The Do's and Don'ts of Twittering During Pitch Wars

by Brighton Walsh

Pitch Wars is a nerve-racking time for many a writer. It’s hard to know what to do, what not to do, how often to do it, and what the general etiquette is surrounding conversation with the mentors. Twitter is an awesome place many of the mentors hang out. We’re there to answer questions, or just plain old chat with any/all hopefuls. That said, there are some definite do’s and don’ts when using the #PitchWars feed, so I thought I’d do a little post on using Twitter during the months leading up to, during, and post-Pitch Wars.

Do: Hop on and introduce yourself. The best way to start using the feed is just that: start using it. Everything can be found under #PitchWars, so jump into other conversations people are having, and don’t worry about interrupting. If they wanted the conversation to stay private, they’d have it via DM or email. This is a great way to make new friends, find CPs, and calm your nerves during the process.

Don’t: Jump into a conversation just to argue or stir the pot for your pleasure. Pot stirrers get side-eye.

Do: Ask questions of the mentors! It doesn’t even have to be a mentor in your category or genre, unless it’s specific to those things. The mentors who are on the hashtag are there because they’re willing to chat with you about your writing, your MS, something you’re unsure of, the industry, etc. And we're mentors because we've been around the block a time or two, so we have knowledge we're willing to share. Tap into it!

Don’t: Ask too specific of questions such as, “Are you interested in a time traveling troll who falls in love with a princess and then they have to fight the fairies for control of their land?” For many mentors, that crosses the boundary line they don’t want to cross. Instead ask, “Are you interested in fantasy?” or “Do you have an aversion to trolls?”

Do: Be positive and help fellow hopefuls! Don’t think of this as a Survivor type contest. Your positive energy and genuine concern of/help to fellow hopefuls will be noticed by the mentors. Alternately, your lack of positive energy/concern will also be noticed.

Don’t: Constantly bemoan the process, the mentors, Brenda, the industry, the agents listed, etc, etc, etc. Think of the mentors like your mom. We’re always watching, and we have eyes in the back of our heads.

Do: your homework! When the mentors are listed and the blog hop is upon us, don’t be afraid to chat with the mentors you’re considering. And it doesn’t have to be all shop talk! This is a great time to get to know the mentors you’re considering and see if you’d be a good fit, personality wise. Clicking with your mentor is a very important aspect, and, though I can only speak for myself, it’s also something this mentor takes into consideration when choosing a mentee.

Don’t: freak out if you never had conversations with your selected mentors and now fear you won’t get picked because of that. Mentors can tell your personality through many things; conversing on Twitter is only one.

Do: say thank you—to the mentors, and especially to Brenda and her assistants—and support those giving their time in whatever way you can. This is a lot of work, and work that isn’t always done without a price tag (both in terms of money and that all-valuable time). While a simple thank you is always appreciated and noticed, you can also help support the mentors giving their time by buying their books or checking them out from the library and spreading the word about them, and also by donating to help Brenda run Pitch Wars.

Don’t: whine about how much work you’re putting into getting your MS ready, wading through the 100+ mentor blog posts just to find the ones who accept your genre, etc. Believe me, we know how much work goes into it.

Do: keep following the mentors even if you didn’t get chosen. The urge to unfollow can be strong if you’re not selected, and I know it can be a little rough seeing someone else where you hoped to be, but the mentors are there and willing to chat with you even post-Pitch Wars if you should have questions on the process, the industry, etc. Don’t make a snap decision and do something that will only hurt you. Like my mom always said, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

Twitter is an awesome and fun place to hang out before, during, and after Pitch Wars, so make the most of it! Swing by and say hi.

  

The Synopsis Is Your Friend (Yes, really!)

The Synopsis Is Your Friend

I am a weirdo for many reasons, not the least of which is that I enjoy writing a synopsis. (I also enjoy query-writing, but that’s another story for another blog post for another day.)

Drafting a synopsis is my number one revision tool. I’m (mostly) a pantser when it comes to churning out first drafts. Once I’m done, I find it difficult to gage if what I’ve written flows well. That’s where the synopsis comes in. By taking a stab at drafting a synopsis (in its initial stages—it doesn’t have to be perfect), the big picture plot becomes crystal clear. Things that are highlighted? Subplots that lead nowhere, storylines that need resolution or scrapping, character arcs that don’t…well, arc. After all, it’s the character’s growth (by way of the effects of the plot) that the synopsis should show us.

