Shop Talk Tuesday: Writing the Query

Let's talk about query writing.

If you didn't notice--or look yet--I updated my Books tab above with a blurb about my latest project.  Go check it out, I'll wait here.

*pipes in Jeopardy theme music*

I admit: I really dislike writing these things. I actually don't know anyone who loves to write them.  Some writers like them more than others (ahem, I'm talking about you, Terri Osburn).  But no one loves this part.

I think part of my problem is that I'm not really good at marketing, myself or my books.  I'm getting better, but it's hard. Selling something is a completely different skill set than creating something. These couple of paragraphs have to hook the reader. They need to take the inciting actions in the book and turn them into something that will make someone say, "I need to read this NOW!"  You only get a few sentences.  Actually, some would argue you only get one sentence. If the first sentence is boring, some people will stop reading. Probably many people.

No pressure, right?

I have learned a couple of things, though. The query doesn't have to tell the whole story.  It just has to give enough to be provocative.

It needs to say what starts the action and then hint at how they start to resolve it. This is good news. It means all you have to do is condense about 1/3 or 1/2 of your book into a few sentences.  That's much easier than condensing the entire book into a few sentences.

*eye roll*

I think it's also beneficial to get your voice in there.  A taste of what the reader can expect.

What have you learned about blurb/query writing?  Any pointers are helpful!

Blurb is up!

I didn't get to post anything else this week but I'll be back on Tuesday to talk shop.

In the mean time, feel free to click on the Books tab above and read the blurb for my newest story!

Shop Talk Tuesday: Revisions, Oh My

I finished the first draft of my YA/NA story a few weeks ago. 

Yay!  But Ugh.  Because now begins the hard part: revising. Yes, I think revisions are harder than finishing the book. 

I’ve let it sit as long as I can stand and it’s time to start diving back in.

Some people love revisions. I like it when I’m in the middle of it. Maybe it’s my inner Virgo. Setting things right, setting order to chaos. But, when I’m staring it in the face, it sorta makes me feel like this guy:

(If you didn’t go watch the video, you really should. It’s a ram, attacking a motorbiker. Really.)

Anyway. Revisions. They’re daunting. Like an angry ram in your face.

The only way I can even attempt them is to go at it with a clear plan. (I’m a Virgo, remember?)  I start big. Big picture items. Plot holes. Character inconsistencies. Stuff like that. Then I read to see if the tone is right. If the pacing is right. It’s only after I tackle those things that I can manage the grammar and the smaller word choice issues.

So, I’m in it now. Starting to read and look for big picture items.

Ugh.

How do you go about revising? Do you have a plan of attack? How about that ram? Sorry, but I laughed hysterically.  There’s probably something wrong with me.

Long Time No See!

Hello dear readers!

I have been a horrendous slacker when it's come to this blog.

Part of it is that I blog with a great group of girls at the Romance Writer's Revenge so I usually say my most interesting stuff over there.  (Fine, sometimes even my not-so interesting stuff too.) Part of it is that I have little people underfoot a lot, especially in the summertime.  My DSs are 6 and 3. They keep me away from the computer and on my toes. Recently, most of my computer face time has been reserved for writing.

But come September, things are going to change up. (I hope!) My sons will both be in school, full time for the older, just a couple days a week for the younger.  I should have more time.

I'm making a resolution to be here more often. To give myself some incentive, I'm going to set up a little bit of a blog schedule. It's not a rule, just a suggestion.  :)

Tuesdays will be Shop Talk Tuesdays, when I talk about my progress, what I'm working on, what's holding me up. Things related to writing craft and business.  These posts will be my most regular posts. I'd like to post on Tuesday every week.

On Thursdays, I'll use to post things unrelated to writing. Maybe recipes. Maybe holiday related. Who knows?

Fridays I'll reserve for book releases, promotion of books, or for book recommendations.

I'm also going to try to update my book information more often. For example, I finished the first draft of GLORY, the YA/NA I've been working on.  I'll have a blurb together as soon as I can.

This is the plan, folks.  Let's see how it works out!

Do you blog?  If so, how often?  If not, why?  If you do, leave a link below so I can connect with you!

Is It a Break or a Break-Up?

