Is there a more overused end-of-year blog topic than New Year's Resolutions?
Oh well.
I originally embarked upon a different topic for this weekend's Weekend Writing Discussion, but then I decided to save that one for next weekend. I'm not sure if anyone visits the Internet on New Year's Eve and the ensuing weekend anyway (I found out last weekend that no one visits the Internet on Christmas Eve), so I guess we'll see.
This is an exercise. While exercises are generally uncomfortable while being performed, the results can sometimes be beneficial. Maybe this will be beneficial.
Take a moment to think about it. And then decide: What resolution will I make regarding my writing in 2011?
After you settle on a resolution, post it below...and write it down for yourself as well. Tack it above your writing desk. Keep it in mind. Strive to turn that Resolution into Habit.
As for my resolution?
Well. Give me a moment to think... . . . . . . . . Okay. Here it is:
7. Travel along your own path, mobilizing your own ideas
8. Discover your unique storytelling voice
9. Tell stories that are honest and ever-full of truth
10. Aim to say something no one has ever said before
I imagine there are plenty of "Ten Commandments of Writing" lists floating around the Internet, and perhaps you have read every one of them already. As for myself, I decided to compose this list without any external influence.
These are my Ten Commandments of Writing. Perhaps they are similar to everything else out there. Perhaps they are different.
I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about the value of having a Mission Statement for your writing. I feel it is equally important to understand and follow certain rules of being a Writer.
These are my Ten Commandments. What are (some of, or all of) yours?
Share. Return. Learn.
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
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The blog has how many readers? Over 100,000? Uh, yeah. I can make time for that...
About a month from now, I will receive the final book cover design from Jamie Keenan, and The Great Lenore will be made available for pre-order. I asked Chuck if I could wait until then to send along the article, and he said, Sure, that's absolutely fine.
Now, I face a single-cell problem...whose solution can evolve in any number of ways. The problem: What topic should I explore within the article?
And so, Dear Reader, I come to you. If you have 30 or 40 seconds that you can contribute to a writer in need, help me understand...
When you visit other writing-related blogs, what is your primary purpose for going there?
What do you hope to glean from any article regarding the world of writing, publishing, and literature?
Think about those rare blog posts and articles you have read in your blog-post-and-article-reading-days that have made you say, "Wow. That was fantastic. I want to see some other thoughts this person has let loose." And tell me: What elements stand out to you in such articles that make you want to dive deeper into the dark ocean of that writer's mind?
To every one of you who continues to travel alongside me as I decorate this internet home with material that I hope will aid you in your quest for publication, thank you! And to every one of you who can take a moment to let me know what elements comprise the most magnetic blog posts you can remember ever reading, I am endlessly grateful.
How about it, Dear Reader? What do you find most helpful in writing-related posts from any of the websites you visit?
If you hang out on Twitter or facebook or Absolute Write Watercooler or any other place where Writing Thoughts get flung around, don't be bashful; help spread the word, and see if others care to drop by and pitch in as well.
Keep writing. Keep reading. ~JM
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It's Christmas Eve, and we're all readers. Uh...what is the logical topic for this weekend's Weekend Writing Discussion?
Yeah.
This year (as I do every year), I put a bunch of books on my Christmas list. I was hoping to complete my Vonnegut collection (a hurdle that The Shutterbug - being her generally awesome self - helped me clear last night when she and I had our annual Christmas date and gift exchange), and I was hoping to receive a few other books besides, but the one book I am most excited about (and most anxious about!) is Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace.
DFW was one of the most intelligent, insightful writers of the last 50 years, Infinite Jest was his greatest work, and...I have still not read it. I put it on my Christmas list, but now I'm afraid that I might have buried it too deeply.
My fingers are crossed. And I'm sweating.
How about you, Dear Reader? Sure, you put several books on your Christmas list (right?), but what is the one book you most hope you receive wrapped in gaudy paper tomorrow?
Take a moment to spill. (Does anyone use the internet on Christmas Eve? If they do, it'll be cool to see what everyone says.)
And of course, come back tomorrow and spill again - let us know whether your Christmas quest was a success.
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While writing yesterday's blog post, I was looking back through a few things on the website, and I stumbled over the tree roots of some great Reader Comments that were poking up from the bottom of a number of old posts.
One thing I love about this site is the great variety of readers who pepper the pages with web hits. Oftentimes, these readers (many of whom are rabid, writing-crazed word junkies themselves) leave tremendously insightful comments behind them before running off to their next bit of reading. In fact (as I mentioned on yesterday's post), it is not infrequent for these comments to be divergent from or even opposed to my own views, which provides readers with a myriad of windows through which they can view the world of writing. Today, I am collecting some of my favorite comments into a central locale.
I completely see myself as a writer, who for now (and God do I hope it is only for now) earns my paycheck through another venue. I also know if I ever go back to teaching, I will be BOTH a writer AND a teacher - the way Jennifer Lopez is BOTH a singer AND an actress, the way Dane Cook is BOTH an actor AND a comedian, and the way Snooki is...well, never mind....
I believe you have to fully own whatever it is you set out to do in life. If you don't, you will fall short, and ultimately, let yourself down.
This post reminded me of some words I read of Ursula K. Le Guin's when I first started writing. For a long time I had the words posted on the wall of my office. I'm not sure what happened to that piece of paper. Her advice has never left me though. Here's what she said:
"Socrates said, 'The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.' He wasn't talking about grammar. To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean. Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth.
A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper."
Writing is subjective so you may as well write what's burning your soul rather than what others say is burning your soul. You have only yourself to answer to in the end, anyway.
Writer: Someone who writes (with some degree of passion). Author: The writer of any particular book. Aspiring/learning/wannabe/any other weasley adjective writer: Someone who is still waiting for the twink of a fairy godmother's magic wand.
Well, guess what? Ain't no fairy godmother. Or rather, you are your own fairy godmother. Twink that wand, write that magic, claim that word!
...if you love what you're writing, then chances are other people will too, and your book will earn a special place in more people's hearts than something that was just pushed out to make some cash.
I think that the books written for profit have their place in the world, but I don't think that the majority of them will last. They tend to fade away for the most part.
I understand that many of you won't have the time to check out all the links from this post, but if you have a spot of free time over "Christmas break," I encourage you to use some of it clicking around. Each person listed above is worth checking out (in fact, several months ago, I listed Suzannah's blog among my 5 Great Websites For Writers And Writing, and Paul Joseph's blog is one of my favorite new daily internet destinations), and each post I listed has more useful comments than just those included.
There are a couple strange patterns I have noticed from that great scoop of earth that comprises the shabby fraternity of Aspiring Authors.
