Children Of The Paranormal:
Nerds:
The Suicide Pact:
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Pick One For Each Story
Okay, so, I need you guys to pick a cover for each story.
Children Of The Paranormal:
The Suicide Pact:
Children Of The Paranormal:
The Suicide Pact:
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Superbowl Sunday Means...
...That I have no time to write, but enough time in the world to worry about next Saturday since my last meeting before the comp is tomorrow...You have no idea what the heck I'm talking about, do you? Well, I'm talking about POP or Power Of the Pen. I have my first competition ever Saturday, and our last meeting before that one is tomorrow. I don't think you understand how scary it is for someone who has NEVER even entered a writing comp before to be thrown into a whirlwind of ridiculousness. And I have no idea what to write, nor do I have time to write. Sigh...SO, vote on my poll, it ends Tuesday.
And I'm going to be deaf by the end of this game. (My mom's a passionate steelers fan...If your watching the game, you see my problem.)
And I'm going to be deaf by the end of this game. (My mom's a passionate steelers fan...If your watching the game, you see my problem.)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
My Speech About Conjunctions
So, this is the speech I gave one of my friends about Conjunctions. It's not very long or detailed, but it's something:
Conjunctions do exactly what they are names. They conjoin. It may be two subjects, two independent clauses, two predicates, an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dictionary definition is as follows: "any member of a small class of words distinguished in many languages by their function as connectors between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences, as and, because, but, however."
Obviously, there are groups that each one goes into. The FANBOYS are the cordinating conjunctions, there are subordinating conjunctions (because, while, since, although, unless, as, if, the ones that don't fit into the other two catergories but they do still conjoin), and then there are correlative conjunctions (they come in pair and ALWAYS do: neither...nor, either...or, whether...or, both...and, not only...but also)
So, yeah, there you go...I have to thank my HLA teacher for teaching me this. Or else I wouldn't be able to do this now.
Conjunctions do exactly what they are names. They conjoin. It may be two subjects, two independent clauses, two predicates, an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dictionary definition is as follows: "any member of a small class of words distinguished in many languages by their function as connectors between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences, as and, because, but, however."
Obviously, there are groups that each one goes into. The FANBOYS are the cordinating conjunctions, there are subordinating conjunctions (because, while, since, although, unless, as, if, the ones that don't fit into the other two catergories but they do still conjoin), and then there are correlative conjunctions (they come in pair and ALWAYS do: neither...nor, either...or, whether...or, both...and, not only...but also)
So, yeah, there you go...I have to thank my HLA teacher for teaching me this. Or else I wouldn't be able to do this now.
Friday, February 4, 2011
So, today I read a blog...
That I have been following, and she said that querying young was a bad idea...I don't agree with this. I mean, it probably isn't the best idea, but I know I'm going to do it anyways. Mostly because I have thousands (not literally, their would be no point if I had thousands...) of beta readers in the palm of my hand able and completely willing to suggest things and make it real.
Am I saying you should query young? No. But, if you think that you're up to par of the famous writers, then go for it. I mean, you aren't required to say an age in the query, so they won't know until they sign you (if they sign you).
In all honesty, waiting maybe better then going right out and doing it young. But most of us are going to do it when we aren't ready anyways. Because we need the experience and the rejection. It sorta like sex, huh?
Well, anyways, I just wanted to say what I thought. I didn't agree with this thought at all, for the record. I just wanted to point it out.
Am I saying you should query young? No. But, if you think that you're up to par of the famous writers, then go for it. I mean, you aren't required to say an age in the query, so they won't know until they sign you (if they sign you).
In all honesty, waiting maybe better then going right out and doing it young. But most of us are going to do it when we aren't ready anyways. Because we need the experience and the rejection. It sorta like sex, huh?
Well, anyways, I just wanted to say what I thought. I didn't agree with this thought at all, for the record. I just wanted to point it out.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I Don't Have Much News Today
Nothing much, except for the fact that I have figured out how to query. Here:
"The Basics
A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a resume. It’s not rambling saga of your life as an aspiring writer. It’s not a friendly, “Hey, what’s up, buddy. I’m the next John Grisham. Got the next best selling thriller for ya,” kind of letter. And for the love of god, it is NOT more than one-page. Trust us on this.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
Paragraph One—The Hook: A hook is a concise, one-sentence tagline for your book. It’s meant to hook your reader’s interest, and wind them in. The best way to understand how to write a hook is to read the loglines of the titles sold by agents in our free searchable AQ database.
Here are a few examples of hooks for well-known novels:
House of Sand and Fog
When Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military, sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, he unwittingly puts himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster; the house once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic, who engages in legal, then personal confrontation to get it back.
