Laura Heffernan's Blog, page 11
May 13, 2017
Guest Post: Writing LGBT Characters
In the days leading up to Query Kombat, I'll be featuring guest posts from the judges on a variety of writing topics, from ways to polish your writing to common openings. Check back and follow me on Twitter to stay updated. Today's post is from Aden Polydoros.
Writing LGBT Characters
There are certain things to be mindful of when writing about LGBT characters, particularly if you are a heterosexual and/or cisgendered author. One of the most important things is to represent LGBT characters in an honest, non-stereotypical manner.
Watch out for common tropes. LGBT individuals are just like everyone else, in that they have their own unique personalities and interests. They are not accumulation of the stereotypes portrayed in media, such as the effeminate theater major, the gay best friend, the cold asexual, and the masculine lesbian athlete. While being part of the LGBT spectrum presents its own societal challenges, LGBT characters shouldn’t exist only as a way of highlighting the struggles that come with being LGBT. Any het/cis character in fiction can easily be rewritten as a LGBT one.
When writing LGBT antagonists, you are also treading on risky territory. If you choose to make your villain LGBT, you should ask yourself what purpose your villain’s sexuality or gender identity plays in the story. If it is to create shock value, or has absolutely no relevance in the plot, it may be best to reconsider your decision. LGBT individuals get poor representation in fiction as it is, and if you are writing for a vulnerable audience, negative representation can strongly affect them.
Research is key. Listen to podcasts by LGBT individuals and read fiction and nonfiction stories written by them. Sensitivity readers and LGBT critique partners can also be helpful in making sure that your representation is accurate. Another thing I would highly recommend doing is talking with your local LGBT support groups. Call up the local PFLAG chapter and speak with their representatives. Ask if they are willing to be interviewed or sit in during a meeting. One thing that is important to note is that people might feel uncomfortable being asked questions. Keep in mind, it is not their responsibility to answer your questions or make sure that you are writing a realistic portrayal of a LGBT character.
Don’t balk at writing LGBT characters even if you don’t identify as part of the spectrum. It is important for diverse characters to be represented in fiction, and a good thing that you want to include them in your stories. While it may seem daunting to write outside of your experience, as long as you approach it with respect and care, you should do just fine.
Aden Polydoros grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, and now lives in Arizona. He is a writer of young adult fiction. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys reading and going on hikes in the mountains. His debut novel, Project Pandora, will be released on August 1, 2017, from Entangled Publishing.To Preorder: Amazon I Barnes and Noble I iTuneshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450642-project-pandorahttps://twitter.com/AdenPolydoroshttps://www.facebook.com/aden.polydoros
http://www.adenpolydoros.com/
Writing LGBT Characters
There are certain things to be mindful of when writing about LGBT characters, particularly if you are a heterosexual and/or cisgendered author. One of the most important things is to represent LGBT characters in an honest, non-stereotypical manner.
Watch out for common tropes. LGBT individuals are just like everyone else, in that they have their own unique personalities and interests. They are not accumulation of the stereotypes portrayed in media, such as the effeminate theater major, the gay best friend, the cold asexual, and the masculine lesbian athlete. While being part of the LGBT spectrum presents its own societal challenges, LGBT characters shouldn’t exist only as a way of highlighting the struggles that come with being LGBT. Any het/cis character in fiction can easily be rewritten as a LGBT one.
When writing LGBT antagonists, you are also treading on risky territory. If you choose to make your villain LGBT, you should ask yourself what purpose your villain’s sexuality or gender identity plays in the story. If it is to create shock value, or has absolutely no relevance in the plot, it may be best to reconsider your decision. LGBT individuals get poor representation in fiction as it is, and if you are writing for a vulnerable audience, negative representation can strongly affect them.
Research is key. Listen to podcasts by LGBT individuals and read fiction and nonfiction stories written by them. Sensitivity readers and LGBT critique partners can also be helpful in making sure that your representation is accurate. Another thing I would highly recommend doing is talking with your local LGBT support groups. Call up the local PFLAG chapter and speak with their representatives. Ask if they are willing to be interviewed or sit in during a meeting. One thing that is important to note is that people might feel uncomfortable being asked questions. Keep in mind, it is not their responsibility to answer your questions or make sure that you are writing a realistic portrayal of a LGBT character.
Don’t balk at writing LGBT characters even if you don’t identify as part of the spectrum. It is important for diverse characters to be represented in fiction, and a good thing that you want to include them in your stories. While it may seem daunting to write outside of your experience, as long as you approach it with respect and care, you should do just fine.
Aden Polydoros grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, and now lives in Arizona. He is a writer of young adult fiction. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys reading and going on hikes in the mountains. His debut novel, Project Pandora, will be released on August 1, 2017, from Entangled Publishing.To Preorder: Amazon I Barnes and Noble I iTuneshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450642-project-pandorahttps://twitter.com/AdenPolydoroshttps://www.facebook.com/aden.polydoros http://www.adenpolydoros.com/
May 12, 2017
Meet the 2017 Query Kombat Agents!
The big reveal is HERE.
Want to know what agents and editors we have for Query Kombat? WE HAVE THIRTY-TWO, AND COUNTING!! There are so many publishing professionals participating, we can’t fit them all on one blog! View one-third of them below, then click on over to Michelle's and Michael’s blogs to see the rest. We’ve got both well-established agents/editors and some newer professionals who are actively seeking to build their lists. Query Kombat 2017 is going to be an AWESOME Kontest.
For more information on how to enter when the window opens, please click here.
Whitley Abell, Inklings Literary AgencyWhitley Abell is an editorial agent, supporting her authors through all stages of the writing and publication process. Her publishing career began as an intern with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency, and she also interned at Inklings Literary Agency before working her way up to agent. She holds a BA in English Literature, and a MAT in Secondary English Education, which means she can tell you everything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards. When she’s not agenting or daylighting as a content manager, she can typically be found slipping down rabbit holes of the literary and fandom varieties.
Whitley is currently building her client list and is actively seeking young adult, middle grade, and select commercial fiction. Strong female voices are near and dear to her heart, and she is particularly drawn to fresh retellings, diverse voices, flawed but (usually) well-meaning characters, and parts of the world she’ll likely never see.In commercial fiction, she is drawn to female-centric stories, whether contemporary or historical. She’s looking for psychological thrillers
In young adult and middle grade, her interests are quite broad. She welcomes queries for speculative/sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, romance, historical, thrillers, and horror, and is particularly interested in light-hearted and high-concept contemporary, magical realism that borders on psychological thriller, and dark historical fantasies set at the dawn of the modern age. Number one on her wish list is a best friend break-up story—specifically, a contemporary YA told in the style of The Last 5 Years, or a humorous, heart-filled MG spin on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She has a soft spot for trips abroad, mischief, boy humor, and the goofy guys and devout fangirls of the world.
She is not interested in angels, zombies, werewolves, vampires, dystopian societies, or steampunk.
Stacey Donaghy, Donaghy Literary Group
Stacey has always been a voracious reader and a fan of all things writing. She loves discovering new voices and working with her clients to build long term writing careers.
Her journey began with Corvisiero Literary Agency in New York, where she wore many hats from team manager and trainer, to intern, to agent. While at CLA she sold her first two six figure deals.
This coupled with her experience and formal education and training in the areas of Management, Social Services and Adult Education, Stacey brings a wealth of technical and professional experience to the literary world. As a manager in the fields of Education and Training; her roles have included people management, curriculum development, academic editing, marketing, creative design, publishing, proposal writing, contract negotiations, and public speaking. Her training also includes PrincipledNegotiation Techniques as it applies to relationships and contracts.
Donaghy Literary Group opened in 2013 and to date Stacey has sold a total of 9 six figure deals, as well as many other sales in a number of genre areas. Her client projects have been sold to a variety of Publishing Houses such as: Harpercollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group USA, Sourcebooks, Kensington, Entangled and others.Stacey represents NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon Bestselling Authors, as well as Authors who have been nominated or have won awards for various works.
Stacey is currently looking for #Ownvoices works, diverse works, women's fiction, suspense, and romance.
Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson AssociatesJennifer 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 seeking commercial and upmarket fiction, especially thrillers/mysteries/suspense, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, young adult, and middle grade. She is especially interested in the following:Smart, upmarket women’s fiction in the vein of J. Courtney Sullivan or commercial women’s fiction like Emily Giffin’s that subverts common tropesContemporary, realistic young adult with a strong voice and compelling characters (Nina LaCour; Stephanie Perkins; Leila Sales)Literary realistic upper middle grade (COUNTING BY 7s)Thrillers with a literary bent à la Tana French, Megan Abbott, and Robin Wasserman’s GIRLS ON FIRE, with a psychological focus and an unreliable protagonist (SISTER; GONE GIRL), or featuring an antihero/antiheroine (YOU)Contemporary romance that feels fresh, young, and very currentHighly readable but deeply reported books rooted in psychology or sociology that use memorable research to explain why we act and think the way we do (ALL THE SINGLE LADIES; MODERN ROMANCE)Politically minded issue books that put hot-button items like education into a realistic, holistic context or Washington insider narrativesHistory that’s quirky (THE SECRET HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN) or has particular relevance to today’s issues (ON IMMUNITY)Narratives of young, contemporary entrepreneurship (#GIRLBOSS)Books that help you figure out how to do life better (THE HAPPINESS PROJECT; THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP)Chronicles of unique communities like competitive Scrabble playersMiddle grade or young adult nonfiction that reads like a novel, particularly narrative history books about lesser known women or people of colorCookbooks that tell a story about the person writing the book or the food itself, research-based health/diet books with programs that sane people would actually follow, or accessible books about wine or cocktails that strive to make reading about it as fun as drinking itFood memoirs or novels that take the reader behind the scenes in a fresh way like SOUS CHEF–being VIPed at French Laundry is a recurring fantasy of Jennifer’sAll things football and basketball–Jennifer graduated from UT the year Vince Young brought home the National Championship, and her family in Oklahoma City never misses a Thunder gameWorks situated in the classical dance world, indie/alternative music world, contemporary art world, or Hollywood at any point in history–working in the entertainment industry didn’t manage to squelch Jennifer’s enthusiasm for itAnything related to her quirky list of loves: antiques, travel, speech & debate, adaptations, theater, Austin, bridge…Absolutely any sort of book with a strong feminist slantDiverse books and own voices across genresWhen she’s not reading, Jennifer enjoys film, food, and travel.
Catie Flum, Liza Dawson AssociatesCaitie Flum joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in publishing studies. She interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an editorial assistant then coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club.Caitie is looking for commercial and upmarket fiction with great characters and superb writing, especially historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers of all kinds, romance, and book club fiction. She is open to science fiction and fantasy that crosses over to a young adult market.She is also looking for Middle Grade and Young Adult projects, particularly romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, and contemporary books with diverse characters.In nonfiction, she is looking for narrative nonfiction, especially history that’s impossible to put down, books on pop culture, theater, current events, women’s issues, and humor.Caitie would love to seeA mystery featuring an investigative journalist. Think Rory Gilmore doing her dream jobWomen’s fiction with millennials (THE ASSISTANTS)Historical fiction from perspectives we usually do not see and untold stories (BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY)Multi-POV told from different sibling perspectives. Characters that are lovable and flawed like the BravermansAdult and YA books that feature a child-free MC who doesn’t change her mindLGBQT projects from all genres and age groupsYA SFF, please send me your epics. If it has huge battles, sweeping love stories, and twists and turns (THE CROWN’S GAME, ILLUMINAE)Middle grade projects that have a voice that sounds like a kid, but also has beautiful writing (SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, THE REAL BOY)Any feminist projects, fiction or nonfiction, but the feminism needs to be intersectionalComplex, difficult girls/women as the main character (ALL THE RAGE), characters making decisions readers might not agree withNarrative nonfiction looking at the impact pop culture can have on American culture at large, especially written by diverse voices.
Jennifer March Soloway, Andrea BrownJennifer represents authors and illustrators of picture book, middle grade, and YA stories, and is actively building her list. Although she specializes in children’s literature, she also represents adult fiction, both literary and commercial, particularly crime, suspense and horror projects.
For picture books, she is drawn to a wide range of stories from silly to sweet, but she always appreciates a strong dose of humor and some kind of surprise at the end. When it comes to middle grade, she likes all kinds of genres, including adventures, mysteries, spooky-but-not-too-scary ghost stories, humor, realistic contemporary and fantasy.
