Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 73
May 20, 2015
Adding Conflict To Your Writing
Conflict drives a story. It's what makes the excitement. It provides the obstacles for your character motivation. It's what makes you care as a reader. Without conflict, you've got nothing but dull words on a page. Who would want to read a story where everything was happy and good? Where everything went the main character's way? It might be nice to live, but not so entertaining to read about.
Without conflict and tension, readers will yawn. It needs to be ongoing and in every scene. There are many types of conflict and the smart writer includes all of them into the page. If you only build in one type, you'll still have a dull story.
Conflict Based on Plot This is the main drive to your manuscript. It's Harry trying to deny Voltemort. It's Frodo and Sam journeying to Mordor to oppose evil. It's Bella falling for a vampire and doing everything to make that work.
It's the driving conflict that moves the story. Without this, well, you haven't got squat. It's what blocks the main character from achieving their motivation/goal. Usually it's the conflict you build the rest of the story around in the planning stages.
But ... plot conflict alone isn't going to get you far. You need much more.
Internal Conflict This is the doubt and worry going on in your main character's head. The feelings of insecurity. The fear that paralyzes. The indecision that makes each major choice the main character faces a dilemma.
Imagine a character so secure in themselves and so decided in their ways that they never have doubts. Then picture a big boring Mary Sue, because that's what has been created. That's not the way humans work. They hesitate. They debate. They feel guilt and nerves.
This kind of conflict can come out in internal thoughts, actions (how the character responds to things), and even with dialogue.
Character arc is all about bringing that character around and fighting through their inner conflict.
Whenever there's a big moment, and indeed, in the SLOW moments of a story, add some internal conflict in your main character and you've increased the tension. Not only that, but you've given the reader a way to connect with that character. (Why Harry worries about death just like me.)
Don't forget the internal conflict.
Conflict between Characters Your character is part of a big group working together for a common cause. They should all just be best friends and braid one another's hair, right? Hold hands and sing together. Never argue. Always be in agreement.
Wrong!
Even allies disagree and a smart author knows this. It's Harry, Ron and Hermione splitting up in the middle of the story. It's Boromir trying to take the ring from Frodo. It's disagreement large and small between allies or enemies or even casual strangers your main character meets.
Every character in your story should have a separate and distinct motivation. Sometimes those motivations are going to clash.
Have a spot where the plot lags and not much is happening? A set up chapter before the big stuff gets going again? Throw in a little of this sort of conflict with another character and you've added enough interest to keep readers going until the big stuff happens.
Physical Non-Plot Conflict Life is full of small annoyances. A train stopped on the tracks. A boo boo on your knee from falling down. A car that won't start at the wrong moment. A broken fingernail on prom night. They don't have anything to do with your story line, but they create conflict (and delay) for your main character. These sorts of occurrences can also add interest to the story and become a side plot.
Any obstacle to the main character can become a test of personality. Testing personality is your job as an author. Make things hard for your main character. Who knows they might step up and become a hero.
So when you are editing and reading over your work, check for conflict. Is there a section where tension is missing? Throw in some of the lesser sorts of conflict to supplement your plot. Put pressure on your main character. Your story will benefit.
Have I forgotten anything? What's your favorite type of conflict to add when things are dull?
Without conflict and tension, readers will yawn. It needs to be ongoing and in every scene. There are many types of conflict and the smart writer includes all of them into the page. If you only build in one type, you'll still have a dull story.
Conflict Based on Plot This is the main drive to your manuscript. It's Harry trying to deny Voltemort. It's Frodo and Sam journeying to Mordor to oppose evil. It's Bella falling for a vampire and doing everything to make that work.
It's the driving conflict that moves the story. Without this, well, you haven't got squat. It's what blocks the main character from achieving their motivation/goal. Usually it's the conflict you build the rest of the story around in the planning stages.
But ... plot conflict alone isn't going to get you far. You need much more.
Internal Conflict This is the doubt and worry going on in your main character's head. The feelings of insecurity. The fear that paralyzes. The indecision that makes each major choice the main character faces a dilemma.
Imagine a character so secure in themselves and so decided in their ways that they never have doubts. Then picture a big boring Mary Sue, because that's what has been created. That's not the way humans work. They hesitate. They debate. They feel guilt and nerves.
This kind of conflict can come out in internal thoughts, actions (how the character responds to things), and even with dialogue.
Character arc is all about bringing that character around and fighting through their inner conflict.
Whenever there's a big moment, and indeed, in the SLOW moments of a story, add some internal conflict in your main character and you've increased the tension. Not only that, but you've given the reader a way to connect with that character. (Why Harry worries about death just like me.)
Don't forget the internal conflict.
Conflict between Characters Your character is part of a big group working together for a common cause. They should all just be best friends and braid one another's hair, right? Hold hands and sing together. Never argue. Always be in agreement.
Wrong!
Even allies disagree and a smart author knows this. It's Harry, Ron and Hermione splitting up in the middle of the story. It's Boromir trying to take the ring from Frodo. It's disagreement large and small between allies or enemies or even casual strangers your main character meets.
Every character in your story should have a separate and distinct motivation. Sometimes those motivations are going to clash.
Have a spot where the plot lags and not much is happening? A set up chapter before the big stuff gets going again? Throw in a little of this sort of conflict with another character and you've added enough interest to keep readers going until the big stuff happens.
Physical Non-Plot Conflict Life is full of small annoyances. A train stopped on the tracks. A boo boo on your knee from falling down. A car that won't start at the wrong moment. A broken fingernail on prom night. They don't have anything to do with your story line, but they create conflict (and delay) for your main character. These sorts of occurrences can also add interest to the story and become a side plot.
Any obstacle to the main character can become a test of personality. Testing personality is your job as an author. Make things hard for your main character. Who knows they might step up and become a hero.
So when you are editing and reading over your work, check for conflict. Is there a section where tension is missing? Throw in some of the lesser sorts of conflict to supplement your plot. Put pressure on your main character. Your story will benefit.
Have I forgotten anything? What's your favorite type of conflict to add when things are dull?
Fling off the Filtering
If I have one pet peeve in writing, it's the overuse of filtering. I'm running this post again for those who may not know what filtering is all about and why it should be avoided. Perhaps it can help when you're cleaning up your first 250 words for contest season!
Filtering is exactly what its name implies. It is running an observation through your point of view character instead of giving it straight to the reader. It’s pretty easy to spot but can be harder to remove. What happens is you’re having the character share the action with the reader instead of putting it directly before the reader. It’s like a stage direction that shouts ‘look here.’ If you have words like ‘heard, saw, watched, looked, realized, knew, understood, seemed, and felt’ then you have filtering. Here’s a heavy example:
She heard the gunshot and dropped her book. It felt like her stomach twisted and dropped into a hole. She knew that her mom had taken matters into her own hands. Going to the window, she saw smoke rising from the rifle crimped against her mother’s shoulder, and she watched as dozens of blackbirds scattered from the cornfield. It seemed Mom had gone over the deep end.
So what’s so bad about filtering? First off, it adds to your word count. Those words are unnecessary, and they won’t help your cause with agents. It makes the writing look sloppy instead of sharp and concise.
Second, it’s like twirling your head in plastic wrap, or putting a swimsuit on your kid, covering him with a towel, and adding a parka to top it off before you go to the beach. You’re coating your writing in layers. Those words create a distance between the reader and your character. They filter and slow down the pace, adding a layer to separate readers from getting close to the action. Everything you write, unless you use third person omniscient, is coming through your point of view character. What filtering does is poke the reader in the eye and say ‘hey, don’t forget, my character is here.’ It can be especially annoying if you write 1st person as you want to exclude as many I as possible.
Most of the time, it isn’t necessary, though there are exceptions. Rarely, there are times when you do want to draw attention to something, such as the fact that your character is in a dark room so you focus on her hearing.
Another exception is if you are switching point of view character when starting a chapter or scene and want to make sure the reader catches the character change. Then you may filter just to get the characters name into the writing sooner.
Here’s how the paragraph looks without the filtering:
The pop of a gunshot made her drop her book. Her stomach twisted, as if it fell into a hole. Her mother had taken matters into her own hands. At the window, smoke rose from the rifle crimped against her mother’s shoulder while dozens of blackbirds scattered from the cornfield. Her mother had gone off the deep end.
Try writing without filtering words and see how much more vivid and fast paced your writing becomes.
Filtering is exactly what its name implies. It is running an observation through your point of view character instead of giving it straight to the reader. It’s pretty easy to spot but can be harder to remove. What happens is you’re having the character share the action with the reader instead of putting it directly before the reader. It’s like a stage direction that shouts ‘look here.’ If you have words like ‘heard, saw, watched, looked, realized, knew, understood, seemed, and felt’ then you have filtering. Here’s a heavy example:
She heard the gunshot and dropped her book. It felt like her stomach twisted and dropped into a hole. She knew that her mom had taken matters into her own hands. Going to the window, she saw smoke rising from the rifle crimped against her mother’s shoulder, and she watched as dozens of blackbirds scattered from the cornfield. It seemed Mom had gone over the deep end.
