Babbles from Scott Eagan

Understanding Complications vs Conflict

2009-11-16T06:42:00.001-08:00

Conflict is the element that drives the story. It is that battle we want to see the characters over-come in the story to get us to that happily ever after. For many authors, however, stories completely lack a conflict an are only fillied with complications. The end result, unfortunately, is the story ends up having no point.

Let me explain it this way. Once I see the hero and the heroine and I hear their problems, I want to see how perfect they are but really question how on earth they can and will ever get together. I don't want to see that easy solution at the end of the first 10-20 pages. For example: he wants to get married after returning home from military duties over-seas. She wants to get married now that she has gotten her graduate work done and her business is established. Now they find out they are neighbors with the same interests. Ta Da! No conflict.

But here is what the inexperienced writers would do. The would then fill their story with mindless complications that do nothing more than stretch the length of the story. They give him PTSD. They have her business suddenly going bankrupt. They bring in some random pscyho killer. He had to deal with an ex-wife that is her best friend. They have the military call him back for "special services". The list goes on and on.

The problem with complications is that these pesky little things are the common everyday occurances in eacy of our lives. We don't have conflict in our life. We have complications. The care breaks down, or your run out of milk. For your stories, the only thing you did was make the complication worse by adding melodramatics. Instead of the milk running out, you have it containing some hidden disease that no one knows about that when chilled slowly releases a chemical in the air that turns people in the kitchen into were-puppies.

The key with conflict is to understand from the beginning what would be keeping the hero and heroine together. This is where internal and external conflict comes into play. To make the story successful, we don't want to simply see the problem being an outside force. There needs to be something inside the characters also holding them back. Those two elements should be intertwined to really add the development. For example. The lawyer is arguing for the death penalty for the heroine's brother (not that this would happen since it would be a conflict of interest but you get the idea). It is clear the brother deserves it. the evidence points in that direction but now he has to make a huge decision between the girl and his job. She wants him to drop the charges which he cannot do. He could leave the job, but that would mean he loses his career. If he prosecutes, he loses her. That is conflict.

Remember I said to start from the beginning? Did you do that with your last WIP? Did you establish a true conflict or was it a complication?

Scott

It's All A Matter Of Choices YOU Make

2009-11-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

This week has been one of those when the issue of choices, both good and bad have played a huge role in people surrounding me. I certainly am not going to go into all the details, but needless to say, in the words of this guy, "He chose poorly." And, in some of the cases, "You chose wisely."

In many of my conversations with writers, I tell them that after you receive comments back from an editor, agent, contest or critique, you don't have to do anything with those thoughts. In the end, it is still your manuscript. It is still, "your choice." Take it or leave it.

With that said, I do have to state that even if you walk away after wanting to ignore those comments, knowing it was your choice, you have to understand that there might be consequences for making that decision. You may have lost that deal the agent spoke of. Your editor may print your book but that will be the last because of your refusal to "listen". But, be confident to know that it was still "your choice."

Now, choices extend to the good side as well. Sometimes an editor or agent might suggest heading a completely different way with your manuscript. You hate the idea but "choose" to follow those directions. In the end, you find that A) not only did the story work; but B) you find a new niche you haven't thought about. I have an author right now in the midst of one of those huge shifts. Guess what? Editors (yes that is plural) are VERY interested.

Now, for those of you that don't have that editor or agent yet. You too have choices. You choose to make writing a priority in your life by setting aside time 7 days a week to work on your craft. You choose to not work on your story but hang out with your friends. You choose to attend conferences.

I am always frustrated at people who make excuses for why something doesn't get done. When I talk to people about my travels to Europe I always hear, "I have always wanted to do that." My answer? Make it a priority and do it then. If it is an issue of money - raise it. If it is an issue of time - plan it. In the end, yes, it is that simple. You have the choice.

Oh, and time for a little rant here. This is for the writers that submit stories to me and then write back complaining that they hated my feedback or would have never signed with me anyway. You had the choice to submit to me. It wasn't the reverse.... Just a thought.

Scott

Ya, Gotta Be Different. Adding the WOW Factor!

2009-11-12T06:53:00.001-08:00

This is always a tough one for writers.

Each week, agents receive piles of submissions, either via email or snail mail. Some are requests from eariler proposals, some are unsolicited. Regardless of how these stories arrived, we simply have to remember that in the end, there is a lot. Add in the fact that the editors and agents already have clients they are in love with and you have a huge competition issue. Somehow, you have to get your story to the top of my list.

