Testing...Testing...is This Query On? Identifying Problems in a Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

This week's Refresher Friday returns to (and updates) one of my favorites--using the query letter to identify problems in a novel.

Writing a query letter can send many writers into a cold sweat, but I like to write queries before I start a novel. It helps me pinpoint the core pieces of my plot and lets me know right away if I'm missing something critical I'll need to write the book. Typically, if I can't write a query, that's a big red flag I won't be able to write the novel either. There's an inherent flaw in there, and until that gets fixed, the query (and novel) will never work.

The query is also a solid test for why a finished novel isn't working (or selling) for the very same reasons. Problem query letters often holds clues to problems in the novel we aren't seeing.

If you're just testing your novel idea before you write it, getting stuck on the query letter isn't so bad--but if you've spent years writing your novel, and suddenly find yourself struggling with the query letter, it can be pretty disheartening. It can also mean the novel's not yet ready.

Here are four common query letter issues that often reflect a problem with the novel itself:

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com