So what’s so bad about filtering? First off, it adds to your word count. Those words are unnecessary, and they won’t help your cause with agents. It makes the writing look sloppy instead of sharp and concise.
Second, it’s like twirling your head in plastic wrap, or putting a swimsuit on your kid, covering him with a towel, and adding a parka to top it off before you go to the beach. You’re coating your writing in layers. Those words create a distance between the reader and your character. They filter and slow down the pace, adding a layer to separate readers from getting close to the action. Everything you write, unless you use third person omniscient, is coming through your point of view character. What filtering does is poke the reader in the eye and say ‘hey, don’t forget, my character is here.’ It can be especially annoying if you write 1st person as you want to exclude as many I as possible.
Most of the time, it isn’t necessary, though there are exceptions. Rarely, there are times when you do want to draw attention to something, such as the fact that your character is in a dark room so you focus on her hearing.
Another exception is if you are switching point of view character when starting a chapter or scene and want to make sure the reader catches the character change. Then you may filter just to get the characters name into the writing sooner.
Here’s how the paragraph looks without the filtering:
The pop of a gunshot made her drop her book. Her stomach twisted, as if it fell into a hole. Her mother had taken matters into her own hands. At the window, smoke rose from the rifle crimped against her mother’s shoulder while dozens of blackbirds scattered from the cornfield. Her mother had gone off the deep end.
Try writing without filtering words and see how much more vivid and fast paced your writing becomes.
May 19, 2015
Writing and Time (Release Day for RUN AWAY)
WHAT AUTHORS HEAR WHEN YOU SAY “I’D WRITE BOOKS TOO, IF I HAD THE TIME”
Every author has been there. You’re talking to someone about the new book you’re working on—something you’re probably incredibly excited about and love to discuss—and they sigh and say, “I’d write books too, if I had the time.”
Now, I do understand that these people are not trying to shatter your fragile writerly soul into a thousand little pieces, but here’s the thing: what you consider an innocuous comment about your own writing ambitions (or lack thereof) can often feel like a sharp dig in the ribs. Because when you say that, this is what we hear.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “The main factor in your literary success is the fact you have more time than anyone else.” To us, you’re kind of implying the main reason we’re published and you aren’t is that you don’t have time to do what we do. Otherwise, you’d totally be equally successful. Because everyone can be a good writer as long as they have a few spare hours, right? You’re kind of trivializing our talent, passion and pain-staking work, implying they’re merely minor factors in our careers. No, no, spare time is the only thing that matters. Also, news flash: authors often don’t have time either. We too have jobs and kids and other responsibilities. But we make time, because it’s important to us.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “I’d write too, but it’s just not a priority.” You’re kind of saying, “I have more important things to do than what you do all day.” And because writers tend to be sensitive souls, this kind of makes us feel weird and insecure for making it a priority. Because it’s clearly bottom of your list in terms of important things in your life, but it’s at the top of ours, and you’re sort of inadvertently condemning that.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “Anyone can be good at writing if they try. Talent and hard work have nothing to do with it.” I touched on this above, but really, sometimes I can’t help but feel that this is a widely accepted fact. And it bugs me. You’d never say to a surgeon, “I’d perform organ transplants too, if I had the time.” Because you understand that they’ve studied their craft, gained a ton of specialist knowledge, and worked extremely hard to get to where they are. Why should you view professional authors any differently? Alright, so we don’t have patients’ actual lives in our hands. However, we’ve studied, we’ve practiced for years, we’ve sweated and cried and bled over our work so that it meets the incredibly demanding standards of the publishing industry. We research our subjects intensively, we revise and edit endlessly, and we allow countless beta readers to tear our work apart in the name of improving. So it hurts when you imply that you could find a spare hour on a Saturday, pick up a pen and paper, and achieve what we have without even trying.
Don’t get me wrong—we love when people share an interest in writing, and we love to talk to you about what you’re working on (or want to be working on) too. The thing about writers is that most of us aren’t snobby. We don’t think, “I refuse to talk to anyone other than fellow professional authors about writing.” Honestly, it makes us so happy when we find people who are also interested in literature and other creative pursuits! But it can often feel a little stabby when you use thatvaguely condescending expression.
“I’d write books too, if I had the time.”
Oh, really? Well I’d be an astronaut too—if I had the time.
----------------------------------
Laura Salters is a YA/NA suspense author (represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media Inc) from Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England. Her debut novel, RUN AWAY, will be published by HarperCollins (Witness Impulse) on May 19—with paperbacks to follow on June 30. When Laura isn't writing, reading or thinking about writing or reading, she's a music lover (and terrible singer), pet cuddler, beach-goer, runner (*cough* jogger), passionate foodie, caffeine addict, tennis player, lipstick wearer, Harry Potter fangirl (yes, still), housework dodger and relentless chatterbox.
RUN AWAY Blurb“Ignorance is bliss...until there’s blood involved”
Drenched in blood and sitting in the sweltering interview room of a Thai police station, Kayla Finch knows that Sam, the love of her life, is dead. It doesn't matter that there's no body. All that blood can only mean one thing.
It isn't the first time Kayla's had blood on her hands. After finding her brother dead by his own hand, she tried to outrun her grief by escaping to Thailand. Heart-broken, the last thing she expected was to find love on the smoggy streets of Bangkok. But everyone Kayla loves seems to wind up dead.
Returning home to England, Kayla is left with a barely-functioning family, a string of gruesome nightmares and the niggling feeling that nothing is as it seems. And as she confronts her brother's suicide, she starts to suspect that something is very wrong.
Three months. Two tragedies. One connection: there's more to both cases than anyone is willing to admit. And Kayla’s determined to uncover the truth…no matter what the cost.
Social Media LinksWebsite: http://www.laurasalters.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/laurasaltersautho... http://twitter.com/laura_saltersInsta... http://instagram.com/laurasaltersauth... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfLE7PbFusHQvjlm7syI7rA
RUN AWAY LinksAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Run-Away-Laura-Salters-ebook/dp/B00OY40Q8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431164542&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+saltersAmazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Run-Away-Laura-Salters/dp/0062403583/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431164547&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+saltersBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/run-away-laura-salters/1120847754?ean=9780062403582
HarperCollins: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062403582/run-away
Every author has been there. You’re talking to someone about the new book you’re working on—something you’re probably incredibly excited about and love to discuss—and they sigh and say, “I’d write books too, if I had the time.”
Now, I do understand that these people are not trying to shatter your fragile writerly soul into a thousand little pieces, but here’s the thing: what you consider an innocuous comment about your own writing ambitions (or lack thereof) can often feel like a sharp dig in the ribs. Because when you say that, this is what we hear.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “The main factor in your literary success is the fact you have more time than anyone else.” To us, you’re kind of implying the main reason we’re published and you aren’t is that you don’t have time to do what we do. Otherwise, you’d totally be equally successful. Because everyone can be a good writer as long as they have a few spare hours, right? You’re kind of trivializing our talent, passion and pain-staking work, implying they’re merely minor factors in our careers. No, no, spare time is the only thing that matters. Also, news flash: authors often don’t have time either. We too have jobs and kids and other responsibilities. But we make time, because it’s important to us.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “I’d write too, but it’s just not a priority.” You’re kind of saying, “I have more important things to do than what you do all day.” And because writers tend to be sensitive souls, this kind of makes us feel weird and insecure for making it a priority. Because it’s clearly bottom of your list in terms of important things in your life, but it’s at the top of ours, and you’re sort of inadvertently condemning that.
You say: “I’d write books too, if I had the time.” We hear: “Anyone can be good at writing if they try. Talent and hard work have nothing to do with it.” I touched on this above, but really, sometimes I can’t help but feel that this is a widely accepted fact. And it bugs me. You’d never say to a surgeon, “I’d perform organ transplants too, if I had the time.” Because you understand that they’ve studied their craft, gained a ton of specialist knowledge, and worked extremely hard to get to where they are. Why should you view professional authors any differently? Alright, so we don’t have patients’ actual lives in our hands. However, we’ve studied, we’ve practiced for years, we’ve sweated and cried and bled over our work so that it meets the incredibly demanding standards of the publishing industry. We research our subjects intensively, we revise and edit endlessly, and we allow countless beta readers to tear our work apart in the name of improving. So it hurts when you imply that you could find a spare hour on a Saturday, pick up a pen and paper, and achieve what we have without even trying.
