Dear O'Abby,
I just got an email from an agent I submitted my MS to saying she wants to set up a call to chat with me. I'm going to have 'The Call'!
Sorry.... I still can't quite believe I'm at this stage. I've been dancing around the house like a lunatic for a couple of hours now, but the reality is beginning to sink in and it occurs to me that I have no clue what to say on this call.
Do you have any advice on how to handle this?
Cheers,
Caller # 4
Dear Caller #4,
First up, congratulations! Getting to 'The Call' is a huge step, and a very exciting one. But it's also a very important one, so you need to be prepared for it.
This is your opportunity to figure out if you want to work with this agent, if you feel she is the right person to represent your book and any future books you might write. So pay attention to how you feel while you're talking to her. When I did my 'The Call', we did it via Skype so I had the added advantage of being able to see the people I was talking to to read body language as well as tone of voice, but you may not have this option.
You should have some questions ready ahead of time. In the excitement of actually speaking to someone who loves your book and wants to represent it, you are likely to forget a lot of what you wanted to ask, so it helps to have it written down.
Important topics to cover are the agent's experience, what their agency agreement looks like and the terms and conditions, what her preferred method of communication might be and how responsive she is to communications, editorial style and how much editorial work she feels might be needed pre-submission, how much detail you will be given about the submission process and contingencies for things like the agency closing or the agent moving on.
If at any stage the agent talks to you about money for services, that's a red flag. An agent should only take 15% of any sales she makes. No money should change hands between agent and client until a book is sold.
If there is anything else really important to you, note it down so you can ask about it now. There's nothing worse than discovering six months into an agent-client relationship that something you consider non-negotiable is not possible with this agent or agency.
And good luck! I hope the call goes well and you and your agent have a long and lucrative partnership ahead of you.
X O'Abby
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Rebekah Loper's Debut Author Spotlight Operation Awesome on the #AtoZChallenge Book Tour
The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch by Rebekah Loper
1- Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
I love worldbuilding. When I was looking for ways to learn how to worldbuild as a young writer, I was always disappointed by the lack of true worldbuilding workbooks, so this was born out of that desire.
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Never stop looking for inspiration - it's always there. Even if you don't have time to write it, always keep looking for that magic 'what if'.
3- What ignited your passion for writing?
I've been telling stories for nearly as long as I can remember, but what really ignited my passion was the release of the Lord of the Rings movies when I was in high school. I realized the types of stories I loved to make up were ones people enjoyed, and through the LOTR fandom, I was able to connect with several other writers - many of us who are still friends and still write.
4- What was the reason you took part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?
I honestly have no idea anymore. I think I had seen several other people attempt the A to Z Challenge, and I think I'd even attempted it before (but not completed it). And then I just had a random thought about if I could find enough topics on worldbuilding to complete the alphabet. I didn't let myself sign up until I had a topic for every letter, and I had pre-written the first week of posts.
5- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
My Twitter handle is @Rebekah_Loper but I'll be honest - Twitter is my least favorite social media, so I'm not super active there. As for shoutouts... @lauraeweymouth @jmbauhaus and @natzers
6- Do you have any other books coming out soon? What other books do you have available?
I will have a fantasy short story in an anthology this spring, but release date has not been settled yet.
7- Please provide something from your book that is EXCLUSIVE to this tour:
Excerpt:
X is for Xenial
Concerning the Hospitality of Guests
The word ‘xenial’ has to do with hospitality. Specifically, it can pertain to the type of hospitality shown to strangers and guests. Since travel is an integral part of many speculative fiction plots, hospitality is an important thing to consider in your worldbuilding. We will look at both day-to-day hospitality and hospitality shown to guests and travelers.
Common Courtesy
There are many different ways people say hello or goodbye, as well as potential cultural reasons why they don’t say either of those things. It can be complicated or simple, and perhaps it ties in with other cultural occurrences. There may also be additional greetings included, such as during a holiday season (Merry Christmas!)
Depending on how your society is set up, there may be common mandatory courtesies for those of different rank. Think of whether royalty must be addressed in a certain manner, and if people are required to bow or curtsy. If someone is seen as having descended directly from a divine being, perhaps culture demands that people fully prostrate themselves in their presence.
There may be those who are not acknowledged publicly at all – like servants, peasants, or beggars. There are multitudes of reasons a society might see certain people as inferior, sadly.
Attitudes and language in general can be more or less formal, and may depend on how well people know each other, the capacity they are interacting in at that moment, societal rank, or gender.
When devising protocol and courtesies between ranking individuals and their equals or subjects, keep in mind that many things will be shaped to lessen the fear of the risk of assassination. Words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable in common company may be perceived as threatening when in the presence of ranking individuals.
Treatment of Guests
A guest can be a familiar friend, in which case they will not require much formality, but there still may be certain things that are offered because of custom.
Casual greetings can be a simple ‘hi’ or even greeting someone by name. But universal hospitality may be inviting someone to sit down and asking if they’d like a drink, regardless of whether they are a close friend or a new acquaintance.
Travelers, especially strangers, will receive a different kind of hospitality, and that can vary. If a town has been repeatedly pillaged or taken advantage of, they won’t be very friendly to strangers anymore. But some places might pride themselves on their hospitality, and will go all out to impress a guest.
