When I was a little infant of a writer with no idea how to submit to anyone or anything, a friend of mine suggested I head on over to the querytracker website. There I met Elana Johnson. She ripped my query into about seventenn different pieces and really made me work to turn it into something I would be proud to send to a literary agent.

The best part of what she did was this: She gave me the tools to make it awesome. She TAUGHT me how to do it on my own. She’s awesome.

Now, she’s written a book that you need to own: From the Query to The Call

This book is like a one stop shop to getting an agent, and let’s be honest–that’s exactly what most of us need.

It kind of reminds me of those “What to Expect when you’re Expecting books.” There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t really want to know in there, but you REALLY need to know it in order to make it through the next 8-10 months of your life while you’re having a baby landing an agent.

Elana is the kind of person who understands that a query has to have a real hook, and this book breaks it down in a step-by-step format to really make your query stand out in the slush pile.

The part about the call was really interesting for someone who hasn’t yet received her call. She interviewed several authors who’d been through the agent call, and basically helps you get prepared for twenty minute phone conversation that could be the launch to your entire literary career. That’s kind of a big deal, people.

I want to make it clear that I’m not suggesting you read this book because I think the author is fabulous. I want you to read this book because I think it will help you take that big next step in your writing journey.

She’s giving away books here this weekend so get to it!

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Let’s first off congratulate Natalie Whipple. She got an agent, and it couldn’t have happened to a harder working gal. Awesome Sauce Natalie, but what I really want to know is–what totems did you throw to make that happen?

If you haven’t been reading Pimp My Novel (and not just because it has that awesome throw-back font logo) then add it to your reader. Now. You need to know this stuff someday for when you’re a big published author, and their post about blogging is a must-read.

If you’re into the math of query acceptance, then you should really be reading the gatekeeper agent’s blog. Seriously, it was way helpful.

If you haven’t read the Seven Stages of Query grief over at Fire Drill–go now and laugh your ass off. (And not just because I wrote number 2, k?)

Stage 1–Disbelief

Stage 2–Denial

Stage 3–Bargaining

Stage 4–Guilt

Stage 5–Anger

Stage 6–Depression

Stage 7–Acceptance and Hope

Happy Reading!

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Frank Fiore – Novelist & Screenwriter

In days of old when authors had to do research on their novel, their research options were not only limited but geographically challenged. You either had to go to the library or actually visit the places you wrote about.

Then came along documentaries and videos that an author could find that could give him or her a better idea of location for their novel or even some background information.

Today we have the Internet.

Does that eliminate the library and the need to visit an actual location? We have at our disposal Google, MapQuest, Google Earth, Google docs, first person accounts of a place, event or situation through blogs and articles – and a gaggle of other resources available on the World Wide Web.

So which resources do you use?

Frank Fiore is a bestselling author with more than 50,000 copies of his non-fiction books in print. Frank’s writing experience also includes guest columns on social commentary and future trends published in the Arizona Republic and the Tribune papers in the metro Phoenix area. Frank has a B.A. in Liberal Arts and General Systems Theory from Stockton State College and a Masters Degree in Education at the University of Phoenix. He and his wife of 30 years have one son. They live in Paradise Valley, AZ.

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Every day, as a writer, I get up and get online and check out different things –blogs, news, email, etc…  I spend a good amount of time on the computer every day. On the days I’m lucky enough to actually write, it never fails that I visit each one of these five sites.

1) Dictionary.com

Along with this site comes thesaurus.com. A writer’s best friend. Whether I’m working on my novel, a short story, or an article, this site is invaluable to me. You’re all smart; no explanation needed, right?!

2) Webmonkey.com

This site is an HTML cheatsheet. Of course a writer wouldn’t need this for a story or novel, but every writer should have it bookmarked and use it. Why? Because every writer should have a blog. I’ve preached about platforms before, so I won’t prattle on here.
Blog owners need to know how to do links and font sizes and colors and such to make their posts more appealing to the reader’s eye. Webmonkey is only one of many sites that has a page of these cheats.

3) Flogging the Quill

This may be another one that you’re asking, ‘why?’ about. Well, it’s because Ray points out the obvious about the work people send in to him. And he’s nice about it. Other writers weigh in as well.
New posts are put up only three times a week, but blog readers visit daily. There is always something new to learn about editing, revising, and what readers want. This site helps teach us what works and what doesn’t in our own writing.

4) Twitter

Yup. That’s right. Twitter. Reason being, all of the people I follow are either writers/authors, agents, editors, or publishers. I get some great advice and tweet about what I’m up to and it lights a fire—gives me drive. Every time I used to get on Twitter, I ended up writing more than days I didn’t. So now, I visit the site daily. The “#” searches are great and I’ve solved many a problem just by chatting.

5. News site of your own choosing.

I have my own preference, but I don’t want this to get political. The news site is my homepage on my phone and I always visit it for a reality check. Get out of my own head for a bit. Writing is my world, but there is another world out there… Plus, one can gather many ideas from the news — art imitates life, right? Or is that the other way around?

Anyway, there you have it. Those are the sites I look at daily, and I think you should, as well. Are there others that you’d like to add to the list??

