Past Tense vs. Present Tense: How To Choose Which Works Best

So. Many of you are gearing up for NaNoWriMo tomorrow, which I think is awesome. I, however, am sitting this NaNo out. I do have a WIP, and I'll continue to work on it throughout November, but I'm taking it a little slow. One reason for this is because I'm editing as I go.

Then there's my other reason: I couldn't decide which tense to write in. 

As such, today I'm going to discuss... wait for it... verb tenses!! *dances the Macarena* First, let me share what the Free Merriam-Webster dictionary has to say:

Past Tense

1) a verb tense expressing action or state in or as if in the past

2) a verb tense expressive of elapsed time.

Present Tense

the tense of a verb that expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking and of what is habitual or characteristic or is always necessarily true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the past, and that is sometimes used for future events.

The go-to book I always use when considering tense is The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins chose present tense for her narrative. The story unfolds in real time, and since it's a gladiator-style fight to the death, choosing past tense would've automatically suggested that Katniss survives the competition.  For this book, present tense added lots and lots of tension--readers feel like whatever happens to Katniss is actually happening as they read, which makes them feel like they're right there with her, going through the same hardships. 

Past tense, however, seems to be the norm. Some writers/readers despise present tense and may believe it's nothing more than a trend. With past tense, I find that I can jump into the story without going, "Oh! It's in past tense." I'm so used to reading it that it doesn't jump out at me. Present tense does, though, since it's rarer for me. 

Now. How do you choose which works best for your WIP? 

Consider the following:

• Who is the narrator? 
• their goals/advantages/disadvantages
• Where is the story set? 
• time and place
• What's the story about? 
• if your story is in the mystery/horror/thriller/postapocalyptic genres, I think present tense will increase the tension and make readers turn pages faster.
• if your story is in any other genre, though, it can still be present tense. You just have to make sure it's the right fit for your narrator and plot.
• What kind of ending do you have in mind? 
• does your narrator die/disappear without a trace?
• is your world under threat of destruction, or is it moving along just fine?

Other than that, I only have one more thing to add: go with your gut. You can always switch between tenses as you write, or even after you've finished your first draft. As long as you feel comfortable, and it makes sense for your story, you're good to go.

Now tell me: which tense do you prefer? Which books do you think exemplify them best?

And remember! Tomorrow is our Mystery Agent contest!! Come back with your Twitter pitches and first 500 words!!

Oliver Awesome's Book Corner with Sandra Ulbrich Almazan

I recently had the pleasure of reading Sandra's novella, Lyon's Legacy. SciFi isn't a genre I read much, though I do enjoy it, so I was very much looking forward to diving into her book. I wasn't disappointed. Here is the blurb:

Sometimes being a geneticist isn’t enough to understand your family....


When scientist-in-training Joanna Lyon learns her rich uncle plans to have their rock legend ancestor, Sean Lyon, cloned, she’s disgusted. Uncle Jack pushed her into music when she was younger, and she hated it. So it’s particularly galling that he wants her to travel through a wormhole to an alternate universe and sample Sean’s DNA. She only agrees to go so she can secretly sabotage the project. But meeting Sean forces her to re-examine her feelings about her family, including her estranged father. Can she protect the unborn clone from her uncle, and will she have to sacrifice her career and new-found love to do so?


What I liked: This book definitely contains a lot of science but it wasn't so bogged down in it that it lost me. Sometimes the technical aspects of SciFi books can get overwhelming, but this had just the right touch of "ooo that's kind of cool" without being so over-the-top technical that it's impossible for anyone without a PhD in Genetics to understand.

Jo is a great character, very real and relatable and I connected with her right off the bat. It was fun to watch her in a situation she didn't want to be in and to watch how it changed her. Her love interest, George, is just lovable and I liked that their romance was very present in the story without overtaking it. It was woven very well into the main storyline. This book just had a little bit of everything; science, time travel, romance, major character growth, a bad guy you want to smack upside the head, heartache, and hope.

I also liked that the story felt complete. Many novellas I've read do not. While this is Book 1 in a series, and there is definitely more to the story, this book does well standing on its own and doesn't feel like it was just cut off in the middle of the book in order to create a series as many novellas I've read do.

What I didn't like: The only thing I didn't really like (and this is very nitpicky) was that one of the characters called the woman who raised him Aunt Grandmother (or various versions of this). It got a little confusing. Every time I saw an instance of this, I found myself wanting to spend some detailed time with his family tree instead of paying attention to the story. However, this was a very minor part of the story and didn't affect my enjoyment of it.

Overall, I loved it :)

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Sandra's book (and I'd highly recommend you do) :) it is available through the links below. I will be posting an interview with Sandra on my blog tomorrow, so everyone be sure to head over!!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Sandra's Blog

Keeping it Real: Holidays in Fiction

Happy Halloween!

Ever noticed how a lot of YA books have a Prom or a Winter Formal or some such thing? It's immediately understood by readers to be a big event, a rite of passage, or at least a social ritual where certain expected things happen. If you want to be different, though, or if you write something other than YA, another easy way to get that reader identity wrapped up in your story is...


Holidays!

