Search found 27 matches
- July 23rd, 2010, 1:59 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: The Dark Protagonist
- Replies: 20
- Views: 5763
Re: The Dark Protagonist
I have a dark protagonist in my last novel. I made her as sympathetic as possible by revealing that others intentionally drove her insane, and that she feels remorse for her impetuous murders. It's still a very difficult book to sell. I had one agent say that they're 'just not enthusiastic enough ab...
- July 14th, 2010, 12:05 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Tips for Dialogue Among Multiple Characters?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 7949
Re: Tips for Dialogue Among Multiple Characters?
Well, slight behavioral and personality trait differences go back to there being a distinct voice for each character. But beyond the characters' voices, you can also use the characters' opinions and current interactions as clues. If character A is for the suicide plan, and character B is against the...
- May 14th, 2010, 2:11 pm
- Forum: Books
- Topic: PREDICT THE NEXT BIG YA GENRE
- Replies: 61
- Views: 28066
Re: PREDICT THE NEXT BIG YA GENRE
I'm betting on 'Hard Science Fiction YA'. Today's kids know more about science (or at least technology) than their elders, it's time they got some literature to celebrate that. Cory Doctorow's _Little Brother_ will be seen as the first of the Hard SF YA wave (which will come to be known as 'Hardpunk...
- April 12th, 2010, 11:07 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: If you need to be reinspired
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2401
Re: If you need to be reinspired
I took a couple days vacation to go to my father's funeral. Now *that* was re-inspiring.
Anything that jogs you out of your normal routine can help get the creative juices flowing again.
Anything that jogs you out of your normal routine can help get the creative juices flowing again.
- March 19th, 2010, 11:21 am
- Forum: Finding An Agent
- Topic: Question on Etiquite...
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4594
Re: Question on Etiquite...
I recently received a very nice rejection from an agent that I submitted to in October. Her promised 6-8 week response time meant nothing -- it took her 5 months to seriously consider my partial. (And by the note she sent, she did seriously consider it.) Don't press agents, they're very busy. I assu...
- March 12th, 2010, 7:01 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Does your genre make it difficult to find an agent?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 11032
Re: Does your genre make it difficult to find an agent?
The genre I write is science fiction, and there are few agents who want to see that. A lot of agents explicitly say that they don't want SF stories.
I don't know if that makes it harder, but I do know that there are fewer than other genres.
I don't know if that makes it harder, but I do know that there are fewer than other genres.
- February 23rd, 2010, 1:52 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: What Did Adverbs Ever Do to You?!
- Replies: 38
- Views: 20752
Re: What Did Adverbs Ever Do to You?!
The problem with adverbs is that they are difficult to use well. They invite common mistakes. If you know what those mistakes are, you can use adverbs -- and you will understand that they should be rare. If you're not sure what the mistakes are, it's best to avoid them whenever possible, and so that...
- February 21st, 2010, 1:26 pm
- Forum: Finding An Agent
- Topic: Query size -- let's have this out.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3089
Re: Query size -- let's have this out.
I think it's a stretch to say people here are "giving bad advice." All we're doing is giving our thoughts on whether or not a pitch is effective to us as readers. You're right, and I'm sorry if that came across as harsh. But on Nathan's blog in the FAQ somewhere, he states that the "...
- February 21st, 2010, 10:05 am
- Forum: Finding An Agent
- Topic: Query size -- let's have this out.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3089
Query size -- let's have this out.
Let's have this out. I need a resolution to this. When going over my query in these forums and elsewhere, I was encouraged to pad it with more and more information until it turned into a dense mini-synopsis of the entire plot. No problem, I thought, I can do that. I still kept it tight -- the final ...
- February 18th, 2010, 12:01 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: A Useful Way to Construct a Query
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1794
Re: A Useful Way to Construct a Query
Just note that those are recommendations for creating a log line -- a one sentence pitch. That may not be something you want to use in a query. Queries have to go into a bit more detail, and they can run 200+ words. Log line for my novel: Girl Genius stuck in Orwell's 1984 as a double agent in the L...
- February 18th, 2010, 11:56 am
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: ECHTRA : BLOOD MAGICK - FIRST PAGE
- Replies: 11
- Views: 8471
Re: ECHTRA : BLOOD MAGICK - FIRST PAGE
The language is a bit too flowery. But more important than that, you don't introduce any characters until the third paragraph -- and she isn't named for another three. My advice is to begin this story with action from a main character. "Mavis stops to stare out the windows, trying to find the c...
- February 17th, 2010, 1:59 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Can you read while you write?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 9592
Re: Can you read while you write?
I agree with Lydia. You have to read to keep the language parts of your brain active and thinking about words. I force myself to read while I'm writing, although I do try to select books appropriate for the current book. My last book was about a dark, insane future, so I tried to read dystopian sci-...
- February 16th, 2010, 4:19 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Share your opening sentence!
- Replies: 236
- Views: 86450
Re: Share your opening sentence!
An alien was sleeping in the gutter where Eli slept.
- February 11th, 2010, 10:56 am
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: A page to ponder; literary fiction
- Replies: 24
- Views: 8640
Re: A page to ponder; literary fiction
I like most of this, Serzen, but I have two questions. (I don't do the red/blue text thing because I'm colorblind. I can't see it, so I don't use it. :) ) They simply call everyone in white "staff", everyone in blue "guest". The staff call each other "doctor" and "...
- February 11th, 2010, 10:47 am
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: Query-- Scatter (Lit. Fic)
- Replies: 27
- Views: 10633
Re: Query-- Scatter (Lit. Fic)
Does this work at all? Can you get a sense of plot even without it explained right out? Like I said, I know it can be risky to do something out of the ordinary so I want to make sure I'm doing it well if I'm doing it at all. Thanks so much guys, I appreciate it! It certainly is different. I get a v...