Tuesday Tunes - A Darker Side of Love

This song from Paramore, "The Only Exception", touches on an emotional aspect I find myself applying to my female teen protags quite often: they're afraid to get close to the one they know is right for them, or perhaps put themselves through grief--purposely or not--before realizing who that person is. They're jaded before they've lived long enough to warrant it, and usually that is because of things they've seen happen to their parent/s. They keep their heart hidden to prevent it from breaking, even if it means hurting themselves in other ways.

But that gives them something to overcome through the course of their story. And like this song, there is hope at the end that they will take what seems like a huge risk and open up to what we know is best for them. That keeps us as readers engaged through their ups and downs, their failures and triumphs, their good and bad choices. We want them to succeed and stamp out the overwhelming bitterness.

A BIG THANK YOU to Joe for showing me this perfect song. Embedding has been disabled, so follow the link HERE. Enjoy!

~Lydia

Describing a Character's Physical Features

As a general rule, the reader does need a clear image of the characters in their head, just like they want a clear image of setting. This is the most effective way to ground the reader into the scene. Describing physical features can be tricky, though, especially in first person.

When I say "clear image" that doesn't mean "you must state every last detail." As with setting, a description of physical appearance must be a) subtle, b) relevant, and c) memorable.

The best way to accomplish all three of those is to weave in the description with the action or dialogue. This needs to happen very soon after the character is introduced, including the viewpoint character of the scene. Somewhere in the first scene/chapter of any novel the reader should have a few hints as to what the narrator looks like. Only a few details are needed--two, three at most--and the reader can fill in the rest with his/her imagination.

For example, in the novel I'm currently reading, Good Grief, the author chose to focus on two distinct physical features of the first-person narrator: her dark curly hair and her growing waistline (from depression-induced over-eating). And really, that was all I needed to picture her. Whenever her hair or her weight is mentioned it is relevant to the action of the scene.

On the third page of chapter one, Sophie is in the middle of a group grief therapy session. Notice how the author weaves in the description with subtlety by making it relevant to the scene and using memorable word choice.

Suddenly everyone in the room is looking at me expectantly, and I wish I'd had a little more time to prepare for the meeting before racing here from work. I can feel my uncooperative curly brown hair puffing in all directions, as if it wants to leave the room. On some days it forms silky ringlets, on others Roseanne Roseannadanna frizz.

"My name is Sophie Stanton and my husband died of cancer three months ago . . . ," I stammer, tucking my fingers into the curls. My voice sounds loud and warbly in the too bright room. I try to talk and hold in my stomach at the same time, because my slacks are unbuttoned under my sweater to accommodate a waistline swollen from overmedicating with frozen waffles; I think I feel the zipper creeping down my former size six belly.

(For you youngin's who don't have a clue who Roseanne Roseannadanna is, click here.)

The same approach is used in describing other characters in the scene.

on page 2:

The Indian woman sitting next to me lost her twin sister, who was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Her long black braids hang like elegant tassels down the back of her pumpkin-colored sari.

on page 5:

A few of the other women are widows, too, but they're older than me. One has white hair and glasses with lenses as big as coasters that magnify her eyes, making them look like pale blue stones underwater.

In my YA novel, Finding Me (currently a work in progress), I also focused on the two traits of hair and pudginess for the viewpoint character. The reason I selected hair was because this becomes an important clue to both the reader and the main character for events later in the story. The reason for highlighting her pudginess, as it was in Good Grief, is to hint about the character's current and past struggles with emotional eating, which is highly relevant to the plot.

In the very first scene, I mention what I feel is the most important physical trait--hair--and weave the description into the dialogue. Shyla, the main character, is working at a department store and finds a young girl hiding under a rack. We already know her hair is long because of a quick mention on page one:

"So what?" he whispered.  "Aren't I worth getting fired over?"

That snapped me back to reality.  "No."

"No?"  He stepped away from me and checked himself in the mirror, fingering his straight silky bangs and re-adjusting his belt for no reason.  After one quick look at myself I pulled the band out of my hair, letting the waves fall over my shoulders and cover the love bite he'd just given me.  Those were fun to show off in junior high but now it made me feel like branded cattle.

Then we learn more when she's talking to the lost girl on page four:

"You look like my mom," Laurel said.  "Your hair's the same color."

I blew out a breath, slowly, not really wanting to discuss mothers and likenesses.  But I had to keep her distracted.  The girl was too calm and confident, too trusting.  She was lucky I found her first.  "It wasn't always this color," I said.  "It used to be yellowish gold, like yours.  My mom says it looks more like honey now."

Then a hint of her physical shape on page six:

I was flat-out running now and my boobs bounced too hard.  Note to self: time for a new bra.

Laurel came into full view and stopped at the double swinging doors that led to the dock.  Technically, I wasn't allowed back there, but if she bolted I had to follow.

"Okay, game's over," I said, breathless.  My armpits felt sticky and the back of my throat stung; I definitely wasn't built to move like that.

She flashed her missing-tooth smile.  "You know the rules, grandma. You have to catch me first."

Grandma?  Not funny.  I wasn't that out of shape. 

Which is again emphasized in chapter two, page three, when we meet her older brother and discover he has a nickname for her (this snippet is also an example of weaving in relevant description of non-viewpoint characters):

Done.  Now I could get the hell out of here.

But not before running into Seth in the hallway, towel wrapped around his waist and water dripping over his bare chest. He looked like one of those after-shave ads in magazines.  I didn't especially like seeing him half-naked, and not just because he was my icky brother.  He had a tattoo of an anchor on his upper left arm with the year Daddy died inked below it.  I'd had vivid dreams of cutting his arm off ever since he got the damn thing.

