At Storymakers 2010, Agent Laura Rennert, a senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, shared an agent’s eye view of the process. I’m happy to report that she is both friendly and engaging as a speaker.
The question she asks of every query and pitch session is: “who, what, where, and why should I care.”
The WHO is your protagonist, and yes you should include the name. WHAT is your main conflict. WHERE is the setting, which can be geographical, temporal or both. And WHY SHOULD I CARE is that little detail that makes your story different from any other like it.
“Keep the query short,” she cautions. And be careful not to overhype, by making all sorts of glowing statements about your work. A simple exercise you can use to revamp your query:
1. Write down the title, category, setting, protagonist, and central problem.
2. Write down one vivid detail that makes any of the above elements different.
3. In your story, identify credibility, inherent conflict, originality, real emotional power, and voice. (By the way, original voice is the biggest factor for what new clients she takes on)
4. Come up with 3 “big words” relating to your story. (love, journey, destiny)
5. Set a timer for 5 minutes and crank out a query using the information you wrote down. Be sure to use one of the “big words” in the last sentence.
For your pitch, use credentials or anything that makes YOU the perfect author for this book. (Give a glimpse of the story behind the story) For instance, as a farmer who lives on the reservation, I’ve got a good handle on what that is like for my characters.
Another thing she looks for is your platform. Do you have an online presence? One of her clients, Maggie Stiefvater of the NYT bestseller SHIVER, had a great website which suddenly got loads of hits from a publisher as they were deciding whether or not to buy the book. Getting yourself “out there” is a good thing, my friends.
Be very cautious of exclusives. She suggests that you should only consider doing exclusives that are 2-3 weeks tops. An easy and polite way to avoid the exclusive dilemma is to send out your work to more than one agent/publisher at a time. Then you can politely say, “I’m sorry, but I’ve already sent it out to another person for consideration.” She says this response is not offensive.
How to get a QUICK REJECTION:
1. Have multiple email addresses in the “To” line on the email. They know you send it to several places, but having it shoved in their face without even a customized email is irritating.
2. Send the wrong agent the wrong category. If you write Horror, and send it to an agent that only works with YA, you’ve just wasted a stamp and both of your time.
3. Hyperbolic praise. (My story is so cool that Stephen King will weep when he reads it)
4. Not being able to situate a book in the market. Be squarely in a category for your first novel so that agents don’t run at your declaration that it is a mainstream, horror, fantasy, YA book with a chick-lit twist. Um, what?
5. Careless errors, such as typos and grammatical errors.
6. Not following instructions. Every agency/publisher has submission requirements. Find them. Read them. Follow them.
You can learn more about Laura and her agency at http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php , and you can see some of her work at http://www.laurajoyrennert.com/ .
I think the biggest thing I learned from her was that agents “are just people who really love books.” If you have a good tale to tell, then she wants to read it. It was a pleasure to meet her, and I hope her advice helps you as much as it did me.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Author David Wolverton/Farland
I was privileged to have dinner with David Wolverton/Farland http://www.davidfarland.net/ attend one of his workshops, and exchange email. He carried a special seat-back with him because his hip and back troubles him if he stands too long or sits in an uncomfortable chair. Far from dwelling on his discomfort, he joked about his family line at dinner and radiated a positive attitude. He holds the World Record for the longest book signing.
What struck me most about him was his extensive knowledge on all things bookish. He not only studied the how-to of writing, but also why people bother to read in the first place. Our everyday stress can be hard to deal with, but when we immerse ourselves in a good book, we’re suddenly running for our lives while battling a dragon to save all of mankind. If you doubt the impact of these stories on us, then stop and take your pulse the next time you’re reading the climax of a real nail-biter. To combat this stress, David says, “there are several chemicals that your body pumps out as rewards when you're reading—serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol.”
