September Mystery Agent Lottery Winners!!!

Names and masked email addresses of winners, in no particular order:

Sally Lotz Spratt sjlot*****.*** Shelly shell*****.*** Sarah Floyd sarah*****.*** Myra Dyck myra.*****.*** katz  colle*****.*** Sean Lamb seanl*****.*** Stacy Reid nello*****.*** TS Liard tsarl*****.*** Martha Mayberry marty*****.*** Abigail Marble abbey*****.*** Zainab Khan zaina*****.*** Joseph Isaacs jcisa*****.*** Tanya Anne  sepic*****.*** Stephanie steph*****.*** Kimberly Sprinkles Cowger sprin*****.*** Leiann slbyn*****.*** Heather Powell heath*****.*** Linn Shekinah almon*****.*** Tlotlo Tsamaase rosew*****.*** SIan sian*****.*** Sue Berk Koch sberk*****.*** Rachel Hamby raham*****.*** Sharon Chriscoe schri*****.*** Jennifer McCoy jlynn*****.*** Jennifer Hawkins hiker*****.*** Rena Traxel Boudreau rjtra*****.*** Sunny Walker sunwa*****.*** Danielle Dufayet d.dan*****.*** LIsa Frischhertz mukay*****.*** Lucky Williams chama*****.*** Patty Way Medic - alternate #1 quart*****.*** Lira Brannon - alternate #2 lirab*****.***

We had a bit of an issue with Rafflecopter removing ALL formatting from the entries, so we will be asking the winners to resubmit their entries. Winners, please check your email for information on resubmitting. Emails will be sent out shortly. Thanks to all who entered and a HUGE thanks to everyone for your patience as we work the kinks out of this new process. 

Be sure to check back September 1st for the critique forum. All entries from winners who opted to participate will be posted for cheerleading and feedback.

Congrats to everyone who made it through! And don't worry if you didn't make it through this time around. We have another contest coming up in October. 

Today's required reading: confirming receipt of materials

TGIF, Operation Awesome! Summer is almost over (EEEP) and you know what that means: people are going to be returning from vacations and hopefully requesting up a storm! But, as in any business where you receive approximately 10,000 e-mails a day, sometimes things get missed. To that end, sharkly agent Janet Reid has posted some advice on when and how to confirm receipt of requested materials if many months have passed and no one ever told you "Hey, I got it."

Sending e-mails like that can be daunting, I know. I see a similar sort of phenomenon in my day job, where something will go wrong, but the person in question won't tell me about it for fear of bothering me. (And I can't hold that against them - I worry about bothering people all the time!)

But if you're terrified that you're going to come across as pushy or step on someone's toes, then chances are, you're not the kind of person who would do that. If you're here, reading this, then you already know how important it is to be polite, professional, and recognize that you are not entitled to an agent or editor's time. And if you're received a full request, or an R&R, or have otherwise gotten past that initial contact with a publishing pro, then this is a person who is potentially interested in working with you. Don't let that slip by you!

Have a great weekend, all, and happy writing!

Real Life And Writing

Quote of the Day:

It is hard to master both life and work equally well. So if you are going to fake one of them, it had better be work. ~Joseph Brodsky

A few years ago, I was asked:

Have you ever had anything cause you to step back from writing? If so, what was the cause and how long did it take you to get back into the swing of things? If not, do you have any advice for other writers about not letting life get in the way of writing? 

My answer…..yep, yes, yeah, definitely, frequently, more often than I would like, totally, all the time, and FOR SURE!

Writing can be fun. I love it – it’s thrilling to create a world and characters and situations and to see how they all mesh into this wonderful conglomeration of ideas. But it is also work, hard work…it takes time and effort and energy….and sometimes I just don’t have any to spare.

How long it takes me to get back into it depends on what made me step back in the first place. Sometimes Real Life intervenes and I am just too busy with dentist appointments, parent/teacher conferences, sick kids, a neglected husband, and a dirty house to take the time to write. When that happens, I usually just step back for a few days, take care of what I need to take care of, and jump back in.

What else will make me take a break for a bit? Sometimes, I get stuck on a scene or a plot twist. When this happens, it may only take me a day or even a few hours before something occurs to me. And sometimes it takes a month or two :D Depends on how bad I’m stuck :D

And then sometimes, I just get tired of it all. Maybe I’ve revised so many times I can’t stand to look at my manuscript one more time…or maybe it all just seems like too much effort and not enough reward. When this happens, I might stop writing for weeks. I spend my spare time devouring every book I could find. I reread my favorite series, I watch movies, listen to music and chat with friends, and eventually, I'll get that itch again…the one that just makes my fingers ache to pound the keyboard.

I still go days without writing sometimes, due to one thing or another (unless I have a looming deadline and then I don't have a choice ;) ), but I miss writing now…I think about it, I want to do it, and I try harder to make the time. I’m sure another slump will come along, but it too will pass.

Do you have any advice for other writers about not letting life get in the way of writing? 

Honestly, no. Because let’s face it…sometimes life IS going to get in the way. There really isn’t anything you can do about it. If writing is important to you, you will come back to it. It might take a few weeks or even a few years before that happens. But if it is something you truly love, eventually you’ll find your way back.

