Query Letters and Hype

Writing Tip of the Day: April 15, 2008

Remove any hype from your query letter or book proposal.

Hype will always shine through to the experienced editor.

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This one couldn't be more timely! I just finished writing a query letter and submitted it to a leading publication. I wanted to include one of my blogs, as part of my resume, so I hopped over here, scrolled down, and read today's tip. Timely indeed.

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As I read, the very notion of hype forced me to reread my query. Immediately upon re-entering Word and my document, I looked especially to the second paragraph.

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I suppose, depending on the editor, that paragraph might come across as hype. I'm not 100% sure, but hoping not. I left it in because it validates how someone else viewed a part of my past, and how she took and incorporated it into her own celebration. So, I believe I'll leave it for now; in the subsequent, simultaneous submissions.

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This is my first query and possible submission in many years. If there are no takers, I'll chalk it up to a learning experience. But, as I stated in the sports analogy post, I really don't want to give an editor any undue excuse to sack me.

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I do have one other option, though, and the deadline is fast approaching.

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Undulating Lawn Ornaments

The Writing Exercise Board's Quickie of the Week: April 4, 2008

The prompt is … use a pink flamingo in a poem, story, essay, or scene.

Serious or silly, it just has to have a pink flamingo somewhere.

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When I read this post, the first thing that ran through my mind-- I've seen flamingos doing that little dance they do when they feed. Though I've never seen them up close and personal, I've seen it a number of times on TV. All those thousands of pairs of legs, stepping, stepping, up and down. Up and down; marching along. Thousands of heads bobbing and looking about; left, right, back, front. And always with some peppy musical score.

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So, immediately I saw those pink plastic lawn ornaments undulating across someone's yard. But, whose yard? And how did they all get there?

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I had fun with this and reworked it a little, so-- Enjoy!

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Most couldn't say exactly when it started. It's simply one of those things that was part of the landscape. But everyone knew the day Mildred Pinkton became known as the Crazy Pink Flamingo Lady. That's the day the Pine Hollar Gazette made her front page news.

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Mildred lived on the last parcel of untilled land, eastward bound out of the city proper. A few townsfolk remember when the first one appeared. The hardcore council members took pride in the fact there were no plastic daisies or whirly-gig birds in anyone's front yard. Nothing that outsiders could accuse of being kitch. At least not until a single pink flamingo appeared on Mildred's front lawn one unsuspecting hot summer day.

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A week or so later, another one appeared on the opposite side of the lawn; facing the first arrived. No one knew how long it was before they crept across the distance and stood finally, beak to beak. Her neighbor across the street remembered seeing they'd been moved, at different points, but paid it no real attention. When a smaller one appeared a few weeks later, he laughed out loud and gave Mildred an approving thumbs up.

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Throughout the following months and subsequent years, another plastic bird would appear, regularly until the crazy lady's herd would be found undulating in one direction one day, then heading opposite come the next brisk morn. That's only after they'd made their way entirely across the yard. No one ever saw her move them or put one out-- They just appeared.

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Though there were numerous attempts made buy neighbors and nosey kids, no one ever found her out. Not until the Gazette gave the job to their ace reporter, Wallace Fowning. He snooped around the post office; no special deliveries were made. Ever. And the lawn and garden center twenty miles south, didn't even carry them.

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Though his editor suggested a stake out, in due course, Wallace decided to take the more direct approach. He knocked on Mildred's door, introduced himself, and sat with her to tea. When he asked, Wallace found her actually amazed no one really ever made the connection. She explained that everyone knew her son trucked produce. They just never saw a relationship between his regular visits and a new member of her droll little flock.

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"But tried as they may, no one's ever seen you, or him for that matter, put one out or move them around. When do you do it all?" Wallace asked.

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"Oh! People don't always see a thing right under their noses." Wallace noted her sly smile. "When it all started, I did it at night; when most folk sleep. You know how early even us citified bed down. I just thought it would be funny. Once the herd grew, people rarely noticed when I moved one; even in broad daylight." He also noted her delight. "But no one ever sees me trim around them. Movin' them around just made it easier to cut the grass."

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"You know they think you're a little crazy?" Wallace asked.

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"No they don't." Mildred smiled. "They drive back 'n forth every day, and narry a one that I see drives off but with a smile on their face."

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It just made it easier to cut the grass. Wallace focused his article around that one innocent line. That and the simple want of making someone else smile.

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The Writing Exercise Board

The Vision of the Author

Writing Tip of the Day: April 6, 2008

As a book author, it's your responsibility to cast a vision for your book

about the length and the appearance before you pitch the idea to a publisher.