Personally, I love reading about holidays in books. For one thing, usually something plot-related happens during the holidays. In a paranormal book, holidays can be particularly exciting if there's some ancient ceremony that has to take place in order to save/destroy the world or bind all faeries to your will... or something.

In contemporary fiction, I love to read about how different people celebrate the holidays so differently. It immediately makes the characters more real to me, because traditions are part of everyone's life. Even if I've never celebrated Rosh Hashanah, I know it's a Jewish holiday and would love to see a character going through the tradition/meaning of it.

Holidays are something we all just understand. We know there are meaningful holidays and those that have lost meaning in our culture and are just for fun... like pinching on St. Patty's day if someone isn't wearing green. There are also holidays from the homeland which people in America may never have heard of... or maybe your father made up a holiday involving a Festivus pole. Your story will be completely unique.

Personal story time:  My mother didn't like the spookifyzation of Halloween and the growing danger of trick-or-treating. As a family, we developed our own tradition, which turned into a second Christmas. We called it Santa-Claus-Christmas or Halloween-Christmas. We dressed up, passed out candy canes to trick-or-treaters and told them "Merry Christmas!" 


You should have seen their faces. 


We watched Christmas classics like Miracle on 34th St. or It's a Wonderful Life. We popped popcorn and ate junk food (a rarity in my healthy household). And best of all, we got one gift each from "Santa." 


If I were a character in your book, you could have a heyday with something like this. How did I feel about doing something so different? Well, it was cool. It was something my weird, kooky family did that made us closer even as it made us different. As I got older (teen years), I started to want parties with friends instead of the traditional staying in with my family. But when I left home for college, I missed the family tradition. Halloween became a downer for me, kind of like New Year's Eve (which is the stupidest, shortest holiday in existence). I developed my own personal tradition of crappy things happening to me on Halloween. 


Now that I have kids, we've created our own traditions, including dressing up to a theme and decorating pumpkins. I'm not sure what traditions we'll have in the future or how our current ones will change, but the traditions of my past definitely affected my future traditions with my kids. Family time trumps the spookiness. 


I have a friend whose family has a traditional prank war on Halloween, which definitely fits the commercial meaning of the holiday and sounds fun, if a bit horrifying. Unleash your imagination. There are endless possibilities for holiday fun/chaos.

Whether your main character reveres and anticipates a holiday or almost completely forgets it, including holidays in your fiction can draw readers into your reality. For fantasy or paranormal, it's an anchoring element. Even if nothing else about your paranormal creature is familiar, if she blows out candles on her birthday, I can relate. I feel anchored.

Halloween is coming up, and I've seen some great spooky scenes in books and TV based around this holiday. Costume parties have provided a golden opportunity for the villain's infiltration, and haunted houses instantly create an atmosphere of confusion and chaos. 

Christmas presents are a prime time for characterization through gift-giving. Does he give her a pre-wrapped gift he bought on Christmas Eve? Or is his gift her favorite candy wrapped up in something she collects? Or maybe he's given her a family heirloom/talisman to protect her from the supernatural villain, and she just thinks he's being romantic. Yeah, I've been watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. 

Think of the traditions you've observed in your own life, or the ones you've heard about from co-workers during a one-up-this-awful-holiday-story session.


How do you celebrate the holidays? Or what's the best holiday story you've ever heard?


Let's create a mini-wiki for writers to draw from. :)

P.S. Mystery Agent contest launches November 1st. Be prepared with a twitter-length pitch PLUS the first 500 words of your completed MS. Entries will be capped at 50. Genres include: Picture book-YA/Teen: commercial fiction, romance (contemporary and historical), historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy in YA or romance only, dark novels and fairy-tale/legend spin-offs

NaNaNaNo

It's almost time for NaNoWriMo. We know the NaNo deal: Thirty days to write 50,000 words. 

I've read a few NaNo themed posts. There are some fabulous tips out there for how to approach it. And, if you don't want to NaNo, there are posts waiting. As for me? I don't hate the concept. I love the idea that NaNo pushes you to write. I like that the goal encourages making time write. But will I be doing NaNo? No.

Everything in me wants to say I'll do NaNo every year, but I always seem to be in the middle of a WIP when NaNo rolls round (or editing one). This year is no different (I'm in the writing stage). 

So I've got a few links for if you still aren't decided: 

Thinking of saying yes to NaNo? Elana Johnson talks about gearing up for NaNo. Ali Cross also has some reasons for NaNo-ing.

Thinking of saying No to NaNo? Check out the annual Dear John letter to NaNoWriMo by Maggie Stiefvater. 

What about you? Will you be NaNo-ing this year? Any tips for making the process easier. 

The Semicolon

I had a meeting with my local writing group the other night, and we had a discussion on the use of a semicolon. Now, back in the early days of writing, I had no idea how to use a semicolon. I figured it was just a strong comma. So thinking I was clever, I posted my opening pages to a critique forum. One guy told me that it might be good to proofread before posting for comments.

I thought I had.

I mentioned that I did indeed proofread. He commented that he thought not, considering I'd misused the semicolon 5 times on the first page. (And yes, I did use a lot of them in the early years). So at that point, I researched the proper usage of a semicolon. And considering that all the writers in my local writing group had no idea the proper usage (and one is a copy editor for a newspaper), I thought I'd post the rules of usage on here.