So, how do you do it?

I print out my manuscript (yes, the entire thing) and I boil each chapter down to its meat and bones summary—I’m talking only two or three sentences each. That gives me a skeletal outline of my synopsis. Each chapter’s summary will then read something like this: Main character wants to _______ BUT he’s thwarted by ________. It’s a “Character wants ABC….BUT…XYZ holds him back” formula. And you just continue onward through the rest of the novel, taking care to cut out extraneous details that either don't shift plot points or that either don't otherwise affect the main character's arc. Oftentimes it’s necessary to include the character’s emotional state as it changes throughout the novel, in order to show his or her growth. Don’t worry about the “show don’t tell” rule here. It doesn’t apply to the synopsis. In a synopsis, you can just flat-out tell us the character’s emotion. For example, “Excited about her new job, an impulsive Jane spends her last dollar on an Armani briefcase for her new boss.” And then remember to bring in the critical conflict in each chapter with a BUT (or "however"...or "despite such and such"--you get the idea). “Excited about her new job, an impulsive Jane spends her last dollar on an Armani briefcase for her boss, but when she learns that the position was also promised to someone else, she grows distraught.”

Additional points to remember:

• ·      As you might have heard, you don’t want any teasers in the synopsis. This isn’t a query or pitch. The synopsis should give away all the plot details and should clearly spell out the ending of the book.
• ·      Characters full names should appear in all capitals the very first time you mention that particular character. After that, no capitals necessary.
• ·      To minimize confusion, keep the characters lean. I’ve heard different schools of thought on this, but I think the consensus is no more than 4-5 characters. Of course, as with all writing, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. If it’s necessary, then by all means include more, but make sure they are absolutely critical to the main character’s arc.

A few helpful resources:

• Chuck Sambuchino's "5 Tips on How to Write a Novel Synopsis" is a terrific, brief introduction to the synopsis-drafting process. 
• The master post that I always refer back to when I'm at the synopsis stage is "How to Write a 1-Page Synopsis" by NYT bestselling author Susan Dennard. Susan's website is packed with additional fantastic writing tips and resources as well. (It's my go-to site when I have questions or need a reminder.)
• This will sound wacky, but when I'm stuck I peruse the synopses of my favorite movies on IMDB. Some are better than others, but it's a perfect way to get in the habit of visualizing the plot and character arcs as a whole, and how to pare it all down to 1-2 pages worth of critical information.

Feel any better? I hope! 

Four Qualities of Good Writing

by Susan Gray Foster

What are the fundamental qualities of good writing?

Many years ago, as a brand new student teacher, I discovered at the last moment that I would be teaching creative writing to at-risk teens at an alternative high school. Luckily, I stumbled across a text called WRITING PROCESS ACTIVITIES KIT by Mary Lou Brandvik. This curriculum (now long out of print) promotes utilizing steps of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, and presenting), and emphasizes four key qualities of good writing.

The book focuses primarily on writing personal narratives (true short stories from students’ own lives), but these fundamental qualities apply to many types of writing, and definitely to writing fiction. I learned so much teaching these qualities to student writers. And now that I am teaching again, it’s a continual refresher course as I witness how powerful writing can be when it exhibits these qualities.

Have a guess—what are four fundamental qualities of good writing?

Focus

One is focus. In writing personal narratives, students are encouraged to focus on one particular time, experience, memory, and to make the reader “see” it. Instead of vague generalizations such as, “I love my mom and I’m really going to miss her,” focusing on a particular moment and experience can produce something like this brief passage from one my favorite YA novels, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, by Stephanie Perkins:

My mother lingers behind. “You’ll have a wonderful year here,” she says. “I just know it.” I bite my lip to keep it from quivering, and she sweeps me into her arms. I try to breathe. Inhale. Count to three. Exhale. Her skin smells like grapefruit body lotion.

Focusing on this small moment allows the reader to experience it right along with the main character, and to feel what she is feeling.

Specific Details

Another quality of good writing that is beautifully illustrated by the above passage is use of specific details. Specific verb choices such as “lingers” and “sweeps” help us picture the scene. Specific details make characters, worlds, thoughts, and emotions come alive. Bonus points for use of sensory details, which are specific details pertaining to the perceptions of our five senses—not just the sense of sight, which most of us tend to naturally rely on and use most frequently in our writing. Including details that the other senses perceive—such as the scent of “grapefruit body lotion” can have a powerful impact.

