What Goes On in There?

Ever wonder what in the world goes on at a publishing house as potential best-sellers are created or discarded in a single vote?

My agent, Rachelle Gardner, has an excellent post on what goes on in a publishing house as the decision is made whether to buy an author's manuscript or not.

It's all about what will sell. Period. So don't lose heart if you're still trying to peddle your manuscript to resistant editors. Sometimes it's a matter of the wrong book at the wrong time, or the right book and the wrong time, or the wrong book at the right time!

Take a peek inside the boardroom. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/

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You Know You're a Writer If...

Borrowed from the writer's e-newsletter, Seekerville, here are some sure-fire ways to tell if you're a REAL writer.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE A WRITER IF...


Your list of New Year’s Resolutions not only includes your goals but also your motivation and conflict.

You never read a dictionary you didn’t like.

You dream about your WIP and wake to write down a phrase that keeps running through your head.

“Doing lunch” means editing your work while you gobble down a sandwich.

You’d rather spend time in Seekerville than with your non-writer BFF.

You read the first lines of every new book in the bookstore and made note of any agents or editors mentioned in the acknowledgements.

You turn every real life situation into a “What if!”

You never leave home without a pen and paper tucked in your pocket, purse or man bag.

You’d rather sit at your computer than ________ (fill in the activity of your choice).

You can figure out who the villain is by the third chapter of any book you read.
(Not Seeker books, of course.).

Your Christmas Wish List includes the latest How-To Writing book.

You break down every movie you see into 3 Acts and Turning Points.

Your kids know eating pizza 5 nights in a row means mom’s on deadline.

Your kids get tired of pizza after ordering delivery 5 nights in a row.

You jot down snippets of conversations you overhear at Starbucks.

You openly talk in public about how you killed hubby.

You take notes when police chase scenes run on the nightly news.

You spell sassy SASE.

You check caller ID for a New York area code every time the phone rings.

You break down in tears when the kids bring in the mail and say you’ve got a big envelope from the editor who’s had your manuscript for over a year.

You ask your pharmacist the easiest way to poison someone.
(Not the editor, of course.)

The history listing on your laptop includes “How to Make a Bomb” and “Meth for Beginners.”

You’ve never met a cop you didn’t want to interview.

At writing conferences, you realize the women (age 23-27) wearing black and hiding their name tags are all New York editors.

The first section you look at in the Sunday newspaper is the bestsellers’ list.

Rejection means more than a boyfriend dumped you.

“Your baby” refers to 400 pages of Courier New.

Your family vacations each summer in the locale you’ve selected for your next book.

You know query means more than a question.

Along with the dust bunnies under the bed, you’ve also shoved five completed manuscripts rejected by a wide-range of editors, who you call names I won't mention.

You know you can’t judge a book by its cover.

You go to work in a T-shirt and sweat pants.

You know voice has nothing to do with singing.

Pretty much sums up my writing career thus far!

It's all about the business and what's hot at the moment or suspected to be hot this time next year.

"It's great, it's moving, your skill shines through, but it's not zombie-vampire-Amish-romance, so I don't think it'll sell right now. Next?"

If you can't play this game long enough,

you're in the wrong business.

Start Where?

The End.

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How many sets of 10-30 pages do you have lying around or saved on your computer?
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You had a brilliant idea, saw the characters streaming through your mind, heard their voices, imagined their predicaments. You typed frantically, scarcely taking time to breathe. The world on your computer screen was more real than the dinner burning or the kids screaming in the background.
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But finally you got it out. There it was, three or four chapters. You were shaking with exertion and exhilaration. And then you went to turn off the stove. And never came back.
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Every writer has those stories lying around in various stages of dress, like the cast of a play at the after-party. I've had them since the 6th grade, when I spent every free moment in class--and some moments that were not designated "free time"--scribbling away in my notebook.
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So how do REAL writers do it? How do they get to the end? How do they tie up all those details and characters and plot lines to make a satisfying book?
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Here's a tip: Start at the end.
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May successful authors do it that way. They have a good handle on the main characters,have a vague outline of a plot, but then they focus on a good ending. Nothing ruins a great book like a limp finish. So write the end with all that passion that first fired your story. Don't worry about how it's all going to tie together. That's what middles are for.
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It's okay. Your mom will never know you started with dessert!
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Writing in Color

Spring is a great time for writers. Nature explodes in vivid array, as if to apologize for the drab winter. My house seems to come alive after a near-death experience. How are you doing at capturing color in your writing?

