Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 47
February 22, 2016
Team Snow 6: THE WISH STONE, YA Contemporary Fantasy
Title: THE WISH STONEGenre: YA Contemporary FantasyWord Count: 60,000 My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle: Frannie shrinks away from the stares the other school kids give her because of the symptoms of her disease. She hates having to explain what is wrong with her. Because of this, she prefers snow, especially when the drizzling flakes turn into a blizzard, and school is canceled. During snow days, she can cuddle up with her best friend and her mom in front of the TV without need of an excuse and temporarily forget how Huntington's is ravaging her body. Query: Fairytales and mythology come alive in the 21st century as sixteen-year-old Frannie Villapiana looks for a cure for her increasingly debilitating Huntington's Disease. Frannie is a teenager suddenly faced with a progressive neurodegenerative disease that's robbing her of her mind, her body, her friends, and the normal life she so desperately wants. Francesca is a daredevil and an explorer. She's also a custodian of ancient magical artifacts. But Frannie and Francesca are the same girl. Each night, when Frannie falls asleep in Weehawken, NJ, she wakes up on the other side of the Earth as Francesca, darting through the ancient monuments in Morocco, dodging booby traps in Nepal, and out-smarting the many villains who wish to use magical relics for their own nefarious gain. As Frannie gradually loses her battle with Huntington's, she spends more and more time as Francesca. She wouldn't mind leaving her incapacitated body behind to be the adventurous Francesca full time. However, her grieving mother and her best friend make it hard for her to let go. When Francesca hears rumors of an ancient, all-powerful stone hidden somewhere in South East Asia, Frannie sees a chance at life. To save Frannie, Francesca must embark on her most dangerous adventure yet. Unless... she is just a figment of imagination in Frannie's down-spiraling mind. THE WISH STONE is THE FAULT IN OUR STARS meets BIG FISH. Frannie's story brings important attention to Huntington's Disease - a genetic, cureless neurological disease with symptoms of ALS and Alzheimer's combined. HD affects 1 in every 10,000 people and has a 50% chance of being inherited. First 250 words: She was tired, muddied, out of breath, and she was bleeding. Francesca glanced down at the rusted bear trap biting into her left ankle. At least her hardened leather boot had stopped the trap’s teeth from snapping off her foot. Her arms and legs were trembling. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. When she tried to pry herself free every cell in her body screamed in pain. She let go and leaned back, gasping. What a mistake.She could hear them coming. She would be mauled to death, and all for what? The whistle? She chuckled. Pikne’s whistle was an ancient artifact: an instrument which possessed the power to banish even the most fearful demons. It also granted rain, apparently. In any case, Francesca regretted her choice to come to this god-forsaken forest. She already had three similar relics in her collection. Francesca was a hunter, but not in the old sense of sending sharp arrows through the soulful, little eyes of woodland creatures. She was a pursuant of ancient magical artifacts, and her role in life was simple - find the treasure, hide the treasure, and prevent the treasure from landing in the wrong hands. The pain from her leg exhausted her. Her eyes grew drowsy. But she couldn’t give up now though. Not over something so stupid. Give up and you die. Francesca grabbed at the trap again. She grit her teeth and bit back her screams.
Team Snow 7: MONGRELS, YA Science Fiction
Title: MONGRELSGenre: YA Science FictionWord Count: 86,000
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
Definitely snow. Warmth reminds Erin too much of her Mom's embrace when she had the sniffles, or her Dad's Sunday roast—he always smoked up the kitchen, but never tried a different recipe. Using the sun would be like tearing her happy memories apart, all over again.
Cold is impersonal, logical, direct. The nights spent shivering in the base only fuel her desire to return to her parents' warm protection. And the people who've torn her away can freeze to death a million times over, for all she cares.Query:
Dear [Agent],
An illegal experiment gives seventeen-year-old Erin enhanced eyesight. Scientists deem her "adequate enough" to ship off to a safe planet while Earth withers. And Erin plans her escape, one persuasive lie at a time.
After a botched physical exam, Erin becomes an unwilling participant in a research project meant to enhance the basic senses. Snatched from her loving parents, she now has altered vision, a team of four other unlucky bastards who've had their multiracial genetics toyed with, and a fierce need to escape the underground base where she's held captive.
But Erin finds out she has nowhere to go—Earth will become barren in less than ten years and she's one of the few selected to journey to a safe planet. The cocky scientists call her lucky. She thinks they need to get better at this lying game. Once she breaks out and runs back home, she'll tell everyone exactly what the year 2064 will bring.
Blinded by her desire for freedom, she endures intense training sessions and masters advanced weapons, while gaining the other subjects' trust. With only a speck of a rescue strategy, every ally counts, no matter how reluctant. Fortunately, her team of Mongrels benefits from the expertise of a stubborn ex-rebel who is just as determined to escape their hi-tech prison.
As the team's plan barrels ahead, a lingering doubt poisons their already shaky trust. Caught between warning her parents and saving herself, Erin must decide whether to die as a hero or live as a miserable follower.
First 250 words:
Half an hour before nine a.m., Erin had already broken a fundamental rule. The fundamental rule, according to the screaming billboards.
She forgot her mask at home.
Standing in line behind five other careless people, she dug deep into her bag one last time, her fingers searching every faux-leathery crevice, hoping the protective headgear was somewhere inside.
"Unbelievable." The stranger's whisper was almost lost in the early morning commotion. Almost. "If I had a token for every time some maggot just about infected the complex, I'd be able to afford moving into the new one in Tokyo."
"I hear the structure in Bucharest has some posh underground refreshing system," said another voice.
Smug bastards.
The subway station was full of the usual commuters dashing around, all wearing transparent masks wrapped around their heads as they clutched access cards in their hands. That didn't stop them from grimacing at the queue of people in front of the counter.
Empty-handed, Erin pulled her red sweater closer and bowed her head. It was bad enough she'd be late for class since the learning complex was more than an hour away. The blaming glances thrown her way were unnecessary—but expected. The sound of the train arriving agitated the commuters further. They quickened their steps, bumping into each other in a futile attempt to reach the doors before they closed. They had exactly one minute.
Precision was the cost for survival and everyone had to pay it.
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
Definitely snow. Warmth reminds Erin too much of her Mom's embrace when she had the sniffles, or her Dad's Sunday roast—he always smoked up the kitchen, but never tried a different recipe. Using the sun would be like tearing her happy memories apart, all over again.