In an agrarian society, or any place that uses livestock as their main form of transportation, it would be more than reasonable for a stranger to be offered feed, water, and a place in the stable for their animal. A drink, meal, and perhaps even a bath (or foot washing) are things that would be offered to nearly everyone, no matter what their rank.
However, if a monarch were to suddenly show up at the front door, it may even be an occasion to slaughter an animal for dinner, even if it was being saved for some other occasion. Not every guest is going to receive that kind of hospitality.
A family member who just showed up out of the blue, though, may not warrant very much special hospitality. It just depends. Hospitality and common courtesies are elements that can enhance a plot and the interactions between characters, as many different nuances and intentions can be made clear between what is offered, and what is not.
Another matter to consider is if and when guests can be turned away. It might be that certain guests may never be turned away – such as a monarch, though it would courteous of a gracious monarch to find lodging or sustenance elsewhere if there has been a death in the home recently.
Sickness will almost always be a reason to turn away guests. An illness potentially being contagious is nothing to ever mess around with, especially if medical care is not incredibly advanced.
The main thing to consider is whether one can turn away a guest for any reason, without giving a reason, or if they must have a concrete reason to do so.
Other Inspiration
Look up etiquette of different historical eras and different cultures – there’s some unique customs out there that can be great story inspiration. Etiquette will also vary by social and economic status. There are certain customs some might find difficult to part with, even if they have experienced a change in social status. There is also the fact that the rich can afford more niceties.
8- What most motivates you to read a new book?
A fascinating summary, followed closely by a stunning book cover!
9- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Rachel Hartman @_rachelhartman
Title: Seraphina
Love because: AMAZING worldbuilding and a protagonist who's not afraid to be herself, even when it's scary.
10- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?
I have a couple, I think, both I know through NaNoWriMo. Both have told me that they loved my worldbuilding workbook, and have recommended it to multiple people. I've heard from multiple sources that I manage to make worldbuilding interesting, and the workbook thought-provoking and non-encyclopedia-ish.
11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?
I hope that it will make the reader more confident in their craft, because worldbuilding is vital to understanding the culture of your characters when telling a fantasy or scifi story.
12- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
I honestly don't follow a lot of #bookstagram people, but the first one that comes to mind is @dreams_in_blue
13- Why did you start blogging?
To create a platform for my writing and connect with an audience.
14- What sets your book apart from other reference books on creating settings and worldbuilding?
The length of the book (well over 200 pages in paperback - and it's an 8 1/2" x 11" so it's not small and about half of that is worldbuilding exercises), the conversational tone, and how many layers it delves into. I basically wrote the book I wish had existed when I first started worldbuilding. It was definitely influenced by my varied interests over my (not terribly long) lifetime - I've had bouts of fascination with costume history and design, cooking and baking, agriculture, and well... I read encyclopedias for fun when I was a kid. These days I'm also an urban farmer, and all of that together has helped me to put layers and nuance into my worldbuilding because everything is so interconnected. Since much fantasy takes place in pre-industrial societies, I really wanted to make people think about how natural resources and innovation help to create societies and cultures, and culture is what creates characters. It's all tied up together, and I'd not found any worldbuilding sources (at the time I wrote the original A-Z posts, and then the book) that really delved into that aspect of it.
15- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?
It's older and really niche, but a blogger I followed for a long time wrote a really good mystery/thriller where the protagonist dealt with an eating disorder, and it was part of the plot, not just a character trait. I've never dealt with an eating disorder, but know several people who have, but the book really helped me to see the different ways it could impact someone's life. The book is In Her Shadow by August McLaughlin.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
I don't read nearly as many blogs (or as often) as I used to, but Anna Tan (blog.annatsp.com) is definitely one I make a point to visit often.
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
My book is SUPER niche. Like... niche of niche. Because it's only a small subset of all writers out there who worldbuild. I also wanted something that I could have out there and making passive income to start funding other expenses (either attending writing conferences, or self-pubbing other books) while I continued to write.
18- Why do you think readers should write book reviews?
It helps readers to become more aware of what they do and don't like in a story, as well as helping authors to potentially pinpoint issues in their own writing that they might want to improve on in the future.
19- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?
What about worldbuilding most inspires or hinders you, either as a reader or writer?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
In THE A-ZS OF WORLDBUILDING, that ‘what if’ process is broken down into 26 themed chapters, covering topics ranging from architecture to zoology. Each chapter includes a corresponding set of guided exercises to help you find the ‘what if’ questions relevant to your story’s world.
Fair warning, though: worldbuilding is addictive. Once you get started, you might never put your pen down again.
amazon
B&N
https://rebekahloper.com/the-a-zs-of-worldbuilding-the-book/
https://rebekahloper.com
Twitter @rebekah_loper
https://www.facebook.com/RebekahLoper/
https://www.instagram.com/rebekah.loper/
https://www.pinterest.com/rebekah_loper/
https://www.amazon.com/Rebekah-Loper/e/B075F8VT6D
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17145989.Rebekah_Loper
https://nanowrimo.org/participants/rebekah-loper
The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch by Rebekah Loper
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Writing a Synopsis (Because I Had To)
I recently had the (mis)fortune of having to write a synopsis for my current work in progress, GIRLS BREAK THINGS. You may recall my fever-dream reverse outline from a couple weeks ago, which was also about this work.
