting moonshine
and the folks making moonshine, and it makes the war on drugs look quaint by comparison.
<br>
I have another excellent book that is hanging just below
the bestsellers list right now called <i>The Monuments Men</i> by Robert Edsel. It's
the amazing story of the art that the Nazis stole during WWII and the little-known
group of soldiers who risked life and limb to find these works and bring them back.
Stolen art from the war is still a majorly touchy subject—Robert just blew the whistle
on SMU's possession of two paintings that were stolen by Nazis and never returned
to their rightful owners. One of them even has a swastika burned on the back of the
frame!
<br>
I also did Lisa Lampanelli's hilarious, but admittedly un-PC,
book <i>Chocolate, Please</i>. Extremely well written, off color, not for the faint
of heart.
<br>
Patrick DeWitt's breathtakingly gorgeous novel <i>Ablutions</i>,
one of the darkest and smartest pieces of fiction I've ever read, about alcoholism
and decay, was also mine.
<br>
These are the kinds of projects that get me out of bed in
the morning.<br>
<br>
</font>
<div align=center><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/Picture%202%5B1%5D.png" border="0">
</div>
<font color=#000000>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>In addition,
you work with a lot of first-time writers. In an industry that gets increasingly difficult
to break into, what are a few things newbies can do in their query letters that might
convince you to take a chance on them?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>1) Watch those typos,
folks! We do notice. 2) Don't try to be cheeky, it never works. 3) Tailor your submission
to the agent, no "dear agent" letters! 4) Don't go to more than one agent at the same
agency—that'll get you the delete button quicker than anything. 5) If it's fiction,
a tight paragraph that includes a pitch and compares it to other books is helpful—"for
readers who enjoyed X and Y." 6) For nonfiction, make sure we understand what the
author's qualifications, or "platform," are. If you're trying to write a book
about a subject you're not an expert on, it's probably not going to work out.
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>Regarding
your interest in pet-related projects, are you more of a dog or cat person? Tell us
about what draws you to this category.
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>Ha! I was raised
with (some would say "by") both dogs and cats, and I like both equally. I admit that
cats are better city animals, since they don't require as much attention, but I'm
happiest with one or two of each.
<br>
Ironically, I don't have either at the moment. I had two cats and a dog, but my ex
took them both when we split up! (This is where the "aaaawwwwwww" goes...) I do have
a pet snake, but he's not very cuddly...<br>
I hesitate to say I'm drawn to the pet category. I'm attracted
to all types of popular culture. When I read about <i>Dewey</i>, I knew he was a superstar
among cats. I soon found out that Vicki Myron is also a superstar among librarians.
Then I brought in Bret Witter, who is a superstar writer. And it worked! We sold a
million hardcovers in the US, foreign rights in 30 countries, and we have a film deal
with Meryl Streep attached. So sure, it starts with one cat, but it's much, much more
multi-dimensional than that.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>You seek
nonfiction in a whole host of subjects. Any areas lacking in amount of submissions?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>I think we're overdue
for a revival of upmarket crime books. Not mafia books, but <i>In Cold Blood</i>-style,
literary narrative nonfiction that happens to be about a particular crime. We get
these every so often. <i>Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil</i> leaps to mind. <i>Strange
Piece of Paradise</i> by Terri Jentz, which I was lucky enough to work on at my former
agency. But there's room for more of these.
<br>
My client Robin Gaby Fisher is one of the best writers in
this arena. Her book <i>After the Fire</i> hit the <i>Times</i> bestsellers list,
and she's got a Pulitzer. This caliber of writer tackling upmarket crime is,
I think, ripe for rediscovery. Her next book is a similarly upmarket crime story called<i> The
Boys of the Dark</i>, about an insanely sadistic reform school in the South that did
unspeakable things to the boys there, and the whole town was in on it! Robin knows
how to make these kinds of stories get under our skin and stay with us for a long
time after we've put the book down—that's her gift.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>How much
does a writer’s platform impact whether or not you agree to represent his manuscript?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>Major. As I said
above, platform is everything when it comes to nonfiction. What gives you the credentials
to author a book on subject X? A great idea needs to be paired with the right author.
There's no way to get around it.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>If you were
teaching a class on nonfiction writing & submitting, what would be item number
one on your syllabus?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>I like Stephen King's
comment: Adverbs are not your friends. That's good writing advice. As far as submitting,
if you can't summarize your idea in two to three sentences, it's not fully formed
yet.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>What is the
one thing you’d like to tell authors pitching you in person at a conference?
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><b>PM</b>: </font><font color=#000000>Good luck—I probably
won't be there! Ha ha. Honestly, I've done a few of these things, and I love writers,
but it really is the worst way to encounter someone's writing. So if I were there,
I'd say, "Lovely. Send your materials to my office, and I'll look at it."<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><i><b>GLA</b></i>: </font><font color=#000000>Best piece(s)
of advice we haven’t talked about yet?<br>
<br>
<b>PM</b>: I think I'm paraphrasing Harry Crews: "Fix your ass to the seat and write."<br>
</font>
<br>
<div align=center>
<p align=center>
<img height="145" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/rick%20good.jpg" width="134" border="0">
</p>
<font color=#000000><i>This agent interview by <b>Ricki Schultz</b>,</i></font>
<br>
<font color=#000000><i>freelance writer and coordinator of </i></font>
<br>
<font color=#000000><i>Shenandoah Writers in VA. <a href="http://www.rickischultz.wordpress.com/">Visit
her blog</a></i></font>
<br>
<font color=#000000><i>or follow her <a href="http://twitter.com/rickischultz">on
Twitter</a>.<br>
<br>
</i></font>
<div align=left><strong><u><font color=#000000 size=1>
<br>
Want more on this subject?</font></u></strong>
<ul>
<font color=#000000>
<li>
<font color=#a52a2a><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+Can+You+Improve+Your+Query+Letter.aspx"><font size=1>How
can you improve your query letter?</font></a></font>
<li>
<font size=1>Need to write your query to Peter and want some guidance? Check out <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=c105043a-f242-47c8-b6b9-c4d240c2b9ed&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2fthe-writers-digest-guide-to-query-letters%2fget-published" ?=""><i><font color=#990000>The
Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters</font></i></a>.</font><font color=#000000> </font><font color=#000000>
<li>
<font size=1>Have some questions on your road to landing a literary agent. Ask
me! Join me for my <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/land-a-literary-agent-live-webinar-registration/?r=chuckblog111709">"How
to Get a Literary Agent"</a> webinar on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 - and learn about
queries, proposals, synopses, submissions, research and much more.</font>
</font>
</font>>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=959bdf87-e356-49f6-ab8f-d8046990439b" />
Reminder:
Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building
their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be
before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise,
you're just wasting time and postage.
About Justine: She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. In addition to working for Emma, Justine is poetry reader for BOMB Magazine, and routinely writes short stories or long poems on the subway.
She is seeking: literary fiction, short story collections, and food-related non-fiction. I'm looking for stories that are well-written with surprising, yet simple craft and driving characters. "I am also a fiction and poetry reader for BOMB Magazine and OPEN CITY, which is a good example for the style of fiction I would like to acquire."
How to submit: "We require queries to be delivered by e-mail to queries (at) emmasweeneyagency (dot) com. Please paste your cover letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of your message. For security reasons we cannot open attachments. Please note that queries sent to any e-mail address will not be considered. Because of the volume of email we receive, we cannot respond to every query. We regret that we do not accept submissions by post unless specifically requested." If this query is specifically for Justine, put "Query for Justine" in the subject line.
Want more on this subject?
In lieu of a forthcoming headshot of
Justine, here is the ES agency slush puppy.
Justine, here is the ES agency slush puppy.
About Justine: She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. In addition to working for Emma, Justine is poetry reader for BOMB Magazine, and routinely writes short stories or long poems on the subway.
She is seeking: literary fiction, short story collections, and food-related non-fiction. I'm looking for stories that are well-written with surprising, yet simple craft and driving characters. "I am also a fiction and poetry reader for BOMB Magazine and OPEN CITY, which is a good example for the style of fiction I would like to acquire."
How to submit: "We require queries to be delivered by e-mail to queries (at) emmasweeneyagency (dot) com. Please paste your cover letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of your message. For security reasons we cannot open attachments. Please note that queries sent to any e-mail address will not be considered. Because of the volume of email we receive, we cannot respond to every query. We regret that we do not accept submissions by post unless specifically requested." If this query is specifically for Justine, put "Query for Justine" in the subject line.
Want more on this subject?
- Want some help on submitting to agents? Sign up for my "How to Land a Literary Agent" webinar on Dec. 17, 2009.
- How many agents should you query?
- How to write a query letter: The 3 parts.
I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel
synopsis
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let find good ones for you and edit them a bit.
This time it's Flight of the Navigator. In book terms, this would be considered fun middle grade, considering the protagonist is 12. More specifically, it would probably be a science fiction adventure. Concerning this synopsis, I cut all out mentions that Max's home planet was called Phaelon. I cut all info about how the craft could fly at high speeds. I left in one little moment about the freefall, because I felt it showed David's arc in taking control of the situation after starting as a guinea pig at NASA. I had to lose a lot of specifics about how Max got stuck on Earth and what exactly he did with David's brain. You're starting to see a pattern here - cut, combine, cut, combine, cut. Smooth and fast—that's how a short synopsis has to look.
Twelve-year-old DAVID FREEMAN is trekking through the woods at night when he falls into a ravine and blacks out. Waking a short time later, David heads home only to find an older couple in his house and no visible trace of his parents or brother. Police arrive and start asking questions, but David’s answers are met with puzzlement. His parents are located in a nearby city in Florida, but upon meeting them, David is shocked to see they have visibly aged. He faints and is taken to a hospital. There, he has a conversation with his younger (now older) brother, JEFF, who explains that eight years have passed since that night in the woods and David was declared dead long ago. Everyone in the family is overjoyed with this miraculous reunion, though no one can explain David’s disappearance or lack of aging.
NASA official DR. FARADAY arrives at David’s home and asks for testing. David agrees. At the NASA base, David receives garbled messages in his head, apparently coming from something or someone in a nearby hangar. During tests, Faraday discovers that David’s brain now holds incredible amounts of information related to a strange flying craft, galaxy maps, bizarre languages, and more. Faraday theorizes that an alien spacecraft picked up David in the woods and took him to another galaxy and back. The light-speed trip only took four hours, but everyone on Earth aged eight years. Scared at this revelation, David runs out of the testing room, screaming that he wants his old life back. He hears more from the voice, and follows its directions to a hangar. There, he discovers the spacecraft his mind projected on screens earlier. Inside, he meets the ship’s robotic pilot, whom he nicknames MAX.
Max escapes the base with David onboard. It turns out that David, along with creatures from other planets, was taken for study on Max’s peaceful home planet. Unlike usual, Max did not return David to his original timeline (eight years prior), fearing that humans as a species are too delicate to survive time travel. While Max explains how he got caught in power lines trying to leave Earth (then captured by NASA), David takes a liking to a small friendly creature whose home planet was destroyed by a comet.
