Query

I’m sure you’ve all seen those formulas for writing a query. Character + situation + complication + why should I care = query
or something like that. I’ve used all of them and rewritten my query a million times, and then I send them out and think “Why should an agent care? This query is exactly like a dozen others I’ve read from other people.” I critique queries often and maybe that’s my problem but I get bored reading most of them. Something has to catch my eye and make me go “Wow. I’ve got to read more.” I think that’s how agents must feel. They read a dozen or more (Probably more) of these things every day.
It wouldn’t be so bad I suppose if I hadn’t read my own query fifty million times and tweeked it to work better every single time. I lament that the words don’t flow for me in a query as they do when I’m writing, but I keep trying and eventually I’ll get it right. (Most likely when I stop trying to make it perfect and actually send something.)

P - Proof read Practice

My name? What does a name matter when your standing on the edge of the Broklyn Bridge? I stared at the girl not sure why she was even talkin too me. I clung to the railing wishing for some sort of reason not to jump.


Okay, so there's not much here and it isn't too horrible. I have critiqued/proof read some work that is much worse. Even going so far as 'he protruded the knife from his pocket slicing it through the air.' Proof reading is a very important part of writing. If you can't take the time to read your own work and understand words for what they actually mean please don't ask me to read it. It is painful to do so, and I'd much rather spend my time on something worth reading. I know that's harsh, but it's the truth.

O - Octopus Pie

Okay, maybe I'm stretching, but when I think of an octopus I see eight legs going in different directions, some of them twisting about the others, with millions of little suction cups. I know, you're probably wondering what this has to do with writing. I never plan out my books. I've tried it and they always end up terrible and linear. Sometimes I have the opposite problem though. Without planning there are times they spread out in many different directions, twisting about each other in a convoluted mess. Thus, octopus pie. Of course to make these stories understandable some of those side plots must be cut, paring down the story to what is truly important. I tell you the trash can is my best friend at those times even if it is hard to throw out so much work.

N - Never give up

There are times when life is hard and all of us would like to give up. This picture used to hang on my mother's refrigerator and every time life was hard growing up (which happened a lot) I would see it and know that I just had to keep going. No matter what. As I got older I've learned to dream, and when things are hardest I just have to keep going, because it's when they're hardest that I'm just a step away from success.

M - Mischeif does not make me a villain

I don't know about you but I love the bad boy in a story, that flare for mischief that gets them in just the right amount of trouble to make the story interesting. I don't know how many of you have seen Tangled, but it is the reason I love Rider. Sometimes my characters turn into the perfect blend of bad boy and hero and make the book exciting. I actually did this with a book I coauthored once (not a book I would ever publish). The character saved the story. He was the villain, but not so much the villain and I loved the character. I've often thought of telling his story and getting rid of the rest of the story because before he showed up it was terrible.
Anyway, mischeif is always fun to write.

*Love*

Ah, love scenes. Those wonderful moments that make boys gag and girls go "ahh". I suck at them. I've read some wonderful ones, ones that seem like they really could happen in REAL life, and others that are completely faked. Mine drag. Okay, really they just drag for me and generally I don't have many as I am terrible at them. My characters are much more likely to bump noses while they kiss, or trip over each others feet, and the scenes themselves are like young teenagers who've never been kissed, fumbling over themselves without any real direction. Needless to say these scenes I'm in and out of as quickly as possible. I suppose it boils down to one thing. I don't have fun writing them. It's a chore I must get through and it shows. The few books that have bearable love scenes are those that others have critiqued a million times and showed me where I went wrong.
So a round of applause to all those who take the time to critique others work. I know how painfully obvious things can be to you, but to the writer it isn't always.

K- Killing off characters

In many stories I've come across a character dies only to be brought back to life through the power of plot convenience. Some of these that come to mind are Harry Potter and Krilin from Dragonball (Only know about that one because of my husband). I have to admit I've been known to do this myself. The story starts flowing, taking turns I didn't expect and before long my favorite character is dead (for me this is rarely the main character). I'll sit there staring at the screen my mind screaming "No! You can't kill them! They're the best character there is in this entire story!" But for some reason I can't delete that scene either, can't change it. That is the story my characters have told me, and so I end up getting creative and seeing if there is some logical way (can't stand it when stories break their own rules) that I can bring them back. This doesn't always work and many times I've had to set a story aside to deal with the fact that my favorite character is dead.
I find when I read stories where the character is brought back through Plot Convenience I just about am ready to throw the book. Seriously, if you don't want the character dead and can't provide a rational explanation of how they can come back (something I'm likely to believe) then just don't kill them off. A bit hypocritical perhaps, but there it is.