This manuscript is still pretty fresh – if it were paint on a wall, it’d be in that tacky stage – but I thought, hey, let’s start putting it out there and see what kind of response I get. On Valentine’s Day, I participated in a pitch event for this work on Twitter. Amazingly, I had a couple agents request pages. Of course, in their submission requirements, they asked for a synopsis.
Womp.
Insert about three days of me flopping around the house, moaning that I didn’t want to write a synopsis because they’re hard and I don’t wanna and can’t the agent just read my manuscript please so I don’t hafta. Honestly, I probably should’ve had a synopsis ready before I tweeted about this work in the first place, but I did this to myself, so I don’t even pity myself and you shouldn’t either. Regardless, a synopsis was needed, and I had to write one if I ever wanted this work to go anywhere.
So what follows is my (messy) process of writing GIRLS BREAK THINGS and getting to this point – it’s all relevant, I promise. Let me also preface this by saying that I did zero research on how to write a synopsis before I started writing mine. Operation Awesome has posted about writing a synopsis before, so if you're looking for something more like instructions, you should check out this post.
When I wrote GIRLS BREAK THINGS, I started with an outline. I followed the 90-day novel process of getting into my characters’ heads and repeatedly fine-tuning my outline before I even began writing. (I started writing this manuscript a couple times with very limited success, so this was super weird to me.) I began this draft about a week before NaNoWriMo 2018 and finished a few days shy of the end of the month. After letting the manuscript sit for a couple months, I went back and wrote my reverse outline.
The reverse outline was the most helpful tool I had while writing my synopsis. I had the major plot points already laid out in order, as well as the finer influences each of those points had on the plot overall. From there, it was a matter of deciding which points absolutely needed to be included as written and which ones could be further reduced, summarized, or glossed over. I copied those points over into a new document and set about transforming them from bullet points to proper sentences that flowed from one to the next, adding in details as needed.
The hardest thing with writing the synopsis was deciding how many characters to talk about. I have at least thirty characters of varying importance, and while it was clear that the waiter I wrote about in chapter nine wasn’t going to make the cut, deciding which major players were important enough was a challenge. Ultimately, I realized that the players could be reduced to five characters: main character Joyce, love interest Nyx, Joyce’s BFF Laddie, Nyx’s mom/the high school principal Mrs. Otero, and robotics club adviser Mr. Reed. There are certainly other characters who impacted the plot, but it was easier to refer to them by their role (Joyce's moms, Nyx's ex-girlfriend, etc.) rather than by name.
The synopsis clocks in a bit shy of two pages. I’ve seen suggestions that a synopsis should be anywhere from 1-10 pages, but the agent submission pages I’ve visited usually say “Please copy/paste your 1-2 page synopsis here” so that’s the length I went with. And to be honest, I’m pretty pleased with it. I think it does a good job of referencing the stakes while also connecting with the characters and their emotions – but I might be a little biased. I did get a request for more pages from one of the agents I submitted to from the pitch event, so maybe it wasn’t a total dumpster fire.
This manuscript is still pretty fresh – if it were paint on a wall, it’d be in that tacky stage – but I thought, hey, let’s start putting it out there and see what kind of response I get. On Valentine’s Day, I participated in a pitch event for this work on Twitter. Amazingly, I had a couple agents request pages. Of course, in their submission requirements, they asked for a synopsis.
Womp.
Insert about three days of me flopping around the house, moaning that I didn’t want to write a synopsis because they’re hard and I don’t wanna and can’t the agent just read my manuscript please so I don’t hafta. Honestly, I probably should’ve had a synopsis ready before I tweeted about this work in the first place, but I did this to myself, so I don’t even pity myself and you shouldn’t either. Regardless, a synopsis was needed, and I had to write one if I ever wanted this work to go anywhere.
So what follows is my (messy) process of writing GIRLS BREAK THINGS and getting to this point – it’s all relevant, I promise. Let me also preface this by saying that I did zero research on how to write a synopsis before I started writing mine. Operation Awesome has posted about writing a synopsis before, so if you're looking for something more like instructions, you should check out this post.
When I wrote GIRLS BREAK THINGS, I started with an outline. I followed the 90-day novel process of getting into my characters’ heads and repeatedly fine-tuning my outline before I even began writing. (I started writing this manuscript a couple times with very limited success, so this was super weird to me.) I began this draft about a week before NaNoWriMo 2018 and finished a few days shy of the end of the month. After letting the manuscript sit for a couple months, I went back and wrote my reverse outline.
The reverse outline was the most helpful tool I had while writing my synopsis. I had the major plot points already laid out in order, as well as the finer influences each of those points had on the plot overall. From there, it was a matter of deciding which points absolutely needed to be included as written and which ones could be further reduced, summarized, or glossed over. I copied those points over into a new document and set about transforming them from bullet points to proper sentences that flowed from one to the next, adding in details as needed.