David and Max realize they both need each other to get home. David needs Max to pilot to Florida, and Max needs star chart information in David's head to navigate back to his home galaxy. Max performs a scan of David's subconscious to extract the information but accidentally gets some of David’s memories and personality. Max’s voice immediately changes, becoming less robotic and more humorous and erratic. David and Max bicker as to their next course of action, to which Max's response is to shut down in a freefall, forcing David to take control and drive the ship. The two bond, and David heads for his family in Fort Lauderdale, though Max warns him NASA will anticipate this move.
They locate David’s house when Jeff sets off fireworks from the roof. David’s initial happiness to see home wears off when he discovers NASA is waiting for him for more "guinea pig tests." He urges Max to return him to his own timeline, despite the danger. Max and David share a heartfelt good-bye, having become friends. Max speeds up the ship until David passes out. Awakening in the ravine like before, David walks home and finds everything the way he left it. He hugs his family (yes, even his little brother Jeff) and gets a pleasant souvenir from his adventure: The "orphaned" alien creature he bonded with seems to have stowed away in his backpack.
Want more on this subject?
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let find good ones for you and edit them a bit.
This time it's Flight of the Navigator. In book terms, this would be considered fun middle grade, considering the protagonist is 12. More specifically, it would probably be a science fiction adventure. Concerning this synopsis, I cut all out mentions that Max's home planet was called Phaelon. I cut all info about how the craft could fly at high speeds. I left in one little moment about the freefall, because I felt it showed David's arc in taking control of the situation after starting as a guinea pig at NASA. I had to lose a lot of specifics about how Max got stuck on Earth and what exactly he did with David's brain. You're starting to see a pattern here - cut, combine, cut, combine, cut. Smooth and fast—that's how a short synopsis has to look.
Twelve-year-old DAVID FREEMAN is trekking through the woods at night when he falls into a ravine and blacks out. Waking a short time later, David heads home only to find an older couple in his house and no visible trace of his parents or brother. Police arrive and start asking questions, but David’s answers are met with puzzlement. His parents are located in a nearby city in Florida, but upon meeting them, David is shocked to see they have visibly aged. He faints and is taken to a hospital. There, he has a conversation with his younger (now older) brother, JEFF, who explains that eight years have passed since that night in the woods and David was declared dead long ago. Everyone in the family is overjoyed with this miraculous reunion, though no one can explain David’s disappearance or lack of aging.
NASA official DR. FARADAY arrives at David’s home and asks for testing. David agrees. At the NASA base, David receives garbled messages in his head, apparently coming from something or someone in a nearby hangar. During tests, Faraday discovers that David’s brain now holds incredible amounts of information related to a strange flying craft, galaxy maps, bizarre languages, and more. Faraday theorizes that an alien spacecraft picked up David in the woods and took him to another galaxy and back. The light-speed trip only took four hours, but everyone on Earth aged eight years. Scared at this revelation, David runs out of the testing room, screaming that he wants his old life back. He hears more from the voice, and follows its directions to a hangar. There, he discovers the spacecraft his mind projected on screens earlier. Inside, he meets the ship’s robotic pilot, whom he nicknames MAX.
Max escapes the base with David onboard. It turns out that David, along with creatures from other planets, was taken for study on Max’s peaceful home planet. Unlike usual, Max did not return David to his original timeline (eight years prior), fearing that humans as a species are too delicate to survive time travel. While Max explains how he got caught in power lines trying to leave Earth (then captured by NASA), David takes a liking to a small friendly creature whose home planet was destroyed by a comet.
David and Max realize they both need each other to get home. David needs Max to pilot to Florida, and Max needs star chart information in David's head to navigate back to his home galaxy. Max performs a scan of David's subconscious to extract the information but accidentally gets some of David’s memories and personality. Max’s voice immediately changes, becoming less robotic and more humorous and erratic. David and Max bicker as to their next course of action, to which Max's response is to shut down in a freefall, forcing David to take control and drive the ship. The two bond, and David heads for his family in Fort Lauderdale, though Max warns him NASA will anticipate this move.
They locate David’s house when Jeff sets off fireworks from the roof. David’s initial happiness to see home wears off when he discovers NASA is waiting for him for more "guinea pig tests." He urges Max to return him to his own timeline, despite the danger. Max and David share a heartfelt good-bye, having become friends. Max speeds up the ship until David passes out. Awakening in the ravine like before, David walks home and finds everything the way he left it. He hugs his family (yes, even his little brother Jeff) and gets a pleasant souvenir from his adventure: The "orphaned" alien creature he bonded with seems to have stowed away in his backpack.
Want more on this subject?
- Want more instruction on synopsis writing? Attend the webinar "How to Land a Literary Agent" on Dec. 17, 2009. Learn about queries, synopses, researching agents and much more.
- Read about
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] ?>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+Flight+Of+The+Navigator+Synopsis.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+Flight+Of+The+Navigator+Synopsis.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,e743f60b-09c9-4160-a2c6-8d84bde13b92.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,e743f60b-09c9-4160-a2c6-8d84bde13b92.aspx</a></p><font color=#000000>I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel
synopsis
<br>
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years
and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a
front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written;
but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let
find good ones for you and edit them a bit.
<br>
<br>
This time it's <em><strong>Flight of the Navigator</strong></em>. In book terms, this
would be considered fun middle grade, considering the protagonist is 12. More
specifically, it would probably be a science fiction adventure. </font><font color=#000000>Concerning
this synopsis, I cut all out mentions that Max's home planet was called Phaelon. I
cut all info about how the craft could fly at high speeds. I left in one little moment
about the freefall, because I felt it showed David's arc in taking control of the
situation after starting as a guinea pig at NASA. I had to lose a lot of specifics
about how Max got stuck on Earth and what exactly he did with David's brain. You're
starting to see a pattern here - cut, combine, cut, combine, cut. Smooth and fast</font><font color=#000000>—t</font><font color=#000000>hat's
how a short synopsis has to look.
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div align=center><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/flight.jpg" border=0>
<br>
</div>
<font color=#000000>
<br>
Twelve-year-old DAVID FREEMAN is trekking through the woods at night when he falls
into a ravine and blacks out. Waking a short time later, David heads home only to
find an older couple in his house and no visible trace of his parents or brother.
Police arrive and start asking questions, but David’s answers are met with puzzlement.
His parents are located in a nearby city in Florida, but upon meeting them, David
is shocked to see they have visibly aged. He faints and is taken to a hospital. There,
he has a conversation with his younger (now older) brother, JEFF, who explains that
eight years have passed since that night in the woods and David was declared dead
long ago. Everyone in the family is overjoyed with this miraculous reunion, though
no one can explain David’s disappearance or lack of aging.
<br>
<br>
NASA official DR. FARADAY arrives at David’s home and asks for testing. David agrees.
At the NASA base, David receives garbled messages in his head, apparently coming from
something or someone in a nearby hangar. During tests, Faraday discovers that David’s
brain now holds incredible amounts of information related to a strange flying craft,
galaxy maps, bizarre languages, and more. Faraday theorizes that an alien spacecraft
picked up David in the woods and took him to another galaxy and back. The light-speed
trip only took four hours, but everyone on Earth aged eight years. Scared at this
revelation, David runs out of the testing room, screaming that he wants his old life
back. He hears more from the voice, and follows its directions to a hangar. There,
he discovers the spacecraft his mind projected on screens earlier. Inside, he meets
the ship’s robotic pilot, whom he nicknames MAX.
<br>
<br>
Max escapes the base with David onboard. It turns out that David, along with creatures
from other planets, was taken for study on Max’s peaceful home planet. Unlike usual,
Max did not return David to his original timeline (eight years prior), fearing that
humans as a species are too delicate to survive time travel. While Max explains how
he got caught in power lines trying to leave Earth (then captured by NASA), David
takes a liking to a small friendly creature whose home planet was destroyed by a comet.
<br>
<br>
David and Max realize they both need each other to get home. David needs Max to pilot
to Florida, and Max needs star chart information in David's head to navigate back
to his home galaxy. Max performs a scan of David's subconscious to extract the information
but accidentally gets some of David’s memories and personality. Max’s voice immediately
changes, becoming less robotic and more humorous and erratic. David and Max bicker
as to their next course of action, to which Max's response is to shut down in a freefall,
forcing David to take control and drive the ship. The two bond, and David heads for
his family in Fort Lauderdale, though Max warns him NASA will anticipate this move.<br>
<br>
They locate David’s house when Jeff sets off fireworks from the roof. David’s initial
happiness to see home wears off when he discovers NASA is waiting for him for more
"guinea pig tests." He urges Max to return him to his own timeline, despite the danger.
Max and David share a heartfelt good-bye, having become friends. Max speeds up the
ship until David passes out. Awakening in the ravine like before, David walks home
and finds everything the way he left it. He hugs his family (yes, even his little
brother Jeff) and gets a pleasant souvenir from his adventure: The "orphaned" alien
creature he bonded with seems to have stowed away in his backpack.<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000><strong><u><font color=#000000 size=1>
<br>
Want more on this subject?</font></u></strong> </font>
<ul>
<font color=#000000><font color=#000000>
<li>
<font color=#000000><font size=1>Want more instruction on synopsis writing? Attend
the webinar <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/land-a-literary-agent-live-webinar-registration/?r=chuckblog111709">"How
to Land a Literary Agent"</a> on Dec. 17, 2009. Learn about queries, synopses, researching
agents and much more. </font></font>
<li>
<font color=#000000><font size=1>Read about <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=18e61711-5e8d-498c-9ef7-173fb2b5f7b9&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fHow%2bTo%2bWrite%2bA%2bNovel%2bSynopsis.aspx" ?=""><font color=#990000>Everything
You Need to Know to Write a Novel Synopsis</font></a>.</font></font>
<li>
<font color=#000000 size=1>Concerning <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=18e61711-5e8d-498c-9ef7-173fb2b5f7b9&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fConcerning%2bNames%2bAnd%2bBackstory%2bIn%2bA%2bSynopsis.aspx" ?=""><font color=#990000>names
and backstory in a synopsis</font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Read another good synopsis: <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=18e61711-5e8d-498c-9ef7-173fb2b5f7b9&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fThe%2bPeggy%2bSue%2bGot%2bMarried%2bSynopsis.aspx" ?=""><i><font color=#990000>Peggy
Sue Got Married</font></i></a>.</font>
</font></font>>
</ul>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=e743f60b-09c9-4160-a2c6-8d84bde13b92" />
For anyone who follows the ridiculous
adventures of my Cincinnati rock cover band, you may have noticed that I don't
put video up of us. Truth is, I'm self-conscious. Someone missed a note,
or this didn't sound right, or that's blurry, blah blah blah.
If you want to know who agented a particular book, there are a variety of ways how to discover the individual literary rep who made the deal. Here are three ideas for starters:
1. Simply check the book's acknowledgements. Sometimes, it will be as simple as a writer saying, "And a special thanks to my agent, Randy Masterson."
2. Use search engines. Try Googling the book's
title (or author) and the word "agent," and see what you come up with.
Also, lots of times, authors will have their representation
listed online. So if you want to know who the agent was for Joe Smith's book, The
Neptune Paradox, find Joe Smith's official Web site. Check the bottom of the
home page, and then the "Contact" page. The site may say, "Joe is represented by Randy
Masterson Literary Agency, 245 Manhattan Road, New York, NY."