The first of these is a seemingly-compulsory tendency to publicly distinguish one's Writer Self from one's (more widely witnessed and more frequently visited) Day Job Self.
The second is a rip tide of self-deprecation that tugs away from the shoreline so many of these writers are aiming for.
"I'm a software analyst by day and a writer by night. Hopefully someday I will write something that somebody will actually want to read."
For those of you who write at night and work during the day, think about the places whence (boy, that sounds formal...) you derive your sense of Self. Is your Self defined by the job you work during the day? If not, I say get that out of your bio!
So many aspiring authors bring their jobs home with them. The trials and troubles of the day float near the front of their mind while they try to write. The annoying coworker who clips his toenails at his desk and spits when he talks causes the writer's mind to wander when it should be consumed with Story.
Writing is not something you do for an hour or two each day. Writing is a lifestyle. Your identity as a Writer (whether you are published or unpublished, learned or green, seasoned or still as bland as egg whites with no salt or pepper) should dictate the way you see the world - like a pair of glasses you wear all the time, whether you're sitting in your designated Writing Place or not.
When aspiring authors go out of their way to clarify what they do for their day job, it is almost as though they are defending their passion for (or...at least, their keen interest in) the written word. "Yes, I want to be a writer - but don't worry! I'm also still responsible. I have a normal job and everything." Furthermore, it provides an escape hatch for the aspiring author. "I want to be a writer, but even if it doesn't work out, it's no big deal. I'm also an insurance salesman."
The self-deprecation enters around this same place also.
Look, I get it - self-deprecation is funny. It's disarming and endearing, and it crumples barriers between the writer and the faceless, faraway reader.
You know what else it is?
It is a defense mechanism. It is a form of protection - a breastplate, a shield, a choose-your-analogy.
But battles are rarely won with body armor alone. Whip out your sword, Dear Writer. Pull out your rifle. Hop in the tank, and attack.
"Fear is at the root of most bad writing." ~Stephen King
The power of Confident Writing is one of the greatest concepts you will ever grasp as a writer.
The power of Confident Living is one of the greatest concepts you will ever grasp as a human being.
Who knows, you might see the world (or even see these issues) in a markedly different light than the one that shines from my mind.
One thing I can tell you for certain, however, is this: Every great writer has seen the world as a writer. And every great piece of writing rides the confidence that the writer had in their command of the craft.
As you read this (at your desk at work?), consider the way you see the world. Consider the way you see yourself. Consider the way you approach your quest for a life of letters.
Do you see the world as a Writer, or is your Writer Self only a small sliver of You?
Do you see yourself as a Writer who (for now) works doing something else as well, or do you see yourself as a Something Else who also writes?
Are you confident that you are doing everything you can to become the best writer your talent will allow? If so, you have no reason to write in any manner but a confident manner.
This post sings a deeper note than I usually aim to hit on this site, but these thoughts were bubbling forth...and who am I to stop them? If this post helps even just one of you, it is forever worth it.
Somewhere along the thread, one particular Absolute Writer decided to compose a query that does everything wrong. And I mean everything.
This beautiful piece of humor was created by "Mr. Anonymous" (also known as Emil), and if you've ever written a bad query of your own...well, this will cheer you up:
The query letter that does everything wrong:
Howdy Partner,
Are ya sitting? Because if not, ya better get to it. If ya are, stand up, and then sit right back down again you agent you, because a MILLION DOLLAR IDEA has just landed in your virtual lap.
Imagine: Your sister, becky, is found dead in the football field of john jay high school, her skull bashed in to reveal her brain. Imagine a bird, picking at her brain matter. Pick pick pick. "Mmmmmmmm. Becky Brain matter taste so goooood." (that was the bird's pov.) What follows is an amazingly spectacular tale of mystery and intrigue, betrayal and love, redemption and triumph, good and EVIL from the author who brought you CASTRATION: THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
WHEN BIRDS PICK AT BRAIN MATTER is a 345,231 word multicultural, mystery fiction, family saga novel with elements of science fiction, black comedy, and erotica, written at a third grade level for a middle grade audience.
I know publishing is a really, really difficult business and I appreciate your taking the time to read this MILLION DOLLAR query letter. I've taken the liberty of making dinner reservations tomorrow night at Le Bernadin to discuss the project. I've also taken the liberty of inviting spielberg, because though he doesn't know me, I just know the movie adaptation of WHEN BIRDS PICK AT BRAIN MATTER is going to be his next Schindler's list. See ya tomorrow at 7 p.m., partner!
*
Hey, at least your query letter isn't that bad. (Uh...is it?)
Tomorrow on the blog, we'll get back to some deeper explorations of Lady Literature. For today, however, I figured it can never hurt to give you a reason to laugh.
Happy reading. Happy writing. ~JM
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In January, I'll get to see Jamie Keenan's book cover design. And by early-to-late February, the book will be available for pre-order.
On June 15th, The Great Lenore will be in bookstores.
What's the quandry?
We're short on time. I don't just mean the 83 seconds I told you this post would take. I mean, we're close to the release date of the book. And I want people to know that the book exists.
I have told you before that I will never tell anyone they will love my writing - maybe some people won't love my writing. Everyone has different tastes.
I will never tell anyone that they should buy my book.
My goal is only to let as many people as possible know that the book exists. My goal is for those who know the book exists to read the 6-page sample that I have made available, and to decide for themselves whether they like it or not.
The problem is: How to ensure that as many people as possible know the book exists!
There is only so much I can do to spread the word on my own.
I need your help, Dear Reader. What suggestions do you have? What grassroots-type ideas can you give me for helping to spread the word of the existence of The Great Lenore?
If you're feeling generous, you can help out right now by doing one simple thing: copy and paste the underlined words to your Twitter or facebook - You can save a writer's life with one click and 83 seconds of your time: http://bit.ly/hgnrui
That's an incredibly quick and easy way to pitch in; that will lead readers here...and hopefully, some of you will be feeling both generous and creative, and you can use the comments section to give me suggestions of ways by which we can continue to let people know, quite simply, that The Great Lenore exists.
3.
2.
1.
Time's up.
Click on Lenore to take a 6-page sample out for a spin. ↓
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Today, I have a short (but ever-important) admonition for you.
You ready? You should prepare a pen and plan to write this down. Or, at least, you should commit these words to memory and turn them into a mantra that you roll over and over and over in your head until it becomes second nature to think about this no matter what you are doing...
Here we go.
Admonition:
Kill your darlings.
Yup. That's it.
I came across this quote several years ago while reading Stephen King's On Writing for the first time, but the quote was birthed by William Faulkner. What it means (in the simplest paraphrase possible) is...
