Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 98
July 21, 2014
IWTN Entry 5: Rowdy Days of Dom Sanders, Upper MG Contemporary
Title: ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERSWord Count: 39,000Genre: Upper MG Contemporary
Query:
12-year-old Dom’s summer’s getting better. He’s beaten up his rival, Taylor, and kissed the new girl in town, finally got his horse, and built an awesome fort in an abandoned forest service compound with his big bro. But while squirrel hunting, Dom sees the local outcast kill a deputy, and he’s pretty darn sure it’s related to the marijuana that seems to be all over town.
Unsure of whether the killer saw him run away, Dom pretends he didn’t see anything. That is until Taylor’s pocketknife and Dom’s boot prints, identical to Taylor’s, are found at the crime scene, and Taylor’s arrested.
Dom must decide whether to swallow his guilt and let an annoying, if innocent, jerk go to juvie, or take the stand and risk his own life and freedom by revealing what he knows. And worst of all, if he does the right thing this time, will he have to keep on doing them?
"We are going to live here?" my older brother Reed asked Mom. I heard their muffled voices as they stepped into the Manzanita Hill house.
"Dom!" I heard my mom holler.
I didn't answer.
"Dom?"
I stayed as still as possible.
"Dominic Christopher!" she yelled again. She stepped into the second living room, a smallish area off the dining room where benches flanked a sooty brick fireplace. Then she moved closer to where my long legs were folded up into a tight hiding spot. "Dom, I know you are in here!"
"Maybe he ran out back already," Reed suggested.
Stifling a chuckle, I grinned at my snow white terrier Rosie crouched beside me in the shadows of the wood box.
"BOO!" I shouted as I sprung out from under the bench seat.
To my utter delight, they both jumped, screeching, "AHH!"
"Knock it off, you jerk!" Reed said, punching my arm as I climbed out. It barely hurt. Reed hits like a girl, but don't tell him I said so. You'd think the eighteen months he has on me would make him stronger or something. Nope.
"To answer your question, Reed, yes we are going to live here," Mom said as we eyeballed everything around us. "I know it's rough, but we can make it work."
"Hopefully before it rains," Reed muttered, glancing up at the ceiling.
When Dad first drove Ol' Red up to the house, I thought it looked like a place where a druggie might hide.
Query:
12-year-old Dom’s summer’s getting better. He’s beaten up his rival, Taylor, and kissed the new girl in town, finally got his horse, and built an awesome fort in an abandoned forest service compound with his big bro. But while squirrel hunting, Dom sees the local outcast kill a deputy, and he’s pretty darn sure it’s related to the marijuana that seems to be all over town.
Unsure of whether the killer saw him run away, Dom pretends he didn’t see anything. That is until Taylor’s pocketknife and Dom’s boot prints, identical to Taylor’s, are found at the crime scene, and Taylor’s arrested.
Dom must decide whether to swallow his guilt and let an annoying, if innocent, jerk go to juvie, or take the stand and risk his own life and freedom by revealing what he knows. And worst of all, if he does the right thing this time, will he have to keep on doing them?
"We are going to live here?" my older brother Reed asked Mom. I heard their muffled voices as they stepped into the Manzanita Hill house.
"Dom!" I heard my mom holler.
I didn't answer.
"Dom?"
I stayed as still as possible.
"Dominic Christopher!" she yelled again. She stepped into the second living room, a smallish area off the dining room where benches flanked a sooty brick fireplace. Then she moved closer to where my long legs were folded up into a tight hiding spot. "Dom, I know you are in here!"
"Maybe he ran out back already," Reed suggested.
Stifling a chuckle, I grinned at my snow white terrier Rosie crouched beside me in the shadows of the wood box.
"BOO!" I shouted as I sprung out from under the bench seat.
To my utter delight, they both jumped, screeching, "AHH!"
"Knock it off, you jerk!" Reed said, punching my arm as I climbed out. It barely hurt. Reed hits like a girl, but don't tell him I said so. You'd think the eighteen months he has on me would make him stronger or something. Nope.
"To answer your question, Reed, yes we are going to live here," Mom said as we eyeballed everything around us. "I know it's rough, but we can make it work."
"Hopefully before it rains," Reed muttered, glancing up at the ceiling.
When Dad first drove Ol' Red up to the house, I thought it looked like a place where a druggie might hide.
IWTN Entry 6: The Secret Power of the Bee, MG Contemporary
Title: The Secret Powers of the Bee
Word Count: 47,000
Genre: MG Contemporary Fiction
Query:
Under the guise of a superhero, Pete and his friends become efficient at punishing the bullies in their middle school. Too efficient.
After Bryant the Giant gives the new kid the ultimate wedgie, Pete creates a superhero to teach him a lesson. He recruits his friends, who use their years of honed RPGing skills and THE ART OF WAR to form the perfect plan. One dresses up in a bright yellow costume to distract Bryant and the crowd while the others create the illusion victory didn’t come from a bunch of kids but one superhero named “The Bee.”
When another student figures out how the Bee works and who’s behind it, she pleads with Pete and his friends to take down her cyber bully. They reluctantly agree and dress her up as the Bee to confront her nemesis. Despite Pete’s growing discomfort with the Bee, his friends each use the suit to deal justice without consulting the rest of the group.
Soon, every student fears the Bee could come for them next, and Pete decides it’s gone too far. But his friends’ vigilantism is only beginning, and defying them means becoming the biggest outcast the school has ever known.