Cold is impersonal, logical, direct. The nights spent shivering in the base only fuel her desire to return to her parents' warm protection. And the people who've torn her away can freeze to death a million times over, for all she cares.Query:
Dear [Agent],
An illegal experiment gives seventeen-year-old Erin enhanced eyesight. Scientists deem her "adequate enough" to ship off to a safe planet while Earth withers. And Erin plans her escape, one persuasive lie at a time.
After a botched physical exam, Erin becomes an unwilling participant in a research project meant to enhance the basic senses. Snatched from her loving parents, she now has altered vision, a team of four other unlucky bastards who've had their multiracial genetics toyed with, and a fierce need to escape the underground base where she's held captive.
But Erin finds out she has nowhere to go—Earth will become barren in less than ten years and she's one of the few selected to journey to a safe planet. The cocky scientists call her lucky. She thinks they need to get better at this lying game. Once she breaks out and runs back home, she'll tell everyone exactly what the year 2064 will bring.
Blinded by her desire for freedom, she endures intense training sessions and masters advanced weapons, while gaining the other subjects' trust. With only a speck of a rescue strategy, every ally counts, no matter how reluctant. Fortunately, her team of Mongrels benefits from the expertise of a stubborn ex-rebel who is just as determined to escape their hi-tech prison.
As the team's plan barrels ahead, a lingering doubt poisons their already shaky trust. Caught between warning her parents and saving herself, Erin must decide whether to die as a hero or live as a miserable follower.
First 250 words:
Half an hour before nine a.m., Erin had already broken a fundamental rule. The fundamental rule, according to the screaming billboards.
She forgot her mask at home.
Standing in line behind five other careless people, she dug deep into her bag one last time, her fingers searching every faux-leathery crevice, hoping the protective headgear was somewhere inside.
"Unbelievable." The stranger's whisper was almost lost in the early morning commotion. Almost. "If I had a token for every time some maggot just about infected the complex, I'd be able to afford moving into the new one in Tokyo."
"I hear the structure in Bucharest has some posh underground refreshing system," said another voice.
Smug bastards.
The subway station was full of the usual commuters dashing around, all wearing transparent masks wrapped around their heads as they clutched access cards in their hands. That didn't stop them from grimacing at the queue of people in front of the counter.
Empty-handed, Erin pulled her red sweater closer and bowed her head. It was bad enough she'd be late for class since the learning complex was more than an hour away. The blaming glances thrown her way were unnecessary—but expected. The sound of the train arriving agitated the commuters further. They quickened their steps, bumping into each other in a futile attempt to reach the doors before they closed. They had exactly one minute.
Precision was the cost for survival and everyone had to pay it.
Team Snow 8: THE GREEN WELL, YA Fantasy
Title: THE GREEN WELL
Genre: YA fantasy
Word Count: 81,000
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
The eternal summer has lasted beyond memory. Isobel doesn’t know spring, winter, or fall, so she’s never encountered cold, much less snow. Neither of those forces would do much good against her enemy, the immortal Alder King, but she admits she finds the idea of hurling a snowball at his face delightful.
Query:
Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and barter their most glamorous and treacherous enchantments for Isobel's work. She prides herself on resisting every temptation. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she paints mortal sorrow in his eyes. Devastated by the humanity she has inflicted upon him, he spirits her away to the autumn lands to stand trial for her crime.
Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. To save both their lives, Isobel must commit an act she promised herself she would never consider. She must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
As the Alder King rouses from his slumber to hunt them down, Isobel faces a choice. She can sacrifice her talent for a guaranteed future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their stale, unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
First 250 words:
My parlor smelled of linseed oil and spike lavender, and a dab of lead tin yellow glistened on my canvas. I had nearly perfected the color of Gadfly’s silk jacket.
The trick with Gadfly was persuading him to wear the same clothes for every session. Oil paint needs days to dry between layers, and he had trouble understanding I couldn’t just swap his entire outfit for another he liked better. He was astonishingly vain even by fair folk standards, which is like saying a pond is unusually wet, or a bear surprisingly hairy. All in all, it was a disarming quality for a creature who could murder me without rescheduling his tea.
“I might have some silver embroidery done about the wrists,” he said. “What do you think? You could add that, couldn’t you?”
“Of course.”
“And if I chose a different cravat...”
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. Outwardly, my face ached with the polite smile I’d maintained for the past two and a half hours. Rudeness was not an affordable mistake. “I could alter your cravat, as long as it’s more or less the same size, but I’d need another session to finish it.”
“You truly are a wonder. Much better than the previous portrait artist—that fellow we had the other day. What was his name? Sebastian Manywarts? Oh, I didn’t like him, he always smelled a bit strange.”
It took me a moment to realize Gadfly was referring to Silas Merryweather, a master of the Craft who died over three hundred years ago.
Genre: YA fantasy
Word Count: 81,000
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
The eternal summer has lasted beyond memory. Isobel doesn’t know spring, winter, or fall, so she’s never encountered cold, much less snow. Neither of those forces would do much good against her enemy, the immortal Alder King, but she admits she finds the idea of hurling a snowball at his face delightful.
Query:
Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and barter their most glamorous and treacherous enchantments for Isobel's work. She prides herself on resisting every temptation. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she paints mortal sorrow in his eyes. Devastated by the humanity she has inflicted upon him, he spirits her away to the autumn lands to stand trial for her crime.
Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. To save both their lives, Isobel must commit an act she promised herself she would never consider. She must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
As the Alder King rouses from his slumber to hunt them down, Isobel faces a choice. She can sacrifice her talent for a guaranteed future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their stale, unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
First 250 words:
My parlor smelled of linseed oil and spike lavender, and a dab of lead tin yellow glistened on my canvas. I had nearly perfected the color of Gadfly’s silk jacket.
The trick with Gadfly was persuading him to wear the same clothes for every session. Oil paint needs days to dry between layers, and he had trouble understanding I couldn’t just swap his entire outfit for another he liked better. He was astonishingly vain even by fair folk standards, which is like saying a pond is unusually wet, or a bear surprisingly hairy. All in all, it was a disarming quality for a creature who could murder me without rescheduling his tea.
“I might have some silver embroidery done about the wrists,” he said. “What do you think? You could add that, couldn’t you?”
“Of course.”
“And if I chose a different cravat...”
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. Outwardly, my face ached with the polite smile I’d maintained for the past two and a half hours. Rudeness was not an affordable mistake. “I could alter your cravat, as long as it’s more or less the same size, but I’d need another session to finish it.”
“You truly are a wonder. Much better than the previous portrait artist—that fellow we had the other day. What was his name? Sebastian Manywarts? Oh, I didn’t like him, he always smelled a bit strange.”
It took me a moment to realize Gadfly was referring to Silas Merryweather, a master of the Craft who died over three hundred years ago.