"Hey, Shlump," he said.  That was his genius combination of the words short and plump.  His breath reeked of cigarettes.  "When'd you get home?"

Ideally, the description comes shortly after a character is introduced. In the case of Seth above, part of his description is immediate: the tattoo, which I use as an identifier for him throughout the story. On the very next page, we get a bit more detail, and again, it is relevant to the scene and the viewpoint character's frame of mind.

Sprinkling descriptions in this way, and then choosing one or two to repeat as identifiers later, prevents the introductory scenes from getting bogged down with loads of description that is ultimately pointless and unmemorable, while at the same time helping to ground the reader into each scene with a clear visual.

Happy Writing!
~Lydia

** all block quotes in this post are from FINDING ME © 2010 by Lydia Sharp; please do not copy or quote without permission from the author, thank you.

On Queries, Part 2

Part One is here. Today I want to focus on some aspects of the query itself.

All queries are not created equal. Here are the main issues I see when critiquing query letters.

Too long. Forget the "one page" rule because the confines of a single page could vary from writer to writer depending on what format they use. Focus on word count. In my opinion, the pitch part of the query should fall between 200-220, and the whole letter (sans greeting and closing) shouldn't be more than 300.

Yes, you're going to have to leave stuff out--important stuff--but a query is not a synopsis.

Too wordy. I don't mean "too many words" overall; we already covered that. I mean that the style of writing is overworded, making it difficult to follow. Be as concise as you possibly can. Refrain from explaining everything, for example, by using the word because or since in every other sentence.

Too voicey. Don't sacrifice your plot for voice. I can't even count how many queries I've read that are trying (too hard) to portray some kind of quirky voice and the whole time I'm reading all I'm thinking is, "Please just tell me what the story is about!" You can give the agent an idea of your main character's voice without turning the query into the manuscript. For an excellent example of how to do this right, click here.

Too bland. Oh dear. Am I frustrating you yet? I just said "don't sacrifice your plot for voice" and now I'm saying you need to spice it up. The point is, there is a happy medium. Your query is business letter, yes, but it's also a pitch. It shouldn't read like an anchor reporting a story on the evening news. This is why it's so important to get feedback on your query just like you would your manuscript, and make revisions whenever necessary. A good crit partner can help you find that balance.

Wrong mood. If you can get someone to laugh (in a good way), your query will likely be remembered. BUT if you make your query too light--or conversely, too dark--the agent will get to the sample pages and feel like they're reading the wrong story. Choose key words ahead of time that will help you create the right mood. In my query for SUMMER HOAX, which revolves around issues of honesty, I selected words such as lie, truth, betrayal, secret, honest, promise, trustworthy, friendship, boundaries, acceptance, reveal, fake, confess... by the time you're done reading the query, you have a clear idea of the story's theme.

Too vague. This one seems to go hand-in-hand with "too voicey." The bottom line is, you're focusing on the wrong things. Some writers use the query to portray the character arc instead of the story arc, and usually end the pitch with some kind of lesson learned. I would advise against that. The query should give a sense of the character's internal conflict and external conflict. Those two work together. And again, you have to find balance... and you've only got 200 words to do it.

No clear connection between points. The number one thing I've said in query crits is "I'm lost," "I'm confused," "I don't understand how this relates," etc. For example, (#1) the wizard must save the princess but first (#2) she must find out the father of her child or (#3) the evil queen will destroy all the fairies. What? One point should flow naturally into the next, and this is where having a solid story structure can help you. For more on that, click here.

No clear conflict. This doesn't seem to be as much of an issue with sci-fi and fantasy as it is with contemporary and mainstream. "Protagonist vs. antagonist" does not only refer to good "guy vs. bad guy." Who is the antagonist in a rite of passage/coming of age story? There are going to be characters who conflict with the protagonist but the real conflict is not with those characters, it is a fight with something internal. But remember, you still have to create balance with the external--something has to happen. Events. For an excellent example of how to do this right, click here.

Most of the above refers to the pitch. You can also screw up the bio paragraph and come across as too desperate.

Only list credits that are valid. Paid publications. Paid contest placements and/or awards. Regular contribution to an established newsletter or blog relevant to writing, publishing, etc. Most agents don't care how long you've been writing, or that you were the editor of your high school newspaper, or that one of your characters bakes pies for a living and you were named "Best Pie Baker" three years ago at your state fair. If you know enough about it, the authenticity will come through in your manuscript. There is no need to clutter your query with those things.

It's definitely okay to mention degrees relevant to writing, or if you are working toward a degree. But don't expect that to be a deciding factor. When it comes down to it, an agent just wants a well-written novel that he/she can sell.

The following WriteOnCon video from literary agent Kate Testerman includes just about everything else you should know about queries that I couldn't fit in these two posts (and a few repeats). She also offers some encouraging comments near the end for those of you who might have a case of the "query crazies."



Happy Querying!
~Lydia

Quotable Quotes

"You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children."

~Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle In Time (and many many more)

On Queries, Part 1

Standard disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert. But that doesn't mean I can't share what I've learned.

Even the best queries will still get form rejections. There is no such thing as a 100% request rate. Then how do you know if your query is doing its job? With all the variables, I think if you have a 50% or higher positive response you're doing just fine. But that's my opinion. Others say to shoot for 75%. To figure out your request rate, brush up on your basic algebra skills (your high school teacher was right; you will use math in real life, even with a career in the arts).