There are certain items in any manuscript - whether these items are clever turns of phrase, insightful thoughts, or sentences that are just really freaking good - that actually weaken the story. This can be because they staunch the flow of the narrative, or because they are confusing, or even because they just plain don't fit. Whatever the case, each manuscript contains plenty of Darlings...and sometimes, it's difficult to find them...and usually, it's even more difficult to highlight them and press your pinky down on the Delete key.
But you know what? It's worth it.
Do you have a couple minutes you can spend with me? If you do, I'll tell you a story...
A year ago (of course, this was when I still had an agent), my agent suggested a number of changes to The Great Lenore. Many of these were minor changes, but some of them were major. In fact, one of the suggestions she made was that I remove a particular character from the story entirely.
At first, I scoffed at this suggestion - How could I remove this character? She was important to the story!
But...you know what? I looked at everything more closely. And I realized that this particular character was not important to the story. In fact, she served no purpose whatsoever!
You see, in the months leading up to the start of the first draft of The Great Lenore, I spent piles of hours getting to know all the characters, their backgrounds, their tendencies, their stories, etc. As the writing began, however, this particular character's role in the story became more and more minimized, until - without my ever realizing it - she had become inessential to the story. Nay, she had become a distraction to the reader!
Talk about killing darlings - I killed an entire character!
After my agent and I parted ways and I had 28 new agents request my manuscript, a number of these agents came back to me after reading the manuscript and said the same thing: "This is a tremendous premise, and it's excellent writing, but there are a few elements in the story I would consider changing..." Each of them listed the particulars they would consider changing and told me to send them the manuscript again if I took their advice. Only one problem, though: Many of the agents suggested changes that directly conflicted with what other agents had suggested.
What did I do?
I took all the advice given to me, grouped it together, and began to look for common threads in the suggestions they had made; sure, they were all giving me different suggestions on the surface, but what was the root of their suggestions? What could I adjust in order to alter the feel these agents - and, therefore, future readers - would have while reading the novel?
By the time I made these changes, my communication with Atticus Books had commenced. Shortly thereafter, they offered me a publishing deal, and yesterday - after a couple months of waiting - I received the edited version of my manuscript.
The email from my publisher said this: "On the whole, it's a light edit and you should be applauded for submitting such a clean, organized manuscript."
Why was he able to say that? Because I spent two years ruthlessly editing...taking advice...killing my darlings.
And you know what? In reading over the edited version, there were still things that were removed that caused me to think, "Wait - I liked that! That was good writing. Why did she take it out!" This thought was inevitably followed by, "Oh, wow. It actually reads a lot better with that sentence (section, phrase, etc.) removed."
Learn to kill your darlings, Dear Writers.
The more darlings you kill...the fewer someone else will have to kill for you.
Moldy old post for you to read, in case you're in a knowledge-chasing mood... and have another five minutes on your hands: Write What Drives You
Click on Lenore to take a 6-page sample out for a spin. ↓
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If you enjoy, please help by spreading the Lenore love to friends.
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For ages, I have wanted to come up with a sort of "Mission Statement" for my writing - you know, the kind of thing I could look at each day before I set my pen to the paper, thereafter storing those words somewhere between the back and the front of my mind.
I have made a few attempts to come up with something, but nothing ever stuck. And so, I just kept writing, knowing that eventually something would hit me.
Two days ago, I was glorying in some old David Foster Wallace interviews, and afterward I was thinking about the differences and the similarities between the approach he took to literature and the approach I take to literature.
And then, a gorgeous set of words shot through my head.
I wrote the words down.
I read the words before I started writing this morning.
I am storing these words somewhere between the back and the front of my mind.
Here are those words:
Objective:
To write soaring stories about humanity that are complex in their simplicity, beautiful for their honesty, and full of life through characters who become alive to the reader and stay with them forever.
How about it, Dear Writers? Do you have a mission statement of your own? If not, what would a mission statement of your own look like?
I feel that it is tremendously important for each writer to know the direction in which they want their works to go; while (of course) a clearly-defined statement is not a prerequisite to knowing the direction in which your writing will take the reader, it certainly cannot hurt to have one.
Here is one of the DFW interviews, in case you are reading this at home rather than at work (or in case you can slip some headphones on and watch it at your desk). And if you are at work and cannot watch this, it's worth returning later to watch the video and spend a few moments with a master of the craft.
Immerse yourself in literature, Dear Writers. Give your readers something that will cause them to fly.
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
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All the time, we see filmmakers or musicians or - of course - writers who follow up a brilliant piece of work with something subpar.
This thought occurred to me as I began to plan for today's blog post.
I asked myself this question: "What am I going to write about today?"
I always ask myself that question.
But then, I asked myself a new question: "What will readers be expecting from me today?"
Last Friday, I posted a post called The Biggest Mistakes Writers Make When Querying Literary Agents. In preparation for the post, I emailed over 100 agents, asking them (as if I have to explain this) what the biggest mistake is writers make when querying them. I compiled all the responses I received into (what I believe is) the most comprehensive collection of answers to this question available anywhere on the internet. I expected the post to draw some new readers to the site, but I think I under-projected: In two and a half days, the post received over 1200 hits, and the number of public followers on the site grew from 111 to 133.
And so, you'll understand the basis for wondering, "What will readers be expecting from me today?"
I think that this question is the first step in a process that ends with the writer taking off their pants and walking bare-legged through thorn bushes.
I have grown this site with slow and steady progress (at a rate of about one new follower per post) by consistently writing posts that are beneficial to the readers who visit. I'm not all that funny with the words my fingers create. I'm not loud or controversial. But I am as passionate about literature, the craft of writing, and the pursuit of publication as anyone you will ever come across, and I try to help others grow in these areas as I continue to grow myself.
I don't pretend to compare Friday's blog post (which was mostly written by the agents themselves anyway) with a sublime piece of literature. But the popularity of that post certainly gave me a glimpse of the conundrum that springboards many writers into a pool of mediocre copycats of their own work.
The thing is, Cormac McCarthy will never write another "Blood Meridian" (something he recognized); Chuck Palahniuk will never write another "Fight Club" (something he did not recognize); J.K. Rowling will never write another "Harry Potter" (something we still have no clue whether she has recognized or not - and for the record, my money is on she has recognized this).
It's easy for a writer to look at their most heralded or most popular work and decide to follow that same formula. But look at the pantless-thornbush-jaunt this method has led Palahniuk into (as he seems to lose readers with every book he puts out there).
