8 easy steps to overcome the fear of query writing

 A friend asked me for help writing a query to a literary agent for her manuscript. And I froze. How could I, who have blogged so many times about query letters, explain I, personally, was months late replying to an agent who had requested pages from me? The reason seemed so silly. I dreaded writing the covering query letter. 

I do know something about query writing, if only from listening year after year to the Query Gong Show at the Dallas-area DFW Writing Conference. This gong show is the chance for literary agents to comment on--and "gong out" anonymous queries from conference attendees. (See this blog's October 8, 2024, post: "DFWCon word limit cautions -- plus, the Gong Show" for samples of agent peeves.)

Between that and workshops whose main topic seemed to be dissing silly writers who dare waste agents' time with their horrible queries, I'm tempted to coin a new abbreviation: FOQ--fear of querying.

Still, my friend needed help. And fortunately, there was a higher power to call on. It's one of my favorite resources, "Eight Ways to Boost Your Query Letter," by book editor for the late, lamented #RevPit contests, Elizabeth Buege. 

Read the whole thing. Really. It's only a few pages, although for the impatient, here's my summary of Buege's eight essentials:

1. Prove you have a compelling premise. She offers a number of suggestions, but for my money, the best is ". . . think about why you find this story special and why it's near and dear to your heart as a writer."
2. Show how genre expectations are met. If I didn't mention it in my October 8, 2024, post, more than once agents said "the query says the genre is X, but not why it's X. And it doesn't sound like X from the information in the query."
3. Let your character's personality shine through. By this, Buege doesn't mean writing the letter in first person. That's a big no-no, basically because it confuses the agent about whether they're hearing the character's actual words or the writer's. Instead, Buege suggests writers ask what the POV character would see as their goals and obstacles, and the kind of language they would use to describe the main conflict.

4. 

   Image from Pixabay

   Address multiple main characters in terms of their shared story. Assuming the story has multiple POV characters, Buege suggests giving each (preferably not more than two) MCs a paragraph for their context, goals and states, and using the following paragraphs to show how tensions rise in the central conflict their both part of.
5. Don't spend too much time on setup. This is another issue that arises more than once in query Gong Shows. Buege's remedy: concentrate on the conflict and goals the character(s) face for the bulk of the story, giving the setup--no matter how fascinating--only a brief mention. I'll add that limiting the setup will help keep the query's length to a single-ish page. Think in the neighborhood of 300 words.
   
6. Identify the inciting incident. This is the moment that rips the main character from their normal life--that "setup--to the conflict that takes them through the rest of the story. And don't wait too long for it--generally, it should happen in the story's first act.
7. Save those plot details for the synopsis. How many times during Gong Shows did agents say about queries, "this sounds like a synopsis"? Way too many! And it's a primary reason for another agent peeve, that the query letter is way too long! Among Buege's suggestions is writing the synopsis (plot summary) first, making it easier to identify the key elements for the query letter. (And no, don't tell the ending in the query. Save that for the synopsis if requested.)
8. Avoid leaving key information too vague. Sure, we writers hate spoilers but still need to explain what the states are and what inciting incident creates the situation. From Buege: ". . . be honest and direct about the inciting incident, main goal of the MC, and stakes."

After looking again at Buege's post, I'm struck once more with fear that I may have overlooked something(s) essential as I finally hit "send" on my query. to which Buege adds these consoling words: ". . .put on a revision mindset for this process. It might take multiple drafts. . . and that's OK."

***

Well, that's longer than my usual posts. But who spotted what got left out? What else we dread--maybe dread most about query letters? Dare I say, comparison titles? But while I spent several months last year not blogging, I was still busy listening and learning, including more suggestions about those dreaded comps. 

And the writing of the possibly still more dreaded synopsis. Stay tuned.

From manuscript to published book: Part 2

 How to keep an agent happy by doing her job for her -- The Query Toolbox Homework

As discussed in Part 1 of From manuscript to published book, the first step to traditional publication (after writing an amazing manuscript!) is to find an agent looking for that type of story. No matter our compelling our romantic comedy is, it's unlikely to catch the eye of an agent who's only interested in books about gardening. But how do we find agents who love rom-coms, or whatever else our heart is into?

Luckily, agents are more than happy to tell us where their hearts lie -- on their (or their agency's) websites, at sites such as Manuscript Wish List, MSWishlist, Twitter #MSWL, Query Manager, and Agent Query. I'll add, also check the acknowledgement section of books we love. The writers will often use it to thank their agents and editors. And don't overlook other social media sites -- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. -- that are more frequently updated. And follow, follow, follow to get those updates.

To see what agents are selling to publishers right now, check out Publishers Marketplace, which is available by monthly subscription. (Agent Amy Collins suggested signing for a subscription, researching it like mad, and dropping it once we've picked all the fruit it has to offer. Not that she admits saying that!) There's also a shorter, totally free version, Publishers Lunch.