The most common use of a semicolon separates two complete sentences, closely related.  Two independent clauses. Two sentences that could stand on their own. So basically, if you can't replace it with a period, you can't use a semicolon. There are some other usages, that I will share, but that is the primary one that I see misused with a lot of writers. Here is a pretty good description, taken from Wikipedia.

And if you still don't believe me, here are a few more links to convince you.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/04/
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Semicolons.html
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/semicolons.aspx

Usage

Semicolons are followed by a lower case letter, unless that letter is the first letter of a proper noun. Modern style guides recommend no space before them, and one space after. Modern style guides also typically recommend placing semicolons outside of ending quotation marks—although this was not always the case. For example, the first edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (1906) recommended placing the semicolon inside ending quotation marks.^[5] Applications of the semicolon in English include:

• Between items in a series or listing containing internal punctuation, especially parenthetic commas, where the semicolons function as serial commas:
  • She saw three men: Jamie, who came from New Zealand; John, the milkman's son; and George, a gaunt kind of man.
  • Several fast food restaurants can be found within the cities: London, England; Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; and Madrid, Spain.
  • Examples of familiar sequences are: one, two, and three; a, b, and c; and first, second, and third.
  • (Fig. 8; see also plates in Harley 1941, 1950; Schwab 1947).

This is by far the most frequent use currently.^[6]

• Between closely related independent clauses not conjoined with a coordinating conjunction
  • I went to the basketball court; I was told it was closed for cleaning.
  • I told Kate she's running for the hills; I wonder if she knew I was joking.
  • Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
  • A man chooses; a slave obeys.
  • I told John that his shoe was untied; he looked.

• Between independent clauses and semi clauses linked with a transitional phrase or a conjunctive adverb
  • Everyone knows he is guilty of committing the crime; of course, it will never be proven.^[7]
  • It can occur in both melodic and harmonic lines; however, it is subject to certain restraints.
  • Of these patients, 6 were not enrolled; thus, the cohort was composed of 141 patients at baseline.

This is the least common use, and is mostly confined to academic texts.^[8]

 

An Open Letter To Your Haters

Dear Writer Haters,

You are entitled to think writers are weird. 

You are entitled to think writers are boring. 

You are entitled to think writers have no knowledge of what goes on outside their heads.

You are entitled to think writers who write for teens and children are immature.

You are entitled to not read writers' stories.

But...

Writers are entitled to think you're weird.

Writers are entitled to think you're boring.

Writers are entitled to think you have no knowledge of what goes on outside your head.

Writers are entitled to think people who make fun of stories for teens and children are immature.

Writers are entitled to write whether you'll read their stories or not.

And remember...

Image here

Just sayin'.

Love,

A Writer :)

What Writers' Husbands Understand

1. When I say, "Just give me ten-twenty minutes. I'll be right in," it really means, "I'll be writing for the next several hours because I can't fight the muse and I'll probably need you to drag me to bed at some point."

2. When I say, "I just got feedback from my critique partners," he hears, "You know that movie we were going to watch tonight? Umm, can we postpone it for an hour so I can read what my critique partners thought about that last chapter?"

3. When I say, "I feel so close to the end. I just want to work on it until I can type THE END," he knows he'll come out later and find me playing The Sims3.

4. When I say, "One more round of revisions, and I think I'll be set," he knows I really mean, "I'm down to the last five rounds of revisions, but I may decide to rewrite it completely at the end of the month."

5. When I say, "I'm gonna start querying next week," he hears, "Buckle up, Buster!" and gets ready to join me on yet another writerly roller-coaster.

Here's a shout out to all the spouses of writers out there who continue to be supportive (for the most part) and help us maintain balance when we're crazy. And especially thanks to my husband, without whom I wouldn't even be giving my writing a shot. 

Thanks, Bill, for all the weekends you let me sleep in because you knew I had a writing hangover. Our kids appreciate it, too. :)

We all have our muses, but who are the people in your life who balance that out and keep you grounded in the joys of reality? Feel free to give them a shout-out in the comments!

Finding Critique Groups

With my recent Blog Chain post being on critique groups, I’ve had them on the brain lately. So I thought I’d share some tips on how I found my critique groups and partners.

As with everything, there are many, many ways of going about this. But, this is what worked for me.

1. Google
You really can find just about everything on Google :) When I first set out to look for a group, I had no idea where to begin and lived in a remote area where finding another writer was going to be difficult, if not impossible (or so I thought...but that's another story) :D So I hit the internet. I googled for “online critique groups” and started scrolling.

Going about it this way is going to turn up a lot of results. So choose carefully. In my case, I found a group with an extensive screening process. I had to submit an application of sorts, with a bio and writing samples. I was reassured that this group was legitimate because they were obviously very careful about who they let in. Keep in mind, this was six years ago. Things have changed a bit...there are a lot more legit writer forums, etc out there where you can find crit groups, so googling might not be necessary. If you go this route, I'd definitely be sure to check on the members of groups you find, just to be sure everyone is a good potential crit partner.

I very much enjoyed my time with that group, and learned A LOT. I was a very green writer when I started with them; they showed me the ropes, the rules, helped me get my writing under control. Finding a good group is invaluable.