First 250 words:
The superhero idea first occurred to me on a Wednesday. The day new comic books hit the racks. Fitting.
On that day, Sulfur came out, which made it my Wednesday of the month. My fingers fumbled with the lock on my bike. My innards jittered. I had waited all day for school to end. After a visit to the comic shop, I’d ride off to Wesley’s to continue our tabletop campaign. The perfect day.As I pulled my bike away from the wavy metal rack, Bryant’s voice called, “C’mere. I wanna talk to ya.”
My heart stopped. I tilted my head enough to see what was happening. Behind me, buses lined up along the curb of theschool. Their engines rumbled as they loaded up with students. The scent of exhaust mingled with the fresh leaves fromthe dense trees next to me.
The new kid, Kyle, walked toward Bryant in a nearby grassy area. I let out a breath. Thank the Maker, Bryant wasn’t talking to me. If I was Kyle, I would’ve run. He was either stupid or had no idea what was coming.
Bryant—or Bryant the Giant, as many called him—never beat kids up for their lunch money. He demanded respect, something Kyle didn’t give him. Earlier in the day, Kyle said something stupid about Bryant. He wasn’t trying to be mean. He was just trying to be a comedian. His attempt at humor flopped, and his comment failed to be remembered by anyone but Bryant.
Word Count: 47,000
Genre: MG Contemporary Fiction
Query:
Under the guise of a superhero, Pete and his friends become efficient at punishing the bullies in their middle school. Too efficient.
After Bryant the Giant gives the new kid the ultimate wedgie, Pete creates a superhero to teach him a lesson. He recruits his friends, who use their years of honed RPGing skills and THE ART OF WAR to form the perfect plan. One dresses up in a bright yellow costume to distract Bryant and the crowd while the others create the illusion victory didn’t come from a bunch of kids but one superhero named “The Bee.”
When another student figures out how the Bee works and who’s behind it, she pleads with Pete and his friends to take down her cyber bully. They reluctantly agree and dress her up as the Bee to confront her nemesis. Despite Pete’s growing discomfort with the Bee, his friends each use the suit to deal justice without consulting the rest of the group.
Soon, every student fears the Bee could come for them next, and Pete decides it’s gone too far. But his friends’ vigilantism is only beginning, and defying them means becoming the biggest outcast the school has ever known.
First 250 words:
The superhero idea first occurred to me on a Wednesday. The day new comic books hit the racks. Fitting.
On that day, Sulfur came out, which made it my Wednesday of the month. My fingers fumbled with the lock on my bike. My innards jittered. I had waited all day for school to end. After a visit to the comic shop, I’d ride off to Wesley’s to continue our tabletop campaign. The perfect day.As I pulled my bike away from the wavy metal rack, Bryant’s voice called, “C’mere. I wanna talk to ya.”
My heart stopped. I tilted my head enough to see what was happening. Behind me, buses lined up along the curb of theschool. Their engines rumbled as they loaded up with students. The scent of exhaust mingled with the fresh leaves fromthe dense trees next to me.
The new kid, Kyle, walked toward Bryant in a nearby grassy area. I let out a breath. Thank the Maker, Bryant wasn’t talking to me. If I was Kyle, I would’ve run. He was either stupid or had no idea what was coming.
Bryant—or Bryant the Giant, as many called him—never beat kids up for their lunch money. He demanded respect, something Kyle didn’t give him. Earlier in the day, Kyle said something stupid about Bryant. He wasn’t trying to be mean. He was just trying to be a comedian. His attempt at humor flopped, and his comment failed to be remembered by anyone but Bryant.
IWTN Entry 7: Steve and Austin, MG Adventure
Title: STEVE AND AUSTINWord Count: 44,000Genre: MG Adventure w/light sci-fi Query: Eleven-year-old Jackson Solis lost his legs when he and his bicycle tangled with a fast-moving SUV. Now he’s a test case for state-of-the-art bionic replacements. They’re faster and stronger than his old legs, but he’s not impressed -- he just feels like a robot freak boy.
He keeps the bionics a secret so no one will know how different he really is. Only his parents and best friend know the truth -- everyone else believes he wears ordinary prosthetics. But keeping secrets is exhausting and so is the recovery from his accident. The only fun he’s had lately was deciding to name his legs “Steve” and “Austin” after the main character of an old TV show about a bionic man.
Then Jackson overhears that someone’s trying to sabotage the high tech helicopter spy gear that his father, an Army colonel, is testing. If the tech is destroyed, his dad’s career will nosedive, and they’ll probably have to move. Jackson would lose his best friend and everything he has left that’s normal. He knows the adults would never agree to his plan, so he decides to keep one more secret -- he’s going after whoever’s behind the trouble. After all, no one else can chase a bad guy faster than the kid with bionic legs.