Let's say I've sent out 20 queries, but I've only received a response from 10 agents. In those 10 responses, I had 2 requests for the full manuscript, 3 requests for a partial manuscript, and 5 form rejections. I don't get picky on whether the requests are for partials or fulls. A request for more material, no matter how many pages, means I've done something right in my pitch and the agent is interested enough to spend their precious time reading my work. So the total requests is 5. The total responses is 10. Divide the requests by the total, and you have a rate of 50%. (Notice: Do not divide the total by the requests, or you will end up, in this case, with 200%. And that's just wrong. This is why it's important to know algebra and how percentages work.)

So YAY! you've got 5 requests. But look at the flip side: you've also got 5 form rejections. Every query will have rejections, and sometimes those rejections come from the agent who was top on your list. Don't sweat it. The agent you end up clicking with could be number 79 on your list. Does that matter in the long run? No. Not one bit.

I kept the numbers low in this example because I believe in sending out query batches. Send out a batch of about 10, wait and see what your response is, then go from there. This is especially important when you first start querying because you may find you need to revise. Better to have sent a bad query to only 10 agents rather than 30. Which leads me to the next point...

Be patient. Your "queries sent" may total 100+ before you land an agent, and if you're sending out batches of 10 (or later, maybe 15-20) and waiting in between... it takes time. Agents are busy. They're busier than us, if you can believe it. They already have their own clients to take care of first. It is not unusual for a query response time to be 4-8 weeks, and then if they request more material, you could potentially be waiting months. Some agents are quick to respond to both queries and requests--very quick, as in, hours or days--but don't count on that being the norm. Once you start querying, be prepared for a few seasons to go by before the proverbial ball gets rolling. And if it ends up being sooner, then it feels like a bonus.

There really isn't any rush to get your novel published. Seriously. You should endeavor to write stories that have a lasting appeal anyway (aka, don't write to fit a trend), so don't get your panties in a bunch if your novel isn't picked up when you think it should be. And if you're writing to get a paycheck by such-and-such a date, then you're writing for the wrong reasons and you'll be sorely disappointed and you should just quit now. Getting an agent is not even a guarantee that an editor will buy your novel. With that in mind, you must also...

Be aggressive. This may seem to contradict with what I just said in the above paragraph, but I mean this in a different sense. I recently made the mistake of thinking I could just sit back and relax while waiting to hear back from agents about requested material. I had three agents reviewing my novel at the same time, and thought it wouldn't be fair to them if I continued querying. But I was wrong. And I was told I was wrong by an agent, Mark McVeigh, during a live workshop at WriteOnCon.

He said, "This is a cutthroat business." I was advised to keep querying, as long as none of those agents required an exclusive read, which they hadn't. If one of those agents missed the opportunity to represent my work because they were too slow, that wasn't my fault. And then he emphasized the next point to remember when querying...

Be professional. Most of what falls under professionalism has to do with communication skills. A professional writer will communicate freely, yet only when necessary. In other words, don't annoy an agent because you're on pins and needles waiting to hear what he/she thought of your novel. Or even your query. Agents state response times in their guidelines for a reason. READ THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAREFULLY. I cannot emphasize that enough. Many of the frustrations you see agents complaining about on their blogs or on twitter stem from writers not following their simple guidelines.

In the above situation where I have more than one agent reviewing the manuscript and I'm still sending out more queries, Mark was very specific on what protocol to follow. And it's simple: Let them know. I currently have two agents reviewing requested material, so every query I send out must inform the agent that this is the case. And whenever a new agent requests material, I must then change my query to reflect the new number of agents, and also go back and email every agent that is reviewing my manuscript to let them know what ball game they're playing in now. These emails are short and to the point. Professional. And in my experience, the agents involved have been extremely grateful for keeping them in the loop. The ball is then in their court; be patient again and wait for their response. It's their decision whether they want to bump up your ms on their reading list or not, in lieu of this new competition.

You can also show your professionalism in the very first thing the agent sees when they read your query, whether it's email or snail mail:  Use a formal greeting. Always in a query letter. Mr./Ms. No Miss or Mrs, just to be safe, unless it's someone you know personally and know exactly what they prefer to be called. And please please PLEASE take the extra minute to find out if the agent is male or female. This is actually something I've never had trouble figuring out, even with agents who had odd or gender neutral names, because I spend a good deal of time researching an agent before I query him/her. And you should too. To me, that's a standard part of the process. But I've heard of writers getting the greeting wrong, and quite frankly, that would be worse than spelling their name wrong, in my opinion. Do your research, thoroughly. Add "what gender are you?" to your list of things to remember while querying.

The next step in greetings comes when the agent requests a partial or full, and this mostly refers to emails. Follow their lead. In the query, you always address the agent formally. If the agent responds to you by using only your first name and then signing with only their first name, they've given you the go-ahead to be casual with them. It's okay to email them back and address them with their first name. If that makes you uncomfortable or you're the type of person who likes to err on the side of caution, I don't think anyone will ever fault you for continuing to use a formal greeting during the pre-signing phase. And if the agent responds to you formally, then of course, the professional thing to do is keep things formal in your communications.

I hope some of this has been helpful. Part 2 will be posted on Friday.

Happy querying!
~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes - Finding Rhythm

Song lyrics are poetry, and the best of them have distinct rhythm even without the music behind them. I fell in love with the songs of Melissa Etheridge and Tracy Chapman when I was a teenager, aka "the poetry years." Yes, I used to write poetry. No, it wasn't very good... except maybe the one I wrote for an English assignment junior year that might have been selected by the teacher as "best in the class", or something. Haha. But seriously, the rest of my poems stunk. Joe wrote a lot of poetry as a teen, too. And thank goodness he actually kept them around. All of mine were trashed/burned a long time ago.