I would, however, advise not to berate yourself for time lost…don’t feel guilty about taking time out of your life to go back to writing, and don’t feel guilty for taking time from writing to deal with Real Life. You may not always be able to juggle Life and writing at the same time. But at some point, if writing is what you really want to do, you’ll ultimately find the time for both.

Blast from the OA Past: Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."

Octavia Butler

No matter how much we love it, writing is hard. If anyone says anything different then I want what they're having. But, despite the (occasional) tough moments, you write. You make the time to sit at the computer to type those words day after day. You edit, rewrite, query. You go through the rainbow of emotions that accompany it. 

You smile at requests. You file away the rejections. You shelve manuscripts you love. You write scenes and dialogue on scraps of paper/cereal boxes/text messages. You balance your real life with your fictional ones. You write. You persist. And that is the important thing. 

Never give up. Never surrender.  

You are a writer. 

Cover Reveal for Crow's Rest by Angelica R. Jackson

Reveal Day is here! I can finally show you all the marvelous cover for Crow's Rest! Are you ready?
(No fancy blank space to scroll down because I'm just too impatient) Click on the image for a larger view

Squeeeeeeeeeee!
Now that I got that outburst out of the way, onto the book blurb:

Avery Flynn arrives for a visit at her Uncle Tam's, eager to rekindle her summertime romance with her crush-next-door, Daniel.

But Daniel’s not the sweet, neurotic guy she remembers—and she wonders if this is her Daniel at all. Or if someone—some thing—has taken his place.

Her quest to find the real Daniel—and get him back—plunges Avery into a world of Fae and changelings, where creatures swap bodies like humans change their socks, and magic lives much closer to home than she ever imagined.

You can add it on Goodreads here. My book comes out from Spencer Hill Press in paperback and ebook in May 2015.

I'd love it if you'll celebrate with me on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments here. And if you haven't checked out my new website yet, it's at www.AngelicaRJackson.com. This was my concept, by the way, brought to life by the multi-talented Kelley York of X-Potions Designs.



Angelica R. Jackson, in keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, has published articles on gardening, natural history, web design, travel, hiking, and local history. Other interests include pets, reading, green living, and cooking for food allergies (the latter not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it). Ongoing projects include short fiction, poetry, novels, art photography, and children’s picture books.

In 2012, she started Pens for Paws Auction, which features critiques and swag from agents and authors to raise money for a no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary where she volunteers, Fat Kitty City.

She’s also been involved with capturing the restoration efforts for Preston Castle (formerly the Preston School of Industry) in photographs and can sometimes be found haunting its hallways.

Lizzie's Story: Reverting Rights - Guest Post by R.M. Clark

In August of 2011, I signed a contract to have my middle grade book, Dizzy Miss Lizzie, published by a small press called Stanley Publishing of El Paso, Texas. It was not an easy decision to make. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst decision I had ever made as an author, one that would haunt me for years.

Two years earlier this book landed me an agent and he tried for many months to find a home for it with the major publishers. When it became painfully clear that he (and the major pubs) had lost interest in Lizzie, I let him go and set out on my own. Like a good author, I wrote to several small press editors and followed their guidelines to the hilt. Some wanted to see more, others passed. When the smoke cleared, I had received four offers to publish Lizzie. In a way, that acceptance represented a “neeener, neener” to the agent and all the bigger presses who passed. Lizzie was a popular girl, after all.

I knew a little something about all four presses, but the real test came when I received the contracts. I had all four of them on my desktop and I vetted them carefully. One press was a “pay to publish” outfit (there was no indication of this on their website). Goodbye! One had a terrible royalty rate and, as it turned out, many unhappy authors. Adios! The third had real potential until I read in the contract that Lizzie would only be available as an e-book until a certain number of e-copies sold (100, I believe). This was a deal-breaker for me, since I felt middle grade books needed to be in hardcopy form right away to reach the widest audience. Plus, the royalty rate was dreadful. Hit the road!

And then there was one. Stanley Publishing. The contract was superior to all the others. It had a really good royalty rate. My book would have a print run as opposed to print-on-demand. The books were returnable, so bookstores could order them. The company had been around a few years and the authors I contacted were happy with them and were enjoying better-than-average sales. They even had a distribution plan in place and a new website. I signed the contract. Lizzie would be released in the spring of 2012.

Much joy!

We went through typical publishing steps over the next few months: a few rounds of edits, a wonderful cover and some early reviews. The book launch in March was a success as a local bookstore handled the sales. Most of the reviews were strong and sales numbers looked good. A few months later, I got my first royalty check. Dizzy Miss Lizzie was the best-selling book on the publisher’s site!

The Beginning of the End

Okay, cue the sound of a train coming off the tracks. Something — to this day I honestly don’t know what it was — happened to the publisher. By the fall of 2012, the publisher stopped replying to all emails and phone calls. We received no royalties for Q2 or Q3, yet the books were clearly selling. I called, I wrote, I emailed, I even had my (new) agent contact the publisher. Nothing.

This was bad. Very bad.

I contacted the El Paso chapter of the Better Business Bureau, but they could take no action since our relationship was not business to consumer (just business to business).

Amazon and B&N continued to sell my book. I could see the rankings fluctuate with every sale. I figured all I had to do was write these places and they would stop selling Lizzie. I emailed the legal department of both companies and gave them the details about the publisher but they couldn't stop selling it based on an author email. I contacted a Texas lawyer and asked if he could help and he said he could make it all go away. Then he showed me the estimated cost. It was quite a bit and at the time didn’t seem worth it.

Need for Control of Author Brand

Slowly, some good things began to happen in my writing life. My new adult mystery, Center Point, was accepted by a small press, Writers Amuse Me Publishing and published in late 2013. My agented book, then called Good Golly Miss Molly (now The Secret at Haney Field), was picked up by a wonderful small press, MB Publishing, and is due for publication next month. It was about this time that I realized I had an author brand I needed to protect. I needed to fight back. I needed Lizzie.

My wife and I decided to pay the retainer and get the El Paso lawyer involved. I sent him my Stanley contract as well as all pertinent online information about where to purchase Lizzie downloads. It was fairly simple to get my rights back since the publisher never responded to any of the legal notices the lawyer sent to her. I won by default. After that it was a matter of getting Amazon and B&N and Google Books to cease and desist. The lawyer sent them what is rightly called the “mean, scary letter” with the law firm’s letterhead in bold. It worked and the download capability was removed from all three sites. Lizzie was now mine, free and clear. The cost was more than I could ever make from royalties, but that’s not the point. I needed control and I got it.

Beginning of the Beginning

This story would not be complete without the requisite happy ending. In the spring of 2014, I gave Writers Amuse Me Publishing the opportunity to re-publish Dizzy Miss Lizzie and a chance to publish the two sequels, Running On Empty and Cat Scratch Fever. They agreed to a three-book deal with Lizzie to be published in November and the others in 2015. Many thanks to the fine folks at WAMM for the second chance.

This author fought back. I fought for my author reputation. I fought for all the other authors out there who have been hurt by a publisher. I fought for Lizzie.

And I won!

About RM Clark:

Robert (R. M.) Clark spent nineteen years as a baseball coach—from T-ball to American Legion and most levels in between. It was from his typical place in the third-base coach's box that he imagined a baseball mystery told from the viewpoint of a bat girl, which developed into his middle-grade novel, The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery.

After graduating from the University of Idaho with a Computer Science degree, Robert moved from the Gem State to northeastern Alberta to Southern California before settling into a cozy town in Southeastern Massachusetts, where he lives today with his wife and two sons. Read more about his novels at rmclarkauthor.com.

Collaborations: Unique Pros and Cons

I've had the fun of working on a project with my sister who writes mainly fantasy. Together we're writing a Young Adult Sci-fi novel, working title TEMPOR.

Here's the just-for-fun cover I made for it (clearly I'm no cover artist):

Our last work on it was in 2013. My lovely sister then got preoccupied with something else awesome... my nephew! As life settled in and settled down, she recently contacted me with some new material for our book and I was elated! Except that I just had a baby myself and we're not quite settled in and settled down yet. (I like to give it six months until the new family dynamic feels comfortable for everyone.) 

So here's my pros and cons list for collaborations:

Pros:

Exciting brainstorming sessions

Two heads for solving difficult plot and character problems

Built-in secondary editor

Two distinct wordprints to aid in different character voices

Cons:

Difficulty coordinating schedules

Disagreements in vision (plot, character, setting, etc.)

Disagreements in editing (commas, LOL)

Though it's a challenge, overall I'd have to say that collaborating on a writing project is enjoyable, rewarding, and a fresh way to look at your own craft. It's helped me to understand elements of story and characterization from someone else's point of view. Since my sister and I read in different genres, overlapping in the fantasy/paranormal genre, we come at plot problems in slightly different ways. It's been an education so far and I'm excited to continue... in a few months when my newborn isn't so newbornish. :)

Have you ever collaborated on a novel or book of poetry or comic book? What's the best lesson you've learned out of your collaborations?

Depression, Suicide, and Mork & Mindy.

I am going to stray from normal writing things today, and open myself up a bit. I hope you don't mind me sharing this sensitive topic.

On Tuesday, my husband and I took a three hour trip to get our fingerprints taken. We’re updating our adoption paperwork, and we are required to go to the FBI and make sure we haven’t turned into hardened criminals since last year.

We randomly stopped at a restaurant call Buzzard Billy’s which serves Cajun/American food. (And, btw, the food was excellent.) The restaurant is decorated in retro pictures, and each table had different themes. Our small square table was decorated with trading cards from the 70s TV show Mork & Mindy.

Have you heard of it?

This, of course, started a discussion about the program, and how it brought Robin Williams out in the public—and yes, I am old enough to remember watching the show with my family. And I know what “Na-nu Na-Nu” means.

So needless to say, when I came home that evening, I was more than shocked to find out that, at the moment we were reminiscing about Robin Williams during our meal, talking about how far he has come and fondly remembering him, was a few short hours before he was found dead.  We could have been even praising his talents the moment he took his life.

That was a very sad and surreal moment.

Robin Williams had depression, like lots of people.

Depression is HORRIBLE.

I know.

I've been there.

I lived in a dysfunctional home and was bullied at school. I felt so completely ugly and unlovable, that I wanted my pain to end. I hated myself. My acne was so bad that every day I layered on foundation to cover my skin. At night, I didn't have the courage to wash it off, because I couldn't stand to see what I really looked like underneath.