Team Snow 9: BALLAD OF A TEENAGE CANNIBAL, YA Humor/Fantasy
Title: BALLAD OF A TEENAGE CANNIBALGenre: YA Humor/FantasyWord Count: 60,000
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
Cannibals, like slightly drunken moths, are naturally a little slow, a little prone to veer off course. So sending down a frigid blanket of snow would be just the ticket Billy would need to keep him a few booted steps ahead of their hungry agenda. Not that his axe couldn't take care of few eager mouths, but a little help from some sub zero temperatures would be just peachy. Plus, a wicked snow fort never hurt a soul.
Query:
Cannibals, no problem. Girls on the other hand—now there was something to be afraid of. In his junior year at Oxford Prep, Billy Brighton was living the dream, a picturesque campus, distinguished professors, and distracting co-eds. And truth be told, the cannibal infestation wasn’t even all that bad. One good axe swing, problem solved. That is until everything begins to change. Students have started to go missing, even the axe wielding ones.
Even worse, like a persistent lint ball, Billy has attracted a cannibal admirer. And her name is Ker. At least that’s what Billy thinks she calls herself—cannibals, like jocks, can be a little grunty. And despite a near homicidal first impression, Billy’s rather come round to the indie rock loving cannibal. After all, who doesn’t like the Ramones?
So when a mob of outraged and admittedly proverbial torch carrying community members storm the school grounds, seeking to eradicate the cannibal infestation once and for all, it’s up to Billy to keep both sides from killing each other. Because he’s just starting to think that the genetically mutated cannibals edging around town are not quite as feral as the administration has let on. Besides which, if everyone dies, he’d have to transfer schools. Again. Not bloody likely.
Think Hot Fuzz meets Warm Bodies for YA.
First 250 words:
The cannibals were just terrible at Oxford this season. Billy had never really known the otherwise haphazard flocks to assemble in such large numbers before. A few here and there, sure, the odd one even cropped up near the dinning hall or on the football pitch every once in a while, but by and large they tended to stay away from big groups of people, minding their own business. Unless they were hungry of course, but no one had actually been eaten on campus by one of them in years. And, by all accounts, the coed who’d got taken three years ago had pretty much had it coming, in Billy’s humble opinion. Sneaking around at night, in the dark, without your axe? What self-respecting cannibal wouldn’t have eaten him. Billy bloody sure would have.
But that had all been before Billy had started his studies. Now, the Dean and all his tweed-patched underlings had their standardized speech down pat. Explaining and reassuring anxious parents that everything was perfectly safe. ‘Simply, Under-Control’. Parents bought it hook line and sinker. Ultimately, just like any other administrative tasks at the college, the administration contended that they had the cannibal infestation meticulously managed, and parents went home untroubled and secure in their obliviousness. Tweed could do that to people.
My Main Character would use sun or snow to battle their biggest obstacle:
Cannibals, like slightly drunken moths, are naturally a little slow, a little prone to veer off course. So sending down a frigid blanket of snow would be just the ticket Billy would need to keep him a few booted steps ahead of their hungry agenda. Not that his axe couldn't take care of few eager mouths, but a little help from some sub zero temperatures would be just peachy. Plus, a wicked snow fort never hurt a soul.
Query:
Cannibals, no problem. Girls on the other hand—now there was something to be afraid of. In his junior year at Oxford Prep, Billy Brighton was living the dream, a picturesque campus, distinguished professors, and distracting co-eds. And truth be told, the cannibal infestation wasn’t even all that bad. One good axe swing, problem solved. That is until everything begins to change. Students have started to go missing, even the axe wielding ones.
Even worse, like a persistent lint ball, Billy has attracted a cannibal admirer. And her name is Ker. At least that’s what Billy thinks she calls herself—cannibals, like jocks, can be a little grunty. And despite a near homicidal first impression, Billy’s rather come round to the indie rock loving cannibal. After all, who doesn’t like the Ramones?
So when a mob of outraged and admittedly proverbial torch carrying community members storm the school grounds, seeking to eradicate the cannibal infestation once and for all, it’s up to Billy to keep both sides from killing each other. Because he’s just starting to think that the genetically mutated cannibals edging around town are not quite as feral as the administration has let on. Besides which, if everyone dies, he’d have to transfer schools. Again. Not bloody likely.
Think Hot Fuzz meets Warm Bodies for YA.
First 250 words:
The cannibals were just terrible at Oxford this season. Billy had never really known the otherwise haphazard flocks to assemble in such large numbers before. A few here and there, sure, the odd one even cropped up near the dinning hall or on the football pitch every once in a while, but by and large they tended to stay away from big groups of people, minding their own business. Unless they were hungry of course, but no one had actually been eaten on campus by one of them in years. And, by all accounts, the coed who’d got taken three years ago had pretty much had it coming, in Billy’s humble opinion. Sneaking around at night, in the dark, without your axe? What self-respecting cannibal wouldn’t have eaten him. Billy bloody sure would have.
But that had all been before Billy had started his studies. Now, the Dean and all his tweed-patched underlings had their standardized speech down pat. Explaining and reassuring anxious parents that everything was perfectly safe. ‘Simply, Under-Control’. Parents bought it hook line and sinker. Ultimately, just like any other administrative tasks at the college, the administration contended that they had the cannibal infestation meticulously managed, and parents went home untroubled and secure in their obliviousness. Tweed could do that to people.
February 19, 2016
Contest Goodreads Lists
More and more books are being published for entries that were once in one of my many contests. There's the adorable MG from last year's Sun vs Snow, Karma Khullar's Mustache. I just heard of a two book deal for an entry from last summer's Query Kombat. That one isn't even announced yet. It's getting hard to keep track. Isn't that wonderful!
So I made a handy-dandy list! If you were in Query Kombat, New Agent, Sun versus Snow, Nightmare on Query Street or Picture Book Party and now have a publishing deal for that book, please add your book to the Goodreads' list!
From Contest to Contract
You didn't have to get your agent from the contest. Maybe your agent came afterward from a query. But once a part of the family, always a part of the family! You also don't need to have been picked by me. If any of the other hosts picked your entry--this is for you also.
Please spread the word to your friends. I'm sure you have better memories than I do. I don't want to miss anyone!
And honor our former contestants by picking up copies of their books!
Bonus for the mentors and judges:
The mentors and judges work so hard to help out with the contests. They deserve a list too! If you were a judge or mentor for any of my contests, please add your books to this list. And you know what I'm asking next--help out the writers who give back by buying their books!
