tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post2840089644476937530..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query Question: I got help on my query, a lot of it.Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27618140561753665762015-02-24T10:02:40.607-05:002015-02-24T10:02:40.607-05:00It may be that writing quality isn't the real ...It may be that writing quality isn't the real problem. Maybe the novel starts in the wrong place. Maybe there's too much exposition in the opening. There's a ton of things that can go wrong with an opening that really aren't about author's word-wrangling ability.<br /><br />That's all the more reason why you need to get more feedback from other writers or an editor--not just readers, they're much more forgiving of problems that will spur an agent to stop reading.Jenzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11652680551107638557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65280790230921007412015-02-24T09:04:22.829-05:002015-02-24T09:04:22.829-05:00Catching up on all the comments since I went under...Catching up on all the comments since I went underground after posting my little contribution yesterday and I"m happy to see ya'll were in fine form as usual.<br /><br />Julie - the story of the chicken and ducks was spot on - great analogy and great storytelling.<br /><br />I also wanted to say to @lupinlover to not lose hope. It's never over until you say it's over. Right? So what if the ms needs work. It's always going to need work, but like many others said, work on it and find writer groups/critiquers/whatever you need to do to get unbiased, honest feedback.<br /><br />Larry Brown, a favorite writer of mine from Mississippi, who died WAY too young, used to chase after folks to get them to read his stuff. Sometimes, they didn't want to read it b/c it was pretty bad. When he finally got feedback, he listened, he learned, he read more books by writers he was trying to emulate, he found his own voice, and he became a great southern writer. He's a legend in Oxford at Square Books. <br /><br />Just keep going. We're all hoping for the same things here, and all know how hard it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86936476084181043282015-02-24T08:36:29.103-05:002015-02-24T08:36:29.103-05:00Y'all are too kind. Now, if there were a marke...Y'all are too kind. Now, if there were a market for stupid stories, I'd be golden.<br /><br />Megan, I laughed. So true about growing up, but what a remarkable Mama you have.<br /><br />Angie, yes, a cowbird would have been handy. I only became thoroughly acquainted with them after World Champion Dash For Cash had to be euthanized due to EPM and I did a story about it. It turns out cowbirds, possums and other creatures carry the disease and pass it in their droppings. Needless to say the birds weren't very popular around horse farms after it was pinpointed where the disease came from.<br /><br />To the OP. Don't give up. You never fail until you stop trying. Find a writer support group. Swap critiques with others. Critiquing work teaches you as much, if not more, than having your work critiqued. Study how a favorite author writes. What do they do right? Read and read more. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05397201685135490220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87893568241533146122015-02-23T21:09:27.856-05:002015-02-23T21:09:27.856-05:00Christina/DLM: Sorry, but that really doesn't ...Christina/DLM: Sorry, but that really doesn't work for me. I don't like Doritos, I don't drink Scotch (eek, have I just blacklisted myself from ever being one of The Fabulosity?!!), and I like lima beans. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12097665355347461522015-02-23T20:28:49.421-05:002015-02-23T20:28:49.421-05:00DLM, I've always felt sorry for Leah. It seems...DLM, I've always felt sorry for Leah. It seems to me that Rachel got the Scotch and Doritos, and Leah got the lima beans.Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29160881952856891182015-02-23T20:23:50.424-05:002015-02-23T20:23:50.424-05:00Diane, I'm not so sure it was brave. As a kid,...Diane, I'm not so sure it was brave. As a kid, I wasn't afraid, I just had no clue what I was signing up for—kinda like Julie's chicken when she signed up for the position of duck mama ;) Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77018542332228897022015-02-23T20:10:24.480-05:002015-02-23T20:10:24.480-05:00Voice is like an accent. You never hear your own. ...Voice is like an accent. You never hear your own. But that doesn't mean you don't have one. <br />S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31075746991199357692015-02-23T19:48:00.331-05:002015-02-23T19:48:00.331-05:00Craig, political analyst, Hahahaha.
Julie, quack,...Craig, political analyst, Hahahaha.<br /><br />Julie, quack, cluck.<br /><br />Just two of the many reasons why I love this place.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24551554838802876352015-02-23T19:24:22.818-05:002015-02-23T19:24:22.818-05:00Megan V, that is BRAVE - even with Mama Bear.