What’s more, once we close the book and get back to our daily lives, the stresses we have don’t seem like such a big deal. After all, I may have to battle weeds/traffic/carpools that day, but the human race won’t be snuffed out if I arrive a few minutes behind schedule. In short, books make us feel better and lessen the effect that our daily stress has on our bodies.
David considers it one of the “great tragedies of American writing history when they dismissed the form.” When people pick up a novel, they expect a certain experience. They hope to follow the hero as he/she battles against whatever obstacle stands in the way and—just when all hope seems lost—pulls off some amazing way to save the day/redeem the book. He jokes that writing a romance novel where the hero doesn’t get the girl at the end is a sure way to have a short writing career.
He dismisses the belief that “literary fiction” is superior to form writing, which many critics dismiss as “form fiction trash.” His goal is to “write form fiction, but to write it more beautiful than anyone else.” Bestselling novels and movies take us to another time and place. They provide escape. They also have a huge potential audience. “If we write only for ourselves, then we are the only audience for this novel.” It was no accident that James Cameron had storylines in Titanic that covered the seven major markets; he wanted to reach out to as many people as he could.
One of the most touching moments at the Whitney Awards Gala, was when Dan Wells (http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/ a former student of David’s) asked for anyone whose life had been influenced by David’s teaching to stand. Almost every person in the room stood up. He was humble and gracious as he accepted the Lifetime Acheivement Award, and he teased that he hoped getting the lifetime award didn’t mean that he’d have to stop writing.
David said, “I'd like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book, it increases the chance that he or she will look at mine. So there is no competition between writers. Another writer's success helps build a larger readership for all of us."
I think that statement sums up his generous character.
I need to say a special Thank You to David Wolverton/Farland for helping to shape this blog post via conversation and email. Here are links to some of his amazing books:
http://www.inthecompanyofangels.net/ - Won the 2009 Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2956822.Wyrmling_Horde_The_The_Seventh_Book_of_the_Runelords - One of the latest in an awesome fantasy series.
What struck me most about him was his extensive knowledge on all things bookish. He not only studied the how-to of writing, but also why people bother to read in the first place. Our everyday stress can be hard to deal with, but when we immerse ourselves in a good book, we’re suddenly running for our lives while battling a dragon to save all of mankind. If you doubt the impact of these stories on us, then stop and take your pulse the next time you’re reading the climax of a real nail-biter. To combat this stress, David says, “there are several chemicals that your body pumps out as rewards when you're reading—serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol.”
What’s more, once we close the book and get back to our daily lives, the stresses we have don’t seem like such a big deal. After all, I may have to battle weeds/traffic/carpools that day, but the human race won’t be snuffed out if I arrive a few minutes behind schedule. In short, books make us feel better and lessen the effect that our daily stress has on our bodies.
David considers it one of the “great tragedies of American writing history when they dismissed the form.” When people pick up a novel, they expect a certain experience. They hope to follow the hero as he/she battles against whatever obstacle stands in the way and—just when all hope seems lost—pulls off some amazing way to save the day/redeem the book. He jokes that writing a romance novel where the hero doesn’t get the girl at the end is a sure way to have a short writing career.
He dismisses the belief that “literary fiction” is superior to form writing, which many critics dismiss as “form fiction trash.” His goal is to “write form fiction, but to write it more beautiful than anyone else.” Bestselling novels and movies take us to another time and place. They provide escape. They also have a huge potential audience. “If we write only for ourselves, then we are the only audience for this novel.” It was no accident that James Cameron had storylines in Titanic that covered the seven major markets; he wanted to reach out to as many people as he could.
One of the most touching moments at the Whitney Awards Gala, was when Dan Wells (http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/ a former student of David’s) asked for anyone whose life had been influenced by David’s teaching to stand. Almost every person in the room stood up. He was humble and gracious as he accepted the Lifetime Acheivement Award, and he teased that he hoped getting the lifetime award didn’t mean that he’d have to stop writing.
David said, “I'd like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book, it increases the chance that he or she will look at mine. So there is no competition between writers. Another writer's success helps build a larger readership for all of us."