So how do you do it? Chocolate? No. Bribery gets you no where. In the end, it has to be your story that does it. Somehow, in some way, you have to make me think your story is better than chocolate. This is where the writers often fail.

We frequently see a lot of stories that are well written. You as a writer may have received a few rejection letters telling you the writing is fine. What you were missing was that WOW Factor. That element that makes me want to keep the book in my hands and not stop. It may be the character, it may be the setting, it may be the style. Something has to be there.

I am currently reading Ann Rice's new book ANGEL TIME and for me, the story did just that. O.K. It's not WITCHING HOUR which I just love, but there was a wow factor that had me hooked from the beginning. The main character is a cold heartless assassin and he is given the choice to continue what he is doing or learn to save people instead by a seraph sent to help him. Cool twist. But in this case, Ms. Rice takes it a step further by really getting me into the head of Toby, the main character. I am simply sucked into his life.

Now, for new writers, this is often tough. We attend classes and are taught techniques that will "sell that book." We follow comments from people like me that say to figure out what the successful people are doing out there and do that. Sure these techniques help, but it is still up to you as a writer to find that way to make your story stand out. It is up to you to find a way to make me not want to write "same old, same old" in my data base after your name.

Scott

Are you Blog-Worthy? Working in a digital age.

2009-11-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

Let me preface by saying I am far from anti-blogging and anti-websites. We have clearly moved into a new era where this has become a standard. However, with that said, I want to work today with the questions, "Are you Blog Worthy?" and "Are you Web-site Worthy?"

These two issues are two pet peeves of mine and the irritations come in a wide variety of areas and come from businesses and writers alike. No, this is not a Scott's Rant but it is something worth ranting about.

Having a Blog can be a useful tool for marketing exposure. Get a following and people will go anwhere with you. The key, however, is to have something worth following. I am constantly amazed at writers, (editors and agents too) that have a blog but do nothing with it. Some set one up and never do anything with it. The same message remains for several months. Others (I see this with writers more than anything) simply blog about what they did that day.

I understand why they do it. Maintaining a Blog is tough work. You have to come up with something daily to talk about and it has to be worthy. Telling us you went grocery shopping is simply not worthy. In essence, you have turned your blog, which should be a professional tool, into nothing more than an extension of your Facebook or Myspace Account.

The same goes for websites. These should be a tool to provide information and spur on business for your writing or your company. If the agency is A) Hard to follow; B) Hard to navigate; or C) have nothing on it that can help or guide, then there simply is no point to it. For you new writers, sure, it is important to have a website, but only after you have actually written a book and sold it. I hate to break it to you, but agents and editors simply don't go following your website to see if you are worthy.

For you new writers, I would simply encourage you to spend the time (and money if you pay someone) on building a website or blogging and use it for your craft. You might be amazed to find the quality of your work improving significantly.

Scott

Twitter Questions from Writers

2009-11-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Only three questions today from Twitter but these are good ones...

Can you explain the difference between urban fantasy and fantasy and why you represent 1 and not the other?
For me, and others may have a different twist on it, Fantasy really deals with a world building element of things such as magic, fairies, demons and the like. Sure they show up in urban fantasy, but the setting is the key. We are dealing with stories in Fantasy that really are "make- believe" in the classic sense of the term. When it comes to urban fantasy, we are looking at stories that really are present day, and have found a way to blend an element of the paranormal with a truly present day urban setting.
As far as why I take one and not the other, I am feel I have better connections with the urban fantasy market than I do with the straight up fantasy.

Rcv'd GRACIOUS critique from a respected agent re: my partial. Is it a no-no to reply w/ a quick thank you?
There is really nothing wrong with sending a reply of "thank you for reviewing this" after a rejection. Don't expect an answer. Don't think this is a way to have a better chance the next time, it is just a response. I guess I view this in the same way you would write to someone after a job interview. You may not get the job, but you let them know you appreciated the time for the interview. Again, don't expect a reply there.

If you're sent a rej. can you submit to said agent w/ diff project--down the road?
Unless the agent told you to go away forever and never contact them, sure. The key though is to learn from the mistakes and to make sure that the new story is not doing the same thing you had a rejection on with the first manuscript. For myself, I do keep a database and if I have an author that submitted an earlier project, their name will come up. I do go back and see what I rejected them on the last time. I am hoping they aren't doing the same thing. Surprisingly, a lot do.

Hope I answsered all of those questions.

Scott

A Lyrical Examination in an Agent's Busy Day

2009-11-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

It is one of those days
Piles of work
Looming over me like Colossus at Rhodes
Challenging me
Daring me.
Are you up to the challenge old man?
Do you have what it takes?