Bridges of Madison County
When Robert Kincaid drives through the heat and dust of an Iowa summer and turns into Francesca Johnson's farm lane looking for directions, the world-class photographer and the Iowa farm wife are joined in an experience that will haunt them forever.
The Corrections
When family patriarch, Alfred Lambert, enters his final decline, his wife and three adult children must face the failures, secrets, and long-buried hurts that haunt them as a family if they are to make the corrections that each desperately needs.
The "When" Formula: As you can see, we’re a fan of the when formula: “When such and such event happens, your main character—a descriptive adjective, age, professional occupation—must confront further conflict and triumph in his or her own special way. Sure, it’s a formula, but it’s a formula that works.
However, be warned...everyone and their grandmother who reads this site will try using our "when" formula, so we recommend simply using it as a starting point. Write your basic hook, then try spicing things up as you get more and more into the groove of "hooking." And don't worry, it's legal in every state, not just Nevada.
Check out these very simple, yet very non-"formulatic" fiction hooks:
The Kite Runner
An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The Da Vinci Code
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.
Everything Is Illuminated
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, Jonathan Safran Foer—both author and meta fictional protagonist—sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
Here are some non-"formulatic" hooks for a few nonfiction books:
Into Thin Air
On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world, and barely made it back alive from the deadliest season in the history of Everest.
The Perfect Storm
The true story of the meteorological conditions that created the "Storm of the Century" and the impact the Perfect Storm had on many of the people caught in its path; chiefly, among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath rolling seas.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
The memoir of Dave Eggers, who at the age of 22, became both an orphan and a "single mother" when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers, leaving Eggers the appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher.
Other Great Ways to Start Your Hook:
Give era and location: Three Different Examples:
Set up your main character: Three Different Examples:
Variations on the "when" formula: Three Different Examples:
There are literally scores and scores of hooks listed in our database, specifically in the past & present clients section of our agents’ profiles. We encourage you to read as many as possible, and learn what captures your attention in a single sentence. Then try to emulate a similar hook for your query letter.
Paragraph Two—Mini-synopsis: This is where you get to distill your entire 300 page novel into one paragraph. Lucky you. We’d like to offer advice on how to do this, but really, it just takes practice, hard work and lots of patience. Then, like we said before, get your friends to read it and if their heads hurt afterwards, go back to the drawing board. We don’t envy you. We really don’t. Summing up your entire book in an intriguing single paragraph is worse than a root canal.
So think of it this way. You had trouble writing the gist of your book in one sentence, right? Now, you get a whole paragraph. About 150 extra words. Here’s your chance to expand on your hook. Give a little bit more information about your main characters, their problems and conflicts, and the way in which adversity changes their lives. Read the back flaps of your favorite novels and try to copy how the conflict of the book is described in a single, juicy paragraph. You can do this. You really can. You just have to sit down, brainstorm, then vomit it all out onto the page. Afterwards, cut, paste, trim, revise, and reshape.
Paragraph Three—Writer’s bio: This should be the easiest part of your query. After all, it’s about you, the writer. Okay, so it’s a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been published, never won any awards, hold no degrees from MFA writing schools, and possess no credentials to write your book. No problem. The less you have to say, the more space you have for your mini-synopsis. Always a plus.
If you do choose to construct a writer’s bio (and you should), keep it short and related to writing. Agents don’t care what your day job is unless it directly relates to your book. Got a main character who’s a firefighter, and that’s your day job? Be sure to say that. Otherwise, scrap it. Education is helpful because it sounds good, but it’s only really important if you’re offering a nonfiction book about A.D.D. children and you hold a PhD in pediatric behavioral science. If you’ve published a few stories in your local newspaper, or a short story in a few literary magazines, or won any writing awards or contests, now’s the time to list the details. Don’t go hog wild, but don’t be too modest either.
Your Closing: Congratulations! You’ve finished your query letter. As a formal closing, be sure to do two things. First, thank the agent for her time and consideration. Second, if it’s nonfiction, tell them that you’ve included an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters for their review. If it’s fiction, alert the agent that the full manuscript is available upon request. And in case you still don’t believe us, we want to reiterate: don’t query agents until you’ve finished your full fiction manuscript. Agents will want to read the whole novel before they offer representation to you and your book."
"The Basics
A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a resume. It’s not rambling saga of your life as an aspiring writer. It’s not a friendly, “Hey, what’s up, buddy. I’m the next John Grisham. Got the next best selling thriller for ya,” kind of letter. And for the love of god, it is NOT more than one-page. Trust us on this.