YA is Jennifer’s sweet spot. She is a suspense junkie. She adores action-packed thrillers full of unexpected twists. Throw in a dash of romance, and she’s hooked! She’s a sucker for conspiracy plots where anyone might be a double agent, even the kid next door. She is a huge fan of psychological horror that blurs the lines between the real and the imagined. But as much as she loves a good thriller, she finds her favorite novels are literary stories about ordinary teens, especially those focused on family, relationships, sexuality, mental illness, or addiction. In such stories, she is particularly drawn to a close, confiding first-person narrative. Regardless of genre, she is actively seeking fresh new voices and perspectives underrepresented in literature.
That’s her wish list, but the truth is an author might have something she has never considered before, and it might be absolutely perfect for her. She is open to any good story that is well written with a strong, authentic voice. Surprise her!
Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight AgencyA graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in English with a writing concentration, Melissa began her career as an editor with Harlequin Enterprises. Looking to work with a variety of authors and genres, she joined The Knight Agency in 2008.
With over two decades experience in the publishing industry, Melissa has fostered her clients to National prominence including a recent Newbery Honor. She is a member of RWA and AAR. Melissa is currently seeking projects in the following areas: Romance (contemporary, category, historical, inspirational), Women’s Fiction and Mystery.
Patrica Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary AgencyPatricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively building her list.In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction both upmarket and commercial, historical fiction set in the 20th century, and compelling plot-driven literary fiction. She’s also looking for sexy, smart adult contemporary and historical single title romance. On the children’s side, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres of YA and MG, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, science fiction and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.Patricia’s clients include RITA Award-winning and USA Today bestselling romance author Sarina Bowen (Rookie Move, Berkley/Penguin); women’s fiction authors Susan Bishop Crispell (The Secret Ingredient of Wishes, St. Martin’s Press) and Loretta Nyhan (All the Good Parts, Lake Union Publishing); young adult novelists Mary McCoy (Camp So-and-So, Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab), Axie Oh (Rebel Seoul, forthcoming from Tu Books) and Catherine Alene (The Sky Between You and Me, Sourcebooks); and middle grade novelists Kristi Wientge (Karma Khullar’s Mustache, forthcoming from Simon and Schuster Children’s), Hayley Chewins (The Turnaway Girls, forthcoming from Candlewick) and Margaret Dilloway (Momotaro: Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters, Disney-Hyperion), among others.Patricia is a member of SCBWI and RWA. She 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.
Alisa Gus, Curiosity QuillsThe loquacious female half of the dynamic duo at Whampa and Curiosity Quills. Part time writer, full time dreamer, pirate-in-training.
Alisa is looking for alternate history (i.e. Thomas Harlan's Shadow of Ararat or Ian Tregillis's The Mechanical), historical novels (Katie Teller's Kiya novels), upmarket action fantasy (NK Jamisin's The Fifth Season, and Nathan Croft's Homunculus and The Cat), and unique crossover YA (Libba Bray's The Diviners).
Additionally, she is interested in contemporary, sci/fantasy, and historical romance of any heat level, as well as romantic suspense (Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Rebecca Strong's Where Is Mr. Plutin?, and JD Everly's Havelock). And of course, unique thriller suspense in any genre (sci-fi, paranormal, or contemporary) are all welcome!
Connor Goldsmith, Fuse Literary
Connor Goldsmith is an Agent at Fuse Literary. He began his career in publishing in 2012 at Lowenstein Associates, where he was promoted to Associate Agent in March 2013. He joined Fuse in early 2014 and was promoted to Agent in November 2015. Prior to transitioning into the world of books, he spent a year as a full-time intern and relief assistant in the commercial film and television department at Abrams Artists Agency.Born and raised in New York, Connor lived for a brief stint in the Midwest studying English and the Classics at Oberlin College in Ohio. He is passionate about narrative fiction across all media as a vehicle for social progress, and received a Master’s Degree in Media Studies from The New School for Public Engagement.
Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary
Founding Partner Laurie McLean spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco.Following her stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency bearing her name, Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She penned three manuscripts before deciding that the life of a literary agent was her destiny. Laurie has been writing professionally since high school–first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent, finally as a novelist. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master’s Degree at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism.At Fuse Literary, Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade and young adult children’s books. She does not handle non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women’s fiction, nor does she handle children’s picture books or graphic novels.Laurie’s clients include the New York Times and USA Today bestselling YA author Julie Kagawa, bestselling proper romance author Julianne Donaldson, award-winning steampunk and fantasy author Pip Ballantine, and the award-winning Linda Wisdom, who has had more than 100 romance novels published in her career.
Carlisle Webber, Fuse LiteraryCarlisle Webber refused to major in English in college because she didn’t think there was anything fun to read on the required lists. No Stephen King? No R.L. Stine? No thanks!After college, she took her love of commercial, YA, and middle grade fiction to the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, where she earned a Master of Library and Information Sciences. She worked as a public librarian for years before deciding to move to the business side of publishing. She attended the Columbia Publishing Course, interned at Writers House, and worked at the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York City.She considers herself to be an editorial agent and has industry experience as a copy editor for Yen Press, a division of Hachette Book Group, and the health and parenting website Spright.com. She belongs to the American Copy Editors Society and Bay Area Editors’ Forum and holds a Professional Certificate in Editing from University of California, Berkeley. When editing, she aims to make a book the best possible version of itself, shaping it in a way so it can best use its unique voice to appeal to a wide audience.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Want to know what agents and editors we have for Query Kombat? WE HAVE THIRTY-TWO, AND COUNTING!! There are so many publishing professionals participating, we can’t fit them all on one blog! View one-third of them below, then click on over to Michelle's and Michael’s blogs to see the rest. We’ve got both well-established agents/editors and some newer professionals who are actively seeking to build their lists. Query Kombat 2017 is going to be an AWESOME Kontest.
For more information on how to enter when the window opens, please click here.
Whitley Abell, Inklings Literary AgencyWhitley Abell is an editorial agent, supporting her authors through all stages of the writing and publication process. Her publishing career began as an intern with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency, and she also interned at Inklings Literary Agency before working her way up to agent. She holds a BA in English Literature, and a MAT in Secondary English Education, which means she can tell you everything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards. When she’s not agenting or daylighting as a content manager, she can typically be found slipping down rabbit holes of the literary and fandom varieties.Whitley is currently building her client list and is actively seeking young adult, middle grade, and select commercial fiction. Strong female voices are near and dear to her heart, and she is particularly drawn to fresh retellings, diverse voices, flawed but (usually) well-meaning characters, and parts of the world she’ll likely never see.In commercial fiction, she is drawn to female-centric stories, whether contemporary or historical. She’s looking for psychological thrillers
In young adult and middle grade, her interests are quite broad. She welcomes queries for speculative/sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, romance, historical, thrillers, and horror, and is particularly interested in light-hearted and high-concept contemporary, magical realism that borders on psychological thriller, and dark historical fantasies set at the dawn of the modern age. Number one on her wish list is a best friend break-up story—specifically, a contemporary YA told in the style of The Last 5 Years, or a humorous, heart-filled MG spin on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She has a soft spot for trips abroad, mischief, boy humor, and the goofy guys and devout fangirls of the world.
She is not interested in angels, zombies, werewolves, vampires, dystopian societies, or steampunk.
Stacey Donaghy, Donaghy Literary GroupStacey has always been a voracious reader and a fan of all things writing. She loves discovering new voices and working with her clients to build long term writing careers.
Her journey began with Corvisiero Literary Agency in New York, where she wore many hats from team manager and trainer, to intern, to agent. While at CLA she sold her first two six figure deals.
This coupled with her experience and formal education and training in the areas of Management, Social Services and Adult Education, Stacey brings a wealth of technical and professional experience to the literary world. As a manager in the fields of Education and Training; her roles have included people management, curriculum development, academic editing, marketing, creative design, publishing, proposal writing, contract negotiations, and public speaking. Her training also includes PrincipledNegotiation Techniques as it applies to relationships and contracts.
Donaghy Literary Group opened in 2013 and to date Stacey has sold a total of 9 six figure deals, as well as many other sales in a number of genre areas. Her client projects have been sold to a variety of Publishing Houses such as: Harpercollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group USA, Sourcebooks, Kensington, Entangled and others.Stacey represents NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon Bestselling Authors, as well as Authors who have been nominated or have won awards for various works.
Stacey is currently looking for #Ownvoices works, diverse works, women's fiction, suspense, and romance.
Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson AssociatesJennifer 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 seeking commercial and upmarket fiction, especially thrillers/mysteries/suspense, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, young adult, and middle grade. She is especially interested in the following:Smart, upmarket women’s fiction in the vein of J. Courtney Sullivan or commercial women’s fiction like Emily Giffin’s that subverts common tropesContemporary, realistic young adult with a strong voice and compelling characters (Nina LaCour; Stephanie Perkins; Leila Sales)Literary realistic upper middle grade (COUNTING BY 7s)Thrillers with a literary bent à la Tana French, Megan Abbott, and Robin Wasserman’s GIRLS ON FIRE, with a psychological focus and an unreliable protagonist (SISTER; GONE GIRL), or featuring an antihero/antiheroine (YOU)Contemporary romance that feels fresh, young, and very currentHighly readable but deeply reported books rooted in psychology or sociology that use memorable research to explain why we act and think the way we do (ALL THE SINGLE LADIES; MODERN ROMANCE)Politically minded issue books that put hot-button items like education into a realistic, holistic context or Washington insider narrativesHistory that’s quirky (THE SECRET HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN) or has particular relevance to today’s issues (ON IMMUNITY)Narratives of young, contemporary entrepreneurship (#GIRLBOSS)Books that help you figure out how to do life better (THE HAPPINESS PROJECT; THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP)Chronicles of unique communities like competitive Scrabble playersMiddle grade or young adult nonfiction that reads like a novel, particularly narrative history books about lesser known women or people of colorCookbooks that tell a story about the person writing the book or the food itself, research-based health/diet books with programs that sane people would actually follow, or accessible books about wine or cocktails that strive to make reading about it as fun as drinking itFood memoirs or novels that take the reader behind the scenes in a fresh way like SOUS CHEF–being VIPed at French Laundry is a recurring fantasy of Jennifer’sAll things football and basketball–Jennifer graduated from UT the year Vince Young brought home the National Championship, and her family in Oklahoma City never misses a Thunder gameWorks situated in the classical dance world, indie/alternative music world, contemporary art world, or Hollywood at any point in history–working in the entertainment industry didn’t manage to squelch Jennifer’s enthusiasm for itAnything related to her quirky list of loves: antiques, travel, speech & debate, adaptations, theater, Austin, bridge…Absolutely any sort of book with a strong feminist slantDiverse books and own voices across genresWhen she’s not reading, Jennifer enjoys film, food, and travel. 
Catie Flum, Liza Dawson AssociatesCaitie Flum joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in publishing studies. She interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an editorial assistant then coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club.Caitie is looking for commercial and upmarket fiction with great characters and superb writing, especially historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers of all kinds, romance, and book club fiction. She is open to science fiction and fantasy that crosses over to a young adult market.She is also looking for Middle Grade and Young Adult projects, particularly romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, and contemporary books with diverse characters.In nonfiction, she is looking for narrative nonfiction, especially history that’s impossible to put down, books on pop culture, theater, current events, women’s issues, and humor.Caitie would love to seeA mystery featuring an investigative journalist. Think Rory Gilmore doing her dream jobWomen’s fiction with millennials (THE ASSISTANTS)Historical fiction from perspectives we usually do not see and untold stories (BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY)Multi-POV told from different sibling perspectives. Characters that are lovable and flawed like the BravermansAdult and YA books that feature a child-free MC who doesn’t change her mindLGBQT projects from all genres and age groupsYA SFF, please send me your epics. If it has huge battles, sweeping love stories, and twists and turns (THE CROWN’S GAME, ILLUMINAE)Middle grade projects that have a voice that sounds like a kid, but also has beautiful writing (SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, THE REAL BOY)Any feminist projects, fiction or nonfiction, but the feminism needs to be intersectionalComplex, difficult girls/women as the main character (ALL THE RAGE), characters making decisions readers might not agree withNarrative nonfiction looking at the impact pop culture can have on American culture at large, especially written by diverse voices. 