But that was a tangent. Sorry. The point of this post is words. As writers, words are our tools. We use these tools to create something for the reader... an escape, a connection, a realization, etc. Sometimes we may be saying a phrase that makes sense, but the wording doesn't do it justice. It's too bumpy. Chaotic. No flow.

No rhythm.

Listen to these two songs and feel the rhythm of the words. There are no other words that could have been used and have had the same effect. This doesn't happen by accident. It's hard work to get your words in tune with each other.





So the next time you offer something of yours for critique and someone says, "This sentence feels awkward," don't shrug that off as mere opinion, or an unhelpful vague comment. Try rewriting the sentence a few times (there's no law that says you *have* to use the rewrite in your final draft) and see if you can't find a better rhythm for it.

Happy Writing!
~Lydia

15 Degrees of Inspiration

I completely fell in love with K.M. Weiland's "15 Degrees of Inspiration" post yesterday. She inspired me to show my own tidbits of inspiration for one of my novels--my very first baby, Web (science fiction). This novel is still my most favorite one that I've written, even though I'm still tweaking and polishing it two years after finishing the first draft. Here are the 15 things I feel were the most important inspirations along the way.



1.

2.

3. Austin Stevens: Snakemaster

4.  The Venomdoc, Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry

5.




6. 




7.



8. My co-author for the kick-ass final showdown (and husband) Joe Sharp. He actually inspired me to write this novel in the first place.

9.

10.

11.

12. Um... the ship design, not the show. Hehe.

13.

14.

15.





I'd love to see some of your inspirations!
~Lydia

Memory Files

Going along with Wednesday's post about getting to know your characters, today I'd like to discuss backstory. Every character has it, because every person alive has it, no matter what their age: a history made up of memories.

As I'd mentioned before, there are some writers who swear by conducting interviews with their characters, which is basically a standard list of questions that you answer "in character" to find out more about this person who blah blah blah I think I just fell asleep for a second. *yawn* Again, if it works for you, fine. But I like to enjoy myself while writing fiction. If I wanted to do interviews I would have gone into journalism.

The best (and most fun) way I've found to discover a character's backstory is the same method I'd suggested for finding your character's unique voice and pinpointing the perfect starting place for their story:

Throw them into a scene--actually writing out a real scene--and see what happens.

But don't get too detailed, as you would when writing the front story, the present day events. In fact, write it in first person, no matter what POV you're using for the manuscript, and lay it out like the character is recalling a memory. Hence the term memory files. Again, these pages have little chance of ever being used in the story as they are. But the authenticity you bring to the front story by knowing these little details is priceless.

Why a memory, though? Recalling a memory is vastly different from jotting down exact knowledge of a person you'd made up, as you would in an interview. Those facts are too cold, in my opinion, which leaves the character without the needed emotional depth.

When you think about something that happened in the past, not all the details are there. Sometimes you have to forcibly dig for them. Or sometimes a present day event or sight or smell or whatever will uncover something you'd forgotten. Sometimes the details are there, but fuzzy. You tend to remember clearly the things that had the most impact.

Ah. There it is. You remember the important things that had a hand in molding the person you are today. Whether they are good or bad, whether the details are accurate or not. And that, in turn, affects how you react to situations. Now you have your characters screaming to you, "Here I am, this is me! Gimme your worst!" allowing you to create scenarios in which they must face the very things that will shake them to their core.

So the next time you sit down to write, give yourself a break from plot lines and pinch points and the pressure of ensuring you have tension and conflict and only the necessary dialogue... and just have your character recall an event from their past. At the time you start, it doesn't have to be at all related to your story in progress (in my experience, though, it always somehow weaves in a connection). But remember you must keep things in their world with the people and places they knew at that point in time. They can also pause and reflect on things, as you would when recalling a memory, such as, "If I'd known then that I would [fill in the blank] only two days later, I probably wouldn't have [fill in the blank]."

That's entirely okay. All of that enhances the unique viewpoint of the character you're aiming to discover. This is not a real story your writing, just a recollection of a past event in a made-up person's head. If you're having difficulty getting started, draw on some of your own memories and rearrange details to make it fit your character, then let it take off in a new direction.

Once you've finished you can then pick and choose which parts of this memory will serve the front story best. I think childhood memories are one of the most effective for this exercise because those things seem to stick with us forever. An embarrassing situation at a sleep-over party, the unexpected death of a classmate at a sporting event, the starting point of an ongoing sibling rivalry, the awkwardness of your first kiss... all of these things can have a drastic effect on how a character will react to certain people, places, events, calendar dates, phrases, songs, etc. years later.

And if you find you've written an especially good memory that's clearly relevant to your plot and story arc... bonus.  Go ahead and put it directly into the story somehow (flashback, conversation/argument, etc.).

Creating memory files for your characters will give their story authenticity. And it's way more fun than conducting an interview or filling out a standard worksheet. Why not try it once and see what you come up with? I can honestly say that my characters never fail to surprise me.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Characters and Beginnings

Finishing a novel is worth celebrating. Starting a new one... not so much. You've spent months on your other story, getting to know the characters, perfecting the plot, adding nuance and color and life, and then you have to start all over again. Fresh. Blank screen.

It's a bit disheartening. Even if you've got a fantabulous idea brewing, you still know nothing about your characters and even less about where to start the story.

Every so often, I get it right on the first try. With SUMMER HOAX I knew exactly when and where the story should start, what situation the main characters were in, their motivation, their conflict... everything. My first chapter for that particular novel went through many edits (as most first chapters do) but at its core, it is basically the same as the first draft.

If only I could be so lucky all the time. I currently have two other novels in progress, one is adult fiction and one is young adult fiction. Both have already had false starts.

What do I mean by a "false start"?

