I think I've discovered a new behavioral disorder. I'm calling it Writer-Specific ADHD. Do you suffer from this? Major symptoms include:
1) Desire to start a new project as soon as the old one is finished, if not before
2) Always coming up with a "better" idea, therefore eclipsing the excitement you had for your previous project.
And, if you have an extreme case, like I do:
3) Putting the query process on hold because you think your current project now pales in the light of bright, new shiny idea, even though your full manuscript has been requested and is floating around in the ether of literary agents.
I'm thinking about trying to get this included in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It's about time they came out with an update.
Showing posts with label queries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label queries. Show all posts
5.03.2010
4.10.2010
In the Meantime
So I bet you're wondering if I've heard any good news on the query front for Charm Bracelet.
Well, I'm right there with you. The other day I got one of those automatic "we received your query, please allow 6-8 weeks for our response."
Wow, it took me just about 6-8 weeks to write the first draft of CB. (Uhhh, I know that sounds pretty good, but let me stress the words FIRST DRAFT. It took much longer to do the rewrites, change a main story arc, and completely re-do the ending.) This time frame doesn't surprise me; I know agents have a lot on their plates, and more and more people are deciding they can write books so the slush pile is ever-growing.
But man, that's a lot of time.
So why am I not freaking out, checking my email every 5 minutes? (Okay, okay. I check it 2-3/day. I am slightly neurotic; I'm a writer, after all.) Because I've been BUSY. First of all, as I mentioned before, I'm transitioning to a writing position at my day job. Which has been pretty awesome. Not so awesome are the hours, or the fact I sometimes have to do work on weekends. Which by the way, I am not paid for. One of the downfalls of being on a set salary. Although having medical insurance is cool and all.
And then, I am making great progress on my gothic untitled novel. By "great" I don't mean crazy huge word counts, but I think it's really quality stuff. And I'm really enjoying the story.
And then, tomorrow I'm volunteering at Liberty Humane Society, playing with some kitties and pups that could really use some love and affection.
3.29.2010
The Fun Stuff
Finally ready to start querying agents for CB! That's right, the manuscript is ready. I think. I hope.
As terrifying as the query process is, I actually think it's fun at the very beginning. You know, when you send it out, full of high hopes and dreams. Before the soul-crushing phase begins.
And I know that a truckload of soul-crushing is on it's way, so just let me have this one day. One day to enjoy the thrill of sending off my baby into the big wide world of literary agencies.
As terrifying as the query process is, I actually think it's fun at the very beginning. You know, when you send it out, full of high hopes and dreams. Before the soul-crushing phase begins.
And I know that a truckload of soul-crushing is on it's way, so just let me have this one day. One day to enjoy the thrill of sending off my baby into the big wide world of literary agencies.
3.27.2010
Query Time
I recently tinkered with my query for CHARM BRACELET. Since Marlowe's voice is kind of wryly funny, that's what I initially went for in my query. Except I think it was setting a skewed expectation for the tone of the book as largely comedic. And while there's definitely funny bits--well, people actually die in it. Unfortunately for them. So clearly some not-so-funny bits. I think the new version gets that across better. Have a looksie.
Marlowe Thomas is gifted, but not in the way most people think. Sure, her 4.0 grade average comes easily. And she’s one of the top gymnasts on the Devil’s Den High School varsity team. But Marley’s really special talents are ones she can’t put on her college application essays. Unless Georgetown is now offering courses in divination and telekinesis.
Marley’s halfway through her junior year, and she just found out she’s a witch.
So she’s going to tackle it like she does everything else—with hard work and diligence. Except there are the distractions…
Gabe Connelly is aloof and cautious, while his brother Fin thinks being a witch is all fun and games, no toil and trouble. Despite her overachieving personality, Marley gravitates toward fun-loving Fin after Gabe refuses to help her learn the Craft.
Until things get serious.
It began with the suicide that left the medical examiner scratching his head; and then the murders followed. All connected. All unexplained by modern medicine. Meanwhile, the entire cheerleading squad is acting like a bunch of brainwashed puppets. But who’s pulling the strings? Turns out, there’s another witch at school; one whose motivations are considerably darker than scoring beer underage. One by one she’s picking off the people she holds grudges against. And Marley is one of them.
CHARM BRACELET is contemporary YA—in the spirit of Mean Girls with a magical, murderous twist. The manuscript is complete at 55,000 words.
Marlowe Thomas is gifted, but not in the way most people think. Sure, her 4.0 grade average comes easily. And she’s one of the top gymnasts on the Devil’s Den High School varsity team. But Marley’s really special talents are ones she can’t put on her college application essays. Unless Georgetown is now offering courses in divination and telekinesis.
Marley’s halfway through her junior year, and she just found out she’s a witch.
So she’s going to tackle it like she does everything else—with hard work and diligence. Except there are the distractions…
Gabe Connelly is aloof and cautious, while his brother Fin thinks being a witch is all fun and games, no toil and trouble. Despite her overachieving personality, Marley gravitates toward fun-loving Fin after Gabe refuses to help her learn the Craft.
Until things get serious.
