Guide to Literary Agents - CraftAndStoryBeginnings

5 Lies Unpublished Writers Tell Themselves (and the Truths That Can Get Them Published)
Posted by Chuck

Writers tend to be creative in many areas of life, so it's no surprise that we can get creative with the truth. Or, as my mother said, "You lie a lot." This is especially tempting when we are debating why we aren't published. Before I was a published author, I embraced a few cherished lies because they blunted the pain of rejection. But the road to publication required discarding these lies and facing reality. Here are five lies I believed before I was published:

Guest column by Matt Mikalatos, freelancer,
and author of the novel "Imaginary Jesus"
(BarnaBooks, April 2010). See his website here.
Matt's publisher is running a contest until July 1, 2010
where the winner gets a Kindle, I-Pod, and
trip to Portland to meet the author.
Find more contest info here!

1. THE RULES DON'T APPLY TO ME.

I write amazing first drafts. If there were a contest for first drafts, mine
would win every time. So I told myself, "Writing is not rewriting." Other
people might have to do multiple drafts, but my first drafts are so solid I
could publish them as-is. For years I believed this.

One day I did three drafts of an article, and it became my first published
article. A solid first draft is not good enough to be published. All those
"rules of writing" that you read in Writer's Digest, on blogs, and in
creative writings classes are rules because they are true most of the time.
So if there are some rules that you think don't apply to you, think again.
It might be the rule preventing you from getting published.

2. AGENTS AND EDITORS HAVE IT IN FOR ME.

Ah, those blood-sucking agents and editors. I'm pretty sure they have meetings in a secret underground lair where they talk about how jealous they are of my writing skills and how they should team up to keep me from being published.

This is a lie that is so prevalent among unpublished writers that editors and agents have to go to psychologists so they can feel good about themselves again. I know one editor who calls herself "Dream Crusher" to assuage her pain. Here's the truth: Editors and agents desperately want you to be good enough. They make a living by writers being publishable. If you're getting rejected it's because you still have work to do. either as a writer or as a marketer.

3. I'M NOT A MARKETER, I'M A WRITER!

Which is exactly why you aren't published yet. You have to do the hard work of writing a spectacular query and proposal. Notice that you have to "write" the query and proposal. You're not being asked to do an interpretive dance or draft blueprints to a rocket ship. It might not be your style, and it might be hard work, but being a published author is hard work, complete with e-mails you don't want to answer, deadlines, accounting and marketing!

4. I SHOULD SPEND A LOT OF TIME FANTASIZING OVER WHERE I WILL BE PUBLISHED NOW THAT I'VE WRITTEN TWO CHAPTERS OF MY NOVEL.

It is way more fun to read Writer's Market over and over—memorizing the publishers and agents—than it is to write your book. And while this is good practice for when your book is ready to shop, if the fantasy-to-writing ratio tips toward fantasy, it's time to get back to writing. Unless you are writing a fantasy, in which case you are probably fine and keep up the good work.

5. I'M A BETTER WRITER THAN MOST PUBLISHED AUTHORS.

If you're like me, you love picking up a book from the "Top 10" rack, flipping it open and cringing at the terrible prose. But this author (who is, keep in mind, a worse writer than you) somehow got a contract, got published and is selling well. I said this most often before I had finished writing the first draft of my first novel. Perhaps it's just that the "hack writers" out there actually finish their books.

Here's an exercise: Find a writer online who is published but far inferior to you as a writer. Look at what magazines they are published in. Then write stories or articles to submit to those magazines. This is a guaranteed way to build your writing resume. Unless—they are actually better writers than you, in which case, it's a good reality check.

These are a few of the lies that I wish someone had confronted me with when I was an unpublished writer. Now, here's one last truth for you: You can do this. Work hard, keep writing, improve your craft and be persistent. We're all waiting to read your masterpiece!

Need to sharpen the beginning of your novel?
Check out the great resource Hooked, which is
all about writing an excellent Chapter 1.

Want more tips and posts?

Query letter tips.

Five signs a literary is a good match for you.

What are the BEST writers' conferences in the country?

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 1:06:13 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [18]

Thursday, June 10, 2010

If It Hurts, You're Doing Something Right: 3 Ideas About the Pain of Writing
Posted by Chuck

Yes, getting that first book published hurts—like I can’t even tell you. But the good news is that all the hurt is worth it; in fact, it's invaluable. It's the hurt that counts. And if you haven’t been through the pain, then save yourself the postage.

Guest column by Heath Gibson , whose debut
novel Gigged was released in May 2010 (Flux).
He holds an MFA in Children's Literature from
Hollins University and teaches English at a
high school in Atlanta.

1. THE GOAL IS NOT A GOOD STORY; IT'S A GREAT STORY

It's all about getting a story ready to be looked at. In getting Gigged ready for an editor to see, it had been raked over and over. Sixty-five page chunks were hacked, the last thirty pages were rewritten six times. I agonized over lines, phrases, even single word choices. Chapters were shifted, characters reworked. I climbed into dark places that hit me so hard I took showers after writing certain chapters. But it was only afterward that I realized that what I was doing was getting the manuscript in the shape it needed to be in. While it was happening, I was simply in pursuit of authenticity—a story that only I could tell and tell it in a way that only I could do it.

I never wanted Gigged to be just a good story. Lots of good stories are out there. I wanted it to be an experience that would stick with the reader like pine sap—even force them to reread it. I had to get past writing with agents and editors in mind. Doing that, quite frankly, blinded me from the genuineness of my character’s story.

2. A STORY CAN EASILY GET WATERED DOWN

In 2004, an editor at Simon and Schuster’s Aladdin imprint showed some serious interest in a manuscript of mine. She went over the whole thing, wrote notes and comments in the margins. She sent me a long letter with her ideas and suggestions along with the manuscript, expressing her excitement in seeing the revised draft. As you can imagine, I was on the verge of bursting into flames. So, I worked like a crazy person, even calling in sick a couple of days just to work on revisions. I faithfully took all her suggestions into consideration and did everything I thought I needed to do to give her what she wanted. And in the end, I killed the manuscript.

In the pursuit of publication, I had lost the edge and atmosphere you can almost rub between your fingers—those characteristics that make a story worthy, in my opinion. The editor at Aladdin rightly passed.

Yeah, it hurt. But it was an experience I needed to have. It made me a better writer. Without it, I wouldn’t have been ready to write Gigged.

Even before I let an editor see Gigged, the manuscript had been hacked, stripped, dressed-up, set on fire (not really), cleaned and dirtied all over again. I couldn’t care about editors and agents, yet. It had to be just between me and J.T. (the narrator).

I crawled through it all with him, consistently focused on presenting his story in a way that only I would think to do it. It was something in the back of mind on every line. If the line wasn’t accomplishing something, if it didn’t ring true, it got cut. Nothing mattered to me more than doing right by the characters and giving readers what they deserve.

3. WE MUST BELIEVE GOOD WORK WILL FIND A HOME

Do the research. Work on that query letter. Go to conferences. Do all those things you need to do to put yourself in the right position. But all of that will be futile if your story isn’t ready to be looked at. At the end of the first conversation I had with my editor about acquiring Gigged, he asked me if I had anything else he could see. I had a completed manuscript and about fifty pages of something new. I said I’d get back with him.

