What is "Genre" ?

Dear Reader,

Here's something for you to read.

Genre.

Get an understanding of the different genres and determine what genre you story (novel or screenplay) falls under.

This info is from an email I got from GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS.

Novel Genres Defined: Insights, Tips and Definitions from Literary Agents Questions  

Sometimes you've written a book, but for the love of all that is holy, you can't quite figure out what exact genre or category it is. For help on defining and examining genres, I turned to literary agents and asked them all kinds of questions. See all their answers in my Writers in the Storm guest column here: "Genres Explained: Insights, Tips and Definitions From Literary Agents." In the meantime, here are some questions I asked:

-- The difference between high fantasy and urban fantasy 
-- The confusion between urban fantasy and paranormal romance
-- Mystery vs. thriller
-- On an agent's willingness to work with a book that straddles two, three, or even four genres 
-- On what constitutes crime fiction
-- On the categories of children's fiction (young adult, middle grade, early readers, etc)
-- On classifying erotica, romance, erotic romance, and women's fiction
-- On classifying a book as LGBTQ. (Read the entire column here.)

Here's more good stuff for you from Writer's Digest University.

Join Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency for How to Find and Keep a Literary Agent Boot Camp March 23 - 26, 2015 - Claim Your Spot Today! Only a Few Seats Left! Hurry, Boot Camp Starts Monday!  Start Date:March 23, 2015 Tuition: $199.99   REGISTER NOW How do you hook an agent right away, keep them hooked, and make the  most of your new publishing relationship? In this Boot Camp, "How to Find and Keep a Literary Agent," you'll learn how to get a literary agent's attention through a great submission, and also how to navigate the process of working  successfully with an agent. You'll also work with an agent online to review and  refine your all-important query letter and the first five pages of your novel. This Boot Camp will cover a range of important questions: • What keeps an agent reading? What makes writing jump off the page? • What are the most common Chapter 1 mistakes that make them stop reviewing  your submission? • What are the steps you need to give your query and manuscript the best possible shot? • What are the turn-ons and turn-offs when it comes to queries? • How do agents make judgment calls? • And much more. With real-life examples of queries that do and don't work, you will learn how  you can refine your own query letter and get an agent to request your novel. The world of literary agencies can be an intimidating place. You'll be lead through  the inner-workings of finding the perfect literary agent, working with an agent and  how to get the most out of your relationship. See what a day in the life of an agent  looks like, and get tips about how to find your perfect author-agent match that will  result in a successful partnership. The best part is that you'll be working directly with a knowledgeable and experienced agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. Here's how it works: On March 23, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented  by agents at the Dijkstra Literary Agency. It will explain the submission process of  submitting to an agent, what they find appealing in a query letter and what an author-agent  relationship looks like from the inside. You will also be notified by email which agent you'll  be working with Monday afternoon. From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (PT) on March 24 and 25, instructors will be available to answer  questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer's Digest University message boards.  Only registered students can access these boards. You'll also be able to ask question of your  fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers. After listening to the presentation and participating in the discussion sessions, you'll be able  to revise your query & first 5 double-spaced pages as necessary. Then, you'll email those pages  directly to Jill Marr, Elise Capron, Thao Le or Roz Foster, by the end of the day on Thursday.  They will spend 10 days reviewing their assigned critiques and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn't. Please note that any one of the instructing agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. In addition to feedback from instructing agents, attendees will also receive: • Download of "An Agent's Tips on Story Structures that Sell," an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst • 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

About Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency: ELISE CAPRON is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She also manages the SDLA office and works closely with Sandra Dijkstra on author development and management. She is most interested in serious, character-driven literary fiction and well-written narrative non-fiction (particularly serious history with a good story). JILL MARR is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Jill is interested in commercial fiction, with an emphasis on mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense and horror, women's commercial fiction and historical fiction. She is also looking for non-fiction by authors who are getting their work published regularly and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Jill is looking for non-fiction projects in the areas of history, sports, politics, current events, self-help, cookbooks, memoir, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music. ROZ FOSTER  is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She works from New York. Roz is interested in non-fiction in the areas of cultural studies, sociology, business, history, politics, current affairs, science and design. She looks for driven, narrative storytelling and sharp concepts that have the potential to transcend their primary audience. She's also interested in literary and commercial fiction, literary YA with crossover potential for the adult market, and literary sci-fi. In fiction, she looks for a resonant, lively voice; rich, irresistible language; characters with compelling development arcs; and a mastery of dramatic structure. Across the board, she's looking for books that make her feel like the author is tuned into a rising revolution -- cultural, political, literary, or what not -- that's about to burst on the scene. THAO LE  joined the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in 2011. She handles finances and select contracts and is also an agent. Thao is looking for adult sci-fi/fantasy/horror, NA (new adult), YA (young adult), and MG (middle grade). She enjoys both gritty, dark narratives and fantastically quirky stories. She is also looking for light-hearted, funny, and moving contemporary YAs with a raw, authentic teen voice. She's particularly drawn to memorable characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, strong plots, and tight writing. Her favorite books are ones that reimagine familiar tales and tropes in a completely fresh new way and she has a soft spot for multicultural stories and lush settings. JESSICA WATTERSON is an agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Jessica is most interested in all sub-genres of romance. She greatly enjoys character driven plots that pull the reader into the pages and won't let go, ending with a fantastic happily ever after. Jessica also loves second chance romances, and stories of redemption. Register Now

Writer's Resources 3 / 20 / 2015

Dear Readers,

Here are more writing resources that can help you. The info is from an email I received from WRITERS MARKET.