Writers Who Help Writers
So don't be shy, add your books to our lists if you qualify! And join the contest fun so you might be the next person on the list!
UPDATE: I guess authors can't add their own books to lists anymore. Nudge me on twitter and I'll add your books.
So I made a handy-dandy list! If you were in Query Kombat, New Agent, Sun versus Snow, Nightmare on Query Street or Picture Book Party and now have a publishing deal for that book, please add your book to the Goodreads' list!
From Contest to Contract
You didn't have to get your agent from the contest. Maybe your agent came afterward from a query. But once a part of the family, always a part of the family! You also don't need to have been picked by me. If any of the other hosts picked your entry--this is for you also.
Please spread the word to your friends. I'm sure you have better memories than I do. I don't want to miss anyone!
And honor our former contestants by picking up copies of their books!
Bonus for the mentors and judges:
The mentors and judges work so hard to help out with the contests. They deserve a list too! If you were a judge or mentor for any of my contests, please add your books to this list. And you know what I'm asking next--help out the writers who give back by buying their books!
Writers Who Help Writers
So don't be shy, add your books to our lists if you qualify! And join the contest fun so you might be the next person on the list!
UPDATE: I guess authors can't add their own books to lists anymore. Nudge me on twitter and I'll add your books.
February 18, 2016
Getting the Call with Diana Connors
Can I just say that Yes, I've played Pokemon. I want to live in a place of pajamas. And thumbs up to characters suffering more. Congrats, Diana! You deserve this!
Just when you’re thinking about shelving a book (or: You never know when that YES might come)
Back in 2010, when I was young(er), I wrote my first book. In my naïveté, I thought it was the absolute best thing ever written (ok, maybe not so, but the concept was pretty neat). I googled about subbing my super shiny novel to publishers, and imagine my surprise when *gasp* I found out you were pretty much required an agent to sub to traditional publishers abroad.
Now, I’m Portuguese. Agents aren’t a thing here (there isa single agency operating in Portugal, though I’d only find out about it in 2013). Moreover, getting published here is extremely hard unless you have a) money (Vanities are a thing here, and people actually believe it’s the way to go if you’re unknown) or b) connections. I had neither, and it’s one of the big reasons I don’t write in my native tongue. Another is that it’s much easier to find CPs when you write in English, but I digress.
So, there I was, a fresh young thing who didn’t have a clue about querying. I did my research. I wrote a crap query letter. I sent it out. Of course, I got mostly rejections, but among those, a few requests came. One actually led me to become friends with a great agent (who incidentally reps my favorite authors of all time), who’s actually been a godsend and helped me so much throughout the following years. Bless you, Russell, and the patience you had towards a girl you don’t rep.
Needless to say, I wrote another book. Then another. I found out about twitter contests and Pitch Wars through my partner in crime, BFF, Alaskan Snowflake and all-around amazing person, Dana. I never got into any of them, but I met the greatest (my Walruses, Renée, Dakota, and so many others!) people through those contests. Back then, I was playing with a NA Fantasy, and those who read it said, “Diana, bb, I’m sorry to inform you, but you got the main character wrong. You should write about Zéphyrine.”
To which I said, “Nah, you’re wrong. I KNOW BEST!” And then I flipped my table and buried myself in my cocoon of writerly depression.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t know best, and they weren’t wrong.
Once I saw that, I wrote a book for Zéph. I entered contests (didn’t get into any). I entered PitchWars again and this time around I actually got requests! I got my hopes up, and then got crushed (absolutely crushed) when I wasn’t picked.
I can’t complain about the mentors. They were all extremely nice to me. One (hiiii Laura!) even wrote me an e-mail that had me ugly-crying (good tears, though), while another (who wasn’t even on the age group I subbed to) critiqued my query (hiiii Jami!). Max Wirestone (oh, awesome Max, may your life be filled with hot dudes and magic sprinkles) gave me a referral to his agent. So, after I’d licked my wounds, I went out querying.
I got requests. I actually got into a contest (Nightmare on Query Street), and got more requests. Amidst all these, I sent a query to Natalie Lakosil, at Bradford Lit. Two months later, she asked for the full.
I sat down and waited. I started working on Sightless (remember that first novel I mentioned? It’s a revamp, with the same concept, but different everything else), and I LOVED it. I was actually beginning to say, “Screw A Trace of Madness, that’s not going anywhere. THIS, THIS IS IT!”
(except I didn’t say “Screw”, but a far nastier word, which I won’t replicate, so as not to tarnish Michelle’s blog with my colorful swearing)
Again, I was wrong. SO WRONG.
Fast-forward to mid-January. I get an e-mail from Natalie saying “Reading it, and loving. Will get back to you this week!”
Cue panic attack.
“WHAT DO I SAY TO THIS?” I asked in our Facebook group for Neurotic Writers. A lot of them left comments along the vein, “Diana, calm your pants down, and reply politely, saying you’re happy she let you know.”
So, that’s what I did. Then I waited. Until the next day, when I get an e-mail from Natalie with a header that said, “OFFER OF REPRESENTATION”. Yup, all caps. She asked if we could talk the next day, and we set a time.
Cue me screaming at the office (I was working). “EDGAR, ZÉ, I GOT AN OFFER OF REP FOR MY NOVEL!” while I typed a DM to my aforementioned partner in crime, BFF, Alaskan Snowflake and all-around amazing person, Dana, and called my dad on the phone. Then my boyfriend.
As you can imagine, by then I’d morphed into the Energizer Bunny. I was electric. My cats stared at me funny when I got home, and my bearded dragon gave me the stink-eye because I kept taking him out of the terrarium so we could do a dragon-dance, which, in turn, only increased my speed and attack, stats I didn’t need to be raised at the moment. (if you play Pokémon, you’ll get this, and I apologize. If you don’t, it begs the question of WHY AREN’T YOU PLAYING POKÉMON?)
Then, the time came. I was curled up in my pajamas (it was already evening for me, and my house is a place of pajamas), waiting. Then Natalie added me on Skype, and we talked. Or rather, I mumbled and she talked.
Natalie had great comments on my book, and an awesome vision. She told me the strengths, asked me if I was OK with some changes (which I was), and then the time came to nudge everyone. I got some “Congratulations! I don’t have time to read it right now, but best of luck!” and some rejections, but even before I send my nudges, I was pretty sure I was going to sign with Natalie. When she said she wanted my characters to suffer more, it felt like a match made in heaven.
And that was how I ended up represented by Natalie Lakosil of Bradford Lit AND became agency sisters with one of my Walrus CPs!