I read enough of the completed manuscript to know that it wasn’t even close to being in the kind of shape it need to be in. So I worked on the new story. I got to page 130 and decided I had to start over. Ouch. It was the right decision, though. At least I think it was. I’m waiting to hear what my editor thinks.

To emphasize my Southern origins a bit here: Sometimes to get through the door you have to drag yourself through a keyhole. It’s tough but necessary. Your manuscript will be better for it. Someone will notice.

Writing a novel? Literary agent Oscar Collier and
successful freelance writer Frances Spatz Leighton
team up to give you How to Write & Sell Your
First Novel. You'll find 100 expert tips inside its pages.

Want more on this topic?

Get agents to like your characters and keep reading.

6 keys to revising your fiction.

Footnotes: 8 articles on revision.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:46:02 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Monday, June 07, 2010

6 Keys to Revising Your Fiction
Posted by Chuck

The two dirtiest words in this writer’s vocabulary both start with the letter “R”. The first, and worst, is rejection. Having spent more than two years on my agent search, I have loads of experience in the rejection arena. I wrote three manuscripts and sent out over two hundred queries before I landed that first call with an agent. In May of 2008, Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media Group offered me representation for what would become my debut novel, The Tension of Opposites. During that first call, Alyssa said she loved the voice and premise of the story, but the plot was “messy” and needed a “major overhaul.” Okay, I thought to myself. No problem. Thankfully, I had no idea what lay ahead. What lay ahead was the second dirtiest word in this writer’s vocabulary: revision.

Guest column by Kristina McBride, a former
high-school English teacher who wrote
The Tension of Opposites in response to
the safe return of a child who was kidnapped
while riding his bike to a friend’s house.
The novel (her debut) was released in May
2010. See her website here.

I am a former high school English teacher, so I’m familiar with the importance of revision. For eight years, I drug my students through several drafts of each essay I assigned, harping on them to tighten and sharpen their writing. When I received my first (six page) editorial letter from my agent, I found myself on the other side of the critique for the first time in a long time.

Cut to six months, four drafts, and pounds of M&M’s later, and you’d find me on the phone with Alyssa, cringing as she tells me that the fourth draft just isn’t working. “Should you consider putting this manuscript in a drawer and focusing on something else?” she asked.

“No,” I said, scared that I might lose her brilliant guidance, hating myself that I was such a loser and couldn’t figure out the plot. “I’m giving this one more shot.”

REVISION OR RE-VISION?

After a week of wallowing in depression and scarfing a few gallons of chocolate ice cream, I started to view the manuscript from a different perspective. I had a vision. Or should I say a Re-Vision? Though it pained me, I sat at my desktop and deleted all but five chapters of my terribly messy manuscript.

Let me tell you something about doing this: The freedom I gained was inspirational. It gave me the fresh start I needed to pull the manuscript together. Within five months, Alyssa said my manuscript was ready to pitch to editors. Three weeks later, I had three offers! The Tension of Opposites went to a mini-auction, and it was my turn to dole out rejection (a difficult task, as each editor I spoke with was lovely, and I was honored by the opportunity to work with each of them).

So, how did I do it? One key factor was a book. (In my life, there’s always a book.) Hooked by Les Edgerton guided me beautifully as I started fresh on my manuscript. There were also some important things I learned during my painful almost-year of revisions:

Try not to make things overly complicated. Alyssa once told me to take the plot out of its braid and throw it in a ponytail. Simple, but brilliant. Problem was, when I did this I had quite a mess to comb through.
Don’t be afraid. Of anything. If I can delete nearly my entire manuscript, you can axe a chapter that doesn’t fit.
Brainstorm several ways to reach each plot point. Choose the most unique.
Revision should not impede on your writing time. When you write, just write. Try to keep from listening to your brain’s insults.
When it’s time for revision, whittle away. If you can make a sentence more concise, do it.
Question everything. I often refer to the following questions, which are tacked to a corkboard in my office:

Does the book start with an inciting incident that will force your MC to act, and challenge your MC to grow?
Is there is enough emotion, tension, suspense, etc.? Or too much?
Is something too obvious? Does something come too easy because you need it to advance the plot?
What can you do to make each scene stronger?
How can you weed out your cliched sentences and/or ideas?
Is there a motivation for each event? What about a purpose?
Are you keeping your MC from attaining a goal? This is a must until the ending.
Will your reader wonder about or hope for something pertaining to your MC as they progress through the story?

If you remain open, revision can be your friend. Revision offers you freedom to totally screw up. So, make a deal with yourself that your first draft will be a dreary mess. It’ll give you the opportunity to make progress later, and give you a much needed sense of accomplishment.

Kristina gives a shout-out to Hooked, a resource
on how to start your fiction right and grab readers.

Want more on this subject?

Read an excerpt from Hooked: Agents talk story beginnings.

How many agents should you query?

How to write a query letter: The 3 parts.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Monday, June 07, 2010 10:51:35 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [12]

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing with Voice
Posted by Chuck

"The human voice is the organ of the soul."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. Today I’m serving up 5 articles to help you develop your writing voice.

1. In your own words. Missy Frye discusses how to find your writing voice.

2. Your voice is your fingerprint. Finding your voice as a children’s writer.

3. Put yourself on the page. Holly Lisle lists 10 steps to finding your voice.

4. Make your characters come alive. The Writer’s toolkit: A voice journal for character development.

5. Get into the groove. Jesaka Long presents tips to developing your writing voice.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Creating Characters.

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Description.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:27:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Footnotes: 5 Articles About Creating Characters
Posted by Chuck

"First, find out what your hero wants.
Then just follow him." ~ Ray Bradbury

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week I’ve included five articles on writing characters.

1. Keeping it real. Author Lauren Oliver discusses how to create realistic characters.

2. How does that make you feel? On the blog, Will Writer for Cake, Lynne Hoenig talks about how to get inside a character’s head.

3. Nobody’s perfect. Editor Emma Dryden addresses the appeal of flawed characters; writing memorable ones can make your manuscript stand out.

4. Creating Characters. Check out this blog post on creating characters from the Men with Pens blog.

5. Bigger is better. Check out these tips for writing male characters.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.

Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Sunday, April 11, 2010 7:10:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Get Agents to Like Your Characters and Keep Reading
Posted by Chuck

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that one of my favorite books on writing is Save the Cat (and it's not even a WD book, so you know I'm telling the truth). Save the Cat is a modern-day look at structure and story, written by screenwriter Blake Snyder, a wonderful man who passed away recently at the much-too-young age of 52.

So why is the book called Save the Cat? One of Snyder's most basic points is that we (readers) must like the character we're following. If we see the protagonist do something kind or admirable in the first few minutes/pages, then we will like him. And if we like him, we follow his story and root for him to succeed in getting what he wants.

I recently read some pages from a novel-in-progress. I had some typical notes: "This is good ... this doesn't work ... cut, cut, cut." But the big point was that the protagonist was unlikable. When we first meet the main character, they seem annoyed, and in the middle of a frustrating relationship. We cannot be introduced to characters like this, because why would we keep following a character that is constantly agitated and generally unhappy? We need to root for them, and that's what the Save the Cat moment is all about. So let's look at some movies and identify early Save the Cat moments.

Miss Congeniality

Sandra Bullock is on a sting to catch a mobster. When agents ID themselves and hold the mobster at gunpoint, he starts to choke. But is he really choking, or is it a ruse? It's not clear. None of the male agents move, but Sandra scurries in to help the choking man. She cares; she has compassion. That's a perfect Save the Cat moment.