Jennifer March Soloway, Andrea BrownJennifer represents authors and illustrators of picture book, middle grade, and YA stories, and is actively building her list. Although she specializes in children’s literature, she also represents adult fiction, both literary and commercial, particularly crime, suspense and horror projects.
For picture books, she is drawn to a wide range of stories from silly to sweet, but she always appreciates a strong dose of humor and some kind of surprise at the end. When it comes to middle grade, she likes all kinds of genres, including adventures, mysteries, spooky-but-not-too-scary ghost stories, humor, realistic contemporary and fantasy.
YA is Jennifer’s sweet spot. She is a suspense junkie. She adores action-packed thrillers full of unexpected twists. Throw in a dash of romance, and she’s hooked! She’s a sucker for conspiracy plots where anyone might be a double agent, even the kid next door. She is a huge fan of psychological horror that blurs the lines between the real and the imagined. But as much as she loves a good thriller, she finds her favorite novels are literary stories about ordinary teens, especially those focused on family, relationships, sexuality, mental illness, or addiction. In such stories, she is particularly drawn to a close, confiding first-person narrative. Regardless of genre, she is actively seeking fresh new voices and perspectives underrepresented in literature.
That’s her wish list, but the truth is an author might have something she has never considered before, and it might be absolutely perfect for her. She is open to any good story that is well written with a strong, authentic voice. Surprise her!
Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight AgencyA graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in English with a writing concentration, Melissa began her career as an editor with Harlequin Enterprises. Looking to work with a variety of authors and genres, she joined The Knight Agency in 2008. With over two decades experience in the publishing industry, Melissa has fostered her clients to National prominence including a recent Newbery Honor. She is a member of RWA and AAR. Melissa is currently seeking projects in the following areas: Romance (contemporary, category, historical, inspirational), Women’s Fiction and Mystery.
Patrica Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary AgencyPatricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively building her list.In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction both upmarket and commercial, historical fiction set in the 20th century, and compelling plot-driven literary fiction. She’s also looking for sexy, smart adult contemporary and historical single title romance. On the children’s side, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres of YA and MG, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, science fiction and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.Patricia’s clients include RITA Award-winning and USA Today bestselling romance author Sarina Bowen (Rookie Move, Berkley/Penguin); women’s fiction authors Susan Bishop Crispell (The Secret Ingredient of Wishes, St. Martin’s Press) and Loretta Nyhan (All the Good Parts, Lake Union Publishing); young adult novelists Mary McCoy (Camp So-and-So, Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab), Axie Oh (Rebel Seoul, forthcoming from Tu Books) and Catherine Alene (The Sky Between You and Me, Sourcebooks); and middle grade novelists Kristi Wientge (Karma Khullar’s Mustache, forthcoming from Simon and Schuster Children’s), Hayley Chewins (The Turnaway Girls, forthcoming from Candlewick) and Margaret Dilloway (Momotaro: Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters, Disney-Hyperion), among others.Patricia is a member of SCBWI and RWA. She 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. 
Alisa Gus, Curiosity QuillsThe loquacious female half of the dynamic duo at Whampa and Curiosity Quills. Part time writer, full time dreamer, pirate-in-training.Alisa is looking for alternate history (i.e. Thomas Harlan's Shadow of Ararat or Ian Tregillis's The Mechanical), historical novels (Katie Teller's Kiya novels), upmarket action fantasy (NK Jamisin's The Fifth Season, and Nathan Croft's Homunculus and The Cat), and unique crossover YA (Libba Bray's The Diviners).
Additionally, she is interested in contemporary, sci/fantasy, and historical romance of any heat level, as well as romantic suspense (Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Rebecca Strong's Where Is Mr. Plutin?, and JD Everly's Havelock). And of course, unique thriller suspense in any genre (sci-fi, paranormal, or contemporary) are all welcome!
Connor Goldsmith, Fuse LiteraryConnor Goldsmith is an Agent at Fuse Literary. He began his career in publishing in 2012 at Lowenstein Associates, where he was promoted to Associate Agent in March 2013. He joined Fuse in early 2014 and was promoted to Agent in November 2015. Prior to transitioning into the world of books, he spent a year as a full-time intern and relief assistant in the commercial film and television department at Abrams Artists Agency.Born and raised in New York, Connor lived for a brief stint in the Midwest studying English and the Classics at Oberlin College in Ohio. He is passionate about narrative fiction across all media as a vehicle for social progress, and received a Master’s Degree in Media Studies from The New School for Public Engagement.
Laurie McLean, Fuse LiteraryFounding Partner Laurie McLean spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco.Following her stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency bearing her name, Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She penned three manuscripts before deciding that the life of a literary agent was her destiny. Laurie has been writing professionally since high school–first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent, finally as a novelist. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master’s Degree at Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism.At Fuse Literary, Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade and young adult children’s books. She does not handle non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women’s fiction, nor does she handle children’s picture books or graphic novels.Laurie’s clients include the New York Times and USA Today bestselling YA author Julie Kagawa, bestselling proper romance author Julianne Donaldson, award-winning steampunk and fantasy author Pip Ballantine, and the award-winning Linda Wisdom, who has had more than 100 romance novels published in her career.
Carlisle Webber, Fuse LiteraryCarlisle Webber refused to major in English in college because she didn’t think there was anything fun to read on the required lists. No Stephen King? No R.L. Stine? No thanks!After college, she took her love of commercial, YA, and middle grade fiction to the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, where she earned a Master of Library and Information Sciences. She worked as a public librarian for years before deciding to move to the business side of publishing. She attended the Columbia Publishing Course, interned at Writers House, and worked at the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York City.She considers herself to be an editorial agent and has industry experience as a copy editor for Yen Press, a division of Hachette Book Group, and the health and parenting website Spright.com. She belongs to the American Copy Editors Society and Bay Area Editors’ Forum and holds a Professional Certificate in Editing from University of California, Berkeley. When editing, she aims to make a book the best possible version of itself, shaping it in a way so it can best use its unique voice to appeal to a wide audience.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
May 11, 2017
Query Kombat Judge Nicknames
Since the kontestants get to invent amazing nicknames, naturally the judges want one, too! Plus it lets them vote with more freedom. To recognize our wonderful judges and know the vote is legit, here is a list of the nicknames they have chosen:
Dancing PenguinPolgaraCreature of the SeaBoadiceaBellaThe QuarterbackOuter Space Potato ManThe SarowsNobody of ConsequenceRey RocksPink RangerDirk GentlyThe OutsiderWildflowerMagentaHobbesSailor Sun!Oh at AllCat AttackProfessor McGonagallSilent SirenVera BrittainPiano NinjaSonya BladeMoonstone DragonAnd PeggyLiterary LadyPrecious PlumWriting WandaSpitfireBrimful of AshaVanellope von SchweetzShelby WyattTinkerhornRural JurorGingerUnicorn FrappeIrma PinceLurleen LumpkinAuroraLumpy Space AuthorChief DoodlerJavy BaezMolly MillionsMango TangoIt's fantastically fun to be silly sometimes and our judges had a blast choosing these names. We hope you'll have fun choosing an inventive nickname for your story!And speaking of fun!The chance to chat with our judges is Friday, May 12th and Tuesday, May 23rd!
Join us on the hashtag #QKChat at 3:00 pm EST and 8:00 pm EST to ask questions about the contest and writing in general. You can ask writers who are further along on their journey what submission is like or how they promo or what they said during their call. Just don't ask them to reveal their secret nickname. :-) Remember submission for Query Kombat is just a few days away on Wednesday, May 17th.
Dancing PenguinPolgaraCreature of the SeaBoadiceaBellaThe QuarterbackOuter Space Potato ManThe SarowsNobody of ConsequenceRey RocksPink RangerDirk GentlyThe OutsiderWildflowerMagentaHobbesSailor Sun!Oh at AllCat AttackProfessor McGonagallSilent SirenVera BrittainPiano NinjaSonya BladeMoonstone DragonAnd PeggyLiterary LadyPrecious PlumWriting WandaSpitfireBrimful of AshaVanellope von SchweetzShelby WyattTinkerhornRural JurorGingerUnicorn FrappeIrma PinceLurleen LumpkinAuroraLumpy Space AuthorChief DoodlerJavy BaezMolly MillionsMango TangoIt's fantastically fun to be silly sometimes and our judges had a blast choosing these names. We hope you'll have fun choosing an inventive nickname for your story!And speaking of fun!The chance to chat with our judges is Friday, May 12th and Tuesday, May 23rd!
Join us on the hashtag #QKChat at 3:00 pm EST and 8:00 pm EST to ask questions about the contest and writing in general. You can ask writers who are further along on their journey what submission is like or how they promo or what they said during their call. Just don't ask them to reveal their secret nickname. :-) Remember submission for Query Kombat is just a few days away on Wednesday, May 17th.
Guest Post: Going Deeper: A Few Pointers on Using Deep POV in a Manuscript by Lisa Koosis
In the days leading up to Query Kombat, I'll be featuring guest posts from the judges on a variety of writing topics, from ways to polish your writing to common openings. Check back and follow me on Twitter to stay updated. Today's post is from Lisa Koosis.
Going Deeper: A Few Pointers on Using Deep POV in a Manuscript
I can still remember learning the basics of point of view (POV) back in fourth or fifth grade. We learned the difference between first-person POV and third-person POV, the difference between the all-knowing, all-seeing, godlike narration of third-person omniscient, and the much narrower, third-person limited. I remember learning, albeit more briefly, about the rarely used second-person POV. And that was pretty much it.
As I’ve matured as a writer, I’ve learned that point of view isn’t quite so simple and straightforward. There are other choices to make when considering a point of view for your story. You could go with an unreliable narrator, for instance, or you could head-hop, moving from point of view to point of view of multiple characters at random (I shudder at even the thought). Or maybe, you might like to try deep POV.
So what is Deep POV exactly?Deep POV is a style of narration that erases much of the narrative distance in a story, bringing the reader as close as possible to the POV character. It’s a style of narration that takes the reader directly into the heart and mind of your narrator. Deep POV is a particularly effective technique for creating intimacy and immediacy in a manuscript. And though many people will tell you that this is primarily a technique to use with third-person POV stories, I’d argue that it can also enhance a first-person POV narrative.
How is Deep POV accomplished?There isn’t an instruction manual for creating deep POV. Or maybe there is and I just haven’t seen it. Regardless, one of the great things about deep POV, is that there are some easy ways to take your manuscript deeper without extensive rewriting of scenes.Let’s take a look at a few.
• Eliminate filters. This could arguably be the most important first step when creating a deep POV. But what are filters? Filters (sometimes called markers) are words or phrases that identify how your character is perceiving the world around him/her/them—phrases such as: “he saw,” “I thought,” “she heard,” “they felt,” etc. More often than not, these aren’t needed, and create unnecessary and potentially unwanted distance between reader and character. So instead of saying, “He felt like the whole world had gone crazy,” you would just say something like, “Had the whole world gone crazy?” See the difference? It’s a small change that can have a big impact, not only adding immediacy to your words, but also helping to strengthen voice.
• Internalize. In a deep POV, your character’s thoughts are an integral part of your story—in a way, your character’s thoughts combined with your character’s actions really are the story. In deep POV, we want to feel as close to your character as possible. Better yet, we want to be directly in his/her/their head. Your character’s thoughts can be woven right into the narrative, twined in and through the story’s action, inextricable. And again, remember: no filters! You don’t need the words “I thought” for your reader to understand that that is indeed the case.
• Vocabulary. The vocabulary throughout your narrative should be your character’s vocabulary, not yours. If your character wouldn’t use a particular word, it doesn’t belong in your story when you’re writing in deep POV.
• Account for perspective. One filter you do want to use is that of your POV character’s own perspective and perceptions. Everything your character interacts with—people, places, objects—should reflect his/her/their own experiences and personal history. Think of it this way. Nobody (except maybe a newborn baby) is a blank slate. We all view things through a different lens. Someone who loves the beach will have a different emotional temperature when it comes to sand between their toes than someone who hates the beach.