Now with our manuscript and a list of potentially interested agents, we're ready to do the hard work of assessing a book's market viability. This is the topic the agent will use to pique the interest of the person at the next level to publication -- a publishing house's acquisitions editor. For this, I'm using copyright-free material Amy Collins provided for attendees at her DFW Con workshop -- The Query Toolbox Homework.

Market viability has three components, all of which should be included in our queries to agents:

• Comp titles
• Readership
• Unique selling points

Our homework, Collins said, begins with a starter list of 12 comparable authors. Who writes the books we love to read, in our genre or a related one? And how much do other readers love them?

Her starting point is the free weekly bestseller list from USA Today. It's a list of sales searchable by genre and date of sale. (Please note, at this time the list is on hiatus, with most recent sales only listed as of December 1, 2022. I'll keep checking for updates.)

Another of Collins recommendations for author listings is What Should I Read Next. This is a subscription service, free for the first five days, and $39.95 a month thereafter. Again, as for Publishers Marketplace, consider researching the heck out of it during free, or initial subscription period.

Goodreads also lists books by authors we follow, and books similar to those we've read recently. Access to these requires a Goodreads account, but it's a free service.

Not mentioned by Collins, but also useful is Novelist, a searchable service free with many public library accounts. Check with your local library if you can't find it in your account. Or if you need to set up an account! 

We've got authors but what about those comparable titles?

Image by Davie Bicker from Pixabay

Having now compiled a list of 12 comparable authors -- who we're following, right? -- we only need to find three comp titles from their writings to titillate the agents we've chosen to query.

What exactly makes a previously published book "comparable" to our manuscript? How "comparable" does it have to be? According to Collins, the three comp titles should be similar in either voice, setting, or POV. No single comp title needs to be similar in all three. 

And they don't need to be similar in plot because, "who wants to read the same plot?" Collins asked.

However, comp titles must be books which have sold well in their categories recently. Collins recommended searching Amazon for titles from our authors that possess at least one of the necessary similarities to ours. If we're unsure of the genre of those titles (authors may write in more than one), Amazon also helpfully lists those in its sidebars. 

Now things get harder. Collins recommends only using as comp titles books that have garnered at least 5,000 reader reviews. This goes to the "readership" component of market viability. Books by best-selling authors are musts as comp titles for our own manuscript -- one of the reasons she recommended looking at best-seller lists.

On the other hand, those best-selling authors can't be too familiar. Not iconic, in Collins' words. Who's a best-selling author but not iconic? Collins' suggestion was to think Ken Follett as best-selling but not iconic. Lee Child, however, is iconic. My suggestion is, if the author is someone who's name you see on your grocery store's paperback rack, they're probably iconic.

Collins also turned thumbs-down to books made into movies or TV series. If it's just optioned but not yet released, she's still OK with using it as a possible comp. She's also OK with using the latest book in a series, provided it meets all the other criteria mentioned. Be warned, these are Amy Collins' recommendations. Other agents may differ. Again, check what your dream agents are saying.

And -- these 5,000+ reviewed comp titles should have been published within the past 18 months, tops, Collins said.

At this point, an audience member asked, what if your comparable author publishes a book no more frequently than every two years. Or so. What if your comparable author is, say, Jonatha Franzen? (OK, Collins said. For Franzen, two years. But don't push it any further!)

Now, looking back on the first two components of market viability -- comp titles and readership -- we can work that information into a query to an agent who we know from our research has shown interest in our genre. Examples include, "because I love your recently sold (comp title), I believe you'll love (my title)." Or "(My title) is great for people who just finished (comp title)." Note that reference to the agent's own sales can add extra credit. 

Having covered two of three tests for market viability, what's left is the selling point unique to our book. Think of what the twist would be. Collins noted that loglines are not the same as comp titles, but they can be helpful guides for capturing why our book is similar but different.

Is it "Pride and Prejudice" but in outer space? Or "Romeo and Juliet" but in the Old West? "The Three Musketeers" in modern warfare? (Caution -- all these titles are way too old to be actual comps!)

So, writers, there's the query toolbox -- comparable authors, comparable titles with extensive readership, plus our own secret sauce. 

Please note: this isn't the entire query. We also need to introduce ourselves to the agent, explain why we think they're a good fit to represent our book, give a brief overview of the plot (but not the end, unless the agent asks for it), and told the agent why we're the person to write this book. But we have done the hardest part -- next to writing the manuscript in the first place.

And for still more information about writing and publishing, note that the DFW Writers Conference 
returns this year, October 7-8. See the site for early-bird registration.

***

Next up: Tales from the North Texas Teen Book Festival

Surviving DFWCon's 2022 Query Gong Show

Image by Hans from Pixabay

 The DFW Writers Conference was back in person this weekend for the first time since 2019, with a brand-new Query Gong Show. For those new to this site, the Query Gong Show is a riff on the 1970's TV talent show in which contestants performed until judges stopped them by striking gongs. DFWCon's version is less brutal but still not for the fainthearted.