The Hangover

This movie is essentially about three guys trying to find a fourth guy who's lost just before his wedding day. So which one of the three is the main character? The answer: None. The main character is actually Doug, the groom-to-be who's lost. The Save the Cat moment is very early when he invites his new wacky stepbrother, Alan, to Vegas, even though he doesn't have to. This makes us like Doug. And if we like him, then we root for him to succeed. To succeed means to get married. To do that, we root for his friends to find him in time for his wedding. Save the Cat.

Nottingham

A few years ago, a screenwriter re-envisioned the Robin Hood legend as told from the Sheriff of Nottingham's point of view. In this (unproduced) screenplay, the story begins with a battle. Meanwhile, underground, an Army Leader (actually the sheriff: our protagonist) is leading troops through tunnels for some kind of surprise attack. He stops for a moment to address his men, only to see that instead of looking at him, they're all staring at something else. It's the bucket of water he's holding. It's clear that they're parched. He takes off his own helmet and pours some water in it, instructing them to pass the helmet around and take one sip a piece. The whole thing takes about 7 seconds, and it makes us like this man. Save the Cat.

Sea of Love

I've never seen this movie, but this is the film where Blake Snyder identifies a perfect Save the Cat moment. At the beginning, Al Pacino, a cop, is arresting New York criminals who arrive at a location thinking they're going to meet some Yankees. When Pacino sees that the next approaching criminal has his young son in tow, Pacino makes himself visible, showing his badge. The criminal sees this, and tells his son that there's been a change of plans, walking away. Pacino says "... Catch you later." This is great. It shows Pacino is a tough cop but willing to give this criminal a break because of the kid, but the criminal is not off the hook. Save the Cat.

Recognize other Save the Cat moments in film or books? Let me know.

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Tuesday, March 02, 2010 10:08:12 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [16]

Friday, February 05, 2010

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Description
Posted by Chuck

"Don't tell me the moon is shining;
show me the glint of light on broken glass."
~Anton Chekhov

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week, I’m serving up five articles on writing description.

1. When is description necessary? Doyce Testerman answers that question.

2. Tips to remember when writing description. Children’s writer Anna Staniszewski offers her tips.

3. Using description to place the reader in the scene. Check out Bertum’s blog for great articles on writing description.

4. The art of description. How to bring your settings to life. On the blog Writing-World.com, writer Anne Marble shares 8 tips to bring your descriptions to life.

5. Selling the Sizzle. Writing description is like a barbeque cookout. Check out this post on the Murderby4 blog.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Friday, February 05, 2010 2:48:17 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Should You Start With Plot or Character(s)?
Posted by Chuck

Whether plot or character comes first when composing a novel is sort of like the chicken and egg thing. It greatly depends on the author’s point of view. Plot and character are so entwined that it’s often hard to even separate the two. Like all elements of a novel-dialogue, exposition, description, pacing-plot and character are woven throughout. I think writing can be compared to weaving, where the threads are blurred within the composition of the overall pattern.

Guest blog by Kathryne Kennedy, author of the
Relics of Merlin series; she is best known
for her historical paranormal romances. She
has also written a fantasy romance and
a new Victorian historical romance,
titled My Unfair Lady.

After several books I’ve found that, although there are guidelines to writing, there are no hard and fast rules. That’s why the best authors appear to break them. So I would hesitate to give a definitive answer to that question, and can only offer what I personally do as a writer when starting a new novel.

I start with plot. I’m probably breaking the romance guidelines, as romances are known for their character driven stories. But then again, most of my books are a mix of fantasy and romance, so they’re a bit different anyway.

For me, I have to know where I’m going before I create my characters, even if it’s only a general idea of the plot. Once I have my external conflict (plot) I can then create the characters who would suffer the worst internal conflict within the story. So, if I have a storyline where the heroine must leave her village to find her missing father, who is tangled up in all sorts of political intrigue, I will create a character who is not an adventuress at heart. She’d prefer a cozy, quiet life of knitting and cooking and raising babies. The last thing she would want is to leave her peaceful home and go wandering about the dangerous countryside, eventually becoming tangled up in the same intrigues that cost her father his life. Her internal conflict will be so much greater than creating a character who longs for adventure and excitement. And her growth would be much more rewarding and life-altering.

And then this is where it gets interesting. Because once I create the characters, and plunk them into the story, they will take over, sometimes changing the plot drastically from what I’d first envisioned. And I let them. Because isn’t that the magic of writing, when the words aren’t coming from you, but the characters that you’ve created?

My upcoming release, My Unfair Lady, is a Victorian romance, and probably more character driven than any other book I’ve written. Inspired by Shaw’s Pygmalion, I knew the plot would involve a brash American who comes to London and hires an impoverished duke to turn her into a lady. I knew that someone would be trying to kill the duke, and why. And then I created the characters. The heroine’s reasons for wanting her transformation seemed obvious at first, but then I gave her a secret, one that made her want the things she did, without knowing why, at least at first. When I created my hero I gave him a superficially glamorous life, and a boredom with it that would make my heroine seem like a breath of fresh air-that would make his desire to change her conflict with his growing attraction for her just the way she was. And then the magic happened. The internal conflict became so pronounced that it overwhelmed the external conflict, and I let them loose to figure out each other’s secrets. However, the external plot continued to throw them together time and again to give them a chance to do so. And it was pure joy to watch these two characters discover the truth about themselves, and fall in love with each other while doing so.

So should you start with plot or character? That’s all up to you, and the story you envision writing. But if you’re not quite sure, try starting with a general plot outline or idea, and create characters who would hate to be put into the situation you’ve created. And see where the magic takes you.

My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy,
a Library Journal Editors pick, and
a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly.

Want more on this topic?

5 Signs a Literary Agent is a Good Match For You.

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

Check out The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters.

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns | Romance

Thursday, December 24, 2009 2:59:45 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [6]

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Those First Pages
Posted by Chuck

"There's nothing to writing.
All you do is sit down at
a typewriter and open a vein."
~ Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provides several interesting articles on said topic. You never get a second chance to make a first impression that goes for the first page of your manuscript too. Today I’m serving up five articles to help you make that first page count!

1. Agents tell all. Here on Chuck's GLA blog, freelancer Livia Blackburne discusses the 7 reasons why agents stop reading your first pages.

2. Kids must sound like kids. Writer Anne Spollen asks teens why they stop reading. The number one response: "It doesn’t sound like anyone they know."

3. Great examples of openings. Can you guess the book that claims these openings? On the Blue Rose Girl Blog, writer Libby Koponen includes seven openings that have at least one thing in common, they each thrust the reader into the story. Check out part one and two of this post.

4. Secrets from editors at an SCBWI event. Writer Tara Lazar recounts common problems children’s book editors find when they critique first pages.

5. General opening tips. WD editor Jane Friedman discusses the big mistake you want to avoid in your story opening.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Page 1: How to Start Your Romance Novel.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:07:18 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, December 14, 2009

Footnotes: 8 Articles on When Writing Becomes Revision
Posted by Chuck

"The most valuable of talents is never
using two words when one will do."
-Thomas Jefferson

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provides several interesting articles on said topic. Today's topic is revision. As the NaNoWriMo induced writing stupor wears off, you realize it’s time to revise that opus. I’m serving up 8 links from around the web to help you tackle revisions.