I think that statement sums up his generous character.
I need to say a special Thank You to David Wolverton/Farland for helping to shape this blog post via conversation and email. Here are links to some of his amazing books:
http://www.inthecompanyofangels.net/ - Won the 2009 Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2956822.Wyrmling_Horde_The_The_Seventh_Book_of_the_Runelords - One of the latest in an awesome fantasy series.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Writer's Conference was Superb!
The LDS Storymaker’s Conference in Provo, UT, was a fabulous experience that I highly recommend. As a writer, my skills improved from all the information, and as a person, my confidence in my newfound profession increased ten-fold.
I will share some of the awesome writing tips I learned there, so this will be the first of a series of blogs where I share notes, ideas, and even visits with such authors as James Dashner, author of The 13th reality series and the NY Best Seller, The Maze Runner. I am tickled to say that he is a charming, cool guy who puts on no airs of grandeur, but rather makes everyone around him feel at ease and confident.
So, a huge, HUGE thank you to the LDS StoryMakers for a job well done! You can be sure that I’ll be back again next year.
I will share some of the awesome writing tips I learned there, so this will be the first of a series of blogs where I share notes, ideas, and even visits with such authors as James Dashner, author of The 13th reality series and the NY Best Seller, The Maze Runner. I am tickled to say that he is a charming, cool guy who puts on no airs of grandeur, but rather makes everyone around him feel at ease and confident.
So, a huge, HUGE thank you to the LDS StoryMakers for a job well done! You can be sure that I’ll be back again next year.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Avoid the Ticking Clock Mentality
One of the biggest things I have learned through writing and editing my novel, Coyote Dreams, over the last two years is that a good story is worth the time it takes to polish it. Writing the first draft was an exhilarating adventure. I thrilled at each new twist that unfolded on my screen. Typing 'The End' was a big moment, worthy of the happy dance. However, I've since discovered that writing those two powerful words is somewhat of an oxymoron, since finishing a first draft is actually just the beginning of all the real work.
First, I read it over and made what edits/corrections I could see. Then I sent it out to several readers who sent it back full of enough red marks that I feared its wounds might be fatal. I made the needed edits again and sent it out for a second read. Thankfully I've been blessed with some readers who have a very good eye and were willing to teach me how to be a better writer. These are the edits I'm just now finishing. Huge thanks to Renee Miller and Rita & TJ Webb for this one. Don't know them? Well, you should:
http://www.reneeamiller.blogspot.com/
http://afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/
Soon, I'll send it out for one last read with a new set of readers to get their input. Perfecting my synopsis and query letter will be the focus while I wait. When I get those last reads back, I'll fix whatever I missed (and ignore whatever suggestions I don't agree with).
My goal is to be done by the end of April and research which agent to send my work to. It would be a wasted stamp to send my YA novel to someone who specializes in, say, romance. There is a love triangle in my book, but it’s a first kiss, not the whole she-bang.
I hope to get my first letter back from agents by the end of June. I know most will probably be rejection letters because everyone gets them. I think the key to keeping up moral is to have a plan on what to do with them. I'm going to follow Steven King's lead and spear the things on a nail.
While I wait for someone to accept my manuscript, I'll resume work my next story, Firebug, work on the farm over the summer, and begin the whole process again.
If I had been impatient and thrown my story out there before taking the time to polish it, then rejections would have been guaranteed, and the time invested, wasted.
The time was well spent. When Coyote Dreams goes out, I'll know that it is a story worth reading.
First, I read it over and made what edits/corrections I could see. Then I sent it out to several readers who sent it back full of enough red marks that I feared its wounds might be fatal. I made the needed edits again and sent it out for a second read. Thankfully I've been blessed with some readers who have a very good eye and were willing to teach me how to be a better writer. These are the edits I'm just now finishing. Huge thanks to Renee Miller and Rita & TJ Webb for this one. Don't know them? Well, you should:
http://www.reneeamiller.blogspot.com/
http://afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/
Soon, I'll send it out for one last read with a new set of readers to get their input. Perfecting my synopsis and query letter will be the focus while I wait. When I get those last reads back, I'll fix whatever I missed (and ignore whatever suggestions I don't agree with).