A good exercise is to use words to convey the idea of color as though you were describing it to a blind man. How can you make him see red? Blue? the contrast between yellow and black if he's never seen it?

Color is more than just visual. Study those red tulips above. How would you describe them in your writing? One way is contrast them with the green lawn. They stand out against the carpet of smooth grass like bright feather balls.

Connect color with the other senses. Imagine what they feel like, smell like, how they would taste. The yellow bushes huddle against the porch like fat ducks in a row.

Go outside and look around. Spend a few moments absorbing the texture of the air, the smells drifting over your face, the soft sounds fluttering from the trees. Describe it in as much detail as you can without a lot of adjectives. Adjectives are the lazy way to write. Use comparison, metaphor, simile, and personification---all those literary words your English teacher tried to teach you. They're quite useful when you want to write something memorable.

Describe spring at your house. Leave your paragraph below if you like and I'll take a look at it. Happy writing!

What's In a Title?

So you've typed the last word and your story or book looks pretty good. But what do you call it? Does it really matter? How important is a title?

.Think about the books you're attracted to, the stories that stop you as you flip through a magazine. It's usually the title or cover that caught your eye. That's what we see first. That's our first hint that this might be worth a second look.

.So how do you come up with a good title?

.For a book, think about the way it will look on the shelf. The title needs to hint about what's inside.

Is it suspense? The title should offer a hint of forboding.

Is it a romance? The title should tell that without giving away the plot. The Cowboy Who Left One Woman for Another gives away a bit too much. Why read the book if you already know what's going to happen?

My agent Rachelle Gardner gives a lot more detail about how titles work. Take a look here .

If Only...

May every editor who reviews your work have this problem!
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What's a theme?

It's sometimes called the lesson, moral, or main idea behind the story. But theme is really more than that. In literary terms, the theme is the "take-away" value of the story. It's what the reader is left pondering after they've read the last word.

I've taken the following from the writing blog of Gayle Martin, because she explains theme quite succinctly. http://www.gailmartin.com/

Theme weaves through the plot, setting, and characters in a translucent thread that the reader extracts from his own experience or values. It communicates something deeper to readers than plot or story. Theme triggers an emotional response from readers, and without an emotion reaction, the story’s theme is usually weak or non-existent, or too vague to be comprehended.

Theme presents an infinite truth that makes a powerful impact on readers. It is often tangled in the goal of a the protagonist. It triggers emotion which is what clings to readers once the pages on the book have been closed and makes the story worth reading. Emotion has power to transport your story beyond entertainment as the them provides the impact of a universal meaning to your story.

This may sound vague, but theme is abstract, providing the heartbeat of your story. It cannot be forced. Author’s bring it to life by allowing the story’s truths to slip into the action, dialogue, introspection, and soul of the characters.

Some try to summarize this process by explaining it this way. Ask yourself, what did you learn from this novel? How did it touch you? Joy Cagil author of a blog on fiction writing suggests you ask this. What is the protagonist’s biggest decision to resolve the story’s conflict? These questions are about as close as you can get to defining theme. It is the underlying principle that motivates the protagonist to reach his goal, and it is a truth—belief or perspective—which most people hold in common.

Common themes might be that good defeats evil, money causes corruption, love makes the world go round, lies begat lies, gossip destroys, success is not measured by a bank account, jokes can backfire, friends stand by your side, people were not meant to be alone, freedom is better than servitude, love conquers all. I’m sure you can think of many, many others.

Think of novels you’ve read that have stuck with you and ask yourself why do you still remember this story? Besides plot, what message or value or truth did it leave you with? How did it impact your emotions? What did you take away with you when the book was finished? When you find the answer, you’ve most likely identified the theme of the novel.

Publishing Update

One of my short stories was accepted for publication by a syndiated site that sells to Christian publications. Click here to read The Unwelcome Friend .
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Do I Have to Know My Genre?

If you're new to the world of professional writing, you may have stumbled a few times over the "genre" question, and thinking that was the least of your concerns, you passed over it.

Well, back up! It's more important than you think.

"I write lots of different things. I have a Young Adult novel, a Chick Lit novella, and a detective series in mind. I'm just too diversified to be stuck in one genre!"

If you've ever said or even thought that, go ahead and deny it right now. By the end of this article, you'll be glad you refused to admit it. It's the flashing light that signals an amateur.

Genre is where creativity meets business. And despite your passion for creative expression, business is what drives this industry. Like it or not, you have to face the business side of writing if you expect anyone else to ever have the privilege of reading your thoughts.