Don’t get me wrong—we love when people share an interest in writing, and we love to talk to you about what you’re working on (or want to be working on) too. The thing about writers is that most of us aren’t snobby. We don’t think, “I refuse to talk to anyone other than fellow professional authors about writing.” Honestly, it makes us so happy when we find people who are also interested in literature and other creative pursuits! But it can often feel a little stabby when you use thatvaguely condescending expression.
“I’d write books too, if I had the time.”
Oh, really? Well I’d be an astronaut too—if I had the time.
----------------------------------
Laura Salters is a YA/NA suspense author (represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media Inc) from Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England. Her debut novel, RUN AWAY, will be published by HarperCollins (Witness Impulse) on May 19—with paperbacks to follow on June 30. When Laura isn't writing, reading or thinking about writing or reading, she's a music lover (and terrible singer), pet cuddler, beach-goer, runner (*cough* jogger), passionate foodie, caffeine addict, tennis player, lipstick wearer, Harry Potter fangirl (yes, still), housework dodger and relentless chatterbox. RUN AWAY Blurb“Ignorance is bliss...until there’s blood involved”
Drenched in blood and sitting in the sweltering interview room of a Thai police station, Kayla Finch knows that Sam, the love of her life, is dead. It doesn't matter that there's no body. All that blood can only mean one thing.
It isn't the first time Kayla's had blood on her hands. After finding her brother dead by his own hand, she tried to outrun her grief by escaping to Thailand. Heart-broken, the last thing she expected was to find love on the smoggy streets of Bangkok. But everyone Kayla loves seems to wind up dead.
Returning home to England, Kayla is left with a barely-functioning family, a string of gruesome nightmares and the niggling feeling that nothing is as it seems. And as she confronts her brother's suicide, she starts to suspect that something is very wrong.
Three months. Two tragedies. One connection: there's more to both cases than anyone is willing to admit. And Kayla’s determined to uncover the truth…no matter what the cost.
Social Media LinksWebsite: http://www.laurasalters.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/laurasaltersautho... http://twitter.com/laura_saltersInsta... http://instagram.com/laurasaltersauth... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfLE7PbFusHQvjlm7syI7rA
RUN AWAY LinksAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Run-Away-Laura-Salters-ebook/dp/B00OY40Q8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431164542&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+saltersAmazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Run-Away-Laura-Salters/dp/0062403583/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431164547&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+saltersBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/run-away-laura-salters/1120847754?ean=9780062403582
HarperCollins: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062403582/run-away
May 18, 2015
Query Kombat Dates and Twitter Party
It's time to hang out and have fun!
There will be topics and things to talk about starting May 21, and during the wait time until the chosen entries are released on May 31st. We’ll start with naming your category/genre to help those who may not be so sure to finalize their answers.
Just tweet your answers under the hashtag #QueryKombat and have some fun meeting and talking with other Kombatants, judges, and your hosts.
May 21st Before the big days arrives tweet your category and genre. Ask questions about genre if you’re unsure where your manuscript fits.
May 22 After 5:30 pm tweet when you’ve submitted your entry to our QK email. Nerves and jitters can be calmed by sharing with others. All day long tweet out what your entry Nickname is and why you chose it.
May 23rd Submission is over and you made it. Judges get fun secret names. Entrants get to create nicknames. Your poor hosts are left out. Create nicknames for SC, Michael and Michelle! (Keep it clean. We blush easily.) And tweet your favorite comp title.
May 24th Tweet your main character’s name and a special tidbit about them. See what sorts of names are popular and if anyone else shares MC’s names with you.
May 25th Tweet what you find the hardest about writing. Is it keeping out telling? Writing action scenes? What’s hard for you?
May 26th Tweet your favorite book title. See if you can pick just one. If not, tweet them all!
May 27th Tweet something about how you write. Do you use music or prefer silence? Morning or late at night? We celebrate our differences.
May 28th Tweet us your villain’s name and something evil about them.
May 29th If you’re looking for some beta readers or CP, now is the time to tweet about it.
May 30th Tweet the title of a soothing song that is helping you get through the day before the picks are revealed. Hold hands and sing Kumbaya lyrics like the band of friends you’ve become. (We’ll be running around like crazy gerbils getting everything ready.)
The hosts will post reminders for you in the #QueryKombat feed. It’s all about “Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you” and having fun!
Also here is a schedule of dates for Query Kombat so that you don't miss a moment:
QK Submissions May 22nd at 5:30 EST Kombatants Announced May 31th All three blogs.QK Round 1 June 1 – 4th All three blogs.QK Agent Round June 8th – 11th All three blogs.QK Round 2 June 15 – 17th Mike and SC’s blogQK Round 3 June 21 – 23rd Michelle’s blog.QK Round 4 June 25 – 26th SC’s blog.QK Round 5 (final 4) June 28 – 29th Mike’s blog.
QK Round 6 (championship) July 1 – 2nd Michelle’s blog.
There will be topics and things to talk about starting May 21, and during the wait time until the chosen entries are released on May 31st. We’ll start with naming your category/genre to help those who may not be so sure to finalize their answers.
Just tweet your answers under the hashtag #QueryKombat and have some fun meeting and talking with other Kombatants, judges, and your hosts.
May 21st Before the big days arrives tweet your category and genre. Ask questions about genre if you’re unsure where your manuscript fits.
May 22 After 5:30 pm tweet when you’ve submitted your entry to our QK email. Nerves and jitters can be calmed by sharing with others. All day long tweet out what your entry Nickname is and why you chose it.
May 23rd Submission is over and you made it. Judges get fun secret names. Entrants get to create nicknames. Your poor hosts are left out. Create nicknames for SC, Michael and Michelle! (Keep it clean. We blush easily.) And tweet your favorite comp title.
May 24th Tweet your main character’s name and a special tidbit about them. See what sorts of names are popular and if anyone else shares MC’s names with you.
May 25th Tweet what you find the hardest about writing. Is it keeping out telling? Writing action scenes? What’s hard for you?
May 26th Tweet your favorite book title. See if you can pick just one. If not, tweet them all!
May 27th Tweet something about how you write. Do you use music or prefer silence? Morning or late at night? We celebrate our differences.
May 28th Tweet us your villain’s name and something evil about them.
May 29th If you’re looking for some beta readers or CP, now is the time to tweet about it.
May 30th Tweet the title of a soothing song that is helping you get through the day before the picks are revealed. Hold hands and sing Kumbaya lyrics like the band of friends you’ve become. (We’ll be running around like crazy gerbils getting everything ready.)
The hosts will post reminders for you in the #QueryKombat feed. It’s all about “Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you” and having fun!
Also here is a schedule of dates for Query Kombat so that you don't miss a moment:
QK Submissions May 22nd at 5:30 EST Kombatants Announced May 31th All three blogs.QK Round 1 June 1 – 4th All three blogs.QK Agent Round June 8th – 11th All three blogs.QK Round 2 June 15 – 17th Mike and SC’s blogQK Round 3 June 21 – 23rd Michelle’s blog.QK Round 4 June 25 – 26th SC’s blog.QK Round 5 (final 4) June 28 – 29th Mike’s blog.
QK Round 6 (championship) July 1 – 2nd Michelle’s blog.
May 17, 2015
Crutch or Clutch Words. Throw Them in the Trash
As submission day for Query Kombat '15 nears, I thought it might be helpful to bring up this buried post about crutch words. Every writer has one. Mine is the word back. Or maybe it is still. Who am I kidding? My crutch word is back and still and a whole slew more.
So check your query and 250 words and cut out the crutches. You don't need them!
There are words out there I call crutch words because they pop up repeatedly in stories, as if the writer is leaning on them. I also call them clutch words because they are words a writer clings to, even when keeping them makes no sense.
Crutch words are filler. They float along in the sentence, but they add nothing to its meaning. Nothing except a ratcheted word count. They cause wordy sentences. Bet your bottom dollar that an agent will recognize them for what they are--a waste of space. And we are all guilty of them. Many times, they creep in without the writer being aware.
So what are these crutch words and how can a person recognize them. Some of the biggest abusers are: just, very, only, even, that. And they also include a whole host of directional words such as up, down, back. (Back being my own personal kryptonite. It's embarrassing but my first manuscript's word cloud had "back" in huge letters.)
While it's not possible to keep them from a first draft, an editing run through is the perfect place to track and eliminate these crutch words. For some reason these words have a deep place in writer's hearts (especially just), but you have to be ruthless.
What's that? You don't even think it is fair to cut out all your very favorite words. It's not like they add up to so much more word count. It's just the way you write. Editing is only for losers and people that don't have a life.
So my example is extreme but you get the idea. How does that look without the crutch words?
What? You don't think it is fair to cut your favorite words. It's not like they add much word count. It's the way you write. Editing is for losers and people without a life.
People sometimes add crutch words to dialogue to achieve a particular voice, usually a younger voice or an uneducated one. Remember, too much of it and you are going to drive your readers crazy.
Be aware and don't let the crutch words have control.
