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C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Part 2: The Pros Give Us Some Advice and What About Talking to Editors Anyway?

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Last week I started a series that featured some writer friends who have some excellent books out this year. I asked them to send me their latest book, their tagline and a short piece of advice they wanted to pass on to writers, especially those still seeking publication. Last week CHERYL RAINFIELD visited. Today I have one of my critique partners, YVONNE VENTRESCA. Waving at YV! Take it away.
Now available at AMAZON and B and N

Tagline: In Pandemic, a teenage girl struggles to survive not only a deadly influenza outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.

Advice from YV: Author Richard Bach said, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Persistence is definitely key in this business. Good writing is certainly important, but there’s something to be said for not giving up.

Thanks Great Critique Partner. 

******
And now about talking to editors.

The first time I had a chance to talk to an editor in person was at a conference, and my tongue kept sticking to the roof of my mouth. No wonder she didn’t have any encouragement for me. How could she ever work with an author who couldn’t get her ideas across.

My next encounter with an editor was much smoother. I could talk. I could tell her what my idea was and why I was presenting it to her. Hurray! I was learning. Here are some tips that I used in that second face-to-face with someone I wanted to interest in my book.
  • I planned for this meeting far in advance. I knew about the editor, what she was looking for, and I knew about her press–what they’d recently published. I was confident my book was a match for her and her company.

  • Just before the conference, I interacted with her via Twitter. She was posting about her walk on the beach (the conference was on the CA coast), so I Tweeted her that I lived nearby and knew the place she was describing. That’s all. No pitch. No hustle. 

  • I made sure to attend the social gatherings, met her and talked about her walk on the beach. Again, that was all. I kept it social, but I wanted her to know I was the one who had Tweeted her earlier. 

  • I arrived exactly on time for our fifteen minute meeting. It was easy to greet her since we’d already had two informal encounters.

  • Earlier, I’d paid careful attention to her presentation on the editors’ panel, and I used this line to start our conversation about my proposal. ” I liked what you said about realistic fiction for teens. It made me think you might be interested in my idea.”  

  • I had my tagline memorized, and I told her I would follow up with a query if she was interested in my idea. 
I admit that she didn’t buy my manuscript, but she did ask for it, and she gave me some excellent advice when she turned me down. I know it was her advice that led to my sale of that book later because it changed the book from one that wouldn’t sell, to one that might. I don’t think she would have bothered if I hadn’t laid some ground work to meet her and present my idea clearly. 

While my sale didn’t happen as I’d hoped, it did happen, and I believe it was because I’d made a connection with this editor, and she was willing to take the time to help me.

Did you like YV’s quote? Be sure to check out her book. It’s good. Any other ideas on meeting with editors/agents? Oh, and Happy Bastille Day.

The Pros Give Us Some Advice and How to Use Coincidence in Fiction

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Last month I asked a few writer friends who have some excellent books out if they’d be interested in appearing on my blog. Eight responded and sent me their latest book, their tagline and a short piece of advice they wanted to pass on. So I’ll be featuring one of these amazing writers each week.

Buy it now on AMAZON or B&N

To kick off the series is CHERYL RAINFIELD. Her newest book is STAINED, and does it sound like a must read. I really loved her cover and these words: “Sometimes YOU have to be your own hero.”

Tagline: Sarah is abducted and must find a way to rescue herself.

Her Advice: Write what you love and what you want to read. Write about things you care deeply about; your work will have more passion and readers will feel it. And read as much as you can, especially in the genre you write in.

Thanks, Cheryl. 

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About Coincidence. 

I found myself grappling with the issue of coincidence when I started writing middle grade fantasy. I’d never had to think about it before and that was because I avoided it. At least I tried. Then I found an old article by Nancy Kress and thought it might be helpful to others who also try to avoid this taboo in their plots.
Here’s what she suggested. Coincidence can be effective in 3 specific situations:
  • When it sets up a plot complication, but doesn’t resolve it.

So let’s see what that means. Let’s say your character “accidentally” bumps into her ex-whatever and finds him once again irresistible. From then on, the story can be about their reconciliation or their attempted reconciliation and failure–whatever direction you want your story to take. The chance meeting doesn’t occur at the end when you’re trying to wrap up the story and their meeting will give you a perfect ending. 

No Reality Here
  • When the story is comedy and you’re not trying to set up reality. 

I had in mind You’ve Got Mail when I read this. How coincidental could that online meeting between a small bookstore owner and the large F O X conglomerate be? And then keeping the secret was a great tension builder throughout the story. 
  • When you’re trying to make the point that life is more “mysterious and unpredictable” than people can imagine.

Ms. Kress says this is the most sophisticated use of coincidence and she uses her own short story to show how it could be done. Her character has nothing but a series of coincidences. He chokes on food, but while he’s choking his car’s struck and the force dislodges the particle in his throat. These “miracles” continue throughout the story, baffling the character and pushing the reader’s ability to suspend disbelief.  Her suggestion is to be sure the character remains REAL even while the unreal events occur. 
Hope you’ll stop by Cheryl Rainfield’s blog and say hi. Check out her book. She has lots to say in every one of them. And how about coincidence? What’s your take on using it?
I’ll leave you with this today: “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts, unguarded.” 

Guest Post by Cheryl Rainfield

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How To Make Your Writing Gripping and Powerful 
by 
Cheryl Rainfield, author of SCARS

When writing is powerful it grips readers, immerses them in the story and doesn’t let them go until the end. But how do you do that?
Here is what I think helps:

-Write about something that matters deeply to you. Be passionate about the issues. Readers will sense your passion.

-Write your own truths and emotions into the fiction. This helps to make the writing stronger, make the events more real for your readers. Readers know when you’re not being honest or you’re not going deep enough, and truth strikes a chord in the reader.

-Give your characters depth and layers. Make sure they’re not one-dimensional. When characters have depth, readers care about them more, and about what happens to those characters.

-Keep a thread of tension throughout the manuscript, ramping it up when you need to. Tension and conflict drive a story forward. Make sure that your story events all lead to the climax, otherwise it feels like a let down or a betrayal.

-Help the reader relate to your main character. Make your main character easy to identify with and empathize with (though your main character must also have flaws–people don’t want to read about a perfect character, though they also don’t usually want to read about a character who doesn’t want to redeem themselves in some way).

-Draw on your own emotions to write. Don’t hide from it. Emotions make a story feel more true, and are something readers can relate to, regardless of whether they’ve had that specific experience or not.

-Use specifics when you write. Bring in details (but not too many–make sure you sprinkle them throughout the action and dialogue so they don’t stop the story flow). Specific details also help make the story world and events more real.

-Use all the senses–smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight, to help the reader really be in your character and world.

And of course, get feedback on your writing. A good critique group is highly worthwhile.

Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing this with everyone. Here’s Cheryl’s Blog, so be sure to drop by and say hi.