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Vision. Oh! I've always known how my Chronicles should look. Getting it all down in words has been the struggle. For me, The Forbidden World Chronicles is easy to envision. I see an old world bound cover, with parchment or handmade paper with torn edges. I see blocked scroll work calligraphic design, lettering and archaic fonts used in the title pages.

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I have synopses for a three book series, and have several short story ideas that would fall nicely into an anthology format, called Puzzle Pieces. I started a website to help introduce The Forbidden World Chronicles. There is also the companion weblog, Diary of a Prisoner, in Dellasseea N'Syis' own voice; written as an open letter to a once future-born son.

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Since the subject matter lends itself well to special effects, I see a movie being made. The storyline is other-worldly and multi dimensional. It would make seen, the Crystallines, the Creator Race. The children of the First Ones. Inter-dimensional beings unseeable to the third dimension physical, human eyes.

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Yes. I know my project. I have the vision. I just need to right agent to see it as well.

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The Power of One's Voice

Writing Tip of the Day: April 4, 2008

As a writer, capture your unique voice which

you bring to each portion of your writing

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I know it takes more than finely crafted words to move a reader to turn the first page. It's also the voice they hear that draws them further into the next, and the page after that.

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Though I can speak only for myself, here is another possible aspect of what shapes a writer. The matter of the written word seeming easier to accomplish. Writing as opposed to standing, voluntarily or otherwise, at the head of a large body of people in order to speak them; aloud. With that said, there also remains the different reasons why a writer writes. Whether it is done for oneself or writing for someone else, it is imperative to know ones voice.

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Yes, every well written speech has an equally good writer behind it; but, not every speech is delivered by its author. As with me, though I've studied public speaking, I find it well outside of my equally entrenched comfort zone. I've shied away from reading my own verse at a bookstore poetry reading. The end result? The woman who volunteered to read it for me, changed it. She changed a couple of the words and my voice was then forever lost.

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Each individual voice reflects ones education or the lack thereof. It reflects all that influenced the child, on through and into adulthood. Whether fact, fiction, or pure fantasy, the voice of a piece is encompassed by all the pain, joy, or misfortune ever felt. The voice is a soul laid bear; there for readers to take and lose themselves in. And if they turn that first page, they may learn from or simply revel in and enjoy. .

The Power of The Hook

Writing Tip of the Day: April 1, 2008

Hook your editor with a strong opening sentence

to bring attention to your writing.

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Couldn't let this one pass by without being addressed.

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Hooks, pitches, and the dreaded first dark and stormy line. What do they all have in common? Mostly that I have a difficult time with achieving them.

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Recently I had cause to readdress my earlier efforts at writing a hook for both my overall Forbidden World Chronicles storyline and Book One of the series, Caged Heart ~ The Last Heartbound.

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The question was posed [see QOTW Going Up!]: "What is your one sentence summary of your book?"

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Since my first attempt failed, I'll not post it here. While the concept of a pitch (or hook) is not entirely lost on me, I concede to the fact that whittling it down to an in-a-nutshell, single--albeit complicated--sentence is.

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Plus, as I learned from version one, I spilled a few too many of those ever-precious, proverbial beans. But, I set about to rework it after reading the subsequent, follow-up lesson. [see Elevator Pitch in More Detail.]

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Here is the pitch for Book One of The Forbidden World Chronicles:

Caged Heart ~ The Last Heartbound

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A young divorcee and author, hooks up with a world-renown rock band that uses their tour to search for the last surviving member of a team caught entering this world in order to find and rescue its most secret prisoner.

I'll let you know if I get a passing grade.

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Editors, Coaches, and the Analogies of Sports

Writing Tip of the Day: March 30, 2008

Treat your editors like the coach from any sports team

because the editor knows their audience and only rejects writing

with a good reason--even if you never learn the specifics.

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Awlrighty then! Guess I'd better decide which wall to paper with those pending rejections. What I'd rather do, though, is not waste anyone's time.

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What I take from this tip is, try as I may I simply won't satisfy every editor, er-- coach. And at very least, I need to know the market, er-- fans I target and give him or her the least amount of reason to sack me. Especially if I'm likely to never know why my dunk didn't slam.

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This goes back to research, OK-- studying the playbook and doing what's required to complete a hard-won pass. No. That doesn't mean I'm not going to earn my fair share of penalties, or not have a foul called against me. I'm sure there's still a lesson or three for me to learn the hard way. But! I can work to keep near upsets at a minimum or a flag from even being thrown. Because the referee doesn't have to change his mind based on the instant replay. If he even decides to review it.