The hardest thing with writing the synopsis was deciding how many characters to talk about. I have at least thirty characters of varying importance, and while it was clear that the waiter I wrote about in chapter nine wasn’t going to make the cut, deciding which major players were important enough was a challenge. Ultimately, I realized that the players could be reduced to five characters: main character Joyce, love interest Nyx, Joyce’s BFF Laddie, Nyx’s mom/the high school principal Mrs. Otero, and robotics club adviser Mr. Reed. There are certainly other characters who impacted the plot, but it was easier to refer to them by their role (Joyce's moms, Nyx's ex-girlfriend, etc.) rather than by name.
The synopsis clocks in a bit shy of two pages. I’ve seen suggestions that a synopsis should be anywhere from 1-10 pages, but the agent submission pages I’ve visited usually say “Please copy/paste your 1-2 page synopsis here” so that’s the length I went with. And to be honest, I’m pretty pleased with it. I think it does a good job of referencing the stakes while also connecting with the characters and their emotions – but I might be a little biased. I did get a request for more pages from one of the agents I submitted to from the pitch event, so maybe it wasn’t a total dumpster fire.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Dear O'Abby: Are prologues good or bad?
Dear O'Abby,
I write fantasy, and my book has a prologue. It's a very needed prologue as it sets up the entire system of magic and politics for the world my story takes place in.
But I've heard a lot of agents hate prologues and that it is a bad idea to include one as pages with a query. So now I'm wondering if having a prologue is going to spoil my chances of ever getting published.
Can you help?
Yours,
Fantastic
Dear Fantastic,
Prologues are tricky wee things. Personally, I'm not a fan and often skip them when reading because I'm interested in reading the story, not whatever backstory the writer has chosen to tell me in the prologue.
I certainly would suggest not including a prologue with your query package unless your protagonist is a part of the prologue and it is an essential part of your story. It sounds like in your case, the prologue is there to create context for the story and do some of the heavy lifting for your world-building, so I would not include that with your query package.
In terms of the bigger picture, think about whether or not you can weave those world-building elements into the actual story. Do they need to be in a prologue people may or may not read before the story starts? If people skip the prologue, will they still understand the story?
It's always better to show how the magic systems and politics work in practice than to tell a reader all about them in advance, so if you can weave the detail in with the action, I think you'll find the prologue becomes redundant. Plus the way these systems affect your characters becomes clear within the context of the story.
So my advice is to think hard about what your prologue is actually doing and whether or not that work can be done within the main body of your story.
Hope that helps!
X O'Abby
I write fantasy, and my book has a prologue. It's a very needed prologue as it sets up the entire system of magic and politics for the world my story takes place in.
But I've heard a lot of agents hate prologues and that it is a bad idea to include one as pages with a query. So now I'm wondering if having a prologue is going to spoil my chances of ever getting published.
Can you help?
Yours,
Fantastic
Dear Fantastic,
Prologues are tricky wee things. Personally, I'm not a fan and often skip them when reading because I'm interested in reading the story, not whatever backstory the writer has chosen to tell me in the prologue.
I certainly would suggest not including a prologue with your query package unless your protagonist is a part of the prologue and it is an essential part of your story. It sounds like in your case, the prologue is there to create context for the story and do some of the heavy lifting for your world-building, so I would not include that with your query package.
In terms of the bigger picture, think about whether or not you can weave those world-building elements into the actual story. Do they need to be in a prologue people may or may not read before the story starts? If people skip the prologue, will they still understand the story?
It's always better to show how the magic systems and politics work in practice than to tell a reader all about them in advance, so if you can weave the detail in with the action, I think you'll find the prologue becomes redundant. Plus the way these systems affect your characters becomes clear within the context of the story.
So my advice is to think hard about what your prologue is actually doing and whether or not that work can be done within the main body of your story.
Hope that helps!
X O'Abby
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Balaka Basu's Debut Author Spotlight Operation Awesome on the #AtoZChallenge Book Tour
Golden Rainbow by Balaka Basu
1- What is Interstitial Cystitis?
Interstitial Cystitis is an autoimmune disorder that affects the bladder. The symptoms are almost similar to urinary tract infections.
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Write from the heart, always do proper editing, be careful with grammar.
3- What ignited your passion for writing?
I have always been fond of writing. I used to write a diary and later on switched to write that diary through my blog and gradually writing became my primary passion.
4- Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?
I just wanted to blog regularly and write.
5- What do you love most about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge?
The discipline to write daily makes sense. It literally helps us to push the threshold and keep writing our best.
6- You contribute at Momspresso, BuzzingBubs, and Babychakra. What's your favorite parenting tip?
Don't try to raise a perfect kid rather raise a happy kid. Always respect and listen to your child.
7- Please provide a quote from your book that is shared EXCLUSIVELY to this tour:
‘I was a golden bird inside a golden cage, now I have wings to fly’
8- What most motivates you to read a new book?
The blurb
9- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Haruki Murakami @_harukimurakami
Title: Norwegian Wood
Love because: I almost felt he wrote this story on my life. The character Midori is so similar to me in real life.
10- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?
I am not sure who is the biggest but there is a good amount of fan following 😊 Readers loved the real-life stories and many could relate to the characters. They loved the lucidity and emotions expressed in the stories.
11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?
Readers would get nostalgic, sad, happy and in few stories may even roll out on the floor laughing. There are many scenes difficult to pint out one. As these are real-life stories they should resonate with the readers.