First 250:
Back when I was in second grade, my class went to see Slim Goodbody. You know, the guy with the stage show about taking care of yourself and being healthy? Where he wears that shirt that shows all his internal organs?Well, he said this one thing I can’t get out of my head now: “If you hurt yourself, you can’t just go to Buddy’s Body Shop to replace your parts.”Shows you how much he knows. Because that’s exactly what my parents were talking about right now, while they thought I was sleeping. In the last few days, it’s all they EVER talked about. “But what if his body rejects them?” My mother was asking the doctor more questions from her endless list. She can’t help it; she’s a journalist, and for her, asking is like breathing. She says it helps her make sense of crazy things – and I guess this definitely qualifies as crazy. “He’s only eleven years old. Isn’t he too young for something this experimental?”“We don’t believe he will reject them, Mrs. Solis,” answered the doctor. “We will grow skin and nerve grafts from stem cells. The process is extremely successful at reducing the chance of rejection.”Gross. They were talking about growing skin. But, also, kind of cool. For a minute, I forgot they were talking about my skin and wondered whether I could watch them do it.
He keeps the bionics a secret so no one will know how different he really is. Only his parents and best friend know the truth -- everyone else believes he wears ordinary prosthetics. But keeping secrets is exhausting and so is the recovery from his accident. The only fun he’s had lately was deciding to name his legs “Steve” and “Austin” after the main character of an old TV show about a bionic man.
Then Jackson overhears that someone’s trying to sabotage the high tech helicopter spy gear that his father, an Army colonel, is testing. If the tech is destroyed, his dad’s career will nosedive, and they’ll probably have to move. Jackson would lose his best friend and everything he has left that’s normal. He knows the adults would never agree to his plan, so he decides to keep one more secret -- he’s going after whoever’s behind the trouble. After all, no one else can chase a bad guy faster than the kid with bionic legs.
First 250:
Back when I was in second grade, my class went to see Slim Goodbody. You know, the guy with the stage show about taking care of yourself and being healthy? Where he wears that shirt that shows all his internal organs?Well, he said this one thing I can’t get out of my head now: “If you hurt yourself, you can’t just go to Buddy’s Body Shop to replace your parts.”Shows you how much he knows. Because that’s exactly what my parents were talking about right now, while they thought I was sleeping. In the last few days, it’s all they EVER talked about. “But what if his body rejects them?” My mother was asking the doctor more questions from her endless list. She can’t help it; she’s a journalist, and for her, asking is like breathing. She says it helps her make sense of crazy things – and I guess this definitely qualifies as crazy. “He’s only eleven years old. Isn’t he too young for something this experimental?”“We don’t believe he will reject them, Mrs. Solis,” answered the doctor. “We will grow skin and nerve grafts from stem cells. The process is extremely successful at reducing the chance of rejection.”Gross. They were talking about growing skin. But, also, kind of cool. For a minute, I forgot they were talking about my skin and wondered whether I could watch them do it.
IWTN Entry 8: Oliver's Ghost Machine, Upper MG Dark Fantasy
Title: Oliver's Ghost MachineWord count: 54,000Genre: Upper MG Dark Fantasy (w/steampunk elements)
Query:
No respectable home in Orchard Knob is complete without at least one resident specter, and most folks can’t imagine life any other way – except for Oliver. There hasn’t been a ghost in his house since before he was born. And bein’ that Oliver’s pa is the town’s mortician, everyone knows they should have more ghosts than anyone.
So when the ghost of Elijah Banks shows up saying his niece, Lena, is dead and that Oliver’s the only one who can keep her from crossing over, Oliver is certain ol’ Elijah has gone soft in the head. Especially when Elijah claims helping Lena will also solve Oliver’s ghost dilemma.
It’s crazy talk is what it is.
But then Pa decides to train Oliver in the family business using Grandpa’s old embalming room in the cellar – on the same day Lena’s body arrives. One accident with an embalming hose later and Oliver’s seein’ things no one else can, like the dark tethers attacking the town’s ghosts at night. And if that weren’t enough, Pa starts calling him things like “sensitive.”
Now Oliver needs answers as much for himself as he does for Elijah and Lena – and even his own family – who might accidentally be responsible for the attacks on the town’s ghosts. Before long it’s a race against his family’s secrets to keep the dark tethers from consuming Lena and the rest of the ghosts in town. And Oliver’s gonna get his answers, just as soon as he can get up enough nerve to go back in his cellar.
First 250 words:
There are no ghosts in our house. Haven’t been since before I was born. Ma gets embarrassed if we mention it out in public but, I mean, it ain’t like everyone in town doesn’t know. We might be the only house in the world that doesn’t have at least one resident specter. Pa says we used to be wealthy before word got out that our last houseghost split into the aether. Then the looters came. Now the only thing we have left is this rickety old ghost-free house.
We don’t know why our houseghosts abandoned us. Oh sure, houseghosts cross over all the time. Unfinished business gets finished and all that. Sometimes they get a little fuzzy in the head too, but the worst is when their death state starts to show. That can get pretty ugly. But unless you live in my house, another houseghost is always there to replace the last.
That’s why I was completely caught off-guard when I came nose-to-aether-wisps with the ghost of Elijah Banks in our outhouse. To be fair, he didn’t look any happier about it than I was, though I suppose I gave him more reason than usual to be upset about it. It was about an hour before dawn. My hair was sticking up every which way (in other words, same as always) and I was trying to scrub the sleep outta my eyes. I staggered once and pulled open that door and began to relieve myself – right on old Elijah’s lap.
Query:
No respectable home in Orchard Knob is complete without at least one resident specter, and most folks can’t imagine life any other way – except for Oliver. There hasn’t been a ghost in his house since before he was born. And bein’ that Oliver’s pa is the town’s mortician, everyone knows they should have more ghosts than anyone.