It's more difficult to create each new work as an entirely independent entity, following the "formula" of: What is pounding out from the inside of my heart right now? Okay, that's what I will write. Oftentimes, this leads a writer to create something completely different from that "most heralded" or "most popular" work of theirs, and in the short-term it might even injure the numbers that comprise their readership. In the long-term, however, this commitment to honesty contributes to the sort of lasting, enduring, and acclaimed legacy that someone like McCarthy has built, penning such disparate works as The Border Trilogy, No Country for Old Men, and The Road.
This post is longer than those I usually put out on this site (after all, you have other things to do at work besides reading my blog posts), but I wanted to make sure I completed this thought. That is to say: I wanted to make sure I wrote what was pounding out from the inside of my heart.
I am currently dealing with this problem on an even larger scale than this blog post: When I finished writing the first draft of The Great Lenore, I knew I had something beautiful - at the very least, I knew I had something publication-worthy. Even before I landed my publishing deal, however, I found that my new writing kept crashing and exploding like bits of confetti as I tried to create "something that would be a good follow-up to The Great Lenore." Finally, I recognized that I was falling into the trap so many writers fall into with their second novel: Creating something that is just like their first novel, but not quite as good. Since realizing this a few months back, my new manuscript has begun to become something beautiful...and something altogether different from The Great Lenore.
I hope to deal with this problem on an even larger scale someday (as the appearance of this problem on a truly large scale would indicate that a work of mine had entered the realm of Societal High Esteem). And when I do encounter this problem on a career-dictating scale, I hope to conquer it by continuing to do what I am doing right now: Writing what I have to write, and refusing to worry about what others might want me to write. In the long run, this will pay off.
Keep this in mind, Dear Writers. Someday, your readers will thank you.
Keep writing. Keep chasing the story your heart tells you to chase.
Click on Lenore to take a 6-page sample out for a spin. ↓
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Brew a pot of coffee. Pull up a chair. Heck, grab a notebook and a pen – it couldn't hurt. Make yourself comfortable. You might be here for a while.
This could be one of the most important things you'll ever read along your journey to publication. An exaggeration? You tell me…
A few weeks ago, I emailed about 100 literary agents, asking them a simple question: What is the single biggest mistake writers make when querying you?
Most of the responses began the same way: 'Only one? How about several!'
Over 50 agents found the time to respond, and I have compiled their thoughts for you within this post.
Yes, reading this will take up a bit of your time (20-30 minutes, to give you a fair projection), but…how important is the success of your novel to you? You've (presumably) spent hundreds of hours planning, writing, editing, and perfecting your manuscript. Now, it is time to treat your query with the same respect.
Agents are your gateway to eventual literary success.
Give your manuscript the chance it deserves! – learn how to write a query letter that catches an agent's eye.
As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive list of answers to this question (“What are the biggest mistakes writers make when querying?”), but by no means does this list tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about queries. By reading this post, you will learn every common mistake to avoid, and along the way you will pick up several pointers from various agents of things that will make your query stand out; but don’t quit here! Visit Janet Reid’s Query Shark page. Dip into the query-writing insight of Rachelle Gardner. Google agents and read every bit of advice they are willing to share. Study, learn, and practice!
You already know that writing is an art. Now, it’s time to learn that query-writing is an art as well.
Before we go any further, I would like to pause and thank the agents who contributed to this post:
Alice Martell * Amy Boggs * Amy Tipton * Annie Hawkins * Bree Ogden * Brian Defiore * Cameron McClure * Caren Estesen * Daniel Lazar * Danielle Svetcov * Don Maass * Elizabeth Pomada * Farley Chase * Gina Panettieri * Heather Mitchell * Helen Breitwieser * Helen Zimmermann * Janet Kobobel Grant * Jeff Gerecke * Joyce Hart * Kate McKean * Kimberley Cameron * Laney Becker * Liv Blumer * Lucinda Blumenfeld * Lucy Carson * Marietta Zacker * Maura Teitelbaum * Michael Murphy * Michelle Wolfson * Mollie Glick * Pam Ahearn * Rachel Dowen * Richard Curtis * Russell Galen * Sally van Haitsma * Sam Stoloff * Sean McCarthy * Sheree Bykofsky * Sophia Seidner * Stephany Evans * and those of you who requested that you remain anonymous…
Thank you for pitching in and helping each writer who reads this edge closer to their dream…while also (hopefully) making your life ever-so-slightly easier.
I hope your pen is full of ink, Dear Writer. Class begins now…
For starters, here are the mistakes mentioned most often:
Mentioned 3x "Go to my website for a sample of my work…" "Find my query attached…" Querying before your manuscript is ready
Note: "Before your manuscript is ready" does not mean "before the first draft is finished." It means querying before you have written the first draft, allowed the manuscript to sit undisturbed for a month, edited it multiple times – during which time you have begun to bleed from the head, due to the number of times you have pounded it against the wall in your pursuit of perfection – and handed it out to people to read, edited it some more, removed about half the manuscript and been tempted to throw the whole thing away, taken another break from it, come back feeling rejuvenated and edited it some more, had some more people read it…and edited it some more. After all this, your manuscript might be ready for querying.
As Donald Maass put it: "Granted, it's difficult for newer writers to judge when their novels are in final form but I can say this: for first time novelists, 99.99% of the time when they begin querying agents they're not really done."
Cameron McClure (of the Donald Maass Agency) added this: "Most writers query too soon – either before the book is really ready to be read by an industry professional, or with a book that is a learning book, or a starter book, where the writer is working through the themes that will come out in later books with more clarity, getting things out of their system, making mistakes that most beginners make, finding their voice."
Mentioned 4x Talking about the book's sequel, or… …pitching more than one book at a time Writing a query that lacks confidence
Mentioned 5x Writing a query that is overconfident or pompous Sending a query that has clearly not been proofread
Mentioned 9x Queries addressed to "Dear Agent" (or anything similar!)
Mentioned 10x Vague query letters!
Mentioned 11x Queries with more than one agent listed in the "To" field
Mentioned 14x Queries that have no clue what the agent represents, or… …that have no clue what the agent's submission guidelines are
And there you have the basic breakdown. But your pot of coffee is still mostly full. Remember, your query letter is the first (and possibly only) impression you'll ever make on an agent. Don't slam the door on yourself – learn everything you can about writing a good query letter.
Let's take you to the bottom of that pot of coffee…
We'll begin with a video. This was sent to me by one agent who wished to have this portion of her email remain anonymous:
She introduced the video as such: "Here's something that deserves mentioning on your blog. It's making the rounds among NYC editors and agents and details just about every naive misconception a beginning author might have."