The phone rings
Bringing yet another deadline, another crisis
That apprently needs to be solved today
Not tomorrow
Not next week

I lean back in my not so comfortable chair
Running my hands over my worn face
Beginning to question my role in the grand scheme of things.

Will I find what I am looking for?
Does it even exist?
Am I searching for the Lost Arc? The Fountain of Youth?
Has the thing I am begging for in a story
Become the thing of myths and dreams?

The computer chimes with another challenge
And yet this time,
The message is good.
My authors have come through again -
Providing me the boost to get through one more pile.

Scott

Alien Vampire Bunnies Writing Contest Winners!

2009-11-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stories coming in. When Kate Duffy first mentioned this idea, off-handedly, we were laughing about how “stupid” the idea potentially was. And yet, the writers submitting stories this year were able to over-come that barrier.
As promised, the winner of the contest receives a free critique of the first 100 pages of a story. The first place winner may should contact me via email for further information.
Also, this is for you editors out there. If you love a premise of the story, I will arrange to get it to you! I dare you!
Like I said, you all made it tough on me. Some were funny, some were dang serious. In the end, I was looking for the story that exemplified quality writing as well as meeting the criteria of the contest. In other words, the story had to be about Alien Vampire Bunnies.
First of all, I want to thank the following writers for just competing. This was a tough challenge but you still did it. Good for you!

• Deathright by Joely Sue Burkhart

• Untitled by Kelly McClean

• Dissociation by Monica Peters

• Untitled By Marilou Goodwin

• Blood Counts by Jan Mitchell

So, without further adieu…

1st Place…
My Love, the Alien Vampire Bunny by Ellie Nystrom
A paranormal romance about Maggie, a small town substitute teacher with a big secret. Namely, the alien vampire bunny whose space pod crashes into her backyard. Seeing his adorable little cottontail, she names him Peter, but then, after biting the pizza delivery man, he transforms into her dream man.
Coming from a race of blood sucking creatures known only as the Collective, Peter does not understand the value of the individual. Maggie teaches him to respect himself and become his own man. He teaches her to embrace her differences, which are substantial and not entirely human, and follow her heart. In the end, as bunnies in little space suits descend upon Earth to rescue their lost friend, Peter decides that being with someone who loves him for himself is better than rejoining his kind where he's just another nameless part of the whole.

2nd Place…
The Bunny Prophecy by Carolyn Carey
Two weeks ago, Marley Holland was just a super wealthy former English prof who’d won the lottery and had been wondering what to do with herself, other than encouraging her boyfriend in his efforts to translate the medieval writings of an esoteric German who had prophesized the arrival of a spaceship filled with vampire bunnies whose meat could cure any human vampires who consumed it. Connor is especially interested in the prophecy because his sister is a vampire. And unbeknownst to him, so is his girlfriend. Ten days ago, Marley was attacked and turned while perusing the ancient textbooks in the archives of the graduate library at the university where Connor teaches. Now she has a personal reason for seeking out those blasted bunnies.
With help from her chauffeur, Kooper, and an occasional assist from Connor, who’s positive he knows the time and place the spaceship will arrive, Marley engages in a frantic search for the flying rabbit hutch Kooper spotted one dark evening on a mountainous road. Dangers they never anticipated arise. Seems Connor wasn’t the only scholar trying to translate the works of Hasenpfeffer, but where Connor had read “vampire bunnies,” others have seen “golden nuggets.” By the time Marley succeeds in trapping one of the bunnies, Connor has been changed and she must use the precious rabbit stew to return her beloved to a normal life. Then it’s time for her and Kooper to begin their quest again, leaving behind the comforts of normalcy in their continuing search for alien vampire bunnies.

3rd Place
24 Carrot Blood by Candice Gilmer
Just because Gerald was a vampire bunny, didn’t mean he enjoyed his violent ways. When he comes upon an alternative to killing beings for nutrients on the planet Earth, he high-tails it to the small planet. Unfortunately the King and Queen follow, bringing their subjects to find Gerald, as well as explore the delectable beings on Earth.
Gerald enlists the help of Kandi Kayne, immortal Templar Knight, to find this True Blood he seeks. While Kandi and the other Templar Knights search for the blood substitute for Gerald, the King and Queen start their sampling of the blood offered on Earth, creating a string of deaths all over North America. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kandi and the other Knights have to find a way to get the vampire bunnies off world, and still allow Gerald asylum on Earth. Especially since this blood substitute Gerald seeks may not exist.