A query letter has three concise paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your writer’s biography. Don’t stray from this format. You won’t catch an agent’s attention by inventing a creative new query format. You’ll just alienate your chances of being taken seriously as a professional writer. A query letter is meant to elicit an invitation to send sample chapters or even the whole manuscript to the agent. It’s not meant to show off how cute and snazzy you can be by breaking formatting rules and going against the grain. Keep it simple. Stick to three paragraphs. The goal is to get the agent to read your book, not to blow you off because you screwed up the introduction.
Paragraph One—The Hook: A hook is a concise, one-sentence tagline for your book. It’s meant to hook your reader’s interest, and wind them in. The best way to understand how to write a hook is to read the loglines of the titles sold by agents in our free searchable AQ database.
Here are a few examples of hooks for well-known novels:
House of Sand and Fog
When Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military, sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, he unwittingly puts himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster; the house once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic, who engages in legal, then personal confrontation to get it back.
Bridges of Madison County
When Robert Kincaid drives through the heat and dust of an Iowa summer and turns into Francesca Johnson's farm lane looking for directions, the world-class photographer and the Iowa farm wife are joined in an experience that will haunt them forever.
The Corrections
When family patriarch, Alfred Lambert, enters his final decline, his wife and three adult children must face the failures, secrets, and long-buried hurts that haunt them as a family if they are to make the corrections that each desperately needs.
The "When" Formula: As you can see, we’re a fan of the when formula: “When such and such event happens, your main character—a descriptive adjective, age, professional occupation—must confront further conflict and triumph in his or her own special way. Sure, it’s a formula, but it’s a formula that works.
However, be warned...everyone and their grandmother who reads this site will try using our "when" formula, so we recommend simply using it as a starting point. Write your basic hook, then try spicing things up as you get more and more into the groove of "hooking." And don't worry, it's legal in every state, not just Nevada.
Check out these very simple, yet very non-"formulatic" fiction hooks:
The Kite Runner
An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The Da Vinci Code
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.
Everything Is Illuminated
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, Jonathan Safran Foer—both author and meta fictional protagonist—sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
Here are some non-"formulatic" hooks for a few nonfiction books:
Into Thin Air
On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world, and barely made it back alive from the deadliest season in the history of Everest.
The Perfect Storm
The true story of the meteorological conditions that created the "Storm of the Century" and the impact the Perfect Storm had on many of the people caught in its path; chiefly, among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath rolling seas.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
The memoir of Dave Eggers, who at the age of 22, became both an orphan and a "single mother" when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers, leaving Eggers the appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher.
Other Great Ways to Start Your Hook:
- Set in modern-day Jerusalem...
- During the summer of 1889 in a rural Texas town...
- Taking place in turn-of-the-century New York City...
- The tale of Una Spencer, wife of Melville's legendary fictional whale harpooner Captain Ahab...
- A chatty cozy mystery starring 50-something college professor Bell Barrett...
- Narrated by Cot Daley, an Irish peasant girl kidnapped from Galway and sent to Barbados...
Variations on the "when" formula: Three Different Examples:
- Following a botched circumcision...
- While defending a drug-addicted prostitute accused of murder....
- After years of abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother and step-father...
There are literally scores and scores of hooks listed in our database, specifically in the past & present clients section of our agents’ profiles. We encourage you to read as many as possible, and learn what captures your attention in a single sentence. Then try to emulate a similar hook for your query letter.
Paragraph Two—Mini-synopsis: This is where you get to distill your entire 300 page novel into one paragraph. Lucky you. We’d like to offer advice on how to do this, but really, it just takes practice, hard work and lots of patience. Then, like we said before, get your friends to read it and if their heads hurt afterwards, go back to the drawing board. We don’t envy you. We really don’t. Summing up your entire book in an intriguing single paragraph is worse than a root canal.
So think of it this way. You had trouble writing the gist of your book in one sentence, right? Now, you get a whole paragraph. About 150 extra words. Here’s your chance to expand on your hook. Give a little bit more information about your main characters, their problems and conflicts, and the way in which adversity changes their lives. Read the back flaps of your favorite novels and try to copy how the conflict of the book is described in a single, juicy paragraph. You can do this. You really can. You just have to sit down, brainstorm, then vomit it all out onto the page. Afterwards, cut, paste, trim, revise, and reshape.
Paragraph Three—Writer’s bio: This should be the easiest part of your query. After all, it’s about you, the writer. Okay, so it’s a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been published, never won any awards, hold no degrees from MFA writing schools, and possess no credentials to write your book. No problem. The less you have to say, the more space you have for your mini-synopsis. Always a plus.