Confess. What is your crutch word kryptonite?
So check your query and 250 words and cut out the crutches. You don't need them!
There are words out there I call crutch words because they pop up repeatedly in stories, as if the writer is leaning on them. I also call them clutch words because they are words a writer clings to, even when keeping them makes no sense.
Crutch words are filler. They float along in the sentence, but they add nothing to its meaning. Nothing except a ratcheted word count. They cause wordy sentences. Bet your bottom dollar that an agent will recognize them for what they are--a waste of space. And we are all guilty of them. Many times, they creep in without the writer being aware.
So what are these crutch words and how can a person recognize them. Some of the biggest abusers are: just, very, only, even, that. And they also include a whole host of directional words such as up, down, back. (Back being my own personal kryptonite. It's embarrassing but my first manuscript's word cloud had "back" in huge letters.)
While it's not possible to keep them from a first draft, an editing run through is the perfect place to track and eliminate these crutch words. For some reason these words have a deep place in writer's hearts (especially just), but you have to be ruthless.
What's that? You don't even think it is fair to cut out all your very favorite words. It's not like they add up to so much more word count. It's just the way you write. Editing is only for losers and people that don't have a life.
So my example is extreme but you get the idea. How does that look without the crutch words?
What? You don't think it is fair to cut your favorite words. It's not like they add much word count. It's the way you write. Editing is for losers and people without a life.
People sometimes add crutch words to dialogue to achieve a particular voice, usually a younger voice or an uneducated one. Remember, too much of it and you are going to drive your readers crazy.
Be aware and don't let the crutch words have control.
Confess. What is your crutch word kryptonite?
May 15, 2015
Query Kombat Agents/Editors
Want to know what agents we have for Query Kombat? Mike, SC and I have greatly surpassed last year's total of agents. We have not fifteen but TWENTY-Five agents and editors!
In fact, there are so many agents and editors participating that we've had to divide up the list!
Only a third of the agents are here. Check for the rest on Mike's blog and SC's blog.
Now to get straight to the good stuff!
Don't miss the submission window on May 22, 2015!! The window will open at 5:30 pm Eastern and remain open for one hour. Get details about entering here.
Make sure you're following all three blogs.
(Also my pick for the Free Pass winner is up.)
THE AGENTS/EDITORS:
Alec Shane
[image error]Alec majored in English at Brown University, a degree he put to immediate use by moving to Los Angeles after graduation to become a professional stunt man. Realizing that he prefers books to breakaway glass, he moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue a career in publishing. Alec quickly found a home at Writers House Literary Agency, where he worked under Jodi Reamer and Amy Berkower on a large number of YA and Adult titles. Twitter handle: @alecdshane.
Alec is now aggressively building his own list. On the nonfiction side, Alec would love to see humor, biography, history (particularly military history), true crime, “guy” reads, and all things sports. “What I’m looking for in fiction: mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, historical fiction, literary fiction, and books geared toward young male readers (both YA and MG). What I’m not looking for: Romance (paranormal or otherwise), straight sci-fi, high fantasy, picture books, self-help, women’s fiction, food, travel memoir.”
Publishers Marketplace|Twitter
Thao Le
THAO LE handles finances and selected contracts at the Dijkstra Agency. She is also an agent.
She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego with a double major in econ-management science and Chinese studies. While interning at the agency during college, she realized where her true love lies -- books -- and joined the agency full-time in the spring of 2011.
Thao is looking for adult sci-fi/fantasy/horror, NA (new adult), YA (young adult), and MG (middle grade). She enjoys both gritty, dark narratives and fantastically quirky stories. She is also looking for light-hearted, funny, and moving contemporary YAs with a raw, authentic teen voice. She's particularly drawn to memorable characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, strong plots, and tight writing. Her favorite books are ones that reimagine familiar tales and tropes in a completely fresh new way and she has a soft spot for multicultural stories and lush settings.
Recent sales include: Katherine Harbour’s fantasy Thorn Jack (Harper Voyager), Lisa Freeman’s surf YA novel Honey Girl (Sky Pony Press), IPPY Award-winning S.K. Falls’ NA novel One Last Song (Forever Yours), and James Kendley’s paranormal thriller The Drowning God (Harper Voyager Impulse).
Thao is not looking for: biographies, business books, cookbooks, memoirs, picture books, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, self-help, short stories, or travel books.Website|Twitter
Uwe Stender
Dr. Uwe Stender, is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives).
Our best known clients are actress Melody Thomas Scott, CNN HLN and TruTV's In Session News Anchor Christi Paul, Eric Deggans,former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan, 4 time Grammy Award winning composer Lalo Schifrin ("Mission Impossible"), Elizabeth LaBan, Stacy Tornio, and legendary NBA referee Bob Delaney.
Uwe was a guest speaker at several major conferences including the SCWC in San Diego, the Crimebake (Mystery Writers of America New England Chapter), CAPA-U in Hartford, Connecticut, the Writers' League of Texas in Austin, Penn Writers, and he spoke on a panel at the Book Expo America in New York City.
We are always open to any strong fiction (our current focus in fiction is YA, middle grade, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction and Mysteries) and all non-fiction projects. TriadaUS Literary Agency was incorporated in April 2004.
Website|Twitter
Whitley Abell
Whitley Abell joined Inklings Literary Agency in 2013. Before joining Inklings, she completed successful internships with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency. She is based in St. Louis, MO, where she daylights writing proposals of the entirely unromantic variety. She graduated in 2011with a BA in English and Creative Writing, and again in 2012 with a MAT in Secondary English Education, which basically means she can tell you anything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards.
Whitley is currently building her list and is primarily interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Women’s Fiction. She is open to almost anything within those arenas, be it contemporary or historical, romance or thriller, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky. She has a soft spot for the goofy guys, awkward ducks, April Ludgates, and devout fan girls of the world. Manic pixie dream girls will be turned away at the door.
Please, NO picture books, poetry, non-fiction, or genre romance, crime/mystery, or sci-fi/fantasy for the adult market.
Website|Twitter
Patricia Nelson
Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. Previously, she interned at The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency and in the children’s division at Running Press.Patricia represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively looking to build her list. In general, Patricia looks for compelling, well-written stories featuring complex characters that jump off the page and thoughtfully drawn, believable relationships. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction, historical fiction, and accessible literary fiction, as well as contemporary and historical romance. For YA and MG, she is open to a wide range of genres, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, horror, and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters in all genres.Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.Website|Twitter
Cate HartCate is all about guilty pleasures. She loves salted caramel mochas, Justin Timberlake, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, and Steampunk. As a native Nashvillian, Cate’s biggest guilty pleasure is watching Nashville.
When she’s reading, Cate looks for character-driven stories, a distinguished voice, and intriguing plots.She loves characters that surprise her, like the pirate with a heart of gold, and plots that keep her guessing until the very last page.
When she’s not reading queries, Cate works with clients to build their platform, works on PR projects to help promote clients’ books, and reads manuscripts with an editorial eye. Cate seeks unique stories with well-crafted plots and unforgettable characters with a strong voice. Her favorite genre is historical, whether it’s Middle Grade or YA, Adult Romance or something even spicier. The time periods she loves most are Elizabethan England, the American and French Revolutions, the Victorian Era and the Gilded Age. She loves Scottish and French History. If it’s steampunk, clockpunk, or candlepunk she wants it.
Her first love will always be YA. She will consider any genre, but is looking especially for Fantasy and Magical Realism.
For Middle Grade, she is looking for Fantasy, Adventure and Mystery with a humorous or heart-warming voice and a unique concept.
For Adult, she is only accepting Historical Romance.
Cate will also consider select LGBTQ and Erotica.Website|Twitter
Alison WeissAlison Weiss is an Editor at Sky Pony Press, after six-and-half years at Egmont. As a kid, it was not unusual to find her huddled under the covers on a Saturday morning with a stack of books rather than downstairs watching cartoons. Reading and writing have always been passions, but sharing that passion with others wasn’t always as easy. That is until she found the children’s publishing world.
Her focus is chapter books through YA, and she loves everything from heartwarming middle grade to edge-of-your seat thrillers to swoony romance. She has worked with New York Times best-selling author Jessica Verday (Of Monsters and Madness), multi-Agatha Award winner Penny Warner (The Code Busters Club series), YALSA-award winning Sarah Cross (Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart), J&P Voelkel (The Jaguar Stones), Micol Ostow (Amity), Kristen Lippert-Martin (Tabula Rasa), Sasha Dawn (Oblivion), and Sarah McGuire (Valiant), among others. She also assisted on Christopher Myers's H.O.R.S.E., which won a 2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award and the 2014 Odyssey Award. Follow her on Twitter @alioop7.
