Category Archives: Writing Tips

Query Letter Workshop Reminder

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Here’s a reminder about the upcoming query letter class. The usual rate to write a query letter for a client is $295. Revisions to existing query letters often cost $225, so this workshop is a great bargain!

Did you know that your query letter is every bit as important as the opening pages of your novel? 
It’s your first opportunity to show your writing skills to a prospective agent or editor, and you need to make it count!

Laine CunninghamLaine Cunningham’s clients consistently garner attention from the nation’s top publishers and agents.

During this workshop Laine discusses the three important elements to inject into your query so you can get published. Fiction and nonfiction authors writing books, stories or articles will benefit from this class.

Location: Center for Excellence,
3803-B Computer Dr. Suite 106,
Raleigh, NC 27609
Saturday, March 9     Time:  1:30-4:30pm
Fee:  $55 (Early Bird till March 1st)/$75 after

Register TODAY!
Click the link below to register for this awesome class.
Get more information
Register Now!
I can’t make it
Laine has presented workshops and lectures for The Loft, the nation’s largest independent literary organization; the National Writer’s Union; The Writer’s Workshop in Asheville and writing conferences across the country. If you want to learn how to impress an agent or editor, I will see you there!
Cheers,

 

 
Alice Osborn
Write from the Inside Out

Crime fiction

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Yesterday I posted an article written by a man who was stalked by one of his writing students. Today I’m posting about an article on a different author who thought direct contact with the police force would enhance the novels.

As he discovered, police work is mostly boring. I’ve done some ride-along programs with regional police officers to research my own novels. I’ve found that much of what they do is babysitting. They round up the same drunks and respond to the same noise complaints over and over. Very little of their jobs entail high-stakes action.

But when the stakes do rise, they still have to be ready. This blend of boredom and high-octane work is important to capture in your work. It will make the novel more realistic.

Resource

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Here’s an article on a writing instructor who was stalked by a student.

Writers of crime fiction, mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels can turn to real-world experiences such as these for insight into their characters. In this case, since the victim is an author, the experience is presented especially well. The psychology of both victim and stalker is important to understand when you’re aim is to create real characters.

Historic Details

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Here’s an article discussing the historic facts and fiction of several recent movies.

Even if you’re writing historic fiction, you do have some leeway to change things. Consider whether the changes will enhance the story or the character development. If they will, generally it’s all right to make some adjustments to actual fact.

Something for Everyone

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A Norwegian show on firewood has caused controversy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your particular topic, genre or category has an audience, the answer generally is yes. It might be a small audience but passion, even for firewood, can make for a success. You might have to redefine success, but the controversy over whether the bark should be placed up or down when new logs are added apparently has sparked the most responses!

The lesson: Don’t worry about your audience. Write what you’re passionate about and the audience will follow.

Essays

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Here’s a great article on essay writing: what to keep in mind, goals for the author, and a bit on what to expect after your essays go out into the world.

Author as Entrepreneur

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Here’s an article listing the 10 aspects of every entrepreneur. Every one of these applies to authors.

1. Passion. This is the sole driving force that will keep you moving through tough work days, endless rewrites, rejections, and deals that fall through at the last minute.

2. When you’re writing, you’re thinking about your idea…all the time.

3. You know that any issue in your piece is an opportunity to make it stronger.

4. Every new piece you work on is better than the one that came before.

5. There are no guarantees in publishing but you keep writing anyway.

6. You are social enough to network but know when to sit in the chair and be alone with your writing.

7. You know your strengths…and that means you also know where you are weak…and you get help from others with those weak areas.

8. You know your limits. You can’t write a book in a day. You can’t work on more than a few things at once. You pick the most important and get them done.

9. You are energized by writing. You are energized by talking about writing. You are energized by reading this blog!

10. You get something back from your work. It might be a paycheck. It might be a “thank you” from a reader whose hunger you fed particularly well. Both put something back into you.

Rejections

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For anyone who needs a laugh about all those “good” rejections they’ve been getting, check out this blog post.

Writing About Real People

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When I read this essay from a memoir author, I recalled how often asked about work that involves real people. Often for memoir and biography authors, the question arises about whether to include events that would cause someone else pain. Even novelists and short story writers can face the same concerns when they mine their lives for material.

The pain can be as simple as a little embarrassment over a minor slip to revealing criminal activities. Remember that I’m not talking about legal aspects of the work; the question here is only about whether to write about things that will cause someone else pain.

Your truth is your truth. If you are driven to write your truth, there’s a reason for it. Honor that reason. Honor your truth.

Yes, that can be the difficult road to take. But writing in and of itself isn’t an easy pathway. The truth is often ugly, even harsh. It still shines because that is the nature of truth.

Query Letters

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I work on query letters for a variety of fiction and nonfiction book authors. Every query has to have the following:
1. A great tagline. This is a single sentence that sums up the conflict and the protagonist’s journey. It’s one of the toughest things to get right…but it’s the grabber that keeps agents and publishers reading your query.

2. A short description of the book. This is 2 or 3 paragraphs long. Although it contains some plot highlights, it’s really about the character’s journey. The conflict and any antagonist come into play enough to enhance the protagonist’s journey…and you have to give an idea of how it ends.

3. A paragraph about you. This of course includes your credentials like other publication credits (even if unpaid) and editorial work at a newspaper or magazine. It should also include any awards your work has won. Also tell them why you wrote the book. The human connection is important!

4. Information on the current market trends that support your book, the manuscript’s length, it’s category and/or genre, and the fact that it’s finished. If you have a sequel or are already working on the next unrelated novel, they need to know that, too. They want to sign career authors, not flashes in the pan!

Let me know if I can help with your query letter.

Set Your Novel in a Famous Place

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Here’s another article from Writer’s Digest. Author Josh Pahigian shares the reasons why.

All are valid for different reasons. One of the best is the fact that your marketing machinery will be built in. Tourist boards, local shop owners, and travel advertisements all help to keep your book in people’s minds…or to spark that important first interest in your story.

5 for the Writer’s Bucket List

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Here’s a list from Writer’s Digest listing 5 things for your bucket list.

When I posted this to Facebook (find Writer’s Resource under CreationToContract), I noted that I liked the “Do something bizarre” tip best.

Also of interest is the “Self-publish something” tip. They’re not necessarily talking about a book, either. Blog posts, ezine submissions, and other short bits can be great for the author’s soul. And enhance your platform. And provide potential readers of your books with another way to find out about you.

An unbeatable combination!

Link

Read this interesting article, one author’s take on how distraction can work for the creative process.

Query Letter/Book Giveaway

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Very detailed post about one author’s journey. Click through the link in the post to leave a comment about her book and enter a giveaway for a free copy.

Two things to note in her entry:

1. She learned through failure how important the query letter is and what it should contain.

2. She was aware of publishing industry movements and decided not to submit for a time until things began to recover.

Take these lessons to heart and apply them to your own journey. You’ll find yourself further along that road to publication than ever.

Book Proposals

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Book proposals aren’t just for nonfiction authors.

I know, shocking. It’s not a tip you’ll read in most writer’s magazines or books. But here’s why:

Fiction authors need to present themselves as professional, capable individuals. Writing fiction is as much a career choice as writing nonfiction. Show agents and publishers that you’re serious about your work. They will respond with respect!

Every time one of my fiction clients goes out with a book proposal, they hear very positive feedback about their efforts. Since most agents and publishers will gather the exact same information that’s in a proposal from their fiction authors at some point, having everything already prepared means you rise to the top of the stack.

In this business, every little bit helps!

Here’s a look at Book Baby’s take on the same topic.