This, of course, perpetuated the situation, and my skin would only get worse. The vicious cycle continued until the day when my “friend” gave my school pictures (you know, the one you exchange to each other) to some of the bullies. They proceeded to write all over my pictures. UGLY. PIZZA FACE. DOG. ZIT FACE. BITCH. What smidgen of my self esteem I had left crumbled to dust. It was that event that pushed me over the edge.

I ran to the office sobbing, trying to find someone to talk to.

They did nothing.

I went home, trying to talk to my family.

Nothing.

The problem is when your family is also depressed and suffering, sometimes they don’t have the strength to help you either. So I found myself alone, contemplating ending it all, standing in front of the bathroom medicine cabinet trying to figure out what might get the job done. I had to make a choice. Life or attempt death.

I chose to keep going.

Poor Robin. My heart aches for him. He had wealth and fame and people loved him—just as we were talking about him that very day. But he too was putting on his humor, much like I applied foundation to my skin, to try and cover up what he was truly feeling.

I can’t say I still liked myself the next day after I chose life. I still felt ugly. I still hated myself. My faith is what slowly pulled me out of that darkness of self-loathing. And now, at the ripe “old” age of 42, I like myself. I'm not perfect, by any means, but that's ok with me. Nobody is perfect. And I would've missed out on a ton of things if I had listened to that depression screaming in my ear.

I still have emotional battle scars. I still struggle with forgiveness—and have yet to attend one of my class reunions. But I also have more empathy for the underdog. I feel passionate about anti-bullying. I am more aware of people's feelings. My experience helped me become a better person today.

I've seen a lot of people tweet about “talking to people”. And YES PLEASE DO! Go to your doctor. A counselor. A friend. You might need some medical help. A friend of mine talks about her "happy pills" and says they make all the difference for her. But sometimes even if you try to talk to someone, such as I did, you fail. Or if you are in a situation where you are alone in this fight, or have yet to find help, know that ...

You are important.

You are special. 

You add value to this world. 

You make a difference.

You were put on the earth for a purpose, even if you don’t see it right now.

It may be hard to keep going, and you may not see how things can change, but it can.

Things WILL get better. 

Keep going.

Choose LIFE.

Get HELP

You won’t regret it.

The September Mystery Agent Lottery is CLOSED

We have another Mystery Agent contest coming up in just a few weeks and now's your chance to get in on the action!

When can you enter?

The lottery is now closed. Names of winners will be posted Saturday, August 23rd.

Right now! The lottery will be open until August 22nd. Please note, we're doing things a bit differently from last month. This time around, you'll need to have everything ready to go when you enter.

What should you include in your entry? (all of these items are required to enter)

• Title
• Genre
• Word Count
• Twitter Pitch (140 characters max)
• First 250 Words
• Update - Critique Forum Preference - you can now indicate if you'd like your entry to be included in the critique forum. If you've already entered your information you should still be able to go back in and list your preference. Please note: Since this option was added after the start of the lottery, if you do not respond to this option, we will assume you want to be included in forum.

What is our September Mystery Agent seeking?

• Young Adult
• New Adult
• Romance
• Picture Books

If you have a completed manuscript in one of these categories/genres, please enter all of your info into the Rafflecopter below. Please enter only once and only if your manuscript is finished and query-ready. 

The lottery will close Friday, August 22nd at 11:59 pm EST. Lottery winners will be posted here on the blog on Saturday, August 23rd.

Thirty (30) lucky entrants will be selected and not only will the Mystery Agent take a look at them for a chance to win fabulous prizes, but we'll be posting all 30 entries here on the blog (in our new forum format) on September 1st for cheerleading and constructive feedback. And last but certainly not least, the reveal, along with the to-be-announced prizes, will be posted here sometime in the month of September.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Editing 101: Easy fixes #1 - The Dialogue Tag

I've been editing longer than I've been writing fiction, so my roots are really sunk deep in the firm foundations of irritating everyone I know about proper punctuation, spelling and usage. But as I've been working in the fiction world, I've learned lots of new editing tricks to tighten up a story, and I thought this would be a perfect forum for those (all new folks to irritate!)

Despite my joking tone, I do take this stuff pretty seriously. There are plenty of books on craft, and most writers have read any number of them. But sometimes it's hard to make the jump from reading a book to tightening up your own writing. So I thought I'd tackle a few easy fixes. And the first is the dialogue tag.

When I edit for others, this is one of the things I try to smooth out up front. We all use them, and a lot of us overuse them.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Try this on for size:

"I'm dying to go out with him," Michelle said, twirling her hair.
"He is really cute," agreed Margot.
"I know," Michelle said. "And his hair is so shiny and purple."
"I love boys with purple hair," Margot said, tripping over a rock as she skipped along.
"Be careful!" Michelle cautioned. "This road is covered in rocks."

You get the (painful) idea.

So let's tighten that up by removing some of the unnecessary tags. (It won't make the faux story any better, though, I fear!)

"I'm dying to go out with him." Michelle twirled her hair around her finger as she talked.
"He is really cute." Margot nodded.
"I know. And his hair is so shiny and purple."
"I love boys with purple hair." Margo tripped over a rock as she skipped along.
"Be careful!" Michelle pointed at the road. "This road is covered with rocks."