1. Learn to ID your mistakes. The Holt Uncensored blog includes 10 Mistakes Writers Don’t See, (but can fix when they do). The mistakes are common ones easily recognized by editor and agents—and now you can recognize them, too.

2. Map out your story. Award winning author Laurie Halse Anderson suggests taming that manuscript by mapping out the action, chapter by chapter, scene by scene.

3. Think of the beautiful finished product for motivation. Agent Mary Kole offers a pep talk to writers stymied by the revision process.

4. When is a manuscript "done"? Is it soup yet? On the Author 2 Author blog, they ponder the question, "When is a manuscript ready to be submitted?"

5. You only get one chance to make a first impression. This goes for your characters as well. Agent Sara Crowe confronts the question: Are your characters making a good first impression?

6. The pros talk revision. In her Fix-it Friday series, writer, Shari Green serves up weekly revision tips from published authors. Check them out! They may just be what you need to jumpstart your revisions.

7. Concerning critiques of your work. On the blog Constant Revisions, writer Simon Larter ponders the subjective nature of critiques, another necessary component to the writing and revision process.

8. The ultimate revision checklist. Agent Nathan Bransford's revision checklist is a great reference tool to use as you read your manuscript.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Page 1: How to Start Your Romance Novel.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Monday, December 14, 2009 12:51:36 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Page 1: How to Start Your Romance Novel
Posted by Chuck

Here on the blog, I don't spend too much time talking about craft, simply because it's a huge subject I can't really do justice to; however, I do like to talk about how best to start your story right and have a compelling Page 1 and Chapter 1, and that's where this guest column comes in, from romance writer Leigh Michaels.

STARTING TO WRITE YOUR STORY

Figuring out where to start telling your story is one of the bigger challenges you face. You have limited time and space—a few pages, at most—to seize your readers' interest. If you start too slowly and include too much of the characters' history, readers may get tired of waiting for the interesting stuff to start. If you start too fast, with too much action, they may get confused. Either miscalculation can make a reader put the book down and never pick it up again.

This column excerpted from
On Writing Romance by
Leigh Michaels.

Page One: Where to Start

You should be able to convincingly answer the question, Why does page one pick up the story at the moment it does? The best beginnings show—within the first few pages or even paragraphs—the main characters under pressure and facing a challenge, a change in circumstances, or a threat that will significantly alter the rest of her life.

There are no hard and fast rules for exactly how to begin your book, but certain starting setups have proven successful over time. When you're deciding where and when to begin, keep the following options in mind:

1. Start with one of your two main characters. Readers expect the first character they meet in the story to be either the hero or the heroine (and most often it is the heroine), and they're immediately prepared to care about this person. In this opening paragraph from her historical novella, The Rake's Bride, Nicola Cornick introduces her hero and gives us a pretty good idea why we'll be rooting for this war veteran to find love: as a reward for the hell he's been through:

     The April sunlight was as blinding as a flash of gunpowder and the rattle of the bed curtains sounded like distant artillery fire. For a moment, Jack, Marquis of Merlin, wondered if he had gone to hell and ended back in the Peninsula War.

2. Start with action. A good option is to show the main character at the
point when that character's life is disrupted by some kind of danger or
threat. The danger doesn't have to be life-threatening, and it's better if
it isn't complex and doesn't require lengthy explanation. Starting with
action is particularly effective when the situation is easily understood or
the peril is something the readers can relate to—as in this example from
Liz Fielding's sweet traditional, The Billionaire Takes a Bride:

     This was a mistake ... Every cell in Ginny's body was slamming on the brakes, digging in its heels, trying to claw its way back behind the safety of the rain-soaked hedge that divided her roof top terrace from the raked perfection of Richard Mallory's Japanese garden ...
     Her boots left deep impressions in the damp gravel. So much for stealth.
     She was not cut out for burglary.

3. Start with an attention-getting statement. When the readers are presented with something they don't expect, as in Maureen Child's single title Some Kind of Wonderful, they will read on to find out what the heck's happening:

     Baby Jesus moved.
     Carol Baker blinked and shook her head. "Okay, Carol. When you start
seeing statues move, it's either a miracle or you've got problems." She
stared hard at the brightly-lit, life-sized Nativity scene that filled one
corner of the town square ...
     "Okay, Baby Jesus is definitely moving."

Within a few paragraphs, we find out that "Baby Jesus" is actually an
abandoned infant, and the heroine finds her life taking a dramatic turn.

Want more on this subject?

Buy Leigh's book: On Writing Romance.

Check out an interview with romance expert and Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Excerpts | Guest Columns | Romance

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:16:46 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

When Can You Query Agents? How Do You Know if Your Project is Ready?
Posted by Chuck

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 part where he gets beat up—it doesn't seem believable that so many kids 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."

These are garden variety problems with a manuscript, and writers all seem to know many of their problematic issues before anyone even tells them. So this all brings me back to Point #1: If you think your work has a problem, then it more than likely does—and any manuscript with a problem is not ready for agent eyes.

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.

Want more on this subject?

Have some questions on your road to landing a literary agent? Ask me! Join me for my "How to Get a Literary Agent" webinar on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 - and learn about queries, proposals, synopses, submissions, research and much more.

Google Alerts and Agents.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:55:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, November 23, 2009

7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter
Posted by Chuck

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?

Want to write a guest column? E-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

How can you improve your query letter?

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Monday, November 23, 2009 12:24:51 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [15]

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Agent Advice: Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary. Chris received his undergraduate degree in professional writing from Elizabethtown College, and an MA in Writing from Rowan University. A former playwright, contributor to The Onion, and sketch comedy writer, Chris broke into agenting in 2008 and has sold several projects.

He is looking for: "Chris is actively building his list, enjoys working with debut writers, and is primarily interested in middle grade and young adult fiction, with a special interest in books for boys, books with unforgettable characters, and fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

CR: In 2008 I was a 25-year old writer desperate for a career in books who decided I had to move to NYC to make it happen. I brought my life savings and applied to every editorial position I could find. Then, on a whim, I applied for an internship with Firebrand Literary (who had already passed on a novel of mine). They let me come in and assist for a few weeks before deciding I had potential. They offered me a position and two months later, I sold my first project. It's been a bit of a whirlwind ever since.

GLA: Tell us about this move to Upstart Crow.

CR: Working with the great Michael Stearns was one of the main reasons I initially took a position at Firebrand, so it was an easy choice to join him at Upstart Crow. I've been told our love of books and authors shines through on our website, blog, and in the general way we speak about the agency, and I can say with confidence that it's no act or way of endearing ourselves to potential clients. We simply love books and want to do the best by them. It's wonderful being at an agency where the focus shines directly on the books and the writers.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

CR: Lately we've been focused on selling lots of subrights on projects. It's been great to sell projects in foreign territories, like Jacqueline West's forthcoming The Books of Elsewhere series. In the states, it'll come out in June of 2010 from Dial.

GLA: Your history is as a playwright and comedy sketch writer. How does this influence your tastes and the way you read?

CR: My experience with comedy, though probably not as impressive as it sounds, has made me extremely picky with "funny" manuscripts. It takes a lot to make me laugh, so when something does, I find it extremely gratifying. However, I think sometimes people are a bit intimidated by my background in comedy, especially considering I briefly contributed to The Onion, but I'm here to assure you that 1) I'm not as funny as I think I am and 2) if you can hook me with humor, I'll be a terrific advocate for your work.