-------------------
Diana was born in Lisbon, Portugal, but lived in Estremoz for the next eighteen years. She moved to Lisbon in 2007 to study Computer Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico and stayed there ever since. In her free time, she writes, paints, and games. Otherwise, you can find her in my day job, where she works as a designer and tester of serious games. Keeping her company are two awesome kitties, Sushi and Jubas, and a bearded dragon named Norbert!
Her portfolio can be found at http://pinguicha.deviantart.com or http://pingusportfolio.tumblr.com. Together with three colleagues, she made Sightless, the runner-up for the 2014 Innovation Awards. Since then, she’s been creating new game concepts that can be tied into her novels, thus giving them a wider reach.
Just when you’re thinking about shelving a book (or: You never know when that YES might come)
Back in 2010, when I was young(er), I wrote my first book. In my naïveté, I thought it was the absolute best thing ever written (ok, maybe not so, but the concept was pretty neat). I googled about subbing my super shiny novel to publishers, and imagine my surprise when *gasp* I found out you were pretty much required an agent to sub to traditional publishers abroad.
Now, I’m Portuguese. Agents aren’t a thing here (there isa single agency operating in Portugal, though I’d only find out about it in 2013). Moreover, getting published here is extremely hard unless you have a) money (Vanities are a thing here, and people actually believe it’s the way to go if you’re unknown) or b) connections. I had neither, and it’s one of the big reasons I don’t write in my native tongue. Another is that it’s much easier to find CPs when you write in English, but I digress.
So, there I was, a fresh young thing who didn’t have a clue about querying. I did my research. I wrote a crap query letter. I sent it out. Of course, I got mostly rejections, but among those, a few requests came. One actually led me to become friends with a great agent (who incidentally reps my favorite authors of all time), who’s actually been a godsend and helped me so much throughout the following years. Bless you, Russell, and the patience you had towards a girl you don’t rep.
Needless to say, I wrote another book. Then another. I found out about twitter contests and Pitch Wars through my partner in crime, BFF, Alaskan Snowflake and all-around amazing person, Dana. I never got into any of them, but I met the greatest (my Walruses, Renée, Dakota, and so many others!) people through those contests. Back then, I was playing with a NA Fantasy, and those who read it said, “Diana, bb, I’m sorry to inform you, but you got the main character wrong. You should write about Zéphyrine.”
To which I said, “Nah, you’re wrong. I KNOW BEST!” And then I flipped my table and buried myself in my cocoon of writerly depression.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t know best, and they weren’t wrong.
Once I saw that, I wrote a book for Zéph. I entered contests (didn’t get into any). I entered PitchWars again and this time around I actually got requests! I got my hopes up, and then got crushed (absolutely crushed) when I wasn’t picked.
I can’t complain about the mentors. They were all extremely nice to me. One (hiiii Laura!) even wrote me an e-mail that had me ugly-crying (good tears, though), while another (who wasn’t even on the age group I subbed to) critiqued my query (hiiii Jami!). Max Wirestone (oh, awesome Max, may your life be filled with hot dudes and magic sprinkles) gave me a referral to his agent. So, after I’d licked my wounds, I went out querying.
I got requests. I actually got into a contest (Nightmare on Query Street), and got more requests. Amidst all these, I sent a query to Natalie Lakosil, at Bradford Lit. Two months later, she asked for the full.
I sat down and waited. I started working on Sightless (remember that first novel I mentioned? It’s a revamp, with the same concept, but different everything else), and I LOVED it. I was actually beginning to say, “Screw A Trace of Madness, that’s not going anywhere. THIS, THIS IS IT!”
(except I didn’t say “Screw”, but a far nastier word, which I won’t replicate, so as not to tarnish Michelle’s blog with my colorful swearing)
Again, I was wrong. SO WRONG.
Fast-forward to mid-January. I get an e-mail from Natalie saying “Reading it, and loving. Will get back to you this week!”
Cue panic attack.
“WHAT DO I SAY TO THIS?” I asked in our Facebook group for Neurotic Writers. A lot of them left comments along the vein, “Diana, calm your pants down, and reply politely, saying you’re happy she let you know.”
So, that’s what I did. Then I waited. Until the next day, when I get an e-mail from Natalie with a header that said, “OFFER OF REPRESENTATION”. Yup, all caps. She asked if we could talk the next day, and we set a time.
Cue me screaming at the office (I was working). “EDGAR, ZÉ, I GOT AN OFFER OF REP FOR MY NOVEL!” while I typed a DM to my aforementioned partner in crime, BFF, Alaskan Snowflake and all-around amazing person, Dana, and called my dad on the phone. Then my boyfriend.
As you can imagine, by then I’d morphed into the Energizer Bunny. I was electric. My cats stared at me funny when I got home, and my bearded dragon gave me the stink-eye because I kept taking him out of the terrarium so we could do a dragon-dance, which, in turn, only increased my speed and attack, stats I didn’t need to be raised at the moment. (if you play Pokémon, you’ll get this, and I apologize. If you don’t, it begs the question of WHY AREN’T YOU PLAYING POKÉMON?)
Then, the time came. I was curled up in my pajamas (it was already evening for me, and my house is a place of pajamas), waiting. Then Natalie added me on Skype, and we talked. Or rather, I mumbled and she talked.
Natalie had great comments on my book, and an awesome vision. She told me the strengths, asked me if I was OK with some changes (which I was), and then the time came to nudge everyone. I got some “Congratulations! I don’t have time to read it right now, but best of luck!” and some rejections, but even before I send my nudges, I was pretty sure I was going to sign with Natalie. When she said she wanted my characters to suffer more, it felt like a match made in heaven.
And that was how I ended up represented by Natalie Lakosil of Bradford Lit AND became agency sisters with one of my Walrus CPs!
-------------------
Diana was born in Lisbon, Portugal, but lived in Estremoz for the next eighteen years. She moved to Lisbon in 2007 to study Computer Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico and stayed there ever since. In her free time, she writes, paints, and games. Otherwise, you can find her in my day job, where she works as a designer and tester of serious games. Keeping her company are two awesome kitties, Sushi and Jubas, and a bearded dragon named Norbert!
Her portfolio can be found at http://pinguicha.deviantart.com or http://pingusportfolio.tumblr.com. Together with three colleagues, she made Sightless, the runner-up for the 2014 Innovation Awards. Since then, she’s been creating new game concepts that can be tied into her novels, thus giving them a wider reach.
February 15, 2016
Making the Peril Real
My favorite authors in fantasy and science fiction are the ones who can convince me the characters are in true peril. I need to feel that the characters have a very real shot of dying--not every moment of course, but when the action heats up. That always makes the book feel so much more real and closer to me. Readers need that sense of true danger and possibility of the ultimate failure to make us care.