Showing

A third quality of good writing, one that is often discussed and sometimes causes confusion for fiction writers, is showing, rather than telling. Writing that is focused and uses specific details already has a high probability of showing, not telling. Writing that shows puts a picture in the reader’s mind, engages the reader, and makes them feel emotions right along with the characters(s) in the story. In the passage above from ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, specific details about Anna’s body language convey that she is on the verge of tears without ever having to name an emotion. Often if we check our writing for words that name emotions, such as happy, angry, or jealous, we can find opportunities to replace these words and show the reader what the character is feeling, using specific details, rather than naming that emotion. Similarly, checking writing for “filter words”—such as think, feel, wonder, remember—can help us find places where we can show the reader our character’s thoughts and feelings, rather than telling the reader about them. This is not to say that these filter words should never appear in a manuscript, but that they may signal places where we can make our writing better, stronger, more powerful by showing rather than telling.

Honesty

Finally, a quality of good writing is honesty. The idea of honesty in writing—particularly honesty in fiction—often caused confusion and discussion in my classroom. No, honest writing does not mean that everything one writes must be factual or that one must record events and dialogue exactly as they occur. So, how can a fictional story be honest? By expressing honest thoughts, feelings, and behavior that is true to the human experience. Even in way-out-of-reality sci fi and fantasy, writing is often at its most powerful because of honesty. And moments when we convey true, honest thoughts, feelings, or behaviors—ones that are not pretty or heroic or glamorous—are often the moments in a novel that evoke the most powerful emotions, or the biggest laughs. Those honest expressions of humanity are what readers connect with most strongly. We recognize our own human frailties and flaws and relate to them, sympathize and empathize with them. And this can lead to a powerful, unforgettable connection with a character and their story.

In this passage from another one of my YA favorites, ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell, Park realizes something unflattering about himself: Park rolled onto his stomach and pressed his face into his pillow. He’d thought he was over caring what people thought about him. He’d thought that loving Eleanor proved that.

But he kept finding new pockets of shallow inside himself. He kept finding new ways to betray her.

This honest recognition of ugly qualities within himself feels so real, so authentic, so believable, and it makes the reader connect with him powerfully and makes his love for Eleanor feel even more authentic and strong. No wonder ELEANOR AND PARK is loved by so many readers.

Remembering and continually refreshing our awareness of these four fundamental qualities of good writing—focus, specific details, showing-rather-than-telling, and honesty—can help make our writing not only good, but powerful.

Please comment below if you have thoughts or questions on qualities of good writing and how to put them into practice!

Five Tips for Writing Bridges Between Scenes

I was talking to a fellow writer a while back and they were saying how they found it hard to get through the "sludge" part of writing. You know, the bits in between the action or quirky bits or cool bits or fun character bits, etc. And it got me thinking...do these bits have to be sludge? Do they have to just be a bridge to get from place A to place B? I don't think so.

We all hear about making every word, sentence, paragraph count, but sometimes it can feel like creating a road map between interesting cities with long stretches of boring, necessary road in between. However, if you think it's boring to write (or just sludgy) then what is a reader going to think? Pretty much the same, I bet.

So how do you go about making all these little bits in between interesting points fun to write? Here are my top five tips:

1) Don't write them at first. Put in a note that reminds you how the scenes will come together and then get back to those parts later.

2) Once you've done that and your first draft is finished, then sit down and let your story stew in your head (this is what the time away from your novel is all about).

3) As you stew, think about the world, the characters, the premise, etc - what does it mean to you? How could you show this in really quirky ways unique to your world and your story? Think about all the things that excite you in the details and use these on the "roads" between big scenes to keep it fresh and exciting.

4) Think outside the box. When you think of one bridge to write, discard that idea. And the second idea, and the third, fourth and fifth. When you hit upon idea five on how to improve writing these sludgy bits, then there's your answer - you've challenged your mind to be more creative.