So when the ghost of Elijah Banks shows up saying his niece, Lena, is dead and that Oliver’s the only one who can keep her from crossing over, Oliver is certain ol’ Elijah has gone soft in the head. Especially when Elijah claims helping Lena will also solve Oliver’s ghost dilemma.
It’s crazy talk is what it is.
But then Pa decides to train Oliver in the family business using Grandpa’s old embalming room in the cellar – on the same day Lena’s body arrives. One accident with an embalming hose later and Oliver’s seein’ things no one else can, like the dark tethers attacking the town’s ghosts at night. And if that weren’t enough, Pa starts calling him things like “sensitive.”
Now Oliver needs answers as much for himself as he does for Elijah and Lena – and even his own family – who might accidentally be responsible for the attacks on the town’s ghosts. Before long it’s a race against his family’s secrets to keep the dark tethers from consuming Lena and the rest of the ghosts in town. And Oliver’s gonna get his answers, just as soon as he can get up enough nerve to go back in his cellar.
First 250 words:
There are no ghosts in our house. Haven’t been since before I was born. Ma gets embarrassed if we mention it out in public but, I mean, it ain’t like everyone in town doesn’t know. We might be the only house in the world that doesn’t have at least one resident specter. Pa says we used to be wealthy before word got out that our last houseghost split into the aether. Then the looters came. Now the only thing we have left is this rickety old ghost-free house.
We don’t know why our houseghosts abandoned us. Oh sure, houseghosts cross over all the time. Unfinished business gets finished and all that. Sometimes they get a little fuzzy in the head too, but the worst is when their death state starts to show. That can get pretty ugly. But unless you live in my house, another houseghost is always there to replace the last.
That’s why I was completely caught off-guard when I came nose-to-aether-wisps with the ghost of Elijah Banks in our outhouse. To be fair, he didn’t look any happier about it than I was, though I suppose I gave him more reason than usual to be upset about it. It was about an hour before dawn. My hair was sticking up every which way (in other words, same as always) and I was trying to scrub the sleep outta my eyes. I staggered once and pulled open that door and began to relieve myself – right on old Elijah’s lap.
IWTN Entry 9: In Between Them, YA Contemporary
Title: IN BETWEEN THEMWord Count: 84,000 wordsGenre: YA Contemporary
Query:Being a good friend is everything to seventeen-year-old Cass Petrovsky.
All that’s required is a heavy dose of support and loyalty—two qualities that she and her best friend Alex Patton share. So when an innocent touch multiplies into dozens between Alex and Graham, the guy Cass has loved since forever, Cass shakes off her paranoia. Alex knows better. But soon Alex confesses what Cass was too trusting to consider—she and Graham hooked up. So much for loyalty.
Cass is wrecked. Her future with Graham is shot, despite that they were inseparable friends on the verge of something greater. And Alex apologized so sincerely that it’s impossible to hold on to hate. Besides, Alex is happy with Graham, and good friends do not crush each other’s happiness. Period. Losing face is better than losing them both. Forgiveness is the only option.
As Cass moves on, Graham comes forward with a confession too: he made a mistake. An impulsive kiss throws Cass into an unforgiveable role with the guy she always wanted, the guy who’s now off-limits by her own rules. The timing couldn’t be worse. With Alex desperate to find the reason beneath Graham’s change of heart, Cass sticks to the perfect best friend role—spying, sneaking, scheming to help Alex win Graham back. It’s so wrong it’s criminal. But things are no longer black and white. Love and friendship twisted the two into gray.
First 250 words:There’s a metric assload of available methods for spying on your boyfriend.
So I remind myself not to judge as I watch Alex tug a faded Miami Dolphins baseball cap down low on her forehead and drop behind the dashboard. She lifts her ten-year-old brother Benjy’s bird-watching binoculars to eye level. Against her dark sunglasses, the plastic eyecups go tap, tap, tap. A noise like “hmmmm” rumbles from her throat. It could be a good hmmmm or bad hmmmm. I pray it’s the good kind.
She calls dibs on my last piece of gum, so I dig in my pocket for it even though doing so makes my thighs stick even harder to the vinyl seat. I’m folded in half behind the steering wheel with my left foot jammed alongside the brake pedal. It tingles so badly I could cry.
Shit. Focus, focus. Playing superspy sidekick for Alex is what’s important. Not my stupid foot or the pins and needles attacking it. Alex has a mission and I have a supporting role to play. Hiding assassin-style beside her as she stakes out Graham is absolutely the right thing to do, even if I’m fully aware of the fuck-up-able potential of this operation.
She needs me. I won’t fail her.
Because I am the perfect best friend. I’m loyal, sensitive, supportive, a good listener. I’m the cheery kid in the Eggo waffle commercial who gives the last freakin’ waffle to her friend. You know, after the whole “Leggo my Eggo” argument.
Query:Being a good friend is everything to seventeen-year-old Cass Petrovsky.
All that’s required is a heavy dose of support and loyalty—two qualities that she and her best friend Alex Patton share. So when an innocent touch multiplies into dozens between Alex and Graham, the guy Cass has loved since forever, Cass shakes off her paranoia. Alex knows better. But soon Alex confesses what Cass was too trusting to consider—she and Graham hooked up. So much for loyalty.
Cass is wrecked. Her future with Graham is shot, despite that they were inseparable friends on the verge of something greater. And Alex apologized so sincerely that it’s impossible to hold on to hate. Besides, Alex is happy with Graham, and good friends do not crush each other’s happiness. Period. Losing face is better than losing them both. Forgiveness is the only option.
