I really hoped I wouldn’t have to write this post, but here we are. It’s officially been two years since I sent my first round of queries. During that time, I’ve queried two manuscripts, one of which underwent a major revision before restarting the querying process. I posted last year on what I’d learned in…
writing
When Is It Time to Query?
I’ve written posts on when it’s time to revise and when it’s time to wait, but I started this blog after I’d started querying DUET, so I didn’t have a reason to write about when it’s time to query. Until now. Because even though I still have a few DUET submissions out there, it’s time…
Those Pesky Crutch Words …
I had this whole post written and WordPress deleted it–twice! Thank goodness I discovered you could retrieve a draft, although I’m still having to cut and paste it. Anyway, there’s a lot of advice out there telling you to eliminate words like: just very kind This rule is so ingrained, I don’t have an issue…
A Moment in THE DEXELON TWINCIDENT
Kip Wilson Rechea tagged me in a snippet-sharing blog hop. You can see the excerpt from her YA futuristic thriller, BRIGHTEST MIDNIGHT, here. Thanks, Kip! I’m going to share a snippet from my work-in-progress, THE DEXELON TWINCIDENT. The rules were: “Search for the words ‘moment,’ ‘forever,’ ‘time,’ or the like in your writing, pick your…
How Much Honesty Can You Take?
Yesterday agent Mandy Hubbard tweeted: Sometimes, wish I could tell an author: You have talent. But this feels like the book before the 1 you get published. #NobodyWantstoHearThat Well, of course you don’t want to hear that, but maybe you should. Now, if I were just dipping my toes in the querying waters for the…
MMGM: WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME Trailer Reveal, Interview and Giveaway!
I am so excited today because I get to reveal the trailer for Kimberley Griffiths Little’s WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME, plus I have an interview AND a giveaway! I met Kimberley right here on my blog through Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. Her comment on one of my posts inspired me to read CIRCLE OF SECRETS,…
A Year of Blogging, Including My Top 10 Posts
So I should have done this post a couple of weeks ago. I started my blog on May 2, 2012, in order to participate in The Writer’s Voice contest. I’d debated for about a year whether to start a blog, mainly because I wasn’t sure what value I could add to the conversations already out…
Without CPs and Betas, I’d Never Get Past the Slushpile
This morning I finished up revisions from my second round of readers and sent my work-in-progress off to a third round. I’m always amazed at the things I miss when I’m editing my own work, and I came to a definite conclusion. If I didn’t use critique partners and beta readers, my manuscripts would never…
The Benefits of Reading Your Work Aloud
Do you ever hear advice and discard it because you don’t understand why you would do that? For me, one of those pieces of seemingly pointless advice was to read your work aloud. I didn’t understand what I would gain from an exercise that would take much longer than just reading the way I usually…
The Stages of Waiting
I sent my work-in-progress, THE DEXELON TWINCIDENT, out to my first round of readers two weeks ago. I received comments from one of the readers on Friday, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for feedback from the other (don’t rush, if you’re reading this!). It’s made me muse on the different kinds of waiting we have…
10 Tips for Titling a Manuscript
I posted once before about why titles are important, and agent Suzie Townsend also posted about titles here. What it comes down to is that for most agents, the title is your first impression. You include it in the subject line of your email, so even if it’s at the end of your query, it’s…
The Challenge of Writing Multiple POVs
Janice Hardy had a great post Monday about handling cliffhanger endings with multiple POVs. She focused on scenes and how to keep up the tension, reader interest, and reader investment as you switch between points of view. My current WIP alternates between two POVs, so I’ve been dealing with this challenge myself. I thought I’d…
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