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Since those 4th quarter Hail Marys are risky, I'd prefer to stay ahead of the game and remain a heavy favorite. So, I'd best get busy. I've got a full court press to maneuver, the clock is ticking and it's minutes to the buzzer, er-- deadline.

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Oh yeah! I can do sports analogies. But, it took a bit of research.

The Power of Editing

Writing Tip of the Day: March 28, 2008

Never resist editing, because your writing isn't etched in stone

and can always be improved for the reader.

When I put words to a page, whether handwritten or keyed into a Word Doc, I work merely to extract my thoughts and put them into some semblence of order. Editing is the next logical step in making oneself understood. I edit first, to make sure the storyline is clear. And second, for how a reader comprehends. There are times I want my prose bold and/or straightforward. Other times I wish it to remain cryptic.

I have also characters [The Ancients] whose voices go well beyond the average sixth grade reading level and I do not wish to them dumbed down. This is when I share snippets. I need to get the feel for someone else's perception. I will either understand and agree with their point of view or disagree entirely. And to me that simply means, I need make myself better understood. I then re-edit accordingly.

Though many write first for themselves, making sure a reader actually reads past the first few paragraphs, is in the power of the edit.

There are two problems in this area I acknowledge and need to overcome. One is I share my snippets too soon. Had I left them alone for a few days, revisited them with fresh eyes and more editing, I could have avoided certain critiques and not wasted someone else's precious time on less significant errors.

Problem number two: In nearly every early draft of my Forbidden World Chronicles storyline, I he/she'd my numerous characters all over the place and offer up their true names only during subsequent edits. I then work to ensure a balance and use of proper names and pronouns.

What's the trouble? I've pulled old files in order to find a scene I've already addressed, and while reading found I had absolutely no idea who was talking. I worked knowing who it was that talked, and wrote solely by what he or she did or said. I have since realized, on more than one occasion, I may never recover the exact character's identity. I will surely work on a safegaurd.

With the advent of web logs, the power of editing is most important when bloggers service their readers with feeds to subscribe to updates. I risk losing readership with duplicative or unwarranted strings of notices generated by my not finding or correcting an error only after I updated.

Say I update a new post to Soul Echoes and see an error while I view it 'in a new window.' Immediately, I go back and edit the misspelled word or spacing, and then re-publish. Is another e-mail generated to my faithful readers? A few blogs I subscribe to have the post in the body of the e-mail. If they rely solely on the email, they will read my error(s). If I'm luckier, they will click on the link and read the corrected version.

With all that posed, here is a good, more modern day, web-related axiom by which to live; [as offered by Devon Ellington. See Ink in my Coffee, The Scuffy Dog Review, Mystic Lit]

"Revise before you post."

At very least, make it a regular practice and utilize the blog editor's Preview function.

One final thought.

I'm not really sure how reasonable this is, but~~ As I drafted this post, the following occurred to me. If we had only the briefest of moments to make ourselves understood, and but one sheet of paper to capture the most important of our thoughts, with equally limited time to edit, what might those words be?

For me, that's another post!

Thank you for visiting and sharing my thoughts,

Expectations of the Apprentice

Writing Tip of the Day: March 25, 2008

Rarely does anyone skyrocket to the bestseller list.
Most writers persevere, learn the craft of writing and expect to apprentice.

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I acknowledged my stubborn perseverance in The Quality and Value of One's Work. So, for this post I'll focus on apprenticeship; on the craft of writing.

Earlier this month I edited a piece down to a specific word count and into what I feel is a final draft. I focused on construction, tense, and unnecessary words. I kept my ‘ing’ and ‘ly’ words to a minimum. I feel it's ready to submit for publication. My first attempt in many years.

I purchased the 2008 Writer's Market. I also found magazines.com, because the Writer's Market is not the be all and end all of listed publications. Mainstays such as, Family Circle, Women's Day, and Martha Steward Living are not listed in the General Index. So, the Public Library and/or local newsstand is next as my research continues, throughout the rest of the week.

As the list of potential magazines grows, so does the requests for submission guidelines. And, while I wait for those to fill up my mailbox [some publications provide them online] I'll draft out a query or cover letter; whichever they require.

I've heard and read the numerous stories of the countless rejections many writers suffer prior to finding the editor that eventually said, "Yes." I met an editor and book doctor at the annual Columbus Writers Conference, a few years back, Patrick LoBrutto, if I'm remembering correctly [I'll have to pull my notes and tapes] , who turned down The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's a key point in his seminar. He uses it as regards the retrospective folly of one's ways; that even editors make mistakes.

