Fixes & Trims

My query process has been pretty slow going cuz I usually just send out a few handfuls, then wait for responses. I consider my first several months of querying to be like toe dips into the water. Sure, you could cherry bomb into the pool and hope for the best, but if you instantaneously get fifty people wet with rank hideousness, it skims your best picks right off the top, leaving you with lesser-thans.

If I get no requests after ten or twelve, I make changes. I'd do this for a while, then stop to make changes, but without feedback, it's hard to know where I went wrong. Was my MC too whiny, wimpy, dull, what? Does my concept suck? Is my letter pure crap? It's so impossible to know...Maybe not.

Well, I feel dunce-cap-worthy it took several months for the light bulb to finally flick on over my near-empty skull, but I decided to just query agents who requested a query letter only, then I'd know for sure if the main glitch was with my letter. I kept sending out my query, then I'd revise and try again. I didn't find much interest.

I mean, maybe the main conspiracy of my novel comes across too unbelievable boiled down into one sentence of explanation and tucked into a couple paragraphs of what's, who's and how's.

So, I scratched my letter completely and wrote an entirely new one that is huge on voice and character with minimal plot points.

One agent requested a full, but she thought the work would be better in First person, which told me she'd only read a few chapters because anyone who's read further on would never in a million years think that. My MC doesn't know the greater details of the plot until the epilogue, so, a limited perspective just wouldn't work. The bulk of the story's big mystery is revealed to readers through my parallel protagonist's journey instead.

However, hints of that didn't break open in chapter 8. So, I bumped his weirdness up to his first POV scene in chapter 4. The bit of commentary I'd received was not entirely right for my particular story, but it helped me to see I needed to point the good guts out much earlier.

If my book were simply a girl against two would-be-killers, then First person would probably work great, but it's not. Originally that was my concept, 'tis true, but sometimes stories just grow and unexpectedly surprise the writers penning them. And that's what happened with me and my story.

Even if I don't wholly agree with suggestions, they do usually help me to see where I've gone wrong and what adjustments need to be made. If you have Betas or critters of any kind, consider their opinion valid, even if you don't agree. If you give it some time, you may see they're right. Maybe they're not, but keep the notes and try to see your work through fresh eyes. Maybe a part of what they're saying is correct. Maybe it hints at a different, deeper problem like mine did.

Even though I liked it, I had to change my first chapter after several people complained of it being too confusing. The advice you get, whether prickly or smooth, could be just the thing to make your story even better. As the writer, you owe it to your story and your readers to write the best you can and edit with that same drive.

And if you're in the querying stage like me and frustrated by all the form rejections you're collecting that say, "Not for me" or "I'm not the right agent for this", without so much as a hint of feedback to suggest where you misfired, try querying agents who only request the letter. Start there. If you're get nothing but form letters from agents who rep the kind of work you write, and you don't have 200,000 words or some likewise monstrous book, your letter needs some work, so have it critiqued and keeping working on it until it shines and gets results.

If your letter is sparking interest and several agents request a partial or a full, then turn you down without much feedback, you'll know the error is with your work, probably within the first few chapters. So set that sparkling jewel of a letter aside and take a hiatus to work on your manuscript. Once it's ready, get back in the game.

Happy writing, happy hunting!

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Kick Critiquaphobia to the Curb

Most writers are afraid of getting feedback on their work, putting it out there for others to slash and trash, but if you hope to succeed in the ruthless world of publishing, it's necessary to take the first step and leap the chasm. No work is perfect and polished on the first run, or the fifth, even if you keep going back, combing through it line by line, word by word, reading it aloud. You need another person's perspective, several, because no matter how astute you are or how much of a perfectionist you are or how many A's in English you earned, you just can't be objective about your baby. And if you can't handle the possible rejection from reviewers, how will you deal with it from agents? Reviewers/critiquers who see problems in your work can give you constructive feedback so you can improve. Most agents will just pop a form letter in the mail because they don't have the time for that.

Not all but many of the reviewers who read my work point out things they don't like or something I have to fix, weak spots, breaks in continuity, unrealistic reactions, an overabundance of "huffing". You can't please every reader, but you can at least have your work as polished as possible before seeking representation.

It may take some time and research to find a place online or in your community where you can get effective and affirming feedback but do it. You want reviewers who will point out the good and bad. Having someone point out a couple spelling mistakes, but otherwise cheer and play Pomp and Circumstance doesn't help you very much. Neither does having someone trash it to bits because we writers are a sensitive folk. You need a good balance of suggestions for improvement as well as encouragement.

My book, Kings & Queens, is currently in a critique circle at The Next Big Writer. I thought I’d share the great questions we ask for each chapter so if you’re having others critique your novel, it will you give some direction as to what to ask them to look for in an in-depth review.

§ Do the opening sentences/paragraphs grab your attention?

§ Conflict – Can you identify what it is?

§ Plot – Is it believable?

§ Setting – Is there a real sense of time and place?

§ Characterization – Are the characters believable or do they feel like cardboard cutouts?

§ Dialogue – Is it tight and does it help move the story along? Did it need more/less? Is it stilted?

§ Point of view – Is it consistent?

§ Show vs. Tell – Are scenes conveyed through the actions of the characters or through the author’s voice?

§ Grammar & Spelling – Point out any grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors.

§ Style/Tone – Is the writing easy to read? Are word choices effective? Is the tone preachy?

§ Prose – Is there any purple prose?

§ Are the period details (dress, word choices, etc.) accurate?

§ Is there enough action?

§ Does the story move quickly?

§ Is the tension level high?

§ Are the protagonists strong? Realistic enough?

§ Is there a strong dramatic tone?

Give overall impressions of the chapter:-

§ What you liked most and what worked well?

§ What you liked least or feel could have been done better?

§ How do you think it could be improved?

If you want your work to be as good as it can be, to be better than you ever thought, take the risk and get the feedback you need. You'll then be able to look at your work objectively from different angles and develop a thicker skin in the process. Don't let critiquaphobia keep you in a standstill. Kick it to the curb. You can do it. Jump.

~Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Getting Quality Feedback

If you've got a finished product or nearly so, it's great to have your aunt, former English teacher or best friend proof and critique your work, but if you want to branch out of your comfort zone and get quality feedback from fellow writers and eager readers, check out The Next Big Writer.

It's free for anyone to sign up as reviewer, and costs a minimal membership fee for those who want to post work. And because it's a password-protected site and you're technically posting work-in-progress, you still hold first publication rights. I joined as a reviewer at first to survey the lay of the land and I was astounded by the excellent work being posted and the feedback authors were getting, so I decided to post my own work. I am so ecstatic I did. I've met some amazing writers and reviewers and my work wouldn't be the same without them. They're awesome. Take a peek and see if it's for you.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs