Friday, October 17, 2014

Find that Agent



These last few months have been very busy ones for me.  I have edited my manuscript more than once, rewritten the beginning chapters, created more depth in my characters, and cut out chapters that were not advancing the plot even though I loved them.  As my writers group leader used to say, "kill your babies" which means ditch those special chapters, paragraphs or lines that you adore so much -- cut them if they are not adding to the story.  And as hard as that has been, I've ditched most, if not all of them.  In some cases, I moved descriptions to other parts of the story where they fit better.  In other cases, they lie in my unused file, hoping for a home some day.

My characters appear more 3-dimensional.  They show how they feel, how they act or react to certain situations, and what they are made of when they face certain perils.  Remember, there is NO telling.  I also added a few unique quirks to the main characters... we all have them, so should our characters.  But I feel I can develop them even more in the sequel that I'm writing.

And, since I last wrote, I am happy to say that three agents have expressed interest in my manuscript. Oh, and I did rewrite my query too, and developed what I think is a fairly good short synopsis.  Every time I'm about ready to think "self publish," an agent replies and wants more.

My manuscript is good (so say my reviewers) and I'm not about to give up on it.  I've sent out close to a hundred queries; some agents have nicely replied "not interested," some just never bother to send a response.  We aspiring writers seeking to be published must be a very large group, because the agents keep saying that they don't respond because of the volume of queries they are receiving.

As I wait for my agent to appear, I have not been wasting time.  I have a draft of another manuscript which I'm editing, and a sequel to my mystery/romance manuscript which I'm also working on.  The sequel features the same two primary characters who work well together, if I say so myself.  They are about to be caught up in solving another serial murder cold case.  The other manuscript is a time travel story that has been spinning around in my mind for years.  It is now finding its way to paper.

So, what I'm telling you today is don't give up, don't sit around waiting for something to happen, keep writing.  And keep reading.

Send me you comments...

Till, 
Judi


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Final tasks....


Final tasks....

Well. I have taken my final pass through the manuscript and, in doing so, I have cut out about 15,000 words.  Each time I read through it, I find something.  I guess the edit process could go forever, but I have called a halt to it at this point.  I'm now back to my search for an agent or publisher.

There were a few final clean up tasks that remained.  First, character names.  Make sure that the names of your characters are not real people - use a quick Google search to check.  Mine were, so I renamed them.  Funny how when the names changed, new prsonal quirks showed up!  Try it and see.  My female character even developed a nickname, JJ, and she changed the make and model of automobile she drove :-)   The second task was one I had never thought about.  I used the lyrics of a song in the progression of the story.  I didn't realized that you could be sued for using lyrics without consent.  So out came the song lyrics sadly.  The final task that I'm still struggling with is the title.  I started out with a very cute, sweet title which I loved, but since have changed it two or three times.  They say to wait until the manuscript is complete to title it - it would be easier.  So far this hasn't been true for me.  Should it be short?  Should it be a song title?  Should it be ???  Well, I have settled on a title... am I happy?  No sure.

Another real problem for writer's is where to start the story?  In the beginning, in the middle... I have changed the beginning more times than I can count.  And to tell you the truth, as I was writing this blog this AM, I'm wondering if I should start it at the beginning of the 2nd chapter?

"Jamie Janson chose to run the beach at dawn; it cleared her mind.  The rhythmic sound of the waves, the kaleidoscope of colors in the sky, and the lack of annoying chatter on the beach put her into the zone.  And when she was in it, she could solve any problem.  Today’s list included a schedule of things to do to clean out and sell Pita’s cottage by fall and a way to find a ghost on the Internet.  Both problems had been plaguing her for months."

More of this thought process next time.  I'll tell you my decision.  Happy writing.... 

Till......
Judi

Sunday, July 6, 2014

After the manuscript is complete...

 

After the manuscript is complete...

When the manuscript is complete, edited, and reviewed, we are ready to conquer the query.  This seems easy, doesn't it. compared to writing the story?  Maybe not.
 
Articles about queries say they have a required format - three paragraphs - one with name, size, gendre; one which provides a summary of our novel; and the final one, our credentials - publications, connection to other authors of the same gendre, etc.  The first and third paragraphs are simple, factual, but the summary... now that's the show stopper.  How do we describe an 80,000 word manuscript in one paragraph, in words that will make an agent reading it say, "Wow, I need this manuscript on my list."
 