Or take this example. Three characters interact with a lily. For one, maybe that lily reminds them of the tiger lilies they picked as a child spending summers at a lake house. The second character might have recently lost a loved one, and the lilies bring him, emotionally, right back to the funeral. The third, well perhaps she was a gardener in younger days, taking immense pride in growing prize-winning lilies…until a flood destroyed them all. These three people are going to have very different perspectives on that present-day lily they’re interacting with.
Those perspectives or emotions should color the vocabulary in your narrative. Maybe for the first, nostalgia for a lost childhood might lend your narrative a sweet, slow rhythm. For the second, maybe it might show a shying away from lingering grief. For the third, perhaps regret, or resentment, or maybe anger. Obviously, it depends on your character, but regardless, you should account for such perspectives in your choice of words. Use strong words, emotionally charged words, judgmental words. For example, instead of saying something is “bad” it might be “sucky” (if that’s a word your character would choose).
• Put setting to work. What does setting have to do with deep POV? Well, one good way to go deeper with your POV is to paint the setting through your character. This goes hand-in-hand with perspective. Basically, you never want to simply describe the setting. You always want it to be colored by your POV character’s interactions. For example, rather than stating, “There was a stubborn stain on the countertop of his apartment,” you could say, “He added more cleaner to the scrubbie and tried again to eradicate his nemesis.” (Okay, okay, so that’s a little hokey, but you get the idea.)
• Voice. This is the big one.Think, for a minute, about dialogue. Some of the best advice you’ll hear when writing dialogue is that each character’s dialogue should sound distinct—distinct enough that you should know, without a dialogue tag, who is speaking.
Now take this a step further. When writing deep POV, your whole narrative should sound similar to your POV character’s dialogue. After all, it’s your POV character telling their story, right?
A few things to consider with voice:
Sentence length. Does your character speak in short, choppy sentences…or is he/she/they poetic and wordy? Catch phrases. What words and phrases is your POV character fond of using? Does your character have a penchant for sports metaphors, or does he/she/they use cosmic references to illustrate a point? Culture, education, socio-economic background, age, state of mind, and so on. All of these things influence patterns of speech and thought, and, therefore, voice.• Minimize use of personal pronouns. These would be he, she, they, I, you, them, him, her, me, us, we. I may be missing a few, but you get the idea. This one is pretty self-explanatory. In deep POV, the fewer personal pronouns you use, the better.
That’s not to say that you’re going to eliminate them. Certainly, you’re not going to do that. But if you can cut them down by half, that will go a long way to helping achieve a deeper POV. This is particularly true for first-person POV narratives where that pesky “I” can be quite obnoxious if overused. (For more on that, I highly recommend Chuck Palahniuk's Submerging the 'I' essay.)
Wrapping up.This is, by far, not an exhaustive checklist, but more a place to start if you’d like to explore deep POV. Like so many other things in writing, deep POV is a stylistic choice, and it isn’t always the right choice. If you’re looking for a dreamy, fairytale feeling, deep POV probably isn’t the way to go. On the other hand, if you’re trying to craft an intimate story, one that dives deep into the emotional landscape of your main character…or if you’re revising a manuscript and finding too much of a disconnect in your book, then deep POV may be what you need.
Creating a deeper POV can also be a great writing exercise. One fortunate side effect I’ve found is that these techniques tend to foster outside-the-box thinking. I’ve noticed that working in deep POV engages a more analytical part of my brain, which sometimes adds a little something-something to my writing. (Note: These same techniques are also helpful if you’re struggling with “showing not telling.”)
So go ahead and snuggle up a little closer to your characters. You might be surprised to find out where your new, deeper relationship may lead you all.
In addition to writing novels for young adults, Lisa A. Koosis in a prize-winning short story writer, whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Family Circle, The Poughkeepsie Journal, and the Hugo-nominated Abyss & Apex. Lisa is a member of the SCBWI, an ambassador for National Novel Writing Month, and an active member of her local writing community. She’s also a complete sucker for weird science facts. Her debut YA sci-fi novel, RESURRECTING SUNSHINE, came out in 2016.
Website: http://www.lisakoosis.com/Blog: http://writingonthinice.blogspot.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MidnightZooFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaakoosis/Resurrecting Sunshine Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2q3Kkyg
Going Deeper: A Few Pointers on Using Deep POV in a Manuscript
I can still remember learning the basics of point of view (POV) back in fourth or fifth grade. We learned the difference between first-person POV and third-person POV, the difference between the all-knowing, all-seeing, godlike narration of third-person omniscient, and the much narrower, third-person limited. I remember learning, albeit more briefly, about the rarely used second-person POV. And that was pretty much it.
As I’ve matured as a writer, I’ve learned that point of view isn’t quite so simple and straightforward. There are other choices to make when considering a point of view for your story. You could go with an unreliable narrator, for instance, or you could head-hop, moving from point of view to point of view of multiple characters at random (I shudder at even the thought). Or maybe, you might like to try deep POV.
So what is Deep POV exactly?Deep POV is a style of narration that erases much of the narrative distance in a story, bringing the reader as close as possible to the POV character. It’s a style of narration that takes the reader directly into the heart and mind of your narrator. Deep POV is a particularly effective technique for creating intimacy and immediacy in a manuscript. And though many people will tell you that this is primarily a technique to use with third-person POV stories, I’d argue that it can also enhance a first-person POV narrative.
How is Deep POV accomplished?There isn’t an instruction manual for creating deep POV. Or maybe there is and I just haven’t seen it. Regardless, one of the great things about deep POV, is that there are some easy ways to take your manuscript deeper without extensive rewriting of scenes.Let’s take a look at a few.
• Eliminate filters. This could arguably be the most important first step when creating a deep POV. But what are filters? Filters (sometimes called markers) are words or phrases that identify how your character is perceiving the world around him/her/them—phrases such as: “he saw,” “I thought,” “she heard,” “they felt,” etc. More often than not, these aren’t needed, and create unnecessary and potentially unwanted distance between reader and character. So instead of saying, “He felt like the whole world had gone crazy,” you would just say something like, “Had the whole world gone crazy?” See the difference? It’s a small change that can have a big impact, not only adding immediacy to your words, but also helping to strengthen voice.
• Internalize. In a deep POV, your character’s thoughts are an integral part of your story—in a way, your character’s thoughts combined with your character’s actions really are the story. In deep POV, we want to feel as close to your character as possible. Better yet, we want to be directly in his/her/their head. Your character’s thoughts can be woven right into the narrative, twined in and through the story’s action, inextricable. And again, remember: no filters! You don’t need the words “I thought” for your reader to understand that that is indeed the case.
• Vocabulary. The vocabulary throughout your narrative should be your character’s vocabulary, not yours. If your character wouldn’t use a particular word, it doesn’t belong in your story when you’re writing in deep POV.
• Account for perspective. One filter you do want to use is that of your POV character’s own perspective and perceptions. Everything your character interacts with—people, places, objects—should reflect his/her/their own experiences and personal history. Think of it this way. Nobody (except maybe a newborn baby) is a blank slate. We all view things through a different lens. Someone who loves the beach will have a different emotional temperature when it comes to sand between their toes than someone who hates the beach.
Or take this example. Three characters interact with a lily. For one, maybe that lily reminds them of the tiger lilies they picked as a child spending summers at a lake house. The second character might have recently lost a loved one, and the lilies bring him, emotionally, right back to the funeral. The third, well perhaps she was a gardener in younger days, taking immense pride in growing prize-winning lilies…until a flood destroyed them all. These three people are going to have very different perspectives on that present-day lily they’re interacting with.
Those perspectives or emotions should color the vocabulary in your narrative. Maybe for the first, nostalgia for a lost childhood might lend your narrative a sweet, slow rhythm. For the second, maybe it might show a shying away from lingering grief. For the third, perhaps regret, or resentment, or maybe anger. Obviously, it depends on your character, but regardless, you should account for such perspectives in your choice of words. Use strong words, emotionally charged words, judgmental words. For example, instead of saying something is “bad” it might be “sucky” (if that’s a word your character would choose).
• Put setting to work. What does setting have to do with deep POV? Well, one good way to go deeper with your POV is to paint the setting through your character. This goes hand-in-hand with perspective. Basically, you never want to simply describe the setting. You always want it to be colored by your POV character’s interactions. For example, rather than stating, “There was a stubborn stain on the countertop of his apartment,” you could say, “He added more cleaner to the scrubbie and tried again to eradicate his nemesis.” (Okay, okay, so that’s a little hokey, but you get the idea.)
• Voice. This is the big one.Think, for a minute, about dialogue. Some of the best advice you’ll hear when writing dialogue is that each character’s dialogue should sound distinct—distinct enough that you should know, without a dialogue tag, who is speaking.
Now take this a step further. When writing deep POV, your whole narrative should sound similar to your POV character’s dialogue. After all, it’s your POV character telling their story, right?
A few things to consider with voice:
Sentence length. Does your character speak in short, choppy sentences…or is he/she/they poetic and wordy? Catch phrases. What words and phrases is your POV character fond of using? Does your character have a penchant for sports metaphors, or does he/she/they use cosmic references to illustrate a point? Culture, education, socio-economic background, age, state of mind, and so on. All of these things influence patterns of speech and thought, and, therefore, voice.• Minimize use of personal pronouns. These would be he, she, they, I, you, them, him, her, me, us, we. I may be missing a few, but you get the idea. This one is pretty self-explanatory. In deep POV, the fewer personal pronouns you use, the better.
That’s not to say that you’re going to eliminate them. Certainly, you’re not going to do that. But if you can cut them down by half, that will go a long way to helping achieve a deeper POV. This is particularly true for first-person POV narratives where that pesky “I” can be quite obnoxious if overused. (For more on that, I highly recommend Chuck Palahniuk's Submerging the 'I' essay.)
Wrapping up.This is, by far, not an exhaustive checklist, but more a place to start if you’d like to explore deep POV. Like so many other things in writing, deep POV is a stylistic choice, and it isn’t always the right choice. If you’re looking for a dreamy, fairytale feeling, deep POV probably isn’t the way to go. On the other hand, if you’re trying to craft an intimate story, one that dives deep into the emotional landscape of your main character…or if you’re revising a manuscript and finding too much of a disconnect in your book, then deep POV may be what you need.
Creating a deeper POV can also be a great writing exercise. One fortunate side effect I’ve found is that these techniques tend to foster outside-the-box thinking. I’ve noticed that working in deep POV engages a more analytical part of my brain, which sometimes adds a little something-something to my writing. (Note: These same techniques are also helpful if you’re struggling with “showing not telling.”)
So go ahead and snuggle up a little closer to your characters. You might be surprised to find out where your new, deeper relationship may lead you all.
In addition to writing novels for young adults, Lisa A. Koosis in a prize-winning short story writer, whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Family Circle, The Poughkeepsie Journal, and the Hugo-nominated Abyss & Apex. Lisa is a member of the SCBWI, an ambassador for National Novel Writing Month, and an active member of her local writing community. She’s also a complete sucker for weird science facts. Her debut YA sci-fi novel, RESURRECTING SUNSHINE, came out in 2016.
Website: http://www.lisakoosis.com/Blog: http://writingonthinice.blogspot.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MidnightZooFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaakoosis/Resurrecting Sunshine Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2q3Kkyg
May 10, 2017
Friend (With Benefits) Zone Cover Reveal!
Today, I'm excited to be a part of the cover reveal for FRIEND (with Benefits) Zone by the amazing Laura Brown. I was lucky enough to get to read an advance copy of this book, and it's fantastic. I can't wait to see what Laura comes up with next.
And now.... on to the reveal!
I’m ridiculously attracted to my best friend.
Today is a bad day. The worst actually. After dealing with the constant manhandling that comes with being a cocktail waitress at a dive bar and surviving a date from hell, I see an eviction notice slapped on the door of my sketchy basement apartment. Great.
When my best friend Devon shows up at my door and uses his stubborn charm (emphasis on stubborn) to get me to move in with him, I give in. We’ve had about a million sleepovers since we met in the kindergarten Deaf program, but this time it’s different because I can’t stop thinking about his hard body covering mine, every single night.
I know Devon would do anything for me, but I’m afraid what I want to happen will ruin our friendship forever. And the more time we spend together in close quarters, the harder it’ll be to resist the spark of attraction I’ve always felt. But maybe it’s possible to have the best of both worlds: keep the one relationship I can’t live without and indulge in an attraction I can’t deny.