This is a terrible -- really, truly terrible -- example. But the point here is that adding "he said" or "she said" -- or worse: "he moaned/whined/smiled" after every line of dialogue feels stilted. Instead, the tags can often be replaced by something else, something that SHOWS the action in the scene. (Isn't it funny how every piece on craft eventually drops that 'show, don't tell' thing?)

When you have only two people talking, it's easy to eliminate tags. Hopefully your characters have distinct voices, so the reader can tell who's speaking without being told. A tag here and there never hurts to clear up any confusion, but we definitely don't need them for every line.

In a piece with more than two speakers, tags become more needed, but again -- use them sparingly and try to replace them with a shot of action instead.

This is pretty basic, but I find that sometimes the most basic things are the rules I need to review now and then. Happy writing!

Before the Query Stage, and What I've Learned Editing a Second Draft

We hear it all the time. Finish what you start. Complete that novel. And we do. We write "THE END" and jump in the air. (Cue marching band.)

Until we realize, we just completed a first draft. Which is fantastic. But it's still only one piece of the journey. (Send marching band back to the rehearsal room.)

I've done NaNo WriMo before, and even adapted an excel spreadsheet from it when I'm drafting. But for me, drafting isn't the issue. I'm usually good about meeting my word counts and getting words on the page in an efficient manner.

This often feels like this:

But after NaNo ends...then what? We don't hear a lot about what to do after first draft is on the page (or perhaps after the second or third draft is done either). Perhaps it's because drafting is sexier than editing. Editing is work. Drafting is fun! But one of my previous NaNo novels was so messy that I wasn't able to get it off the ground at all, and it's currently sitting in a drawer waiting for me to sell it for parts.

And maybe someday I will. But right now, I'm almost 200 pages revised into the second draft of a manuscript I drafted last year. The story is shaping up much differently than when I first wrote it, which means, after I finish this pass through, I'll need to trunk the novel again, bring it out of moth balls, and edit it at least once or twice more before showing it to beta readers.

This process is more like this:

I was lucky enough to land on this blog post called "Braving Your Second Draft." It said: "Each draft is an essential step on the road to the completed manuscript you’re trying to write." The good news? No words are wasted, despite what I claimed in this previous post. Those anchors aren't always bad, and sometimes, they can be stabilizing, offering further proof that the true joy comes from the writing itself.

So with that in mind, here's what I've learned in my second draft edits this go-round:

1. Instead of word count, do a minimum page count.

I'm forgetting where I heard this advice, so I'm unable to cite anybody on it. But I discovered that if I grapple with at least five pages a day, and get them done, I still accomplish something. And if I do more, great. This breaks the perfectionist part of me that wants to dwell on a word and paragraph level, which is not what I should be doing at this stage, and prevents twelve hour editing binges (you think I'm joking, but this actually happened).

2. Covering a plot hole might make more, so be careful when this turns into a domino effect.

 About mid-way through the draft, I finally figured out my villain's true motivation. It went against some of what I'd written previously, and when I fixed it, more plot holes opened, and soon I was in a gopher field, with my novel progress halted. So I took a step back and only made the changes that were absolutely necessary to remain consistent with what the villain wanted. If there's more to it, I can always address it in a subsequent draft.

3. Don't be afraid of the delete key...

Once the words are down, it's hard to get rid of them, and I carry this anxiety of not getting back what I delete if I need it later. So I created a document where I could put excess stuff (including plot points that went nowhere). And I'm discovering that I'm only drawing from it rarely--it's grown to over 100 pages and 24,000 words. A novella of scraps, in other words. What this has taught me is it's okay to delete words and write new ones that are better--and the more I'm willing to part with, the better the novel will be.

4. ...but also don't be afraid to flesh out those skeletons.

All the novels I've written with the NaNo spreadsheet, even if they took a few months, ended up pretty skeletal, and those drafts always needed more fleshing out. So look for areas of expansion, and remember to go deeper instead of wider.

5. Editing can really be fun. Really.

I'm still having scads of fun with this novel and its growth spurts, so at least for now, the editing doesn't feel like work yet. I'm in the third act, when a lot of previous plot clues are answered--but also found the big reveal wasn't well established or consistent. So I wrote outside conversations between my characters to establish some clarity, which were tons of fun. And lo and behold, a plot point I didn't know was staring me in the face revealed itself, and today I combed the novel to make this detail more apparent throughout. I'm sure there are some places I missed--but I can always catch them on the next go-round.

Of course, none of this is on official deadline--so I'm curious to hear from those of you needing to make these kinds of editing decisions quickly. How do you negotiate the changes you're asked to make? 

Querying for the Young Writer

Hello everyone! Its been awhile since I've posted on here. That's because I have been absent for the past month. For the first ten days I was on a cruise in Alaska with my family. It was really a breathtaking experience and I'll talk more about that in my next post.

But today's post has to deal with the other thing I was doing this July. For two weeks I was a Residential Assistant at a creative writing camp called Shared Worlds. Its a fantasy writing camp in which kids from ages 13-17 get together in world building groups and create worlds together from scratch. Its truly an exciting experience. I should know: I went there myself for three years.

All of the kids who went to camp with me understand what its like to be a young writer. Some of them are more advanced than others. Some of them have been writing for longer. But they all have aspirations to one day have books in print.