Well, so far I haven't discovered the secret.  I have drafted, rephrased and reworded the traditional query until I thought my fingers just wouldn't cooperate any more.  Still having no success with it and thinking my story worthy of a look by an agent, I've started stepping out of the box.  What I have learned is that even though agents may say they like that format,  they react differently when I go right into the story... blow them away right in the beginning and then fill in the blanks later.  They are busy people with many, many queries in their inboxes, so maybe, just maybe, reading about the story, characters right away will save them some time - they like it or they don't.  It's all so subjective, especially for us first time authors. 
 
I would like to hear from others who have had success or not, or agents who might provide us guidance as to what they are looking for in the query.  I have come down to a back cover description in my query.
 
I'm still out there -- kissing a lot of frogs, looking for my prince.
 
Till......
Judi
 
 
 


Thursday, June 26, 2014

The setting for my stories - Wellfleet on Cape Cod


The setting for my stories - Wellfleet on Cape Cod

Today, I'm at Chipmans Cove in Wellfleet thinking back on all the times that I played on this beach.  I bet my footprints are still somewhere in the sand.  When the tide came in, I was swimming or floating on an inner tube; at low tide, I'd be walking out on the muddy flats with my Dad and Uncle Leo, searching for clams and oysters.     

As a child, I spent summers at my Aunt and Uncle’s cottage  – an antique white shingled house with green shutters and a cement patio that surrounded it on two sides. Every day began with us kids raising the American flag over the barn, a tradition that ended with my father and uncle’s generation.  A game of horseshoes played in the sunny, sandy yard filled the rest of the morning.  On warm evenings, we cooked hotdogs and marshmallows over a driftwood bonfire on the beach while basking in the bright crimson sunset.  Back at the cottage, we entertained ourselves with concerts played on the mesmerizing and magical player piano.  Bedtime meant the long steep climb up the stairs to a single, large, often hot and sultry dormitory style bedroom. 

The house is gone now, in fact a new house stands in its place, but the memories, ghosts, and echoes of laughter will ever live on that land.  The bobwhites still sing – not the same ones, but the descendants of those who sang for me as a child – or so I believe.  There is something about this town, this place that heals me, lightens my heart, and refreshes my soul, and when I return, I sleep contented – like one who has come home.

So you can understand a little, I hope, of why I have chosen this particular spot to anchor my stories... I'm confortable here and so are my characters.  They can sit and watch the tides, walk the beach, paint the vistas... even find dead bodies.

Till......
Judi

Sunday, June 22, 2014

A writer's dream coming true?


A writer's dream coming true?

My dream of being a writer began in college.   I wrote short stories for our newspaper and loved it. But my major was mathematics with a minor in physics, so creative writing was a luxury, better left for another time. During my technical career, I published numerous pieces, authored and edited a few newsletters, and provided columns to other newsletters as well as co-authored a book. But most of this writing was in the passive voice, not active voice (we will discuss these two voices later if you like).

Today, one of my strongest passions continues to be writing, creative writing, storytelling.  I love to craft a story that draws readers in, forces them to care about my characters, and keeps them reading until the sun comes up.   So far, I've published a short story and a number of travel articles on Ireland, all of which were well received.   But now I'm working on finding an agent for my first novel, She's Not You. If you've ever gone down that road as a first time novelist, you'll know what I'm about to say.

Agents now allow you to submit your query letter via email causing the volume of submissions to rise tremendously.  It's an easy way to contact an agent, it's free and it's quick. That's the good part; the bad part is that not all agents respond, maybe because of the number of queries they receive every day?  Many tell you in their submission guidelines that they will respond only if they are interested and provide you with a time frame.  However they choose to handle your submission, waiting and watching for their response to appear in your inbox is nerve-racking.

Speaking of queries, I have written and rewritten mine over and over again, seeking the words that will make an agent pick up his/her phone and say "Sold."   So far, alas, no luck.  We can discuss the query letter later... it's  probably the most important part of the submission process because you have only one chance to engage an agent.  And engage you must!     

I'm starting this blog as therapy for myself, but also to respond to other writer's comments and report the progress I've made in my writing and in finding an agent.  I'm hoping it will end up as a chronicle of lessons learned.  Please submit your lessons learned as well... these are teachable moments for us all!

Next time, I'll take you into my mystery as well my stories that are in the works.  And yes, the photo above is one of my other passions, my garden!  Till......
Judi