Somehow, the best authors can overcome the thinking in a reader's head that a main character or primary characters won't die. (Especially a true worry if there are sequels coming.) With a few exceptions, a main character is too important to the plot and to the author to be killed off willy-nilly. We simply need them too much. But to really connect readers need to believe that there is a chance it could be the end.
I tried to accomplish that in Grudging and hope I succeeded.
So how do the good authors manage to make readers suspend that safe main character mentality and fear for the character. Writers have a couple of tricks.
Show the Danger- A well-crafted book will find a redshirt. The author will show the danger is real by killing off some secondary characters, like they do in StarTrek. Send in the unknown actor in the red shirt to die and prove the situation is serious. There instantly becomes a sense of real threat, especially if the secondary character is well-liked and innocent. If it's cleverly managed, a reader won't even notice the trick.
Injuries Matter- Jim Butcher does this so well in his Dresden Series. The main character suffers a variety of real and debilitating injures. He/She bleeds, gets shot, gets beat up. Suffers physically. Another good example is the early Die Hard movies. Poor John McClane is a member of the walking wounded by the end of the movie.
This can be hard to do for an author as we love our characters so much. Authors might want a character to suffer emotionally, but physical suffering seems to be harder to do. Unfortunately, you have to let them bleed to make it real.
Ixnay on the Healay- Don't use magic to fix a character. When a character can magically heal and does so over and over, all sense of true danger goes out the window. Sure, you can really take your characters to the brink, but one problem--no one will care anymore. The fear is gone. So if you're going to using magic healing in your book, make sure there are limits to it and use it sparingly.
No bluffing- Don't have a villain that bluffs and never follows through. Let your antagonist do actual "bad" things and have real motivation for the acts he/she commits. The more hated and fearful they are, the more believable the peril will be.
Do the Deed- Some authors actually do the deed. They kill off the main character. This necessitates another character stepping up to take their place and runs the risk of reader backlash. Some readers will lose all interest in the story and stop reading. This is what happened to me and Game of Thrones. I backed away. But it can work beautifully if there are other loved characters, such as in Brandon Sanderson's SPOILER SPOILER LOOK AWAY IF YOU PLAN TO READ HIS BOOKS----
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---
----
---
---
Mistborn series. How can you doubt anyone could perish when your favorite character and star of the show just bit the dust? It's the ultimate in peril.
So there are a couple of ways to make the danger real.
Let me know your favorite book with a real sense of peril. And if you know of other methods, please share them!
Somehow, the best authors can overcome the thinking in a reader's head that a main character or primary characters won't die. (Especially a true worry if there are sequels coming.) With a few exceptions, a main character is too important to the plot and to the author to be killed off willy-nilly. We simply need them too much. But to really connect readers need to believe that there is a chance it could be the end.
I tried to accomplish that in Grudging and hope I succeeded.
So how do the good authors manage to make readers suspend that safe main character mentality and fear for the character. Writers have a couple of tricks.
Show the Danger- A well-crafted book will find a redshirt. The author will show the danger is real by killing off some secondary characters, like they do in StarTrek. Send in the unknown actor in the red shirt to die and prove the situation is serious. There instantly becomes a sense of real threat, especially if the secondary character is well-liked and innocent. If it's cleverly managed, a reader won't even notice the trick.
Injuries Matter- Jim Butcher does this so well in his Dresden Series. The main character suffers a variety of real and debilitating injures. He/She bleeds, gets shot, gets beat up. Suffers physically. Another good example is the early Die Hard movies. Poor John McClane is a member of the walking wounded by the end of the movie.
This can be hard to do for an author as we love our characters so much. Authors might want a character to suffer emotionally, but physical suffering seems to be harder to do. Unfortunately, you have to let them bleed to make it real.
Ixnay on the Healay- Don't use magic to fix a character. When a character can magically heal and does so over and over, all sense of true danger goes out the window. Sure, you can really take your characters to the brink, but one problem--no one will care anymore. The fear is gone. So if you're going to using magic healing in your book, make sure there are limits to it and use it sparingly.
No bluffing- Don't have a villain that bluffs and never follows through. Let your antagonist do actual "bad" things and have real motivation for the acts he/she commits. The more hated and fearful they are, the more believable the peril will be.
Do the Deed- Some authors actually do the deed. They kill off the main character. This necessitates another character stepping up to take their place and runs the risk of reader backlash. Some readers will lose all interest in the story and stop reading. This is what happened to me and Game of Thrones. I backed away. But it can work beautifully if there are other loved characters, such as in Brandon Sanderson's SPOILER SPOILER LOOK AWAY IF YOU PLAN TO READ HIS BOOKS----
----
---
---
----
---
---
Mistborn series. How can you doubt anyone could perish when your favorite character and star of the show just bit the dust? It's the ultimate in peril.
So there are a couple of ways to make the danger real.
Let me know your favorite book with a real sense of peril. And if you know of other methods, please share them!
February 12, 2016
To Scrivener or Not to Scrivener
There's been a lot of talk in my writing groups and on twitter recently on whether it's better to ditch Word and use a software tool meant for writers. I'm not here to give an opinion either way. What works for one is not necessary the right tool for someone else. Use what works best for you.
Instead I want to hear what you think and become informed on the choices. Which software do you like?
So many writers swear by Scrivener, saying it changed their life and made writing so much easier. From what I can see it allows users to move scenes more easily, split up chapters, and make notes about anything you want--like what feels incomplete about a chapter and what you need to come back and add. It lets you convert easily to Word or epub documents. It seems to have many benefits, including outlining. It's got bright and shiny gadgets.
My reasons against switching from Word comes purely from my own writing style. I don't outline. I don't need to convert my manuscripts to publish-ready formats. I rarely move scenes around because I write in a linear fashion. And I keep notes in my head or in another Word document that I just keep open.
Sometimes I go even lower tech and keep notes on paper. Here's the notebook where I list the POV used in each chapter for Faithful. It lets me find each character easily and doesn't cost a dime. When I got my new laptop, I had to pay to install Word again. I need convincing to pay more for another software package.
So opinions? Which software do you use? What functions of Scrivener make it worth the extra money?
Instead I want to hear what you think and become informed on the choices. Which software do you like?
So many writers swear by Scrivener, saying it changed their life and made writing so much easier. From what I can see it allows users to move scenes more easily, split up chapters, and make notes about anything you want--like what feels incomplete about a chapter and what you need to come back and add. It lets you convert easily to Word or epub documents. It seems to have many benefits, including outlining. It's got bright and shiny gadgets.