Here are the rules: writers submit their literary queries anonymously to a panel of literary experts who strike table-top gongs to signal the point at which they would stop reading if receiving these queries in their own emails. Writers can get gonged once, twice, without stopping the reading (by DFW's mellifluously voiced George Goldthwaite). But three strikes and they're out!

When DFWCon debuted its Gong Show years ago, no query survived gonging. But over the years, first one query, then more, passed the test.

This year four -- FOUR! -- of the ten entries made it to the finish with no more than one, two, even in a couple of instances, no gongs whatever from the panel comprised of Cate Hart (Harvey Klinger Agency), Terrie Wolf (AKA Literary Management), Sue Arroyo (ComCat Publishing), Amy Collins (Talcott Notch Literary Services), Kevin O'Connor (O'Connor Literary Agency), and Naomi Eisenbeiss (Inkwell Management).

Have writers learned from the results of previous Gong Shows? Or, as some viewers suggested, is it simply that there's more information online -- and at conferences such as DFW's -- about how to fashion their queries?

To help writers survive query ordeals, here's a rundown of panelists' suggestions:

• Don't be generic. As Wolf, Collins, and Arroyo mentioned at different point, don't use phrases that suggest recent Netflix shows. And Hart gonged for an entry with a stereotypical logline. Don't use cliches -- be specific.
• Exercise sensitivity. Collins gonged two queries for ethnic stereotypes and problematic racial language. Wolf gonged a children's book for its treatment of disability. (That book did escape a dreaded third gong).
• Don't do a gross-out. Although panelists sometimes admitted their lack of familiarity with the genre of a query, a reference to "rotting flesh" stopped O'Connor as it probably would have stopped even agents who were die-hard horror fans.
• Be upfront about your book's genre, theme, and wordcount. Panelists were instructed not to gong simply because they didn't represent a specific genre. But in real life, be sure those match the requirements listed on the website of the agent you're querying.
• Make sure those genres and wordcounts match literary norms. Both Eisenbeiss and Arroyo noted that the wordcount for one entry felt too light for the amount of worldbuilding its genre required.
• Write just enough, but don't forget the important stuff. Multiple agents confessed themselves lost in queries that were overly long and complicated, but in some cases didn't tell them what was actually at stake in the story. Will the world end in ice, fire, or the dreaded meh?
• Don't chase trends. More than one agent also reported receiving queries that involve viruses. (Wonder where that idea came from?)
• Finally, for those writing fiction, finish the book before querying. A query stating that only one chapter had been completed received the dreaded three gongs simultaneously.

That's all for now. But there will be more highlights about the DFWCon in future posts, including -- how to write a query!

This way to crowds of summer literary confabs!

 (Updated 9:08 a.m. June 9 to include information about writing workshops at FenCon and ArmadilloCon.)

Is it summer already? Unseasonably boggy weather has kept temperatures in North Texas at far from balmy levels. And those crowds of kids I’d expect to see? Time lost to the pandemic as well as last winter’s one-two punch of killer cold and equally deadly power outages has extended the school year weeks longer than usual.

At least, we have plenty of literary conferences to look forward to, in a mix of in-person, virtual, even hybrid venues. I’ll concentrate on those with a Texas twist. But in a virtual world, around the country – or the world – can be as close as our hometowns, starting with:

June 10-12: REH Days

Image: wikimedia commons

celebrates the life and works of Conan creator (and Texas native) Robert E. Howard in his hometown of Cross Plains, Texas. Of course, it’s in person – we’re all barbarians! – but feel free to mask up. (Maybe with one of the stylish Conan versions available online?) Free, as always. The only paid event is the annual banquet which is already sold out. Access to Howard’s home and museum, the Cross Plains library’s collection of original typescripts and memorabilia, readings, and more. Cross Plains is approximately a three-hour drive from Dallas. Lodging is available at nearby towns, including Brownwood, site of REH’s grave. See the REH Days site for full list of events.

June 11-13: Houston Writers Guild’s annual conference goes virtual. Saturday speakers include Dallas-own Arianne “Tex” Thompson Agent/editor panel, agent pitch sessions, plus sessions on marketing, networking, genre writing and blending, memoir writing and more. Early bird registration (ends June 11), $30 plus processing fee. Editor/agent pitch sessions (which still appear to be available) are $25 each. See the site for details and registration.

June 21-27: Historical Novel Society North America’s annual conference will be virtual. This year’s guest of honor is Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), with special presenters Libbie Hawker and Jane Friedman, master classes, panels, and more. Unfortunately, it’s too late to register for agent pitches. Registration: $259 for HNS members, $289 for nonmembers. See the site for complete schedule.

June 28-July 1: Thrillerfest XVI stays virtual. Options include master classes ($399) consulting ($75) and pitching ($50 sessions), and more. There’s also a free “Best First Sentence Contest,” open to registrants. Deadline for registration by mail as well as entries for the Best First Sentence Contest is June 15.

