Query letters

"Above all, a query letter is a sales pitch and it is the single most important page an unpublished writer will ever write. It's the first impression and will either open the door or close it. It's that important, so don't mess it up. Mine took 17 drafts and two weeks to write." ~Nicholas Sparks

Writers agonize over query letters. Personally, I dread the synopsis more, although, considering the above quote, writing a query letter still makes me sweat. In a query, you have about three short paragraphs to tell agents or editors about your book and about yourself.

The opener

Agents and editors receive a lot of queries every day. One way to catch their attention is to let them know you've done some research about them and their company. Drop in a few of the titles they represent that you've read, tell them why you think they would be the right fit for your book. 

The blurb


This is the hard part. How in the world do you decide what to include and what to leave out? In a query, you have one paragraph to entice a potential agent or editor to read your sample chapters. Explain your main character and what happens to him in a consice and engaging way. Many agents and editors like to know the setting as well. Imagine you're writing the blurb for the back of the book. They say a query should be written in the same tone and voice as the novel so editors/agents can get a better idea of the book.

 Your bio

This is where you tell about yourself. If you don't have any writing credits, just tell them where you live and what genres you write in, or something along those lines. I do believe having a resume helps when it comes time to query for a novel. Not to say that if you have no previous stories published agents and editors will write you off, but if they see you've been published in various magazines and anthologies it shows them that you already know how to work with an editor, at least to some extent. It also shows them you're most likely into this writing thing for the long haul. Believe it or not, some people feel they've accomplished all they need to with only one book. They can somehow continue on with life without imagining things and writing them down. I don't get it, but I've heard it's true.

The internet provides a ton of good information about writing query letters. Here are some helpful links:


http://poewar.com/how-to-write-a-query-letter/

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/08/how-to-write-query-letter.html

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-a-query-letter2

Tomorrow's post - Rejections

Plot

"I always have a basic plot outline, but I like to leave some things to be decided while I write." ~J. K. Rowling

Although it's pretty obvious, I'll take a moment to define plot. Plot is the what happens in a story and the sequence in which it occurs. Some writers like to use outlines to plot their novels before they start, others do best just jumping in and deciding how things will happen as they go. Either way, a good plot needs certain elements.

Character - Of course, if anything of interest is going to happen, there needs to be someone for it to happen to, or to make it happen. Characters should be realistic representations of people. Make the readers care about this individual. 

The hook - This is where you grab your readers and make them want to keep reading. It could be  your protagonist making a life changing decision, or being forced into a situation he would have never chosen.

Conflict - The character runs into trouble. He wants something so badly he's willing to do anything to get it, but there's something or someone in his way.

Stakes - The higher the stakes, the more your readers will care. If you're protagonist wants something badly but everything will be just as before whether he gets it or not, the stakes aren't high enough.

Subplots - In real life, we never have just one thing going on. Add in family life, job life, or whatever else your character has going on. Just make sure to tie it into the main plot so it's not just there to look pretty. It has to have a real purpose for the story. If you could cut the subplot without the story suffering, it's not a good subplot and should either be cut or worked into the story in a meaningful way.

Climax - This is what it's all been building up to. All the conflicts, stakes and character struggles come to a peak and play out in a grand finale.

Resolution - This is where you tie up all the loose ends.

Tomorrow's post - Query letters

Opinions about your writing - how to handle it

"Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes." ~Voltaire

It's always a good idea to have someone else read your writing before you deem it finished and send it out into the world. Because, let's face it, you're only one person with limited perspective. The more beta readers the better, because there are as many opinions as there are people. If you had 100 people read your book, reader 101 would point something out that everyone else overlooked. So would reader 102. But what if you don't like what some people are saying? And what do you do when some people love a certain part of your story while others hate it? Believe me, this happens all the time and, although it can be frustrating, leaves the writer where she should be: in charge of her own work. 

How to handle advice 

I always consider what my readers say. Even if it doesn't make much sense and my initial reaction to it is nausea. It's always a good idea to try to see where the reader is coming from. Possibly they reacted the way they did because your writing wasn't clear. Usually, though, when a reader suggests something I don't like, I end up tossing it in the end. 

If more than one person comments on the same thing, I deeply consider changing it. If several people comment on it, there's something wrong with it and it has to go, unless, of course, they're giving it praise. 

I've had a lot of stories critiqued by fellow writers and it never fails, there's always something that some readers loathe while others declare it their favorite part of the story. The main thing to remember is that it's your story. You choose what goes, what stays and how it all fits together.

Whose opinions count? 

I most often have other writers critique my work. They know the craft, after all. And they're the most likely to take the time to give you feedback because they want some feedback of their own. But different writers have different styles and not everything a writer friend says about craft is going to apply. What they say as a reader, on the other hand, is the most helpful. Writers are definitely readers. Writers probably buy more books than anyone.