12- What is your favorite place to travel to?
Prague, Czech Republic
13- Why did you start blogging?
To give words to my emotions
14- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?
The hunch in a character called Nani.
15- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?
Okonkwo from Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
Shalini Baisiwala shalzmojo.in/category/bookview/
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
Self-published
18- Why do you think readers should write book reviews?
It helps the writer improve, it helps the writer understand his/her good and bad points, additionally, it helps other readers to know about the book.
19- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?
How they liked my style of writing.
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
Golden Rainbow is an interesting collection of 26 memoirs written as short stories. These are not heroic tales but ordinary stories of ordinary people; nevertheless, they are thought-provoking. Some of them will make you laugh out loud while others may make you cry. The stories are rich in emotion, empathy and compassion.They are deeply profound. Reading the short stories is like a visit to Kolkata and typical Bengali life. You will connect with so many characters from your own real life but with different names. The anecdotes are not just stories but also a smart commentary on the various aspects of society. Easy to read, they will directly appeal to anyone fond of short stories. This book is not just a one-time read. It gets better with each reading.
Amazon.in
https://trinalooksback.com/
Golden Rainbow by Balaka Basu
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
#FirstPageImpressions 02/19/19
It's time for...
#FirstPageImpressions is here again! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback. I'm so excited to see your first pages!
Here's how to participate:
1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 12:00 pm EST.
2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you to give you your critique!)
For a rules refresher, please visit this post.
The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Thursday evening. Best of luck!
Friday, February 15, 2019
#QueryFriday
It's that time again, everybody! Enter here for a chance to win a query critique by yours truly! Here's how to participate:
1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by *SUNDAY 2/17 at 12 pm*.
2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you!)
The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Sunday.
See this post for additional rules. Good luck!
-Nathaniel
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Dear O'Abby: I hate revising. Do I have to?
Dear O'Abby,
I love writing. I've written more than seven novels now, and I just adore the flow of ideas onto the page and following my characters where they want to go. But I hate revising. Which is why I've written seven novels. Instead of revising the one I just wrote, I freeze up at the thought of it and then abandon it to go and chase the next shiny idea.
When I've gone back and re-read my older novels, they're actually pretty good. I like them, anyway. Do I really need to revise?
Thanks!
Non-Editor
Dear Non-Editor,
At the end of the day, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. No one is sitting there with a gun to your head telling you you have to revise those manuscripts (if there is, please call the police).
But if you want any of those manuscripts to ever be published, you're going to need to revise. I don't think any writer ever gets everything 100% right on their first pass. If you've re-read and you think the story works, and the characters are lively and realistic, that's awesome.
But has anyone else taken a look? And have you checked for things like inconsistencies in time and place and names? I re-read a manuscript about three times before I realized for an entire chapter I called a character Harry when his name throughout the rest of the book was Henry.
And then there's grammar and tenses and all kinds of other niggly things that sometimes slip in and need to be weeded out before you send a manuscript out.
Revising is an important part of writing, even if you don't cut whole scenes and rewrite the beginning to fit better with the ending. Or merge two characters into one because neither of the original ones really pulled their weight. Or changed the POV because it didn't really work in first person...
And that's only your first few rounds of revision. After your critique partners and beta readers get through with it, you will probably need to do a couple more rounds to fix things they noticed and you didn't. If you get an agent, it's likely she will ask for another round or two of revisions too, before she feels the MS is ready to go on submission.
So the answer is yes and no. If you are writing to be published, revision is imperative. If you're writing for yourself and don't have any ambition to be published, feel free to skip any part of the process you don't enjoy.
But I used to be just like you. Revision bored me. Now I love it. It's actually almost my favorite part of the writing process. I love shaping something wonderful out of the word-vomit I spew when writing a first draft.
So maybe give it a shot. You might just surprise yourself.
XX O'Abby
I love writing. I've written more than seven novels now, and I just adore the flow of ideas onto the page and following my characters where they want to go. But I hate revising. Which is why I've written seven novels. Instead of revising the one I just wrote, I freeze up at the thought of it and then abandon it to go and chase the next shiny idea.
When I've gone back and re-read my older novels, they're actually pretty good. I like them, anyway. Do I really need to revise?
Thanks!
Non-Editor
Dear Non-Editor,
At the end of the day, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. No one is sitting there with a gun to your head telling you you have to revise those manuscripts (if there is, please call the police).
But if you want any of those manuscripts to ever be published, you're going to need to revise. I don't think any writer ever gets everything 100% right on their first pass. If you've re-read and you think the story works, and the characters are lively and realistic, that's awesome.
But has anyone else taken a look? And have you checked for things like inconsistencies in time and place and names? I re-read a manuscript about three times before I realized for an entire chapter I called a character Harry when his name throughout the rest of the book was Henry.
And then there's grammar and tenses and all kinds of other niggly things that sometimes slip in and need to be weeded out before you send a manuscript out.
Revising is an important part of writing, even if you don't cut whole scenes and rewrite the beginning to fit better with the ending. Or merge two characters into one because neither of the original ones really pulled their weight. Or changed the POV because it didn't really work in first person...