July 22-24: When the conference goes virtual, location is not a problem. So, although the Writer’s Digest reports itself to be sad not to see participants in person, it’s eager to proclaim a virtual conference. Pre-conference workshops July 22 ($199 each), and a choice of fiction or publishing business tracks for the main conference July 23-24 ($199 each). See the site for add-ons, including recordings.

August 25-29:  BoucherCon, the world mystery conference, plans to meet in-person in New Orleans, with guest of honor Michael Connelly. Registration is $195, fully refundable if an in-person meeting in deemed to be not available. See the site for tentative schedule and list of special guests.

***

How many literary conferences have pushed their normal summer dates back in order to proceed in-person? Lots! Including the Writers League of Texas in Austin, Texas, now scheduled for September 17-19.

Those are also the dates for the Dallas-area science fiction/fantasy convention FenCon. A Facebook message stated that due to limited staff, FenCon will not have an organized writing workshop this year. The convention is considering what it terms "workshop-style panels" for 2021 with a return to the formal workshop in 2022. 

The hands-on event, Writers in the Field returns in person October 9-10, to Mansfield, Texas. Registration opens in June, with more information to come.

The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference plans a hybrid conference – part in-person, part by Zoom – October 15-16. The site says plans are still being made but assures that the traditional writing contests and networking opportunities will be part of its lineup.

The Austin, Texas, science fiction/fantasy convention ArmadilloCon is delaying its return until October 15-17. At this point, information only appears to be available at the convention’s Facebook page. A Facebook message stated that ArmadilloCon will have an in-person writing workshop October 15, with format similar to previous years. More information will be available when the website is updated.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference follows on October 23-24, in Hurst, Texas. Early registration (through October 10) is $379 for both days. Saturday only registration, which includes the keynote address, is $289; Sunday registration, which includes the Query Gong game show) is $239. I’ll update as more information is available.

***

Still to come: The Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference will be held virtually in November. Check the site for details.

Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Convention, is moving its 2021 dates to December 15-19, with provisions for a virtual conference if necessary.

The World Fantasy Convention is still monitoring the pandemic situation but hopes to have an in-person event in Montreal this year, apparently sometime in late fall.

As always, I’ll update this blog as new information arrives.

Writers conferences show the love, virtual or not

Will writers let a pandemic stand in their way? No way! Although many 2021 literary conferences are still treading water, sometimes pushing their events late into fall to allow in-person attendance, others brave the virtual waters. I’m presenting a selection of these – with emphasis on my own North Texas area – as well as tantalizing bits from further afield. Because, in the virtual world there are no boundaries. All times are in Central Time unless otherwise noted.

Now – March 13: The San Miguel Writers’ Conference continues a virtual season on Zoom. Still to come – Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series) February 13 at 6 p.m., Simon Winchester (The Professor and the Madman) March 7 at 6 p.m., and Jorge F. Hernandez and Margo Glantz on the Mexican tradition in literature March 13 at 6 p.m., more. Monthly passes $125, individual events generally $25. See the site for details and to register.

February 25: The Highland Park Literary Festival presents New York Times bestseller and multiple award-winning author Téa Obreht as keynote speaker at 7p.m. The event is free and open to the public but viewers must register. Obreht became the youngest recipient of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 for her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife. In 2019, Barack Obama named her second novel, Inland, as one of his favorite books of the year, unfolding in the drought-ridden Arizona Territory in 1893 and recreating the myth of the American West. To buy Obreht’s books and help support the HP LitFest, please visit the Interabang Books LitFest page.

March 5-6: North Texas Teen Book Festival 2021 now coming to you on YouTube! More details to come, but at this point, more than 80 middle grade and young adult authors, graphic novelists and YouTube celebrities are scheduled to appear. These include John Green (Fault in Our Stars), Taina Telgemeier (Guts), Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine series) and of course, more! Keynote speakers include Chelsea Clinton and Newbery Medal winner Katherine Applegate. Free. I’ll post more as information becomes available.

Image: Pixabay

June 21-27: Historical Novel Society North America’s 2021 conference will be virtual. Early-bird registration opens February 15-March, at $219 for HNS members, $249 for nonmembers. This year’s guest of honor is Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and more), with special presenters Libbie Hawker and Jane Friedman and master classes with Hawker, Friedman, Alma Katsu, Gillian Bagwell, Melissa Danaczko and Cate Harte.

June 28-July 10:  Thrillerfest XVI. Registration for this virtual conference is open although the website is still a little wonky. Options include master class ($399), consulting ($75) and pitching ($50) sessions and more, including a free “Best First Sentence Contest.” Deadline for registration by mail as well as entries for the Best First Sentence Contest is June 15. 

***

Meanwhile, some conferences normally scheduled for early summer have pushed their dates into late summer and fall in hopes of once again operating in-person. These include the DFW Writers Workshop Conference and the Writers’ League of Texas conference.