3. Worse case scenario, you can call the publisher. If you see that Knopf published the book, for example, call Knopf's main line and speak to the operator. Ask for the editorial department; better yet, if you can, explain your goal and request to speak with the editor who worked on The Neptune Paradox. The operator will say, "Oh, that's Judy Smith. I'll transfer you." You won't talk to Judy, but rather her assistant. No matter. Ask the assistant if Judy did indeed edit The Neptune Paradox. When the assistant confirms Judy's involvement, kindly request to know who the book's acting literary agent was. She'll be happy to tell you.
- Word count guidelines for novels and children's books .
-
Networking
at writers' conferences.
- 20 Tips on Query Letters.
-
Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign
up for my webinar, "How
to Land a Literary Agent," on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me
discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more.
You hear me talk a lot on this blog about the writers' conferences I attend and the presentations I give on agents and pitching. Well, if you've ever wanted to attend such a conference but can't because of money or proximity issues, here is your chance to listen in and ask questions from your computer at home!
I'm teaching a webinar at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 17 on "How
to Land a Literary Agent."
Some praise from past attendees:
"Thank you so much for putting the time
and
effort into the agent workshop today Your answers
(to my questions and those of others) were
valuable and most appreciated. It was great to
hear you speak on such an important topic."
- John Backman (Attended May 14th webinar)
effort into the agent workshop today Your answers
(to my questions and those of others) were
valuable and most appreciated. It was great to
hear you speak on such an important topic."
- John Backman (Attended May 14th webinar)
"Just a quick thank you for your presentation
on 'How to Find a Literary Agent'. Good information."
- Jennifer J. (Attended Oct. 8 webinar)
on 'How to Find a Literary Agent'. Good information."
- Jennifer J. (Attended Oct. 8 webinar)
"Thank you so much for the information shared
in your webinar. The information provided will be
invaluable in my search for a literary agent."
- Paula Lieberman (Attended Oct. 8th webinar)
in your webinar. The information provided will be
invaluable in my search for a literary agent."
- Paula Lieberman (Attended Oct. 8th webinar)
Here's the Gist:
You've finished your masterpiece. It's as good as you hoped it would be—but you're dreading the next step: finding a literary agent. This next step involves queries, synopses, selling your idea and much more. It's a completely different monster than actually sitting down to write.
If you're looking for guidance in the agent-hunting process or have questions that need answering, sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Dec. 17. There's a reason that "How to Land a Literary Agent" is WD's most popular webinar. It's because the online session crams tons of info into 90 minutes. Subjects I'll be talking about include, but are not limited to: queries, pitching, proposals, synopses, conferences, avoiding scammers, where to find agents, self-publishing, and how to target the best reps for you.
Do you know how to begin a query letter to an agent? I'll show you. Do you wonder about contacting multiple agents at the same time? We'll discuss that. Are you curious about how to protect yourself and your ideas from scammers and rip-off artists? We'll address that, too—and more. After editing the Guide to Literary Agents for three years and attending writers' conferences all over the country, I've learned all the ins and outs of how to snag a rep who can sell your work. If you sign up for this webinar, I can pass on what I've learned to you.
Also, attendees are free to ask as many questions as they
like. Go on - hit me with your best shot! I'll be answering questions live in
real time, and I will address all questions afterward and e-mail you the answers.
No question will go unanswered—guaranteed. Also, attendees will be able to access
and "rewatch" the entire presentation (so you don't have to take notes!).
Sign up now! I hope to "see" you there.
This new series is called
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<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Successful+Queries+Agent+Sharlene+Martin+And+River+Of+No+Return+Tennessee+Ernie+Ford+And+The+Woman+He+Loved.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Successful+Queries+Agent+Sharlene+Martin+And+River+Of+No+Return+Tennessee+Ernie+Ford+And+The+Woman+He+Loved.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,5236324e-b6a1-471e-98af-e221c135167a.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,5236324e-b6a1-471e-98af-e221c135167a.aspx</a></p><p>
<font color=#000000>This new series is called <strong><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=69b7b297-f3c2-4e15-8868-885715484574&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fct.ashx%3fid%3d9d2a02f9-dbd0-4a12-8471-91320228d660%26url%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252fblog%252fct.ashx%253fid%253df6d9c64a-862c-4816-b0a8-f5f60a4aa90e%2526url%253dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252fblog%25252fct.ashx%25253fid%25253dc258c1f9-51f5-436a-827a-87d3ee72552b%252526url%25253dhttp%2525253a%2525252f%2525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252fblog%2525252fCategoryView%2525252ccategory%2525252cSuccessful%2525252520Queries.aspx" ?=""><font color=#990000>"Successful
Queries"</font></a></strong><font color=#000000> and I'm posting actual query letters
that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting
the actual query letter, we will also get to hear thoughts from the agent as to why
the letter worked.
<br>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000>The 20th installment in this series is with agent <strong>Sharlene
Martin </strong>(Martin Literary Management) and her author, Jeffrey Buckner
Ford</font><font color=#000000><font color=#000000>, for his book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-No-Return-Tennessee-Ernie/dp/1581826532/ref=cm_cr_dp_orig_subj">River
of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford of the Woman He Loved</a></em>.</font></font></font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000><font color=#000000><font color=#000000>This query excerpted from
Sharlene's awesome new work, <em><a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/publish-your-nonfiction-book/?r=chuckblog111909">Publish
Your Nonfiction Book</a></em>, out this month (Nov. 2009). If you're looking to sell
a book proposal, this book is a must-buy.<br>
</p>
>>>
<p align=center>
<font color=#000000><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/river.jpg" border=0></font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>
<br>
</font><font color=#808080>Dear Ms. Martin:</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>I'm sure I've browsed to your site several hundred times if once,
and I continue to come back; drawn primarily, I think, by the evident priority that
you place on your authors.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080><em>Ernie and His Lovely Wife, Betty</em> is a narrative recounting
of the lives of Betty Jean Ford and her husband, Ernest, the man known to the world
as Tennessee Ernie Ford. In a career that lasted half a century, Ernie Ford achieved
a degree of fame that went beyond his success as an entertainer. It was a fame that
weaved him into the fabric of popular culture, and earned him a permanence in history:
three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, walls of Gold and Platinum records, and
a television legacy spanning generations. </font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>But <em>Ernie and His Lovely Wife, Betty</em> is not a biography
of Ernie Ford, but rather, a record of the lives of <em>two</em> people. It is a portrayal
of the complex and beautiful woman who shared his life; a gifted artist the world
would never know, whose own star might one day have eclipsed even his, but instead,
slowly faded over the years, paling under the weight of the lengthening shadow unwillingly
cast by the man she loved - a shadow she believed she could escape, but only
by taking her own life.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>From their first meeting on a desert airbase at the dawn of World
War II, to their last moments together nearly half a century later, the story of Ernie
and his lovely wife, Betty, is an American love story, an American tregedy; a portrait
of an ordinary family changed forever by an extraordinary life. A family whose story
is also my own. Ernest Jennings and Betty Jean Ford were my mother and dad.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>I am haunted by the memory of these two souls. I am gripped by
the arc of their radiant lives, and wounded by the memories of their deaths, This
book is my hope of healing those wounds; a hope bound with the promise that one day
I would tell their story. </font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>The book stands completed at just over 92,000 words. I would be
honored if you would consider reviewing a partial submission.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#808080>Jeffrey Buckner Ford</font>
</p>
<p>
<br>
<strong><u><font color=#000000 size=3>Commentary from Sharlene</font></u></strong>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>As you see, there is a blood relation in this nostalgic celebrity
memoir, but it is a mistake to think that just because you are related to somebody
famous, you have an actual book in you. Relationships are one thing, but you are either
able to write about them with alacrity and depth of insight, or you are not.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>This author is careful to explain his protagonist in paragraph
two, so that you know what the scope of his story will be. But it is in the third
paragraph where Jeffrey Ford demonstrates why he was not merely born into this family;
he was born to write this book. The paragraph is consumed mostly by the second sentence,
and after reading it, can you doubt that this writer possesses the sensibilities required
to tell this powerful tale of quiet frustration?</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>This author also took the impressive step of writing a complete
draft before seeking literary representation, although this can sometimes work against
you. With memoirs, which are more narrative in nature, writing a full draft can be
helpful. However, many publishers of nonfiction books like to have some input into
the flow of the information and the text. Before the book is sold, it usually is best
to put your time and energy into your platform, your proposal, and then your query
- in that order.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-No-Return-Tennessee-Ernie/dp/1581826532/ref=cm_cr_dp_orig_subj">River
of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved</a></em> sold to Cumberland
House in Tennessee, in Ernie Ford's hometown of Nashville.
<br>
</font>
</p>
<p align=center>
<img style="WIDTH: 171px; HEIGHT: 277px" height=283 src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/publ.jpg" width=171 border=0>
</p>
<p align=center>
<a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/publish-your-nonfiction-book/?r=chuckblog111909">BUY <em>Publish
Your Nonfiction Book</em></a>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=5236324e-b6a1-471e-98af-e221c135167a" />
"How I Got My Agent" is a new recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.
To
see
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<p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+I+Got+My+Agent+Colin+Broderick.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+I+Got+My+Agent+Colin+Broderick.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,546e13f9-5e66-4d58-b949-05892621d305.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,546e13f9-5e66-4d58-b949-05892621d305.aspx</a></p><p align="left">
<font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><b>"How
I Got My Agent"</b> is a new recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating
to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things
people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes
who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks,
while others are of good luck and quick signings.</font></font></font></font></font>
</p>
<div><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000">To
see </font></font><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=31801955-5d50-4b16-a47c-4c50cb76335b&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fct.ashx%3fid%3dda4d5297-c8e5-46bc-b0e9-0aab4b3eed92%26url%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252fblog%252fct.ashx%253fid%253d3ff6aeac-17a8-4f53-bf3e-baa47d2d831c%2526url%253dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252fblog%25252fct.ashx%25253fid%25253d4e76fa27-a6c1-4bba-a57c-6da7bfecc858%252526url%25253dhttp%2525253a%2525252f%2525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252fblog%2525252fct.ashx%2525253fid%2525253d277c1e59-bfaf-42dd-99e2-5fabeda74b0a%25252526url%2525253dhttp%252525253a%252525252f%252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252525252fblog%252525252fct.ashx%252525253fid%252525253d724b99cc-8d38-4ff9-9256-99aae9e37fe3%2525252526url%252525253dhttp%25252525253a%25252525252f%25252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252525252fblog%25252525252fct.ashx%25252525253fid%25252525253dee97ce92-dcee-4354-b9ab-c8965e16f940%252525252526url%25252525253dhttp%2525252525253a%2525252525252f%2525252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252525252fblog%2525252525252fct.ashx%2525252525253fid%2525252525253dd30c7269-150d-4194-9437-87d74d931212%25252525252526url%2525252525253dhttp%252525252525253a%252525252525252f%252525252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252525252525252fblog%252525252525252fct.ashx%252525252525253fid%252525252525253d2b3043bd-0131-4210-88b7-7308871c91e6%2525252525252526url%252525252525253dhttp%25252525252525253a%25252525252525252f%25252525252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252525252525252fblog%25252525252525252fct.ashx%25252525252525253fid%25252525252525253d07abcc91-58e4-405a-8c24-56a6171c4bf4%252525252525252526url%25252525252525253dhttp%2525252525252525253a%2525252525252525252f%2525252525252525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252525252525252fblog%2525252525252525252fCategoryView%2525252525252525252ccategory%2525252525252525252cHow%2525252525252525252520I%2525252525252525252520Got%2525252525252525252520My%2525252525252525252520Agent%2525252525252525252520Columns.aspx" ?=""><font color="#990000">the
previous installments of this column, click here</font></a>.<font color="#000000"><font color="#000000">
<br>
<br>
<b>If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column
for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk specifics. </b></font></font></font></font></font>
</div>
<p align="center">
<font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><em>This installment
of "How I Got
<br>
My Agent" is by <b>Colin Broderick</b>. <strong></strong>
<br>
Colin is the author of the memoir,<br>
</em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orangutan-Memoir-Colin-Broderick/dp/0307453405">Orangutan</a><em>.