I guess the only thing we can do is try…
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(Author fun fact: Before you check out the amazing cover, there are two details I absolutely love, be on the lookout for them. One, the model's hands appear to be in motion, almost as if he's signing. Two, my amazing graphic artist managed to add a hearing aid, as Devon himself normally wears two.)
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Available for pre-order at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | and more!
You can also add to your Goodreads list!About the author:
Laura Brown lives in Massachusetts with her quirky abnormal family. Her husband’s put up with her since high school, her young son keeps her on her toes, and her three cats think they deserve more scratches. Hearing loss is a big part of who she is, from her own Hard of Hearing ears, to the characters she creates.Website | Facebook | Twitter
And now.... on to the reveal!
I’m ridiculously attracted to my best friend.
Today is a bad day. The worst actually. After dealing with the constant manhandling that comes with being a cocktail waitress at a dive bar and surviving a date from hell, I see an eviction notice slapped on the door of my sketchy basement apartment. Great.
When my best friend Devon shows up at my door and uses his stubborn charm (emphasis on stubborn) to get me to move in with him, I give in. We’ve had about a million sleepovers since we met in the kindergarten Deaf program, but this time it’s different because I can’t stop thinking about his hard body covering mine, every single night.
I know Devon would do anything for me, but I’m afraid what I want to happen will ruin our friendship forever. And the more time we spend together in close quarters, the harder it’ll be to resist the spark of attraction I’ve always felt. But maybe it’s possible to have the best of both worlds: keep the one relationship I can’t live without and indulge in an attraction I can’t deny.
I guess the only thing we can do is try…
*
*
*
*
*
(Author fun fact: Before you check out the amazing cover, there are two details I absolutely love, be on the lookout for them. One, the model's hands appear to be in motion, almost as if he's signing. Two, my amazing graphic artist managed to add a hearing aid, as Devon himself normally wears two.)
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Available for pre-order at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | and more!
You can also add to your Goodreads list!About the author:
Laura Brown lives in Massachusetts with her quirky abnormal family. Her husband’s put up with her since high school, her young son keeps her on her toes, and her three cats think they deserve more scratches. Hearing loss is a big part of who she is, from her own Hard of Hearing ears, to the characters she creates.Website | Facebook | Twitter
Why You Should Double, Triple, Quadruple Check Before you Enter that Contest
In the days leading up to Query Kombat, I'll be featuring guest posts from the judges on a variety of writing topics, from ways to polish your writing to common openings. Check back and follow me on Twitter to stay updated. Today's post is from K.D. Proctor.
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Why You Should Double, Triple, Quadruple Check Before you Enter that Contest
Confession: I don’t always think things through.
Case in point, the dog we adopted six years ago. We talked about getting a shelter dog. Then these puppies came in. And I told my husband, “Under no uncertain terms are we getting a puppy.” But wouldn't you know it...by some divine intervention, I ended up at the shelter the next day, put down a $20 deposit, called my husband who was none to thrilled I went down there, and the next thing I know, we’re coming home with our dog, Maggie.
The same is true for writing. Case in point? My first manuscript.
I loved that story. I poured my heart and soul into that thing (then again, don’t we all?). Truth be told? It was a hot mess.
It was an action thriller with romantic elements. Back then I thought it was THE BEST MANUSCRIPT EVER WRITTEN. I finished it, did some spot editing, and then I asked people to read it.People = my mom and a few friends.Naturally, they all said the same thing. “Yeah…it’s good!”
I was over the moon. I probably even used the phrase “NAILED IT” one too many times. But I was READY to send this baby out into the world. So, imagine to my surprise when I started to have people outside of my trust circle read this thing and they said the following:
Too much telling, not enough showing.Over written.Boring chapters.Scenes aren’t necessary.Characters aren’t necessary.Word count is WAY too long.
And for every constructive criticism I had a rebuttal. Including my favorite: JK Rowling wrote a book for teenagers that has to be longer than mine—how is that okay and mine isn’t?
(Yep. I used the classic JK Rowling Excuse. Rookie move.)
For those who have been around the block a few times, this all sounds very familiar, right? Classic mistakes that make us smack our foreheads and wonder how in the world we could overlook the basics before we submitted it for contests or query. But if this is your first manuscript that you’re tossing into the query trenches—I am going to ask you to do me one favor before you hit “send” on your e-mail.
Do one final check to make sure your word count, plot/story beats are following the general rules.
Here’s what I see too often from agents, contest hosts, and mentors for various contests:· Word count not aligned with industry standards· Flaws/goals/stakes not clear· Overwritten· Too much telling· Rambles · Doesn’t align with genre
And that’s just a tiny snippet of the stuff I see.
My point is this: I don’t care how long you’ve worked on your manuscript. I don’t care how many CP’s, beta readers, or editors you’ve hired. And I really don’t care if you think your manuscript is unlike any story out there and it will no doubt win everyone ever in an instant.
You MUST make sure your query and manuscript are hitting the basics. Like….
WORD COUNT:While I used my JK Rowling example above, it is important to note that word counts can fluctuate. However, if you’re shooting on the high end of word counts—or exceeding them—you run the risk of rejection because it likely means there will be a lot of pre-editing that needs to happen before your book could go on submission. Guess what? That may be a deal breaker for an agent because they simply don't have the time to invest in that task. My encouragement is to find the “sweet spot” in the middle of the suggested numbers. And like many writing websites, the numbers vary. Some go higher. Some go lower. So, again—shoot for an average. I’m a fan of this article on the Writer’s Digest website that addresses word counts by genre. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post
STARTING IN THE RIGHT SPOT:I’m not going to talk about an opening that hooks you—that’s a given. No, what I want you to double check is that in your first chapter we’re being introduced to the character and what they’re up against. I think authors are getting better about minimalizing the info dump in the opening chapter (from back story, to world building, etc). That first chapter should put us right smack dab in middle of the conflict. Think about your favorite movies or books. Notice how we are put right into the conflict early on (not 7 chapters in)? One of my favorite movies, Mona Lisa Smile, does this well. Catherine is a new teacher at a very conservative college, her dream school. She’s ready to make a difference in the lives of these girls. The first day of class, though, is a disaster and she’s already called into the dean’s office to discuss it. Her conflict is apparent in first 7 minutes of the film. Do that with your writing. Get us in there.
BEATS AND PLOTS (AKA…PACING):Asking you to look at this just days before the window opens for Query Kombat is risky. Your query and first 250 words could be rock solid. But what about words 251 – 85,000? Are they? Is your plot as strong as can be, following the basics in plot and pacing?
There are several workbooks out there that help with the basic craft of plotting. Even if you’re a pantser, your story needs to check the boxes to ensure your story is hitting the plot points every story should have.
Where this gets tricky is that authors confuse the basic craft of plotting with being told that they cannot write what they like. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You can write whatever you want. You can push the envelope. You can twist those tropes into something amazing. But every story, regardless of genre, follows a pattern.
That pattern is a must.
Jami Gold shares a basic outline on her website.
The starting point for the main conflict.Something happens near the mid-point.Another something happens near the ¾ markThe battle at the end, resolving the conflict.
There are minor beats woven into this, of course. These minor beats push our characters towards their goal, and also pull them away. This push/pull is important towards their growth.
You can read more here: http://jamigold.com/2013/09/are-beat-sheets-intimidating-cut-through-the-clutter/
And if you want to download some cool beat sheets in excel, you can find those here: http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/
GARBAGE WORDSListen.I'm in the thick of this right now with my own manuscript as we finish up the final editing pass. Adverbs are my nemesis. Same with starting sentences with "and", "but", "or", "because", etc. And don't even get me started on my use of the word "THAT" or "JUST".
Adverbs are commonly known as the words that end in -ly,
One of my favorite authors, Brighton Walsh, had a great post on garbage words (as well as some other great tips for showing vs telling, dialogue tags, etc). You can find that there: http://www.brightonwalsh.com/catch-all/
I also like this list, too, for common adverbs--not all ending in that pesky -ly, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/A-very-long-list-of-adverbs,-not-all-of-which-end-in--ly.htm
Of course, like the word count and other things I've pointed out today--sometimes adverbs are necessary. Doesn't mean you need to get crazy and chop them all. But it does mean you need to find the right balance between using an adverb (which is often "telling") and choosing words and phrases that "show".
Remember, lists like this are meant to help you be successful.I wish you the best of luck as you put the finishing touches on your manuscript and I hope to read your query and first 250 words during Query Kombat!p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; color: #4787ff; -webkit-text-stroke: #4787ff} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 16.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font: 13.0px Symbol; font-kerning: none} span.s3 {font: 9.0px 'Times New Roman'; font-kerning: none} span.s4 {font: 13.0px Helvetica; font-kerning: none} span.s5 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #4787ff; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #4787ff} span.s6 {font-kerning: none; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #000000} span.s7 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #4787ff}
GOOD LUCK!!
KD Proctor loved college so much that when it came time to graduate, she didn’t want to leave. Trading in her textbooks for student handbooks and policy manuals, she began a career in College Student Personnel and she fulfilled her wish to stay on a college campus forever. Her mother, however, if glad she's finally using that English degree.
KD lives in West Central, Minnesota with her husband and fur-kids. She likes to write fun twists on the usual tropes that we all love. Her characters are smart, funny, and always swoony. And yes. They always get their happily ever after.
Before being accepted for publication, KD's debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), was the 2016 YARWA winner for the New Adult category.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34839486-meet-me-under-the-starsWebsite: http://www.kdproctor.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/kdpwritesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kd_proctor/
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Why You Should Double, Triple, Quadruple Check Before you Enter that Contest
Confession: I don’t always think things through.
Case in point, the dog we adopted six years ago. We talked about getting a shelter dog. Then these puppies came in. And I told my husband, “Under no uncertain terms are we getting a puppy.” But wouldn't you know it...by some divine intervention, I ended up at the shelter the next day, put down a $20 deposit, called my husband who was none to thrilled I went down there, and the next thing I know, we’re coming home with our dog, Maggie.
The same is true for writing. Case in point? My first manuscript.
I loved that story. I poured my heart and soul into that thing (then again, don’t we all?). Truth be told? It was a hot mess.
It was an action thriller with romantic elements. Back then I thought it was THE BEST MANUSCRIPT EVER WRITTEN. I finished it, did some spot editing, and then I asked people to read it.People = my mom and a few friends.Naturally, they all said the same thing. “Yeah…it’s good!”
I was over the moon. I probably even used the phrase “NAILED IT” one too many times. But I was READY to send this baby out into the world. So, imagine to my surprise when I started to have people outside of my trust circle read this thing and they said the following:
Too much telling, not enough showing.Over written.Boring chapters.Scenes aren’t necessary.Characters aren’t necessary.Word count is WAY too long.
And for every constructive criticism I had a rebuttal. Including my favorite: JK Rowling wrote a book for teenagers that has to be longer than mine—how is that okay and mine isn’t?
(Yep. I used the classic JK Rowling Excuse. Rookie move.)
For those who have been around the block a few times, this all sounds very familiar, right? Classic mistakes that make us smack our foreheads and wonder how in the world we could overlook the basics before we submitted it for contests or query. But if this is your first manuscript that you’re tossing into the query trenches—I am going to ask you to do me one favor before you hit “send” on your e-mail.
Do one final check to make sure your word count, plot/story beats are following the general rules.
Here’s what I see too often from agents, contest hosts, and mentors for various contests:· Word count not aligned with industry standards· Flaws/goals/stakes not clear· Overwritten· Too much telling· Rambles · Doesn’t align with genre
And that’s just a tiny snippet of the stuff I see.
My point is this: I don’t care how long you’ve worked on your manuscript. I don’t care how many CP’s, beta readers, or editors you’ve hired. And I really don’t care if you think your manuscript is unlike any story out there and it will no doubt win everyone ever in an instant.
You MUST make sure your query and manuscript are hitting the basics. Like….