August 25-29:  Bouchercon, the world mystery conference, plans to hold its 2021 conference in-person in New Orleans. Registration is $195, with hotel registrations also available. See the site for schedules and guests of honor.

September 17-19: The Writers’ League of Texas conference in Austin is now scheduled for September 17-19. I will update as more information becomes available.

September 17-19: These are also the dates of FenCon, the Dallas-area science fiction/fantasy convention. More information to come.

October: The DFW Writers Workshop conference, as I learned at a recent meeting for members, is scheduled, probably for mid-October, although the conference website still shows the June 2021 dates originally posted with the 2020 conference was cancelled. Again, more information to come.

What’s still up in the air? Writefest in Houston, normally a week-long, late spring event, hopes to go in-person in the fall, but no dates are available as of this posting.

I don’t have any information about the fate of WORDfest, usually held in March. In 2020, this big-tent 'all-you-can-meet' literary event brought over 20 North Texas writers’ organizations and more than 300 writers together virtually last August. Still waiting to see if it will happen again.

Writing while marooned on a desert island

It seems as if the pandemic quarantines have marooned each of us on our tiny islands, far from shore and friends. But writers are luckier than most—we can write anywhere! Give us a computer, paper and pencil, a stretch of sand and a stick, and we’re good. But we’d be even better if we could share that writing with others, get some recognition, maybe even cash. (Hey, coconuts aren’t free!) 

And though I’m picking my way carefully through the Texas-centric coconuts that have dropped, cancelled by COV-19, there’s still a lot of online fruit, conventions, contests, even parties, to keep us busy through the summer. 

Conferences. I’m treading warily here. Some favorites, including the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, have already been cancelled, but others are still open—or have gone online:

May 2-3: The Austin SCBWI 2020 Writers &Illustrators conference on children’s books goes online with breakout sessions for writing, professional development and illustrations, critiques, pitches and more. Nonmember prices from $110-$200. See the site for details.

Julius Silver from Pixabay

June 26-28: 2020 Agents & Editors Conference of the Writers League of Texas is still up and running, at the Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs, in downtown Austin, Texas. Panels and workshops, networking, plus one-on-one conferences with agents for writers with finished manuscripts. Registration: $529 nonmembers, $469 members. See the site for details.

August 7-9: ArmadilloCon may be the best little conference for writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. At the Omni Southpark Austin. Its writers’ workshop covers a wide range of topics, with small group, instructor-led breakout sessions to exchange critiques. Workshop participants must present a writing sample of speculative fiction. Cost is $95, which includes membership for the entire conference. The due date for submissions is still to be determined as of this writing, but from past experience will probably be mid-June. Write like the wind!

Contests:

May 4 – June 13: DL Hammons’ WRiTE CLUB runs on schedule, despite the cancellation of its sponsoring DFWCon conference. As one of this year’s slushpile readers, I’m scrambling to submit my top 30 picks from the scores submitted by this year’s contestants before the bouts begin in this readers’ choice contest. Writers are pitted anonymously each week, hoping for enough votes from readers to advance to the next week’s round. Leave a brief critique for the contestants and you, too, may be eligible for prizes.

May 4: Early bird deadline for the annual writing competition of Writer’s Digest. The competition's nine categories offers chances for cash prizes, interviews and a paid trip to the Digest’s 2021 conference in New York City. Early bird entry fees: $15 per poetry entry, $25 per manuscript entry. See the site for details.

May 15: Dallas-based Carve Magazine’s annual Raymond Carver Short Story Contest offers chances for publication across five writing formats. Cash prizes and publication of prizewinners in the magazine’s October issue. Up to 10,000 words. Entry fee: $17 (online), $15 by mail. See the site for details.

May 31: The Masters Review Flash Fiction offers a $3,000 cash prize for the best story under 1,000 words, plus additional cash prizes for second and third-place winners. Prolific author Sherrie Flick will select the finalists. Entry fee is $20 (allows for two story entries), and all stories are considered for publication. See the site for details and submission portal.

June 4: #PitMad is the Twitter party where writers tweet a pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts to agents and editors. 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. EDT. Free. See the site for details. 

July 31: The theme of the 2020 Ageless Authors contest is “Coping with Crisis.” Cash prizes available in categories of creative nonfiction (essay), short story, and poetry. But take care—writers must be at least 50 years old to qualify! Entry fee is $20 per prose or poetry entry. See the site for details and submission guidelines.

July 31: Christopher Fielden’s to Hull & Back contest for any style of fiction—with humor! (This item from Ralan.com caught my eye after I read some of the amazing humor submissions from the WRiTE CLUB slushpile.) See Ralan’s contest page for details, entry fees and prizes.

Hold ‘em or fold ‘em – genre tropes, genre bending, or both?

Update: The Twitter party for WRiTE CLUB originally scheduled for April 2 has been moved to April 9. Keep writing!