I h...Megan V, that is BRAVE - even with Mama Bear.<br /><br />I have nothing to add to the wise advice and comments, except to think ... it says something about my literary reference points that I never even thought of Cyrano, but went straight to Leah, Rachel, and Laban.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32439757976207490702015-02-23T19:19:35.966-05:002015-02-23T19:19:35.966-05:00This makes me think about the first time I braved ...This makes me think about the first time I braved the slush and sent out a query. I was 12 years old and eager and the query was my mother's handiwork, not mine. The letter summarized my *cough cough* obvious talent (for a twelve year old) and my amazing potential for success in the writing world. The result was a pile of (encouraging) rejections.<br /><br />The reason Mom wrote my first query letter? She had this notion that she would be better at composing and sending a professional letter on my behalf than I would be. And being a naive young woodland creature, I was certain that Mama Bear knew best.<br />Except:<br />1. She wasn't the one who'd spent hours scribbling words in her journal on the school bus. <br />2. She'd never even read the manuscript.<br />3. All she had to go off of were some rambling summaries and my endless enthusiasm.<br /><br />Now, I'm not saying that the manuscript was publishable. If anything that sucker should never ever see the light of day; it's that awful. But at age twelve, through the virtue of my own enthusiastic expression, I'd managed to convince my mother that it was worth putting my work out there and frankly, she's one of the toughest sells I know.Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81057580635059984782015-02-23T19:07:35.919-05:002015-02-23T19:07:35.919-05:00LynnRodz: You're welcome!
Mmm... lima beans a...LynnRodz: You're welcome!<br /><br />Mmm... lima beans and Brussel sprouts. Sounds tasty! And before you nay-sayers start in with your nay-saying, I'm vegetarian, and there's a big advantage to having a broad appreciation of vegetables when you're vegetarian! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14192914958694422282015-02-23T18:15:52.034-05:002015-02-23T18:15:52.034-05:00Colin, thanks for drawing my attention to this! I ...Colin, thanks for drawing my attention to this! I would have sent a query ages ago. I don't know why I confused Chum Bucket with QS. I went back and looked through the FAQ, If You Want Your Query Posted Read And Follow These Directions and How QueryShark Works and you're right, there's nowhere where it says you need to have a completed ms to send in your query. I think what confused me were the times when Janet commented, "Send pages NOW! In fact, why are you still reading this?" Thanks again.<br /><br />Laura, several people die in my WIP, but maybe I should kill off a few more. Hmm, it's a thought.<br /><br />Julie, you are a wonderful storyteller!<br /><br />Angie, as I'm sure you know, most produce found in the street markets are according to season. Right now you can't find lima beans in Paris, but look for them this Spring. They're usually around until the beginning of November. As for kale, I wouldn't know if it hit me over the head. Mmm, now Brussel sprouts they're in season right now and I love Brussel sprouts.<br />LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38856712024033686142015-02-23T17:26:56.098-05:002015-02-23T17:26:56.098-05:00This was a great blog entry. That chicken story wa...This was a great blog entry. That chicken story was awesome. I'd personally rather swim in shark-infested waters wearing a meat helmet than write queries, but then I know people who think it's the funnest thing ever. Those people also write horror, which tells you something.<br />In my experience, having major trouble nailing a query has meant that my story wasn't really focused. So for me at least, it was less a problem of writing concisely (or persuasively) than the much bigger problem of having an overall flaw in the book – an ineffective character arc or plot hole. Recently, I’ve begun writing draft queries for books before I even start writing them. Of course a lot changes after I’m done, but this really has helped me. I’ve learned more about writing good queries from The Shark than all the books I’ve read. Some day soon, I may even find the courage to send in one of my own. <br /> Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36217144181590880182015-02-23T16:36:03.315-05:002015-02-23T16:36:03.315-05:00Julie is queen. I think she has fierce style.
Mrs...Julie is queen. I think she has fierce style.<br /><br />Mrs. Chicken needed a cowbird, one of those birds that lay eggs in other bird's nests. I just read they're called brood parasites. <br /><br />No mothering. They have a reputation, can simply lay the novel egg and move on. angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29808742283808438172015-02-23T16:30:14.350-05:002015-02-23T16:30:14.350-05:00Julie, brilliant!