Website|Twitter
New Leaf Assistants
Jaida TemperlyBio: Prior to joining New Leaf, Jaida moved from Wisconsin to NYC to intern at Writers House. Before that, she had a brief stint in medical school and milked cows on her family's dairy farm. Jaida is currently Literary Assistant to Joanna Volpe but in her down time, you can find her practicing yoga, downing coffee, or searching for the city's secret bars and cemeteries. You can follow Jaida on Twitter.
Titles:
Jess DallowBio: Before moving back to her home state of New York, Jess Dallow spent eight years working at a talent agency in Hollywood. Deciding books and cold New York winters were more her speed, she became an intern at New Leaf before being hired as a subrights assistant. In her spare time, Jess can be found at either Sprinkles or Chipotle, stuffing her face with cupcakes or guacamole (thankfully, not together). You can follow her on twitter .
Looking for: YA (Contemporary. Female friendship stories. Romance. Thrillers. Mysteries.) Adult (Same as YA!)
Jackie LindertBio: Jackie earned her degree in English in her home state of Wisconsin. After college, she trekked to Colorado to attend the Denver Publishing Institute, eventually landing an internship in NYC with New Leaf Literary & Media. Following the internship, she found a job with the publishing house formerly known as Penguin Group as a Subsidiary Rights assistant. One year later she finds herself back at New Leaf as an assistant handling client care, mailings, and best of all, reading manuscripts. Fun Facts: She grew up in the Water Park Capital of the World and has a cat named Humphrey Bogart. Follow her on t witter or pinterest !
I'm looking for YA and adult--all subgenres of both.
Danielle Barthel
Bio: Following her completion of the Denver Publishing Institute after graduation, Danielle began interning at Writers House. While there, she realized she wanted to put her English degree and love of the written word to work at a literary agency. She worked as a full-time assistant for three years, and continues to help keep the New Leaf offices running smoothly in her role of Coordinator of Team and Client Services.In her downtime, she can be found with a cup of tea, a bar of chocolate, or really good book...sometimes all together. Follow Danielle on twitter !Looking for: YA (contemporary, fantasy, retellings, anything with a strong romantic subplot), MG (would love to find an amazing epistolary), and adult (women's fiction, romance)
Vicki KeireAcquiring editor at Curiosity Quills, Vicki Keire grew up in a 19th Century haunted house in the Deep South full of books, abandoned coal chutes, and plenty of places to get into trouble with her siblings. She spent the last decade teaching writing and literature at a large, football-obsessed university while slipping paranormal fiction in between the pages of her textbooks. She’d rather burn the laundry than fold it, and believes that when an author wins the Newberry, he or she gets a secret lifetime pass to Neverland. She currently resides in Central Florida on a lake-front farm full of many furry friends.Curiosity Quills Press is a publisher of hard-hitting dark sci-fi, speculative fiction, and paranormal works aimed at adults, young adults, and new adults.We provide our authors with a full-service publishing experience, marketing support, and technical know-how, while ensuring that these literary marauders are truly the cream of the crop through a highly selective acquisition process.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicki.keireBlogger: http://www.vickikeirewrites.com/
Website|Twitter
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In fact, there are so many agents and editors participating that we've had to divide up the list!Only a third of the agents are here. Check for the rest on Mike's blog and SC's blog.
Now to get straight to the good stuff!
Don't miss the submission window on May 22, 2015!! The window will open at 5:30 pm Eastern and remain open for one hour. Get details about entering here.
Make sure you're following all three blogs.
(Also my pick for the Free Pass winner is up.)
THE AGENTS/EDITORS:
Alec Shane
[image error]Alec majored in English at Brown University, a degree he put to immediate use by moving to Los Angeles after graduation to become a professional stunt man. Realizing that he prefers books to breakaway glass, he moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue a career in publishing. Alec quickly found a home at Writers House Literary Agency, where he worked under Jodi Reamer and Amy Berkower on a large number of YA and Adult titles. Twitter handle: @alecdshane.
Alec is now aggressively building his own list. On the nonfiction side, Alec would love to see humor, biography, history (particularly military history), true crime, “guy” reads, and all things sports. “What I’m looking for in fiction: mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, historical fiction, literary fiction, and books geared toward young male readers (both YA and MG). What I’m not looking for: Romance (paranormal or otherwise), straight sci-fi, high fantasy, picture books, self-help, women’s fiction, food, travel memoir.”
Publishers Marketplace|Twitter
Thao Le
THAO LE handles finances and selected contracts at the Dijkstra Agency. She is also an agent.
She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego with a double major in econ-management science and Chinese studies. While interning at the agency during college, she realized where her true love lies -- books -- and joined the agency full-time in the spring of 2011.
Thao is looking for adult sci-fi/fantasy/horror, NA (new adult), YA (young adult), and MG (middle grade). She enjoys both gritty, dark narratives and fantastically quirky stories. She is also looking for light-hearted, funny, and moving contemporary YAs with a raw, authentic teen voice. She's particularly drawn to memorable characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, strong plots, and tight writing. Her favorite books are ones that reimagine familiar tales and tropes in a completely fresh new way and she has a soft spot for multicultural stories and lush settings.
Recent sales include: Katherine Harbour’s fantasy Thorn Jack (Harper Voyager), Lisa Freeman’s surf YA novel Honey Girl (Sky Pony Press), IPPY Award-winning S.K. Falls’ NA novel One Last Song (Forever Yours), and James Kendley’s paranormal thriller The Drowning God (Harper Voyager Impulse).
Thao is not looking for: biographies, business books, cookbooks, memoirs, picture books, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, self-help, short stories, or travel books.Website|Twitter
Uwe Stender
Dr. Uwe Stender, is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives).
Our best known clients are actress Melody Thomas Scott, CNN HLN and TruTV's In Session News Anchor Christi Paul, Eric Deggans,former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan, 4 time Grammy Award winning composer Lalo Schifrin ("Mission Impossible"), Elizabeth LaBan, Stacy Tornio, and legendary NBA referee Bob Delaney.
Uwe was a guest speaker at several major conferences including the SCWC in San Diego, the Crimebake (Mystery Writers of America New England Chapter), CAPA-U in Hartford, Connecticut, the Writers' League of Texas in Austin, Penn Writers, and he spoke on a panel at the Book Expo America in New York City.
We are always open to any strong fiction (our current focus in fiction is YA, middle grade, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction and Mysteries) and all non-fiction projects. TriadaUS Literary Agency was incorporated in April 2004.
Website|Twitter
Whitley Abell
Whitley Abell joined Inklings Literary Agency in 2013. Before joining Inklings, she completed successful internships with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency. She is based in St. Louis, MO, where she daylights writing proposals of the entirely unromantic variety. She graduated in 2011with a BA in English and Creative Writing, and again in 2012 with a MAT in Secondary English Education, which basically means she can tell you anything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards.
Whitley is currently building her list and is primarily interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Women’s Fiction. She is open to almost anything within those arenas, be it contemporary or historical, romance or thriller, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky. She has a soft spot for the goofy guys, awkward ducks, April Ludgates, and devout fan girls of the world. Manic pixie dream girls will be turned away at the door.
Please, NO picture books, poetry, non-fiction, or genre romance, crime/mystery, or sci-fi/fantasy for the adult market.
Website|Twitter
Patricia Nelson
Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. Previously, she interned at The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency and in the children’s division at Running Press.Patricia represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively looking to build her list. In general, Patricia looks for compelling, well-written stories featuring complex characters that jump off the page and thoughtfully drawn, believable relationships. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction, historical fiction, and accessible literary fiction, as well as contemporary and historical romance. For YA and MG, she is open to a wide range of genres, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, horror, and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters in all genres.Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.Website|Twitter
Cate HartCate is all about guilty pleasures. She loves salted caramel mochas, Justin Timberlake, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, and Steampunk. As a native Nashvillian, Cate’s biggest guilty pleasure is watching Nashville.
When she’s reading, Cate looks for character-driven stories, a distinguished voice, and intriguing plots.She loves characters that surprise her, like the pirate with a heart of gold, and plots that keep her guessing until the very last page.
When she’s not reading queries, Cate works with clients to build their platform, works on PR projects to help promote clients’ books, and reads manuscripts with an editorial eye. Cate seeks unique stories with well-crafted plots and unforgettable characters with a strong voice. Her favorite genre is historical, whether it’s Middle Grade or YA, Adult Romance or something even spicier. The time periods she loves most are Elizabethan England, the American and French Revolutions, the Victorian Era and the Gilded Age. She loves Scottish and French History. If it’s steampunk, clockpunk, or candlepunk she wants it.
Her first love will always be YA. She will consider any genre, but is looking especially for Fantasy and Magical Realism.
For Middle Grade, she is looking for Fantasy, Adventure and Mystery with a humorous or heart-warming voice and a unique concept.
For Adult, she is only accepting Historical Romance.
