Step by step, it comes together

Posted inWriting
I think I'm close to ready to begin pitching my next book. This one is a middle grade adventure novel in the spirit of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. You might remember them from when you were a kid. Earlier this week I finished the umpteenth or so draft of my query letter (I talk more about queries here), and last night I think I nailed down a pretty solid synopsis. They're both essential ingredients in getting the attention of an agent. Nailing them is vital. Of course, the best query in the world doesn't mean squat if your book has…
Grappling with the business of writing

Grappling with the business of writing

Posted inWriting
Writing isn't just writing, it's reading and knowing how to sell yourself and how to query or submit to a publisher and a million other things that aren't the actual process of writing. Oh, first and foremost you've got to be able to string words together in an interesting way -- it's the most important thing, no question about that -- but when you're all done making with the wording what do you do with it? It's easy to stagger around blindly at that stage. All this mess about query letters and proposals and cover letters markets -- writers want…