GLA: Before we get into your love for kids work, tell me: Do you rep any adult works?

CR: When I first started agenting, I though I might dabble in adult works. I imagined myself selling humor or sports books. I've learned, however, that it's incredibly hard to "dabble" in the world of publishing. I've decided that if I can't go into something 100%, it's better to stick with what I really know. For me, that's kid's books.

GLA: You seek YA and MG. Besides a soft spot for boy books, what else can you tell us about your preferences? What do you see too much of? What do you see too little of?"

CR: I'm definitely looking for projects with something timeless at their core, whether it's the emotional connection a reader feels to the characters, or the universal humor, or issues that are relevant now and will still be relevant years from now. Can readers truly understand what it's like to be the prince of Denmark? Probably not, but they can identify with feeling disconnected from a dead loved one and the anger at watching him be replaced by a conniving uncle. I want stories that, no matter what the setting, feel true in some way to the reader.
I definitely see too many people trying to be something else. I used to make the mistake of listing Roald Dahl as one of my favorite writers from my childhood, but I've found that just inspires a bunch of Dahl knockoffs. And trust me, it's tough to imitate the greats. I get far too many emulations of Dahl, Snicket, Rowling, and whatever else has worked in the past. It's one thing to aspire to greatness; it's another to imitate it. I want people who can appeal to me in the same way as successful writers of yore, with a style that's their own.
I see too few writers willing to take chances. I just finished Markus Zusak's wonderful novel The Book Thief. It breaks so many so-called rules for kids books - there are tons of adult characters and POVs, it's a
historical at heart, and it's narrated by Death for crying out loud. It's one of the best young adult novels I've read recently.

GLA: What are some Chapter 1 clichés you often come across when reading a partial?

CR: One of my biggest pet peeves is when writers try to stuff too much
exposition into dialogue rather than trusting their abilities as
storytellers to get information across. I'm talking stuff like the mom
saying, "Listen, Jimmy, I know you've missed your father ever since he died in that mysterious boating accident last year, but I'm telling you, you'll love this summer camp!" So often writers feel like they have to hook the reader write away. In some ways that's true, but in others you can hook a reader with things other than explosions and big secrets being revealed. Good, strong writing and voice can do it, too.

GLA: Tell me more about "fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously." Help define this more so people understand what and what not to send you.

CR: When I was younger, I went through a big fantasy kick. I read Robert Jordan and Tolkein and the combo of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. There's definitely a place for those types of books, but I now find myself drawn more to fantasy that's more fun. The thing about Twilight is that it's not fun at all. If you're going to send me fantasy, I want there to be more than an epic quest and worlds in peril and all that, if I'm going to take on any at all.

GLA: I know Michael (Ted, too?) reps kids books. Do you find yourself
discussing and passing along different projects in this new community
atmosphere?

CR: We definitely discuss projects at Upstart Crow. Before signing new
clients, in fact, we generally share a synopsis and sample chapters with the rest of the team, including Danielle Chiotti, our adult expert. It's always great to have another set of eyes on a project to make sure that it's not only good, but saleable.

GLA: Is Publishers Weekly right? Are vampires out and angels in? Regardless, is it fair to say there will always be a big call for "paranormal," though the specific paranormal item (zombies, vampires, werewolves) is in flux?

CR: I think people are saying that angels are "in" because of a few projects that have just pubbed or are about to, like Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush or Lauren Kate's Fallen. These things come in cycles, though, and more vampire books are coming out each season. I really think some things, like certain types of monsters, will always stay in fashion in one way or another, as long as the mythology stays interesting and there's romance at the core. Or comedy, like with zombies, because they're really funny.

GLA: What's something writers would be surprised to learn about you personally?

CR: That before becoming an agent, some of the ways I made money were by: waiting tables, teaching at a community college, writing jokes, writing about fantasy sports, bartending, and acting in a dinner theater.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers' conferences where people can meet and pitch you?

CR: I'll be doing several SCBWI events over the next few months. Look for me at the Metro NYC in November, Princeton in February, North Carolina next September, and many other places. We keep an updated calendar online that we'll be adding more to soon.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven't covered?

CR: Take your time with your stories, listen to feedback, and, when you have a real winner, send it to me!

Want more on this subject?

Interview with agent Jeffrey McGraw (The August Agency).

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

Interview with agent Phil Lang (Reece Halsey North/Kimberly Cameron).

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Children's Writing | Craft and Story Beginnings | Science Fiction and Fantasy

Sunday, November 08, 2009 1:36:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Friday, August 21, 2009

Agents Tell How To Start a Story Right
Posted by Chuck

Les Edgerton, an author and pretty cool guy, talked to a lot of literary agents when writing his book Hooked, which is all about grabbing readers on page one and never letting them go. Les has shared some of the agent advice below for us!

Hooked

"Strong beginnings start in the middle of the story. You can fill in backstory later. I like to see the protagonist in action at the start so that I get a feel for who the character is right off the bat. We often get submissions with cover letters that begin: 'I know you asked for the first 50 pages, but the story really gets going on page 57, so I included more.' If the story really gets going at 57, you probably need to cut the first 56."

        - Mike Farris, Farris Literary Agency

"Action. Danger. Conflict. Crisis. Consider this from Jeff Somers's The Electric Church: 'You fucked up, Mr. Cates.' Do we know who Mr. Cates is? No. Do we know what he looks like or where he is? No, but we will. What we know now is that he's in trouble. Of course I want to read on."

        - Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary Management

"Never open with scenery! Novels are about people and the human condition. That is why we read them. Yet writer after writer starts off with descriptions of cities, towns, streets, forests, mountains, oceans, etc. Of course I know why. They've learned how to describe landscapes in language that seems literary, and hope we'll be impressed. We are not. We are looking for life.
        "Also, never open with the villain if you're doing mysteries, thrillers, suspense, horror, science fiction, or fantasy genres. Nothing is more important to us than the voice of the protagonist. That is what drives a novel. So give us the protagonist up front. And, yes, I know many best-selling authors open with the villain doing his ghastly deed. Once you're a bestseller, you can do pretty much whatever you want until readers stop buying your books. The other thing is: These authors are usually writing a series, so the reader is already acquainted with the protagonist. You [a new writer] don't have any of this going for you."

       - Jodie Rhodes, Jodie Rhodes Literary Agency

"A story must begin with an immediate hook. Go to some of the classics to see how to begin, namely, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens; Offshore, by Penelope Fitzgerald; Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen; Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert. That first sentence and paragraph immediately draws one into the story and makes it impossible for the reader not to read on."

       - Julie Castiglia, Castiglia Literary Agency

Want more on this subject?