As Cass moves on, Graham comes forward with a confession too: he made a mistake. An impulsive kiss throws Cass into an unforgiveable role with the guy she always wanted, the guy who’s now off-limits by her own rules. The timing couldn’t be worse. With Alex desperate to find the reason beneath Graham’s change of heart, Cass sticks to the perfect best friend role—spying, sneaking, scheming to help Alex win Graham back. It’s so wrong it’s criminal. But things are no longer black and white. Love and friendship twisted the two into gray.
First 250 words:There’s a metric assload of available methods for spying on your boyfriend.
So I remind myself not to judge as I watch Alex tug a faded Miami Dolphins baseball cap down low on her forehead and drop behind the dashboard. She lifts her ten-year-old brother Benjy’s bird-watching binoculars to eye level. Against her dark sunglasses, the plastic eyecups go tap, tap, tap. A noise like “hmmmm” rumbles from her throat. It could be a good hmmmm or bad hmmmm. I pray it’s the good kind.
She calls dibs on my last piece of gum, so I dig in my pocket for it even though doing so makes my thighs stick even harder to the vinyl seat. I’m folded in half behind the steering wheel with my left foot jammed alongside the brake pedal. It tingles so badly I could cry.
Shit. Focus, focus. Playing superspy sidekick for Alex is what’s important. Not my stupid foot or the pins and needles attacking it. Alex has a mission and I have a supporting role to play. Hiding assassin-style beside her as she stakes out Graham is absolutely the right thing to do, even if I’m fully aware of the fuck-up-able potential of this operation.
She needs me. I won’t fail her.
Because I am the perfect best friend. I’m loyal, sensitive, supportive, a good listener. I’m the cheery kid in the Eggo waffle commercial who gives the last freakin’ waffle to her friend. You know, after the whole “Leggo my Eggo” argument.
July 19, 2014
Getting the Call with Christina K
It's great to have Christine here and to hear that contests helped her improve her writing and feel part of the writing community. Persistence is key. Always keep writing!
The second novel I completed, and the first I queried, was called EMMY & MARI. It was inspired by the friendship between two students at my school that I had observed for a couple years. It was dark and somewhat depressing - full of death and drugs and general unpleasantness - but I loved it. Nightmare On Query Street was the first contest besides #pitmad I'd ever entered and I was understandably terrified. I sent in my characters' fears, query and 1st 250 and watched the slush talk like a hawk. SC tweeted something about a YA contemp that had a pitiful fear answer but great writing and it turned out that was me! The fear answer was definitely sad, but I was tickled beyond belief that someone saw something in my words.
I was completely over the moon to find out SC had picked me for his team, the Spooks. I met so many wonderful writers through NOQS, learned a ton about what makes a good query and opening, and told myself that even if I got zero requests from the participating agents, I'd come out on top. Well, I didn't get zero. Over the course of the request period, and even a bit later on, I ended up with 8 requests. I was completely shocked and flattered and thought that maybe I wasn't fooling myself that I had a shot at this writing thing. Those requests ended in mostly passes, a couple of no responses (booo), and one R&R with an amazing agent who ultimately didn't offer but went to the top of my list for the next project.
So I wrote another book, and another one, and the 4th book, VALEDICTIONS, found its way into the hands of the agent who made my dream of representation come true - Kevan Lyon. Kevan is fantastic and I can't wait to start this journey with her!
I am more grateful than I can express to SC, Michelle and Mike for holding NOQS, and all their other contests, and spending time on fledgling writers. This experience was so very positive and gave me the confidence to keep going. I never expected to form so many connections with this generous and supportive writing community when I started, but I know I would not have gotten this far without them. Writing, for me, is not a solitary endeavor, and is made richer by the people who have influenced my words. So, thanks. :)
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Christina writes YA contemporary fiction when she's not writing college recommendation letters. She loves to read, travel, and hopes to one day be bi-coastal - the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary and tweets at @czketchem.
The second novel I completed, and the first I queried, was called EMMY & MARI. It was inspired by the friendship between two students at my school that I had observed for a couple years. It was dark and somewhat depressing - full of death and drugs and general unpleasantness - but I loved it. Nightmare On Query Street was the first contest besides #pitmad I'd ever entered and I was understandably terrified. I sent in my characters' fears, query and 1st 250 and watched the slush talk like a hawk. SC tweeted something about a YA contemp that had a pitiful fear answer but great writing and it turned out that was me! The fear answer was definitely sad, but I was tickled beyond belief that someone saw something in my words.
I was completely over the moon to find out SC had picked me for his team, the Spooks. I met so many wonderful writers through NOQS, learned a ton about what makes a good query and opening, and told myself that even if I got zero requests from the participating agents, I'd come out on top. Well, I didn't get zero. Over the course of the request period, and even a bit later on, I ended up with 8 requests. I was completely shocked and flattered and thought that maybe I wasn't fooling myself that I had a shot at this writing thing. Those requests ended in mostly passes, a couple of no responses (booo), and one R&R with an amazing agent who ultimately didn't offer but went to the top of my list for the next project.
So I wrote another book, and another one, and the 4th book, VALEDICTIONS, found its way into the hands of the agent who made my dream of representation come true - Kevan Lyon. Kevan is fantastic and I can't wait to start this journey with her!
