I’ve got a new MG Fantasy I’m working on preparing for query. It’s a fun process, but it IS happening. More details to come as I get it all together.
CLEVER IN THE TOWER is complete at 50,000 words.
April 2023: I won first place with the first chapter of CLEVER IN THE TOWER in a recent Utah Scribes contest. I also took first place in the Creative Non-Fiction and Speculative Fiction short story categories for Thank You, Mr. Frost and Ramen Monster.
Lit and Scribbles with Jae 
Very cool…now I must trot off (now I’m a freaking horse?) and figure out a logline for my WIP. I’ve been trying for a few weeks now…
If you need help let me know. I’m always eager to give back to the community when I can. I’m sure with some hard work you’ll come up with something great! 😀
I sure hope so! Thanks.
This is cool. I should probably do a page like this for my main novel- but then I might end up going off on a ‘I love this bit and that bit. You people must help me with this bit and that bit,’ tangent!
What, do you think, makes a good logline?
And, on a slightly different related point, how can I avoid or correct headhopping/POV problems?
I’m always available to help my blog buddies with loglines, so if you want feel free to slip me an email of your best shot and we’ll go from there.
As for headhopping, I used to be notorious for omniscient view, which works great for me because the vision is already perfectly nestled in my head, but bad for my readers. The trend lately is to have multiple protagonists, but the problem is you have to go minimalist on plot, especially the larger number of protagonists you have. What I do is try to stay strictly in my main protagonist’s head. If they aren’t there to hear about it, it doesn’t make it on the page. There have been times when I’ve wanted to write scenes not involving them, and I have written a few, but I cut them and count that as backstory practice, then see how I can weave it in with the characters with the protag present. Something we have to remember is sometimes less is more. We don’t have to tell the readers everything, just enough to keep them interested in finding answers.
You may still headhop a bit in early drafts, but that’s okay, they’re EARLY, ROUGH drafts. Editing is where you polish it up better. But if you really must headhop or change POV I’d say change chapters for the POV or change scenes so we know whose head we’re in and then stick with that person until the next chapter or scene change.
I have cheated a little, meaning when the character is present but not conscious I’ve had conversations continue. But I should probably take a look at eliminating those scenes or see if I really need them. I don’t know, feedback from friends and fellow writers helps with those kinds of problems too. Fresh eyes are always nice.
Congratulations on ‘Shade’. Finishing a novel must be wonderful … one day I’ll hopefully join the club. 😉
I’m still wondering at the real usefulness of loglines. Yes, it’s good to be able to give at short description of your novel, but 27 words?
Loglines are important if you are doing contests, pitches, writer’s conferences, etc. Having it down to a succinct few words helps you pitch it to people in 30 sec or less rather than bombard them with a full synopsis from your head of your novel. You give them the short hook and let them ask questions. Anyways, it’s helped me with contests and agent one-on-ones at conferences—quite a lot. I recommend you have one on hand, you may end up needing it. If you ever need help with one, let me know.
Finishing novels is great, it’s the polishing and sculpting it from rough diamond to shining masterpiece that’s the hard part! 😉
Big congrats on your contest win! That’s awesome! Good things coming your way, m’dear!
Thanks! You actually helped me be a little more motivated about pitmad, so I tried my hardest and, woot, got a nibble. Thanks for being my encouraging friend! 🙂
*pats self on back* *pats you on back* *pats everyone on back*
*hopes for no lawsuits*
Lol!
Good luck to you on getting a publisher! So do you live in Utah?
I do! Best skiing. Plus I love the mountains. I don’t know if I can live in a city without them now.
Utah is so incredibly beautiful, so different from California. I drove through Utah several years back and was so impacted by the vast expanses of land with no towns, no stores, nothing, just beautiful wilderness. It gives you a sensation of being alone with nature. My kids are going to Utah to ski Monday. Maybe they’ll see you on the slopes!
Oooh! I hope they had a fabulous day. 😀
Very good teaser section. I love the tension of the prince and the predatory vibe I get from the queen.
Thanks! It’s taken me some major rewrites to get this tension, but I feel like it’s finally working. And yes, the queen is definitely a predator. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Congratulations w/ your WIP. I can’t wait to see more updates on your progress 🙂
Thanks! Hopefully I’ll have good news to post in the near future. I’m just trying to get a query letter together so I can query a few agents. Query letters, while important, are my least favorite part. 😦
Wow! This sounds like an awesome book! Are you going to self-publish or go with an agent? (Awkward moment, but I thought I should ask: have I missed the news that it has already been published?)
No, not yet published. I’m currently in the querying agents stage. Just looking to find the right one, ya know? It’s a long road, but worthwhile.
Well, I wish you the VERY BEST luck! I can’t count how many agents I went through, but would recommend not trying Writer’s House, based in New York, I believe.
Thanks. 🙂 I’ve had some encouraging response from a couple agents. No guarantees obviously, but I think I’ve finally got my novel in a good place. Hopefully it won’t be long now. And thanks for the recommendation (or not recommendation, however it should be worded). 😉
I’ve nominated you for the WordPress Family Award. Thanks for all your help! http://whenibecameanauthor.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/wordpress-family-award/
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
I’d love to read The Shade. How do I get my hands on a copy? 🙂
Thanks Dean! Well, unless you have a TARDIS or DeLorean and can travel into the future, it’s not available yet. I’m querying it out and hope to have it agented in the near future. I’ll update this page when I have more news.