Honorable Mention
Untitled by Kimberly Rood
Thad Marshall and Allison Sherry are the executive liaisons for The Interplanetary Peace Office. It is their job, a long with the other members of their team, to keep peace between planet Earth and other extraterrestrial beings. Everything has been going fine until a meteor strikes The Alvampuns’ planet. The Alvampuns, strange creatures possessing mixed features of aliens, vampires, and bunnies are devastated by their planet’s destruction. When the meteor slams into their planet, a chain of natural disasters ensue. A year later, their planet is no longer fit to sustain life. They request refuge from Earth. The United States grants them asylum and allows them to move into designated neighborhoods.
People are outraged that the extraterrestrials are aloud entry into their country. It becomes obvious quickly that human beings and Alvampuns cannot get along. They refuse to except each others’ differences and peacefully coexist. Thad Marshall and Allison Sherry desperately try to bring the two species together but without success. When were-aliens threaten planet Earth, they must choose either to band together and fight or risk losing their precious home forever.

What Are The Rules To The Game?

2009-11-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

This issue (or a slight twist of it) came up recently on another website that I like to hang out on. The writer was asking the question of what the right approach was when it came to the troublesome Point of View. In this case, the writer was trying desperatly to follow a rule she had been told, but in the end, realized the scene was in the wrong POV. She had done it from the heroine's POV and it really needed to be in the hero's. Needless to say, she was VERY troubled.

So, with that said, what are the rules?

The simple truth is there really isn't any rule. The goal is to tell a dang fine story and to make it work. In her case, I told her that if the ratio of POV shifts was 75/25 and it worked, then do it. And really, the rule works for all of those other wonderful "rules" that writers like to preach in sessions at writing conferences or on their blogs.

Now, please don't get me wrong. I am not saying this is a time for a complete free-for-all writing fest where writers do anything. Remember the goal is to tell a story that makes sense, is marketable and draws the reader in.

I had a conference with my son's fifth grade teacher today and she was describing the perfect type of story. She wanted her kids to find that story that when they were finished with it, they were upset it ended. That is the rule you shoot for when it comes to writing. Write a story that works just like that and you have a best seller. Hook me from the first line and keep me hooked until the end.

Scott

Writing With A Purpose

2009-11-04T06:40:00.001-08:00

If you don't know where you are going, you will end up some place you don't want to be. I heard this from a motivational speaker and, I am sure, like many of you, there were doubts. I honestly thought that "maybe I will end up in a really cool place", or "maybe because I don't have a planned route, I will see things I might have missed." And then it hit me... MAYBE.

As a writer, you have to know where you are going to with your story. While I am a big fan of simply writing each day, if you are working on your actual manuscript, you have to have a plan.

I am bringing this up because a friend of mine is particpating in the Write a Novel In a Month program, or whatever that acronym is. She is so excited about this program because she now has deadlines to get the material finished. When I talked to her about it, she openly said that yes, she may well end up with 50+ K of pure drivel in the end, and yes, she will likely have a huge amount of editing to do with this.

And there lies the problem.

If she is taking 1 month to write the story and then will take the next 4-5 months fixing the huge problems with the story, this is the problem. This is really an issue when she could have done the whole thing in 2 months shorter and done it right the first time.

I have told my son the same thing. I ask him to clean his room and he just shoves things under the bed. When I send my 4 year old up to clean out the mess under his bed (she calls it exploring) he gets really frustrated because he has to clean the room "again". As I tell him, if he would have done it right the first time, we wouldn't have to do this again.

Look, I am not going to tell everyone to 100% outline the entire book chapter by chapter. What I will tell you is that you better know the beginning, middle and the end. You better know the major points throughout the story. You need to know the conflicts internally for the characters and externally for the plot, and more importantly, how the characters are going to fix it.

Daily, you need to know what the goal of that piece of writing is. No, word count is not it. What is going to be accomplished in the story by the end of your writing time.

Do this and you won't have to backtrack.

Scott

Lack of Action Is Killing Me

2009-11-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

No, I am not talking today about narratives that go on and on without any movement (although this is a frequent problem). Today, it is simply about the action of people in general. I am totally sick of people that do nothing but complain about things not going right and then sitting around and doing nothing about it. You know who I am talking about.

Think about it. How many times do we see organizations with significant problems and all the organizations can do is "form a committee and fix a problem." Now please don't get me wrong. I am all in favor of getting people involved with solving problems. Committees do work. However, if there is something that needs to be done and time is important, we have to get off our butt and get going. I have been and am part of organizations with people like this. Needless to say, in those past organizations, the group simply fell apart and was lost in the dust. The groups I am part of today and I am sure there will be groups in the future will do just the same thing unless they take action.

