It's Time!

Since I've been working on another manuscript, I decided it was time to find a critique group or partner and/or beta readers. I didn’t have one before, but it wasn't for lack of trying. A blog friend, Jeri Walker-Bickett recently talked about her online critique partners, and I figured it was time to collaborate with many or a few to get my manuscript in order.

I posted a thread on Goodreads to get some information on reliable online critique groups along with joining Scribophile. The site looks interesting. I haven’t done anything yet to know if it will work, but I thought I’d try it out. 

Do you have a critique group or partner or regular beta readers? Are they close friends or people you've never met? 

Cheers to a great writing week!

Critiques and Writing,

Bea

A Query to my Readers

I thought I’d share a little something with you…stop laughing…this is different. :D  Everyone talks about query letters and their importance on snagging an agent. Many established agents and writers say to immediately get to the point, provide a tag line and then a synopsis. But I must point out that query letters are different for fiction and non-fiction…at least that’s what I’ve read. Anyways, I did some research and came up with a few query letters so I thought I’d post one of my letters to see what you think…if it captures your attention and if my manuscript is something you’d want to read. I’m not planning on sending this letter out…it’s merely to get my readers’ input.

“Dear Agent:

One lonely evening in a chat room, Sydney Hayes is approached by a man named Arcane, who soon takes possession of her head and heart, until games and unfortunate events force Sydney to move away and change her identity—but can she truly hide from evil.

Lonesome, independent Sydney Hayes never met her ‘knight in shining armor’ during her daily routines and solitary weekends until a snowstorm hits Chicago. Restless and bored, Sydney enters a chat room full of people reflecting the same feelings and then a window pops up on her screen with a greeting from a stranger. At first, their relationship is strictly online, but swiftly turns to a real life relationship with real life consequences. After chiseling away at her independence, Arcane takes Sydney against her will and begins playing with her life, situations becoming more sinister than the last one. Sydney has no other choice but to leave town—to become someone else.

In a new state and with a new identity, Sydney begins to build her confidence and reclaim her life. As she becomes comfortable in her new surroundings she befriends a man by the name of Garrett Hart—time and exposed secrets bring them close—but not before the evil she is running from gradually shows signs he is not too far away. Now Sydney must fight against Arcane to protect those closest to her.

[Title of Book] has allowed me to explore the depths of loneliness, the horror of stalking, the line between sanity and insanity, so I could write characters that will do anything for revenge and/or to protect their loved ones. My book is likely to appeal to the same audience of Shutter Island.

[Title of Book] is my debut psychological thriller at [number of words] words. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Let’s hear it. What do you think? Did this capture your attention? Do you want to read it? Not interesting? Not your genre?

Once Upon a Time…

A writer friend, Barb sent me a link to a blog post, Scariness in Fictionland by Athol Dickson. These days, I haven’t kept up with information about the writing world, and I definitely don’t bother with articles on ‘how to write’. It’s not that I’m a snob and know everything there is to know about writing, it’s just that I feel writing takes practice—individual practice. If I was completely clueless about how to write a novel, short story or poetry, then I would look for some form of guidance; although it’s only bits and pieces I take and leave the rest of the lecture behind.

Since I’ve been separated from the writing world—submerged in my own work—I hadn’t kept up with what is being said out there. So this blog post by Athol Dickson really opened my eyes to writing and what some authors are saying. As he states on his blog, “I’ve seen dozens of emails from other authors who claim they strongly dislike the first person point of view.” Okay, I see we all have our favorites, certain things we enjoy reading, but for an author to commit to such a hard statement is serious. If authors begin to omit first person POV, if publishing companies put all first person POV’s in the slush pile, then we have wiped out a part of literature that’s been around since language kissed our lips.

Athol points out that this isn’t the impossible. “…the reading public came to prefer the stark and spare Modernist style of literature which had been almost universally forced upon them, not because it’s necessarily better in any way, but simply because it had indeed been so universally forced upon them…Also, it’s a well-known psychological fact that we develop habits mainly because they are more convenient.” We find ourselves becoming habitual and accepting without question. It’s easy to follow the leader—the dictators telling us what we should do, watch, buy, yet it’s, as the cliché goes, ‘killing us softly’.

- Once upon a time, a man by the name of Mark Twain wrote a story “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” using the word 'nigger’ and ‘Injun Joe’.

- Once upon a time, there were these places called book stores, where you could wander the isles and topics to pick your favorites.

The sad thing is that I could probably find at least half of the people I know never read ”The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and that their children probably never heard of Mark Twain or even seen his picture…or any of the classics.

I had to write this post because it’s dear to my heart—my manuscript (novel) is in first person POV. It’s fine to like or dislike writing styles and genres, but writers should not be too hasty to make changes to the written word. Writing allows independent thought and creativity, so to stifle this in others would be a grave mistake. 

As much as I want change to occur in life, I also want us to keep and remember values and history that taught us about life and what brought us here. Some might think it’s not a big deal that the classics are changed or aren’t read along with any other book for that matter. Some might think it’s not a big deal that book stores won’t exist—Amazon is convenient. I say it is a big deal. It’s a big deal to starve your mind. It’s a big deal that book stores won’t exist—a place where people can socially meet—to actually have contact with others. These fundamental beauties in life should continue to be cherished. Let’s not live a lifetime and find ourselves saying to younger generations, “Once upon a time…” when it isn’t in an actual book.