Jeff Gerecke – who mentioned both writers who send letters to him with a "Dear Agent" salutation and who query him regarding areas he does not represent – told me about a service that generates mass queries to agents. Let's be honest – if you have not taken the time to find out what an agent represents (let alone to find out anything about them and address them directly!), why would they assume you took the time to write a worthwhile novel? As Jeff said in his email, "I do expect writers to submit to lots of agents, but not blindly, so putting my name in the query doesn't seem too much to ask." Sally van Haitsma echoed with similar sentiments: "We assume you are sending out queries to multiple agents, and even encourage authors to do so since this is such a subjective business, but as a first impression it's important to customize queries so they address us by name.”
More specific thoughts on this topic came from Sam Stoloff: "It might be a silly prejudice on my part, but I automatically discount queries that aren't addressed to me personally. If the writer hasn't taken the time to find out a little about me, to make sure that I'd be an appropriate agent for their work, and to put my name at the top of their query as a gesture of professional courtesy, then I am simply less likely to take the query seriously."
Are you starting to get the picture? As Mollie Glick said in regards to the "multiple agents in the subject line" problem: "We like to feel special!"
Sean McCarthy even took this one step further: "I think the biggest mistake that writers make when querying me is not letting me know why I – specifically – would be a great match for their project. I know that it can be time-consuming to customize query letters, but even a simple sentence that references my taste, my background or projects that I've worked on will go a long way towards getting your pitch more attention."
After all, writing your novel was time-consuming, right? Editing your novel was time-consuming. Think twice before you send an anonymous query letter; the extra time is worth it.
Incredibly, this generalized sort of approach some writers take stretches itself even thinner than the basic “Dear Agent” letter.
Bree Ogden's email gave an example of this that was embarrassing even to read (Point 1), and she proceeded to give two more suggestions (Points 2 & 3) that are very important to keep in mind! Her email looked like this:
1. If a writer isn't going to research the right agents for their project, that's really mainly hurting them, but at least don't publicize it to the agent they are querying. For example: When I was a brand new agent, I would get queries that would say, "I am impressed with your sales and recent projects…" It was clear they had no idea who I was. So if you're not going to do your research (which you absolutely should) at least try to make it look like you did.
2. This may be way more of a personal preference, but I do not like getting queries in which the author bio is the first thing on the page. In my opinion it should be last. I need to be hooked by the premise of the book in order to want to continue reading the query. And frankly, author bios can get a bit insipid. Instant query turn-off.
3. Loooooooong queries. There is an art to writing a query letter. And because the letter is an author's key to the publishing world, learn that art. Writing extremely lengthy queries is a no-no and I usually stop midway through because I either lose interest or forget where the author was going. Agents have so much going on….an author needs to grab them with a concise, punchy, hard-boiled query.
One of my favorite agents, Michael Murphy (from one of my favorite agencies, Max & Co.) put it like this:
The answer to your question is an easy one.
The single biggest mistake writers make when querying me is sending manuscripts for areas I do not represent. On my website, in all my interviews, and I believe in most websites that list areas of interest for each agent, it is quite clearly stated that I do not represent YA, prescription (How To) nonfiction, nor genre fiction (SF, fantasy, romance, thrillers). Yet almost half the queries I receive are for these very categories.
I am dumbfounded by this. If I were applying for a job as a dental hygienist, I don't think I'd apply to Jiffy Lube. Writers need to do a bit of research before spewing their query letters to every Tom, Dick, & Harry calling themselves a literary agent.
Normally, I reply with a simple note that I do not represent their kind of work. However, as these queries pile up, I am considering just hitting DELETE. Their lack of effort is wasting my time and their own.
Sorry to come off as a miserly bastard, but in this one area I feel like a miserly bastard.
In other words: If you are going to approach an agent – as Amy Tipton said – quite simply, "Do your homework!"
Furthermore, send the query to the agents! Don't post it on your website and send them the link. Gina Panettieri said, "Don't try to cut corners by simply referring agents to your website rather than writing a well-prepared query. It's great to let us know about your website and we can check it out to get more info about you and your book, but we'll only do that IF you've intrigued us with your knock-out query!" On this subject, Alice Martell put it like this: "If you're asking someone to do something for you that they do not have to do, but you really want them to, you should make it as easy as possible for them."
Remember, agents do not have to read your query! In fact, most of them are not especially looking to add new clients. Don’t act like you’re doing them a favor by allowing them a shot at your work – put the query right there where they can read it, and give yourself a chance!
Several of the most in-depth insights came from Helen Zimmermann, who emailed a copy of the "What Not To Do In A Query" section of the lecture she gives at writers' conferences.
Here are some of the most useful tidbits from her email [organized by headings, followed by examples of the mistakes made under each heading]:
ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
My passion for writing, though encouraged since I was young, has had to wait for my patience levels to grow. I love writing and currently have twenty-six titles underway.
I have two manuscripts, "Max and Lady", a non-fiction about my two Cairn terriers, and "Famous Personalities with Sports Backgrounds", about John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, and 98 others, I can send samples.
Brian DeFiore expounded on this theme with this important bit of insight: "The goal of a query is to get an agent to ask to see ONE manuscript/proposal that will convince him of your talent. After he's drawn in, he will want to hear about what else you're working on. Not before."
THE UN-PROOFREAD QUERY
Dear Ms. Zimmermann, I am seeking representation for my recently completely 90,000 word women's fiction novel, The Wilde Side.
I’m Carl Brooke and I been writing for a writing for a while now.
Synapsis: There’s nothing worse than the loss of your first love and that feeling stays with you forever. No matter what that person has done to you, it doesn’t change.
This 102,000 page novel centers on two teenaged girls…
THE OVERCONFIDENT QUERY
A million dollar idea that can't be passed up has now landed in your hands.
I am sure you get hundreds of submissions, but I assure you that you won’t have read anything like this before, it will really be worth your time.
Accompanying thoughts on this area came from Lucy Carson, who put it like this: "The biggest mistake that writers make when querying is to confuse a confident self-pitch with outright arrogance. When a writer names his/her creative influences, it should never be suggested that this writer is *comparing* their work to the named influence. For example, don't ever say, ‘I'm the next Margaret Atwood.’ But a strong statement along similar lines might be, ‘Like Margaret Atwood, my work explores issues of gender and sexuality.’ There's a compelling way to present yourself without crossing over into red-flag narcissism."
Another example of sour-tasting overconfidence was provided by Pam Ahearn: "This will be a bestseller and make you very rich." Let's start with getting the agent to read 5 pages before you start thinking about the fortune you’re going to help them make!
THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE QUERY
I'm a twenty year old philosophy major at Vassar College who's recently invested in a box in case this whole writer-philosopher business doesn't pan out right away.
I am submitting this query letter towards presenting my idea for a book I have written in draft, for consideration for your Agency to represent me in seeking publication of my work. The work is completed and ready for pre-reading and editing.
Another agent (who wished to remain anonymous) added to this thought with the following: "The biggest mistake is to start out in a self-deprecating way, such as, ‘I know how hard it is to break into publishing and I don't want to waste your time, but if you'd take pity on poor little me it would be the best thing that ever happened to me.’
That author has already wasted my time by not getting straight to the point. It also smacks of insecurity and latent passive-aggressivity. Not somebody I want anything to do with."
And, of course…
THE BAD SALUTATION QUERY
Don’t send query with too formal or too informal of a salutation. You are asking an agent to stake their income and reputation on you – why on earth some people don’t see the need to address someone by name is beyond me. Take the time to get the name right. And the GENDER!
Here are a few examples of common mistakes:
Dear Sirs:
Hiya Helen!
Attn: Agent
Mr. Zimmermann,
Dear Lieutenant Zimmermann:
Helen Zimmermann Literary Agency
Yes. People seriously address letters like this. As one agent (who asked to remain anonymous) said: "Don't be cutesy or 'clever.' "
In fact, that agent had a number of excellent tidbits that expounded upon the issues already mentioned, and that also presented some new things to think about:
Put something about your query in the subject line other than "query." When you get 50 a day, you are more likely to look at those that give you some indication in the subject line as to what they are about.
Do not make grammatical or spelling errors.
Don't be vague. Provide as much information as possible including information about yourself and any and all background you may have writing or that is relevant to the proposed book.
But, don't go on and on…please.
Don't pretend that you are writing specifically to that agent because blah blah blah unless it is really true and actually relevant.
Don't tell us which celebrities should play what characters in the movie version of your book.
Don't tell us you are working on a sequel!
If you are going to submit your novel which is really your memoir in disguise (the "memnovel" or "menovel") be honest about it.
Don't submit a query for your self-indulgent, no-one-gives-a-shit memoir unless you can write like Philip Roth, you are a celebrity, or you have an exceptional story to tell. Having a mental illness, recovering from an addiction, having a dysfunctional family, living a mildly interesting life are not exceptional.
This was one of my favorite emails. I'm sure she requested that I keep her contribution anonymous because of the brutally honest tone of her response; but…come on, Dear Writer: If you received 50 letters a day that made the same mistakes over and over, you'd be feeling brutally honest also!
Think about that – 50 query letters a day! Now, think about what you have to do to stand out from among the flood pouring into their inbox. That's why you're reading this. And if you're still reading this, and if the coffee pot is becoming ever-emptier, congratulations! You're on the right path.
This same agent added a second email, which was just as useful:
A couple more and for beyond the query stage:
Do not put copyright year and your name on your manuscript. It's goofy.
Be careful about the tone of your query. The tone alone can lead to a quick delete. If you come across as entitled, or overly pleased with yourself for instance. If you tell us with too much confidence the kind of stuff we're supposed to be telling you, that's annoying.
Get a backbone and learn how to deal with constructive criticism. Would you rather agents sugar-coat everything and not tell you the truth?
And if you get to the stage where an agent actually reads your entire manuscript (and spends hours doing so) and sends you a thoughtful rejection with some helpful feedback, the least you can do is write back to thank them.
Speaking of anonymous contributions that were extremely useful, here is one that I have often seen agents complain about, but that only one mentioned:
Leading with a question, like: "Have you ever wondered what it would be like…"
This might not be "the biggest mistake" most writers make, but it's usually an automatic delete! If it's the first approach that pops into your head, it's probably the first approach that pops into the heads of most writers. Don't blend in with everyone else; stand out from the pack!
Rachel Dowen – in addition to mentioning those writers who send queries without researching what an agent represents, and who furthermore send queries that are unedited (and really, how much time does it take to make sure your query is free from errors! – as she said, "I understand a lot of people think of email as a more informal type of communication, but an email query is a vital business communication and should not be treated lightly") – also talked about standing out from the crowd of emails waiting in her inbox: Because agents get so many queries and can only read a few projects out of the hundreds we are forced to choose between every week, it's important that your story distinguish itself from other offerings in the market. If you describe your book in vague and general terms, we won't have a reason to request it. If you're thinking 'this sounds like a successful formula' when you present your plot and characters, stop and rethink how you can present it as less formulaic.
As for further thoughts on vagueness, Michelle Wolfson had this to say: I think the biggest mistake people make is not telling me what their book is about. They give an overview of the book in flowery writing that really doesn't say much, or they talk about the genre or the main characters etc., but they never tell me what the book is actually about and there's no way for me to judge whether or not I'm going to be interested in the story. Tell me who the main character is, what conflict s/he faces and what's at stake. You'd be surprised how many people don't do this.
You see that? Story! Characters! Not "This book is going to sell, like, a million copies." Not "This is the plot." Make the agent want to read your story!
Amy Boggs put it beautifully in her reply:
The biggest mistake that queriers make is not following our submission guidelines, but that's a boring one because presumably anyone clever enough to check out blog posts about querying would be clever enough to know to look at an agent's website before querying.
So the biggest mistake folks who follow guidelines make is talking too much about things that aren't their story. Sometimes queriers do this by talking more about themselves than about their story (note: I represent fiction only; things are different in the non-fiction realm). Others have long, disconnected lists that really ought to be cut or woven together with the description of the story (a list of settings/countries, a bullet-point list of characters, a list of themes summed up into abstract nouns ("It's about Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love!")). Some just end up running down the events that occur rather than telling me what the plot arc at the heart of the story is. The bulk of a query should consist of 1) the main character, 2) what happens to complicate their life, 3) what goals they now have in response to that complication, and 4) the main obstacle between them and their goal. That is the cake of the query; everything else is just frosting and sprinkles.
Pause, Dear Writer. Go back. Read Amy’s thoughts again. You want to know what to put in a query? That’s what you should put in a query…
One of the worst ways in which a writer can end up giving “cutesy sprinkles” instead of giving “cake” was presented by Richard Curtis:
Meets.
As in The DaVinci Code Meets Genesis.
As in Crime and Punishment Meets The Shining.
As in Buffy Meets Dracula.
Send me a Meets and you're deleted.
Now, you might wonder how to make your query stand out without being cute or clever (or, as Marietta Zacker said, "free of gimmicks"). How about this: Good writing. Pretty simple, really.
Any good writer knows the importance of "showing" rather than "telling" in their writing, but how about extending that to a query letter?