You should try all kinds of writing at first. Let your creativity flow. Write book after book, but put them away and start on another. Those are called "starter books" and they help you learn the craft of fiction writing. But they most likely will never see print. That's okay. Every successful writer has them.

Chances are that during all that writing, your own voice was beginning to emerge and an underlying theme began to creep into your work. Maybe no matter how the book began, someone always gets murdered and your hero has to figure it out. You may have started out writing a light-hearted romance, but lo-and-behold, your comical sidekick gets shot and the whole thing flips on you! If so, your genre may be suspense or crime writing. If your characters just can't stop falling for each other no matter the circumstance, then maybe you're a romance writer.

The importance of choosing a single genre at first can't be overstated. The purpose of your first few books is to build a reading audience. If you pick up a Dean Koontz book, you want high suspense. If it turned into Alice In Wonderland, you'd be offended and probably never pick up another Dean Koontz. Publishers and bookstore owners know this and they don't want to take a chance on spending thousands of dollars producing and stocking your book only to have you change on them for the next one.

So sticking with a genre at first isn't limiting you. It's helping you build a fan base. Once you're wildly popular, you can take a chance on another kind of book, but often it is not nearly as successful as your first genre. Readers don't like surprises like that. They read your books because they know what to expect and like it.

So have you thought about genre? Don't be afraid to experiment with all kinds of writing. Your strong points will emerge the more you write and you won't mind limiting yourself to what you're best at until you've proven yourself a master at it. Your readers won't mind either.

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More Purple Prose

If you liked the literary train wrecks in the last post, you'll enjoy these! I must admit, I was tempted to use a couple of them--but I resisted. And so should you.

Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man."

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 PM traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 PM at a speed of 35 mph.

(My personal favorite!) The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.

They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

The thunder was ominous sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.

Her thoughts tumbled in her head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red crayon.

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What NOT to Do

Figurative language is a vital writing tool. Comparison, analogy, personification, and metaphor are all important aspects of creative writing.

But sometimes we can get carried away! Below are some examples of what NOT to do as you polish your writing. Don't use any of these if you expect your writing to be taken seriously.

• The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

• McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Heft bag filled with vegetable soup.

• Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.

• From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eeirie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7:00pm instead of 7:30.
  
• Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

• Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:rnl.flw:a>stpncant but gets instead T:rnl.flw:a>stpncanti by mistake.

• Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

• He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

• The hailstones leaped from the pavement just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

I'll post more of these gems later.

Not again!

If you've made any attempt to have your work published, you have without a doubt encountered rejection. Rejection is a major part of a writer's life--no matter who you are. It's part of the business and no one escapes.

As a bit of encouragement for those of you wondering if you've received more rejections than anyone alive, I'm running these stats today on some names you may recognize. Take heart and keep trying!

• Jack London received 60 rejections before he sold his first story.



• George Orwell was told of Animal Farm, "It is impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S."



• Stephen King was told: "We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell."



• William Faulkner was told: Are you kidding? I can't sell this!"



• Of his novel The Torrents of Spring, Ernest Hemingway was told: "It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish this."



• The authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul weathered a whopping 140 rejections before finding a publisher to take a chance on their idea.

• And my personal favorite, Gone With the Wind, received 38 rejections before Margaret Mitchell found a publisher.

So take heart as those rejection letters pile up in the corner. You're in good company!
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What? Another change?

The world of publishing just keeps getting more complicated. The frequent explosions of new reader technology from Apple, Amazon, and other Internet gurus have traditional publishers twisting nervous hands.

New areas are exploding in property rights, copyrights, and media rights keeping agents, writers, and editors on their toes. What this will mean for the future of books is anybody's guess at this point. The technology-saturated public is coming to expect more than just paper and ink and many sites are now able to deliver tantalizing video trailers, mini-movies, and clips that were once reserved for cover copy.

My agent, Rachelle Gardner, has a very informative post on Monday's blog. Click here to learn more.

Whatever the outcome with iPad, Kindle, Sony Readers, and the soon-to-follow copycats the way we read is definitely changing.

But one thing won't change. There will always be a market for a great story.

Be Nice!

This always amazes me, but I hear about it so often, I thought it would be worth a mention so you don't become one of those that I hear about.

In publishing, as in many other fields, relationships are important. An editor at one house today may be an agent you query next month. And the associate editor you sent that snippy email when they rejected your story may be the senior editor at the next house you try.

There's a simple rule that, if followed, will keep you from having to eat humble pie over and over again: Be Nice!