Cate will also consider select LGBTQ and Erotica.Website|Twitter
Alison WeissAlison Weiss is an Editor at Sky Pony Press, after six-and-half years at Egmont. As a kid, it was not unusual to find her huddled under the covers on a Saturday morning with a stack of books rather than downstairs watching cartoons. Reading and writing have always been passions, but sharing that passion with others wasn’t always as easy. That is until she found the children’s publishing world.
Her focus is chapter books through YA, and she loves everything from heartwarming middle grade to edge-of-your seat thrillers to swoony romance. She has worked with New York Times best-selling author Jessica Verday (Of Monsters and Madness), multi-Agatha Award winner Penny Warner (The Code Busters Club series), YALSA-award winning Sarah Cross (Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart), J&P Voelkel (The Jaguar Stones), Micol Ostow (Amity), Kristen Lippert-Martin (Tabula Rasa), Sasha Dawn (Oblivion), and Sarah McGuire (Valiant), among others. She also assisted on Christopher Myers's H.O.R.S.E., which won a 2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award and the 2014 Odyssey Award. Follow her on Twitter @alioop7.
Website|Twitter
New Leaf Assistants
Jaida TemperlyBio: Prior to joining New Leaf, Jaida moved from Wisconsin to NYC to intern at Writers House. Before that, she had a brief stint in medical school and milked cows on her family's dairy farm. Jaida is currently Literary Assistant to Joanna Volpe but in her down time, you can find her practicing yoga, downing coffee, or searching for the city's secret bars and cemeteries. You can follow Jaida on Twitter.
Titles:
Middle Grade: Just about anything – it’s definitely my favorite age group! But I do tend to gravitate towards stories that are darker, quirky, and whimsical. Some of my favorite titles are:
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart- The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire LeGrand- Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers- A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle- Coraline by Neil Gaiman- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Adult: I would love to see more adult queries, specifically those with a mystery, high fantasy, or religious undertone! Some of favorite titles are:
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie- The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn- The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
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Jess DallowBio: Before moving back to her home state of New York, Jess Dallow spent eight years working at a talent agency in Hollywood. Deciding books and cold New York winters were more her speed, she became an intern at New Leaf before being hired as a subrights assistant. In her spare time, Jess can be found at either Sprinkles or Chipotle, stuffing her face with cupcakes or guacamole (thankfully, not together). You can follow her on twitter .
Looking for: YA (Contemporary. Female friendship stories. Romance. Thrillers. Mysteries.) Adult (Same as YA!)
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Jackie LindertBio: Jackie earned her degree in English in her home state of Wisconsin. After college, she trekked to Colorado to attend the Denver Publishing Institute, eventually landing an internship in NYC with New Leaf Literary & Media. Following the internship, she found a job with the publishing house formerly known as Penguin Group as a Subsidiary Rights assistant. One year later she finds herself back at New Leaf as an assistant handling client care, mailings, and best of all, reading manuscripts. Fun Facts: She grew up in the Water Park Capital of the World and has a cat named Humphrey Bogart. Follow her on t witter or pinterest !
I'm looking for YA and adult--all subgenres of both.
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Danielle Barthel
Bio: Following her completion of the Denver Publishing Institute after graduation, Danielle began interning at Writers House. While there, she realized she wanted to put her English degree and love of the written word to work at a literary agency. She worked as a full-time assistant for three years, and continues to help keep the New Leaf offices running smoothly in her role of Coordinator of Team and Client Services.In her downtime, she can be found with a cup of tea, a bar of chocolate, or really good book...sometimes all together. Follow Danielle on twitter !Looking for: YA (contemporary, fantasy, retellings, anything with a strong romantic subplot), MG (would love to find an amazing epistolary), and adult (women's fiction, romance)
Vicki KeireAcquiring editor at Curiosity Quills, Vicki Keire grew up in a 19th Century haunted house in the Deep South full of books, abandoned coal chutes, and plenty of places to get into trouble with her siblings. She spent the last decade teaching writing and literature at a large, football-obsessed university while slipping paranormal fiction in between the pages of her textbooks. She’d rather burn the laundry than fold it, and believes that when an author wins the Newberry, he or she gets a secret lifetime pass to Neverland. She currently resides in Central Florida on a lake-front farm full of many furry friends.Curiosity Quills Press is a publisher of hard-hitting dark sci-fi, speculative fiction, and paranormal works aimed at adults, young adults, and new adults.We provide our authors with a full-service publishing experience, marketing support, and technical know-how, while ensuring that these literary marauders are truly the cream of the crop through a highly selective acquisition process.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicki.keireBlogger: http://www.vickikeirewrites.com/
Website|Twitter
May 14, 2015
Help Out a Writing Contest Veteran: INCONCEIVABLE
I'm starting a new series of posts as we wait for Query Kombat time to arrive. They are called Help Out a Veteran, because all the authors will be veterans of one of my contests!
I think everyone who enters Query Kombat or any contest becomes part of the writing community, almost like a giant family. And we should support each other. Do what we can for each other. It's what families do! Thus this series.
If you have participated in one of my contests and have a book coming out or already published, please get in contact. I'd love to host you for one of these posts! You don't need a cover yet, or any links to Amazon. All you need is a Goodreads page for your upcoming book.
Missy Belote and her Women's Fiction INCONCEIVABLE was a pick on my Pitchslam team of October, 2014. See her entry here. Soon after it got picked up by Curiosity Quills.
INCONCEIVABLE(Cover coming)
A popular, young royal couple can't produce an heir? INCONCEIVABLE!
When Ozarks native Hatty goes “whole hog” during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he's affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be a one-off, but a force stronger than fate—her newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. She and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.
But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to mesh Hatty's journalism career with life at Belvoir Palace. Hatty and John soon find themselves embroiled in an unusual sex scandal: they can't produce an heir. Tabloids dub Hatty a “Barren-ess,” and the royals become irate. Hatty politely tells them to shove it. But beneath her confident exterior, she struggles to cope with a heartbreak that invades her most intimate moments with John. Pressured to choose between invasive medical procedures and abandoning John’s claim to the throne, the couple feels trapped until a trip to Ethiopia shows them happy endings sometimes arrive long after saying “I do.”
Coming from Curiosity Thrills
Goodreads Page
Now it's time for your part. Head over to Goodreads and add this to your want to read list. Follow Missy on twitter.
Support a contest veteran and writer like yourself! Someday it could be you in this spot.
--------------------
Missy Shelton Belote is ready to write regardless of where life takes her, whether it’s a hillside farm in Poland, a stationary bike at the local gym, or a Trans-Pacific flight. She primarily writes romance, women’s fiction, poetry, and the occasional short story using as inspiration the places she’s visited, the people she’s met, and the cultures she’s encountered. Her travel adventures took her overseas to adopt her three children–one each from Vietnam, Ethiopia, and China. Missy and her husband, Brad, joyfully chose adoption after experiencing the heartache of infertility.
As a fiction writer, Missy loves the freedom that comes with creating characters and weaving together their narratives. Food ends up playing a role in many of Missy’s stories. With an eclectic taste that ranges from ostrich steak to Pirate’s Booty, Missy is a foodie extraordinaire. She enjoys a local greasy spoon or roadside restaurant in Thailand as much as fine restaurants in Europe.
Missy is delighted to have her debut novel, INCONCEIVABLE, included in the starting line-up for Curiosity Thrills, the new romance imprint from Curiosity Quills Press. @Missyin10ec| Blog
I think everyone who enters Query Kombat or any contest becomes part of the writing community, almost like a giant family. And we should support each other. Do what we can for each other. It's what families do! Thus this series.
If you have participated in one of my contests and have a book coming out or already published, please get in contact. I'd love to host you for one of these posts! You don't need a cover yet, or any links to Amazon. All you need is a Goodreads page for your upcoming book.
Missy Belote and her Women's Fiction INCONCEIVABLE was a pick on my Pitchslam team of October, 2014. See her entry here. Soon after it got picked up by Curiosity Quills.
INCONCEIVABLE(Cover coming)
A popular, young royal couple can't produce an heir? INCONCEIVABLE!
When Ozarks native Hatty goes “whole hog” during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he's affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be a one-off, but a force stronger than fate—her newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. She and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.
But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to mesh Hatty's journalism career with life at Belvoir Palace. Hatty and John soon find themselves embroiled in an unusual sex scandal: they can't produce an heir. Tabloids dub Hatty a “Barren-ess,” and the royals become irate. Hatty politely tells them to shove it. But beneath her confident exterior, she struggles to cope with a heartbreak that invades her most intimate moments with John. Pressured to choose between invasive medical procedures and abandoning John’s claim to the throne, the couple feels trapped until a trip to Ethiopia shows them happy endings sometimes arrive long after saying “I do.”
Coming from Curiosity Thrills
Goodreads Page
Now it's time for your part. Head over to Goodreads and add this to your want to read list. Follow Missy on twitter.