WORD COUNT:While I used my JK Rowling example above, it is important to note that word counts can fluctuate. However, if you’re shooting on the high end of word counts—or exceeding them—you run the risk of rejection because it likely means there will be a lot of pre-editing that needs to happen before your book could go on submission. Guess what? That may be a deal breaker for an agent because they simply don't have the time to invest in that task. My encouragement is to find the “sweet spot” in the middle of the suggested numbers. And like many writing websites, the numbers vary. Some go higher. Some go lower. So, again—shoot for an average. I’m a fan of this article on the Writer’s Digest website that addresses word counts by genre. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post
STARTING IN THE RIGHT SPOT:I’m not going to talk about an opening that hooks you—that’s a given. No, what I want you to double check is that in your first chapter we’re being introduced to the character and what they’re up against. I think authors are getting better about minimalizing the info dump in the opening chapter (from back story, to world building, etc). That first chapter should put us right smack dab in middle of the conflict. Think about your favorite movies or books. Notice how we are put right into the conflict early on (not 7 chapters in)? One of my favorite movies, Mona Lisa Smile, does this well. Catherine is a new teacher at a very conservative college, her dream school. She’s ready to make a difference in the lives of these girls. The first day of class, though, is a disaster and she’s already called into the dean’s office to discuss it. Her conflict is apparent in first 7 minutes of the film. Do that with your writing. Get us in there.
BEATS AND PLOTS (AKA…PACING):Asking you to look at this just days before the window opens for Query Kombat is risky. Your query and first 250 words could be rock solid. But what about words 251 – 85,000? Are they? Is your plot as strong as can be, following the basics in plot and pacing?
There are several workbooks out there that help with the basic craft of plotting. Even if you’re a pantser, your story needs to check the boxes to ensure your story is hitting the plot points every story should have.
Where this gets tricky is that authors confuse the basic craft of plotting with being told that they cannot write what they like. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You can write whatever you want. You can push the envelope. You can twist those tropes into something amazing. But every story, regardless of genre, follows a pattern.
That pattern is a must.
Jami Gold shares a basic outline on her website.
The starting point for the main conflict.Something happens near the mid-point.Another something happens near the ¾ markThe battle at the end, resolving the conflict.
There are minor beats woven into this, of course. These minor beats push our characters towards their goal, and also pull them away. This push/pull is important towards their growth.
You can read more here: http://jamigold.com/2013/09/are-beat-sheets-intimidating-cut-through-the-clutter/
And if you want to download some cool beat sheets in excel, you can find those here: http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/
GARBAGE WORDSListen.I'm in the thick of this right now with my own manuscript as we finish up the final editing pass. Adverbs are my nemesis. Same with starting sentences with "and", "but", "or", "because", etc. And don't even get me started on my use of the word "THAT" or "JUST".
Adverbs are commonly known as the words that end in -ly,
One of my favorite authors, Brighton Walsh, had a great post on garbage words (as well as some other great tips for showing vs telling, dialogue tags, etc). You can find that there: http://www.brightonwalsh.com/catch-all/
I also like this list, too, for common adverbs--not all ending in that pesky -ly, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/A-very-long-list-of-adverbs,-not-all-of-which-end-in--ly.htm
Of course, like the word count and other things I've pointed out today--sometimes adverbs are necessary. Doesn't mean you need to get crazy and chop them all. But it does mean you need to find the right balance between using an adverb (which is often "telling") and choosing words and phrases that "show".
Remember, lists like this are meant to help you be successful.I wish you the best of luck as you put the finishing touches on your manuscript and I hope to read your query and first 250 words during Query Kombat!p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; color: #4787ff; -webkit-text-stroke: #4787ff} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 16.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font: 13.0px Symbol; font-kerning: none} span.s3 {font: 9.0px 'Times New Roman'; font-kerning: none} span.s4 {font: 13.0px Helvetica; font-kerning: none} span.s5 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #4787ff; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #4787ff} span.s6 {font-kerning: none; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #000000} span.s7 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #4787ff}
GOOD LUCK!!
KD Proctor loved college so much that when it came time to graduate, she didn’t want to leave. Trading in her textbooks for student handbooks and policy manuals, she began a career in College Student Personnel and she fulfilled her wish to stay on a college campus forever. Her mother, however, if glad she's finally using that English degree. KD lives in West Central, Minnesota with her husband and fur-kids. She likes to write fun twists on the usual tropes that we all love. Her characters are smart, funny, and always swoony. And yes. They always get their happily ever after.
Before being accepted for publication, KD's debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), was the 2016 YARWA winner for the New Adult category.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34839486-meet-me-under-the-starsWebsite: http://www.kdproctor.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/kdpwritesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kd_proctor/
May 9, 2017
Becoming Bonnie Release Day Blitz and Giveaway!
Today, I'm excited to be able to participate in the release day blitz for Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L. Walsh. Historical fiction fans, you're in for a treat!
Book Summary
From debut historical novelist Jenni L. Walsh comes the untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo.
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's.
Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, and embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—Bonnie tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash.
She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.
Few details are known about Bonnie's life prior to meeting her infamous partner. InBecoming Bonnie, Jenni L. Walsh shows a young woman promised the American dream and given the Great Depression, and offers a compelling account of why she fell so hard for a convicted felon—and turned to crime herself.
Check out this excerpt!
Bio
Jenni L. Walsh spent her early years chasing around cats, dogs, and chickens in Philadelphia's countryside, before dividing time between a soccer field and a classroom at Villanova University. She put her marketing degree to good use as an advertising copywriter, zip-code hopping with her husband to DC, NYC, NJ, and not surprisingly, back to Philly. There, Jenni's passion for words continued, adding author to her resume. She now balances her laptop with a kid on each hip, and a four-legged child at her feet. Becoming Bonnie is her first novel.
Please learn more about Jenni and her books at jennilwalsh.com.
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qaFQsH
Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-bonnie-jenni-walsh/1124483106
iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/becoming-bonnie/id1171071056?mt=11
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
Social Media Links
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennilwalsh
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenni.l.walsh
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/jennilwalsh
And check out the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Summary
From debut historical novelist Jenni L. Walsh comes the untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo.
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's.Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, and embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—Bonnie tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash.
She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.
Few details are known about Bonnie's life prior to meeting her infamous partner. InBecoming Bonnie, Jenni L. Walsh shows a young woman promised the American dream and given the Great Depression, and offers a compelling account of why she fell so hard for a convicted felon—and turned to crime herself.
Check out this excerpt!
Bio
Jenni L. Walsh spent her early years chasing around cats, dogs, and chickens in Philadelphia's countryside, before dividing time between a soccer field and a classroom at Villanova University. She put her marketing degree to good use as an advertising copywriter, zip-code hopping with her husband to DC, NYC, NJ, and not surprisingly, back to Philly. There, Jenni's passion for words continued, adding author to her resume. She now balances her laptop with a kid on each hip, and a four-legged child at her feet. Becoming Bonnie is her first novel.Please learn more about Jenni and her books at jennilwalsh.com.
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qaFQsH
Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-bonnie-jenni-walsh/1124483106
iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/becoming-bonnie/id1171071056?mt=11
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
Social Media Links
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennilwalsh
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenni.l.walsh
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/jennilwalsh
And check out the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A Query Kombat Surprise
The QK Crew has a spectacular surprise for our Query Kombat hopefuls!
With an estimated 300+ people joining in on the fun this year, we figured we needed a place to bring together our agents, editors, industry professionals, and kombatants. Not only that, but we wanted a place for entrants who don't make it into the tournament to find advice, friends, and support.
So, if you plan on entering the tournament or just rooting for your favorite entry, join us in our new forum. There's also a place to get feedback on your query and first 250. And who knows who might reply to your post!
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Remember: Forums are open to the public, and agents/contest hosts/PitchWars mentors will be watching. Please give other posters the same respect and consideration you’d want them to give you.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #801b80; -webkit-text-stroke: #801b80} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Final note: Sincerest apologies for the lack of non-typical gender options when creating a profile in our forum. Proboards hasn't quite gotten with the times. I've put a bug in their ear. Hopefully this time next year, the login in process will be more inclusive. After creating your profile, to hide the gender from your posts, go to Profile -> Edit Profile -> Privacy -> Gender Visibility.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
With an estimated 300+ people joining in on the fun this year, we figured we needed a place to bring together our agents, editors, industry professionals, and kombatants. Not only that, but we wanted a place for entrants who don't make it into the tournament to find advice, friends, and support.
So, if you plan on entering the tournament or just rooting for your favorite entry, join us in our new forum. There's also a place to get feedback on your query and first 250. And who knows who might reply to your post!
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Remember: Forums are open to the public, and agents/contest hosts/PitchWars mentors will be watching. Please give other posters the same respect and consideration you’d want them to give you.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #801b80; -webkit-text-stroke: #801b80} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Final note: Sincerest apologies for the lack of non-typical gender options when creating a profile in our forum. Proboards hasn't quite gotten with the times. I've put a bug in their ear. Hopefully this time next year, the login in process will be more inclusive. After creating your profile, to hide the gender from your posts, go to Profile -> Edit Profile -> Privacy -> Gender Visibility.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
May 8, 2017
Guest Post: Great Expectations: Starting your story in the right place
In the days leading up to Query Kombat, I'll be featuring guest posts from the judges on a variety of writing topics, from ways to polish your writing to common openings. Check back and follow me on Twitter to stay updated. Today's post is from Kelly DeVos.
Great Expectations: Starting your story in the right place
As a writer, one of the most difficult things to do can be to decide on the right moment to begin your story. Crafting a great first page is really tough. For me personally, the first ten pages or so are the pages I tend to edit the most as I revise.
In order to help get ready for Query Kombat, let’s talk a bit about great beginnings.
Why It MattersThe first page is the writer’s chance to really hook the reader. Ideally, the opening paragraphs make the reader want to keep going, keep reading and buy the book. For a writer seeking an agent, the stakes are even higher. For agents, the first 5-10 pages might be all they read before deciding to pass. Agents actively accepting submissions can receive around 3,000 queries per month, so the pressure is really on to make your opening special and unique.
What NOT to doIdeally, querying writers should try to avoid common, overdone scenarios in their opening pages. In Young Adult literature, very common openers include:- Moving day (characters saying goodbye to friends, leaving home, etc.)- Summer of Hell (all the MC’s friends are doing cool things, MC is massaging Grandma’s bunions)- Character Catalogue (a rundown of the cast of characters at the MC’s school or an introduction to the MC’s family). I’d also note that many of these scenes begin in the school lunch room.- New Kid or First Day in a New Place- Dead parents (parents immediately die or the MC is adjusting to their death)
In Adult Literature, I’d definitely recommend avoiding a few things:- Info dumping intros. This is probably the most commonplace issue with unpublished manuscripts I’ve personally read. Here, the writer directly tells the reader a bunch of information at the start of the story.- A character waking up or starting the day- A character thinking about their own appearance or looking in the mirror- Dialogue that’s difficult to follow- False beginnings (character is in a dream or dead, etc.)- Ungrounded action (things happening that the reader doesn’t yet care about)
Now, this is not to say that you absolutely can’t open your story with a common scenario. I recently read ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen McManus. It has a Breakfast Club-type opening that would qualify as a bit of a Character Catalog in that it presents its full cast as they meet in detention during the first chapter. But it’s done in such a way that it hooked me and made me want to solve the novel’s main mystery. Likewise, THE LOVELY BONES is an epically good book that has a dead narrator. Sarah Dessen’s WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE opens with the main character, McLean, arriving in a new town following her family’s move.
But making the choice to use a common opener can really be a competitive disadvantage. I think of agents a lot like ice skating judges who score all the different parts of a skater’s program. I imagine agents judging manuscripts and assigning points based on things like originality, voice, characterization, etc. When you start with a type of opening scene that has been done to death, you essentially get a zero score for originality and then you are relying on other elements of the MS to carry you to a full request. Your rather cliché starter could also lead agents to conclude that you haven’t widely read within your category or genre and aren’t up to date on current books.
To Prologue or not to PrologueFor the sake of contests, like Query Kombat or PitchWars, I would recommend against including a prologue. Online contests are typically every limited in the number of words you can have as part of your entry and using them to show a judge or agent something that may or may not advance the main narrative is not the best idea. At conferences and in online interviews, I very often see agents say that they dislike prologues which they have come to associate with unpolished writing. Overall, I would again worry that using a prologue puts you at a competitive disadvantage. If you have your heart set on one, make it both the best ever and utterly essential to the hooking the reader.