My goal is to be done by the end of April and research which agent to send my work to. It would be a wasted stamp to send my YA novel to someone who specializes in, say, romance. There is a love triangle in my book, but it’s a first kiss, not the whole she-bang.
I hope to get my first letter back from agents by the end of June. I know most will probably be rejection letters because everyone gets them. I think the key to keeping up moral is to have a plan on what to do with them. I'm going to follow Steven King's lead and spear the things on a nail.
While I wait for someone to accept my manuscript, I'll resume work my next story, Firebug, work on the farm over the summer, and begin the whole process again.
If I had been impatient and thrown my story out there before taking the time to polish it, then rejections would have been guaranteed, and the time invested, wasted.
The time was well spent. When Coyote Dreams goes out, I'll know that it is a story worth reading.
Friday, March 5, 2010
My Lucky Day!
I've got some more awesome news to share. Remember how I told you that I was attending the LDS Writers Conference? Well I entered a drawing for a seat at the table with the guest authors and won! Oh. My. Gosh. I know! Crazy awesome. THis is who I will be dining with the weekend of April 23rd...and can I just say, Jessica Day George is one of my favorite authors of all time. I can't hardly believe it!
"Two--yes, two--lucky winners of the Show Your Love for the Storymakers Contest will receive a reserved seat at the 7th Annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference for Friday night dinner and entertainment at a special table with:
Shaun Barrowes
Musician for Friday night entertainment, and top 48 contestant on American Idol season 7.
http://www.shaunbarrowes.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaunbarrowes
James Dashner
Author of The Maze Runner and The 13th Reality Series.
http://www.jamesdashner.blogspot.com/
Jessica Day George [[[one of my favorite authors!!!]]]
Author of Dragon Slippers; Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow; Dragon Flight; Princess of the Midnight Ball; and Dragon Spear.
http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/
Krista Marino
Editor for Young Adult and Middle Grade books for Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Recent books she's edited include The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael Scott, Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
David Wolverton/Farland
Author of several books, including the Runelords series, and writing instructor of authors like Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Brandon Mull.
http://www.davidfarland.net/ "
Anyone want to do the happy dance with me? I'm doin it, yeah!
I've also completed editing of three more chapters in my Coyote Dreams YA novel which brings the grand total up to...drum roll please... 25 of the 52 chapters are done. I am on target to get this done and ready for final readers by the end of March.
"Two--yes, two--lucky winners of the Show Your Love for the Storymakers Contest will receive a reserved seat at the 7th Annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference for Friday night dinner and entertainment at a special table with:
Shaun Barrowes
Musician for Friday night entertainment, and top 48 contestant on American Idol season 7.
http://www.shaunbarrowes.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaunbarrowes
James Dashner
Author of The Maze Runner and The 13th Reality Series.
http://www.jamesdashner.blogspot.com/
Jessica Day George [[[one of my favorite authors!!!]]]
Author of Dragon Slippers; Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow; Dragon Flight; Princess of the Midnight Ball; and Dragon Spear.
http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/
Krista Marino
Editor for Young Adult and Middle Grade books for Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Recent books she's edited include The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael Scott, Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
David Wolverton/Farland
Author of several books, including the Runelords series, and writing instructor of authors like Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Brandon Mull.
http://www.davidfarland.net/ "
Anyone want to do the happy dance with me? I'm doin it, yeah!
I've also completed editing of three more chapters in my Coyote Dreams YA novel which brings the grand total up to...drum roll please... 25 of the 52 chapters are done. I am on target to get this done and ready for final readers by the end of March.
Monday, March 1, 2010
My Horror short, Voodoo Hog, won!