I really should be heading to w...Julie, brilliant!<br /><br />I really should be heading to work now, so y'all are the reason I'm going to be late. I shouldn't have started reading.<br /><br />Carolynnwith2Ns and donnaeverhart - the last thing I need are more craft books (not having read all the ones I have). But you can never have too many, right?<br /><br />Colin, I hope your analysis of Janet's QueryShark and Chumbucket are correct because that's what I was aiming for (working on query at the moment for Query Shark, but with an incomplete ms). Ms Reid, can you please confirm?<br /><br />As for the writer above, good on you for being reasonable about the rejections and analysing what is happening to improve. Attitude like that will get you far. Good luck with your new query.AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36917678611825314682015-02-23T13:37:07.339-05:002015-02-23T13:37:07.339-05:00^^and that my friends and blog readers is why I ha...^^and that my friends and blog readers is why I have loved Julie Weather for YEARS now. Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73957029940447103952015-02-23T13:01:53.599-05:002015-02-23T13:01:53.599-05:00You know it reminds me of a time on the ranch. We ...You know it reminds me of a time on the ranch. We had one hen who really didn't like us robbing her eggs. Well, she solved the problem by harassing a duck off her nest and hatching them out.<br /><br />She was a wonderful mother. She mothered over those oddball little babies of hers and woe be to anyone who came near them. Then one day, the baby ducks did what baby ducks do. They found the pond and went swimming.<br /><br />Well, Mrs. Chicken almost lost her mind. She tried calling them back before they drowned but they just kept happily paddling around. Finally she waded out until all that was sticking up was her head. Those little delinquents still wouldn't come back. Well, they did eventually, but not before they were ready. Mrs. Chicken clucked and worried them far away from the pond and back to the chicken yard.<br /><br />Sometimes it's better to just hatch your own eggs.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05397201685135490220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58027024695698180912015-02-23T12:50:36.084-05:002015-02-23T12:50:36.084-05:00Craig: POW! there's a punch!! Thank you for th...Craig: POW! there's a punch!! Thank you for the morning's laughter. (oh, oh, am I in trouble now too?) Like your encouragement in "And Lo, from the frozen wastes"... <br /><br />Jennifer R. Donohue: I'm lost in queryland too. I've tried several versions of query. Since I can't seem to write any that satisfy me I worry that perhaps my novel is unfocused. <br /><br />S.D. King: "After 3 paragraphs I scream, "Oh! No!" and run back and spend the rest of my day fixing my manuscript. At least I am teachable." I guess the learning is neverending, isn't it? Really appreciated this comment. I do the same thing. Other times I just want to throw a tantrum. Lisa Bodenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17809067722921953857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65931917953294182162015-02-23T12:23:13.862-05:002015-02-23T12:23:13.862-05:00Perhaps the lack of Lima Beans and Kale is why Fre...Perhaps the lack of Lima Beans and Kale is why French politics is so unstable.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24379532500654248532015-02-23T11:42:37.947-05:002015-02-23T11:42:37.947-05:00Oh ouch, that must feel kind of terrible. "Ya...Oh ouch, that must feel kind of terrible. "Yay, they want to read my....oh. Nope, every time they do read my writing, they don't like it." In those shoes, I'd toss that query letter and do <i>at least</i> one more pass on the novel that I then had a Trusted Reader go over. Then write another query letter.<br /><br />When I discovered I had to write a query letter in addition to the novel, my shock and appall was kind of like when I found out about childbirth ("It comes out of where?")<br /><br />I know I'm not so great at summarizing things, and I know I have a hard time picking out the high points of a thing when relating them, because obviously, it's <i>my book</i>, and I'm so Goddamn excited about every obviously clever little bit I put in there. I'm waiting with bated breath to see if people get my reference to Hans Christian Anderson, or Greek mythology (hell, the entirety of my currently querying novel is a rewrite of a Greek myth) or or or....<br /><br />But what I think is important is not what a reader might think is important. I have this problem in basic conversation, and have to be reminded that jokes are for other people. How to distill a novel into the fewest most effective words? I've got a folder full of query letters for that novel that I rejected myself, because even I knew they were bad. Jennifer R. Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363886899308588391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40573856381187007352015-02-23T11:22:45.554-05:002015-02-23T11:22:45.554-05:00I can imagine wooing a gallery with another artist...I can imagine wooing a gallery with another artist's paintings because their technique is better than lima beans. Then showing my own work and it's kale. <br /><br />Colin said it better than I.