I am more grateful than I can express to SC, Michelle and Mike for holding NOQS, and all their other contests, and spending time on fledgling writers. This experience was so very positive and gave me the confidence to keep going. I never expected to form so many connections with this generous and supportive writing community when I started, but I know I would not have gotten this far without them. Writing, for me, is not a solitary endeavor, and is made richer by the people who have influenced my words. So, thanks. :)
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Christina writes YA contemporary fiction when she's not writing college recommendation letters. She loves to read, travel, and hopes to one day be bi-coastal - the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary and tweets at @czketchem.
July 18, 2014
Getting the Call with Lara Rectenwald
One of our first success stories from Query Kombat is for a very popular entry that made it to the fourth round. I'm sure you remember Lavender Marriage the Adult Co-Champion. This just goes to show that it only takes one query to turn the tide of rejections! Obviously several contest hosts saw how great this manuscript is and eventually the right agent was reached! Congrats, Lara!
Thank you so much Michelle, Mike and SC!
By the time I finally decided to write this book, I had been thinking about the story for ten years. I had originally conceived of the idea as a piece of ballet choreography while in college. At the time, I didn't have the courage to execute the idea and so it followed me around, stuck in the back of brain. In September of 2013, I decided I needed to get this idea out of my head for good, so I sat down and started writing. It was the first thing I had ever written and I finished the first draft in four months.
By February of 2014, I decided that after one full draft revision it was ready to be queried - it wasn't. The first 40 queries were not productive. At the end of April, I stumbled on Pitch Slam and decided to enter. It was a great experience and I made several new writer friends. I made the cut and did reasonably well, receiving one partial request from an agent, but the critical feedback I received from the judges caused me to completely rethink the beginning of my book. I cut the prologue and rewrote my first two-fifty, which led into the fifth full revision of the manuscript. All the while, emails from agents politely declining my queries continued to trickle in.
After Pitch Slam, I saw that Michelle was running another contest called Query Kombat and I decided to enter that one too. Spurred on by this new contest, I started from scratch and wrote my third and final query. I loved it, but wasn't sure if anyone else would. Reception was mixed - I was picked for Mike's team and ended up the Adult Co-Champion, but I didn't get a single manuscript request. It was disheartening. I had a few fulls and partials outstanding with agents, but I was feeling burned out on querying and decided I'd send one more before taking a break. Lucky 82.
I queried Brianne on July 1 and she responded on July 2 asking for 50 pages. I sent the 50 pages, with no great expectations. At this point, no partial request had ever turned into a full. On the morning of July 4 I woke up to see that she had sent an email at midnight requesting the full manuscript. I sent it immediately and went about my Independence Day activities. All day I surreptitiously checked my phone, looking for a confirmation that she received the full manuscript. At 4:30, while helping my mom cut watermelon, I checked my phone and there was The Email. She loved my book and wanted to talk on Monday!
My pessimism had me convinced it would be at best a request for an R&R. But it wasn't - it was The Call. Brianne really “got” my story and her excitement was contagious. I loved her suggested edits and I accepted on the spot. I quickly let every other agent who had a full, partial or query know that I had accepted representation. I am relieved to be done querying and thrilled to move on to the next steps toward publication!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bio: Lara Rectenwald writes historical fiction and is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writers House. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two cats and has degrees in History and Political Science. When not reading or writing, Lara enjoys fixing up her old house. Follow her on Twitter @LaraRectenwald.
Thank you so much Michelle, Mike and SC!
By the time I finally decided to write this book, I had been thinking about the story for ten years. I had originally conceived of the idea as a piece of ballet choreography while in college. At the time, I didn't have the courage to execute the idea and so it followed me around, stuck in the back of brain. In September of 2013, I decided I needed to get this idea out of my head for good, so I sat down and started writing. It was the first thing I had ever written and I finished the first draft in four months.
By February of 2014, I decided that after one full draft revision it was ready to be queried - it wasn't. The first 40 queries were not productive. At the end of April, I stumbled on Pitch Slam and decided to enter. It was a great experience and I made several new writer friends. I made the cut and did reasonably well, receiving one partial request from an agent, but the critical feedback I received from the judges caused me to completely rethink the beginning of my book. I cut the prologue and rewrote my first two-fifty, which led into the fifth full revision of the manuscript. All the while, emails from agents politely declining my queries continued to trickle in.
After Pitch Slam, I saw that Michelle was running another contest called Query Kombat and I decided to enter that one too. Spurred on by this new contest, I started from scratch and wrote my third and final query. I loved it, but wasn't sure if anyone else would. Reception was mixed - I was picked for Mike's team and ended up the Adult Co-Champion, but I didn't get a single manuscript request. It was disheartening. I had a few fulls and partials outstanding with agents, but I was feeling burned out on querying and decided I'd send one more before taking a break. Lucky 82.
I queried Brianne on July 1 and she responded on July 2 asking for 50 pages. I sent the 50 pages, with no great expectations. At this point, no partial request had ever turned into a full. On the morning of July 4 I woke up to see that she had sent an email at midnight requesting the full manuscript. I sent it immediately and went about my Independence Day activities. All day I surreptitiously checked my phone, looking for a confirmation that she received the full manuscript. At 4:30, while helping my mom cut watermelon, I checked my phone and there was The Email. She loved my book and wanted to talk on Monday!