I think I mentioned this before, but hey, it was a great comment. The man who created USA Today said that he never worried about anything. When something went wrong, he would either fix the problem, or move on. Apparently, we are now living in a society that does nothing about a problem just to be able to complain later about how we were "victims" in all of this.

Don't worry, we can bring this back to writing as well. The writers that are successful out there are the people that just keep moving with their writing. A rejection gives them more motivation to do better. A comment on a rejection gets them asking questions to learn that skill better.

So people. I am a person of action. I don't want to simply talk about it, I want to fix it. If you are someone that simply wants to contemplate your navel and the problem, move out of the way so those of us that want to keep moving can do so.

Scott

Sorry about that, but it was time for a Rant.

Alien Vampire Bunny Update

2009-11-02T10:06:00.001-08:00

WOW! The query letters on some of these are fantastic! Who would have thought Alien Vampire Bunnies would be such a hit.

I’ll begin reading these today! Stay tuned.

Now, go eat your carrots!

Scott C. Eagan

Teacups and Toast - Sometimes it's OK. To Just Do It

2009-11-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

Writers need to realize that there are times when introspection, scene building and the like are simply not necessary, at least at that moment.

I was reading a historical recently and the hero and heroine were beyond hot for each other. There was more sexual tension in that room than a senior ball. It was also at a point in the story when moving to that next level would have been fine (in other words it wasn't in the first chapter). And yet, for some reason, the writer decided that right there, right then, it was time for the hero to suddenly release all of his past baggage about his family. Huh!

Look, as a writer, you have to have your characters think like a human being. There are times when people think and there are times people simply act without thinking. Obviously, if a character is being chased by an alien vampire bunny, then they would not be thinking about the fine decorations or paintings in the room. They would be running.

And yes, this goes for when the characters are in those most "intimate" moments. I seriously doubt they contemplating a lot of things. This scene is about action. No, it doesn't mean you have to rush it, but the contempation is not there.

Just something to "think" about this Monday.

Scott

Why Do We Only Ask For The First Chapters?

2009-10-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

But Scott, my story gets so much better once we get into the story.

I hear this all of the time, and I would certainly hope that the story does get better. But, as we all know, it is the opening chapters that we as readers make our decisions if we will continue reading or not. Come on people, how many of you REALLY keep reading a book when the beginning really tanks it. I am betting you do like the rest of us and move on to the next book in our reading stack. Some of us "accidentally" leave it on the bus or in the airport.

In reality though, the first three chapters really tell us a lot about you as a writer. If you have plotting issues, the chances that you suddenly figure it out in the later chapters is unlikely. If you have weak characters, they don't suddenly become amazing in chapter 5.

There are also many writers that continually submit stories to contests for critique. Those first chapters have been worked over so much by the time you start submitting. Now, let's face it. If the story is not amazing after all of those rounds, what do you think the later chapters are like.

Now, for those of you that might not submit stories to conferences, you probably still do the same thing when it comes to editing. Every time you start into the editing, it will be those earlier chapters that get more work. We get tired of editing toward the end. We gloss over problems. We skip chapters. The list is endless.

So, this brings us back to the initial question of why we only look at the first chapters. Hey, if you don't get us in those pages, you won't get us at all. On a practial side, think of how larget hat stack would be if we had received fulls from everyone out there. We would simply be buried.

From my own perspective, I also see this as a way to save you some cash. Printing off that full and mailing it costs a lot. If we can keep the costs down for you, enjoy it!

Scott

Another Question from a Writer

2009-10-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

Throughout the past few months, I have continually missed the mark with the work I have submitted to you and to contests. And each time I have suffered a disappointment, I have looked back—six months, one month, a week later!—and seen that I have been living behind a veil. How does this occur? I write, and it sounds normal enough, and then voila! I look again, and it’s as if a veil has been drawn off my face, and I can at last see the work for what it is, which is filled with promising ideas and clueless technique.

These have been rolling in lately so it is time to fill in some gaps.

Anon, what you are feeling right now is common with a lot of writers. It is that simple feeling of hopelessness that comes with writing. Please understand, it is common and there is a cure (sometimes).

This is a depressing business. When you consider the pain and misery you put into your stories. The time and money you spend all for a rejection. When you consider the number of people out there writing and the number of slots open to new writers, it is really enough for anyone to want to jump out a window.

