Query Help

It’s going to be short and sweet today. I’m playing catch-up after a wonderful weekend out of town. I was in Wisconsin attending my daughter Theresa’s graduation ceremony. She graduated from my alma mater, Marquette University. I still have family in Milwaukee and it was great catching up with them this weekend. It was a wonderful experience for her to attend college where we have so many family members. Since I moved away soon after my graduation, Theresa spent little of her childhood there. I’m pleased she chose to go to Marquette, it gave her the opportunity to experience a special place and connect with many wonderful people. Since Wisconsin will always be close to my heart, it is not surprising I chose it for the setting of my book.

Which brings me to some good news for the novel. It so happened my cousin from Toronto was in Milwaukee visiting, too. Her husband, Randy Boyagoda is a gifted author. He’s written “Governor of the Northern Province”and “Race, Immigration, and American Identity in the Fiction of Salman Rushdie, Ralph Ellison, and William Faulkner”. He has a third book due out soon. Randy offered to help me with my query letter. Yay! It will be great to receive guidance from a published author. I’m anxious to get started right away.

As the whole world and the individuals that inhabit it get increasingly cocooned, it is critical that one spends time with one's family. Simran Khurana

Romance?

On Saturday, children’s author Denise Vega spoke about trends in middle grade and young adult fiction at the Hearts of Denver Romance Writers meeting. I attended only to hear Denise's speech, but made a spontaneous decision to join the group. It’s a small organization of about 40 members. Even if I continue to write mysteries and never write a romance novel I could benefit from this group. Commercial fiction incorporates the same basic principles in all genres.

Of course, after mingling with all the romance writers, I now feel a passion to write one. Well it’s really more of a curiosity, but the word passion sounds appropriate given the topic. I wonder if romance writers are more dramatic? I do tend to exaggerate. Hmmm. I might be good at this.

I wouldn't have to switch to adult readers to write romance. I could write a middle grade romance novel. It would involve a boy and a girl having a crush on each other and in the end holding hands. Pretty exciting stuff, don’t you think? A young adult romance novel is another option. A lot more than holding hands is allowed in that genre.

Whether I stick with children’s books or move into adult romance it might be fun to try something different. When I finish editing my middle grade mystery I might try my hand at a romance. We’ll see.

"Said"

The word "said" is easy to understand. Readers know who is talking and stay engaged in the story. I use “said” to identify the speaking character more than any other verb. A combination of the dialogue itself, and a description of the character’s actions as they are talking often does a better job depicting a character’s mood, than substituting a fancy word for “said.” If I write “she prattled” the reader might need a few extra seconds to digest this less common verb, slowing down the pace of the story.

Here’s an example of three ways to identify the same dialogue.

1. “I don’t know what to do,” Tara said, tapping her pencil on the desk and frowning.

2. “I don’t know what to do,” Tara worried.

3. “I don’t know what to do,” Tara worried, tapping her pencil on the desk and frowning.

I like the first of these three choices, because it shows the reader how the character feels. The word “said” simply lets us know Tara is speaking, it doesn’t get in the way of the scene. The second example tells the reader what’s going on with the character rather than letting him figure it out himself. The third example is redundant. The reader doesn't need a description of her actions and “worried.”

The problem is, a page filled with “said” will sound repetitive. To keep things interesting, I spice it up by using a different verb for “said” every so often. An appropriate replacement adds meaning and variety. The secret is to make sure the substitution fits the situation. Fortunately there are lots of choices. Here are a few.

demanded commanded instructed nagged

groaned ordered scolded urged

announced warned stated protested

giggled lectured lied added

debated indicated observed worried

fretted agreed decided noted

shrieked uttered sniffed replied

argued claimed chortled murmured

piped acknowledged bragged grumbled

spat questioned denied called

insisted estimated lamented yelled

shouted volunteered cried babbled

plotted

Critique Groups

Someone (besides me) needs to read my work-in-progress manuscript. My self-editing helps to find most errors, but I worry my emotional attachment to the work might cause me to overlook a problem. I need a second opinion, with an objective eye to let me know if my intended message is coming through. The question is, who?

I won’t ask my husband. He’s a non-fiction kind of guy. My three children and parents have read my manuscript and loved it. The praise is great, but come on, as a new writer there must be a few necessary adjustments. Even if my family members did notice something was wrong they wouldn’t know how to fix it. I need an objective appraisal of my work and suggestions about how to make it better. I could hire an editor, but that would be expensive. Another option is to join a critique group. A critique group is a club of writers who read each other’s work for the purpose of helping one another improve. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but after attending a discussion on critique groups on Sunday I’m more motivated than ever to find a group.

The discussion was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The session was lead by published authors Hilari Bell and Anna-Maria Crum. The two of them belong to a Denver critique group that has been in existence for more than twenty years. They emphasized two key components to a successful critique experience are: the readers need to give constructive criticism and the author should listen without becoming defensive.

Hilari also suggested a larger group is preferable over a smaller one. That way if a few writers move, the organization can stay in operation, while they recruit new members. A second advantage is you get a better consensus about your manuscript.

Anna-Maria said she learns as much from analyzing other people’s manuscripts as she does when her own is critiqued. I hadn’t thought about that. I figured you would be reading theirs solely as payback for reading your own. Learning from their work is an extra bonus.

I enjoyed the discussion so much I’m anxious to join a group right away. Several other writers there were looking for groups, too. We exchanged cards. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to start a new critique group.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for. Socrates