When writing a first draft, I am a mix between a plotter and a pantser, meaning I do a little of both. I usually won't start writing a story until I have at least an idea of what happens up to the midpoint. In a novel-length project, that's somewhere between 150 and 200 pages. In other words, that's too much pre-plotting to call yourself a pantser. So I don't.

All the pre-plotting in the world won't help you get to know your characters as intimately as when you're actually writing them inside the events of a story. But sometimes you have to write 50 pages or so before you realize just who these people are. Consequently, you are able to pinpoint exactly where to start their story.

And that's when it hits you. You started in the wrong place. Usually, you start too soon, meaning those 30-50 pages were just a warm-up. Now you're ready to start the actual work-out.

For example, in my women's fiction novel ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE, I'd written quite a bit of scene-swaps between Sylvia and Jackson (the two main characters) in third person. After about 50 pages, I noticed something. Or rather, I noticed nothing. Nothing had really happened in those 50 pages.

Not in the story, anyway. But for me, as the author, I'd learned enough about the characters to figure out enough about their story to understand that I really didn't need all that stuff. Those pages will never see the light of day.

But don't delete them just yet! These scenes can be useful as a reference. Store them away in a separate file (I label mine "snippets").

Now that you "know" your character a little better, the character's unique voice should shine through when you sit down to write your real beginning. Even with SUMMER HOAX, I still had to go back and infuse Diana's voice into the first few chapters after completing the first draft. You just don't know the characters well enough at the beginning of a project to be able to do this right off the bat.

And that's okay. That's why we revise and edit and rewrite. Sometimes I have to forcibly remind myself that a first draft is a rough draft. The good stuff shines through on the second, third, fourth... however many drafts you need to get it perfect.

But you should still have a good sense of your viewpoint character's unique personality during the first draft--knowing you'll build upon it later--or else your voice will be flat. That's why those "getting to know you" pages are so important, even if you don't use them in your final draft.

Here is what I ended up with as a first paragraph for ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE:

I'd lost my virginity to a gay man. Sorry, no, that wasn't an entirely correct statement; he didn't know for sure that he was gay until much later, and he wasn't quite a man yet when we'd done it either. Let me start over.

I can honestly say I've never written a character quite like Sylvia before. Her voice is outstandingly clear from the very first sentence.

With my new YA novel, FINDING ME, I knew exactly where and when to start the story, but I didn't know my viewpoint character well enough to get things going in the right way. I wrote about half of the first chapter before I set it aside in the "snippets" folder. (It was that bad.) Then I continued on with chapters two and three. Now that those are done, I have a much clearer picture of who this person is.

(Aside: the second and third chapters will still have to be greatly revised, though, since much of this character introduction includes writing too many explanatory things into the scenes that aren't truly necessary at that point in the story.)

Then I went back and started a new chapter one, and (without much forethought on my part, I just started typing) my wonderful seventeen year-old character showed me just how much she wasn't like the protag in my last YA novel. Which I was glad for. Sometimes I worry that I'm using the same types over and over again.

Now I feel I can really get the story going. I know exactly how she will react to what happens, and I can write the first draft with her unique voice, not mine. And it really is that simple, once you know your characters.

Here is what I ended up with as a first paragraph for FINDING ME:

Making out with my boyfriend in the men's fitting room at Klark's department store would definitely get filed under the "bad ideas" column. Especially since I was supposed to be working right now. Working here.

Simple and to-the-point, but Shyla really intrigued me with this paragraph. She's not a goody-goody, by any means, but she also recognizes that what she's doing is wrong. It kind of makes me connect with her and at the same time makes me want to shake some sense into her. Most importantly, it makes me want to keep reading to see if she gets caught.

Some writers recommend performing character interviews, or making a detailed backstory, before starting your story. If that works for you, fine. But I've always found it more fun (and more authentic, in the long run) to thrust your characters into the story and see what happens.

You may end up with a false start, but even that's not a real loss. You're still getting practice writing, seeing what works and what doesn't. Even with the same author, every project has its own individual needs. Better to let the story and the characters dictate what course you take, rather than going through the same boring process every time.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Little Joe's Bookshelf (and a bit from Mom, too)

Recent reads and recommendations from my 6 year-old:

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth
written by McKenna Siddals
illustrated by Ashley Wolff
Tricycle Press, 2010

Out of the Egg
written and illustrated by Tina Matthews
Houghton Mifflin, 2007

My Friend Rabbit
written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Roaring Book Press, 2002

And the number one requested re-read last week was:

Good-Night, Owl!
written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins
Macmillan, 1972

We will be taking our weekly trip to the library tonight and selecting a new reading stack. What does your child recommend?

In similar news, I just finished reading The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin Teen, 2010). I loved it so much I've added the next two books in the Iron Fey trilogy to my reading pile. It's classic fantasy with a modern feel. Lots of action and just enough romance. Highly recommended.

Happy reading!
~Lydia

Flesh & Bone Anthology Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the give-away! And thanks for making it clear why vampires are still so popular. Haha. Unfortunately, there can only be two winners. Without further ado, the numbers selected by random.org are...

29 - Brad Leslie

and

3 - Jane Steen

CONGRATS! Please email your shipping address to lydiasharp4sff [at] yahoo [dot] com and we will discuss specifics.

Happy reading!
~Lydia

Last Chance!

If you have not entered my anthology give-away you have until MIDNIGHT tonight. Click HERE and follow the instructions at the end of the post. A comment to that post is the only requirement; everything else is extra to increase your odds of winning.

Let me repeat:

Entry is FREE. The books are FREE. Seriously... what do you have to lose?

Winners will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

~Lydia

EDIT: Contest is now closed. Thank you for all the entries!