His site, www.colinbroderick.com,<br>
will be up and running soon.</em></font></font></font><font color="#000000">
<br>
<br>
</font>
</p>
<div align="center"><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/colin.jpg" border="0">
<br>
</div>
<br>
<font color="#000000">
<br>
<b>ROCK BOTTOM</b>
<br>
<br>
On the sixth day of the sixth month 2006, I left my apartment in Hells Kitchen with
the last of my belongings in a small U-Haul truck to drive to farmhouse up north and
try to save my life. It might sound like I’m fabricating the facts here for dramatic
effect but as I started the truck and headed north I glanced at the dash clock and
it read 6:06. It occurred to me then and I still believe it now that there was some
Dante-esque connection at play here, my life had literally spiraled to its lowest
point. I was a 38-year-old, twice divorced alcoholic weighing in at an astonishing
115 lbs. I was broke and now I had lost my apartment. It was time to start the long
crawl out of the hole I had dug for myself. I had witnessed the depths of the inferno
and it held little of the allure it once did for me. I wanted nothing more to do with
it.<br>
<br>
Within three days, I had started writing what was to become my memoir, <i>Orangutan</i>.
I had been writing for twenty years since moving to New York from Northern Ireland
at the age of 20 to work construction. I completed a couple of novels, plays, short
stories and notebooks full of poetry—but I had only ever managed to get one short
story published and that had been 10 years before. I spent my twenties convinced
that I would be "discovered." An agent or editor would read one page of my manuscript
and run to the nearest phone to dial my number with an offer that would catapult me
into the waiting arms of the Nobel Prize Committee. It didn’t happen. I did send my
early manuscripts out to a few agents and agencies but I can’t remember even receiving
a rejection letter. It seemed finding an agent was a more elusive dream than finding
a publisher. I used to joke that you needed an agent to get an agent in this town.
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div align="center"><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/orang%20good.jpg" border="0" height="259" width="169">
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orangutan-Memoir-Colin-Broderick/dp/0307453405"><i>Orangutan</i></a>
<br>
</div>
<font color="#000000">
<br>
<b>THE AA REFERRAL</b>
<br>
<br>
After spending a year on <i>Orangutan</i>—a year that saw me back on the bottle for
a brief but productive period that added a stint in an upstate jail to my resume—I
started dating a girl who had been a bartender of mine once upon a time. She was a
writer, also. She read what I had written and was convinced that this was the manuscript
that would finally get me published. She took me back to the city gave me a place
to stay and a desk for my work. I married her for her efforts and quit drinking to
devote my time and energy to creating a career for myself in the only profession that
has ever made any sense to me: writing.<br>
<br>
I was at a meeting one night way downtown—one of those meetings you hear about where
the alcoholics gather to drink coffee and smoke their cigarettes—when I heard a guy
about my age tell his story. He’d escaped from a locked ward at Bellevue Mental Hospital,
and was the first to escape from the institution since the early 70s. He’d sobered
up and written a book about it, and with the help of his wonderful agent had just
nailed down a book deal. I lurked around outside the meeting afterward waiting for
my moment. He was quite popular and had a lot of goodbyes to say but I was patient.
This was my guy—I was sure of it. When he finally turned to leave, I followed him
around the corner and stopped him with a tap on the shoulder.<br>
<br>
“Excuse me, my name’s Colin I just heard your story in there and it was great.
Here’s the deal; I heard you say you have an agent, well I’m a writer myself and I
have this manuscript almost finished and I could really use an agent.” Here he started
mumbling some line about how he had introduced someone to his agent already and it
hadn’t really worked out for him but I didn’t let him finish. “I can assure you, I
told him that if you introduce me to your agent you will always remember this as the
night you discovered Colin Broderick.” He smiled. I had appealed to his cooky sense
of happenstance. He laughed and eyed me skeptically.<br>
“You’re not bullshitting me,” he said. “You can really write?”<br>
“I promise, I will not embarrass you.”<br>
<br>
<b>"SHOOT"</b>
<br>
<br>
Three days later (thanks to a phone call from this nice man), I was seated in the
office of Dystel and Goderich down on Union Square. I on one couch, Jane and Miriam
on another facing me. “Okay, shoot,” Jane said clasping her hands in her lap and the
two women glaring at me with raised eyebrows.<br>
“What?” I had no idea what to do next.<br>
“Well, why are we sitting here with you? Shoot.”<br>
<br>
This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire adult life. Here was an honest-to-goodness
shot at the hoop. I jumped right in with my story and within a few minutes I could
tell they were warming up. We had made a connection. They asked me if I’d brought
anything with me for them to read. I had. I gave them a disc with what I had of the
manuscript so far and in within three days I was back in their office signing a contract.
I had my agent!—the same agency who represented Barack Obama, a Hemingway, Judge Judy,
and a Bellevue escapee. I had found my home.<br>
<br>
It took six months for them to sell <i>Orangutan</i> to Three Rivers Press, (Random
House, no less). Over the past year, both Jane and Miriam have been working closely
with me helping me refine my next book proposal. They have just submitted it
to the publishers. It’s been a long hard road, but it’s been well worth the wait.
And that Bellevue escapee, author Chris Campion, and I became fast friends into the
bargain.<br>
<br>
</font>
<p>
</p>
<div align="center"><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/WD%20good.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
<i><font color="#000000">This guest column by Colin is an exclusive online<br>
supplement to a feature on him in the Jan. 2010<br>
issue of Writer's Digest (the "Breaking In" section).<br>
If you haven't subscribed to WD yet, what are you<br>
waiting for? <b><a href="https://secure.palmcoastd.com/pcd/eSv?iMagId=0768P&i4Ky=IE57">Get
a sub now!</a></b></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<div align="left">
<p align="left">
<a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=882851d2-5a32-475a-82de-5d20cfbb956a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2fon-writing-romance%2f%3fr%3dchuckblog102209"><font color="#000000"><strong><u><font size="1">Want
more on this subject?</font></u></strong></font> </a>
</p>
<ul>
<font color="#000000">
<li>
<font color="#000000"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Word+Count+For+Novels+And+Childrens+Books+The+Definitive+Post.aspx"><font size="1">Word
count guidelines for novels and children's books</font></a><font size="1">. </font></font>
</li>
<li>
<font color="#000000"><font size="1"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Networking+At+Writers+Conferences.aspx">Networking
at writers' conferences</a>.<br>
</font></font>
</li>
<font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000">
<li>
<font size="1"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/20+Tips+On+Query+Letters+As+Told+By+Agent+Janet+Reid.aspx">20
Tips on Query Letters</a>.</font>
</li>
<li>
<font size="1">Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign
up for my webinar, <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/land-a-literary-agent-live-webinar-registration/?r=chuckblog111909">"How
to Land a Literary Agent,"</a> on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me
discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more. </font>
</li>
</font></font></font></font>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=546e13f9-5e66-4d58-b949-05892621d305" />
7 Things I've
Learned So Far is a recurring column where writers at any stage of their
career can talk about seven things I've learned on their writing journey that they
wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from writer Mike Chen.
1. You don't have to write from beginning to end. I know some writers that start a story at the very beginning and build and build upon it until they hit a wall ... and because they force themselves to write chronologically, the whole thing stops dead in its tracks for months. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was the idea of mapping a rough outline with key scenes; when you get stuck, grab one of those pivotal moments and write it. You'll be surprised at how the different perspective can get you going again and it might even give you a new perspective on characters and events.
2. Extreme moments define characters. How does your character act when the world is collapsing upon her? Sometimes, we never know because we don't get that far. One lesson that's always stuck with me is that characters are defined by how they act in conflict. When I feel like a character isn’t working, I stop the manuscript. Instead, I throw the character into an extreme circumstance (either related to the plot or not) -- amp up the conflict and see what happens: how they react, how they choose, what their voices sound like. Whenever I start a new project, I do a bunch of these scenes to help me learn about my main characters before I throw them into 90,000 words.
3. Inspiration comes from everywhere. My crowning achievement in college creative writing was a satire on Hollywood and pop culture called How Brad Pitt and I Saved The World. The story came from sitting next to a Fed Ex truck at a red light, and I randomly thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if a celebrity was actually kidnapped in the back of the Fed Ex truck?" (which perhaps shows how twisted I am). Normally, these silly thoughts pass in and out of my head, but I decided to try and run with this one and it became a 20-page story for a class. To this day, I try to gather my random thoughts and apply them to a story whenever possible, even if they seem totally absurd. You never know what will work!
4. Even idiots have some valid points. I was once in a workshop group with the most stubborn, close-minded writer I'd ever met. He was writing historical fiction in a very, er, straightforward style (passive voice, no metaphors or imagery) ... and he wanted every writer in the group to write exactly like he did – even the woman who wrote obtuse literary fiction. I filtered out most of his comments, though he made the occasional interesting point. It took me a while to deconstruct it among all of the crap he threw out, but it pushed my characters in different and unique ways because his thinking was so different from mine. So even the most dense, unimaginative criticism is worth checking out.
5. Keep your influences close. When I hit the block -- and we all do -- one of my tricks is to re-read my primary influences. This isn't reading for pleasure; it's to examine pacing, structure, prose, point of view, all of the things that might open (or re-open) my creative drive. For me, that means keeping a copy of About a Boy and High Fidelity by Nick Hornby within reach and flipping to a random page whenever necessary.
6. Writing can heal the soul. Each of my stories means something different for me, but they've all helped me grow as a person. Sometimes, it's the exploration of wish fulfillment (Local Band explores the musical heights I'll never see, barring a miracle); other times, it can deal with more serious personal issues. In those cases, I find that writing from the perspective opposite of my real-life situation helps me understand the real world better -- and that more well-rounded perspective helps me think more creatively. It's a win-win situation.
7. Get writer friends who respect you enough to be critical. This one's a no-brainer, but I'm surprised at the amount of feedback I got in workshops where people offered a gentle, "I like it, it's good" and not much else. Fortunately, I've built a strong circle of writer friends that can provide criticism in an effective and respectful way. This goes for both fiction and nonfiction essays. I think some writers worry too much about hurting feelings, so they stay on the safer side of criticism. However, when respectfully done, constructive criticism can spark creative thoughts, solve plots points, or flesh out character quirks. It’s incredibly important to have those reliable people that can push you to be better.