Again, I've been away a while.  I'm sorry.  But I'm back!  With a new header and everything.  And a new story!  But more on that in a minute....

If you've watched Friends, my title will make sense to you.  If you haven't, you'll miss the context.

This is a post about whether a story that's hit a brick wall is done for good or done for now.

I spent the winter working on a Victorian historical romance. I've written a couple historical romances, but my previous stories have been Regency-set. This story required a bit more modern thinking, so I moved it forward to give my heroine a credible career.

I finished a draft. At least I got to the black moment. I couldn't go further than the black moment.  I told myself I'd figure it out in the next draft.

I revised.  I pondered.  I changed some characterization and refined some plot twists. I added a conflict. 

I thought I had it, I'll be honest. 

But, again, I got to the black moment and well, it just didn't feel that black. 

Then I stalled out.

So it sat for a month. I opened the file. I stared at it.  I refined here, adjusted there, to no avail.

I think the problem is lack of conflict in the second half.  For the life of me I can't figure out what the real conflict of that part is. 

After much soul searching, I've decided to set it aside for now.  I'm not sure if it's a break or a break-up yet.  I needed to write something else. Maybe I'll find that spark, that thing that I was missing in the story and I'll come back, revitalized.  Then again, maybe I won't. For now, I refuse to let it bog me down.

I've started working on something else.  It's a Upper YA/New Adult story.  I'll give more details in a bit, when I have a decent blurb together.  Right now, I'm just writing. 

Hope you all are well!

So tell me.... Have you ever set a story aside for a while and come back? Or have you ever abandoned one completely, that close to the end?  Why?

Long Time No Write... or, I've Neglected You and I'm Sorry

Hello, readers.

I'm sorry.  I know I've been slacking here on my blog.  I humbly apologize.

It was a crazy summer.  I have two little guys (5 and 2) and I spent the summer chasing them around and breaking up disputes between them.  It was fun, exhausting, frustrating, and priceless, all at the same time.

Here's a pic of them, at the beach.

Trust me, this moment of sweetness is deceptive.  The entire summer did not look like this.

But, the end of the summer heralded in the crystallization of my current story and suddenly, with the eldest in kindergarten, I've been able to carve out a little more time to write.

I'm adding a little widget on the side for the word count of my newest story, SINCE THEIR AFFAIR.  I'll have a description added to my books page soon, I promise.

So, how was your summer?  As busy as mine?  Full of fun trips or relaxing vacations?  Hope you are all well.

Following the Bliss

I mentioned a couple posts down that I was starting a new story.  

Well, I fibbed.

Okay, actually I didn't fib.  I did start a new story.  But I haven't stuck with it.

There are lots of reasons but I'm not going to bore you.  Mostly because they aren't all positive and I prefer to stay in the light when I can.  The bottom line is that I didn't feel like writing that right now. So I'm going to focus instead on the future and what I do want to write next.

This path we walk as writers (I'm assuming most of you are writers so I'll use the collective here) is a murky one. There is no prescribed route. There is no checklist to accomplish our goals, no "if I follow this flowchart I will reach my destination."  There isn't a one-size-fits-all destination to reach.  Publishing takes so many shapes, one writer's "success" might not even be on another's roadmap. 

Like any journey with no clear destination, we can only use our hearts as our compass.

I'm not so bohemian as to forget that publishing is a business.  Because it is.  Books are commodities that are bought and sold. And when money is involved, the heart can become lost.  When something becomes commercial, it is assigned a value. As an unpublished author of three completed manuscripts, I've been tempted at times to disregard my unpublished efforts as lacking value. To the publishing industry, these efforts DO lack value.  No one has made money from them.  

But to me, they are invaluable.  They're the stepping stones on my journey.  I've started every story I've finished as an exercise in following my bliss.  I've been struck by inspiration and I've followed it to its conclusion.  Each time, I've learned more about myself and I've grown in my craft.  So, though these stories may never earn me any money, they are treasures to me.

After all, you can not assign a value to an experience. It becomes part of what makes us intrinsically different from everyone else and our differences are what make us priceless.

So, once again, I'm following an inspiration.  As I set out, I have no idea what I'll learn.  It's exciting and scary and exhilarating.  But, isn't that the gift and the joy of this phase of the journey?