The most important things you can do to save yourself from losing work are to work from a new, dated copy of the file each day, stored in a single central folder, and back it up to at least one separate location.
How I Got My Agent
Here it is, the traditional, ginormous, over-the-top, all-the dish, “How I got my agent” post! I’ve included my successful query letter at the end. I’ll also break out individual pieces into future blog posts as well, going into more depth with the strategies that worked for me. Please note that no one path to publishing is going to be right for everyone. I have a great deal of privilege going into this process, along with some big disadvantages, and that affected my approach and results. The goal is always to build a big toolbox, then use the most effective tools for the job in front of you.
Of MICE and Murder
MICE describes the four primary motives for someone deciding to engage in espionage: Money, Ideology, Coercion, and Ego. These are still the central focus of security clearance investigations in the U.S. They also happen to be, on a higher level, the same primary motives for someone to decide to engage in murder.
Double-Duty Description
I struggle with description. I'm not a visual person. In fact, sometimes I have to pull up a bunch of images or videos online to serve as a guide when trying to really evoke a person or place. So when I encounter description in a book, the question of "how much" description to use is … Continue reading Double-Duty Description
Writing Polish: Going Off Subject
I'm getting back into the grammar weeds today, based on common problems I'm seeing in beta manuscripts. In this case, I'm talking about the subject of a sentence, and making it clear to your readers which character is acting at any given time. Sentence 1: Chris turned around.We have a basic simple sentence here with … Continue reading Writing Polish: Going Off Subject
Books on Writing: Rivet Your Reader With Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Ever had a reader say they just didn't feel like they were in the character's head? Deep Point of View is a vital key to engaging modern readers with your writing voice and immerse them in your story. In Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View, Jill Elizabeth Nelson gives you a crash course … Continue reading Books on Writing: Rivet Your Reader With Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Roll for Initiative: Keeping Your Characters in Scene
As a reader and beta reader, one of the things that stands out to me is when a secondary character does or says something halfway through a scene and my reaction is, "Huh. I forgot they were even there." We forget sometimes as writers that our readers don't have the benefit of watching a scene … Continue reading Roll for Initiative: Keeping Your Characters in Scene
POV Problems
One of the issues I come across often both in my beta reads and my own first drafts is violation of limited POV. Most contemporary books are written in limited POV. This means we really get into the head of the main character and experience the world through their eyes. The narrative voice is the … Continue reading POV Problems
3 Writing Lessons from Dungeons and Dragons
Tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) have a lot to teach you about writing. You create characters and tell a collaborative story in real time, so of course it's good practice for your novel! Taking away the setting elements (fantasy, sci-fi, horror), you find lessons that apply to any writer in any genre. Here are the first … Continue reading 3 Writing Lessons from Dungeons and Dragons
Three P’s of Writer’s Block
It happens to every writer. You get to a point somewhere in the middle of the book and the plot that has been rolling merrily along simply evaporates. Where do we go from here? It's an intensely discouraging moment for all of us. In some cases, it can even convince people to put their writing … Continue reading Three P’s of Writer’s Block