2. Writers Websites and Forums
This is probably the best way I can think of to find some good crit partners. When I first starting seriously writing, I joined as many writer websites as I could find. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the whole publishing world. I did okay at writing, but I wanted to be better. I found a ton of sites; only a handful were really good, valuable places. Through these sites, a met a few good writing friends. We exchanged some material, and I had my first few critique buddies.

Again, practice caution. Not all sites are there to help writers. Some just want to take advantage. But you can find some really excellent sites. I usually enjoy AbsoluteWrite. They have some excellent information available to writers and I met some really great people there.

But my all time favorite site is QueryTracker.net. I just can’t say enough good things about QT. I joined the site and forum when QT was just getting started, and I was lucky enough to become very close with the members of the site. These people have not only become my critique partners, but are close friends as well.

3. Local Writing Groups
This isn’t something I’ve tried myself as I have such a great online support group and live in a fairly small community. But in larger communities, you should be able to find writer’s groups. Your local library is a great place to start looking. Check the newspapers as well. Being able to meet with your crit partners in person can really be a great experience.

4. National Writers Groups
Organizations like Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators have many different chapters you can join. I know with RWA, there are chapters specialized in the different sub-genres of romance as well as chapters by location. These types of organizations are a great place to find critique groups or partners. Check out the forums…there is usually a thread devoted to people looking for crit buddies.

I truly believe no writer should be without at least one critique buddy. A fresh set of eyes is always a good idea :)

How did you find your crit partners?

What's In A Name?

Finding the perfect name for your MC can be tricky. You might spend 30, 000 words calling your character something, but realise the name doesn't fit. Then you are back to the drawing board (and using the Find/Replace feature a lot).

I'll admit that I don't spend a lot of time thinking of the perfect name (my characters have told me their names when they show up *phew*). But, sometimes, names need to be period specific. Or have a meaning.

And here are a few helpful links:

5 Tips for Naming Your Character.

Baby Name Generator 

What about you? How do you come up with names?

Scary Books: What's Your Fave?

So. It's October. That means Halloween is right around the corner. 

While some of you may be looking for the perfect costume for either yourselves or your loved ones, others are on the hunt for books that make them go like this:

Image here.

Personally, I love horror. 

But I also hate it. 

I hate how it gives me nightmares, and makes me double check my closet. I hate how I pause whenever I'm about to walk through a dark hallway in my own freakin' house. Yep. I'm a wimp. A big one.

Even so, I still carry on with my love of horror. Sadly, though, I feel like I haven't read enough in this genre. Which leads me to ask y'all for some suggestions for my TBR pile:

What's your favorite horror novel of all time?

Doesn't matter if it's MG/YA/adult, by the way. I'll take on anything as long as it's scary! :)

The Universal Psyche and the Stories We All Know

Have you ever had a fleeting idea for a story, gotten busy with something else, and then seen a suspiciously similar idea pop up somewhere else? On a TV show, movie, or even a published book?

It's eerie. How did they come up with such a similar idea to yours? *gasp* Is someone stalking you?

Every kid I know invented the concept of A Bug's Life before A Bug's Life began. They had to have stolen the idea from some six-year-old kid.

Or have you ever written something you thought was completely unique only to discover that Western Space Dystopian Steampunk was now the over-saturated trend in the marketplace? Darn that Firefly!

But even when there isn't a TV show or movie to revive an old concept, most writers I know have accidentally written something that fits within a trend. Here are some of the things I've seen sink into the universal psyche in the past few years:

• vampires
• werewolves
• Victorian England steam punk with a touch of paranormal
• ninjas
• genies 
• mermaids/water elementals
• fairy tale retellings
• dystopian society where some form of government controls everybody's minutiae 
• school/orphanage for gifted or troubled kids
• witches
• superheroes
• villains

That's just off the top of my head. 

What does it mean? Why do you, Writer A, cut off from Writer B across the sea, think of writing a story about a leprechaun samurai at almost the exact same time? It's not like you both watched a movie about leprechaun samurais recently! 

I submit that there is such a thing as a universal psyche that operates on a subliminal level. It offers up the stories we all grew up with and our minds twist them into our own kind of unique. In the creative process, many of us end up in a similar place. That's why there's never just one operating trend at a given time. It's not just vampires. It's vampires and fairies and ninjas. But the trends are still there. We're not copying each other (though some writers confess to writing to a trend), yet we're coming up with similar stories. 

The good news for those of you who are facepalming right now: No two stories are exactly the same! Your leprechaun samurai might be as tall as a light pole and preoccupied with treasure, while my leprechaun samurai operates in a microscopic world where demonic amoeba threaten humankind. 

The collective psyche is a good thing. Literature and other forms of entertainment are how we continue the generational discussion of life, death, principle, evil, hope, and fear. What Gail Carriger's over-souled vampires offered the world is different from what Stephenie Meyer's stone-faced veggie-vamps did. Both spurred thought and discussion deeper than the very brief description I just gave them.

So if you just found out your book is not the only novel about a grand duchess discovering her mother was a fairy bent on world domination, take heart. 