I've got some fun news today, I wrote a horror short for a writing group competition and it won! That means that it will be included in an anthology at the end of the year. I'm really excited because for one, it's a nice suprise, and for two, I've never written anything horror before so it was really a challenge for me to write. This next part is cut and pasted out of the thread so you can see the announcement. Anyone want to do the happy dance with me? *doin it, oh yeah, doin the happy dance*
"The Winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition
Before I begin, can I give a big thank you to both all the participants of the February competition and all the judges who gave their time in marking what was a really interesting and close fought fight for the genre of 'Horror', which for many of you took you way out of your comfort zone.
I trust that everyone had as much fun reading the stories, as I'm sure the writers had in writing them. The judges certainly weren't unanimous in their decision, which shows both the diversity and quality of the writing.
When collating all the scores, the lead kept changing all the time, which demonstrating how close it was at the top.
In 3rd place was 'Oh Dear' written by Candice Adams
In 2nd place was 'There's only room here for myself by Julia Tagliere
And the winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition is..................
...Wendy Swore for 'Voodoo Hog'
So a BIG congratulations to Wendy for an excellent contribution and a worthy winner of our first monthly competition. Wendy's story will now go forward to our Grand Final at the end of the year"
"The Winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition
Before I begin, can I give a big thank you to both all the participants of the February competition and all the judges who gave their time in marking what was a really interesting and close fought fight for the genre of 'Horror', which for many of you took you way out of your comfort zone.
I trust that everyone had as much fun reading the stories, as I'm sure the writers had in writing them. The judges certainly weren't unanimous in their decision, which shows both the diversity and quality of the writing.
When collating all the scores, the lead kept changing all the time, which demonstrating how close it was at the top.
In 3rd place was 'Oh Dear' written by Candice Adams
In 2nd place was 'There's only room here for myself by Julia Tagliere
And the winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition is..................
...Wendy Swore for 'Voodoo Hog'
So a BIG congratulations to Wendy for an excellent contribution and a worthy winner of our first monthly competition. Wendy's story will now go forward to our Grand Final at the end of the year"
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My Spring Writing Goals
As many of you know, I have been working on a YA novel with the working title Coyote Dreams since last year. The exciting news is that I am in the final stages of editing and should have the finished manuscript ready for one last read through at the end of March. I have been editing a chapter a day and need to keep up that pace to meet my goal. By the end of April, I'll have the synopsis and query letter done and sent out to prospective agents and publishers. The reason for the end of March goal is because I need to finish it before farming starts and I will be attending my first writing conference in Provo on April 23rd (2010 LDS Writer's Conference Anyone want to go with me? Check out their badge in the bottom left of the screen- scroll down). I want to be able to say; yes, I have a finished manuscript, and here's the synopsis--not, yeah, I've been working on this story for a really long time and it's still not done. See? That just doesn't sound near as good.
What's it about, you ask? It is a story about a farm family, living on the ShoBan reservation that must overcome tragedy and danger that comes to them in the form of a malicious white dog, the Ghost. 16 year old Jenna struggles to run the farm without her parents and has to face her fears in order to keep her little brother safe.
I have learned so much about writing and how to make the story really come alive since I started. What's more, I have awesome writing friends who have been willing to help me along the way so I can grow as a writer.
On any given day this spring if you wonder what I'm up to, you can make a safe guess that it's writing and editing that takes all my time not spent with my kids or housecleaning.
What's it about, you ask? It is a story about a farm family, living on the ShoBan reservation that must overcome tragedy and danger that comes to them in the form of a malicious white dog, the Ghost. 16 year old Jenna struggles to run the farm without her parents and has to face her fears in order to keep her little brother safe.
I have learned so much about writing and how to make the story really come alive since I started. What's more, I have awesome writing friends who have been willing to help me along the way so I can grow as a writer.
On any given day this spring if you wonder what I'm up to, you can make a safe guess that it's writing and editing that takes all my time not spent with my kids or housecleaning.
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