Mike Chen is a professional
copywriter, and
also has his own blog on writing. He loves
hockey and writes for several sites about
it (including FoxSports.com).
also has his own blog on writing. He loves
hockey and writes for several sites about
it (including FoxSports.com).
1. You don't have to write from beginning to end. I know some writers that start a story at the very beginning and build and build upon it until they hit a wall ... and because they force themselves to write chronologically, the whole thing stops dead in its tracks for months. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was the idea of mapping a rough outline with key scenes; when you get stuck, grab one of those pivotal moments and write it. You'll be surprised at how the different perspective can get you going again and it might even give you a new perspective on characters and events.
2. Extreme moments define characters. How does your character act when the world is collapsing upon her? Sometimes, we never know because we don't get that far. One lesson that's always stuck with me is that characters are defined by how they act in conflict. When I feel like a character isn’t working, I stop the manuscript. Instead, I throw the character into an extreme circumstance (either related to the plot or not) -- amp up the conflict and see what happens: how they react, how they choose, what their voices sound like. Whenever I start a new project, I do a bunch of these scenes to help me learn about my main characters before I throw them into 90,000 words.
3. Inspiration comes from everywhere. My crowning achievement in college creative writing was a satire on Hollywood and pop culture called How Brad Pitt and I Saved The World. The story came from sitting next to a Fed Ex truck at a red light, and I randomly thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if a celebrity was actually kidnapped in the back of the Fed Ex truck?" (which perhaps shows how twisted I am). Normally, these silly thoughts pass in and out of my head, but I decided to try and run with this one and it became a 20-page story for a class. To this day, I try to gather my random thoughts and apply them to a story whenever possible, even if they seem totally absurd. You never know what will work!
4. Even idiots have some valid points. I was once in a workshop group with the most stubborn, close-minded writer I'd ever met. He was writing historical fiction in a very, er, straightforward style (passive voice, no metaphors or imagery) ... and he wanted every writer in the group to write exactly like he did – even the woman who wrote obtuse literary fiction. I filtered out most of his comments, though he made the occasional interesting point. It took me a while to deconstruct it among all of the crap he threw out, but it pushed my characters in different and unique ways because his thinking was so different from mine. So even the most dense, unimaginative criticism is worth checking out.
5. Keep your influences close. When I hit the block -- and we all do -- one of my tricks is to re-read my primary influences. This isn't reading for pleasure; it's to examine pacing, structure, prose, point of view, all of the things that might open (or re-open) my creative drive. For me, that means keeping a copy of About a Boy and High Fidelity by Nick Hornby within reach and flipping to a random page whenever necessary.
6. Writing can heal the soul. Each of my stories means something different for me, but they've all helped me grow as a person. Sometimes, it's the exploration of wish fulfillment (Local Band explores the musical heights I'll never see, barring a miracle); other times, it can deal with more serious personal issues. In those cases, I find that writing from the perspective opposite of my real-life situation helps me understand the real world better -- and that more well-rounded perspective helps me think more creatively. It's a win-win situation.
7. Get writer friends who respect you enough to be critical. This one's a no-brainer, but I'm surprised at the amount of feedback I got in workshops where people offered a gentle, "I like it, it's good" and not much else. Fortunately, I've built a strong circle of writer friends that can provide criticism in an effective and respectful way. This goes for both fiction and nonfiction essays. I think some writers worry too much about hurting feelings, so they stay on the safer side of criticism. However, when respectfully done, constructive criticism can spark creative thoughts, solve plots points, or flesh out character quirks. It’s incredibly important to have those reliable people that can push you to be better.
-
Want to write a "7 Things" guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.
-
Networking
at writers' conferences.
- 20 Tips on Query Letters.
- Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more.
Literary agent Irene
Goodman of the Irene Goodman Agency in New York is auctioning off 25 critiques
this December, with all proceeds going toward Foundation Fighting Blindness and the
Deafness Research Foundation. If you've ever wanted to get a thorough critique from
someone who knows their stuff and has helped launch some amazing writers' careers,
read on.
Irene Goodman and her son, Rob,
who was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome,
which affects sight and hearing.
All the details are on Irene's page about this. Here's the gist: You can submit a synopsis and up to 50 pages (a "partial") and she sends back her notes on how the work can be more salable. There are certain categories she likes in both fiction and nonfiction. The auctions on EBay start on Dec. 1 and end on Dec. 15, 2009. The actual EBay links do not exist yet (as of Nov. 17) but will be live as of Dec. 1.
It's a good cause, so think about getting in on this and making a bid. If you don't have anything that needs a critique, purchase one of these for a friend or writer you know as a Christmas gift! (On a side note, I am advocating to everyone I know to buy books, magazines and more books this Christmas to support the publishing industry. First on my list: Pixarpedia.)
Irene Goodman and her son, Rob,
who was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome,
which affects sight and hearing.
All the details are on Irene's page about this. Here's the gist: You can submit a synopsis and up to 50 pages (a "partial") and she sends back her notes on how the work can be more salable. There are certain categories she likes in both fiction and nonfiction. The auctions on EBay start on Dec. 1 and end on Dec. 15, 2009. The actual EBay links do not exist yet (as of Nov. 17) but will be live as of Dec. 1.
It's a good cause, so think about getting in on this and making a bid. If you don't have anything that needs a critique, purchase one of these for a friend or writer you know as a Christmas gift! (On a side note, I am advocating to everyone I know to buy books, magazines and more books this Christmas to support the publishing industry. First on my list: Pixarpedia.)
-
Want to write for the GLA blog? Learn
how here.
-
Advice
on writing memoir.
- 20 Tips on Query Letters.
- Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more.
A little while ago,
I received an invitation to the graduation of one of my author’s daughters. This author
has been with me for eleven years when her daughter was only seven years old. It’s
amazing how time flies. It’s even more amazing the relationship that I’ve developed
not only with my author, but with her family as well. We have shared personal ups
and downs over the years, I’ve watched her family grow and I’ve guided her career
as well.
It’s the same for the majority of my clients. They start off as clients but they become friends. It’s important to nurture this relationship from both sides, because it is going to be a long term relationship. Once the agent sells the book, you’re working with that agent for the life of the book contract. Even if the two of you part ways, royalties still have be paid out, correspondence exchanged, and foreign rights have to be sold. It behooves both sides to follow some simple guidelines to ensure good communication between agent and author. I’m going to outline some of them below.
1. Make sure both of you agree how you like to communicate. If it’s by e-mail, confirm that you have the best address (many people have multiple addresses). If you change your e-mail address, make sure this is communicated as well. Also, keep your agent updated on all of your points of contact. That means your phone number, e-mail, and mailing address. This is even true once you part ways. Your agent must continue to send you royalty statements, 1099s, and other important information for the life of the book contract.
2. You may want to casually inquire how frequently you should expect to be in contact. You can expect to be in fairly close contact when your agent is giving feed back on revisions, shopping your material around and negotiating the deal. Once she has sold your book and the contract has been signed, she may leave you alone to actually write the darn thing.
3. Both the author and the agent should be attuned to how the other likes to communicate, whether it is informal and chatty or strictly down to business. This will vary depending on demands on both parties, but pay attention to cues in how communication is exchanged and respond accordingly.
4. How long is too long to wait for hear back from your agent? Or better yet, when should you start to panic? This, too, will vary. But before you panic, realize that e-mails go astray, computers crash, people get sick, messages get erased, and calls made from a cell phone may be too distorted to comprehend. If you haven’t heard back try again and then a third time. After the third time, then you may want to get concerned about the lack of response.
5. If you’re going on vacation, let people know. This is true for both sides. For authors, leave contact information so that your agent can reach you. Agents who are leaving on an extended trip usually inform their clients and indicate a person to contact in case of an emergency.
6. Show appreciation for each other. Remember each other at the holidays and, if possible, birthdays (although, I admit, I’m horrible at remembering birthdays).
7. Realize that you’re not going to agree on everything all the time. Your agent probably won’t love everything you write. If she’s good, she’ll let you know that it’s not your best work. That’s her job.
8. Make sure you both understand your goals. Do you want to write a book a year? Make a bestseller list? Reach a certain print run? Move to another publishing house?
9. If things aren’t going well, don’t dwell on it by discussing it only with your writing buddies but not your agent. If there is a problem it should be addressed directly. This is true for both sides. If the agent has issues, she should bring them up as well.
10. Realize that this is a small industry and gossip travels quickly (for example, on Galleycat). Above all, practice courtesy and be professional. Treat your agent the way you’d like to be treated and she should do the same.
Bottom line: keep the lines of communication open, don’t hesitate to bring up any concerns, and make sure you both have a clear understanding of your goals and responsibilities.
Paige Wheeler is an agent with Folio Literary Management. View her complete submission guidelines here. Paige is a founding partner of Folio; before that, she founded Creative Media Agency (CMA) in 1997 and served as its president for nine years until she merged CMA into her new company, Folio, in 2006. She seeks: "upscale commercial fiction and nonfiction books, women's fiction, romance (all types), mystery, thrillers, and psychological suspense. I enjoy both historical fiction as well as contemporary fiction, so do keep that in mind. I'm looking for both narrative nonfiction and prescriptive nonfiction. I'm looking for books where the author has a huge platform and something new to say in a particular area. Some of the areas that she likes are lifestyle, relationship, parenting, business, popular/trendy reference projects and women's issues."
It’s the same for the majority of my clients. They start off as clients but they become friends. It’s important to nurture this relationship from both sides, because it is going to be a long term relationship. Once the agent sells the book, you’re working with that agent for the life of the book contract. Even if the two of you part ways, royalties still have be paid out, correspondence exchanged, and foreign rights have to be sold. It behooves both sides to follow some simple guidelines to ensure good communication between agent and author. I’m going to outline some of them below.
1. Make sure both of you agree how you like to communicate. If it’s by e-mail, confirm that you have the best address (many people have multiple addresses). If you change your e-mail address, make sure this is communicated as well. Also, keep your agent updated on all of your points of contact. That means your phone number, e-mail, and mailing address. This is even true once you part ways. Your agent must continue to send you royalty statements, 1099s, and other important information for the life of the book contract.
2. You may want to casually inquire how frequently you should expect to be in contact. You can expect to be in fairly close contact when your agent is giving feed back on revisions, shopping your material around and negotiating the deal. Once she has sold your book and the contract has been signed, she may leave you alone to actually write the darn thing.
3. Both the author and the agent should be attuned to how the other likes to communicate, whether it is informal and chatty or strictly down to business. This will vary depending on demands on both parties, but pay attention to cues in how communication is exchanged and respond accordingly.
4. How long is too long to wait for hear back from your agent? Or better yet, when should you start to panic? This, too, will vary. But before you panic, realize that e-mails go astray, computers crash, people get sick, messages get erased, and calls made from a cell phone may be too distorted to comprehend. If you haven’t heard back try again and then a third time. After the third time, then you may want to get concerned about the lack of response.
5. If you’re going on vacation, let people know. This is true for both sides. For authors, leave contact information so that your agent can reach you. Agents who are leaving on an extended trip usually inform their clients and indicate a person to contact in case of an emergency.
6. Show appreciation for each other. Remember each other at the holidays and, if possible, birthdays (although, I admit, I’m horrible at remembering birthdays).