My pessimism had me convinced it would be at best a request for an R&R. But it wasn't - it was The Call. Brianne really “got” my story and her excitement was contagious. I loved her suggested edits and I accepted on the spot. I quickly let every other agent who had a full, partial or query know that I had accepted representation. I am relieved to be done querying and thrilled to move on to the next steps toward publication!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bio: Lara Rectenwald writes historical fiction and is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writers House. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two cats and has degrees in History and Political Science. When not reading or writing, Lara enjoys fixing up her old house. Follow her on Twitter @LaraRectenwald.
July 17, 2014
From Query Kombat 2013- How to Date Dead Guys
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when cute Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn’t the only one…
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young man determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will appeal to the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser Giveaway ends August 14, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Or, if you don't want to wait...
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/1620075199 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1620075199Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-date-dead-guys-ann-m-noser/1119938862?ean=9781620075197 -- Website: www.themikeanthony.com Blog: www.writersoutworld.blogspot.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/RavenousRushing Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MichaelAnthonyRR
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn’t the only one…
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young man determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will appeal to the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway
How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser Giveaway ends August 14, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Or, if you don't want to wait...
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/1620075199 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1620075199Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-date-dead-guys-ann-m-noser/1119938862?ean=9781620075197 -- Website: www.themikeanthony.com Blog: www.writersoutworld.blogspot.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/RavenousRushing Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MichaelAnthonyRR
July 16, 2014
IN WITH THE NEW SURPRISE
There have been questions about picks. Each Pyrotechnic gets only four picks. I also get four picks for a total of twenty-four for all of us. That's a very small number for each one of us. Limiting ourselves to four is so hard with all the fantabulous choices.
And some of our picks have been seized on by more than one person. How are we to decide who gets which? We don't want In With The New to become Fight Club. Hair pulling. Name calling. Slap fest.
Horrors!
Instead we'll do it the democratic way. We'll vote!
They pyrotechnics and I have decided to ADD team picks to the final entries!!
If an entry is contested by three or more slush readers, that entry will be put up for a vote. If four or more of us vote yes, that entry will become a pick of the entire team!
What does that mean?
It means each of us still gets four individual picks, but we'll be adding additional team picks to the total. We'll be able to all see that favorite entry make the agent round and everyone keeps their four picks. No fighting. No hard feelings.
And best of all, we have a reason to send more entries to the agent round.
So how many team entries will there be?
There's the mystery. It will depend on our Pyrotechnics and how many entries they overlap with their picks!
Stay tuned and follow #Newslush and #NewAgent for the latest news.
And some of our picks have been seized on by more than one person. How are we to decide who gets which? We don't want In With The New to become Fight Club. Hair pulling. Name calling. Slap fest.
Horrors!
Instead we'll do it the democratic way. We'll vote!
They pyrotechnics and I have decided to ADD team picks to the final entries!!
If an entry is contested by three or more slush readers, that entry will be put up for a vote. If four or more of us vote yes, that entry will become a pick of the entire team!
What does that mean?
It means each of us still gets four individual picks, but we'll be adding additional team picks to the total. We'll be able to all see that favorite entry make the agent round and everyone keeps their four picks. No fighting. No hard feelings.
And best of all, we have a reason to send more entries to the agent round.
So how many team entries will there be?
There's the mystery. It will depend on our Pyrotechnics and how many entries they overlap with their picks!
Stay tuned and follow #Newslush and #NewAgent for the latest news.
July 15, 2014
Query Questions with Heather Alexander
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 I bring you insight from an agent from In With The New. Heather Alexander has joined Pippin Properties. (And Pippin just happens to be the name of one of my dogs, giving me extra reason to like this agency.) Thanks for your time, Heather!
Pippin
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?No, but a few in a row might. Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?Yes, I do, unless it’s totally not for me (like a chapter book about time travel in space with pizza-monsters or something). I tend to read a bit of the query to get a sense of the story, and then skip to the sample pages. If I like what I read, I’ll go back and look for more about the author. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?Nope, I read them all myself! If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?If a manuscript has a prologue, I tend to skip it because I want to see if it’s necessary. So yes, I want it included because it’s part of your manuscript. But I probably won’t read it. Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?At Pippin, we’re wide open to sharing queries. I’ll suggest a colleague at another agency if I know it’s not for any of us, and think it’s a good match. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?I don’t mind a reminder if we’ve met, or if we have something in common. I prefer that to just jumping in, which seems so form-letter and impersonal. Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?I mean, sure, sweat over it a little. Make them the best you can. But then remember that those are some of the least interesting bits. I just asked a potential client to change half the names in her story. It’s not a deal breaker in a query. (But, if your characters’ names are Timmy and Bobby and Sally, I’m going to think you didn’t put much thought into it, and that’s a bummer.) Titles aren’t real until they’re printed on the cover (and I’ve even seen them change after that). How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?Seems to be about 40-60 a week so far, and out of that, I guess I’m requesting one or two. Maybe three. 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?It’s not a make-or-break situation, but it is nice to know that someone is active in or connected to the kid-lit world. I like to know people are participating in the community, and not working in a vacuum. I think it’s more important for an illustrator to have a portfolio online. Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive?I don’t mind links to artwork or portfolios. If you’re an artist, I’m going to want to see what else you’re up to. Better to provide it than make me go digging. So, no, not offensive to me. What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you?That I didn’t click with the writing or the story. That gut thing isn’t there. It means the same thing as it does in dating. What themes are you sick of seeing?It’s not really a theme, but I’m getting really tired of snarky protagonists. We get it. Teens are snarky. But what else are they? Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? Absolutely! I’m bringing all of my editorial experience to this job. Get ready for the wringer. What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?Hmm, so far? People who send queries to 50 agents at a time (which is gross to start with), and then forget to BCC. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?Boy YA. Great, weird, marvelous art. Literary middle grade. I’d especially like something that makes me laugh and cry at the same time. What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Oh, boy. Favorite movies include, in no particular order, The Goonies, The Holy Grail, Tron, Rocky, The Karate Kid (the original one), Elf, Roman Holiday, Airplane, and Babe.