See my article on WritersDigest.com all about chapter 1 cliches and What Agents Hate.
If you're interested in agent Janet Reid, I interviewed her on the blog.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Excerpts | Guest Columns

Friday, August 21, 2009 11:00:47 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Thursday, August 20, 2009

What Are Beta Readers? And Do You Need Them?
Posted by Chuck

Q. What are "beta readers"?
       - An attendee at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference

A. This was such a good question that I thought I should address it here.
       "Beta readers" is a term used for a close circle of writing friends who are the first to read your work. Well, they're not the first, techinically - because you are (you're the alpha reader). What you're aiming for is a group of other writers who write the same category and can offer thoughts on your work that is both honest and helpful.
       The reason that beta readers are important is that they help you edit your work, thereby 1) making the work better, 2) allowing you to avoid spending boatloads of dough on a freelance editor, and 3) give you a variety of perspectives on everything.
       So how do you find these beta readers? Let me tell you how I found mine. When I was finished with this recent middle grade novel (my first novel ever), I didn't know what to do. I work in a publishing house with tons of other writing pros, but the problem was: My friends here don't read MG work. So I promptly joined the local writing group for children - the (rogue) Cincinnati chapter of SCBWI. I went to some meetings and asked my one friend in the group, Nancy, who she would recommend for a manuscript swap. She made several suggestions so I contacted people and asked if they were game. Some said yes; some said no. We swapped manuscripts and set a deadline for edits (maybe one month). I got back their thoughts and edits, incorporated most of them - cause most were very good - and ignored the rest. That's how it all works.

Betamax, yo...

Want more on this subject?

Read this free WD article on weaving in character backstory.
If you're focused on editing your own work, check out James Scott Bell's Write Great Fiction: Revision and Self-Editing.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Questions Submitted by Readers

Thursday, August 20, 2009 9:46:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Agent Don Maass Explains Your Tools for Character Building
Posted by Chuck

Finding a Protagonist's Strength

      Step 1: Is your protagonist an ordinary person? Find in him any kind of strength.

      Step 2: Work out a way for that strength to be demonstrated within your protagonist's first five pages.

      Step 3: Revise your character's introduction to your readers.

Without a quality of strength on display, your readers will not bond with
your protagonist. Why should they? No one wants to spend four minutes, let alone four hundred pages, with a miserable excuse for a human being or even a plain old average Joe. So, what is strength? It can be as simple as caring about someone, self-awareness, a longing for change, or hope. Any small positive quality will signal to your readers that your ordinary protagonist is worth their time.

Literary Agent Don Maass

Finding a Hero's Flaws

      Step 1: Is your protagonist a hero - that is, someone who is already strong? Finding in him something conflicted, fallible, humbling or human.

      Step 2: Work out a way for that flaw to be demonstrated within your protagonist's first five pages.

      Step 3: Revise your character's introduction to your readers. Be sure to soften the flaw with self-awareness or self-depreicating humor.

Heroes who are nothing but good, noble, unswerving, honest, courageous, and kind to their mothers will make your readers want to gag. To make heroes real enough to be likable, it's necessary to make them a little bit flawed. What is a flaw that will not also prove fatal? A personal problem, a bad habit, a hot button, a blind spot, or anything that makes your hero a real human being will work. However, this flaw cannot be overwhelming. That is the reason for adding wise self-awareness or a rueful sense of humor.

The Impact of Greatness

      Step 1: Does your story have a character who is supposed to be great? Choose a character (your protagonist or another) who is, has been, or will be affected by that great character.

      Step 2: Note the impact on your point-of-view character. In what ways is she changed by the great character? How specifically is her self-regard for actual life different? Is destiny involved? Detail the effect.

      Step 3: Write out that impact in a paragraph. It can be backward looking (a flashback frame) or a present moment of exposition.

      Step 4: Add that paragraph to your manuscript.

Greatness is not always about esteem. Those affected by great people may be ambivalent. Whatever the case in your story, see if you can shade the effect of your great character to make it specific and captured nuances. The effect of one character upon another is as particular as the characters themselves.

Excerpted from The Fire in Fiction
(2009, Writer's Digest Books). You can
find the book in the F+W Bookstore here.
Donald Maass runs his own agency
in New York City.

Want more on this subject?

Donald Maass shares advice through Writer Unboxed.

Agent Stacia Decker moves to Donald Maass Literary.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Excerpts | Guest Columns

Sunday, August 02, 2009 11:19:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Brower and 'Breathers'
Posted by Chuck

This new series is called "Successful Queries" 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.

The sixth installment in this series is with agent Michelle Brower (Folio Literary Management, formerly of Wendy Sherman Associates) and her author Scott Browne, for his novel, Breathers.

Dear Michelle Brower:

“I spent two days in a cage at the SPCA until my parents finally came to pick me up. The stigma of bringing your undead son home to live with you can wreak havoc on your social status, so I can’t exactly blame my parents for not rushing out to claim me. But one more day and I would have been donated to a research facility.”

Andy Warner is a zombie.

After reanimating from a car accident that killed his wife, Andy is resented by his parents, abandoned by his friends, and vilified by society. Seeking comfort and camaraderie in Undead Anonymous, a support group for zombies, Andy finds kindred souls in Rita, a recent suicide who has a taste for consuming formaldehyde in cosmetic products, and Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old car crash victim with an artistic flair for Renaissance pornography.

With the help of his new friends and a rogue zombie named Ray, Andy embarks on a journey of personal freedom and self-discovery that will take him from his own casket to the SPCA to a media-driven, class-action lawsuit for the civil rights of all zombies. And along the way, he’ll even devour a few Breathers.

Breathers is a contemporary dark comedy about life, or undeath, through the eyes of an ordinary zombie. In addition to Breathers, I’ve written three other novels and more than four dozen short stories – a dozen of which have appeared in small press publications. Currently, I’m working on my fifth novel, also a dark comedy, about Fate.

Enclosed is a two-page synopsis and the first chapter of Breathers, with additional sample chapters or the entire manuscript available upon request. I appreciate your time and interest in considering my query and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Scott G. Browne

Commentary from Michelle:

What really drew me to this query was the fact that it had exactly what I'm looking for in my commercial fiction - story and style. Scott included a brief quote from the book that managed to capture his sense of humor as an author and his uniquely relatable main character (hard to do with someone who's recently reanimated).

The letter quickly conveyed that this was an unusual book about zombies, and being a fan of zombie literature, I was aware that it seemed like it was taking things in a new direction. I also appreciated how Scott conveyed the main conflict of his plot and his supporting cast of characters - we know there is an issue for Andy beyond coming back to life as a zombie, and that provides momentum for the story.

I think this is a great example of how query letters can break the rules and still stand out in the slush pile. I normally don’t like quotes as the first line, because I don’t have a context for them, but this quote both sets up the main conceit of the book AND gives me a sense of the character's voice. This method won’t necessarily work for most fiction, but it absolutely was successful here.

Craft and Story Beginnings | Successful Queries

Sunday, July 26, 2009 4:51:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [6]

Thursday, August 21, 2008

MORE Agent Chapter 1 Pet Peeves and Writing Cliches
Posted by Chuck

Note: This is part II of
the discussion on Chapter 1
no-no's. See part I here!

The current issue of Writer's Digest magazine (Sept/Oct 08) has a piece in it that I wrote on literary agents' chapter 1 pet peeves. For it, I basically just contacted a whole bunch of agents - new and experienced, fiction and nonfiction, Christian and not, juvenile and adult - and asked them all what they hate to see in chapter 1.