Support a contest veteran and writer like yourself! Someday it could be you in this spot.
--------------------
Missy Shelton Belote is ready to write regardless of where life takes her, whether it’s a hillside farm in Poland, a stationary bike at the local gym, or a Trans-Pacific flight. She primarily writes romance, women’s fiction, poetry, and the occasional short story using as inspiration the places she’s visited, the people she’s met, and the cultures she’s encountered. Her travel adventures took her overseas to adopt her three children–one each from Vietnam, Ethiopia, and China. Missy and her husband, Brad, joyfully chose adoption after experiencing the heartache of infertility.As a fiction writer, Missy loves the freedom that comes with creating characters and weaving together their narratives. Food ends up playing a role in many of Missy’s stories. With an eclectic taste that ranges from ostrich steak to Pirate’s Booty, Missy is a foodie extraordinaire. She enjoys a local greasy spoon or roadside restaurant in Thailand as much as fine restaurants in Europe.
Missy is delighted to have her debut novel, INCONCEIVABLE, included in the starting line-up for Curiosity Thrills, the new romance imprint from Curiosity Quills Press. @Missyin10ec| Blog
May 13, 2015
Review of ALIVE
From New York Times bestselling author Scott Sigler comes something utterly new: a gripping sci-fi adventure trilogy in the vein of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. A group of young adults awake in a mysterious enclosed space with no knowledge of who they are or how they got there…and an indomitable young woman must lead them not only to answers but to survival.
A young woman awakes trapped in an enclosed space. She has no idea who she is or how she got there. With only her instincts to guide her, she escapes her own confinement—and finds she’s not alone. She frees the others in the room and leads them into a corridor filled with the remains of a war long past. The farther these survivors travel, the worse are the horrors they confront. And as they slowly come to understand what this prison is, they realize that the worst and strangest possibilities they could have imagined don’t even come close to the truth.
Review:
Note: The author has asked to avoid all spoilers.
I didn't want to like this book ALIVE. The first chapter started off so similar to The Maze Runner that I was rolling my eyes. Oh no, here we go again. Main character who wakes up and doesn't remember his name, his family or anything about the situation. A rip-off story line, only with a girl this time. Then the girl becomes a group, fighting to discover what's happening to them. More first person point of view; full of short choppy sentences. Ugh.
Then I got caught up in the action and it turned out to be nothing like The Maze Runner, other than minor similarities. The pace just kept going and going. Each chapter brought a new revelation. Or each chapter ended with another great twist. I couldn't avoid paying attention. And within a few chapters I cared about Em, like I never cared for the characters in that other dystopian.
I can't clearly say why, but I identified with Em. The plot made me curious in a good way. I wanted to find out what happened next. I worried about characters large and small. It's hard to review without giving away any spoilers, but I so appreciated that my questions were ANSWERED in this book. That's right! It didn't end with more questions than when it started. The reader finds out why they are there and where there is.
Thank you to Scott Sigler for that. Thanks for not making this another frustrating-wait-for-the-sequel type book. I really enjoyed this read. Blew through it in about three days. Found it fun and entertaining with plenty of action and excitement, which I shall not detail to ruin the story. Great twists and yet the whole plot made sense. There was nothing that couldn't be explained logically.
Big thumbs up! Read it for yourself.
I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2015
Query Questions with Jennifer Johnson-Blalock
Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Today we have more from Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency. It's Jennifer Johnson-Blalock's turn to tell us about her query slush. You can find a more specific list of her wants on the agency website.
I s there a better or worse time of year to query? I'll consider your query seriously no matter when you send it, but the holidays aren't ideal. Publishing tends to shut down completely from just before Christmas through early January.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
Not necessarily. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice, though, and I take it into consideration along with everything else. But it wouldn't keep me from taking a look at something if I loved the concept and the query was strong overall.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
I prefer to see just the query first. If I like that, I'll request part or all of the manuscript. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?
It's all me! I'm building my list, so I look at queries very closely. Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look?
I do. I tend to go through queries very quickly and reject the ones that definitely won't work for me (a genre I don't represent, a screenplay, a word count that's way off) and then look again at the ones that remain a bit more slowly. It's actually rare that I look at a query and instantaneously know that I want to see more.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? Yes, definitely--that would be the first thing an editor reads when it goes out on submission; I want to get the same experience. And if you choose to have a prologue, it should be important enough that you'd want to include it.
How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? I love comp titles! I've certainly requested from queries that don't include them, but they give me a great sense of how you think about your work and how well-read you are in the genre. They should be as specific as possible, though--ideally not the most famous work. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
The manuscript is the most important part, but I like the chit-chat as long as it's authentic. Knowing why you approached me will help me better understand how you see your work.
Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included?
It is. I won't automatically reject a query if it's not included, but I'll wonder why it isn't there. And--this is just a personal preference, by no means a requirement--I actually like to see the information at the top of the query so I can get myself in the right frame of mind. Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?
For nonfiction clients, an online presence is close to essential. For fiction clients, it's a little less important, but it helps. I almost always look for a writer's Twitter; a significant following or particularly interesting commentary can definitely tip the scales. I'd never require a writer to be on social media, but I would encourage it and help them get started. If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
Only if material was requested, and only if the changes are significant. Though I certainly understand the impulse, there's no need to resend if you've just cleaned it up a bit.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
Just the basics--where you live, what you do, if you're involved in any writing organizations or groups. The bio isn't really decisive for me if it isn't relevant to the work, but it's nice to start getting a sense of who you are. What themes are you sick of seeing?
I know for a fact there are agents who feel differently on this one, but I personally am not drawn to books (particularly thrillers) with a World War II connection. They crop up frequently.
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
Absolutely. The publishing industry is only getting more competitive as time goes on, and I want the manuscript to be in the best shape possible before we send it out. The exact scope of the editing will depend on the book, though; every project is different. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?
- a liberal/progressive political nonfiction work from a journalist or someone with experience in Washington- a work--fiction or nonfiction--from someone with a feminist writing platform- a dark psychological thriller with a female protagonist What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
It's always hard to narrow these things down! I've stuck to contemporary works and tried to categorize to make this useful. I've also kept it to things I'd like to see in my query inbox--I love Jeffrey Eugenides, but I don't do literary fiction, for instance. With those caveats in mind, here are some favorites:
- Smart women's fiction with big ideas like J. Courtney Sullivan's COMMENCEMENT, insanely lovable characters like Marisa de los Santos' LOVE WALKED IN, or push back on accepted tropes like Emily Giffin's books. The movie version of this would probably be my perennial feel-good film, YOU'VE GOT MAIL. Though they vary in tone, I'd also put SEX AND THE CITY, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (the movie more so than the book), and MERMAIDS in this category. Despite the male protagonist, UP IN THE AIR probably goes here, too.
- Anything with quippy, quotable dialogue: GILMORE GIRLS, all Aaron Sorkin, classic romantic comedies (think Hepburn-Tracy), and on the darker side, films like CLOSER.
- Contemporary YA that leaves me feeling exhilarated about life like Nina LaCour, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, and Megan McCafferty. On the movie side, this is going to date me, but CLUELESS, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, EMPIRE RECORDS, and (here's something from the last decade) EASY A are all fantastic.
- The dark and twisty: Gillian Flynn and Tana French. BLACK SWAN, DEXTER, HOUSE OF CARDS, SCREAM--lots of variation in there, but I like things that mess with your mind or have an unexpected note (like humor in a horror movie or rooting for a serial killer).
- Finally, a random but too large to be ignored category--I have a soft spot for all things dance-related. The afore-mentioned BLACK SWAN, but also CENTER STAGE, DANCE ACADEMY, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, some very obscure books like the Scottish Sadler's Wells series, ASTONISH ME--if it has dance in it, particularly ballet, I will read or watch it.
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Jennifer Johnson-Blalock joined Liza Dawson Associates as an associate agent in 2015, having previously interned at LDA in 2013 before working as an agent's assistant at Trident Media Group. Jennifer graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in English and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Before interning at LDA, she practiced entertainment law and taught high school English and debate.
Jennifer is focusing on nonfiction. She is looking for seasoned writers with strong platforms and is excited by narrative nonfiction and memoirs that use a unique story to explore a larger issue. Particular areas of interest include current events, social sciences, women's issues, law, business, history, the arts and pop culture, lifestyle, sports, and food, including cookbooks and health/wellness.
Jennifer is also seeking upmarket commercial fiction, especially thrillers, and is pleased to work with clients who write both fiction and nonfiction.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Today we have more from Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency. It's Jennifer Johnson-Blalock's turn to tell us about her query slush. You can find a more specific list of her wants on the agency website.