I expect to collect my share of rejection letters. And, while I'm not sure whether I'll slip them one by one into a file or use them to proudly decorate my walls, I will persevere and continue to learn. I'll use this blog as part of my apprenticeship. And who knows, one day I may just ride a rocket tail all the way to the top of that best sellers list.

What Shapes a Writer?

Many writers write to inform and serve society well. Others do not. There's a vast amount of misinformation out there and we've suffered a fair share of historians that mislead or rewrote the truth. It would not be unreasonable to want to question the slant of ancient writings; along with anything written up to the 21st century. Strong and oft-times biased convictions shaped their words, as did interpretations made by unfamiliar tongues. But that's a whole other topic of discussion; with many implications.

The following questions and comments posed here focus on the imaginative, creative writer. Though I can truly speak only for myself, I believe what one experiences in life--one's needs, desires, or the lack thereof--shapes the words and dialogs of those who feel so inclined to capture and share them. But what drives the desire to share them? What shapes the minds of those who create breathtaking, yet imaginary vistas and/or faraway worlds?

My thoughts are shaped by my experiences, or again, the lack thereof. I'm shaped first how I grew up in the family dynamic. This is where we're told what to do or better believe. I'm shaped secondly by what I chose to read and decided to believe. Though my larger work-in-progress involves time displacement, others worlds, dimensions, and that which cannot be seen by the physical three dimensional human eye, it also offers my perspective on life; as we know or understand it to be.

It's based on peoples' endless questions, throughout equally endless time, of where do we come from and where do we go after death? Who am I? Who is God? Is God dead? Is there life on other planets or are we alone? Does the Big Bang Theory really explain it all? How did the dinosaurs really die? These are just the questions off the top of my head. I remember there being more, but-- I wondered simply whether we're asking the wrong questions. I believe the real question should be, why don't we know?

With all that posed, why am I so inclined to write it all down? And what even constitutes a writer? Is it merely putting pen to page or fingers to a keyboard? Does keeping a diary or journal make one a writer. That may well depend on the contents, and whether the owner intends them for eyes other than their own. I would argue that shopping lists don't count.
Does it require a concerted effort to capture and organize one's thoughts in order to share a story, regardless whether it's ever published? It is solely a desire to see oneself published? If there's a novel or screenplay in the works, then I'd say there's a writer behind it the effort.

The rule of thumb seems to be: anyone who writes is a writer. But he or she cannot claim to author until their work is either published or read by other people. I believe what's most important to consider is whether any given individual views themselves as a writer. And what ultimately shapes a writer, is the discovery of self, and a little to do with the want of being heard.
As for me? I remember a point, sometime while or after reading The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Earthsea Trilogy, the Dragonriders of Pern, and the Foundation series, when I said to myself, "I can do this!"

I bought a package of notebook paper and began to shape my thoughts; all written by hand. Varton is the main character. But when I couldn't figure out, after going into a land from whence no one ever returned, how he would communicate with those left behind, I boxed up all the files an literally put it on a shelf. Though I have since figured it out, I moved on and have spent years fleshing out my Forbidden World Chronicles; a storyline some might think consumes me.

They're wrong. It merely lives in and to some degree, has helped to shape me.

The Quality & Value of One's Work

Writing Tip of the Day: March 24, 2008

Believe in the quality of your work and the value of your message

and at the same time, recognize surprises always happen in publishing.

To me there's a 'stop second guessing your work' in that suggestion. And I'm more than willing to entertain, OK-- I'm ready and waiting, for those above-mentioned "surprises." But, jovial banter aside, if I didn't believe in my work, I wouldn't be so persistent. Yes, I've suffered periods of time where it all sat on a back burner. Life Happens! But I've always come back; it's reason never wanes.

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There are varied quoted statements regarding, 'the writers who never give up are the ones who get published, i.e.,

A professional writer is an ameteur who never gave up. ~Richard Bach

I know I'm just that stubborn. I also know some people are annoyed by that trait. But that depends entirely on their use of me. Regardless the slant, I've found it of value; at times. It's not like I don't know I occasionally stumble over my own stubbornness. But that's a whole other Oprah Show.

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I so believe in the value of my work, that I've risked bearing my soul when I offered up copies to be critiqed. I've put my ego aside and shouldered their comments or suggestions. I may not always agree. To me that simply means, I need make myself better understood.

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I've unbelievably said no to a date, "Not tonight," to a guy [my family was determined to fix me up.] because he continued to call on nights I determined, "writing nights." OK! I wasn't really 'into him.' And, fancy smancy cars don't impress me. I refused to let him [or them] dissuade me from what I wanted to accomplish.

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It's a lonely art; chiseling your thoughts. If I'm to reap the potential rewards, I need eagerly believe and value my work. And never give it up.