7. Realize that you’re not going to agree on everything all the time. Your agent probably won’t love everything you write. If she’s good, she’ll let you know that it’s not your best work. That’s her job.
8. Make sure you both understand your goals. Do you want to write a book a year? Make a bestseller list? Reach a certain print run? Move to another publishing house?
9. If things aren’t going well, don’t dwell on it by discussing it only with your writing buddies but not your agent. If there is a problem it should be addressed directly. This is true for both sides. If the agent has issues, she should bring them up as well.
10. Realize that this is a small industry and gossip travels quickly (for example, on Galleycat). Above all, practice courtesy and be professional. Treat your agent the way you’d like to be treated and she should do the same.
Bottom line: keep the lines of communication open, don’t hesitate to bring up any concerns, and make sure you both have a clear understanding of your goals and responsibilities.
Paige Wheeler is an agent with Folio Literary Management. View her complete submission guidelines here. Paige is a founding partner of Folio; before that, she founded Creative Media Agency (CMA) in 1997 and served as its president for nine years until she merged CMA into her new company, Folio, in 2006. She seeks: "upscale commercial fiction and nonfiction books, women's fiction, romance (all types), mystery, thrillers, and psychological suspense. I enjoy both historical fiction as well as contemporary fiction, so do keep that in mind. I'm looking for both narrative nonfiction and prescriptive nonfiction. I'm looking for books where the author has a huge platform and something new to say in a particular area. Some of the areas that she likes are lifestyle, relationship, parenting, business, popular/trendy reference projects and women's issues."
-
Interview
with Folio agent Michelle Brower.
-
Advice
on writing memoir.
- 20 Tips on Query Letters.
- Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more.
Are you ready to start thinking about holiday shopping? Are you looking for the perfect gift for your children or grandchildren? Well, might I suggest that the Cybils nomination lists are an excellent source of book recommendations for kids of all ages? We have more than 900 nominated titles from 2009 in categories ranging from picture books to nonfiction to graphic novels. You can view all of the nominated titles, by category, on the Cybils blog.
You can also view a rotating list of Cybils nominees in the gorgeous and handy Cybils 2009 widget, developed by Tracy Grand from JacketFlap. You can view the widget in my right-hand sidebar (scroll down a bit - you'll see the Cybils logo). If you click through from the widget and purchase any of the titles from Amazon, a small commission will go to the Cybils organization. Money raised by these Amazon commissions is used by the Cybils organizers to buy prizes for the winners (last year we bought lovely engraved pens). You can also click a link to purchase from your local bookstore, if you prefer that.
You're also welcome and encouraged to install the Cybils widget on your own blog - you can customize it to choose particular categories, and you can add your own Amazon ID if you prefer (I've left mine using the Cybils Amazon ID, as a small way of showing support for the Cybils - but that is completely up to you). Many thanks to Tracy Grand for putting this widget together.
If you'd prefer shorter, more targeted book lists to choose from, you can find printable versions of the short lists and winners from the 2007 and 2008 Cybils in the upper right-hand corner of the Cybils blog. Many of these titles are, by now, available in paperback. You can print out the lists, and take them to your local bookstore.
I've always felt that one of the biggest benefits that comes out of the Cybils process is these categorized lists of nominees and finalists. I hope that if any of you are planning to buy children's or young adult books for the holidays, you'll take advantage of this resource. And if you're looking for reasons in general to buy books for the holidays, you might check out the Buy Books for the Holidays website (not Cybils affiliated, though there is certainly overlap between Cybils panelists and Buy Books for the Holidays advocates).
Wishing you all a lovely and safe Thanksgiving weekend, and a wonderful start to the 2009 holiday season!
I'm thrilled to have the lovely authors of Beautiful Creatures: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl on Author Chat today. Beautiful Creatures is not only beautiful, but the #1 Bestselling Teen Novel on Amazon. Want to find out more about them? Me too!
Are either of you from the South? How did you do the research for the setting?
Kami: My family lived with my grandmother and great-grandma, both of who were raised in North Carolina, so there was a lot of Southern influence in my house. My mom has also lived in the Outer Banks for almost twenty years, which gives me the opportunity to spend even more time there.
Margie: My mom grew up in a Gatlin-sized town where we spent our summers, so we all had that in common. Visits to Charleston and Savannah and the Outer Banks helped fill in the details, but also both Kami and I have been hugely influenced by so many amazing Southern writers.
You had me at Savannah...but still. I must know more.
Tell us a bit about the story.
Kami: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is a paranormal romance, and an epic Southern gothic. It’s the story of Ethan Wate, a boy who lives in a small Southern town, where nothing ever happens. He has been dreaming of a girl he’s never met, and one day she steps out of dreams and shows up in his town. But Lena isn’t like the other girls in Gatlin.
Margie: He’s forced to choose between the comfortable life he’s always had as one of the insiders, and this girl who captures his heart. On top of that, there’s the small matter of a curse…
You wrote this novel together. This intrigues me! I've always wanted to write a book with someone else--how did you make this work? Was it written every other chapter? Or....?
Kami: Let’s just say it involves many colors of highlighter and more than a few cases of Diet Coke.
Margie: We write over each other just like we talk over each other. It’s more of a process of erosion than creation; we draft and chip away and redraft and chip away until neither one of us can remember who has written what.
Is Beautiful Creatures a stand alone or a series?
Kami: It’s the first book in a series. Book 2 comes out in December 2010.
Margie: But we love how many people have asked us that, because we wanted the book to feel like it could stand on its’ own as a novel.
Who were some of your author influences?
Kami: Flannery O’Connor, Harper Lee, Ray Bradbury, Anne Rice.
Margie: Harper Lee, Eudora Welty, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones.
Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird
If you two could live on a desert island with ANY character from YA fiction who would it be and why?
Kami: I’d love to hang out with Mr. Hyde. I think we could talk a few things out. Maybe he’s not really YA. A close second would be Astrid from RAMPANT. I’m a huge fan of strong female characters in YA novels, and you don’t get much stronger than a girl who slays evil unicorns the size of SUVs.
Margie: I have a few questions for Fire (FIRE) and Katsa (GRACELING) so Kristin Cashore would have to loan them to me.
What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?
Kami: I can’t wait for Melissa Marr’s RADIANT SHADOWS, Holly Black’s WHITE CAT, Cassandra Clare’s THE CLOCKWORK ANGEL, Sarah Rees Brennan’s THE DEVIL’S COVENANT, Carrie Ryan’s THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES, and Kristin Cashore’s BITTERBLUE.
Margie: You mean aside from Heidi R. Kling’s SEA? All of the above. And I can’t wait to read Malinda Lo’s follow up to ASH.
(Aww, shucks. Thanks, Margie!)
Dead-Tossed Waves, coming this spring, by Carrie Ryan
When does BEAUTIFUL CREATURES debut?
December 1, 2009
Any movie plans yet? Who would you two ideally star in the roles?
Kami: We stick to writing and let our agents handle the rest. As far as casting, I think it’s fun for readers to imagine that for themselves. But I will say, I can promise that I won’t be in it.
Margie: LOL. Me neither ☺
(Don't forget about me- I was in high school plays--*acting chops*)
Happy Thanksgiving! I know what I'll be reading!
You can keep up with Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl at www.BeautifulCreaturestheBook.com.
Visit Little, Brown’s Beautiful Creatures website at www.SomeLovesAreCursed.com.
A commenter picked at RANDOM will win a Signed-Something from the authors! So comment away!
Are either of you from the South? How did you do the research for the setting?
Kami: My family lived with my grandmother and great-grandma, both of who were raised in North Carolina, so there was a lot of Southern influence in my house. My mom has also lived in the Outer Banks for almost twenty years, which gives me the opportunity to spend even more time there.
Margie: My mom grew up in a Gatlin-sized town where we spent our summers, so we all had that in common. Visits to Charleston and Savannah and the Outer Banks helped fill in the details, but also both Kami and I have been hugely influenced by so many amazing Southern writers.
You had me at Savannah...but still. I must know more.
Tell us a bit about the story.
Kami: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is a paranormal romance, and an epic Southern gothic. It’s the story of Ethan Wate, a boy who lives in a small Southern town, where nothing ever happens. He has been dreaming of a girl he’s never met, and one day she steps out of dreams and shows up in his town. But Lena isn’t like the other girls in Gatlin.
Margie: He’s forced to choose between the comfortable life he’s always had as one of the insiders, and this girl who captures his heart. On top of that, there’s the small matter of a curse…
You wrote this novel together. This intrigues me! I've always wanted to write a book with someone else--how did you make this work? Was it written every other chapter? Or....?
Kami: Let’s just say it involves many colors of highlighter and more than a few cases of Diet Coke.
Margie: We write over each other just like we talk over each other. It’s more of a process of erosion than creation; we draft and chip away and redraft and chip away until neither one of us can remember who has written what.
Is Beautiful Creatures a stand alone or a series?
Kami: It’s the first book in a series. Book 2 comes out in December 2010.
Margie: But we love how many people have asked us that, because we wanted the book to feel like it could stand on its’ own as a novel.
Who were some of your author influences?
Kami: Flannery O’Connor, Harper Lee, Ray Bradbury, Anne Rice.
Margie: Harper Lee, Eudora Welty, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones.
Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird
If you two could live on a desert island with ANY character from YA fiction who would it be and why?
Kami: I’d love to hang out with Mr. Hyde. I think we could talk a few things out. Maybe he’s not really YA. A close second would be Astrid from RAMPANT. I’m a huge fan of strong female characters in YA novels, and you don’t get much stronger than a girl who slays evil unicorns the size of SUVs.
Margie: I have a few questions for Fire (FIRE) and Katsa (GRACELING) so Kristin Cashore would have to loan them to me.
What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?
Kami: I can’t wait for Melissa Marr’s RADIANT SHADOWS, Holly Black’s WHITE CAT, Cassandra Clare’s THE CLOCKWORK ANGEL, Sarah Rees Brennan’s THE DEVIL’S COVENANT, Carrie Ryan’s THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES, and Kristin Cashore’s BITTERBLUE.
Margie: You mean aside from Heidi R. Kling’s SEA? All of the above. And I can’t wait to read Malinda Lo’s follow up to ASH.
(Aww, shucks. Thanks, Margie!)
Dead-Tossed Waves, coming this spring, by Carrie Ryan
When does BEAUTIFUL CREATURES debut?
December 1, 2009
Any movie plans yet? Who would you two ideally star in the roles?
Kami: We stick to writing and let our agents handle the rest. As far as casting, I think it’s fun for readers to imagine that for themselves. But I will say, I can promise that I won’t be in it.
Margie: LOL. Me neither ☺
(Don't forget about me- I was in high school plays--*acting chops*)
Happy Thanksgiving! I know what I'll be reading!
You can keep up with Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl at www.BeautifulCreaturestheBook.com.
Visit Little, Brown’s Beautiful Creatures website at www.SomeLovesAreCursed.com.
A commenter picked at RANDOM will win a Signed-Something from the authors! So comment away!
