TweetShareWhatsApp0 SharesWith many literary agents wanting only the first 5-10 pages with a query, those opening pages are crucial to readers and traditional publishing alike.…
Query Letter Specifics
Posted on 0 commentTweetShareWhatsApp0 SharesIf you’re new to querying, there’s a general structure for query letters, but there are also specifics about which literary agents may have differing…
What’s Querying Like? 6 Writer Interviews
Posted on 0 commentTweetShareWhatsApp0 SharesAs a member of a querying writers group, I’ve watched writers wait 6 months to receive full manuscript rejections, or go months without receiving…
Twitter Pitch Parties + Twitter Mentoring Events
Posted on 0 commentTweetShare1WhatsApp1 SharesPitch Parties I know of nine parties on twitter to pitch your novel to literary agents and three author mentoring programs, throughout the year.…
Chapter One Checklist for Critical Readers
Posted on 2 commentsTweet11ShareWhatsApp11 SharesCritique partner and beta reader feedback can be gold, but as editing is a complex task, it can be difficult to decide what exactly…
#StrictlyWriting & Companion Tags
Posted on 0 commentTweet3ShareWhatsApp3 SharesLike many writers, one of the things I loved about joining Twitter’s #WritingCommunity was the opportunity to discuss the craft and to learn with…
An Archaeology & History Major’s Guide to World Building Part 1 -Food & Fashion
Posted on 0 commentTo write civilizations comparable to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, I’d need to draw on my double major in archaeology and history to break down every major and minor component of world building. This series of posts will do so, also explaining how different factors within a world affect each other. I’ll give each post an overarching theme and highlight links between each world and civilization building factor.
This week I’ve paired Food with Fashion, because both are closely linked to plants and animals, all of which is influenced by geography, climate and trade.
Pitch Crafting & Party Participation
Posted on 6 commentsWith thousands of pitches set to pour through Twitter’s #Pitmad feed for literary agent and indie publisher perusal on Thursday, its time to tell you everything I know about crafting a quality tweet pitch (for any pitch party) and preparing for pitch party days.
Querying & Publishing Resources
Posted on 4 commentsIf you thought writing and editing your novel was the hardest thing you’ve ever done -bad news- writing a query letter which clearly introduces your main character, conflict and stakes isn’t easy. Doing so concisely is harder still. Crafting a query which invites industry professionals to connect with your character and care about their conflict -which overall entices them- may seem impossible -at first. Great query crafting is an art (different to novel writing unfortunately) and requires honing a specific skill set. Luckily, there are many great resources listing the ingredients you need and more importantly -modelling what skillful inclusion of them can look like.
Editing: Free & Paid Feedback + Tips for Knowing You’ve Finished
Posted on 0 commentThe more I write, the more I think of a novel as requiring the perfect balance of hundreds of different ingredients, revised and edited countless times (with external feedback!!!) to make it quality fiction. In finding resources to help you on that journey, lets start at the beginning. If you don’t have a creative writing degree, plotting a novel and developing characters can be VERY DIFFICULT without referring to resources. If you dislike planning and develop your characters and plot by drafting in full (if you’re a pantser) structuring your novel is likely to be EVEN MORE difficult. There are lots of helpful resources on plot and character development, but I’ve included the three I found most useful below.