So today, I'm talking a bit specifically to young writers, especially those who are querying or want to start querying in the future. I started diving into the trenches when I was sixteen, so I know how it can be. Let's go over some tips for querying your novel.

1) Seek advice

This is important for any writer out there. Everyone should get multiple sets of eyes on their query and first pages before sending them off. But for young writers in particular, this can be a helpful resource. If you were like me in high school, you didn't show a ton of people your writing. Taking this into consideration, the querying process can seem really frightening. So before diving in blindly, you want to do research. Talk to other writers online who have been through this. Sign up on agentqueryconnect.com and find people who are willing to lend you a helping hand. They're out there and super friendly. I don't know where I'd be without the people online who gave me advice for the querying process.

2) Beg for Critiques

If you are a young writer, people will be inclined to critique you less harshly. Again, if you were like me, you received heaps of praise from your peers and teachers and believed, naively, that you were the best writer ever. It only takes a stack of rejections to tell you otherwise. It is possible that, as a young writer, you have never received a thorough critique. Beg for one. Hand out your writing under the guise of 'tear it apart. Leave no word alive.' Not only will it improve your manuscript, but its better to get a harsh critique from people you trust first.

You have to build up a backbone to enter the trenches. It might hurt, but your writing will be better for it.

3) Query as if you were Older

Something I see in the slush pile a lot when it comes to young writers: A stress on their age. People who point out that they are 'just sixteen' or 'in high school' and writing a book. You don't see older writers saying their age. Why? Because its not the age that matters. Its the writing.

I think some writers stress their age as a bragging point. Like 'I'm young but I'm querying and that's special'. Honestly, its awesome for ANYONE to be able to finish a book, no matter the age. If you're a good writer, then age won't make a difference. My agent didn't know I was eighteen until we had the call. And it worked out fine for me.

Those are three important tips for young writers, though some of that advice holds true for writers of any age. Get advice and get critiqued. And young writers, never stop trying to get better. You have a long road ahead of you, but you have the talent and the drive to back it up.

Happy Writing!

Recharging Your Writer Brain

A few weeks ago, the very awesome Agent Jessica Sinsheimer posted the following on Twitter:

I think this is a really important lesson. Love crafts? Make crafts! (I have been...) You can see her creations here: http://t.co/myje8ocDQ6
— Jessica Sinsheimer (@jsinsheim) July 21, 2014

In other words: Yes, you're a writer. But you're allowed to love other creative projects, too. Following inspiration is NOT a waste of time.
— Jessica Sinsheimer (@jsinsheim) July 21, 2014

I sometimes think of our creative selves as soil. Sometimes you just need some crop rotation. @stampepk
— Jessica Sinsheimer (@jsinsheim) July 21, 2014

I love the idea of creative crop rotation. Such a great way to look at it.

There are many times when I come home from work and feel too brain dead to make a simple dinner, much less write for an hour or to reach a 1000-word goal. But I start to go a little crazy--okay, a little crazier than usual--if I don't have a creative outlet. Besides, I have my suspicions that writing actually kills the sane brain cells and causes the crazy ones to multiply. Rapidly. ;)

To rebuild some of those sane brain cells, sometimes I'll sew or crochet. And I love to make things with Photoshop and Excel. Yes, I said Excel. Numbers, colors, and conditional formatting? What's not to love? Plus, it's one of those things that, like writing, I don't think I could ever really learn completely, so I'll never get bored with it. 

So what about you? What do you do to recharge your writer brain? Any crafts or nerdy programs you enjoy? 

Friday Night Writes - a couple prompts to start your weekend!

TGIF, Operation Awesome! I come bearing prompts for your weekend! If you're between WIPs or looking to take a little break, hopefully one of these will kickstart your brain in one way or another!


This is an exercise that has been a lot of fun for me in the past. I'm going to post pairs of adjectives below. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is either to a) Use those two adjectives to create two characters and write a scene between them, or b) Create a character who can somehow embody both of those adjectives.

Ready? Go!

1. Insouciant and duty-bound.

2. Austere and empathetic.

3. Altruistic and unsettling.

4. Queenly and anxious.

5.  Protective and dangerous.

Have fun! And if you have any prompts to share, be sure to post them in the comments!

Cover Reveal! Michelle McLean's So You Have to Write a Poem!

I am very pleased to finally show off the cover of my upcoming non-fiction release, So You Have to Write a Poem: A Guide for the Non-Poetic :) This book has been a very long time coming (as it was once part of my essay guidebook, Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers). So I am very, very excited that it will finally be out in the world on Oct 6th! So....here it is :)

At some point, every student must not only learn about different poetic forms, but try their hand at penning a few. It can be daunting, even for those who enjoy poetry.

Following the same plain language, straight forward vein of Ms. McLean’s Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers, So You Have to Write a Poem gives novices an easy-to-read guide with simple step-by-step processes and fun examples while giving more advanced poets a technical guide to the rules behind all their favorite poetic forms.

This volume includes nine forms of poetry, along with overviews on poetry basics like meter and rhyme scheme, detailed, easy-to-understand instructions and “cheat sheets” that outline the rules for each form of poetry, and a section with a detailed explanation of how to analyze a poem.

