The trite expression "can't thank you all enough" comes nowhere near expressing my appreciation for all the thoughtful comments and suggestions. Printing out these comments and diving back into the short query.
best regards
John
Search found 54 matches
- May 20th, 2010, 2:53 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: QUERY - crime/police fiction
- Replies: 32
- Views: 11666
- May 20th, 2010, 12:42 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
- Replies: 38
- Views: 12735
Re: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
Just a quick note for now. I'm still pondering some other options, but wanted to point out a few things for people who're trying to follow and/or play along. Kerring is the name of a town. It's been brought up previously, but I'll mention it again. Nothing mysterious here. The "protagonist&quo...
- May 19th, 2010, 5:00 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
- Replies: 38
- Views: 12735
Re: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
..... Once p Propelled through life beneath the surface of madness, a haunted life young woman's life reaches its natural conclusion. Rather than rest, the gateway to the afterlife brings the her lost soul face to face with ghosts of people it unwittingly slew during outbursts of derangement. At lo...
- May 18th, 2010, 5:06 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
- Replies: 38
- Views: 12735
Re: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
Serzen, hopefully I have chosen your latest draft to read/critique. Allow me to say I have scanned but not absorbed the many fine comments by others, and your responses. But I wanted to put on an agent's "hat" and read this without preconceptions. Comments below in blue.... Dear $Agent, BR...
- May 18th, 2010, 4:22 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: QUERY - crime/police fiction
- Replies: 32
- Views: 11666
Re: QUERY - crime/police fiction
And now I am really going to impose on the forum (and, hopefully, "wilderness" and "bronwyn1") by posting the shorter query (approx. 360 words) intended to accompany sample pages (or not). Note: To answer one question up-front, a "Jack" Mormon is a non-practicing member...
- May 18th, 2010, 3:39 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: QUERY - crime/police fiction
- Replies: 32
- Views: 11666
Re: QUERY - crime/police fiction
THANKS "wilderness" and "bronwyn1!" Your comments are very helpful and I've printed them out for review.
all the best,
John
all the best,
John
- May 17th, 2010, 5:23 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: QUERY - crime/police fiction
- Replies: 32
- Views: 11666
QUERY - crime/police fiction
Hopefully, I've been a good enough forum "citizen" to impose upon its members for some feedback. This query is targeted to those agents who do not wish to see the first 10-20 pages of the novel, so it is a bit longer than the query that accompanies sample chapters and/or a synopsis. Get ou...
- May 15th, 2010, 4:00 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4281
Re: Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
Thanks for the interesting responses. What has been said made me realize that my prologue was actually my first chapter, even tho' it "reveals" the crime to be solved.
- May 11th, 2010, 10:48 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: the "passive voice"
- Replies: 9
- Views: 5001
Re: the "passive voice"
Here is a third passive voice entry from Mr. Garner and the Oxford Press..... Garner's Usage Tip of the Day Passive Voice (3). Today: The Double Passive. The problem here is using one passive immediately after another. E.g.: "This document refers to the portion of the votes entitled to be cast ...
- May 10th, 2010, 12:24 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: the "passive voice"
- Replies: 9
- Views: 5001
Re: the "passive voice"
Very interesting, polymath! Thanks. Here is Oxford's and Garner's second comment on the passive voice: Passive Voice (2). Today: What's the Problem? What's the real problem with using passive voice? There are three. First, passive voice usually adds a couple of unnecessary words. Second, when it doe...
- May 7th, 2010, 12:41 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: the "passive voice"
- Replies: 9
- Views: 5001
the "passive voice"
I get a daily email from the Oxford University Press about word use and thought today's might be useful for conversations here. Perhaps others have a different point of view than Mr. Garner? Bryan Garner's Usage Tip of the Day http://www.elabs3.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=ef6,15uqm,4pht,2lji,g8bc,gj4w,8...
- May 6th, 2010, 1:04 pm
- Forum: Books
- Topic: What are you reading now?
- Replies: 528
- Views: 308390
Re: What are you reading now?
Finishing up Raymond Chandler's "The Simple Art of Murder" collection of short stories/novellas. James W. Hall's "Off the Chart" is in the on-deck circle.
- May 4th, 2010, 6:04 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4281
Re: Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
Thank you for this information!
- May 4th, 2010, 2:02 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4281
Prologues in Query letter: Pro or Con?
Many of my favorite crime and mystery writers use a brief prologue to either establish a backstory or show the crime that will be solved (for example, Robert Ellis does the latter very nicely in "The Lost Witness"). While there are plenty of discussions about their use, their length, their...
- May 3rd, 2010, 8:36 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Tips/techniques for formatting "pasted" query chapters
- Replies: 10
- Views: 3402
Re: Tips/techniques for formatting "pasted" query chapters
After a couple tests and a few deep breaths I realized that if you edit/send as plain text you can't go wrong. Thanks for all the advice!