Consider ThisThe best advice I ever received on starting in the right place was from my creative writing professor who said to think a lot about how people tell stories and communicate in person. He had a prompt that was something like, “Last night my roommate drove her car into a swimming pool,” and then had the class ask follow up questions. People asked stuff like, “Is your roommate okay?” or “Was the car destroyed?” or “Why did she do that?” Nobody asked for details like how long the two people had been living together, where the roommate was from, how old she was, what she was wearing, etc. Yet this same professor was constantly pointing out that, when writing, we were often dumping that kind of information into the opening pages of our work. The right approach, he said, was to introduce details and backstory when they became necessary, interesting and relevant.
How you know you got it rightSend a small sample of your MS, ideally the first chapter or first 10 pages, to a couple of honest critique partners or good readers. Do they ask to see more? Do they want to know what happens next? Did you hook them? If so, then chances are, your opening is pretty strong.
But make sure your full manuscript is as polished as your opening pagesThis is a big one because I know from my own past experience that there were times when I had worked on the first 30 pages of a manuscripts until I almost couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore but didn’t spend as much time on the rest of the book. Nothing is more heartbreaking than getting lots of requests, thanks to strong opening pages, and then having the requests turn to rejections. If you have the funds, I definitely recommend investing in a good developmental editor. If not, find great critique partners and polish up those full drafts.
Good luck with those first pages and may the Query Kombat odds be ever in your favor!
About Kelly deVos
A third generation native Arizonan, Kelly deVos can tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about cactus, cattle and climate. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. Her debut novel, FAT GIRL ON A PLANE, will be published in 2018 by Harlequin Teen and her work has been featured in Normal Noise and 202 Magazine.Blog | Twitter | Instagram
FAT GIRL ON A PLANE
Goodreads|Amazon| B&N| Book Depository | Indigo
Great Expectations: Starting your story in the right place
As a writer, one of the most difficult things to do can be to decide on the right moment to begin your story. Crafting a great first page is really tough. For me personally, the first ten pages or so are the pages I tend to edit the most as I revise.
In order to help get ready for Query Kombat, let’s talk a bit about great beginnings.
Why It MattersThe first page is the writer’s chance to really hook the reader. Ideally, the opening paragraphs make the reader want to keep going, keep reading and buy the book. For a writer seeking an agent, the stakes are even higher. For agents, the first 5-10 pages might be all they read before deciding to pass. Agents actively accepting submissions can receive around 3,000 queries per month, so the pressure is really on to make your opening special and unique.
What NOT to doIdeally, querying writers should try to avoid common, overdone scenarios in their opening pages. In Young Adult literature, very common openers include:- Moving day (characters saying goodbye to friends, leaving home, etc.)- Summer of Hell (all the MC’s friends are doing cool things, MC is massaging Grandma’s bunions)- Character Catalogue (a rundown of the cast of characters at the MC’s school or an introduction to the MC’s family). I’d also note that many of these scenes begin in the school lunch room.- New Kid or First Day in a New Place- Dead parents (parents immediately die or the MC is adjusting to their death)
In Adult Literature, I’d definitely recommend avoiding a few things:- Info dumping intros. This is probably the most commonplace issue with unpublished manuscripts I’ve personally read. Here, the writer directly tells the reader a bunch of information at the start of the story.- A character waking up or starting the day- A character thinking about their own appearance or looking in the mirror- Dialogue that’s difficult to follow- False beginnings (character is in a dream or dead, etc.)- Ungrounded action (things happening that the reader doesn’t yet care about)
Now, this is not to say that you absolutely can’t open your story with a common scenario. I recently read ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen McManus. It has a Breakfast Club-type opening that would qualify as a bit of a Character Catalog in that it presents its full cast as they meet in detention during the first chapter. But it’s done in such a way that it hooked me and made me want to solve the novel’s main mystery. Likewise, THE LOVELY BONES is an epically good book that has a dead narrator. Sarah Dessen’s WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE opens with the main character, McLean, arriving in a new town following her family’s move.
But making the choice to use a common opener can really be a competitive disadvantage. I think of agents a lot like ice skating judges who score all the different parts of a skater’s program. I imagine agents judging manuscripts and assigning points based on things like originality, voice, characterization, etc. When you start with a type of opening scene that has been done to death, you essentially get a zero score for originality and then you are relying on other elements of the MS to carry you to a full request. Your rather cliché starter could also lead agents to conclude that you haven’t widely read within your category or genre and aren’t up to date on current books.
To Prologue or not to PrologueFor the sake of contests, like Query Kombat or PitchWars, I would recommend against including a prologue. Online contests are typically every limited in the number of words you can have as part of your entry and using them to show a judge or agent something that may or may not advance the main narrative is not the best idea. At conferences and in online interviews, I very often see agents say that they dislike prologues which they have come to associate with unpolished writing. Overall, I would again worry that using a prologue puts you at a competitive disadvantage. If you have your heart set on one, make it both the best ever and utterly essential to the hooking the reader.
Consider ThisThe best advice I ever received on starting in the right place was from my creative writing professor who said to think a lot about how people tell stories and communicate in person. He had a prompt that was something like, “Last night my roommate drove her car into a swimming pool,” and then had the class ask follow up questions. People asked stuff like, “Is your roommate okay?” or “Was the car destroyed?” or “Why did she do that?” Nobody asked for details like how long the two people had been living together, where the roommate was from, how old she was, what she was wearing, etc. Yet this same professor was constantly pointing out that, when writing, we were often dumping that kind of information into the opening pages of our work. The right approach, he said, was to introduce details and backstory when they became necessary, interesting and relevant.
How you know you got it rightSend a small sample of your MS, ideally the first chapter or first 10 pages, to a couple of honest critique partners or good readers. Do they ask to see more? Do they want to know what happens next? Did you hook them? If so, then chances are, your opening is pretty strong.
But make sure your full manuscript is as polished as your opening pagesThis is a big one because I know from my own past experience that there were times when I had worked on the first 30 pages of a manuscripts until I almost couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore but didn’t spend as much time on the rest of the book. Nothing is more heartbreaking than getting lots of requests, thanks to strong opening pages, and then having the requests turn to rejections. If you have the funds, I definitely recommend investing in a good developmental editor. If not, find great critique partners and polish up those full drafts.
Good luck with those first pages and may the Query Kombat odds be ever in your favor!
About Kelly deVos
A third generation native Arizonan, Kelly deVos can tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about cactus, cattle and climate. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. Her debut novel, FAT GIRL ON A PLANE, will be published in 2018 by Harlequin Teen and her work has been featured in Normal Noise and 202 Magazine.Blog | Twitter | InstagramFAT GIRL ON A PLANE
Goodreads|Amazon| B&N| Book Depository | Indigo
May 5, 2017
Meet the 2017 Query Kombat judges!
Time for our AMAZING lineup of judges for this year's Query Kombat tournament. Many of them were contestants in prior contests. We've worked hard to find authors that form a diverse group of opinions, talents, and specialties from all categories and genres.
Query Kombat would not be possible without the wonderful people who donate their time to help. For this month-long contest, we've recruited forty-five industry professionals to critique entries and vote for a winner of each matchup. Each and every one of these judges is participating out of the kindness of their heart, so please join the QK Crew in thanking them for volunteering.
THANK YOU!
Remember that the best way to thank judges for their time is to buy their books. Michelle has compiled a Goodreads list to make finding the judges' books easier, and they’ve written some great stuff. Also be sure to follow the judges on Twitter.
On Friday, May 12th, we'll be hosting a Twitter party where writers can reach out to the judges and ask questions about their entries, writing, querying, etc. Join us at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST. The hashtag will be #QKChat.
We'll have a second chat to calm raw nerves on May 23rd at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
There are so many judges this year, we're breaking the bios down across all three host blogs. Go here to see them all: Mike, Laura, and Michelle. For a rule refresher, click here.
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Now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce one set of judges for Query Kombat 2017.
Betsy Aldredge
Betsy Aldredge is the co-author (with Carrie DuBois-Shaw) of the upcoming YA romance, "Sasquatch, Love, and Imaginary Things" (Simon Pulse, August 8, 2017), which has been called "the most hilarious, charming, feminist Sasquatch-hunting book ever to grace a bookshelf," by author Alison Cherry and “a delightfully quirky and hilarious debut,” by Darcy Woods. A retelling of Pride and Prejudice, focusing on a family of Jewish Bigfoot hunters, SASQUATCH was the Grand Champion of Query Kombat in 2014.
Website: www.betsyandcarrie.com Twitter www.twitter.com/@BetsyAldredge
Blog: bookwildered.blogspot.com
To Preorder: Amazon or B&N
Roselle LimRoselle is a Chinese-Filipino writer who weaves contemporary fairytales sprinkled with magical realism. She is repped by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.
Website: www.rosellelim.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/@rosellewriter
Jessica always thought her penmanship would improve with age. She even wished for it on her eleventh birthday. To improve her legibility and speed, she hijacked her grandma’s typewriter—a really cool one with white correction tape—and started creating fictional worlds.
That same grandma took Jessica to her first writers’ group meeting where she shared a story about fairies. The writing sucked, but with time, her craft began to improve. Sadly, her penmanship has not.
Today she writes Contemporary and Speculative Fiction for Young Adults. Story ideas often strike at inopportune times, and she’s been known to text herself reminders from under the covers.
Her debut novel, BODY PARTS, comes out August 15, 2017.
To Preorder: Amazon or BN
Website: www.jessicakapp.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicakapp/Twitter: www.twitter.com/@JessKapp
Kaitlin HundscheidKaitlin is an Earl Grey junkie in the land of sweet tea. After devouring the complete works of Lucy Maud Montgomery during a nasty bout of childhood flu, she was convinced she’d been born in the wrong era and started writing to escape her mundane, eight-year-old life. Kaitlin is nw a middle grade writer in Birmingham, Alabama, currently learning how to juggle revisions, a newborn, and a bossy corgi. She is an alumna of ’15 Query Kombat and ‘16 Pitch Wars and is represented by Catherine Drayton of InkWell Management.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@khundscheid
Website: kaitlinhundscheid.wordpress.com
Elizabeth Roderick
Elizabeth is a freelance editor and the author of the LGBT romantic suspense novel, Love or Money, and the Own Voices magical realism The Other Place Series, which deals with abuse, addiction, PTSD, and psychosis. She has written eleven other novels in a wide range of genres, which are in various stages of revision and pitching.
She grew up as a barefoot ruffian on a fruit orchard near Yakima, in the eastern part of Washington State. After weathering the grunge revolution and devolution and migrating up and down the West Coast, she is back in Yakima, where she lives in a (mostly) off-grid tiny house she renovated and built herself, and grows most of her own food.
She earned a bachelor's degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and worked for many years as a paralegal and translator. She is a musician and songwriter, and has played in many bands, rocking some instruments she doesn't even know the real names for, but mostly guitar, bass and keyboards.
Elizabeth is a mentally ill advocate, and believes if people get to know those who live on the fringes of society, both in stories and in real life, they'll find them more likeable than they originally thought.
Find her on: Amazon I Goodreads I Twitter I Facebook I Website I
Natasha RaulersonNatasha grew up as a tomboy hanging with the guys, getting skinned knees, and swimming in the South Florida sun. Tattoos, Jack Daniels, and books are three of her favorite things. By day, she’s a fulltime mom, wife, student, and author. By night, well she’s still all those things, often sacrificing sleep to create stories, hang with the family, and get snuggle attacks from her two spoiled pups. She is represented by the amazing Laura Bradford of The Bradford Literary Agency.
Website I Twitter I Facebook
Nia is a YA and Adult SFF writer represented by Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates. She is an alumni of the University of Southern California (Fight On!) and the University of Texas. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology and graduate degrees in Public Health and Teaching. By day she teaches English and Biology, by night she writes strong, kickass heroines who are perfectly capable of saving themselves, and by way of dreams she is the Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, sailing to Westeros to seize the Iron Throne. Hey, a girl can daydream right?
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@nia_davenport
Dan KoboldtDan is a fantasy/science fiction writer and the author of the
Gateways to Alissia
series with Harper Voyager. As a genetics researcher, he has co-authored more than 70 publications in Nature, Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and other scientific journals. His Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series tackles scientific, technical, and historical elements of SF/F with input from experts in the field.
Dan is also an avid deer hunter and outdoorsman. He lives with his wife and children in Ohio, where the deer take their revenge by eating the flowers in his backyard. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.