Next up from North Texas WORDfest’s online edition: authors Michelle Stimpson and Amber Helt on how to meet – or bend – the tropes of genre writing. First, however, a word of thanks for all who signed up to be slushpile readers (aka judges) for the 2020 version of DL Hammons readers’ choice contest, WRiTE CLUB. The contest is now accepting submissions from contestants! See DL’s site for details. But hurry – entries are due by April 19!

***

“The human experience is the same all over the globe,” author Michelle Stimpson told the audience for her virtual WORDfest workshop, Don’t Reinvent the Wheel. No matter where we are, when we are, our brains like patterns, Stimpson said. “What do our readers’ brains already like that we can capitalize on?”

Michelle Stimpson

To illustrate her words, she listed such common story themes as:

• Overcoming the monster
• Rags to riches
• The quest
• The voyage and return
• Comedy
• Tragedy
• Rebirth

Writers, she cautioned, must be aware of which trope we’re writing in and what expectations it triggers in the minds of readers. “When you start writing with one of these tropes in mind, you can’t end up in a completely different one” whether causing reader confusion – not to mention rebellion.

Although this is far from meaning that authors should write same old, same old. She’s a “planner” not a “pantser” (in writing jargon) to avoid that trap. “The more books you write the more you need to plan or it’s all going to end up sounding like the same book.”

Neither should the use of archetypes be an excuse for turning characters into one-dimensional figures. (For help determining what character archetypes are, I found Reedsy’s post (https://blog.reedsy.com/12-common-character-archetypes-every-writer-should-already-know/) helpful.

For help with story structure, Stimpson suggested:

• Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder
• Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass
• Jami Gold’s multiple beat sheets (available at https://jamigold.com)

Stimpson also suggests studying other books, chapter by chapter. “You can veer from the recipe once you know what the recipe is. Have a good reason for breaking the rule!”

***

Speaking of breaking the rules, here’s Amber Helt’s take from WORDfest on Genre Bending.

When readers see a story they recognize as belonging to a particular genre – that is, a particular subset of fiction with archetypes, tropes and themes that define it, readers have particular expectations.

“When you go against those expectations you make readers pause,” Helt said. “This doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to expectations,” only that authors must persuade readers to accept them. And they can be willing to do this because, even though “we recognize the patterns, what we want in a book is to be surprised.”

It’s that element of surprise that Helt believes is driving a thirst for stories that span multiple genres.

Although stories written primarily in a single genre often have elements of another, such as a quest fantasy with romance elements, to be truly cross-genre, “there must be two different genres such that if one was removed, you’d have a completely different story.”

And if we think this is unheard of, consider such modern stories as Outlander (romance or historical?), Girl on the Train (thriller or mystery?).

Helt proposed two major ways to subvert reader expectations in pleasurable ways – changes in either substance or style.

Substance subversions include putting archetype characters in new roles or positions, perhaps turning a warrior figure into a mentor. Another way to subvert expectations agreeably is to tease readers’ expectations of structure. Perhaps, as in Outlander, a romance doesn’t end up “happily ever after,” while still supplying enough emotional steaminess to satisfy readers of the genre.

Subversion can also occur through variation of the elements of writing style – “the way we structure prose,” Helt said. “How you present it on the page can influence the story.”

Common elements of writing style include dialogue, description, lengthiness, and energy. Again, citing Outlander, a romance that is typically expected to be a fairly short narrative can blossom into doorstopper size. Dialogue in a mystery expected to be stoic can turn expressive instead. Descriptions expected to be concise can become detailed.

Admittedly, changes in style elements alone “are not enough to make (a story) cross-genre,” Helt said, can still afford readers the delight of surprise.

***

Still to come, the return of Shayla Raquel for a discussion of book launches and William Ledbetter’s discussion of writing and marketing short fiction. Also, since I’ll be returning for a second year as slushpile reader for DL Hammons’ WRiTE CLUB, I’ll offer hints from last year about what caught my interest from submissions to that contest. Again that deadline is coming up fast -- April 19.

WORDfest’s virtual incarnation + WRiTE CLUB mayday

I remain awed by human ingenuity in the face of disaster. Scarcely had last weekend’s North Texas 2020 WORDfest been cancelled by quarantines to combat the COV-19 pandemic than its organizers put up an online version so amazing – with multiple days of workshops, games and word sprints -- that I’d root for it to be an ongoing phenomenon. 

True, participants weren’t able to gorge on freebie candy from authors and vendors, but we could sign in, not just from North Texas but from anywhere in the world through Zoom and multiple social media outlets. And though nothing quite beats being shoulder to shoulder with fellow writers, not to mention being sneezed on by them or having to line up for restroom stalls, may I plead with next year’s organizers to consider hosting a virtual WORDfest alongside the in-person one?

Shayla Raquel

Whether virtual or in-person, there’s always too more than one person can take in, so I’ll only provide snippets of a few workshops. Please excuse the even less than usually perfect pictures – they’re screenshots of often in motion presentations, beginning with Character Sketches: Know Your Protagonist Inside & Out, by writer/editor/marketer Shayla Raquel.