If you do choose to construct a writer’s bio (and you should), keep it short and related to writing. Agents don’t care what your day job is unless it directly relates to your book. Got a main character who’s a firefighter, and that’s your day job? Be sure to say that. Otherwise, scrap it. Education is helpful because it sounds good, but it’s only really important if you’re offering a nonfiction book about A.D.D. children and you hold a PhD in pediatric behavioral science. If you’ve published a few stories in your local newspaper, or a short story in a few literary magazines, or won any writing awards or contests, now’s the time to list the details. Don’t go hog wild, but don’t be too modest either.
Your Closing: Congratulations! You’ve finished your query letter. As a formal closing, be sure to do two things. First, thank the agent for her time and consideration. Second, if it’s nonfiction, tell them that you’ve included an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters for their review. If it’s fiction, alert the agent that the full manuscript is available upon request. And in case you still don’t believe us, we want to reiterate: don’t query agents until you’ve finished your full fiction manuscript. Agents will want to read the whole novel before they offer representation to you and your book."
So, yes, that is most of the article. For more, go to this website :
http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx (<-This is my version of showing the copyright, AQ!!!)
It helped me. I can not wait until I finish writing a book.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Comma Rules
I felt so proud of this explanation I write out for someone so much that I have to post it:
Before a start, in case you don’t know, an independent clause is a group of words with a subject, a predicate, and it’s a complete thought. And the FANBOYS are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
So, you use a comma if there is two independent clauses connected by a FANBOYS or a coordinating conjunction. You put the comma before the FANBOYS.
If there are two dependent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (it’s exactly the same thing as a FANBOYS) then you DO NOT use a comma.
If you have more then three fragments or items in a series, then the comma is necessary in between them. And there is a comma needed at the end of the series. Like so:
“We ate chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.”
The comma before the “and” is necessary.
Next rule is that you do not use a comma when there are only two fragments in a sentence, like so:
“James and Kathy…”
NO COMMA!!! I don’t think I’ve seen this in your writing, but I could have over-looked it.
Another rule is that you use a comma when you’re directing to someone or asking a back up question, like these:
“Mom, you know I’m telling you the truth.” (directing your sentence)
“You know, Margaret, I’m just helping you with your homework.” (directing your sentence)
“I need some help with this project, James.” (directing your sentence)
“We aren’t going to that stupid party, are we?” (back-up questions)
Okay, now this one’s really bad. Like, my HLA teacher kills a person everytime she sees these. They are called comma splices, and they are the worst type of run-on.
Now, run-on’s are bad things, so, even if you don’t have any idea what the hell a comma splice is, you know it’s bad.
A comma splice is when two independent clauses are connected by a comma but no FANBOYS.
I know, it’s scary.
So, if you have:
“I slipped on the wet floor, she laughed when I fell.”
YOU HAVE A COMMA SPLICE!!!
There are three ways to fix this. Here:
- Add a FANBOYS after the comma
- Change the comma to a semi-colon. The comma is too weak not to have something to enforce it.
- Change the comma to a period and capitalize the first word of the second independent clause.
And that ends my speech on Commas.
Yep, I loved it!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Hell Hath No Fury Cover 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33428405@N03/page2/
Try the link, It should work
Agents and Querying
Okay, so, even though I don't have anything ready for publishing yet, I have a main agent I'd like to talk to about her representing me. You wanna know the company?
Nelson Literary Agency
Yes, I know, many of you probably have no idea who the hell I'm talking about, but I've had this in my head for a long time that I'm querying her first. I thought it felt right since one of my many best friend's last names is Nelson, so I thought I'd have the best chance knowing that.
Also, she represents pretty much everything I write (like, genre wise) so that's a plus. She's represented books like:
I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Give Up Ghost by Megan Crewe
Vamped by Lucienne Diver
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy by Leslie Langtry (Yes, it's a romance novel, but come on, that's awesome)
Her website:
http://www.nelsonagency.com/
Check it out, even if you aren't looking to publish anything. Even if you are planning to publish, it's not a bad idea to check out this agent. Maybe she'll like your work. *winks*
Nelson Literary Agency
Yes, I know, many of you probably have no idea who the hell I'm talking about, but I've had this in my head for a long time that I'm querying her first. I thought it felt right since one of my many best friend's last names is Nelson, so I thought I'd have the best chance knowing that.
Also, she represents pretty much everything I write (like, genre wise) so that's a plus. She's represented books like:
I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Give Up Ghost by Megan Crewe
Vamped by Lucienne Diver
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy by Leslie Langtry (Yes, it's a romance novel, but come on, that's awesome)
Her website:
http://www.nelsonagency.com/
Check it out, even if you aren't looking to publish anything. Even if you are planning to publish, it's not a bad idea to check out this agent. Maybe she'll like your work. *winks*
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