Here are Daniel Lazar's thoughts on querying: I think the best query letters are specific and evocative – not loaded down with too much boring detail, but just enough detail (little touches of description or turns of phrase) that show the letter is crafted by a real writer. For example, instead of saying "Joe Smith, the hero of my novel, is a quirky kid," you could say "Joe Smith, the hero of my novel, likes ketchup on his Frosted Flakes and never wears matching socks." Ok – I'm not much of a writer, admittedly, but the point is "quirky" was just a nebulous description in the first example; but in the second example, you can instantly get a visual on this kid in just one line – and that's the kind of query letter that makes me think the book will be as evocative as the letter.
In fact, Heather Mitchell said that it all comes down to the writing. And after all, that makes sense – no? "It all comes down to the writing. An agent's first peek at the quality of the writing comes from the query letter. You would be amazed at the number of authors who write long, drawn out, messy queries. A query letter should be a tease – a taste for more to come. Don't give it all away on the first date, and please, show up clean and polished."
Here are some excellent, less-obvious mistakes contributed by Liv Blumer:
1. Don't whine. 2. Cut to the chase, i.e. don't spend a paragraph of your letter telling me how busy I am, cut directly to the description of your book. 3. If you are writing about yourself, be sure that your story has a strong thread of universality. Readers care more about how your story applies to them than they do about you. 4. Recognize that not everyone who writes should be published. Many people should write for themselves only. 5. If you are not a seasoned writer, be economical with your prose. 6. Do not nag or pester. It's a dead giveaway that you will be a difficult client. 7. If you are incarcerated, tell me what you are in for. 8. Don't tell me you know someone close to me, if you don't. I get too many letters that begin with "I am writing at the suggestion of X", and I've never heard of "X". 9. Don't send more than a letter. If you can't "pitch" it effectively in a letter, I probably can't either. 10. And don't tell me what you plan to do to support your book once you have a contract. Start now with the blog, the public speaking, the networking. Publishers want to see that you are already expert in your subject. I can't judge the effectiveness of what you plan to do, only of what you have done.
Of course, not everyone has the same ideas when it comes to query letter mistakes.
Russell Galen provided the following:
Here is one that particularly galls me: "I found you on _____.com."
I'm repelled by the idea of being sought and found on some kind of database. Here's what I want to hear instead:
"I admire your client ____. I did some digging to find out who his or her agent was. This led me to your web site. Based on what you say there, I thought you might be interested in my manuscript. Let me tell you about it…."
Here's another one that might be a mistake to some, and that might not be a mistake to others – this one from Danielle Svetcov:
A big red flag is sharing the mss word-count in the first two lines of the query. I don't care how long the book is; what I immediately want to know is if the writer knows how to tell a story and hold me to my chair. Generalizations about the length, and even subject-matter, author's qualifications, setting, etc. tend to kill drama, at least for me.
At the same time, Laney Becker included "Failing to include approximate word count" as one of the biggest mistakes writers make when approaching her.
This is why it is so important to take the time to research each agent. Find out what they represent. Find out what they like. Find out what they say about query letters! Send a query their way, and tomorrow start working on a new agent. Get to know this new agent. Find out their likes and dislikes. Send a query letter to them. And so on.
The good news is: If you're avoiding most of the mistakes listed above, you're probably avoiding the following mistakes.
If you're not avoiding the following mistakes…may God have mercy on your soul.
Kate McKean listed "Responding to rejections with rude emails or begging for a second chance" as one of the biggest mistakes writers make, and Stephany Evans followed this same path:
There really isn't one "biggest." So I'll just give you one: replying to a rejection with a request for more input – "Why is this not right for you?" "Aside from the fact that you aren't interested, was this a good letter?" "How can I improve my pitch?" "Can you recommend someone else?" Most agents are too busy to engage in a conversation like this with an author they are passing on. There are only so many minutes in the hour and we've got dozens of emails to reply to, all sorts of work to do for our clients, meetings and lunches to attend, as well as reading (which mostly is done out of the office, at home, while traveling, on our weekends and 'vacations').
Don't get yourself blacklisted! There are always other doors, as long as you don't close them all yourself.
Sheree Bykofsky contributed the following:
The biggest mistake is using bad grammar in the first sentence. Well, the biggest mistake actually would be walking into the agent's office with a query letter that uses bad grammar in the first sentence. That's my final answer.
Please grasp this: You never call an agent, and you never, NEVER go into an agent's office. Ever.
And finally (I hope I don't have to tell you this, but…), you never do this either (courtesy of Helen Breitwieser) –
A guy once Googled me and used my younger sister's name and my high school in a query letter, as in, "imagine your sister (insert name here) was found dead in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of (insert high school here)" then he wrote, "now that I have your attention." Bad idea.
The coffee pot is empty. Your butt hurts from sitting so long. And now, you know all the bad ideas.
Dear Writer, avoid these bad ideas. Write a query letter that will stand out from the slush pile, and that will provide you with open doors. The road is long and the footing is slippery, but the checkpoints are worth the work.
Keep doing what you're doing, and soon you'll be sharing drinks with your agent and laughing at the mistakes other writers are making.
Of course, we all (or, that is to say, all of us who are truly passionate about literature) spend huge chunks of our lives reading and growing through others in that manner, but the telepathy generated by an author over a great gap in time does not replace the sort of intimate learning that can take place in face-to-face (or pen-to-pen...or computer-to-computer) interaction with a fellow writer.
One such learning outlet for me - which I previously detailed in a short, important post - has been my relationship with Mickey Diamond. Diamond is one of the most talented writers I have ever come across, and we have journeyed forward on the path toward (eventual) writing success together, with sometimes frequent and sometimes all-too-infrequent back-and-forth word volleys.
Other such learning outlets for me are the blogs I read and the Twitterers I follow. Because of my distaste for groupthink, and because of the fortressed nature of my personality, I do not interact much with these people I read/follow, but I pay attention to the things they say. I learn from their struggles and their triumphs. I watch from across the internet as they spill their hearts, and these voyeur-esque observations add clarity to my own journey as I take a new step each day.
And that, Dear Reader, is where my focus lands in today's post: Taking a new step each day.
I recently sent an email to Paul Joseph, encouraging him on his own writing journey, and one of the things I mentioned to him was this: There is only so much you can do each day; but if you do what you can do each day, the future will take care of itself.
When I finally started paying attention to the Greater Writing Community, one of the first things I noticed was that most aspiring authors refer to their current manuscript as their "Work In Progress" (or, of course, as their "WIP"). I never grew comfortable using that label for any manuscript of my own, but I have realized that I have a Work In Progress. I have been working on this WIP for the last 25 years, and I will continue working on it for the rest of my life.