To the writer’s version of the chicken vs. egg conundrum – character vs. story – Raquel’s answer is both. “I’m going to talk about your story because characters drive story. . . a character sketch is an outline that asks and answers questions about your novel’s character.”

Admitting not everybody does this, she feels it’s important even for pantser writers “to know how your character will behave and react in any situation.” 

She breaks character sketches into The Basics (name, gender, age, nationality/ethnicity, religion); Backstory (including family); Physical Characteristics (height, build, hair/eye color); Distinguishing Physical Characteristics (mannerisms, habits, physical flaws such as scars and tattoos); and Emotional Characteristics (personality type, using Myers-Briggs or similar tests).

For physical characteristics, Raquel is a fan of online images, admitting having built entire Pinterest boards of characters’ features. For help with emotional characteristics, she suggests the personality types listed at truity.com. Writers in search of interesting characters can browse lists of famous people who shared aspects of particular personality types. Think your character might be an-2 INFP (introspective, intuitive, feeling, prospecting) type? Consider famous INFP’s most likely Princess Diana, Fred Rogers and William Shakepeare!

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And then there’s writer/organizer supreme Tex Thompson. Take a look at this shot of her leaning into the screen, characteristic red cowboy hat on head, and you know for sure she’s no introvert! Besides moderating the chat and doing dog know what else, she went online with A Query Home Companion to discuss the oft-dreaded topic of literary query letters (and why it’s never too early to think about them). 

Tex Thompson 

Tex organized query elements into: openings (1-2 sentences); hook (or as Tex noted helpfully, the “movie trailer” and story overview, 8-20 sentences); book data (title, word count, genre and comp titles – 1-2 sentences); relevant author qualifications (1-2 sentences) “what makes me uniquely qualified to write this”); and closing (thanks for consideration, etc., 1-2 sentences).

On comp (comparative) titles, “Show you know what’s happening in your genre,” Tex said. Don’t list more than two titles, at least one of which should be a book, published within the last five years. (Hint: unsure what titles to compare to? Ask your beta readers!)

On the question of relevant author qualifications, Tex’s litmus test was to ask, “does this make me uniquely qualified to write this?” Things that are relevant include membership in professional organizations and even a local writing group, “which shows that a person is serious.” (Hint: be sure the group’s online site will make it – and you – look good for being a member.) But if writers feel they truly have nothing, Tex assured, “It’s OK to skip this part. It’s better to go too little than too much.” 

Things she urged us not to include: bio fluff (kids, pets, hometown); value judgements (“groundbreaking,” “thrilling,” etc.); your mailing address or phone number (it’s email, remember); the agent’s mailing address or phone number; and any unnecessary white space. Don’t make the agent scroll any more than she has to.

Tex’s six-point guide to the body of the query – the story overview was: 

·       Status quo (ordinary world)

·       Disruption (inciting incident)

·       1^st big choice/solution

·       Consequences/fallout

·       2^nd big choice/solution

·       Stakes/ “or else” (But don’t give away the ending!)

Keeping these elements in mind, Tex said, will also help when the time comes to write back cover blurbs. In fact, she recommends writing (but not send) queries even before the book is completed, to be sure the story is meeting all the needed elements. “It’s never too early to encapsulate the story!”

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Still to come from WORDfest, genre bending with Amber Helt, and conversely, not reinventing the wheel with Michelle Stimpson, the best ever book launch, again with Shayla Raquel, and how to write and market short fiction with Nebula award-winning author William Ledbetter. 

But first a plea. For all writers and readers who love DL Hammons’ annual WRiTE CLUB contest, now is the time to come to its aid. Hammons had planned to announce the contest Monday, only to find that he lacked the necessary slushpile readers to make it happen. WRiTE CLUB needs 15 readers to winnow the offerings from the writers who sent nearly 200 submissions last year. As of this writing, he only had 10.

After entering as a writer for a few years, I signed up to read last year. Yes, it’s time consuming – each submission is a 500-word excerpt – but worth it. The reads were fascinating and I made numerous virtual, sometimes real-world friends from the experience. Contact his site and let him know you want WRiTE CLUB to continue!

Grab bag of goodies for Texas writers

My (multiple) inboxes are overflowing with more goodies than I can categorize, so I’ll toss them out for whoever can use them. 

Contests:

February 1: Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest, 8,000 word maximum, set in the near future (no more than 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. Free, but limited to one entry per contestant. See the site for details. And hurry – submissions must be received no later than 12:01 a.m. February 1, U.S. Pacific time! (If you’re unsure what that translates to in your part of the world, check out this time conversion site.)

February 2: The Masters Review announced that all of its contests in 2020 will end on Sundays, starting with its Winter Short Story Award for New Writers, closing February 2. (This is an updated submission date, but I can’t find an exact time for this one.) Entry fee: $20. First, second, and third-place winners receive cash prizes, publication, and agency review.