Writing takes time. No, this does not mean that if you "pay your dues" the book deal will show up. This is a huge myth that writers spin. Hey, remember, you are all fiction writers so weaving that tale is easy. But, writing does take time.

During that time, it is up to you to learn from your mistakes. To take those classes, to learn the business and to grow as a writer. Too often, writers just dive into their next story with the beliefe that "this time it will be different" but they have done nothing to fix the problem.

I see this all of the time with writers sending stories to me. Remember that I keep everyone in a database so when I type your name in, the computer tells me you have already submitted. I do check to see what you did in the past. Now, here is the interesting thing. By the time I am this point, I have already read your story and made my decision. The notes have been made on on the outside of the package you sent. 9 out of 10 times (yes this is s cliche phrase but who cares) the writer has made the same mistake as he or she did on the last story.

At the SCWW conference, I had the chan ce to listen to Steve Berry. It was great to hear his story of growth and learning. He wrote for roughly 8 years and many manuscripts (that he noted were beyond good) before landing an agent. Then 12 years later, the book deal finally came in, and even then, there was luck attached to it. He was at the right place at the right time with a story someone wanted. Still, he noted that in those early years, he worked on growing as an author. He learned, he changed. But, he did listen to those critics. He didn't just keep doing the same thing.

So, for you new writers, remember. It takes time, but you need to use that time wisely.

Scott

Question from a Writer

2009-10-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

May I change the topic and ask if anyone has had any experience with the agents who are also advertising their services as "Book Doctors" ? If an agent seems enthusiastic about a submission but also says that it needs , uh, doctoring, for a fee, of course, in order to be more commercially acceptable, is it likely this is a good way to go?
I don't doubt all sunmissions could use a practiced hand that does not belong to the author, but it seems to me we are on a slippery slope here.
How much in extra fees raise a red flag? And what about the editors who advertise that service, but also emphasize their understandable "connections" within the business of publishing?
Hopeful authors OF Course want to believe that a legitimate editor might pick up the phone and recommend that an agent friend take on the ms. Pay for the editing service and wind up with an industry insider boost to boot. Why else would the editor mention his " extensive connections in publishing" ? And might professional doctoring make the difference between selling the ms to a publisher or not?
I'm sure some of these people are legitimate. Beyond checking with places like Absolutewrite, can anyone share their experience with me?

This is a common question I see and one that even came up this last weekend at SCWW. I think with Anon's question, we actually have several issues here.

First of all, let's talk $$. Agents should not be charging you money. This is commonly called reading fees. Now some agents may be trying to sneak past this one by calling it "Book doctoring" but that is essentially it. Agents may "doctor" your book after you have signed with them to make the book more marketable, but still there shouldn't be a charge for it.

Secondly, what about the book doctors out there? I do know of reputable people that do this. Yes they charge, yes they have experience in the business and yes they do good work. There are, however, a lot of people that do "book doctoring" that are just serving as another critique partner for you but getting money to do it. Many of these people, in my humble opinion, have no clue what they are doing but wow are they bringing in the cash. They have been able to portray this idea that without their help, you will not be able to get published.

Let me give you an example of that last one. I receive, at least 3-5 times a month, a submission from someone that has gone through a professional editor. It is always the same editor and frankly, the story is far from good. Other than being grammatically fine, the story telling has been awful, the plot is weak and the same horrible mistakes we see beginning writers do are still there. No, I have not signed a person yet that has gone through one of these editors.

Finally, in my humble opinon, I just don't think a book doctor is necessary. If you hae criticla thinking skills, have done your research and understand English grammar, punctuation and spelling, you can do it on your own. Oh, I should also add, having an intelligent critique partner that also understands all of that. If grammar is your weak area, learn it! Take a class. Do something!

Please people. Be careful out there. So many of you are eager to get published and there are far too many people out there (book doctors, publishers, self-publishing sites, etc) that have no business doing what they are doing and are taking all of your money!

Scott

The Rules of Writing

2009-10-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

We hear all about these pesky little things. You know what I mean - The rules we as authors have to follow as authors to get our books published. The list can become endless. Don't start a query letter with a question. Must insert high concept in first line of query. First sentence must be so amazing we wet ourselves. Head hopping... and so on, and so on, and so on.

Now, I am not one to say to avoid these things. Writing is a matter of communications and we have to follow guidelines for effective communication. But, when it comes to writing, there are no fixed rules.

I spent the weekend at the South Carolina Writer's Workshop and heard time and time again writers saying things such as, "But do we have to do it this way?" The answer is always "sometimes." There are always exceptions to the rule and we can always find a ton of those exceptions.