Books. Here’s a smattering: The Twits by Roald Dahl, I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, all the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, everything Andrew Smith writes, the Curseworker series by Holly Black, The Raven Boys (the whole Raven Cycle) by Maggie Stiefvater, Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead, Feed by MT Anderson, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, Great Expectations by Dickens, aaannnd, I guess I’ll stop. There are a million.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heather Alexander comes from a family where the constant refrain was, “Don’t forget to bring a book!” In college, she hid THE PRINCESS DIARIES between Dickens and Hawthorne. One Children’s Lit class later, and her path in publishing became obvious. Heather landed in editorial at Penguin, where she happily stayed for six years, working with both debut and veteran authors and illustrators. As an agent, she is excited to develop new talent and help shape careers, which is what she loves to do best.
Pippin Properties, Inc. is an agency devoted primarily to picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels, but we also represent adult projects on occasion. We are always on the lookout for writers and illustrators who take the challenge of creating books seriously and are willing to give the publishing world nothing less than their very best.
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 I bring you insight from an agent from In With The New. Heather Alexander has joined Pippin Properties. (And Pippin just happens to be the name of one of my dogs, giving me extra reason to like this agency.) Thanks for your time, Heather!
PippinDoes one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?No, but a few in a row might. Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?Yes, I do, unless it’s totally not for me (like a chapter book about time travel in space with pizza-monsters or something). I tend to read a bit of the query to get a sense of the story, and then skip to the sample pages. If I like what I read, I’ll go back and look for more about the author. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?Nope, I read them all myself! If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?If a manuscript has a prologue, I tend to skip it because I want to see if it’s necessary. So yes, I want it included because it’s part of your manuscript. But I probably won’t read it. Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?At Pippin, we’re wide open to sharing queries. I’ll suggest a colleague at another agency if I know it’s not for any of us, and think it’s a good match. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?I don’t mind a reminder if we’ve met, or if we have something in common. I prefer that to just jumping in, which seems so form-letter and impersonal. Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?I mean, sure, sweat over it a little. Make them the best you can. But then remember that those are some of the least interesting bits. I just asked a potential client to change half the names in her story. It’s not a deal breaker in a query. (But, if your characters’ names are Timmy and Bobby and Sally, I’m going to think you didn’t put much thought into it, and that’s a bummer.) Titles aren’t real until they’re printed on the cover (and I’ve even seen them change after that). How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?Seems to be about 40-60 a week so far, and out of that, I guess I’m requesting one or two. Maybe three. 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?It’s not a make-or-break situation, but it is nice to know that someone is active in or connected to the kid-lit world. I like to know people are participating in the community, and not working in a vacuum. I think it’s more important for an illustrator to have a portfolio online. Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive?I don’t mind links to artwork or portfolios. If you’re an artist, I’m going to want to see what else you’re up to. Better to provide it than make me go digging. So, no, not offensive to me. What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you?That I didn’t click with the writing or the story. That gut thing isn’t there. It means the same thing as it does in dating. What themes are you sick of seeing?It’s not really a theme, but I’m getting really tired of snarky protagonists. We get it. Teens are snarky. But what else are they? Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? Absolutely! I’m bringing all of my editorial experience to this job. Get ready for the wringer. What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?Hmm, so far? People who send queries to 50 agents at a time (which is gross to start with), and then forget to BCC. What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?Boy YA. Great, weird, marvelous art. Literary middle grade. I’d especially like something that makes me laugh and cry at the same time. What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Oh, boy. Favorite movies include, in no particular order, The Goonies, The Holy Grail, Tron, Rocky, The Karate Kid (the original one), Elf, Roman Holiday, Airplane, and Babe.
Books. Here’s a smattering: The Twits by Roald Dahl, I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, all the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, everything Andrew Smith writes, the Curseworker series by Holly Black, The Raven Boys (the whole Raven Cycle) by Maggie Stiefvater, Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead, Feed by MT Anderson, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, Great Expectations by Dickens, aaannnd, I guess I’ll stop. There are a million.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heather Alexander comes from a family where the constant refrain was, “Don’t forget to bring a book!” In college, she hid THE PRINCESS DIARIES between Dickens and Hawthorne. One Children’s Lit class later, and her path in publishing became obvious. Heather landed in editorial at Penguin, where she happily stayed for six years, working with both debut and veteran authors and illustrators. As an agent, she is excited to develop new talent and help shape careers, which is what she loves to do best.Pippin Properties, Inc. is an agency devoted primarily to picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels, but we also represent adult projects on occasion. We are always on the lookout for writers and illustrators who take the challenge of creating books seriously and are willing to give the publishing world nothing less than their very best.