<br /><br />BTW I've never seen lima beans in Paris and kale is only used to decorate city gardens. We don't have snow either.<br /><br />angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2401504351617688492015-02-23T10:47:34.920-05:002015-02-23T10:47:34.920-05:00And Lo, from the frozen wastes came a Voice. It wa...And Lo, from the frozen wastes came a Voice. It was the voice of reason in these troubling times. Even the 4c fundamentalists paused in their quest for the cloned query.<br /><br />As the voice reverberated through the frozen man made canyons and places even the snowmen shunned the message took deeper meaning.<br /><br />The Voice was about voice. Your voice. Not the voice of the multitudes. You are a writer it said and your voice it what makes you so. Your query should be a reflection of you and your work. Don't sweat it so much that you lose your faith in that voice.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64583509642562461772015-02-23T10:23:41.683-05:002015-02-23T10:23:41.683-05:00LynnRodz: I'm not sure you have to have a comp...LynnRodz: I'm not sure you have to have a completed ms for QueryShark--though it wouldn't hurt in case Janet loves your query and wants to see pages. For Chum Bucket, definitely. As I understand it, Query Shark is like a query workshop. Chum Bucket is for query feedback (i.e., no form rejections, but either a "yes," or a "no, and here's why" to your query+5 pages). But Janet can confirm/deny.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-5105435640139247432015-02-23T10:21:47.583-05:002015-02-23T10:21:47.583-05:00Lots of good advice from everyone, particularly Mi...Lots of good advice from everyone, particularly Miss Janet.<br /><br />I started entering the writing contests, pitch contests, hog calling contests and everything else you could think of not long ago. Most don't have a lot of agents who rep epic fantasy, but I thought it would get me over my pitch fright.<br /><br />I kept seeing people offering to edit pitches, edit the first 50, edit the first 250, edit the query and figured it all up. Then there were the ones who would flat out write my pitch or query. It would be more than I made in a month.<br /><br />I popped onto Compuserve books and Writers and asked for advice. I promptly got a, "Why are you thinking of paying someone when you have us?"<br /><br />So, we hammered out the pitch, the first five pages, the first chapter, the query, the synopses, and all of them wound up still in my voice because the suggestions that felt off I didn't use. The suggestions were free, so I didn't feel obligated to use them.<br /><br />If you don't have a writer's group or beta readers, that's a good place to find support. We all need it.<br /><br />"Was it a mistake to have someone else write my query letter? I figured, hey, I'm a novelist, I can't write concisely. "<br /><br />Oh, darling, yes. Big mistake. Your voice comes through even in your query letter. Read along on the twitter hashtags #tenqueries or #querylunch sometime. "I love the voice in this query, Yes, please." "I like the concept, but the writing is so flat. No voice. Pass."<br /><br />Read the Query Shark, Miss Snark, or Kristin Nelson's query archives. There's tons of voice in winning queries and you apparently have a ton of voice in yours, it's just not your voice.<br /><br />As to the you can't write concisely, you better learn. I have a 150,000 word epic fantasy. Can some words be cut? I'm sure we can, but I'm a fairly lean writer and it's been gone over numerous times with beta readers. I know, you'd never guess by my posts I write lean. <br /><br />Last week, I got a rejection from an agent I thought was a match made in heaven. He loved my kind of epic fantasy. He loved works with odd characters and a quirky sense of humor. He loved Friday Night Lights! Hey, they asked my son to be in the film! It was a sign. Plus the agent was wearing the cosmic blue shirt. *Dream Agent Alert*<br /><br />I sent the query and five pages, confident he'd be asking for a partial. Two hours later. Hi Julie. Terrific world building. Very nice, clear and concise writing. Great sample. In the end....<br /><br />Well, at least I know I'm clear and concise. <br /><br />Rewrite your query and work on that novel. Find some beta readers.<br /><br />You know, I have a scene in the new book where spiders lure unsuspecting prey into their caves with a scent. I had every intention of not doing anything other than writing when I first got up. Then I smelled honey. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05397201685135490220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9414063359979737902015-02-23T10:21:05.544-05:002015-02-23T10:21:05.544-05:00I was the one who wrote this question and I admit,...I was the one who wrote this question and I admit, the answer stung! But I had a feeling it would. <br /><br />Thank you Janet and thanks to all the commenters on this post for your helpful and eye-opening feedback. Ultimately I think the real problem is the manuscript itself-- I don't think it's where it needs to be. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com