Is Your Novel Readable?

Hello, everyone!

Here is an article to read from Writers Digest, my favorite writing resource. It discusses the 10 elements every novel should have. These elements give appeal and will capture interest in the story. Please click below to read the article. You will find it helpful.

WRITER'S DIGEST WRITE BETTER, GET PUBLISHED March 17, 2015

Writer's Digest Home Page  :   Subscribe  :   Renew  :   Bookshop "As a writer, you must create a world populated with characters who live their lives before our eyes, and you must do so with words only." Like this quote? Click here to Tweet and share it! The Top 10 Elements of a Book People Want to Read Brian A. Klems Online Editor WritersDigest.com @BrianKlems This guest blog is written by Helga Schier, PhD. She is a former Big Five editor. Check out her Top Ten Errors Writers Make Writer's Digest  Tutorial for even more great instruction on how to improve your writing.  So you've got a great idea and you want to write a book. Go for it, I say, because these days, anyone can publish a book. Self-publishing  empowers the writer in all of us. Nonetheless, quality still matters. Why? Because we don't just want to publish, we want to publish successfully; we want to publish books people want to read. And  that takes more than a good idea. That takes craft. Highly readable books are polished, refined, sophisticated, and mature on all three levels. To fulfill the potential of your book, develop  and sharpen the following top ten elements.  Read more...

How to Write Effective Dialog

Need help writing dialog? check out the email letter below.

Dear Screenwriter,

Don't let amateurish dialogue drag you down any more! Join Writing Dialogue For Emotional Impact online.

Dialogue seems like a natural way to express the emotional core of your script, but you also must stick to the essentials. Too much dialogue can work against you. That means that every bit of dialogue you write must be meaningful, sometimes on more than one level. Author and instructor, Karl Iglesias will show you easy techniques you can use to turn your dialogue around.

In Writing Dialogue For Emotional Impact you will learn how to:

• More than 45 effective dialogue techniques that will help you turn your story's dialogue from boring to exciting
• The nine requirements of great dialogue
• The most common dialogue problems found in amateur scripts and how to avoid them
• 15 advanced, effective techniques to create emotionally-impactful dialogue
• 10 techniques for dialogue that individualizes your characters
• How to present information through dialogue in a way that engages the reader
• Nine effective ways to create subtle exposition in your script
• How to avoid "on-the-nose" dialogue and 12 techniques to turn "on-the-nose" dialogue into subtext

--

Happy Writing!

Kristin

How to Write Your Novel-- Answers to Your Questions are Here

Dear reader,

following is a list of resources that would be helpful to your writing. I got the list from an email sent by the Guide to Literary Agents.

Evergreen Guest Content: 20 Helpful Columns for Writers

Between all the columns and guest columns and interviews and such I post each year, a lot can fall through the cracks. That said, let me point you to some helpful evergreen guest posts on the craft and business of writing that I've penned over the past year. These posts will teach you how to write a query, how to write a synopsis, how to start your novel strong, which writers' conferences to attend, and much more. Check them out:

1. Should you sign with a new literary agent?
2. Do you need multiple agents if you write in multiple genres?
3. How to start your novel.
4. Why writers must make themselves easy to contact.
5. How to write a novel synopsis.
6. Query letter questions answered.
7. 11 frequently asked questions about book royalties and money.
8. Learn why "Keep moving forward" may be the best advice of all for writers.
9. Want to adapt your novel into a screenplay? Start here.
10. How NOT to start your story. Read advice from agents.
11. What are the BEST writers conferences to attend?
12. How do you make money writing articles for magazines?
13. 11 ways to support an author's new book release.
14. What to write in the BIO section of your query letter.
15. What does a literary agent want to see when they Google you?
16. Headed to a conference? Learn how to pitch an agent.
17. What does it mean when an agent says "This isn't right for me"?
18. Agents share their query letter pet peeves.
19. How do you use social media to sell more books?
20. When can you call yourself a writer?

$ Agent Seeking Writers 3 / 13 / 2015

Happy Friday, Blog Readers!

Here are names of two new literary agents seeking writers. They were listed in a Guide to Literary Agents email I had received last year. I found the email while cleaning out my inbox today.

2 Agents Seeking Your Query NOW
Click on any name below to see the full mini-profile on the GLA Blog (with submission instructions). Good luck querying! 

1. Whitley Abell of Inklings Literary

She is seeking: Whitley is primarily interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, and select Upmarket Women's fiction. She likes characters who are relatable yet flawed, hooks that offer new points of view and exciting adventures, vibrant settings that become active characters in their own right, and a story that sticks with the reader long after turning the last page, be it contemporary or historical, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky. She loves mythology and literary re-imaginings, heartbreaking contemporary novels, historical suspense, and craving cute romantic comedies for YA through adult (ex: Sophie Kinsella, Lauren Morrill, Stephanie Perkins). She is not interested in vampires, werewolves, angels, zombies, dystopian societies, steampunk, or epic fantasy. Please no paranormal / fantasy for adults.