It began with the suicide that left the medical examiner scratching his head; and then the murders followed. All connected. All unexplained by modern medicine. Meanwhile, the entire cheerleading squad is acting like a bunch of brainwashed puppets. But who’s pulling the strings? Turns out, there’s another witch at school; one whose motivations are considerably darker than scoring beer underage. One by one she’s picking off the people she holds grudges against. And Marley is one of them.
CHARM BRACELET is contemporary YA—in the spirit of Mean Girls with a magical, murderous twist. The manuscript is complete at 55,000 words.
3.01.2010
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Query…
We all know about query letters and why they’re dreadful and, therefore, why not put it off until I absolutely HAVE to write it?
Well, turns out there’s an upside to writing it before you’ve completed your WIP.
When working on my first WIP ever (I don’t think I have to mention how much of a stinker that manuscript was and where it ended up*), I was of course the typical newbie, telling my family I was working on a book yadda yadda. And the thing about telling people you’re writing a book is—people ASK you what it’s about. I should have expected this, yet somehow was completely unprepared to answer the question. No matter how many times someone asked, I could never really put together a succinct or remotely coherent response. I would mention themes and aspects that were involved in it, but somehow could never come up with the actual PLOT.
Of course I ignored this problem.
When I wrote the final words on my first draft and decided it was time to subject the world, ie, agents, to it (Rewrites? What rewrites?), I went about the business of trying to get a query letter together.
I guess I don’t have to tell you I failed miserably. I faced the same problem I had when asked by my friends and family what my book was about. I couldn’t identify a HOOK.
Now that I’m better informed and (hopefully) a better writer, this time around** I attempted a rough draft query letter on my current WIP when I was probably about 2/3 done with the first draft. I asked my husband to give it a look as an impartial reader, since I never let him read any of my work. He admitted it had him hooked until the end, where I tried to squeeze in one aspect of the plot that I couldn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the query naturally. After two paragraphs of talking about my kick-ass MC, I tried to tack on a sentence about the romantic storyline.
Well lo and behold, when I got my critique comments back on the first draft, the aspect of the book my reviewer took largest issue with was that my kick-ass MC became slightly less so once her romantic interest stepped on the scene. This came as a shock to me, although it shouldn’t have if I’d really thought about my hubby’s feedback and applied it to my manuscript. It was one of those “duh!” moments you experience when you get a really great editorial suggestion (followed by excitement about how much more awesome the change will make the book, followed even more quickly by the despair that comes when you realize how much work it’ll take to change an entire story arc).
So a round of edits later, I have a stronger MC. And now I actually am looking forward to (gasp!) revisiting my query and making that stronger, too.
Moral of this story? Queries are more than a torture device designed by editors and agents. They are a tool. LOVE IT!
*I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the good people at Levine Greenberg, who took a chance on a partial and got 50 pages of utter crap sent to them.
**Current WIP is Book 3. Or if you want to get technical, Book 2.5 since I put Book 2 on the shelf about 20K words short of finished. Perhaps to be revisited at a later time, with a wiser eye.
Well, turns out there’s an upside to writing it before you’ve completed your WIP.
When working on my first WIP ever (I don’t think I have to mention how much of a stinker that manuscript was and where it ended up*), I was of course the typical newbie, telling my family I was working on a book yadda yadda. And the thing about telling people you’re writing a book is—people ASK you what it’s about. I should have expected this, yet somehow was completely unprepared to answer the question. No matter how many times someone asked, I could never really put together a succinct or remotely coherent response. I would mention themes and aspects that were involved in it, but somehow could never come up with the actual PLOT.
Of course I ignored this problem.
When I wrote the final words on my first draft and decided it was time to subject the world, ie, agents, to it (Rewrites? What rewrites?), I went about the business of trying to get a query letter together.
I guess I don’t have to tell you I failed miserably. I faced the same problem I had when asked by my friends and family what my book was about. I couldn’t identify a HOOK.
Now that I’m better informed and (hopefully) a better writer, this time around** I attempted a rough draft query letter on my current WIP when I was probably about 2/3 done with the first draft. I asked my husband to give it a look as an impartial reader, since I never let him read any of my work. He admitted it had him hooked until the end, where I tried to squeeze in one aspect of the plot that I couldn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the query naturally. After two paragraphs of talking about my kick-ass MC, I tried to tack on a sentence about the romantic storyline.
Well lo and behold, when I got my critique comments back on the first draft, the aspect of the book my reviewer took largest issue with was that my kick-ass MC became slightly less so once her romantic interest stepped on the scene. This came as a shock to me, although it shouldn’t have if I’d really thought about my hubby’s feedback and applied it to my manuscript. It was one of those “duh!” moments you experience when you get a really great editorial suggestion (followed by excitement about how much more awesome the change will make the book, followed even more quickly by the despair that comes when you realize how much work it’ll take to change an entire story arc).
So a round of edits later, I have a stronger MC. And now I actually am looking forward to (gasp!) revisiting my query and making that stronger, too.
Moral of this story? Queries are more than a torture device designed by editors and agents. They are a tool. LOVE IT!
*I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the good people at Levine Greenberg, who took a chance on a partial and got 50 pages of utter crap sent to them.
**Current WIP is Book 3. Or if you want to get technical, Book 2.5 since I put Book 2 on the shelf about 20K words short of finished. Perhaps to be revisited at a later time, with a wiser eye.
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