And that's only your first few rounds of revision. After your critique partners and beta readers get through with it, you will probably need to do a couple more rounds to fix things they noticed and you didn't. If you get an agent, it's likely she will ask for another round or two of revisions too, before she feels the MS is ready to go on submission.
So the answer is yes and no. If you are writing to be published, revision is imperative. If you're writing for yourself and don't have any ambition to be published, feel free to skip any part of the process you don't enjoy.
But I used to be just like you. Revision bored me. Now I love it. It's actually almost my favorite part of the writing process. I love shaping something wonderful out of the word-vomit I spew when writing a first draft.
So maybe give it a shot. You might just surprise yourself.
XX O'Abby
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Nidhi GS's Debut Author Spotlight Operation Awesome on the #AtoZChallenge Book Tour
WHEELS OF TIME by Nidhi GS
1- Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
meditation
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
write from your heart
3- What ignited your passion for writing?
good stories ignited my passion for writing. I read a lot and whenever I read a good book, it inspires express my thoughts and emotions through writing.
4- Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?
to learn new ways of writing by reading experienced as well as new writers
5- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
@nidgratefulsoul
6- Do you have any other books coming out soon? What other books do you have available?
short stories on Buddhism
7- What is your favorite month?
All months are my favourite, i have a special corner for Jan as it's my b'day month.
8- What most motivates you to read a new book?
heart touching content
9- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: David Michie @DavidMichieOm
Title: The Dalai Lama's cat
Love because: it has changed my life forever.
10- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?
my mentor Natasha Sinha. You have to ask her about it. @NatsCosmicrain
11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?
love and gratitude towards life. Every story will resonate with the readers
12- What do you love most about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge?
Discipline for writing.
13- Why did you start blogging?
to explore my passion of writing
14- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?
their courage and heart filled with love.
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
they are common people yet diverse in their perception about life.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
All of them who took time to read and review my book.
17- What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?
finishing one more short story book
18- Why do you think readers should write book reviews?
because we are writing for them.
19- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?
be honest
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
These are 12 people, 12 tales and 12 months. Which says "When The Unexpected Leads to Expected."
https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/wheels-of-time-nidhi-garg/
https://gratitude2wardslife.blog
Twitter @nidgratefulsoul
https://www.facebook.com/buddhistoryteller
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18112173.GS_Nidhi
WHEELS OF TIME by Nidhi GS
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Writing a Reverse Outline
Hello friends! I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems that every time I do NaNoWriMo, I burn out for a while afterwards. And this year/cycle/whatever you want to call it, I burned out for a solid two and a half months. I stopped querying my manuscript, I stopped reading for my critique partners even though I'd just taken on a new one, and in general I stayed in bed about 18 hours of the day and didn't really leave the house.
Yeah. It was bad.
Recently, though, my partner nagged me into being vertical for an extended period of time. I needed something to do, and I'd played way too many hours of video games. So I came to terms with the fact that it was Time.
It was Time to Revise My NaNoWriMo Manuscript.
Ughhhhh.
I started bydragging myself to my laptop rereading what I'd written. It wasn't terrible, and I was pretty pleased with some parts of it that I had thought were dumpster fires while I was writing them. But I just...didn't know where to go from there. I vented to one of my writing buddies that I knew what I wanted to change, but not how to change it. And, like the gorgeous font of amazing ideas and perfect advice that she is, she suggested I make a reverse outline.
What is this mysterious creature, you ask? Yeah, I hadn't heard of reverse outlines, either. The idea is that some people make outlines before they write their manuscripts with the major plot points or what needs to be revealed at what point, etc. With a reverse outline, you make an outline after the manuscript is completed. That way, you can get a better sense of where to insert the changes you want to make, and you don't have to be searching through the whole document for that one scene where I think the main character says this to her friend but then her friend is ambivalent, yeah, where'd that go?
Yes thank you I am very organized.
Anyway, if you're stuck in the revision trenches like I was, give this a shot. It might give you a better sense of the timing of your manuscript and just where you should be making edits. Make sure to get down not only the major plot points but also the things they influence, like character reactions that will be important later or information this plot point brings out. Then you can go through and note where you want to make revisions. It's also a good idea to note where you did a good job! It's like encouragement from your past self :)
And because I'd be remiss if I didn't include an example, here's an excerpt from my own reverse outline:
Check out the Dear O'Abby post this Thursday for more information about revising!
Yeah. It was bad.
Recently, though, my partner nagged me into being vertical for an extended period of time. I needed something to do, and I'd played way too many hours of video games. So I came to terms with the fact that it was Time.
It was Time to Revise My NaNoWriMo Manuscript.
Ughhhhh.
I started by
A reverse outline?
What is this mysterious creature, you ask? Yeah, I hadn't heard of reverse outlines, either. The idea is that some people make outlines before they write their manuscripts with the major plot points or what needs to be revealed at what point, etc. With a reverse outline, you make an outline after the manuscript is completed. That way, you can get a better sense of where to insert the changes you want to make, and you don't have to be searching through the whole document for that one scene where I think the main character says this to her friend but then her friend is ambivalent, yeah, where'd that go?
Yes thank you I am very organized.