They gave a lot of great feedback - real good practical stuff touching on cliches and pet peeves and overused beginnings. Here is some of the responses that we put in the printed article:

Agents Chapter 1 Pet Peeves:

"Most agents hate prologues. Just make the first chapter relevant and well written."
       - Andrea Brown, Andrea Brown Literary Agency

"Slow writing with a lot of description puts me off very quickly. I like a first chapter that moves quickly and draws me in so I'm immediately hooked."
       - Andrea Hurst, Andrea Hurst Literary Management

"Avoid any description of the weather."
       - Denise Marcil, Denise Marcil Literary Agency

"I don't like it when the main character dies at the end of Chapter 1. Why did I just spend all this time with this character? I feel cheated."
       - Cricket Freeman, August Agency

"A cheesy hook drives me nuts. They say 'Open with a hook!' to grab the reader. That's true, but there's a fine line between an intriguing hook and one that's just silly. An example of a silly hook would be opening with a line of overtly sexual dialogue. Or opening with a hook that's just too convoluted to be truly interesting."
       - Daniel Lazar, Writers House

" 'The Weather' is always a problem - the author feels he has to set up the scene and tell us who the characters are, etc. I like starting a story in media res."
       - Elizabeth Pomada, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:13:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Agents' Chapter 1 Pet Peeves!
Posted by Chuck

Note: This is part I of
the discussion on Chapter 1
no-no's. See part II here!

The forthcoming issue of Writer's Digest magazine (Sept/Oct 08) has a piece in it that I wrote on literary agents' chapter 1 pet peeves. For it, I basically just contacted a whole bunch of agents - new and experienced, fiction and nonfiction, Christian and not, juvenile and adult - and asked them all what they hate to see in chapter 1.

They gave a lot of great feedback - real good practical stuff touching on cliches and pet peeves and overused beginnings. The article will be online in several weeks, so you can see a lot of great advice soon.

Although we saved plenty of juicy parts for the WD article, in the meantime, enjoy all this great feedback that didn't make the final cut for space purposes!

Agents Chapter 1 Pet Peeves:

"Anything cliché such as ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ will turn me off. I hate when a narrator or author addresses the reader (e.g., 'Gentle reader')."
        - Jennie Dunham, Dunham Literary

"Sometimes a reasonably good writer will create an interesting character and describe him in a compelling way, but then he’ll turn out to be some unimportant bit player. Other annoying, unoriginal things I see too often: some young person going home to a small town for a funeral, someone getting a phone call about a death, a description of a psycho lurking in the shadows, or a terrorist planting a bomb."
        - Ellen Pepus, Signature Literary Agency (formerly Ellen Pepus Literary)

"I’m really turned off by a protagonist named Isabelle who goes by 'Izzy.' No. Really. I am."
        - Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management

"I dislike opening scenes that you think are real (I rep adult genre fiction), then the protagonist wakes up. It makes me feel cheated. And so many writers use this hackneyed device. I dislike lengthy paragraphs of world building and scene setting up front. I usually crave action close to the beginning of the book (and so do readers)."
        - Laurie McLean, Larsen/Pomada Literary Agents

"I do in fact hate it when someone wakes up from a dream in Chapter 1, and I dislike an overly long prologue. The worst thing that you can do is let that crucial chapter be boring - that’s the chapter that has to grab my interest!"
        - Michelle Brower, Folio Literary Management (formerly Wendy Sherman Associates)

"I don't like an opening line that's 'My name is...,' introducing the narrator to the reader so blatantly. I might be prompted to groan before reading on a bit further to see if the narration gets any less stale. There are far better ways in Chapter 1 to establish an instant connection between narrator and reader. I’m also usually not a fan of prologues, preferring to find myself in the midst of a moving plot on page 1 rather than being kept outside of it, or eased into it."
        - Michelle Andelman, Lynn C. Franklin Associates (formerly Andrea Brown Literary Agency)

"I hate seeing a 'run-down list:' Names, hair color, eye color, height, even weight sometimes. Other things that bother me is over-describing the scenery or area where the story starts. Usually a manuscript can lose the first 3-5 chapters and start there. Besides the run-down list preaching to me about a subject, I don't like having a character immediately tell me how much he/she hates the world for whatever reason. In other words, tell me your issues on politics, the environment, etc. through your character. That is a real turn off to me."
        - Miriam Hees (editor), Blooming Tree Press

"Perhaps my biggest pet peeve with an opening chapter is when an author features too much exposition - when they go beyond what is necessary for simply 'setting the scene.' I want to feel as if I'm in the hands of a master storyteller, and starting a story with long, flowery, overly-descriptive sentences (kind of like this one) makes the writer seem amateurish and the story contrived. Of course, an equally jarring beginning can be nearly as off-putting, and I hesitate to read on if I'm feeling disoriented by the fifth page. I enjoy when writers can find a good balance between exposition and mystery. Too much accounting always ruins the mystery of a novel, and the unknown is what propels us to read further. It is what keeps me up at night saying 'just one more chapter, then I'll go to sleep.' If everything is explained away in the first chapter; I'm probably putting the book down and going to sleep."
       - Peter Miller, Peter Miller Literary

"1. Squinting into the sunlight with a hangover in a crime novel. Good grief -- been done a million times. 2. A sci-fi novel that spends the first two pages describing the strange landscape. 3. A trite statement ("Get with the program" or "Houston, we have a problem" or "You go girl" or "Earth to Michael" or "Are we all on the same page?"), said by a weenie sales guy, usually in the opening paragraph. 4. A rape scene in a Christian novel, especially in the first chapter. 5. 'Years later, Monica would look back and laugh...' 6. "The [adjective] [adjective] sun rose in the [adjective] [adjective] sky, shedding its [adjective] light across the [adjective] [adjective] [adjective] land."
       - Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

"Here are things I can't stand: Cliché openings in Fantasy can include an opening scene set in a battle (and my peeve is that I don't know any of the characters yet so why should I care about this battle) or with a pastoral scene where the protagonist is gathering herbs (I didn't realize how common this is). Opening chapters where a main protagonist is in the middle of a bodily function (jerking off, vomiting, peeing, or what have you) is usually a firm NO right from the get-go. Gross. Long prologues that often don't have anything to do with the story. So common in Fantasy again. Opening scenes that our all dialogue without any context. I could probably go on..."
       - Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary

"I recently read a ms when the second line was something like, 'Let me tell you this, Dear Reader...' What do you think of that?"
        - Sheree Bykofsky, Sheree Bykofsky Literary

"I know this may sound obvious, but too much 'telling' vs. 'showing' in the first chapter is a definite warning sign for me – the first chapter should present a compelling scene, not a road map for the rest of the book. The goal is to make the reader curious about your characters, fill their heads with questions that must be answered, not fill them in on exactly where, when, who and how. Don’t ever describe eye color either..."
        - Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency

"Characters that are moving around doing little things, but essentially nothing. Washing dishes & thinking, staring out the window & thinking, tying shoes, thinking ... Authors often do this to transmit information, but the result is action in a literal sense but no real energy in a narrative sense. The best rule of thumb is always to start the story where the story starts."
        - Dan Lazar, Writers House

"I hate reading purple prose, taking the time to set up-- to describe something so beautifully and that has nothing to do with the actual story. I also hate when an author starts something and then says '(the main character) would find out later.' I hate gratuitous sex and violence anywhere in the manuscript. If it is not crucial to the story then I don't want to see it in there, in any chapters."
        - Cherry Weiner, Cherry Weiner Literary

Want more on this subject?

7 reasons agents stop reading your first chapter.

Should you start with plot or character?