(The cover was designed by OA's own extremely talented Toni Kerr!)

Mystery Agent Reveal and Winners!

Thanks to all who entered and gave feedback! Our August Mystery Agent is...

Rebecca Podos of the Rees Literary Agency!

Rebecca was intrigued by a lot of the entries, and said picking winners was hard. But in the end, she chose (drumroll, please)...

1. WHAT LIES BETWEEN by Kimberly Miller VanderHorst. 

Rebecca said: This pitch does a great job summarizing what seems like a complicated and psychedelic plot, and I’m definitely intrigued.

2.  IF I PROMISE YOU THE SUN by Heather Lynne Davis. 

Rebecca said: This pitch has a sibling relationship, a fascinatingly strange cult and emotional high stakes, all established beautifully in 50 words. It sounds fantastic!

3. THE LEDGE by Shari Schwarz. 

Rebecca said: I’m a big fan of sibling relationships in MG and YA, and the idea of the brothers’ separate journeys – one realistic and one supernatural – revealing “the root of their strained relationship” really interests me.

We will be contacting the winners shortly with submission information. Congratulations!! 

Want to get to know our Mystery Agent better? We've asked her a couple questions!

You have an MFA from Emerson college. Many writers struggle with the question of "to MFA or not MFA". What was your experience?

My experience was a great one. While I’m by no means an expert on the subject, I do think it’s helpful to go into a program with definite goals. I considered an MFA right out of undergrad, but at the time I would’ve been pursuing it not as part of a plan, but because I didn’t have another plan, if that makes sense.

When I did go a few years later, I had two objectives: to take advantage of connections and opportunities as an MFA student to work towards a career in publishing, and to find a writing community in Boston that would last long after grad school. Emerson is a wonderful program, and the teachers and workshops were fantastic, but achieving my goals largely depended on what I did outside of classes. I went after internships while working full-time and going to school in the evenings, and one of those internships was at Rees, which led to a job after I graduated. And I found amazing friends (they also happen to be amazing writers) whom I love sharing stories and novel excerpts with and sharing a bottle of wine with, and plan to do so for years to come.

Some writers get confused between genres and sub-genres in both Middle Grade and Young Adult novels. What are some of the current main categories, and do you think they tend to change frequently?

I think this is a pretty fluid (and often confusing) conversation in YA and MG, because while we have to label novels, one of the best things about Children’s lit is the freedom to play with, overlap and mix and match genres in order to tell your story.

For instance, one example of a genre would be fantasy. Under that you’ve got historical fantasy, urban fantasy, and epic or high fantasy, to name a few subgenres. And under the seemingly unrelated genre of mystery, you’ve got cozies, noir, etc. But you can also have an overlap between the two like supernatural mystery, such as  … well, this is going back, but the Bailey School Kids series (Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots, Werewolves Don’t Go to Summer Camp.)

There are always “hot” genres, and they certainly do change. A few years ago, paranormal romance was the thing (which is itself a mix of fantasy and romance, two big genres.) Then dystopian (kind of a sub-genre of sci-fi that ballooned.) Now, emotionally-driven contemporary is hot. I try not to place much weight on what’s easiest to sell; if I take on a YA mystery I’m only 65% convinced of, and if I’ve missed the mystery bubble slightly, editors may well have moved on to cyber thrillers. Then I’ve got a book on my hands that I don’t really believe in. So, while at any moment there are harder genres that require just the right editor, or maybe the right indie publisher, go ahead and slap anyone who tells you your MG sci-fi of Anna Karenina set on Jupiter will never be published, just because sci-fi isn’t selling right now.

What are some things you consider when taking on a potential client?

I mean, story is the biggest thing that draws me in. If you’ve got a great novel, no matter if it’s highly saleable contemporary, or a wonderfully weird steampunk postmodern Frankenstein historical fantasy, I’m all in. 

Some agents want a 99% perfect draft before they’ll take on a client, and that’s totally legitimate. If a book comes to me that needs a bit of work, I’ll consider the tools the writer is working with. Plot can always be tinkered with, but if an author has a strong handle on language and great intuition when it comes to their characters, I trust them to kill it with editorial notes.

What are some recent books you've sold?

DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO by Sarah Nicolas (Entangled)

LAST MUD SEASON by Kenneth Logan (HarperCollins Children’s)

FIFTEEN by Jen Estes (Curiosity Quills Press)

THE SHADOW BOYS ARE BREAKING by Mackenzi Lee (Katherine Tegen Books)

If you were stuck on a desert island with five books of your choice, what would they be?

This is a tough question! Since we’re talking YA and MG today, I’ll keep it to those categories.

1) Any MG by Katherine Paterson, especially Bridge to Terebithia.

2) I’d want some Lois Lowry, so The Giver. (This is cheating, but Number the Stars is such a close runner up.)

3) When I was a teenager I was obsessed with John Marsden’s Tomorrow books, an Australian YA series that’s basically Red Dawn in the Outback, but you know, with incredibly thoughtful and complicated portraits of its teenage characters. Any of them are must-reads, but it starts with Tomorrow, When the War Began.

4) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, for many, many reasons.