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Since winning her first writing competition at a young age, Eden Tyler, has only fallen more in love with the written word. She uses her English, Psychology, and Sociology backgrounds to create depth to her own stories and novels while contributing to and running websites about writing. This is what fulfills her, along with working as Co-Editor for Fuel Your Writing, but she also enjoys the freelance work that puts food on the table (and that ever-essential roof overhead) for her family.

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It’s no secret I spend hours and hours in front of my computer. There are a few blogs I don’t miss every day, and I wanted to share them with you here.

Kiersten Writes all sorts of hilarious things, but she’s first on this list for me because she got a three book deal with Harper Teen this week. So let’s all raise our mead in a manly huzzah for her! (What? You guys don’t drink mead for breakfast? It’s got protein people…)

Rhonda Stapleton is too cute for words, and her website. It’s so pleasing to my eye. It’s like the fashionista of author blogs.

And then there’s Scott Westerfeld. He’s given up electricity for good, and now uses steam to power his website. That’s enough for me to be in <3 with him, but he wrote Uglies too. Tally Youngblood–I sort of want to be her.

If you love Zombies, then you’re in good company over at the snarfalicious home of Carrie Harris. She’s also the founder of the (semi) secret order of the blog ninja. Someday I will be a member of the order. It’s only a matter of time.

I am newly enamored with Lara Zielin. She’s just a fun girl, and I can’t wait for her next novel, Promgate.

Natalie writes over at Between Fact and Fiction, and that makes her automatically cool, but she does something else–she draws! Her drawings are absolutely adorable, and I am in love with them all.

I absolutely adore Beth Revis. It’s a little evil of me, but I kind of can’t wait for school to start so she can share her hilarious stories with us again!

If there’s one girl’s story I can’t wait to see published, it’s Rebecca Sutton. She has a story so cool and fabulous that if I could convince her to write the sequel right now… I totally would.

Different people have different gifts, and Sara Tribble has the gift story telling. This girl has the COOLEST ideas for books… she is always coming up with the best stories and I had to let you guys meet her!

I’ve read Stacia Kane’s next book already. Let me just tell you that it’s beyond fabulous… and this girl is a genius.

And, of course, we can’t forget the slush princess herself–Jodi Meadows. Seriously, this girl’s story makes me freak out every time I get in the bathtub!

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This week, I was lucky enough to have editor and author, Ray Rhamey, decide if my work was worthy of a read. Was my writing up to par? Could I make him turn the page?

I allowed Ray and others to decide if I had a strong enough beginning to make them read on. The first sixteen lines of both my prologue and my first chapter were posted on his website, Flogging the Quill (FtQ), for all the (internet) world to see and judge.

Was this bravery or stupidity?
I think I was brave—for what it’s worth…
One cannot gain without first giving up something, right? In this case, and in Sarah’s (who did the same thing a few weeks ago), something great came of the risk.

I learned that while my writing is strong in and of itself (basically no grammatical errors), I could stand to improve. And I knew that. But now I know how—or at least have different suggestions on hand to work with … since I’ve learned to take all feedback with a grain of salt.

Going into this critique, I knew my first chapter wasn’t going to pass the test, but was fairly sure my prologue would. Eh, it was half and half for both, barely—sort of. Ray turned the page of my prologue. He read on in the first chapter strictly because of the prologue. But he did say my work was something he would’ve liked to have read more of… So who knows?
All I know for sure is that my doubts about my first chapter were founded, and that even though my prologue seemed great, it could use improvement. More clarification. More of a sense of the evil involved. Just more, you know?

With Ray’s phenomenal notes he sent me and what was posted on the page by both him and other writers, I already have a far better version of the prologue. But he’s so phenomenal in how he edits that he didn’t take away my voice. It’s still my work—my words, my style, my pacing, my cadence, my everything—but more. It’s more good. Yes, I did just write that. OK, so my prologue is better (is that better?).

If any of you feel like checking it out, have at it, but just know my work has already improved.
I suppose the point of this post is to make others aware (although you should already know!) of the fabulous Mr. Rhamey’s site and book and his excellent advice.
But I also want to see how you all feel about editors and others critiquing your work. We’ve had two critiques on here, so this also my way of questioning what you’ve thought of those!
Is it too risky to throw yourself to the world, where you can possibly lose yourself in the process? Can you lose your voice and your plan for the story?
Or is it an invaluable tool that everyone should take advantage of?
My vote is for the latter.
How about y’all?

{Oh, and what about a first page critique – first sixteen lines? We’ve done the first five sentences and the first 500 words plus query, if one was available—but what about the first ~230 words? (The first page of an average paperback.) Can you get readers to read on to that oh-so-important second page??}

Thoughts….

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Since winning her first writing competition at a young age, Eden Tyler, has only fallen more in love with the written word. She uses her English, Psychology, and Sociology backgrounds to create depth to her own stories and novels while contributing to and running websites about writing. This is what fulfills her, along with working as Co-Editor for Fuel Your Writing, but she also enjoys the freelance work that puts food on the table (and that ever-essential roof overhead) for her family.

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