My reasons against switching from Word comes purely from my own writing style. I don't outline. I don't need to convert my manuscripts to publish-ready formats. I rarely move scenes around because I write in a linear fashion. And I keep notes in my head or in another Word document that I just keep open.
Sometimes I go even lower tech and keep notes on paper. Here's the notebook where I list the POV used in each chapter for Faithful. It lets me find each character easily and doesn't cost a dime. When I got my new laptop, I had to pay to install Word again. I need convincing to pay more for another software package.
So opinions? Which software do you use? What functions of Scrivener make it worth the extra money?
February 11, 2016
Marketing Your Novel: Promo Tips from a Newish Author
Hi everyone – so I’m a newish author with a YA dystopian book (published by a small press) that’s been out in the market for six months now (has it really been that long already—wow!). Anyway, all I have to say after six months is that if you think writing is hard…well, promo is at least TWICE as hard (at least it has been for me so far).
Now, this post isn’t a “how you should market your book” post. Far from it, actually. I admit it, as much as I’ve delved whole-heartedly into the whole promo thing, I’m still learning the ropes, even after six months. After all, it’s a gigantic topic with an overwhelming abundance of info you can find all over the Internet—it can be exhausting just to try to research and sift through it all.
So…rather than go through an incredibly long list of alllllll the types of marketing/promo you can do for your book (in fact, I’ll list a few of the absolute necessities right now that I’ve heard countless times on industry sites and blogs: have a website, create business cards with your book on it, find the social media applications your readers use the most and interact with them, etc.), I thought it would be fun to list a few things that I know for a fact have led to at least a few sales and/or have expanded my book’s presence in the marketplace.
1. Find Facebook reading promo groups that deal specifically with your book’s genre and post in them about your book (be sure to include the buy link). There are TONS of reading groups on Facebook, but after posting in a lot of them, I found that hardly any sales resulted (very sad, I know). The only exception was when I posted in the very few groups that deal specifically with my genre. Not only did my posting in those groups result in sales, the readers were the only ones who even reacted to my post at all—and they were EXCITED to hear about/read my book. Interestingly, it was the groups that deal with the dystopian genre that got the most response, rather than the age category of young adult (at least for my book, anyway).
2. Locate (or establish if it’s not already) your book on Goodreads, and then start adding it to groups that deal with your genre in the listopia function. If you’re not familiar with listopia, it’s comprised of a bunch of lists of books that anyone can create and that anyone can add books to. Just make sure you read the guidelines of each group before you add your book. Some group creators don’t want outside people (i.e., not them) adding to them, or outline specific things that may not apply to your book (i.e., they want only standalone dystopian novels to be listed versus series, and you have a series). I haven’t been able to tell for sure if this has resulted in actual sales, but it has definitely resulted in people adding my book to their “to-be-read” lists, and thus has resulted in some ratings and a review so far for my book, so I imagine at least some people have bought the book via the listopia function. If not, my book is definitely more visible in the marketplace.
3. Participate in other authors’ Facebook release parties (I would also recommend having a release party for your own book when it comes out). This can admittedly sometimes be hit-or-miss, as it depends on how many readers are attending the party, and that, of course, depends on how popular the author is or how much advertising the author has done for the party, but it can be a great opportunity to do a giveaway of your own book and interact with readers on Facebook. Plus, it’s just good karma—us authors need to help each other out, after all! I’ve participated in a few release parties so far, typically giving away a free e-book copy of my book to a randomly selected reader, and it has always been a fun time at the very least.
4. Making your book free or putting it on sale for 99 cents for a limited amount of time. My publisher told me that 99 cents usually garners the best response from the market, and I have to say it has led to a few sales for me. Of course, you still need to get word of the sale out into the world, but who can argue with getting a book for free or for under a buck? SPEAKING of which, my book is STILL on sale (OK, OK, so this is the shameless plug part of the post; you can find my on-sale-book here: Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/z474hq9 ) for only 99 cents now until February 14.
Anyway, funnily enough, these four things are the only ones that I know for a fact have translated into actual sales, or have expanded my book’s spot in the market at the very least. I still have a long way to go in terms of learning the way of promoting and building a platform, but I’m sure I’ll be employing these four things again down the line—with this book and others down the line. If anybody here knows of any awesome marketing tactics that have worked for them, feel free to drop them in the comments below! Again, us authors need to help each other out! :-)
In the future, no adults exist. Ever since the plague swept the world 100 years ago, no one has lived past seventeen.
Sixteen-year-old Gorin, a collector of curious artifacts left over from the pre-plague civilization, is on the verge of perishing from that deadly epidemic. And his last wish is to find a way to visit the rulers’ reputedly magnificent, off-limits mansion.
Up against the clock, he and his friend Stausha steal into the mansion and discover a secret more horrifying than they ever could’ve imagined—a secret that holds the key to the survival of the whole human race.
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Chris von Halle has had many different lives in many different worlds—the near and distant future Earth, other planets, and even other dimensions—and his books recreate his childhood memories of such outlandish locations. In thisworld and life, he lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys such extraordinary activities as playing videogames, tennis, and basketball, and writing the occasional comic strip.
Website: chrisvonhalle.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.v.hall...
Blog: http://chrisvonhalle.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @ChrisvonHalle
Now, this post isn’t a “how you should market your book” post. Far from it, actually. I admit it, as much as I’ve delved whole-heartedly into the whole promo thing, I’m still learning the ropes, even after six months. After all, it’s a gigantic topic with an overwhelming abundance of info you can find all over the Internet—it can be exhausting just to try to research and sift through it all.
So…rather than go through an incredibly long list of alllllll the types of marketing/promo you can do for your book (in fact, I’ll list a few of the absolute necessities right now that I’ve heard countless times on industry sites and blogs: have a website, create business cards with your book on it, find the social media applications your readers use the most and interact with them, etc.), I thought it would be fun to list a few things that I know for a fact have led to at least a few sales and/or have expanded my book’s presence in the marketplace.
1. Find Facebook reading promo groups that deal specifically with your book’s genre and post in them about your book (be sure to include the buy link). There are TONS of reading groups on Facebook, but after posting in a lot of them, I found that hardly any sales resulted (very sad, I know). The only exception was when I posted in the very few groups that deal specifically with my genre. Not only did my posting in those groups result in sales, the readers were the only ones who even reacted to my post at all—and they were EXCITED to hear about/read my book. Interestingly, it was the groups that deal with the dystopian genre that got the most response, rather than the age category of young adult (at least for my book, anyway).