5) Because I love it (and because I’m shamelessly passionate that everyone should read this) I’d bring my author Rin Chupeco’s The Girl from the Well, an incredibly cool/scary/beautiful YA horror coming out this week  :)

To learn more about Ms. Podos and her list, check out the agent submissions page on the Rees Literary Agency website. And stay tuned for more Mystery Agent news very soon! 

Music and Memory

I've started on my sequel to Crow's Rest (its working title is No Man's Land) and a couple chapters in I realized I was having trouble finding the tone of the book. In the past, I haven't worried about that too much in the drafting stage, but with this book the tone is going to direct several plot-forks in my outline. (Plot-forks are too real things! Don't make me show you my literary license)

I was thinking about how when I would come back to the Crow's Rest draft after an absence, two songs helped get my brain in gear for writing (Firethief by Karine Polwart, and the song I wrote for the book which will appear in the book trailer). But No Man's Land didn't have a song just yet, so there wasn't a tool I could use to drop me into the story.

To fix that, I spent some time rewriting lyrics to an old English folk song, variously called A Blacksmith or Blacksmith Courted Me. Now I have song lyrics that are particularly relevant to the story and plot, plus singing it puts me in the frame of mind to continue in the Crow's Rest world.

Do you ever use music in this way? It's a little more specific than a playlist, but I'm sure they'd be considered close relatives!

Setting is more than just scenery

Setting isn't the coolest aspect of writing. Maybe because many of us associate it with a long passages of scenic description or town history and backstory that we associate with 19th century novels -- you know, the sort of thing we call infodump and edit out immediately.

But a realistic or contemporary novel can have a specific sense of place. "World-building" is associated with fantasy, but every novel builds its own world, whether it's one that's familiar or foreign, a meticulous recreation or the author's invention.

When I wrote Deadwood, I wanted to create a specificity of place -- the outer Philadelphia neighborhoods of Mount Airy and Andorra, the inner suburbs of the Mainline and Delaware County, the leafy urban parks where I've spent. I decided to do this because it's too common to think of some places as non-places -- places without regional character, places where nothing happens. But there are stories everywhere if you find them or write them.

Setting is specificity of place, accent, culture, geography, history, and architecture. In Deadwood, aspects of setting were almost a character -- Deadwood Park, the geographical and emotional center of the story. I had a very clear map in my head about where everything was. I didn't draw it out, but next time, maybe I will. 

Top 5 places in Deadwood that are based on places in real life. 

Brynwood Valley Park is based on few places: Wynnewood Valley Park in Wynnewood, Powder Mill Park, Haverford Heritage Trail, and Cobbs Creek in Haverford Township, and Wissahickon Valley Park and Carpenter’s Woods in Philadelphia.

I love gatehouses, and I based Jenna Blitzer’s house on a couple near me. Most of them are right near the main roads, but the estate that they guarded are gone – knocked down for development.

I based the high school/municipal complex on the layout of Upper Dublin, where I went to high school. The district rebuilt the school a few years ago, but I was describing the old layout. I walked around the new school about a month ago, and it was such a strange feeling. I felt like I could see the ghost of the old school in the new one.

The geography of Hannah’s neighborhood is based on Manayunk, a neighborhood in Philadelphia with rowhouses and twins on super steep streets. Manayunk was originally a milltown, like Lower Brynwood.





Does a sense of place matter in the stories you write? Do you try to be universal or specfic when it comes to regionality?  Do you prefer to write the exotic or the everyday?

And for another perspective, read this excellent guest post by PK Herzo:
Settings that Pop

About Kell Andrews:  Kell Andrews writes picture books and middle grade novels. Deadwood, her middle-grade contemporary fantasy about a cursed tree, is out now from Spencer Hill Middle Grade.  

RIVER OF BONES THE MOVIE

Hello Everyone! hope you are enjoying your Saturday.

In order to write a script that is marketable, it is critical to have a solid theme, and a good understanding of the content. You have to be able to engage your readers through visual themes within your work product.

You will want to not only gain the interest of a director or producer but investors as well. Investors are professionals that finance the film project. Unless its a very low budget movie you will need qualified investors that can support a multi-million dollar project. Most film investors are seasoned professionals. They have a good idea of what will sell to consumers.

Every film must have a prospectus. A prospectus will give your investor an idea of how they may profit from a film. It's a document that will describe the risks and benefits. It also explains how the production company works, its board members and operational expenses involved. 

Below is the cool R.V. I get to relax in while they are filming River of Bones. Items such as this are also included in a film prospectus--and other fun things as well!     

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

           

August MA pitch critiques!

Welcome to the NEW format of our Mystery agent critique portion of our contest. We hope this will be easier for everyone to see the entries and comment. The 32 entries (some didn't turn in their pitches) will be open for your amazing feedback all week!

Our rules are simple:

1. Be helpful. 
2. Be relevant.
3. Be kind. 

Thank you to all of you, and to all our amazing entrants! Happy critting!

You can also visit the entries in the tab under the OA blog banner:  MA Critiques.

Just a little more info about the forum:

• You DO NOT have to register to comment. 
• To comment on a pitch, just click Reply on the main post in the thread. It will bring up a comment box where you can enter your name and comment.
•  To return to the full list,click August 2014 MA Entries in the top left corner of the forum.

And we'd love to know what you think about the new format. Let us know here in the comments. Any feedback would be awesome! Thanks!

August 2014 MA Entries