Word count for novels and children's books.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Tuesday, August 05, 2008 2:38:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [20]

Friday, August 24, 2007

Why Your Manuscript Can Get Rejected (Part 2)
Posted by Chuck

At Killer Nashville, a trio of extremely knowledgeable publishing pros held a panel on the most common reasons why a manuscript is rejected by an agent. Below you'll find part two of this post series.

Keep in mind that the panelists were discussing why a manuscript will be rejected, not a novel synopsis or query letter. They were talking about problems within the writing.

Panelist No. 2: Donna Bagdasarian

Agent at Maria Carvainis Agency, Inc.
Formerly at William Morris
http://www.authorsontheweb.com/features/0105-literary-agent/carvainis.asp

Donna's top reasons why your manuscript can be rejected:

1. Problems with basic writing skills—grammar, syntax, defining who the protagonist is. To be successful, aspiring writers must learn how to write—well.

2. Bad dialogue. Write like people speak.

3. Too much plot. Writers may read a variety of books by bestselling mystery authors and then try to take plot elements from several of these books, combining those elements into one convoluted tale. Write one book, not eight books crammed into one.

4. Not having the protagonist involved in the climax.

5. Spending too much time at the beginning of a story on a character who seems to be the protagonist, but isn't.

6. Supplanting quality for a gimmick. Take a moment and examine certain gimmicks, such as the following:
- Writing in the second person

      - Having many points of view
      - Having your book be very, very dark in nature
      - Having scenes in a backwards order

- Hopscotch (where you can jump around anywhere and the story still makes sense)

These gimmicks are unique, and can produce an extraordinary book, but they can only be pulled off by the most superior of writers—and most writers are not superior writers. Therefore, writers should pass on all such gimmicks and just try to tell a good story.

7. Excessive and salacious material. When your manuscript is complete and a peer/editor says "It needs more violence/sex/action/dialogue," they may be right, but inserting these aspects in the book must make sense. There can’t just be violence or sex in a story simply to have it. Make it work.

8. Know how much is too much. If you can cut a scene and the story still works, you must cut it. Ask of the scene: "Why is it here? What does it do to further the plot?"

9. Purple prose—writing where the reader is conscious that these are the author’s thoughts, not the character's. This is prose where the language is excessively flowery and/or lyrical.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns | Writers' Conferences

Friday, August 24, 2007 4:19:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Reasons Why Your Manuscript Can Get Rejected (Part 1)
Posted by Chuck

At Killer Nashville, a trio of extremely knowledgeable publishing pros held a panel on the most common reasons why a manuscript is rejected by an agent. Below you'll find part one of this post series.

Keep in mind that the panelists were discussing why a manuscript will be rejected, not a novel synopsis or query letter. They were talking about problems within the writing.

Panelist No. 1: Hallie Ephron

Author of several mystery novels
Book reviewer for the Boston Globe
Author: Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (WD Books)
www.hallieephron.com

Hallie's top reasons why your manuscript can be rejected:

1. Profligate use of adverbs. For instance, saying "She looked at me and smiled happily." That's telling, not showing. Instead of using adverbs, use action to show the characters' feelings and emotions.

2. Predictability—using the same plot as others. For example, a cliche mystery plot opening hook is this: A P.I. picks up his office phone and his ex-wife is on the line. She's in trouble, but can’t say why. They agree to meet later at a bar or parking lot, but she never shows because she’s been murdered.
"I want twists. Surprise me in the first chapter and I'll keep reading."

3. Too many killers. A recent manuscript she read revealed six people were actually complicit in the book's murder. It’s convoluted, confusing, and shows that the author had to pull six rabbits out of a hat at the end to wow us. This problem is likely because of earlier problems in Act II—a.k.a "the muddy middle."

4. Point of view that’s out of control. If you’re in a character’s head, stay there until the scene is over.

5. Prologues that don’t work—where writers have a boring opening, so they simply pluck out an exciting scene from the middle, put it at the beginning, and call it the prologue.

6. A plot with no spine. When the scenes seem to jump around—you’re here, you’re there, now you’re there—the book has no backbone. "You have to get me to care about the main plot for me to keep reading."

7. Getting stuck to an outline. "Don’t let your plot trap your characters." If you write an outline and, in the middle of the story, the protagonist is supposed to run into a burning building, that’s fine. But as you begin the flesh out your protagonist and write the book, you may craft a character who wouldn’t realistically run into a burning building—perhaps he’s too smart, or too cowardly or whatever.

Her final tips: "Surprise me. Make me laugh. Make me care about your characters. Don’t let the frustration get you down. We all go through the 'It’s a piece of sh*t' stage."

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns | Writers' Conferences

Thursday, August 23, 2007 10:22:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, July 23, 2007

Words of Wisdom: Author Bob Mayer
Posted by Chuck

Searching for some fiction writing advice? Look no further than Bob Mayer, a man with many accomplishments. Mayer has written more than 35 novels, has been on just about every bestseller list out there, and is now with his fourth literary agent.

He presented at the HAWC this past weekend; here are some of his precious nuggets of wisdom for fiction writers:

If you're writing genre material, it's probably best to "frontload" the work, meaning you can outline heavily before delving into the work.
Don't start your query letter with "I've just written a novel..." The agent realizes this.
Know the difference between lecturing the reader and entertaining. "As fiction writers, we are entertainers," he says.
Writers often don't sell their first novel because the story is about the writer's life and problems. "First novels tend to be blood-lettings," he says, "and they're focused on you, not the reader."
Agents look for solid characters in fiction work. To demonstrate this point, Mayer brought up the TV show, "The Closer," which is essentially just one of countless cop shows, but succeeds because of great characters.
The protagonist must be reluctant to get involved. They should also be likeable and interesting, but also different and flawed.
Give your work high stakes. What will happen if the protagonist fails?

Bob Mayer (right) speaking with
an attendee at the HAWC.

Want more on this subject?

How royalties and advances (money) work.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket with just one book.

You have a contract but no literary agent - what to do.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Guest Columns

Monday, July 23, 2007 12:44:34 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, July 09, 2007

Editing Your Own Work (2008 GLA Article Excerpt)
Posted by Chuck

2008 Article Excerpt:

Writer Candy Davis talks about how
anyone can successfully edit their own
fiction work and get it ready for an
agent's consideration.

" ... Your book's unique proportion of scenes and sequels should produce a characteristic rhythm an agent can easily recognize as the perfect pulse for the work: staccato for quick-paced action genre, more legato for a genre that focuses on internal process. Running too many scenes together allows no space for the character to evaluate his progress.
Each scene should begin and end with a hook, and should capture a complete and meaningful 'story event.' Keep scene length appropriate to your genre, and never longer than necessary to cover the episode. Cut mundane interactions, placeholder dialogue and extraneous background information. A sequel generally follows a major plot point, steps up the stakes and turns the story in a new direction. Allow the character a moment to evaluate past mistakes, realize a previously overlooked or rejected option, and take the first step toward a new and more desperate plan."

- "With an Agent's Eye: Edit Your Work Like a Pro" (page 18)

The 2008 edition is a bit outdated
now, so grab the 2010 edition!

While Guide to Literary Agents is best known for its large and detailed list of literary agencies, every edition has plenty of informational articles and interviews designed to help writers perfect their craft and contact agents wisely. The 2010 edition is no different, with more than 80 pages of articles addressing numerous writing and publishing topics.

Craft and Story Beginnings | Excerpts

Monday, July 09, 2007 12:25:51 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

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