Anyway, if you're stuck in the revision trenches like I was, give this a shot. It might give you a better sense of the timing of your manuscript and just where you should be making edits. Make sure to get down not only the major plot points but also the things they influence, like character reactions that will be important later or information this plot point brings out. Then you can go through and note where you want to make revisions. It's also a good idea to note where you did a good job! It's like encouragement from your past self :)
And because I'd be remiss if I didn't include an example, here's an excerpt from my own reverse outline:
 |
| Excerpt from my reverse outline for my manuscript, tentatively titled GIRLS BREAK THINGS. The main bullet points are the major plot points, and the secondary ones are reactions to that plot point. I've also commented on the outline to make notes to myself about other things to consider that didn't appear in the manuscript. |
Check out the Dear O'Abby post this Thursday for more information about revising!
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Dear O'Abby - I think my publisher is going under
Dear O'Abby,
I've been with a small press for three books now, with my fourth supposed to be published last month. They have always been really responsive, but recently my emails have not been answered, my release date has come and gone without my book showing up on any vendor sites and I didn't receive any royalty statements for the last quarter.
I've heard about other small presses going under, and these seem like alarm bells to me.What is your advice?
Regards,
Frightened
Dear Frightened,
You're right to feel nervous. Those things set the alarm bells off in my head too. It upsets me when I hear stories like this. My first publisher closed its doors a few years back, but it was very civilized and within a couple of days of the announcement, I had a letter stating my rights had reverted and all final royalties were paid within a month or two.
Are you in touch with any other authors who are with this press? If so, I suggest you contact them and ask if they are getting the same treatment. One missed royalty statement could be a mistake, or it could have disappeared into your spam and been deleted by accident. If lots of authors are missing statements it points to there being a problem. Especially when added to the missed release day. Although there could be a good reason for this too.
If other authors are unhappy and frustrated too, and no one is receiving replies to communication, I would suggest all is not well with your publisher.
You should also read over your contract. There should be a clause in there about what happens if the company becomes insolvent. There should also be a clause regarding termination and how to go about it if you decide you wish to cancel your contracts with this publisher and get the rights to your work back.
Unfortunately, your publisher needs to respond for you to be able to exercise this.
It may be that this is just a bump in the road. Some small presses work with a skeleton team behind the scenes and it only takes one person to be out with the flu for a couple of weeks to throw everything off kilter for a while. But if the pattern continues and new books aren't releasing on time or at all, emails continue to be ignored and royalties are not being reported or paid, you may need to get legal advice.
Even if you never manage to recover the missing royalties, you will want to get the rights to your work back so you can find new homes for your books.
I have my fingers crossed that this works out for you. Do let us know...
X O'Abby
I've been with a small press for three books now, with my fourth supposed to be published last month. They have always been really responsive, but recently my emails have not been answered, my release date has come and gone without my book showing up on any vendor sites and I didn't receive any royalty statements for the last quarter.
I've heard about other small presses going under, and these seem like alarm bells to me.What is your advice?
Regards,
Frightened
Dear Frightened,
You're right to feel nervous. Those things set the alarm bells off in my head too. It upsets me when I hear stories like this. My first publisher closed its doors a few years back, but it was very civilized and within a couple of days of the announcement, I had a letter stating my rights had reverted and all final royalties were paid within a month or two.
Are you in touch with any other authors who are with this press? If so, I suggest you contact them and ask if they are getting the same treatment. One missed royalty statement could be a mistake, or it could have disappeared into your spam and been deleted by accident. If lots of authors are missing statements it points to there being a problem. Especially when added to the missed release day. Although there could be a good reason for this too.
If other authors are unhappy and frustrated too, and no one is receiving replies to communication, I would suggest all is not well with your publisher.
You should also read over your contract. There should be a clause in there about what happens if the company becomes insolvent. There should also be a clause regarding termination and how to go about it if you decide you wish to cancel your contracts with this publisher and get the rights to your work back.
Unfortunately, your publisher needs to respond for you to be able to exercise this.
It may be that this is just a bump in the road. Some small presses work with a skeleton team behind the scenes and it only takes one person to be out with the flu for a couple of weeks to throw everything off kilter for a while. But if the pattern continues and new books aren't releasing on time or at all, emails continue to be ignored and royalties are not being reported or paid, you may need to get legal advice.
Even if you never manage to recover the missing royalties, you will want to get the rights to your work back so you can find new homes for your books.
I have my fingers crossed that this works out for you. Do let us know...
X O'Abby
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Deborah A Stansil's Debut Author Spotlight Operation Awesome on the #AtoZChallenge Book Tour
Twisted Tales by Deborah A Stansil
1- Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
Partly from observation of human nature, partly from my own twisted imagination ;)
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Just write. A first draft is just that. Let your words flow and go where your mind takes you without focusing on perfection. Perfection comes much later.
3- What ignited your passion for writing?
I’ve always enjoyed writing creatively and from being a child I always had this idea in the back of my head that one day, I’d love to write a book. I think it came from reading a lot as a young child (and that’s never changed).
4- Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?
I did it for the first time the year before and I loved it and I really wanted to get my fiction out there. Twisted Tales was my first book!
5- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
My Twitter handle is @randommusings29 Writer friends are @JH_Moncrieff and @plynne_writes Both are great writers and really supportive.
6- Do you have any other books coming out soon? What other books do you have available?
I have a new novel coming out this year hopefully.