My current Work In Progress is...me. And as I continue to do what I can do each day, I'll continue to grow. As I continue to grow, the future will take care of itself.
My current Work In Progress is...me. (Photograph by The Shutterbug)
There is only so much you can do today. Focus on today, and each tomorrow will carry you closer to your goals.
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ (Download A Delicious Sample Of The Great Lenore, Available From Atticus Books Summer 2011)
Play nice and share with others ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
If you came here today expecting to find the promised post containing 50-plus literary agents' emails to me detailing the worst mistakes writers make when querying them, you'll have to wait - due to time-constraints (and the fact that it makes more sense to post something like that on a Friday anyway), you'll have to wait until Friday for that post.
Not to worry, though. Here is a new Inspiration Nugget for today:
Follow your dreams, Dear Reader. No matter the cost.
Happy reading. Happy writing. ~JM
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ (Download A Delicious Sample Of The Great Lenore, Available From Atticus Books Summer 2011)
Play nice and share with others ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Last week's Thought-Spill quickly became one of the more popular rooms in this little internet home of mine. At first, I thought that was strange - after all, I usually spend a fair amount of time planning my blog posts to make sure they will help the people who come here; the Thought-Spill post, on the other hand, was nothing more than...well, was nothing more than a thought-spill.
But then, I realized: Its popularity wasn't really so strange at all.
Why?
Because people dig honesty - shameless, vulnerable, forthright honesty.
The best writers are the ones whose books are packed so full of honesty you think the pages might explode.
The best stories tell truths we all knew but never really realized we knew.
The best books shine a light on life.
Honesty + Brilliance = Beauty (Actually, this is not a picture of Honesty + Brilliance; it's a picture of The Shutterbug, but since she is beautiful, it all sort of ties together)
Tell Truth. Create something beautiful today.
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ (Download A Delicious Sample Of The Great Lenore, Available From Atticus Books Summer 2011)
Play nice and share with others ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
About a month ago, my publisher proved his awesomeness by agreeing to give away three free, advance copies of The Great Lenore. We ran a little contest for the first free copy, and I told you that we'd start all over in about a month.
Yup - here we are again.
The rules are simple:
Step 1: Post tweets on twitter that begin in the following manner: #ILikeBooksBecause
And that end in the following manner: http://bit.ly/fI7W73
Here are some examples:
#ILikeBooksBecause they taste better than movies http://bit.ly/fI7W73
#ILikeBooksBecause they make me taller http://bit.ly/fI7W73
#ILikeBooksBecause I have a functioning imagination http://bit.ly/fI7W73
#ILikeBooksBecause I don't know how to read http://bit.ly/fI7W73
#ILikeBooksBecause they make me look sexy http://bit.ly/fI7W73
#ILikeBooksBecause my bookshelf looks empty without them http://bit.ly/fI7W73
Step 2: On Friday morning, I'll pick my favorite tweets, and I'll give everyone a few days to vote on which one they like the best.
The Great Lenore will be in bookstores next June 15, but whoever receives the most votes will find a free copy of The Great Lenore in their hands at the end of February.
Yup. That's about it.
The more tweets you post, the more chances you have to win (and, quite frankly, the more in love with you I'll be).
Just copy and paste the following to your Twitter, and fill in the middle: #ILikeBooksBecause http://bit.ly/fI7W73
If you haven't read the short, tasty sample of The Great Lenore, you can find it here.
For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month; it takes place each November, with thousands of writers attacking their free time in front of their computer, with the goal of completing the first draft of a 50k (or more) word novel in those 30 days.
To those of you who successfully participated in NaNoWriMo this year: Congratulations.
I have never participated in NaNoWriMo myself, but I think it's a great tool. Especially for writers who are just starting out. Or for writers who have been writing for a while...but might need a kick in the pants to actually sit down and create.
I do, however, see one major problem with NaNoWriMo:
After such a whirlwind of writing, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment washes over the writer; they know that they want this fruit of their cerebral loins published; they know they need an agent; and so - of course! - they move onto the next logical step: Searching for an agent!
Oops.
Over the last week or so, I have been hinting that a rockin-awesome blog post will be born here next Tuesday. Right now seems like a good time to let you know what that blog post will be.
A little over a week ago, I emailed over one hundred literary agents, asking them: What is the single biggest mistake writers make when querying you?
So far, I have received more than 50 responses, and while the great unveiling of this blog post (which, I'm proud to say, will be the most comprehensive collection of answers to this question I know of) will not emerge until next Tuesday, I will go ahead and tell you what one of the most prominent answers has been. Pay attention, NaNoWriMo writers; this applies to you:
One of the biggest mistakes writers make is querying when their book is not yet ready.
Let me make this clear: "Not yet ready" does not mean "Not yet finished." Finishing the first draft of a novel is only Step One. The novel that you finished writing yesterday? It is only a baby. Now, it's time to help it grow up.
How long do you edit for?
That depends. But the short answer is: A whole lot longer than you spent writing it. And if you've never done this before: A whole lot longer than you ever imagined.
Writing a manuscript is maybe 25% of the novel-writing process. The other 75% comes after the last word of the first draft settles down on the paper.
I spent over two years editing The Great Lenore before I landed my publishing deal. That's not a yardstick you should use for your own editing; it's just an example. The only measurement you can use for your baby is, quite simply, perfection. And unless you wrote your first draft the way Vonnegut wrote his first drafts - rewriting a single page over and over and over again until he got it just right (which, if you wrote 50k in one month, I doubt your process went like that) - "perfection" can take a while.
Rip that thing apart. Bang your head against the wall. Put that thing back together. Take a break from the manuscript for about a month. Come back to it. Rip it apart again. Bang your head against the wall. And so on.
Over the last month, you have created something that has the potential to be beautiful. Now, it's time to help it grow up.
Good luck! Happy Editing. ~J
P.S. Remember last month when I held a little contest for a free, advance copy of The Great Lenore? Yup, check back on Friday for Contest #2. (As in this Friday. As in December 3rd. As in the day you just marked on your calendar so you'll remember to come back here and find out how simple the contest is.)
Currently listening to: Unchained Melody, by The Righteous Brothers
Currently hoping you will save your NaNoWriMo friends from sending out a barrage of ill-fated query letters today by sharing this link with them: http://bit.ly/eN347M
Currently enjoying the "currently" theme.
That's enough.
Other Places Where I Hang Out:
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ (Download A Delicious Sample Of The Great Lenore, Available From Atticus Books Summer 2011)
Play nice and share with others ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
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