I s there a better or worse time of year to query? I'll consider your query seriously no matter when you send it, but the holidays aren't ideal. Publishing tends to shut down completely from just before Christmas through early January.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
Not necessarily. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice, though, and I take it into consideration along with everything else. But it wouldn't keep me from taking a look at something if I loved the concept and the query was strong overall.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
I prefer to see just the query first. If I like that, I'll request part or all of the manuscript. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?
It's all me! I'm building my list, so I look at queries very closely. Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look?
I do. I tend to go through queries very quickly and reject the ones that definitely won't work for me (a genre I don't represent, a screenplay, a word count that's way off) and then look again at the ones that remain a bit more slowly. It's actually rare that I look at a query and instantaneously know that I want to see more.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? Yes, definitely--that would be the first thing an editor reads when it goes out on submission; I want to get the same experience. And if you choose to have a prologue, it should be important enough that you'd want to include it.
How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? I love comp titles! I've certainly requested from queries that don't include them, but they give me a great sense of how you think about your work and how well-read you are in the genre. They should be as specific as possible, though--ideally not the most famous work. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
The manuscript is the most important part, but I like the chit-chat as long as it's authentic. Knowing why you approached me will help me better understand how you see your work.
Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included?
It is. I won't automatically reject a query if it's not included, but I'll wonder why it isn't there. And--this is just a personal preference, by no means a requirement--I actually like to see the information at the top of the query so I can get myself in the right frame of mind. Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?
For nonfiction clients, an online presence is close to essential. For fiction clients, it's a little less important, but it helps. I almost always look for a writer's Twitter; a significant following or particularly interesting commentary can definitely tip the scales. I'd never require a writer to be on social media, but I would encourage it and help them get started. If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
Only if material was requested, and only if the changes are significant. Though I certainly understand the impulse, there's no need to resend if you've just cleaned it up a bit.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
Just the basics--where you live, what you do, if you're involved in any writing organizations or groups. The bio isn't really decisive for me if it isn't relevant to the work, but it's nice to start getting a sense of who you are. What themes are you sick of seeing?
I know for a fact there are agents who feel differently on this one, but I personally am not drawn to books (particularly thrillers) with a World War II connection. They crop up frequently.
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
Absolutely. The publishing industry is only getting more competitive as time goes on, and I want the manuscript to be in the best shape possible before we send it out. The exact scope of the editing will depend on the book, though; every project is different. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?
- a liberal/progressive political nonfiction work from a journalist or someone with experience in Washington- a work--fiction or nonfiction--from someone with a feminist writing platform- a dark psychological thriller with a female protagonist What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
It's always hard to narrow these things down! I've stuck to contemporary works and tried to categorize to make this useful. I've also kept it to things I'd like to see in my query inbox--I love Jeffrey Eugenides, but I don't do literary fiction, for instance. With those caveats in mind, here are some favorites:
- Smart women's fiction with big ideas like J. Courtney Sullivan's COMMENCEMENT, insanely lovable characters like Marisa de los Santos' LOVE WALKED IN, or push back on accepted tropes like Emily Giffin's books. The movie version of this would probably be my perennial feel-good film, YOU'VE GOT MAIL. Though they vary in tone, I'd also put SEX AND THE CITY, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (the movie more so than the book), and MERMAIDS in this category. Despite the male protagonist, UP IN THE AIR probably goes here, too.
- Anything with quippy, quotable dialogue: GILMORE GIRLS, all Aaron Sorkin, classic romantic comedies (think Hepburn-Tracy), and on the darker side, films like CLOSER.
- Contemporary YA that leaves me feeling exhilarated about life like Nina LaCour, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, and Megan McCafferty. On the movie side, this is going to date me, but CLUELESS, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, EMPIRE RECORDS, and (here's something from the last decade) EASY A are all fantastic.
- The dark and twisty: Gillian Flynn and Tana French. BLACK SWAN, DEXTER, HOUSE OF CARDS, SCREAM--lots of variation in there, but I like things that mess with your mind or have an unexpected note (like humor in a horror movie or rooting for a serial killer).
- Finally, a random but too large to be ignored category--I have a soft spot for all things dance-related. The afore-mentioned BLACK SWAN, but also CENTER STAGE, DANCE ACADEMY, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, some very obscure books like the Scottish Sadler's Wells series, ASTONISH ME--if it has dance in it, particularly ballet, I will read or watch it.
---------------------------
Jennifer Johnson-Blalock joined Liza Dawson Associates as an associate agent in 2015, having previously interned at LDA in 2013 before working as an agent's assistant at Trident Media Group. Jennifer graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in English and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Before interning at LDA, she practiced entertainment law and taught high school English and debate.Jennifer is focusing on nonfiction. She is looking for seasoned writers with strong platforms and is excited by narrative nonfiction and memoirs that use a unique story to explore a larger issue. Particular areas of interest include current events, social sciences, women's issues, law, business, history, the arts and pop culture, lifestyle, sports, and food, including cookbooks and health/wellness.
Jennifer is also seeking upmarket commercial fiction, especially thrillers, and is pleased to work with clients who write both fiction and nonfiction.
May 11, 2015
THE REARRANGED LIFE- Review
Genre: Interracial, contemporary-romance
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Release: May 15, 2015
Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky
Find Online: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads
Description:
Nithya, a vivacious, intelligent and driven college senior has always known what she has wanted: a successful career in medicine and the love of her family. She’s even come to terms with the idea of an arranged marriage, a tradition her conservative Indian family has held up for thousands of years.
When a night of partying puts her on a collision course with danger, Nithya’s entire life changes.
Enter James St. Clair, the smart, challenging and heartbreakingly handsome American. As Nithya and James fall in love, she questions the future she and her parents have always planned.
Now, Nithya has a choice to make: become a doctor and a good Indian bride, or step away from her family and centuries of culture to forge her own path. The decision she comes to takes her on a journey that transforms how she sees her future, her relationships with loved ones, and how she learns to put herself back together when even her best-laid plans fall apart.
Review:
The Rearranged Life is about a Nithya, a driven college senior of Indian born parents. Nithya has her life all planned out: graduate college, get accepted to medical school, take the arranged marriage partner her parents pick out, and become a doctor. She’s focused exclusively on her schoolwork and has never had a boyfriend. While not wholly embracing her culture of arranged marriages, she accepts it.
Enter James St. Claire. James saves her from a dangerous situation at a party. He shares his homework with her when she forgets her own. In fact, he forges an instant connection with Nithya. Suddenly, her whole life plan trembles like a house of cards.
Go with the plans of the past and her parents’ wishes or venture into unknown territory?
If you’re looking for a book heavy on the romance with lots of passionate make out scenes, this is the wrong book. And I couldn’t have been happier about that. This is a thoughtful book with a reasoning main character who weighs her choices. It’s sweet, and beautiful, and oh so real. Nithya is a real life person, not a heroine who jumps into things and thinks only of boys. Nithya truly cares about her family and her culture is a crucial part of her decision making.
This book is about how family remains so important to new adults. I really liked how family was a big part of Nithya’s life. She wasn’t looking to move to the ‘big city’ and leave her past behind. When a giant setback occurs to her collegiate career, it hurts her to disappoint her parents and the Indian-American community almost as much as the loss hurts herself.
I love that it’s her father who she leans on during this tough period of refiguring her life. Nithya is such a well-rounded and full character that I can’t help thinking I’ll meet her someday. Reading about her was like reading about a friend.
And in no way was this story cliché. The choice was truly a tough one for Nithya. Especially when a perfectly matched Indian boy appears. Nishanth is smart, capable, driven, and handsome, everything she thought she wanted in a husband and his parents are close friends with her parents. Now her choice is twice as hard.
The twist of the setback to her career path gets a full measure of attention and made the story that much deeper and richer. I hope there is a sequel to The Prearrange Life so I can spend more time with these characters!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Annika Sharma was born in India and moved to the United States (Pennsylvania!) when she was a baby. Annika was a daydreamer from day one, always coming up with stories and games of pretend that seemed real. She was a serious journal-writer from fifth grade to college and wrote dramatic scenes for stories often, inspired by soap operas she watched in summers off from school.Eventually, when the time for college came around, Annika’s parents encouraged her to pursue journalism. Convinced she couldn’t make a living from writing, Annika disagreed. After five years, two degrees, two minors, working with children, being a dancer teacher, and creating a two-and-a-half page resume in college that had interests so all-over-the-place that even she couldn’t make sense of it, Annika finally decided her parents were right. Writing was where her heart was, all along.
In the month before graduate school, the idea Annika had in mind for years finally poured out in the form of the novel, The Rearranged Life. Annika began editing in earnest after she finished her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, landing Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group as an agent. Three months later, she had a book deal with Curiosity Quills.
In her spare time, Annika loves spending time with her family and friends, often indulging in the three S’s: Starbucks, shopping and superhero movies. As a chocolate lover and general all-around vegetarian foodie, Annika also adores cooking.
Find Annika Sharma Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