WriteOnCon 2010, Day Three

First, a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Matt Rush on winning literary agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe's query contest!

And now, my favorites from yesterday's agenda. I will try not to burst into tears thinking about how the rockinest conference ever is over now, and how summer's end is close behind. *sigh*

Writing With a Real Life by author Lindsey Leavitt
(great for all you writing mothers out there)

Author Branding by author Shelli Johannes-Wells

Staying Positive in the Face of Rejection by author Crystal Stranaghan

Avoiding Character Stereotypes by literary agent Mary Kole

Industry Professional Panel: Publishing Tell-All

For the complete schedule from Thursday, click HERE.

As far as can tell the forums are still open (yay!) and they have also extended their final query critique contest through the weekend.

If you attended WriteOnCon, I'd love to see your favorite highlights or what you learned from the crit forums. Please share! It was an awesome three days, wasn't it? A simply fantabulous way to close out the summer.

~Lydia

WriteOnCon 2010, Day Two

As I'd mentioned in the comments section of yesterday's post, I am breaking our new blog schedule of M-W-F to bring you some of my favorite highlights of WriteOnCon, day two. Apologies for the post being so late in the day. We had some personal business to take care of this morning and then my internet crashed for a few hours. *sigh* Such is life, right? At least I can honestly say there is never a dull moment in my world.

But now I have only a few hours to catch up on today's WriteOnCon agenda before the final live workshop so, as quickly as I can, I'll link up my faves from yesterday:

Romance In YA by author Lisa Schroeder
(for anyone who writes romance or has romantic elements in their stories--any kind--Lisa's CUPCAKE method is essential)

Plot and Pacing by author/literary agent Weronika Janczuk
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Queries with literary agent Natalie Fischer
(transcript of a live chat that shows an agent's reactions as she reads through query slush--excellent for authors who are new to querying and/or don't quite know what stands out to an agent)

Creating Memorable Characters by author/literary agent Mandy Hubbard

Industry Professional Panel: On Voice
(another transcript of a live chat with some very insightful comments about a subject that is difficult for even the pros to explain at times)

For the complete schedule from Wednesday, click HERE.

Write on!
~Lydia

WriteOnCon 2010, Day One

Book give-away still going on through Friday! Click HERE to enter.
-----

WriteOnCon is a completely free, completely online conference for writers of childrens' picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction. But I believe ANY writer will benefit from the information there. You do not have to be logged in 100% of the time, and everything that has already "aired" is linked so you can view it at your convenience. The conference is running through the end of the day Thursday. Click HERE to register.

Oh, did I mention there is a critique forum available as well, where agents and editors will be lurking and possibly contacting you via PM if they're interested in your work? Yeah. There's that, too. I honestly don't see any reason NOT to sign up and check it out.

Here are a few of my personal favorites from yesterday's schedule:

Give Yourself Permission by editor Molly O'Neil

Myths and Misconceptions by literary agent Holly Root and editors Molly O'Neil and Martha Mihalick

Writing a Query Letter by author Jodi Meadows

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Revision by editor Kendra Levin

Industry Professional Panel: Online Presence for Authors
This is the transcript of the live chat last night. I think I learned the most from literary agent Elana Roth's comments and publicist Paul Samuelson's comments.

Live Video Workshop With Literary Agent Mark McVeigh: Working With Agents and Editors

For yesterday's complete schedule, click HERE.

I hope to see some (more) of you at WriteOnCon today!

~Lydia

La Lame de Déchirures; or, FLESH & BONE Anthology Give-Away!

***This contest is now CLOSED. Thank you for all the entries!***

Yes, the post title is in French. No, I don't speak French, never have and (probably) never will. So why the French title?

My zombie short story "The Blade of Tears" is set in early renaissance France. (Does that make you want to read it now? Hehe. Good.)

La Lame de Déchirures was my original title (translation: The Blade of Tears -- but you probably guessed that already). After many edits, I decided to keep the title in English. I also removed a lot of the French dialogue I'd had in the original version, to prevent reader frustration/confusion. Some of it remained, however, to keep a feeling of authenticity.

And it's just cooler that way. (cooler? more cool? IDK, does anyone even use that word anymore? Please send a rescue squad, I'm trapped in the nineties.)

The story was first written for a for fun contest on the Writer's Digest Sci-Fi/Fantasy Forum a year and a half ago, and it won first place (no actual winnings except for a bit of an ego boost).

And now it has won a real contest!

To celebrate, I am giving away TWO COPIES of the Flesh & Bone anthology from Pill Hill Press, signed by moi. Two copies = two winners of one copy each.*

These are NOT free books I received for promotion. I am paying for them out of my own pocket as a way to say THANK YOU to all my writer-friend support and loyal blog readers.

Entering the contest is FREE. Simply post a comment here with all your "extras" by Friday, August 20th at midnight, EST (that's Friday night/Saturday morning, just to clarify). Winners will be selected using random.org, to be completely fair to all participants. I will announce the winners on Monday, August 22nd and then contact them personally via email to go over the details of their winnings.

While the contest is running this blog will not allow anonymous comments -- I need to know that you're a real person with a real email address.

Please try to keep everything contained within one comment. If you find a mistake after posting, delete your original comment and start over. This will ensure that I don't miss any of your extra points (sorry, but I confuse easily).

Required (one point): Post a comment to this blog post by the above deadline, answering the following question...

What is your favorite undead creature (vampire, zombie, mummy, etc.), and why?

For extra points, you may include the following:

+3:  Blog about the contest. Include link to your specific post (not just your blog).

+3: Tweet about the contest. Include link to your specific tweet (not just your profile).**

+5:  Link THE SHARP ANGLE in the sidebar of your blog. Include link to your main page.