2. Alexander Slater of Trident Media Group

He is seeking: Alexander is interested in children's, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, from new and established authors.  As he says, "I'm looking for projects that will rise above the rest...characters you'll remember well past childhood...books that translate well to film because within them contain incredible stories, not because they're the latest trend."  He particularly loves authors like Frank Portman, Jim Shepard, Jenny Han, and Rainbow Rowell.

March 17, 2015 Webinar: Writing & Selling Children's Chapter Books

Dear Readers,

This something else for you. If you are writing a chapter book for children, sign up for this class.

Writing and Selling Children's Chapter Books With Jodell Sadler Register today to attend this live webinar! Your Price: $89.99 REGISTER NOW | WEBINAR IS TUESDAY

Session Date: Tuesday, March 17 Starting Time: 1:00pm Eastern Duration: 90 minutes Price: $89.99 REGISTER NOW About the critique: All registrants are invited to submit a chapter book manuscript up to 1,000 words, double-spaced in Times New Roman, 12 pt, in a Word.doc. All  submitted manuscripts are guaranteed a written critique by Jodell Sadler,  Sadler Children's Literary. Please Note: Even if you can't attend the live webinar, registering  for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand  webinar and a personal critique of your material.Purchasing the  On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique. About the webinar: Writing a chapter book boasts its rewards by turning into a series. Right? But what are the key elements that are needed in the Chapter Book form? How  long are they? What do I do if I am looking to present an illustrated chapter book? Anyone wanting to write a chapter book in 2015, pace it strong, and get it the editorial attention it deserves will not want to miss this live webinar. We will  chat about humor, musicality of language, pacing, plots, and how strong,  quirky characters are the rock starts of this genre category. Come learn how word choice, active pacing, repetition and word play feed the minds of these readers. Explore how chapter books are character driven  and may expand readily into a series kids will love. See how to create those quirky, memorable characters kids will relate to. And see how you can enhance  the reader experience and bring out the theme and heart of your story. As  always, learn how to move yourself and your story to move readers using  key pace-writing strategies in this genre category. I'm online live and you garner a complete critique, so jump in and join me. Literary Agent, Jodell Sadler, shares her tips on preparing your chapter book manuscript for agents and publishers. What you'll learn: • Why chapter books beg for great pacing • What builds a great chapter book: simple, clear plots and engaging dialogue • To pay attention and make prosody, pacing, poetry, and performance a difference  in your chapter book project • How to apply (and break the rules) for chapter book readers and embrace  quirky villains • How protagonists avoid evil and but fall into dramatic situations • How to write to the audience's age or a bit older and exude personality

Free Telephone Screenwriting Class on 3 / 12 / 2015

Dear Readers,

Here is a free telephone class for script writing. call and sign up before March 14, 2015

Ever had a movie change your life? If so, you know that it is possible for someone to write a profound screenplay... ...and this Saturday, you're going to learn how you can write a movie that has a profound impact on audiences all over the world. Take this class if: You want to DELIVER A MESSAGE, You want your movie to CHANGE THE WORLD, or You want to have a PROFOUND IMPACT on audiences. You'll learn: 7 Steps to Writing Profound Screenplays. How to look beyond the Antagonist and Protagonist. Analysis of THE MATRIX using the Profound Model. Saturday, March 14th, 2015, 12pm (noon)  Pacific Daylight Time Your Presenter: Hal Croasmun has interviewed over 700 producers and helped over 250 writers make their first screenwriting deal.

New Literary Agents 3 / 12 / 2015

Hello, Readers.

hear are names of two new agents to query. I got their names from an email I received yesterday.


2 New Agents Seeking Clients NOW 

Click on any name below to see the full mini-profile on the GLA Blog (with submission instructions). Good luck querying!  

1. Cara Mannion of Harold Ober Associates

Currently Looking For: Mainly YA and adult commercial fiction, including romance (and all its subgenres), historical fiction, women's fiction, paranormal, science fiction, horror, mysteries and thrillers. Limited interest in nonfiction includes humor and biography. Cara particularly enjoys strong female protagonists, juicy love triangles, subversive conspiracy plots, and opening lines that make you want to jump headfirst into the book.

She is not looking for: Fantasy, memoirs, picture books, poetry, self-help books, screenplays and short story collections.

2. Stephanie Delman of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

Stephanie is seeking: Literary fiction, historical/book club fiction featuring stories that haven't been told, upmarket women's fiction, and smart psychological thrillers/suspense. In nonfiction, Stephanie looks for pop culture, narrative memoirs, and blog-to-book projects (from writers with established platforms).

Stephanie does not represent children's books, sci-fi, fantasy, romance novels, erotica, or prescriptive nonfiction.