There's no way that other story about a grand duchess's scary fairy mom is anywhere close to yours. Just remember, when querying, to pick out that thing that makes your story truly unique - the thing nobody else thought of. That's what'll get you spotted.

Happy Writing! And Happy Weekend!

Writers Block - by Jackson Pearce :)

A lot of you have probably seen this before, but I LOVE it LOL And it pretty much sums up my life at the moment so....enjoy :D

The Big Bang Theory Query

That moment you finally finish your MS:



And you send off the query:



When a new message shows up in your inbox:



Or the post drops through the door:



The face you make when someone asks you "If you've heard anything yet?"



And you have a "I hate waiting" moment:

 



Then you get a new idea:



And the waiting isn't so bad, right?:

The Ambiguous "Soon"

Like most of you, I've been around the rejection block a few times. And, like most of you again, I've waited long periods of time to hear from those rejections. Rejections from agents. Rejections from editors. Rejections from various writing contests. Rejections from publishers. You name it, I've probably been rejected by it. And I'm certain, that most of you can sympathize with me. Rejection is a normal process in the world of publishing.

So it's been seven months since I submitted to a publisher's open door submission. I've waited, and instead of a rejection, my manuscript has slowly ascended to the ranks of the chosen few. Out of nearly 1,000 submissions, mine is one of approximately 24 that made it to the editors desk. I feel great about that accomplishment! However, the waiting tends to drive me a little batty at times.

Sure, I know all the tricks. Write. Do something. But when the publisher posts twitter comments and posts about giving us an answer "very soon", I know-- from my experience--that soon means nothing in the world of publishing. That "soon" was posted over a month ago. And still I wait to know my fate.

A couple of months ago, I also submitted to a twitter contest for Random House UK, for a picture book. They asked if they could take my manuscript to a meeting. "Sure!" I replied. "Next week" has come and gone. A month ago they said that emails were going out "today". Well, "today" has long since come and gone.

(sigh)

It brings me to wonder, is there a secret language only known to editors? Do they have a code that "soon" actually means 3 months?  Or does "next week" actually mean give or take a month or two. I have yet to discover the hidden secrets in the editorial lingo. I have learned though, that one should never take an ambiguous "soon" as gold. Things happen. Meetings are pushed back. Things appear on their desks. And as one of many writers, we must learn patience (dang it). Makes me wonder if agents, editors, publishers, are teaching us to wait. Maybe we'll finally get used to it all when we get that contract. For if/when we do, we have to wait for our books too. :o)

Awesome Book Reviews: GETTING CAUGHT by Mandy Hubbard and Cyn Balog

Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

Peyton Brentwood is pretty, popular, and Harvard-bound. Or so she hopes. Her only distraction from AP classes and entrance exams is the prank war with her ex-best friend, Jess Hill. Peyton is used to getting what she wants, and she’s not about to let a loser like Jess gain the upper hand.

For Jess, the prank war is an outlet, a way to get revenge on the best friend who left her behind. As if Peyton has the guts to do what it takes to win. Please. There is no way in hell Jess is going to lose this one, even if she has to hit Peyton where it hurts.

These two girls are about to discover it’s best to keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.

Review: I loved this book. There. I said it. 

Peyton and Jess are two of the most three-dimensional characters I have ever seen in contemporary YA. Their voices just pop right out of the page. Peyton is all about The Plan: get into Harvard.  Jess, on the other hand, isn't as hell-bent on college as Peyton. She's the oddball who dyes her hair a different color in the blink of an eye, while Peyton is prim and proper. But despite their blatant differences, both girls have one thing in common: they're hurt. And they choose to hide that pain through mean-spirited pranks. 

Honestly, it was really hard to pick a side. Does Peyton deserve to win the prank war? Or does Jess? Sometimes, I did prefer one girl over the other. But it's not so simple. Because both girls are hurt, I could understand both perspectives. There's no clear victim and victimizer. Just a whole lot of gray area. This is what really made me fall for Hubbard and Balog's book--the characters genuinely felt like teen girls who used to be BFFs, but aren't anymore. The authors channel their characters' frustration and lack of communication effortlessly. And they wrote it in a way that feels appropriate for the target audience, but adult readers can appreciate the heart behind it, too. 

Also, THE PRANKS. Some were hilarious. Others had me going, "Please don't do it, please don't do it, PLEASE DON'T DO IT." Yeah. I may have gasped a few times... And even though some pranks are just plain evil, the book never strays into After School Special territory. Of course, readers will identify what's right and what's wrong with what Peyton and Jess are doing, but the story's about their struggles as ex-BFFs and high school students. 

All in all, Getting Caught is a book to be devoured in one sitting, but it'll stay with you long after you read that last (and ridiculously awesome) page. 

Don't forget to buy the Kindle edition of Getting Caught over at Amazon! And a HUGE thanks to the lovely Mandy Hubbard for letting me read it! 

October Mystery Agent Revealed: Sara Megibow

Drumroll, please.


The incredibly talented Mystery Agent for October is...

Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary

(pic and bio from her agency website)

Sara has been with the Nelson Literary Agency since early 2006. Her first responsibilities included reading the query letters, sample pages and full manuscripts that were submitted for representation. In early 2009, she was promoted to Associate Literary Agent and is now actively accepting submissions of her own. From sexy romance to epic fantasy, Sara has loved reading since picking up her first copy ofThe Hobbit. Sara has a B.A. in Women’s Studies and a B.A. in American History from Northwestern University. She lives in sunny Boulder with her beat-boxing husband, adorable son and two fuzzy cats. Read about Sara's submission notes, clients and sales at Publishers MarketplaceFollow Sara on twitter @SaraMegibow

Sara's TWO winners (and why) in her own words:

Thank you sincerely. What fun! These pitches were so so so good! I had a hard time choosing.

Soooo...

I am going to ask for 50 pages of two submissions:

#31 THE ELITE

#39 HARBINGER

(Note from Katrina: I'll be contacting winners with further instructions.)

As for why - it was tough, but here's my two cents...

#39 Title: HARBINGER
Genre: YA cyberpunk fantasy

With her brother scheduled to become a Golem, a cybernetically enhanced soldier (love the concept!) , 17-year-old Kai will do whatever it takes to save him,(spot on character motivation in under one sentence - great work!) including using the abilities she promised her brother to keep secret--she can see the threads of time and manipulate them.(In this short pitch, the reader gets a spot on sense of what's at stake, what's the character motivation, what's the story. To me, this means that it's a really well-written pitch. The concept is strong although not totally unique and that's the one sticking point I see here. I love that I am 100% clear on the inciting incident - brother is scheduled to be turned into a Golem and that I get the story, the world, the characters. Those things sway my decision and push me over the edge toward ask-for-sample pages.)


#31 Title: THE ELITE
Genre: YA Thriller

Sixteen-year-old Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. (this first sentence is blow me away good. It captures the narrative voice, is totally unique and well written. Absolutely perfect! See how powerful even one sentence can be?) They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Elite and they need Avery as a pawn--or want her dead. (this sentence is a wee bit awkward. Her "newfound family" - I'm assuming that she's been reunited somehow and that's part of the story. The writer does the right thing here by NOT fleshing that out too much and leaving it to mystery. However, the wanted-dead-or-alive hook isn't as well written as the first sentence)

Her only hope is a race across Europe with the two boys the family sent to kidnap her—beautiful, volatile Stellan and darkly intriguing Jack—to decipher the ancient mystery that’s putting her life and the world in danger. (this sentence is clunky and if this had come through the slush pile I probably would have ended up passing on asking for sample pages. The first sentence is soooo good that I'm going to go out on a limb here and accept it anyway, but now we see how tough the slush pile is. I don't need to know what Stellan and Jack look like, and the "her only hope" hook feels generic.)

When I critique queries - this is what the critique looks like - a line by line dissection of the pitch. In our experience, the query letter is an accurate representation of the publish-abilty of a novel and we're very picky. In both of these submissions, the genre and sub-genre are irrelevant - I evaluated all queries equally (I am looking for superior writing and a unique concept, period). For this contest, I read each of the 50 pitches three times before deciding and they were all really good. What elevates something from "really good" to "ask for sample pages"? It's a tough thing to explain and we see some of the thought process here in the critiques. What I can say is that the process works - Jennifer Shaw Wolf came from the slush pile, as did Sherry Thomas and Jamie Ford and Sarah Rees Brennan.

Thanks to everyone for participating! I am very much looking forward to reading THE ELITE and HARBINGER. Feel free to cyber-stalk me on twitter @SaraMegibow or read about my clients/ sales/ personal tastes at: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow/

Thank you so much, Sara! It's nice to get a glimpse into the decision process and to know how thorough you were in reading every pitch. It bears saying again: You rock!

Fun questions/answers from Ms. Megibow:

 
Katrina: As far as dream clients go, pick three authors, dead or alive, you would have loved to represent.

Sara: Ooooo - so hard to choose! I love to read, so I'm constantly buying books and falling in love with new authors!

Kody Keplinger - author of THE DUFF - one of my all-time favorite Young Adult reads.

NK Jemisin - author of THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS - an absolutely brilliant debut epic fantasy novel that I recommend to everyone.

Megan Hart - because I love her style on twitter and her funny posts convinced me to buy NAKED which I absolutely loved!

Amparo: Which of your favorite TV characters (teen or not) would make a great YA protagonist?

Sara: uh - last time I owned a TV was the year that Friends debuted. No kidding - no TV for a long time. Next question?

Katrina: What are you seeing too much of in the old query inbox this week?

Sara: Young teens who learn they have a magical power that will save the world and Greek goddesses. However, these would be compelling to me too if done really well.

Katrina: If you could take bribes from prospective clients, what would be on your wish list? (purely hypothetical, of course)

Sara: Coffee of course...Or a trip to Hawai'i to take my son snorkeling.


Katrina: And, of course, please share any agency/client news. We love to get excited about up-and-coming bestsellers!

Sara: I just love the words "bestseller" and "client" in the same sentence. *smiles*

Do you love contemporary, fun, funny, romantic young adult novels? Try CATCHING JORDAN by debut author Miranda Kenneally (www.mirandakenneally.com) - it's about a girl who is captain and quarterback of her high school football team when her position (and potential college scholarship) are threatened by a new player...a player who is also really hot. We're enjoying great early buzz on this book and ridiculously amazing reviews!