2. Locate (or establish if it’s not already) your book on Goodreads, and then start adding it to groups that deal with your genre in the listopia function. If you’re not familiar with listopia, it’s comprised of a bunch of lists of books that anyone can create and that anyone can add books to. Just make sure you read the guidelines of each group before you add your book. Some group creators don’t want outside people (i.e., not them) adding to them, or outline specific things that may not apply to your book (i.e., they want only standalone dystopian novels to be listed versus series, and you have a series). I haven’t been able to tell for sure if this has resulted in actual sales, but it has definitely resulted in people adding my book to their “to-be-read” lists, and thus has resulted in some ratings and a review so far for my book, so I imagine at least some people have bought the book via the listopia function. If not, my book is definitely more visible in the marketplace.
3. Participate in other authors’ Facebook release parties (I would also recommend having a release party for your own book when it comes out). This can admittedly sometimes be hit-or-miss, as it depends on how many readers are attending the party, and that, of course, depends on how popular the author is or how much advertising the author has done for the party, but it can be a great opportunity to do a giveaway of your own book and interact with readers on Facebook. Plus, it’s just good karma—us authors need to help each other out, after all! I’ve participated in a few release parties so far, typically giving away a free e-book copy of my book to a randomly selected reader, and it has always been a fun time at the very least.
4. Making your book free or putting it on sale for 99 cents for a limited amount of time. My publisher told me that 99 cents usually garners the best response from the market, and I have to say it has led to a few sales for me. Of course, you still need to get word of the sale out into the world, but who can argue with getting a book for free or for under a buck? SPEAKING of which, my book is STILL on sale (OK, OK, so this is the shameless plug part of the post; you can find my on-sale-book here: Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/z474hq9 ) for only 99 cents now until February 14.
Anyway, funnily enough, these four things are the only ones that I know for a fact have translated into actual sales, or have expanded my book’s spot in the market at the very least. I still have a long way to go in terms of learning the way of promoting and building a platform, but I’m sure I’ll be employing these four things again down the line—with this book and others down the line. If anybody here knows of any awesome marketing tactics that have worked for them, feel free to drop them in the comments below! Again, us authors need to help each other out! :-)
In the future, no adults exist. Ever since the plague swept the world 100 years ago, no one has lived past seventeen.
Sixteen-year-old Gorin, a collector of curious artifacts left over from the pre-plague civilization, is on the verge of perishing from that deadly epidemic. And his last wish is to find a way to visit the rulers’ reputedly magnificent, off-limits mansion.
Up against the clock, he and his friend Stausha steal into the mansion and discover a secret more horrifying than they ever could’ve imagined—a secret that holds the key to the survival of the whole human race.
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Chris von Halle has had many different lives in many different worlds—the near and distant future Earth, other planets, and even other dimensions—and his books recreate his childhood memories of such outlandish locations. In thisworld and life, he lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys such extraordinary activities as playing videogames, tennis, and basketball, and writing the occasional comic strip.
Website: chrisvonhalle.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.v.hall...
Blog: http://chrisvonhalle.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @ChrisvonHalle
February 10, 2016
Reading In Your Genre
On twitter, I've talked about the advice to read newly released books in your genre, but I never really did a blog post about it. In fact, I never knew the importance of that advice until I wrote my fifth manuscript.
You see I got an agent with my fourth manuscript. It was a humorous middle grade, and it never sold on submission. I'm pretty sure now that was because I hadn't read enough middle grade books before I wrote it. I usually read in adult fantasy with the occasional middle grade thrown in.
Then while my MG was out on submission, I did this thing called sign up for NetGalley. NetGalley provides free advance copy ebooks in exchange for honest reviews of those books. It's one of the main sites used by book bloggers. I'm not a book blogger per se, but I love reading. And there's never enough money to buy all the books I can read. So NetGalley provided me free books and all I had to do was write a review on Goodreads.
Actually, I was getting so much more.
By reading books that were newly released, I learned so much. I'm not talking about plot trends. These books were purchased by the publishers a year ago or longer, so trends of plot have passed by the time the public gets to read them.
No, I mean writing style and pacing and timing and so many other important things. Such as, how long you should wait before an inciting incident? How to space out your action chapters for your genre? What sort of pace is too slow? How much world building should you do? What sort of prologues work? How unlikable can you make your characters and still have people tolerate them? All sorts of information comes from reading lots and lots of recent books.
I find that I've developed an inner rhythm to writing now. My manuscripts fall right into the sweet spot for word count without my having to try. I know how much description works and what sorts makes a reader bored.
My gut tells me it's time to add some action or to slow things down. I sense when the characters need a building relationship scene so they can bond. I believe I know when the story needs new elements added to bring up the interest. At least, I hope I've gotten pretty good at judging these things now. The reviews for Grudging so far have been pretty strong. (And I'd appreciate your support!)
Regardless of what genre you enjoy, there's a lot to be said for spending a day on the couch just reading. Consider it research!
You see I got an agent with my fourth manuscript. It was a humorous middle grade, and it never sold on submission. I'm pretty sure now that was because I hadn't read enough middle grade books before I wrote it. I usually read in adult fantasy with the occasional middle grade thrown in.
Then while my MG was out on submission, I did this thing called sign up for NetGalley. NetGalley provides free advance copy ebooks in exchange for honest reviews of those books. It's one of the main sites used by book bloggers. I'm not a book blogger per se, but I love reading. And there's never enough money to buy all the books I can read. So NetGalley provided me free books and all I had to do was write a review on Goodreads.
Actually, I was getting so much more.
By reading books that were newly released, I learned so much. I'm not talking about plot trends. These books were purchased by the publishers a year ago or longer, so trends of plot have passed by the time the public gets to read them.
No, I mean writing style and pacing and timing and so many other important things. Such as, how long you should wait before an inciting incident? How to space out your action chapters for your genre? What sort of pace is too slow? How much world building should you do? What sort of prologues work? How unlikable can you make your characters and still have people tolerate them? All sorts of information comes from reading lots and lots of recent books.
I find that I've developed an inner rhythm to writing now. My manuscripts fall right into the sweet spot for word count without my having to try. I know how much description works and what sorts makes a reader bored.
My gut tells me it's time to add some action or to slow things down. I sense when the characters need a building relationship scene so they can bond. I believe I know when the story needs new elements added to bring up the interest. At least, I hope I've gotten pretty good at judging these things now. The reviews for Grudging so far have been pretty strong. (And I'd appreciate your support!)
Regardless of what genre you enjoy, there's a lot to be said for spending a day on the couch just reading. Consider it research!