Still, when we talk about these rules, these are suggestions that will always make your writing better. I am personally of the opinion that many authors who want to challenge the rules are the writers that might not find the success they are looking for. Somehow, in their heads, they feel they are above following the rules. Their writing is somehow different. It may be, but in most cases, listening to those rules might be a wise move.

I should also add, and I have mentioned this before, that using all of the rules in a single piece of writing might become awkward. The best analogy I can have would be adding things to a truck to enhance the look. Adding nice tires - fine. Adding a stabilizer - fine. Adding everything and you look like a fool.

So for those of you that are "anti-rules" I would advise you to stop before you do anything. Really look at your writing and be open-minded. Not only will you find that you may be wrong in places, you may also find yourself finally getting published.

Scott

Writing Technique is fine...But...

2009-10-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

I think that a lot of writers hold too much stock in writing technique. In other words, they have attended a conference or a writing class and have walked away with a ton of skills to put in their "writer's toolbox." At that point, they start inserting these techniques into their writing with the belief the writing has now been improved.

Unfortunately, for many writers, they fail to understand several things. First, how the presenter determined what worked and what didn't work with these techniques; and secondly, why each of those techniques work.

Let's start from the presenter side of things.

When I get ready to do a conference or a presentation, I have to take some time to "dissect" the elements that make what ever I am talking about work. In other words, I identify all of the individual pieces of the big picture. By doing so, I not only understand how each of those elements are used individually, but also how each of the pieces work together.

Now, when I go to the seminar, I present each of these elements so a writer can pick and choose which item works for their writing and which one doesn't. It is the hope the writer will be a critical thinker enough to realize the writing may not need it all and to also realize when and where to use the technique. In many ways, it is like teaching someone about spices and herbs. We learn when and where to use these supplements to the food. We don't use them all.

The second element comes from understanding why the techniques are used and what the impact will be on the reader. This is where I find many writers really messing things up. They have learned the techniques are cool but fail to realize that with their story, it may create an opposite reaction. I think a good analogy is that of Ritalin (o.k. I may have spelled it wrong). In any case, I am talking about the drug used for kids with ADHD. A psychologist once told me the drug has the right effect on someone with ADHD, but will actually create the opposite response for someone without it. The same goes for writing.

Now where I am I going to with this? The answer is simple. I want writers to learn technique. But you have to THINK! Why do I want to use it? Will it work here? What is the impact on the reader? And so forth... Writing is much more than simply writing words. It still requires thinking.

Scott

On Attending Conferences

2009-10-25T04:50:00.001-07:00

I was sitting around last night with many of the other agents and we were talking about attending conferences. We were all noting that we hear of places that want agents to visit but never ask. I know I have said this before, but just ask! Don't be shy. For the most part, if we aren't doing anything and it is the right time for us, we can come.

For myself, you have all given me a great break. My next conference is the RWA National conference in July. Why did this occur?

No, I did not turn down conferences.
No, I am not already booked for other things.
YES, no one asked.

And I should say, the same goes for contests. I hear on the loops about how contest coordinators are always in a bind to find final round judges. Hmmm, guess what? The Just Ask rule applies here too!

So, feel free to forward this post to all of your chapter presidents and contest coordinators. There is still time to find agents to come and talk or to do presentations for you. All you have to do is ASK!

Scott

SCWW Day 2

2009-10-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the update from yesterday.

Had a great session with Jim McCarthy of Dystel and Goderich yesterday. This was a slush fest for romance and women's fiction. I honestly think many of the writers were shocked in the end of how quickly the agents and editors make decisions on their writing. Comments like "so, you would make the decision after the first paragraph?" were very common.

Dinner ended with a fantastic talk by Steve Berry. I am hoping all of the people in the audience were really listening to the things he had to say. 8 novels later, he finally landed the first deal, but it came down to being in the right place at the right time with the right piece of writing. Amen to that!

I kkow for me, it was a great contest to get connected with people that I rarely see, or only talk to electronically. Jeff Kleinman, Jim McCarthy, Barb Poelle, Janet Reid, Holly Root, Elaine Spencer, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe and certainly my Italian compadre Chuck Sambuchino.

Big thank you to the SCWW staff and conference. You can have me back any time you want. And remember, if you want me to work, just ask.

Story and Synopsis - Are they telling the same story

2009-10-25T04:31:00.001-07:00

I'm getting ready to head off to my last session here at SCWW and figured I would throw in one last post before I pack the computer up.