+10:  If you have read the Shadows & Light anthology, post a review to GoodReads that mentions my story, "The Keeper of Secrets." Include the link to your review. (This gets you ten points here, but it will also make me love you forever. Just saying.)

Please include a total at the end of your comment.

To clarify, I am not requiring you to "follow me" or "friend me" anywhere to be eligible. But I certainly won't complain if you do.

Good luck to all, and please spread the word!

~Lydia

*Offer open to U.S. residents only.

**To bring up the link to your tweet, click on the time you tweeted, which is stamped below the tweet. It will pop up on its own page with its own web address.

YAY!; or, Looks Like a Good Excuse for a Give-Away

I hadn't planned on putting up a new post today since I will be going out of town in about an hour, but I received some good news in my email this morning that I just had to share.

My zombie short story "The Blade of Tears" (which I had announced last week was accepted for publication in the Flesh & Bone anthology of the undead by Pill Hill Press) won FIRST PLACE in the anthology contest!

YAY!

To celebrate, I am going to host a book GIVE-AWAY on this blog. Details will be posted on Monday, so please STAY TUNED!

Have a great weekend, everyone!
~Lydia

Combining High Concept With Emotional Resonance To Win Over Your Audience

There are no new ideas. I think we've covered that ad nauseam. But there is always a way to make an idea feel new.

Has anyone seen INCEPTION yet? Holy awesome movie, Batman. At its core, INCEPTION is about a guy who wants to get back home and be with his family. Definitely not a new idea. Then why does it seem so fresh?

Simple. The concept of shared dreaming.

No, seriously. That's it.

High concept + emotional resonance = WIN

This is the formula I use for every story I write. Every. Single. One. Whether it be speculative fiction or contemporary mainstream. "High concept" does not only apply to sci-fi and fantasy. Even a typical romance must have a stellar concept behind it to keep today's readers fully engaged. Which is probably why paranormal romance is so hot right now. When you throw in that paranormal element--and everything you need to support it--you are suddenly writing more than a basic story of "boy meets girl."

The concept is what will initially sell your audience on your story. For this reason, concept is the main focus of query letters and jacket blurbs. A potential reader is not looking for an emotional connection before they live anything through the characters. They simply want to know what happens.

To emphasize, watch the trailer for INCEPTION . Is there any real focus on the main character's wife and kids? Anything more than a fleeting image or two? No. You don't even really notice them in the trailer until *after* you've seen the movie, let alone understand the connection. The selling point that the trailer focuses on is the oddity of what they're doing with dreams in people's heads. The concept.

But the other element of the movie, that emotional connection, is a HUGE part of the story, and it's what resonates with you long after viewing. Because it represents the human quality we crave in characters we root for.

The emotional part of your story comes from a basic need every human can relate to. And there is no reason to try and make this aspect feel new or unique. Hunger/food, safety/security, life/death, love/sex, etc. These are basic needs that don't require any explanation on the part of the storyteller, just a presence, and any reader should be able to understand and connect.

So the concept portion of the equation is where we want to focus a good chunk of our creativity. Concept is tightly interwoven with plot, which is, again, why we focus on that aspect in a query letter or jacket blurb. How many times have you seen agents complain that query letters tell them nothing about the plot. Stating that "Jane learns family is more important than material things" is all well and good for a book club discussion, but it has no place in your initial pitch.

When creating a concept, the best question you can ask is, What if? Using the example of INCEPTION again, perhaps the writers asked themselves, What if we could share each other's dreams? What if we could share these dreams lucidly and interact, and remember it all when we "woke"? What if the subconscious of the dreamer could detect a foreigner's presence? What if we could enter a dream within a dream? What if we could plant ideas in the dreamer's head while inside their dream without them recognizing it as anything more than a dream?

And it goes on, but I'll stop there. I don't want to give anything away and possibly ruin your enjoyment of that movie. It really was quite awesome.

Asking the "what if" questions helps you determine your basic plot points. Once you combine that with the appropriate primal need you've selected for your characters (emphasis on appropriate; sex is a strong desire but not always relevant), you have more than just a plot. You now have a story that will resonate with your audience.

And that is a definite WIN.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

No Response Means "No Thanks"

No, this isn't Tuesday Tunes revisited. Haha. "Scars" by Papa Roach has some lyrics in the chorus that aptly describe what it feels like sometimes for authors going through any kind of submission process with their work.

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

My weakness is I care too much

My scars remind me that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel

I don't know about you all but that is seriously accurate for me right now in my agent search. Every time I send out a query letter, it's like tearing my heart open. Every rejection is a new scar. But I guess I wouldn't want it any other way. It only takes one YES to make it all worth it.

Okay, enough play time. On with the post...

There has been a lot of complaints in writerly circles lately about the query policy that some agencies have in place. It basically says, "We don't have time to send form rejections anymore." And it usually starts out in a more explanatory/apologetic tone, like this, "Sadly, due to the volume of queries we receive, it is impossible for us to respond to all of them." OR, "We regret that we can no longer respond to each query, but we read each and every one before making a decision." Etc. Etc. Etc.


While this is most certainly frustrating on the author's end, it doesn't necessarily mean that the agent or agency is inadequate or even inconsiderate. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Not saying I enjoy being in query limbo--because I really, really don't--but I do recognize why some feel the need to go this route.


As unpublished novelists, we shouldn't be so quick to think that we know everything about what is involved in being an agent. Personally, I'd never want to have that job. Agents are the the green kangaroo of publishing; they're stuck in the middle between desperate authors and jaded editors. It's like a slow suicide, in my opinion, but they have chosen the path of self-torture for our benefit.