Twisted Tales 2, Twisted Tales 3, The Joker, The Mirror, The Asylum Tour, Lacey Patrick and the Wizard of Darkness, eBook Like a Boss, Start Your Blog Like a Boss, Optimise Your Blog Posts Like a Boss, Parodies and Piss Takes.
7- Please provide something from your book that is EXCLUSIVE to this tour:
Excerpt:
That piece of writing caused more trouble for me than I could ever imagine. It cost me my friends, most of my family and of course my freedom. They feed me the platitudes – “it’s for my own good” “they want to help me”. None of them make up for my freedom. I’m not in prison, at least not in the traditional sense. I’m in an institution for the criminally insane. It’s no different. How can it not be prison when I’m not allowed to leave? I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me take you back to how it all happened. After all, it’s not like I’m short on time.
8- What most motivates you to read a new book?
The cover
9- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
This is such a hard question to answer because I have so many favourite books. I’m going to go with a new one to my favourites list.
Author name:Adele Parks @adeleparks
Title: I Invited Her In
Love because: The characters feel so real, and they draw you into their lives effortlessly. The story is full of twists and turns and it will have you laughing one minute and raging the next.
10- What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?
I want to finish up the novel I'm currently working on and write a new short story collection. I'd also like to write at least one more non-fiction book and get started on another novel.
11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?
I hope my book does two things; send a shiver down a reader’s spine, and makes them question what they would do in some of the situations. I hope all of the stories resonate with readers in their own ways.
12- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
No, not really. I’m not that into Instagram.
13- Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to get back into writing for an audience. It was only ever going to be a short term thing, but I fell in love with it, and here I am, four years later.
14- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?
The characters in the stories all share a twisted nature; one that causes them to do bad things. Maybe sometimes for good reasons, or maybe not. I’ll let my readers be the judges of that.
I think one of the more memorable characters is Karen, who is a mixture of cynical sarcasm, and yet is strangely naïve at the same time. I think this combination of personality traits make her pretty memorable.
15- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?
I think the Gone series by Michael Grant has such a good range of diverse characters. In particular, I loved Dekka.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
I always enjoy the reviews by Jenni from Odd Socks and Lollipops. Her reviews never fail to make me want to read the books she is reviewing.
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
I chose to self-publish initially because I didn’t want to have to wait for a year or more to get my book in print through a traditional publisher. I enjoyed being in control of all of the elements of my book which is why I have stuck with self-publishing so far, but who knows what the future holds?
18- Why do you think readers should write book reviews?
I think writing a review is an excellent way to show support to writers whose work you enjoy. Such a simple thing can make such a difference to writers, especially newer writers who are hoping people will take a chance on their work.
19- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?
What, as a reader, most sends a shiver down your spine?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
Twisted Tales is a collection of twenty-seven short horror stories. Ranging from crazed stalkers, killers, dealing with the Devil and everything in between, this collection shows the darker side of human nature in all its black glory.
Journey through the twisted minds of the central characters as they make their choices, and watch their lives spiral out of control.
Hate them, empathise with them, and stay on your guard. There’s a dark streak in all of us just waiting to come out.
https://goo.gl/FrXC4V
https://www.myrandommusings.co.uk
@randommusings29 Twitter
@myrandommusingsblog Facebook
@debrandommusingsblog29 Instagram
@randommusings29 Pinterest
https://goo.gl/FrXC4V Amazon Author Page- UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewritersdengroup
Twisted Tales by Deborah A Stansil
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H94D1MS
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
#FirstPageImpressions 02/05/19
It's time for the very first...
#FirstPageImpressions has officially arrived! That first page is so important, and I hope this event will provide some solid feedback. I'm so excited to get this event off the ground, and I can't wait to see your first pages!
Rules reminder:
1) You must comment on the #FirstPageImpressions post in order to enter, as well as comment on one other Operation Awesome blog post from that week. This will be checked, and failure to comment on another blog post will result in your entry being invalidated.
2) If you are the winner, please make it easy to contact you. If you are not comfortable with leaving your email in your comment, then please make sure that your blogging profile has your contact information listed.
3) Entry comments will be accepted until Thursday, 12 Noon, EST. The winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced Thursday evening in the comments section.
4) Your critiqued first page will be returned to you via email in an attached document with notes in the margins within 7 days.
5) If you have won a first page critique, you will not be eligible to win another until 3 months have passed. Critiques will not be done multiple times on the same first page. If you enter again, it must be with a new story. (If you have won a query critique from #QueryFriday, you are still eligible to win a first page critique.)
6) First page means first 250 words, regardless of spacing. If this cuts off a sentence, use the last sentence that will put you below 250 words. We use the word count checker in Microsoft Word to verify this. If your entry is over 250 words, you will not receive feedback.
Friday, February 1, 2019
#QueryFriday
It's that time again, everybody! Enter here for a chance to win a query critique by yours truly! Here's how to participate:
1. Comment on this post and at least one other post from this week by *SUNDAY 2/3 at 12 pm*.
2. Leave your email address in the comment or have it available on your Blogger profile. (Or else I can't find you!)
The winner will be announced in the comment section of this post on Sunday.
See this post for additional rules. Good luck!
-Nathaniel