February 3: On a personal note, my query + first 5 pages is among those editors will be tweeting about in Revise & Resub’s #10Queries posts on Twitter. Thankfully, all participating writers will be granted anonymity!

image: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Whew! Now get started on your submissions for D.L. Hammons WRiTE CLUB readers’ choice contest. Although Hammons is currently busy revising a novel for his agent (and writing a sequel) he promised at the recent group critique meeting we attended to hold the annual WRiTE CLUB contest in 2020, with celebrity judges to be announced on his site March 23. 

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Literary events:

March 7: African American Book Expo + Mixer-Dallas, Grace Banquet Hall, 7111 Marvin D. Love Freeway, in Dallas. Noon – 10:30 p.m. See Eventbrite site for tickets and details.

Not yet on the FenCon website but workshop organizer says I’m free to spread the word that the Dallas-area sci-fi/fantasy convention’s September 18-20, 2020 workshop instructor will be author Kevin Ikenberry. Keep an eye on the FenCon site (and this one!) for specifics.

Also up – registration is now open for the North Texas WORDfest’s March 21 “all-you-can-meet” festival of creative connection. Free is always an option – registrants get all the activities plus a map. But WORDfest now offers $10 premium and $35 ultra-deluxe options. These include raffle tickets, discount codes for other Dallas-Fort Worth-area writers events, goodies from the treat counter, and more. Whichever way you decide to go, you can feel good about making this event even better!

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What else have I left out? Drop me a comment, and I’ll consider updating. Still to come, I haven’t forgotten about all those class/workshop events I promised earlier this month. (Where has the year gone?) 

Fall into a new season of lit events & contests

No sooner had I posted about new fall literary events in Texas than still more information hit my inbox. Here’s a quick catch-up, then on to writing contests!

October 4-5: Registration is now open for the Roanoke Writers’ Conference, Roanoke Public Library, 308 South Walnut St., in Roanoke, Texas. Events start at 3 p.m. Friday, October 4, with a writing intensive led by author/instructor Tex Thompson, followed by dinner with keynote speaker Sanderia Faye. Saturday features a full day of panels, workshops and classes. And yes – there is a flash fiction writing contest (1,000-word limit). No entry fee, but contestants must be registered for the conference. Tickets $55-$35 for adults (ages 18 and up), $40-$20 for teens (ages 13-17). See the site, but more details still to come.

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Note: The following three items are “how to get published” workshops run by Writing Day Workshops, managed by former Writer's Digest editor Chuck Sambuchino. All follow a similar format of classes with on-site agents. Price for each is $169, with add-ons for pitches to agents, and query/manuscript critiques. See the individual sites for details. I have not attended these, but plan to register for the Dallas workshop – and bring back info!

October 26: Writers Conference of Dallas, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton DFW Airport North, 4441 John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas.

November 15: Writing Workshop of Austin, Sheraton Austin at the Capitol, 701 E. 11^th St., Austin.

November 16: Houston Writing Workshop, Westin Houston Downtown, 1520 Texas St., Houston.

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And on to the fall lineup of writing contests!

image: Pixabay

Now – September 16: Writer’s Digest’s Popular Fiction Awards for short fiction in popular genres. Also on WD’s list of current contests are its Self-Published Ebook Awards (through September 23) and Short Short Story Competition (through November 15). See the site for details, including entry fees and prizes.

Now – September 30: L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest offers cash prizes for new writers of science fiction and fantasy. No entry fee and entrants retain all publication rights. Repeats quarterly. See the site for details. 

Now – September 30: Flash 500’s Flash Fiction Competition (up to 500 words). Cash prizes. Entry fee £5/€6.50 for one story, £8/€10 for two stories. Repeats quarterly. Also check the site for Flash 500’s Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition (annual, closes October 31); and Short Story Competition (annual) for stories between 1,000-3,000 words, closing February 29, 2020). 

Now – October 15: Pulp Literature’s Duotrope-sponsored “The Raven Short Story Contest” for previously unpublished short fiction, 500-2,500 words in length. Total entries limited to 200, so don’t wait till the pumpkins fall off the vines! Cash prize and publication for the winner. Early bird entry fee (before September 15) $15, $20 thereafter. Editorial critiques also available. 

October 1-25: The Writers Guild of Texas annual Kathryn McClatchy Flash Fiction Contest. Word count: 300-1,000. Fee: none for entry from WGT members, $15 per additional entry. Non-members, $35 for first entry (which includes a one-year WGT membership), $15 per each additional entry. Cash prizes! See the site for details.

October 1 – November 15: Carve magazine’s Prose & Poetry Contest (www.carvezine.com) offers cash prizes and publication for winners in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entry fee: $17. All work submitted will also be considered for non-contest publication.

Still to come: Writers League of Texas 2020 manuscript contest, with information probably available in October. 

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Want more, more, MORE contest options? Check out some of my favorites:

Arthur Klepchukov’s “Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time in Fall 2019; 

Ralan.com, emphasizing genre submissions and contests; New Pages; and Reedsy