- Mood:
grateful
1) Husband is stuck in Phillie following NCTE because of a wonky plane. House is a mess, and Thursday we're hosting four families for Thanksgiving. Have to do my cooking tomorrow to free up the oven for turkey on Thursday. So here's the schedule for tomorrow: pick up baguettes from bakery; dust, vacuum, clean bathrooms, floors, everything; bake pies, steam pudding, and roast roots. But I'm thankful. Honest I am. Come home, husband!
2) I've been working on my funny MG revision. It's going pretty well despite way too many interruptions. It's nice to be working on a single thread, instead of having to produce a whole new draft. It's amazing to see how tugging on that one thread can pull the whole story together...if I do it right, that is. So far so good.
3) My agent is a peach. Or, in keeping, with the season, she's a pumpkin. Seriously.
4) My daughter. Gosh. She'll be eleven this January. Last night she cleaned the living room and her bedroom, without being asked. She also finished THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY and said, "This book has a really good ending." Indeed.
5) My son. His voice is cracking, his legs are growing, his brain -- well, I'm not sure what his brain is doing, but it's scurrying to catch up. He finished reading SPEAK last night and during the night his water glass tipped over and ruined the book. "You HAVE to buy me another copy," he said. "Why? You finished reading it," I said. "I know. But I NEED a copy," he answered. Indeed.
6) My husband called from NCTE to say he talked to Wendy Lamb. Wendy Lamb. I don't know Wendy L, but I love her. I've even had a couple of rejections from her. Wendy Lamb is awesome.
7) Finally, here's a lovely frock for Thanksgiving. (I saw it in an ad in the Sunday NY Times...) Click to zoom in for a better view:
If this dress could talk...it would say "Look at me! I have a giant yellow bow buttoned to my bazoomba!"
2) I've been working on my funny MG revision. It's going pretty well despite way too many interruptions. It's nice to be working on a single thread, instead of having to produce a whole new draft. It's amazing to see how tugging on that one thread can pull the whole story together...if I do it right, that is. So far so good.
3) My agent is a peach. Or, in keeping, with the season, she's a pumpkin. Seriously.
4) My daughter. Gosh. She'll be eleven this January. Last night she cleaned the living room and her bedroom, without being asked. She also finished THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY and said, "This book has a really good ending." Indeed.
5) My son. His voice is cracking, his legs are growing, his brain -- well, I'm not sure what his brain is doing, but it's scurrying to catch up. He finished reading SPEAK last night and during the night his water glass tipped over and ruined the book. "You HAVE to buy me another copy," he said. "Why? You finished reading it," I said. "I know. But I NEED a copy," he answered. Indeed.
6) My husband called from NCTE to say he talked to Wendy Lamb. Wendy Lamb. I don't know Wendy L, but I love her. I've even had a couple of rejections from her. Wendy Lamb is awesome.
7) Finally, here's a lovely frock for Thanksgiving. (I saw it in an ad in the Sunday NY Times...) Click to zoom in for a better view:
If this dress could talk...it would say "Look at me! I have a giant yellow bow buttoned to my bazoomba!"
I've been thinking about a sentiment I hear over and over again as I scan the blogosphere, and in face to face conversations with other writers, too.
It's hard to write a book, writers (and some readers) say. People shouldn't be so mean about it. If you can't find something nice to say, you just shouldn't say anything at all.
I grew up with various versions of the "if you can't find something nice to say" rule. As far as I can tell, it was meant for people. No one ever suggested I shouldn't say mean things about a restaurant meal I hated (not uncommon--I was an incredibly picky eater as a child), or that particularly awful shade of institutional green used to paint the school walls, or that particularly frustrating book I happened to be reading.
It never even occurred to me there was a person behind the meal or the paint -- or the book, either -- whose feelings might be hurt if I voiced my thoughts. I wasn't talking to -- or about -- a person at all.
In much the same way a reader -- whether they're a professional reviewer or a casual blogger or someone somewhere in between -- who's writing a negative review isn't tearing into a person (unless their review actually contains a direct personal attack) -- they're tearing into a book.
I do try to mostly focus on the positive when I talk about other writers' books. Even when I decide to talk about something that didn't quite work for me, I try to do so with at least a certain amount of restraint. That's because I'm a writer, talking to and about other writers. Possibly would-be chefs hesitate more than I would to post about that horrid meal they had in last night, too, because they know they're critiquing a meal cooked by one of their peers. (Possibly not--every field has its own standards of professional conduct, after all.)
But readers are under no obligation to think about the writer when they read. If anything, readers have an active right to not think about the writer. This isn't about being mean or not being mean, because being mean is a people thing. This is about every reader having the right to engage with a story whatever way her or she chooses. Engaging with stories is one of the things stories are for.
When I'm deep into a story, whether I'm loving it or hating it, the writer isn't there -- only the story is. How could any of us read freely otherwise? Knowing the writer was looking over my shoulder would have stopped me cold as a teen reader especially -- did I really want Madeleine L'Engle knowing I was lusting after Calvin O'Keefe, or identifying with Meg Murray so strong I sometimes imagined I was her as I walked to school? No, I didn't -- I wanted to interact with the story, not its writer.
And when a book didn't work for me, and I wanted to throw it across the room and rant to all my friends -- I didn't want the writer watching me then, either. I wanted to be left alone to gripe about the story.
The writer's feelings aren't the reader's problem, nor should they be. I think the fact that readers now interact with stories -- and each other -- online and so in public doesn't really change this. Not for readers, anyway -- for writers things do change, because we can see that interaction happening -- but that's our problem, and it's up to us to find ways to make our peace with it. If a particular comment cuts particularly deep, maybe it's best to find another writer to talk to about it -- to make connections to others with whom you can whine about and laugh about and gain perspective on this whole crazy-making business we're in.
But unless they invite you in, leave the readers out of it. Readers have a right to engage with stories, whether they love them or hate them. The best thing writers can do, I think, is to not get in the way of that.
What are we writing for, after all, if not to allow that interaction -- that escape into story, and that arguing with story, too -- to happen?
It's hard to write a book, writers (and some readers) say. People shouldn't be so mean about it. If you can't find something nice to say, you just shouldn't say anything at all.
I grew up with various versions of the "if you can't find something nice to say" rule. As far as I can tell, it was meant for people. No one ever suggested I shouldn't say mean things about a restaurant meal I hated (not uncommon--I was an incredibly picky eater as a child), or that particularly awful shade of institutional green used to paint the school walls, or that particularly frustrating book I happened to be reading.
It never even occurred to me there was a person behind the meal or the paint -- or the book, either -- whose feelings might be hurt if I voiced my thoughts. I wasn't talking to -- or about -- a person at all.
In much the same way a reader -- whether they're a professional reviewer or a casual blogger or someone somewhere in between -- who's writing a negative review isn't tearing into a person (unless their review actually contains a direct personal attack) -- they're tearing into a book.
I do try to mostly focus on the positive when I talk about other writers' books. Even when I decide to talk about something that didn't quite work for me, I try to do so with at least a certain amount of restraint. That's because I'm a writer, talking to and about other writers. Possibly would-be chefs hesitate more than I would to post about that horrid meal they had in last night, too, because they know they're critiquing a meal cooked by one of their peers. (Possibly not--every field has its own standards of professional conduct, after all.)
But readers are under no obligation to think about the writer when they read. If anything, readers have an active right to not think about the writer. This isn't about being mean or not being mean, because being mean is a people thing. This is about every reader having the right to engage with a story whatever way her or she chooses. Engaging with stories is one of the things stories are for.
When I'm deep into a story, whether I'm loving it or hating it, the writer isn't there -- only the story is. How could any of us read freely otherwise? Knowing the writer was looking over my shoulder would have stopped me cold as a teen reader especially -- did I really want Madeleine L'Engle knowing I was lusting after Calvin O'Keefe, or identifying with Meg Murray so strong I sometimes imagined I was her as I walked to school? No, I didn't -- I wanted to interact with the story, not its writer.
And when a book didn't work for me, and I wanted to throw it across the room and rant to all my friends -- I didn't want the writer watching me then, either. I wanted to be left alone to gripe about the story.
The writer's feelings aren't the reader's problem, nor should they be. I think the fact that readers now interact with stories -- and each other -- online and so in public doesn't really change this. Not for readers, anyway -- for writers things do change, because we can see that interaction happening -- but that's our problem, and it's up to us to find ways to make our peace with it. If a particular comment cuts particularly deep, maybe it's best to find another writer to talk to about it -- to make connections to others with whom you can whine about and laugh about and gain perspective on this whole crazy-making business we're in.
But unless they invite you in, leave the readers out of it. Readers have a right to engage with stories, whether they love them or hate them. The best thing writers can do, I think, is to not get in the way of that.
What are we writing for, after all, if not to allow that interaction -- that escape into story, and that arguing with story, too -- to happen?
Whew!
I spent yesterday snoring on the couch, recovering from the wonderful, high-energy weekend at the National Council of English Teachers Annual Conference. Thank you, thank you to everyone who stood in the long lines and who shared their stories of the impact my books have had on their students. You guys made me cry more than once - happy tears. Those stories humbled and honored me.
I am still fairly wiped out from the whole shebang, so let me pull my photos out of my back pocket and share them.
Here is Davis Macinnis Gill and I recreating our photo from last year. In last year's acceptance speech and this year's keynote address, I referenced The Scarlet Letter.
I ordered a Scarlet Letter shirt from Novel-t.com for the occasion.
Melinda Campbell from Tuczon, AZ had her students create a tree of students reactions to SPEAK, and she brought it all the way to Philly to share with me.
I did not take a picture from the podium of the 600+ people who listened to me at the ALAN breakfast because I was too nervous. Thank you for not laughing at my poem!
I went hunting for my friends on the convention floor before my signing. Here is Jerry Spinelli with editor Alvina Ling.
My buddy Kate Messner was there!
Sharon Draper!!
Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney.
I spoke on the panel about author blogging with Justine Larbalestier, Maureen Johnson, Lisa Yee, and Barbara O'Conner. It was a fantastic panel!! I raised a point for all teachers to contemplate: Should we continue to spend classroom time on letter writing or has the time come to teach children how to compose appropriate email communication? What do you think?
I was honored to meet Risha Mullins, the KY teacher who has had books (including TWISTED) pulled from her classroom by her district superintendent and NOT returned, even though the review committee approved them. Risha received oodles of support from her fellow teachers. I am sure there will be more details soon about the progress of this challenge.
Along with all the speechifying and booksignings and panel and friend-stalking, I had three bookstore events in the Philly area with other authors. Here is the crowd that came out to the Doylestown Bookshop to hear Jay Asher, Lauren Myracle, and me. Actually, the crowd was about three times as many people as you can see here - my phone couldn't get everyone in one pic.
On Sunday morning, Sarah Dessen and I had breakfast with 100 fans at Chester County Book & Music Company. Here we are with the members of a writer's group, The First Novels Club, who followed us to the enormous, weekend ending last event:
It was an epic signing at Children's Book World In Haverford, PA with T.A. Barron, Sarah Dessen, Steve Kluger, Justine L arbalestier, David Levithan, Lauren Myracle, Scott Westerfeld & Jacqueline Woodson. And me.
Yeah - it was a whirlwind. Exhausting. And wonderful and fun and energizing!