Or, do you prefer deliciously sexy, contemporary, hot, compelling romance novels? Pre-order CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren (www.roniloren.com) about a social worker from a difficult past who chooses to trust a former lover. CRASH INTO YOU is the lead title in January's Writers Digest magazine and has already earned this review: ""Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME.

And, for the epic fantasy readers out there - THE FALLEN QUEEN by Jane Kindred just hit pre-order status tonight. Woo hoo! Jane is online atwww.janekindred.com and her novel is incredible - stuffed full of Russian mythology and beautiful writing (as well as love, lust, epic battles and magic). It's about the heiress to the throne of Heaven, deposed in a celestial coup, who is hidden on earth by a pair of nefarious demons.

Happy reading!!!


THANK YOU, Sara!! Congratulations to the winners! And another thanks to all those who entered. I can understand why Sara had a tough time choosing. Stay tuned because there will be a November contest on the first of next month.

A few of the books/authors repped by the Nelson Literary Agency:

Sara's Other Interviews:

Anita Laydon Miller's Blog

Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Jairus Reddy Blog

Literary Rambles: Agent Spotlight

YA Highway

WriteOnCon Live Chat 2010

Chiseled in Rock

Not an Editor

On WeBook

For even more, I highly suggest checking out Casey McCormick's blog, Literary Rambles for the Agent Spotlight. She's more thorough than I could ever hope to be!

Average Word Counts

One thing I’ve noticed a lot of writers asking is “How long should my book be?” I am usually of the opinion that a book is as long as it needs to be (can you imagine Harry Potter condensed to 150 pages because MG and YA books tend to be shorter? Ack! The horror!) However, there are general guidelines for different genres, so I dug around a bit to come up with a list that may help.

Also note that I did not list each and every genre. In fact, I only mentioned a few that go outside the norm, because for the most part, when we are talking novels, they fall into one of two categories – YA novels, and adult novels. Middle grade books could generally be classified more as novellas and picture books are in a realm of their own.

So, after much searching, here is what I came up with:

Age Categories:

Children’s – age range – 0-12 (avg word count is 200 - 20k)
Middle Grade (Juvenile) – age range – 8-12 (avg. word count is 20k – 40k)
Young Adult – age range – 12-18 (avg word count is 50k – 70k)
Adult – age range – 18+ (avg word count is 80k – 100k)

Word Counts – I scoured the internet, agent blogs, writer forums, and helpful websites…and just about everyone had a different answer on exact word counts. However, there were some general trends. So, while there are exceptions to every rule, you should be safe if you follow these guidelines:

Novella – anything under 50,000 words
Novel – 50,000 – 110,000 words
Epic or Saga – 110,000+

Most adult mainstream fiction will fall between 80,000 – 100,000 words. In other words, if you have written a novel in any genre other than the three listed below, this range is a good one to shoot for.

YA - tends to be a bit shorter, around 60,000 – 80,000 words.

SciFi/Fantasy – traditionally these seem to be longer, but that is not always the case. In general, keeping them around 100,000 words is a good bet. However, because of the world building necessary for these books, longer lengths are generally more acceptable.

Historical Fiction – like SF/F, these generally run longer (with the necessary world building in these genres, longer word lengths are to be expected. In fact, I read a few places where editors were hesitant about shorter length novels in these genres because it does take time to get that setting established) but are usually between 90,000 – 100,000 (though sometimes as high as 150,000).

Every book is going to be different, and a longer word length isn’t necessarily going to get you rejected (though it might, especially if the word count is WAY out of average range). For an average novel, try to keep the word count between 70,000– 100,000. For YAs, 50,000 – 80,000.

Please, PLEASE do not read this and decide you need to chop up your novel. These are only average lengths found on one person's search around the interwebs. Some novels need the added length and work well with the wordage and some get the story across just fine with shorter word counts. These are just general guidelines; you must do what is best for your particular story.

The Doctor Answers For Non-Writers

What's your book about?:

Why are you writing about that?:

When will you get an agent? Will you get your book published? *insert question you don't have an answer to here*: 

What's it like when you don't write something?

Writing is easy, right?:

Yeah. You just type, right?:

So you send it to an agent when you've finished, right?:

What's it like getting a new idea?:

And how does it feel to write a book?:

And then you start again with another book?: 

September Mystery Agent Revealed: Taylor Martindale!

I'm thrilled to announce our September Mystery Agent Contest results!!!

*dances*

But first, allow me to reveal our super awesome Mystery Agent:

Taylor Martindale from Full Circle Literary!

And here are Taylor's picks:

Full manuscript request: VEX, by Norma

Partial manuscript request: THE LATERAL LINE, by Anonymous, and WINNING THE WAR AT HOME, by Pamela Toler

Query letter request: CHASTE by Angela Felsted, and SO YOU DON'T WANT TO BE AN EVIL SORCERESS by Janice Sperry

Congrats to the winners!! Please email Taylor your materials with the subject line OPERATION AWESOME CONTEST WINNER. (Note: her agency email has changed, so please read the interview below for the new address!). 

Taylor was also kind enough to answer a few questions!