In addition to taking care of their own clients--some already established and some hoping for a debut--the best agents remain open to query submissions. They welcome more slush, even encourage it in their blogs. Why the added stress and workload? Because they have faith in the query system, they've seen it work. You never know when the next bestseller might appear in your slush pile.


No two agents are alike. I've learned this just by reading submission guides, blogs, interviews, etc. Even two agents at the same agency will have differing preferences, so always always always do as much research as you can about a specific agent before querying. My favorite hot spots for research that do not require a registration (aside from doing a basic Google search) are the Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check on Absolute Write, Publisher's Marketplace, and Twitter.


Yes, Twitter. If an agent has a Twitter account, follow them for a few days and see what kind of comments they're making. Some, like Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown Ltd., use Twitter to post slush updates. Others may simply reveal their character, which is also important. For example, as much as I love Rachelle Gardener of WordServe Literary, I will never query her. She's obviously an outstanding agent, but not a good fit for me or my work. How do I know that? By following her blog and following her on Twitter. That's it. The internet is an excellent tool when used properly.


But what if an agent does not have a blog or a Twitter account, and also holds to the "no response means no thanks" policy? Why bother, right? If they're too busy to even send a form rejection, then they're too busy to be a good agent. Before you scratch them off your to-query list, take a closer look. There may be clues on how to keep your sanity hidden in plain sight.


Browse all the provided links. Some agencies have a basic submissions page available through the main toolbar, and then provide a link on that page to another page that details their specific process. Why? I can't say for certain, but I would guess this is a way of weeding out authors who imply their lack of professionalism by not actually reading the sub guides.


There are different levels of the "no response means no thanks" policy. And again, this is why reading anything you can find about an agent and their agency is so important before you query.


Consider these three common scenarios of e-querying:


If you have not heard from us after (such-and-such amount of time has passed), we are not interested. This can make you go mad, if you let it. The number one question in this case is, How do I know if they got my query in the first place? The answer: You don't. It's a risk you have to take, but the agent is not leaving you in eternal limbo. If you don't get a reply within their stated time frame, assume they received it and weren't interested. Move on. But also keep in mind that this doesn't mean you can't query them again in the future with another project.


If you have not heard from us after (such-and-such amount of time has passed), we are not interested. However, if you have submitted your query according to our guidelines, you will receive a confirmation email. This can also be frustrating, but at least it eliminates the question of whether your e-query got lost in transit, or whether the response got filtered into the spam box on your end. The best way to prevent the latter from happening is to add the query email address to your contact list just before or just after you query.


I respond to all queries that follow my submission guide. This is kind of like the second one, although it goes a bit further. It implies that the agent does send form rejections when necessary, but only if you submitted properly. So if you don't get a response, either a) you sent it wrong, or b) it got lost in transit. Again, you have no way of knowing if the agent never got your query. And if you sent it wrong, well, I guess you won't know for sure about that either because if you read the sub guide as closely as you should have, you wouldn't have sent it wrong. Right? Right.


Some agents who adhere to the third scenario feel it negates the need for a response time because it could honestly range between 6 minutes and 6 weeks (or longer) depending on their workload. However, if they never received your query--through no fault of your own--you are then stuck in query limbo for an undetermined length of time. This is why I, personally, will not query agents that do not state, at the very least, a range of weeks in which the author will receive a response, or an implied rejection through no response.


Um... unless the agent is really worth it. Hehe. I did make an exception to this last week by querying an agent at an agency that states the following in their sub guide:

We read all of our email queries ourselves and respond very quickly when we are interested. However, we usually do not respond when we are not interested – no response should be clear enough indication.

And I got a request for the full manuscript three minutes after sending the e-query. Yeah. Three minutes. When an agent is interested in something, no matter how busy they are, they will jump on it.

I queried an agent late Sunday night who is at an agency that follows the second scenario above, and their "such-and-such amount of time has passed" is 6-8 weeks. Lovely agent who shall remain nameless replied first thing Monday morning with a request to read the full manuscript. Not the record three minutes, but still way faster than I expected.

So my question to you is this: Are you going to pass up the opportunity to partner with an agent who is potentially perfect for you and your work simply because you don't want the frustration of potential query limbo? Don't sweat it, guys. If you don't get a response, it's no different than a form rejection. Swallow your pride and move on.

And if you do get a response, you'll know before you even open the email that the agent is interested.

Happy querying,
~Lydia

EDIT: This was originally Monday's post; it's being a problem child. I tried my best to fix all the formatting quirks. My apologies if some of them mysteriously remain.

Tuesday Tunes - Grand Finale

Ode to the musical finale!

Not only are they an appropriate and satisfying ending to the story, but they also amp up the emotional impact of what could have been a less-than-fantasmic denouement. Here are some of my favorites:

Dirty Dancing ~ Time of My Life

Sister Act 2 ~ Joyful Joyful

Grease ~ The One That I Want/We Go Together

Shrek ~ I'm a Believer

Annie ~ I Don't Need Anything But You

Mary Poppins ~ Let's Go Fly a Kite

Footloose ~ Footloose

Not a complete list, but I could seriously sit here and do this all day. I'd love to see what some of your favorites are. Please share!

~Lydia

Guest Post on Guide to Literary Agents!

Well, I did have a post written up about querying, but the formatting got screwed up so I had to take it down and attempt to fix it. Sorry! I'll re-post that one on Wednesday.

But do not lose heart, fellow writers! I do have a real post to offer today in the form of a guest post at the Guide to Literary Agents blog, where you will see both my real name and my real face. Haha. Check it out HERE, and please link and retweet.

Thanks!
~Lydia