WRITER'S DIGEST BLOGS
WritersDigest.com is the top online resource for writers online-regardless of where they are in their writing journeys. The site offers a lot of great content, including continually updated posts from a variety of writing-related blogs. 

Here are a few recent posts:

• The Top 10 Elements of a Book People Want to Read
• 12 Workplace Skills to Apply to Your Writing Career
• 4 Writing Tips I Learned at Drama School
• 2015 April PAD Challenge: Guest Judges

Looking for a quick gift for the writer in your life? 
Gift a subscription to Writer's Digest magazine. 

Click to continue.

******          *******

FOLLOW WD ON TWITTER
One of the great things about technology is that writers can find helpful information in several different places, including Twitter. By the way, click here to learn how to use Twitter to boost your writing income. 

Follow the following Writer's Digest personalities to boost your writing and publishing IQ:

• Brian Klems
• Chuck Sambuchino
• Jessica Strawser
• Robert Lee Brewer
• Adrienne Crezo

Of course, you should be following @WritersDigest too!

Write a Breakout Novel in 2015 Price Was: $316.94 Price Is: $49.98	Blog Your Way to Success Price Was: $309.97 Price Is: $50.00	The Business of Writing Collection Price Was: $495.93 Price Is: $99.00	2015 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition Price Was: $49.99 Price Is: $29.99
BUY NOW	BUY NOW	BUY NOW	BUY NOW

Top 10 Errors Writers Make That Editors Hate

Happy Friday!

Here is a tutorial from Writers Digest that discusses the most common errors writers making when writing their novels and screenplays. It covers much of what I have told writers when critiquing their books and screenplays. I suggest checking out the video.

Enjoy!

Top Ten Errors Writers Make That Editors Hate
(What are they? And how do you fix them?)

SUE JOHNSON Writer's Digest Tutorials

Hi Everyone!

A great idea can hook an agent or a publisher. But ideas are cheap. It’s the execution that matters; the execution decides whether your manuscript ends up in the slush pile or on the shelves of a bookstore. The way you develop your idea and bring it to life will not only hook, but also reel in agents and publishers … and ultimately your readers. Editors want you to succeed. They want to discover great new writers and read compelling stories lived by memorable characters. But there are some common mistakes that stand in your way.

This illuminating tutorial will reveal the ten most frustrating errors writers make, covering such story elements as plot, structure, character, dialogue, and more, as well as general writer’s issues like style and voice. Discover the dangers of the forced plot twist and the cardboard character, explore ways to avoid unnatural dialogue, and gather ideas that will boost the interplay between dialogue and narrative while learning strategies to self-edit and fix common mistakes.

This tutorial is presented by literary editor Helga Schier. After years as editor in traditional publishing houses, Helga founded withpenandpaper.com and now provides independent editorial and writing services. Helga holds a PhD in literature and is a frequent lecturer at writers’ conferences. She has edited, written, or translated well over one hundred books. A true writer’s editor, Helga guides fiction and non-fiction writers through the development, writing and editing process, helping them to craft the best books they possibly can.

In this 38-minute tutorial, you’ll discover:

• The most common grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues
• The most typical inconsistencies
• The most frequent stylistic errors
• How to use clichés to your advantage
• How to create memorable characters
• How to show and not tell
• Ways to increase the power of your dialogue
• Ways to support natural plot development
• Ways to spot and avoid hangnail writing

Editors are experienced readers. When editors stumble over a mistake or an error, other readers will likely stumble as well. This tutorial session offers vital tools to help you spot these errors and edit them away so that your readers won’t fall.

Preview: Top Ten Errors Writers Make That Editors Hate

Writer's Digest Tutorials Members enjoy full access to all tutorials featured in this newsletter, as well as every tutorial on the tutorials site. For only $199 you gain access to all Writer's Digest's writing tutorials for an entire year. That means you have access to all 211+ current tutorials and all the new tutorials created throughout the year. With the addition of at least one new tutorial every week you have access to a minimum of another 52 educational tutorials. Watch every video whenever you like, as often as you would like . . . and be the first to watch the new tutorial we post each week!

Haven't taken advantage of the wisdom bestowed through the WD tutorials yet? Why not try it out today and see all that our WD tutorials have to offer! You can try WD Tutorials for only $25/month! You will enjoy instant access to 211+ tutorials, including at least one new tutorial added weekly. Also, there are many new tutorials still in development. Feel free to preview the many tutorials immediately available to you through the WD Tutorials site.

Wishing you a happy and healthy week!

~ Sue Johnson~

P.S. If you missed the last newsletter (or two), be sure to watch these new and featured tutorials:

Phantom Scribe: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ghostwriting

Blockbuster Fiction: Exploring Emotional High Points in Popular Films

Engaging Readers with the Five Senses

Be Your Own Editor: Tips for Self-Editing

Engaging Your Readers Through Emotion and Description

Story Trumps Structure: Context Determines Content
For quick and easy access to all WD Tutorials available to you, use this link:

View All WD Tutorials >

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?