I spent yesterday snoring on the couch, recovering from the wonderful, high-energy weekend at the National Council of English Teachers Annual Conference. Thank you, thank you to everyone who stood in the long lines and who shared their stories of the impact my books have had on their students. You guys made me cry more than once - happy tears. Those stories humbled and honored me.
I am still fairly wiped out from the whole shebang, so let me pull my photos out of my back pocket and share them.
Here is Davis Macinnis Gill and I recreating our photo from last year. In last year's acceptance speech and this year's keynote address, I referenced The Scarlet Letter. I ordered a Scarlet Letter shirt from Novel-t.com for the occasion. Melinda Campbell from Tuczon, AZ had her students create a tree of students reactions to SPEAK, and she brought it all the way to Philly to share with me.I did not take a picture from the podium of the 600+ people who listened to me at the ALAN breakfast because I was too nervous. Thank you for not laughing at my poem!
I went hunting for my friends on the convention floor before my signing. Here is Jerry Spinelli with editor Alvina Ling. My buddy Kate Messner was there! Sharon Draper!! Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney. I spoke on the panel about author blogging with Justine Larbalestier, Maureen Johnson, Lisa Yee, and Barbara O'Conner. It was a fantastic panel!! I raised a point for all teachers to contemplate: Should we continue to spend classroom time on letter writing or has the time come to teach children how to compose appropriate email communication? What do you think? I was honored to meet Risha Mullins, the KY teacher who has had books (including TWISTED) pulled from her classroom by her district superintendent and NOT returned, even though the review committee approved them. Risha received oodles of support from her fellow teachers. I am sure there will be more details soon about the progress of this challenge. Along with all the speechifying and booksignings and panel and friend-stalking, I had three bookstore events in the Philly area with other authors. Here is the crowd that came out to the Doylestown Bookshop to hear Jay Asher, Lauren Myracle, and me. Actually, the crowd was about three times as many people as you can see here - my phone couldn't get everyone in one pic. On Sunday morning, Sarah Dessen and I had breakfast with 100 fans at Chester County Book & Music Company. Here we are with the members of a writer's group, The First Novels Club, who followed us to the enormous, weekend ending last event: It was an epic signing at Children's Book World In Haverford, PA with Yeah - it was a whirlwind. Exhausting. And wonderful and fun and energizing!
Dear Author has been deemed not eligible to re-up her membership on account of her negative reviews of romance novels:
Readers deserve an environment in which they can talk honestly and with spirit about the books they read, no matter what their take on them. Writers deserve it, too--and need to make their peace with it, regardless.
I've had a rant on my hard drive about the importance of allowing negative reviews for a while now that it may be time to post. It's really about a slightly different matter than this is--because as a writer's organization RWA is looking out for the rights of writers, whether I agree with how they choose to do so (as in their strong stand about Harlequin Horizons) or not (as in this case)--and I think when it comes to negative reviews, it's about the rights of not of writers, but of readers, ultimately.
(Heads off to look through files.)
(Link via![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
jonquil and lnhammer.)
... RWA’s actions will not change my conviction that true advocacy requires a conversation among many different — often contrary and conflicting — views. I will never believe that bad books are a necessity about which we must remain quiet, nor will I relinquish my critical views of a genre I love and an industry in which I have taken an active interest.Yes, yes, and yes.
Readers deserve an environment in which they can talk honestly and with spirit about the books they read, no matter what their take on them. Writers deserve it, too--and need to make their peace with it, regardless.
I've had a rant on my hard drive about the importance of allowing negative reviews for a while now that it may be time to post. It's really about a slightly different matter than this is--because as a writer's organization RWA is looking out for the rights of writers, whether I agree with how they choose to do so (as in their strong stand about Harlequin Horizons) or not (as in this case)--and I think when it comes to negative reviews, it's about the rights of not of writers, but of readers, ultimately.
(Heads off to look through files.)
(Link via
jonquil and lnhammer.)I have loved teaching the creative nonfiction workshop at UAB with Dinty W. Moore's text called THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER. These essays came out of the creative nonfiction workshop. The opinion editor, Joey Kennedy, at the Birmingham News selected these essays for publication. They ran on Sunday in time for the IRON BOWL, which is the big game played in Birmingham between Auburn and Alabama coming up this Saturday. The first essay is by Donna Thomas, who raised three children and worked for 30 years at the phone company before retiring to focus on her writing. The second is by Doug Dutton, of Birmingham (not Los Angeles) and he worked at Southern Power for years before focusing on his writing. They both share such a history of Birmingham.
Congratulations to Donna and to Doug!
Congratulations to Donna and to Doug!
VIEWPOINTS: Sports celebrityhood hits home
Donna Thomas
http://blog.al.com/birmingham-VIEWPOINTS: Game brings brush with 'Bear'
Doug Dutton
http://blog.al.com/birmingham-
photo by Focht.
On a beautiful, warm Saturday night recently, Len and I headed over to Old Town Alexandria for dinner at the Majestic Café. You may remember my mentioning that Mrs. Obama hosted a birthday dinner there for her mother, Marian Robinson, this past summer.
Of course we had to check it out. (This is my favorite kind of "blog homework.")
( Read more... )
- Mood: good
If you’ve been a writer for any amount of time, and you’d like a go at the professional aspect of it, you know writers sometimes write under pressure. You write when you don’t feel like it, when it seems like your characters have gone on strike or the ‘muse’ has abandoned you. You write after [...]
Learn more about Susan Patron and her latest book, Lucky Breaks, illustrated by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/ginee seo, 2009).How do you psyche yourself up to write and to keep writing?
When I was eight, I had to keep my little sister captive in the bathtub every night until she got clean. This was my job, and it wasn't easy; she was four and squirmy.
So I made up stories, probably pastiches of comic strips in the Los Angeles Times, in which my sister played a pivotal role.
But here's the trick: I believed that I was retrieving the stories from the bathroom's built-in laundry hamper.
Since people were always throwing their dirty clothes into it, there was a continuous supply of stories, which somehow rubbed off them and onto their clothes. All I had to do was open a little window in my mind and the stories would fly in.
It was my way of bringing forth, every day, a miniature drama or narrative--I wasn't "creating" them, I was "finding" them.
I also discovered that I could deliver a beginning and a middle, but if the end was elusive, it was okay to stop midstream with a promise that we'd find out the ending tomorrow. And the next day I'd sit again on the lid of the toilet, focus on the laundry hamper, and "receive" stories through the little window in my mind, while my small sister sat in the cooling water, sucking her washcloth, waiting.
I know this is odd. It was about creating diversions, ways of tricking myself, so as to avoid the difficult task of "making up" stories--even though that's exactly what I was doing.
When, as a grownup in the early 1990's, my sister casually recounted our old bathtub-stories family saga to the editor of my picture books, he turned to me and said, "Go write that. It's a book--a novel, not a picture book."
I was filled with equal parts joy (he thinks I can actually write a novel!) and fear (how the hell does one write a novel?).So I tricked myself into doing it by setting down the story as if it were an oral tale, like my picture books--as if it came from the folk tradition and I was just doing a "modern retelling" of stuff I "knew."
(The book was called Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe, illustrated by Abigail Halpin (Atheneum paperback reprint, 2009)).
What I'm saying is, if I were to poise my fingers expectantly over the keyboard every day saying, "now I'm going to write a cohesive, exciting, original, relevant, wonderfully-realized novel," I'd crack open and die, like a rock committing suicide. Instead, I fool around--in a very serious way--pretending that this isn't the important part and I'll just jot down one little scene for now and get to the hard part later.
And if I pay really close attention to what I already "know" about the characters--what I've already written, about how the crabby neighbor always hesitates a second and licks her baby finger before turning a certain corner, for instance--I have to trust that I had some reason for envisioning that, and now my job is to tease it out, to peel off the layers to find out why she licks her finger and how that relates to her crabbiness, because of course it must. I just open the little window in my mind, and it all comes wafting in.
How have you come to thrive in such a competitive, unpredictable industry?
If I have thriven (and thank you for the rare opportunity to use that form of the verb), it's mostly due to respecting the intelligence and sensitivities of readers. This means trying to write a story in which some form of truth (something I need fairly urgently to express) is revealed—not directly, but through the fiction itself. A kind of truth, in other words, that speaks directly to the heart of the reader, and can be expressed only by means of the story.
Add to that a couple of really lucky breaks.
And finally: watching for opportunities and finding them in events that at first appear to be inopportune. For example, I have had a different editor for each of the three books in the "Lucky's Hard Pan" trilogy.
The editor for my first six books, Richard Jackson, announced his retirement after publishing The Higher Power of Lucky (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson, 2006). I was hard at work on Lucky Breaks, which he had acquired.The prospect of a new, unknown editor was daunting: I'd known of editors being coerced into taking on projects they hadn't acquired and resenting it; I'd heard about the dire fate of many orphaned books, etc.
Plus, there was significant fear in writing a sequel to a book that had just won a major award; this was by far the most difficult book I'd ever undertaken, and I was already struggling to stay on the project.
The brilliant Ginee Seo agreed to edit the book, and I loved working with her. She got me through that paralyzing insecurity about measuring up to the previous book. She taught me a great deal. (There is a very short piece about this, "A Lucky Break: What My Last Book Taught Me," in "Hunger Mountain," a publication about writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.)
After we had finished our work together on Lucky Breaks and after Ginee acquired the final book of this trilogy, she left Atheneum. My sense of loss and sadness (okay, despair) were mitigated, and I was again hugely fortunate, because I was given the chance to work with another of the great editors of our time, Caitlyn Dlouhy. I'd heard about her formidable editorial talents for years from my friend Cynthia Kadohata.
Caitlyn and I are now working fruitfully and happily on the concluding title in the "Lucky's Hard Pan" trilogy.
Three different editors, each with a distinct style and process, working on three closely related books. I believe that each editor wanted what was best for the book, and I hold them all in highest regard. What could have been seen as difficult and conflicting was for me an opportunity. I guess it's about faith and trust. And 'tude.
Of course I'm aware that the question may refer to a more practical type of action, such as maintaining an online presence and having a Facebook page for your main character. And while these are useful, I resist the temptation to give them tremendous weight, which would invite a correlation between successes and failures and some form of pajama marketing.
Better, I think, to look at craft, to remember that what editors, agents, librarians, book retailers, and readers want is a memorable story.
In your own words, could you tell us about your latest book?
This final book in the trilogy [tentatively titled "Lucky for Good"] brings Lucky face to face with an excruciating moral dilemma involving Miles and his mother, Justine, who returns to Hard Pan. Lucky also gets into serious trouble for starting a fight with an older boy, discovers a strange relative called "Stick," and says the hardest goodbye of her life. Meanwhile, Hard Pan residents join together into an unlikely army, declaring war against the closure, by the County Health Department, of Brigitte's Hard Pan Café.
In facing deep questions of belief and faith, truth and meaning, this concluding book continues to explore the vast, rocky landscape of the human heart. As always, Lucky is brave and foolish, impulsive and tender, vulnerable and determined. Ultimately she forges her own path: Lucky for good.
In the video below, check out a "Chidren's Book Trailer for middle grade novel Lucky Breaks, a sequel to Newbery winner, The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron."
Cynsational Notes
The Craft, Career & Cheer series features conversations with children's-YA book creators about positive aspects of their creative and professional lives.
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