If it shocks you that there are still people who have to be told this, you're not alone. But agents and editors rant about this all the time: the angry author who tore up a contract after the publisher changed his cover copy, the arrogant writer who sent a full page of curse words to an agent who turned down his query.

What in the world is wrong with these people? Do they honestly think they are helping their cause? Just like the disappointed contestant on American Idol who swears at Simon and insists on "just one more chance," they must think that the sheer power of cursing will change the judge's mind. Poor deluded people.

But don't YOU become one of them. When you receive a rejection or lack of response to a query or proposal you've sent, it is NOT okay to shoot an email back asking why. It is NOT okay to argue the decision, point out the shining gems in your work that they obviously missed, or ever-ever-ever respond with anger.

Nathan Bransford, agent with Curtis Brown, has an interesting take on this subject on his blog.

This Says it All

This pretty much speaks for itself!

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Writer's Conference

With the new year, comes planning. As a writer dedicated to learning all you can, you should give serious thought to attending a writer's conference.

There are conferences all across the country, focusing on specific genres and markets. There is probably one near you.

But conferences cost money! Why should I spend money going somewhere when there is so much free advice on line?

Good point! You can learn a tremendous amount from books and websites. But a writer's conference is sort of like a shot of caffeine for a serious writer. You are suddenly surrounded by like-minded people who aren't the least bit surprised to see you talking to yourself or laughing at a joke your protagonist just told. You take classes by successful authors and editors and can ask that burning question you've never spoken aloud. You're challenged by the struggles of many and the successes of others. And if you attend a Christian conference (which I highly recommend) there is the added benefit of outstanding spiritual encouragement and the reminder that your words are in the Lord's hands.

Conferences change date and location every year, but some of the big ones are the same place every year. The list below is a couple of years old, but click on each link provided to get updated information.

If you are serious about pursuing publication, a conference or two is almost mandatory. It not only helps you, but it impresses potential agents and editors who recognize that as dedication on your part.

Check out this list and find one that fits your budget and schedule. It will be money and time well-spent.

List of Contests

I'm going to make a shameless plug for another site because I think it's a great resource for writers wanting to take their work to the next level and publish. Hope Clark offers a free newsletter which lists various writing contests that require no or nominal entry fees.

Contests are a great way to learn to polish your work, whether or not you win. You learn a lot by following each contest's guidelines and submitting your work for another's scrutiny.

Often you can get ideas simply by reading the prompts or suggested topics for other contests. So go for it! Sign up for the email newsletter and start submitting your work!

Writing Contests
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Lovely Villain

As I hope you learned in middle school English class, there are three major types of conflict in literature: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. himself--or in Christian circles, we could include man vs. God.

Regardless of the conflict, a story is made richer by the presence of a villain. In children's literature, the villain is often one-dimensional and the creepier the better. My son loves superheroes and supervillains, both of whom MUST contain super powers of some sort.

But in adult literature, the villains need to be more complex or we tire of them. The villain needs to be at least as interesting as the hero, otherwise it's not a fair contest of wills.

A common mistake is working hard to create a complex, believable hero while allowing the villain to fall into a predictable cardboard stereotype. The villain doesn't necessarily have to be "evil" in every sense of the word. The villain is whatever stands in the way of the hero attaining whatever it is he desperately wants.

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The most interesting villains need to have something redeemable about them. Even the most horrendous criminal was somebody's baby once. Someone loved him at some point, so show that side somehow. Give him an out-of-character quirk that makes him more intriguing: a killer who grows prize roses, a psychopath who gives large sums of money to the animal shelter, etc.

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Don't make it ridiculous, but adding little details gives your villain life. The conflict between good and evil is heightened when it is blurred a bit. And conflict is always the goal!

What's a Synopsis?

When you've completed your masterpiece and are thinking about submitting it for publication, you'll have to tackle the part of writing most authors hate the most: the synopsis. Some find writing a good 2-page synopsis more difficult than writing the 100,000-word novel.





In short, a synopsis is just the general ideas of your story, leaving out all the dialogue, description, and details. In essence, you leave out everything that makes your novel sing--which is torture for novelists! One editor described it as "the worst writing you'll ever do, but the most necessary."





Condensing all the twists and surprises of a four-hundred page novel into two pages that is supposed to convince an editor to buy your book is not easy and definitely no fun. But once you've gotten the hang of it, the next one isn't so bad. Add it's great practice for your next tasks, which are writing cover copy, an elevator pitch, and and a one-sheet. But we'll get to those another day.


Nathan Bransford, agent with Curtis Brown, Ltd., has a good blog post which goes into further detail. Hop over there and then get to condensing! Nathan Bransford