Over the last 2 days, I have realized that many writers have a huge disconnect between their synopsis and their stories. In other words, what they have written and what they think they have written and what they tell me they have written simply don't match. In other words, when I talk to a writer about the story they have written, they will tell me one thing. When I read the words, it is far from what they intended.

So, why does this happen?

I can see this occurring for a couple of reasons. The biggest is a lack of thinking on the part of the writer. In other words, as he or she sits in front of the computer, the writer simply writes. There is no cognitive process going on to think of why the characters are doing what they do, or for that matter, how the scene that was typed on Monday fits with the scene they type on Thursday. In the end, the story becomes a mish-mash of small disconnected scenes. When it comes to the time of writing the synopsis or pitching, the scene or scenes they liked the most are the ones that take the forefront and become the "thesis" of the story. This is, of course, forgetting the other 80% of the book that focuses on something else.

The second reason stems from the writers simply not knowing what the story is about. To these writers, the story is simply plot. I see this one more often than not. Even as I worked with authors in critiques and in smaller sessions, when we would talk theme of the story, the only solutions they could come up with were plot twits. "So I can take that scene out and it becomes better." Remember the theme is the WHY we write it.

I have to say, as an agent, it is VERY frustrating when I read or hear a pitch, and think this is the next greatest thing. I get excited. I want to see more... and then the story shows up revealing something that is far from what I expected. Not that the writing is bad, but the story is not what they pitched.

Your homework... figure out what your story is really about and make it clear in that synopsis and pitch.

Scott

SCWW Day 1 Check in - more updates

2009-10-23T17:40:00.001-07:00

Had a fantastic session on Marketing Your Story to Editors and Agents. This was a great time to really talk to writers and guide a few people that might have been a bit off track. Still, fantastic time with the writers.

Here are a few pix's.

SCWW Day 1 Check in - more updates

2009-10-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed with the number of submissions that always show up when my computer is off.

I just logged in and found I was bombarded with new submissions. Now I have to get caught up on that. Looks like I'll be spending some extra time up in the room getting caught up.

To add to this, I now have some revisions for one of my client's that just came in. Just have to get my brain focused. Don't think it should be a major problem to fix but it will take some creative thinking!

Scott

SCWW Day 1 Check in

2009-10-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Well, after a long flight, made it into Myrtle Beach last night by 11:30 PM. After a quick pizza it was time for a quick sleep and then off and running.

Will be presenting today on Marketing Your Fiction Novel to Editors and Agents today. Loving those light days!

Have to spend this morning reviewing client's latest project.

Observation #1 - There are a lot of writers that really need to take some time to understand the business. I overheard a conversation this morning and a writer was talking about how the purpose for this conference was to sell that manuscript.

Um, no!

Sure, there are chances to network but selling the manuscript at a conference is highly unlikely. It is still going to come down to reading and reviewing the project before it even gets close to the published level.

More later!

Scott

No posts until next week

2009-10-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, I will be gone to the South Carolina Writer's Workshop this weekend. The odds are there won't be posts here until Monday. If I do have a chance, I will keep you posted.

Have a great weekend!

Scott

On Grammar...

2009-10-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am pretty picky about grammar. Hey, when you have taught grammar and writing for 20 years, seeing mistakes becomes second nature. I wanted to bring this up today to stress that, as a writer, it is up to you to get that grammar of yours up to speed. No, I am not talking about figuring out some of those strange rare cases, (dangling participles) but I am stressing the need for that basic understanding.

But Scott, why do we need to? If we sign with some agents, they have outside readers to fix our problems and certainly the editors have copy editors?

Well, that is correct. There are resources in place to remedy that. But the grammar issue becomes key during the early submission phase. I like to think of the Hallmark commercial and their slogan "When you care enough to send the very best," as a model. Sending along a submission that demonstrates little or no grammatical knowledge is a BIG red flag! The first thing that goes through my head is: "If this person can't put together a basic business letter or query, what will their story look like?"

If you are a person that struggles with grammar, then how do we fix it?

Some people like to spend money on paying someone to edit their work. While this sounds great, the odds are, in most cases, but not always (I am doing this to prevent people from saying "But person X does it this way)... Let me do that again. The odds are the person is just using a grammar and spelling checker. You can do the same.

Go to the settings and adjust it to look for grammar and style. Then re-check it. If you don't understand it, ask the grammar checker to explain. You can also use a great book to check this. I personally recommend, Diana Hacker's A WRITER'S REFERENCE.

You can also take grammar classes at the local college.

I don't care what you do, but let's get it figured out.

Scott