To Buy: Amazon or B&N
Isabel Davis is a Young Adult writer represented by Mary Moore of Kimberly Cameron & Associates. She majored in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida, and currently runs her letterpress and stationery company, 9th Letter Press, where she gets to write and design greeting cards for a living. In 2015, Isabel was a Pitch Wars mentee, and the following year she joined as a mentor. Her 2016 mentee went on to land an agent with her PW manuscript.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@isabel9thLP
Website: www.IsabelIbanezDavis.com
Michael Mammay is a soldier and a science fiction writer. He usually writes about soldiers. Go figure. He will soon be retiring from the military and beginning a second career as a literature teacher. He's represented by Lisa Rodgers of JABberwocky literary. You can find him on twitter (way too often) @michaelmammay, or visit his website at michaelmammay.com.
KD Proctor
KD Proctor loved college so much that when it came time to graduate, she didn’t want to leave. Trading in her textbooks for student handbooks and policy manuals, she began a career in College Student Personnel and she fulfilled her wish to stay on a college campus forever. Her mother, however, if glad she's finally using that English degree.
KD lives in West Central, Minnesota with her husband and fur-kids. She likes to write fun twists on the usual tropes that we all love. Her characters are smart, funny, and always swoony. And yes. They always get their happily ever after.
Before being accepted for publication, KD's debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), was the 2016 YARWA winner for the New Adult category.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34839486-meet-me-under-the-starsWebsite: http://www.kdproctor.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/kdpwritesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kd_proctor/
Mara FrischMara is a middle grade writer and former nonprofit director.Her debut novel, Seeing My Sister, is currently out on submission. Mara is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group and is proud to be a Sun vs. Snow alum. Mara received her bachelor’s of arts in psychology and speech communications from Miami University of Ohio. She has her master’s in education with a concentration in middle childhood and literacy from University of Cincinnati. When not writing, Mara enjoys hiking in the mountains of Israel, flying on trapezes, and eating dried mangoes. She currently lives in Jerusalem, Israel. Twitter: www.twitter.com/@marajillfWebsite: marajillfrisch.wordpress.com
Schari Schwarz
Shari lives in Ft. Collins, Colorado with her husband and their four boys. TREASURE AT LURE LAKE is her debut middle grade novel which reflects her love for a good survival adventure story. When she’s not reading or writing, Shari can be found freelance editing, weight-lifting, gardening or watching her boys play various sports. She frequently daydreams of exploring Oregon Coast beaches or plotting out her next children’s book.
Website: sharischwarz.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/@sharischwarzBuy: Amazon or BN
Amy Trueblood A devotee of reading and writing from a very young age, Amy grew up surrounded by books. After stints working in entertainment and advertising, she began writing her first manuscript and has never looked back. Her published work has appeared in The Fall and Summer's Edge short story collections as well as Pen & Muses' first Dark Carnival collection. To learn more about Amy, check out her blog, Chasing The Crazies, or follow her on Twitter or Tumblr.
Max WirestoneMax Wirestone is the writer of the Dahlia Moss mystery series-- the most recent of which, ASTONISHING MISTAKES, came out in March. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his husband, his son, a very old dog, and more books than a reasonable person should own.
Check out his website maxwirestone.com or follow him on twitter at @maxwires.
Buy: Amazon or BN
Remember to check out Mike's blog and Michelle's blog to see the other two-thirds of the judges! It's going to be a great contest this year. I can't wait to get started.
The agents will be revealed next Friday. And I'll have judge guest blogs going up until the sub window opens on May 17. Get more information about the contest here.
Query Kombat would not be possible without the wonderful people who donate their time to help. For this month-long contest, we've recruited forty-five industry professionals to critique entries and vote for a winner of each matchup. Each and every one of these judges is participating out of the kindness of their heart, so please join the QK Crew in thanking them for volunteering.
THANK YOU!
Remember that the best way to thank judges for their time is to buy their books. Michelle has compiled a Goodreads list to make finding the judges' books easier, and they’ve written some great stuff. Also be sure to follow the judges on Twitter.
On Friday, May 12th, we'll be hosting a Twitter party where writers can reach out to the judges and ask questions about their entries, writing, querying, etc. Join us at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST. The hashtag will be #QKChat.
We'll have a second chat to calm raw nerves on May 23rd at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
There are so many judges this year, we're breaking the bios down across all three host blogs. Go here to see them all: Mike, Laura, and Michelle. For a rule refresher, click here.
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Now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce one set of judges for Query Kombat 2017.
Betsy Aldredge
Betsy Aldredge is the co-author (with Carrie DuBois-Shaw) of the upcoming YA romance, "Sasquatch, Love, and Imaginary Things" (Simon Pulse, August 8, 2017), which has been called "the most hilarious, charming, feminist Sasquatch-hunting book ever to grace a bookshelf," by author Alison Cherry and “a delightfully quirky and hilarious debut,” by Darcy Woods. A retelling of Pride and Prejudice, focusing on a family of Jewish Bigfoot hunters, SASQUATCH was the Grand Champion of Query Kombat in 2014. Website: www.betsyandcarrie.com Twitter www.twitter.com/@BetsyAldredge
Blog: bookwildered.blogspot.com
To Preorder: Amazon or B&N
Roselle LimRoselle is a Chinese-Filipino writer who weaves contemporary fairytales sprinkled with magical realism. She is repped by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.Website: www.rosellelim.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/@rosellewriter
Jessica always thought her penmanship would improve with age. She even wished for it on her eleventh birthday. To improve her legibility and speed, she hijacked her grandma’s typewriter—a really cool one with white correction tape—and started creating fictional worlds.
That same grandma took Jessica to her first writers’ group meeting where she shared a story about fairies. The writing sucked, but with time, her craft began to improve. Sadly, her penmanship has not.
Today she writes Contemporary and Speculative Fiction for Young Adults. Story ideas often strike at inopportune times, and she’s been known to text herself reminders from under the covers.
Her debut novel, BODY PARTS, comes out August 15, 2017.
To Preorder: Amazon or BN
Website: www.jessicakapp.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicakapp/Twitter: www.twitter.com/@JessKapp
Kaitlin HundscheidKaitlin is an Earl Grey junkie in the land of sweet tea. After devouring the complete works of Lucy Maud Montgomery during a nasty bout of childhood flu, she was convinced she’d been born in the wrong era and started writing to escape her mundane, eight-year-old life. Kaitlin is nw a middle grade writer in Birmingham, Alabama, currently learning how to juggle revisions, a newborn, and a bossy corgi. She is an alumna of ’15 Query Kombat and ‘16 Pitch Wars and is represented by Catherine Drayton of InkWell Management. Twitter: www.twitter.com/@khundscheid
Website: kaitlinhundscheid.wordpress.com
Elizabeth RoderickElizabeth is a freelance editor and the author of the LGBT romantic suspense novel, Love or Money, and the Own Voices magical realism The Other Place Series, which deals with abuse, addiction, PTSD, and psychosis. She has written eleven other novels in a wide range of genres, which are in various stages of revision and pitching.
She grew up as a barefoot ruffian on a fruit orchard near Yakima, in the eastern part of Washington State. After weathering the grunge revolution and devolution and migrating up and down the West Coast, she is back in Yakima, where she lives in a (mostly) off-grid tiny house she renovated and built herself, and grows most of her own food.
She earned a bachelor's degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and worked for many years as a paralegal and translator. She is a musician and songwriter, and has played in many bands, rocking some instruments she doesn't even know the real names for, but mostly guitar, bass and keyboards. Elizabeth is a mentally ill advocate, and believes if people get to know those who live on the fringes of society, both in stories and in real life, they'll find them more likeable than they originally thought.
Find her on: Amazon I Goodreads I Twitter I Facebook I Website I
Natasha RaulersonNatasha grew up as a tomboy hanging with the guys, getting skinned knees, and swimming in the South Florida sun. Tattoos, Jack Daniels, and books are three of her favorite things. By day, she’s a fulltime mom, wife, student, and author. By night, well she’s still all those things, often sacrificing sleep to create stories, hang with the family, and get snuggle attacks from her two spoiled pups. She is represented by the amazing Laura Bradford of The Bradford Literary Agency.Website I Twitter I Facebook
Nia is a YA and Adult SFF writer represented by Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates. She is an alumni of the University of Southern California (Fight On!) and the University of Texas. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology and graduate degrees in Public Health and Teaching. By day she teaches English and Biology, by night she writes strong, kickass heroines who are perfectly capable of saving themselves, and by way of dreams she is the Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, sailing to Westeros to seize the Iron Throne. Hey, a girl can daydream right?
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@nia_davenport
Dan KoboldtDan is a fantasy/science fiction writer and the author of the
Gateways to Alissia
series with Harper Voyager. As a genetics researcher, he has co-authored more than 70 publications in Nature, Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and other scientific journals. His Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series tackles scientific, technical, and historical elements of SF/F with input from experts in the field. Dan is also an avid deer hunter and outdoorsman. He lives with his wife and children in Ohio, where the deer take their revenge by eating the flowers in his backyard. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.
To Buy: Amazon or B&N
Isabel Davis is a Young Adult writer represented by Mary Moore of Kimberly Cameron & Associates. She majored in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida, and currently runs her letterpress and stationery company, 9th Letter Press, where she gets to write and design greeting cards for a living. In 2015, Isabel was a Pitch Wars mentee, and the following year she joined as a mentor. Her 2016 mentee went on to land an agent with her PW manuscript.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@isabel9thLP
Website: www.IsabelIbanezDavis.com
Michael Mammay is a soldier and a science fiction writer. He usually writes about soldiers. Go figure. He will soon be retiring from the military and beginning a second career as a literature teacher. He's represented by Lisa Rodgers of JABberwocky literary. You can find him on twitter (way too often) @michaelmammay, or visit his website at michaelmammay.com.
KD Proctor
KD Proctor loved college so much that when it came time to graduate, she didn’t want to leave. Trading in her textbooks for student handbooks and policy manuals, she began a career in College Student Personnel and she fulfilled her wish to stay on a college campus forever. Her mother, however, if glad she's finally using that English degree. KD lives in West Central, Minnesota with her husband and fur-kids. She likes to write fun twists on the usual tropes that we all love. Her characters are smart, funny, and always swoony. And yes. They always get their happily ever after.
Before being accepted for publication, KD's debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), was the 2016 YARWA winner for the New Adult category.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34839486-meet-me-under-the-starsWebsite: http://www.kdproctor.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/kdpwritesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kd_proctor/
Mara FrischMara is a middle grade writer and former nonprofit director.Her debut novel, Seeing My Sister, is currently out on submission. Mara is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group and is proud to be a Sun vs. Snow alum. Mara received her bachelor’s of arts in psychology and speech communications from Miami University of Ohio. She has her master’s in education with a concentration in middle childhood and literacy from University of Cincinnati. When not writing, Mara enjoys hiking in the mountains of Israel, flying on trapezes, and eating dried mangoes. She currently lives in Jerusalem, Israel. Twitter: www.twitter.com/@marajillfWebsite: marajillfrisch.wordpress.comSchari Schwarz
Shari lives in Ft. Collins, Colorado with her husband and their four boys. TREASURE AT LURE LAKE is her debut middle grade novel which reflects her love for a good survival adventure story. When she’s not reading or writing, Shari can be found freelance editing, weight-lifting, gardening or watching her boys play various sports. She frequently daydreams of exploring Oregon Coast beaches or plotting out her next children’s book.Website: sharischwarz.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/@sharischwarzBuy: Amazon or BN
Amy Trueblood A devotee of reading and writing from a very young age, Amy grew up surrounded by books. After stints working in entertainment and advertising, she began writing her first manuscript and has never looked back. Her published work has appeared in The Fall and Summer's Edge short story collections as well as Pen & Muses' first Dark Carnival collection. To learn more about Amy, check out her blog, Chasing The Crazies, or follow her on Twitter or Tumblr.Max WirestoneMax Wirestone is the writer of the Dahlia Moss mystery series-- the most recent of which, ASTONISHING MISTAKES, came out in March. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his husband, his son, a very old dog, and more books than a reasonable person should own.
Check out his website maxwirestone.com or follow him on twitter at @maxwires.
Buy: Amazon or BN
Remember to check out Mike's blog and Michelle's blog to see the other two-thirds of the judges! It's going to be a great contest this year. I can't wait to get started.
The agents will be revealed next Friday. And I'll have judge guest blogs going up until the sub window opens on May 17. Get more information about the contest here.