1) If you could pick one book that every writer should read, which one would it be and why?

     Wow, what a tough question to start off the interview! First of all, I'd like to say thank you to the wonderful hosts of Operation Awesome! You guys are great, and I'm excited to participate in the Mystery Agent contest. The pitches submitted were really strong and it was tough to decide!

    The book every writer should read... If I had to choose, I'd say THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. That book is so incredible and I think it pushes readers just as much as the author pushed himself in writing it. He uses a unique and unconventional narrator, and readers' connections with characters are intense and real. Not to give details away, but I felt as though I'd lost close personal friends when deaths occurred. The way he builds connection between character and reader is something every author should know.

2) What are you dying to see in your slushpile right now?

    I'd like to see some dynamic YA that I can fall in love with -- contemporary, character-driven stories; unique concepts in fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, and some sci-fi; and dynamic multicultural stories. I'd love to see a ghost story that really gets under my skin. I love stories about real teens dealing with real life, and I want to hear new voices in this area. I am a very voice- and character-focused reader and agent, so if you can get my attention with compelling personalities, you've got my hooked. Overall, I'm just looking to go crazy over something, no matter what it's about.

3) Favorite TV show?

    My favorite show is definitely "So You Think You Can Dance." So much talent, every week!

    

4) Chocolate or candy?

    Either dark chocolate (no milk chocolate!) or gummy candy like Gummi Bears. It's a pretty even tie for me! Although, I have to say, that if I were given the choice between one of these and french fries, salty food would win every time.

5) Any tips for writers struggling with their one-line pitches?

    The one-line pitch is your elevator pitch. If you're in an elevator with an agent or editor, for just that short minute, what do you want them to know about your book? I'd suggest identifying what you feel is the strongest/ most interesting element about your novel, and build your pitch around that. I don't need to know what the plot arc is going to look like; I need to know the very base detail of why I should be interested.

6) Do you have any exciting client/agency news to share?

    I do! I am SO thrilled to announce that I have recently transitioned agencies and I am now an agent at Full Circle Literary in San Diego! I am really excited about this move and am lucky for the chance to join this team. I am representing primarily young adult (all sub-genres!), some children's picture books, and I have interest in finding women's fiction and multicultural fiction. For more information about Full Circle and myself, please visit our website at www.fullcircleliterary.com.

 A huge thank you to Taylor Martindale for being our September Mystery Agent!! And thanks to all of you who entered! Remember, our October Mystery Agent is currently reading your pitches, so if you didn't win the September edition, stay tuned for the October results! 

Have a great day, everybody :)

Internal and External Conflicts

I’m back at writing (and blogging) after a long layoff. I took summer off because I didn’t want to spend time with my family wishing I was writing, or vice versa. I’m glad I did, since with my children home from school, I wouldn’t have had much time to write. With the time I had, I worked on some other (paid) projects and queried several books.

When plotting, we talk about character’s internal and external conflicts. Internal conflicts are the forces that drive them personally, and external ones are forces in the outside world that impact the character.

In writers’ lives, we also have internal and external conflicts.

External:

How will I find time to write when my job, school, or family demands so much?
Will I get an agent?
Will my agent like this idea?
Will I sell a book to a publisher?
What will my reviews be like?
Will the chains carry my book?

Internal:

Will I ever be good enough?
Do I have permission to keep writing even if I never accomplish my external goals?

The internal conflicts are what stop me. How can I can take time from other demands – family and paid work – if no one ever wants to read what I write? In the summertime, the answer was that I couldn’t. Now I’m winning out that internal conflict, and I hope to knock a few of the external ones off the list.

More Links:

Donald Maass on Writing the Breakout Novel
Therese Walsh on Internal and External Inspirations
Mary Frame on Internal and External Stakes

Mystery Agent Contest: October!

CONTEST CLOSED!! Thanks and good luck to all our entrants!

Let the pitches flow! The Mystery Agent contest is here and officially open!!

Okay. Without further ado, LE RULES:

1) THIS IS NOT A ONE-LINE PITCH CONTEST! Sorry for yelling. Just wanted to be sure I had your attention. :) Pitches can be 2-4 sentences long. Entries must be left in the comment section of today's post. (Please do not email us your entry.)

2) You must have a completed manuscript and be ready to send it upon request.

3) You can only pitch once per contest. So if you participated in any of our previous M.A. contests, no worries--you can submit your pitch today, too.

4) Please include TITLE and GENRE along with your pitch.

NOW FOR THE DETAILS:

Our agent will choose one winner out of maximum 50 entries, and that person will get a 50-PAGE PARTIAL REQUEST!!  And guys, this agent is amazing! (I'd elaborate, but I don't want to give anything away. Just trust me on this.)

The Mystery Agent's requested genres:

Single Title Romance
- all subgenres in the 100,000 word range
- no inspirational

Young Adult and Middle Grade
- all subgenres

Fantasy and Science Fiction
- all subgenres
- for Adult or Young Adult readers

Commercial Fiction
- including women's fiction, chick lit, historical fiction and high concept mainstream commercial fiction

Good luck, everyone! 

Note: For those of you who entered September's M.A. contest, results are coming VERY SOON, either Sunday or Monday.