If you can get other people to read your unpublished manuscript, go for it. I don't care if it's your neighbor or the janitor at your child's school. Anyone who reads counts because they're the ones who buy books. They're the ones you want to please.

Tomorrow's post - Plot

Naming characters

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." ~William Shakespeare

Picking the right names for characters is one of the things writers agonize over. Names are important. In picking the right names for the populace of a book, you must know your characters. Is a character strong and fearless or petite and frail. It should fit not only who they are, but also their ethnicity and time era. 


The genre or tone of your story plays a large role in name choosing as well. Sometimes, especially if you want to add humor to your work, you might choose a name that directly conflicts your characters appearance or personality.  Nicknaming your story's thug Pipsqueak is one example. If your writing in a serious tone, however, you don't want to steal credibility from your story by being too silly. You might choose an ordinary name to symbolize the normalcy of a character's life before your story throws them into a whirlwind of adventure.  

Giving a character a new name at some point during the story, or at the end, is one way to drive home growth in the individual. I'm not talking about suddenly switching the name and causing readers to wonder who you're talking about. But if the character passes some important test or reaches some lofty goal, their peers might hold a special renaming ceremony.

Tomorrow's post - Opinions about your writing - how to handle it

Marvelous Middles

“The function of the middle is to develop the implicit promise made by a story's beginning.” ~Nancy Kress

Often writers will delve into a story with much enthusiasm and then, even if they have a good idea where its all going to end, flounder through the middle. You know, all that stuff that has to happen to get us from point A to point B. Here are some tips to help keep your middle from sagging. 

• Focus. Never lose sight of your through-line - the main plot line. It can be helpful to write the entire through-line before adding in subplots. Although this method might seem tedious, since you'll most likely need to go back and tie the subplots into the through-line, it can save you from trying to figure out how to fix an out-of-control middle. Once a middle is unwieldy, it's sometimes hard to figure out what it needs... and doesn't need, even for the author. 
•  Make sure character motives are clear. 
• Character growth/change must seem plausible. 
• Don't try to include all your research. It's not uncommon for writers to want to include every fascinating detail they've discovered while researching a story. Too much info can muddle your middle and leave readers wondering what the point is. 
• Use the middle to deepen conflict.
• Raise the stakes. By the end of the middle, your story should be set up for the grand climax.

Tomorrow's post - Naming characters   

Lies vs fiction

"Fiction is the truth inside the lie." ~ Stephen King

Fiction is made up. Does that mean it's just a bunch of lies? Well, let's see, the definition of a lie is to intentionally mislead. While writers sometimes exaggerate to make a point come across stronger, their purpose of writing fiction is most often to point out significant truths about life and the human existence. Yes, we fiction writers make up all sorts of stuff: characters, events, worlds and whatever else we want - and we have great fun doing it. For most of us it's about telling truths as we perceive them. Fiction can actually be a very honest art form.

That isn't to say, however, that all fiction contains the truth. I suppose it's possible that some writers might actually want to mislead by means of fiction, although I can't imagine there are many. Also, not everyone in this world shares the same truths or perceptions of things. You might not agree with an author's truth, but that still doesn't make it a lie. It's just another view of things. If an author is really good, he can make a reader who has an opposing viewpoint stop and at least consider things from his point of view.

Monday's post: Marvelous middles

How to help kids develop as writers

 "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." ~Stacia Tauscher

No imagination can parallel that of a child. What better time to begin planting the seeds of storytelling in our kids than while their creativity is at its most fertile and lively? My son began making books when he was very young, about three or four. Of course, he couldn't yet write. But he could draw. That's how young children tell stories, through their artwork. If you ask a child what any picture they've drawn is about, there will no doubt be an elaborate story behind it. 

It's a great idea to always have premade "books" handy for kids to draw stories in. All you have to do is fold several pieces of paper together and staple them down the side so they stay together. It's also a good idea to cover the stapled edge with fabric tape or decorative duct tape. 

As they learn to write, they can add words to go along with their drawings, or you can add their words for them. Don't worry about teaching them character development or story arch or anything technical until they're older. If you read to your kids, they automatically have knowledge of story and how it works. 

Read to them often. The more you read to them, the more likely they'll want to tell stories of their own.  Kids have some amazing stories to tell! 

Another fun game you can play with kids is a game my family used to play when there was a power outage. One person starts a story and someone else picks it up where they left off. Or even just making up entire stories and telling them to each other helps young minds develop a foundation for writing. 

Janet Lansbury's recent post on nurturing creativity is worth reading, as well. It helps us well-meaning parents to stay out of our children's way. Take a look.  
http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/04/a-childs-creativity-how-i-learned-to-shut-up/ 

Tomorrow's post: Lies vs fiction