5) Ask yourself why it's sludgy. Then think about the subtext of your novel and how you can weave in the equivalent of an "insider's joke". Of course, it doesn't have to be funny things, it can be anything. Look at the Harry Potter books, for example, which have extremely well hidden yet fascinating hidden messages in them. Take symbolism for example: do you like adding little symbolism flourishes that only the most discerning of readers would ever find? Do you get a kick out of well-hidden clues? Well, these sludgy bits are where you can play around and put these things in. And this applies to every aspect of the writing craft - theme, character development, world building, structure. Take each element and find what excites you about it, and then use it to your advantage to spice up those sludgy parts!


For some reason, a lot of writers think there needs to be parts to trudge through in order to get to the "real" story that they want to write. But it doesn't have to be this way. Just give yourself permission to go wild, think laterally, dig deep into what makes you enjoy the journey, and then your readers will enjoy it, too.

So go forth and turn that sludge into pure gold!!!

Mental Pitch Wars Prep

I know at this point you’re going to get a lot of information in regards to what to do with your manuscript, query, synopsis, etc. It will flood your senses, and some of it might be contradictory. That’s kinda the way of the publishing world because it’s so subjective. Some people like things one way, while others prefer another. Even so, considering how much of it’s actually going to be out there, I thought I’d prep you in a different area.

Preparing yourself emotionally for Pitch Wars.

Yup. Whether you get in or not, it’s an emotional roller coaster. There will be ups, downs, lefts, rights, spin arounds, and more.

It’s okay to feel sad—but don’t be a dick about it.

It’s okay to be mad—but don’t be a dick about it.

It’s okay to be ecstatic you got in—but don’t be a dick about it.

Are you sensing a theme here? In the past few years there have always been people who flip out when something doesn’t go their way. It sucks when that happens. I get it, but a lot of people put time, effort, sweat, blood, and tears into this competition—and I’m not talking about the mentees. You guys are awesome, but man, it takes so much to be on the other side, as a mentor, or better yet, as the contest creator—Brenda Drake.

Writer’s tend to be emotional people—and this is an emotional business, but if you want to survive in this business, you need to learn how to be a professional. That means no tantrums on social media, no bashing the mentors or creator, no secretly waging silent armies in hopes of destroying something good, all because something didn’t go your way.

The first thing to remember is that, even if you don’t get picked, that doesn’t mean you suck. Maybe your manuscript isn’t ready. Maybe a mentor would love to take it on, but there’s too much to be done in the time they’re allotted. Maybe it’s too good. Yes, it can be too good. Mentor’s can look at a manuscript, love it, and have no idea how to make it better.

So, as sort of Debbie downer as this might sound.

Prepare yourself ahead time. Prepare yourself emotionally for the good and the bad. There’s plenty of both to go around. Join in with the community. They will help lift you up. They will become your best friends and new critique partners. They will swap queries and first chapters—and it’s beyond amazing. I met my best writer friends while participating in Pitch Wars two years ago.

I didn’t get in by the way. I wasn’t even an alternate. I wasn’t even considered by anyone I submitted to, so if you’re thinking:

“Well, she got in. She doesn’t know what it’s like to be rejected.”

Hit the buzzer cause you’re wrong. I NEVER got into a competition—but what I learned from each one, was absolutely invaluable—and there is so much to learn. If you let that happen, it will improve your query, your pitch, your manuscript, and more than likely, your chances of being published. Sometimes, it’s not all about getting into the competition. The parties that happen before hand? It’s like a huge tailgate party for writers with a plethora of information for you to absorb. Enjoy. Have a drink if that’s your thing. Play the games, get to know people.

Regardless what happens, good or bad—it’s okay to have feelings. It’s okay to cry, jump for joy, and get frustrated. This industry is so subjective. It's got so many ups and downs. It's okay to react. To feel.

Just don’t be a dick about it.

YA Elements and my favorite YA author that nails them every time!

In honor of Young Adult month, I’d love to talk about my absolute, hands down, favorite young adult author and the reasons why I think she nails it in every one of her books.

Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder series, The Pledge series, and The Taking series, is not only a brilliant author with unique concepts, she roots her books in the core components of what makes a young adult book successful.

First one is voice: Voice is always a crucial in any genre story you write, but the young adult genre is so crucial because it’s ever-changing and always specific and significant to modern day teenagers. They don’t use a certain slang word if it isn’t important, they don’t use certain speech patterns if they don’t identify with them, and they will absolutely call you out for being “old” if you get it wrong. In each of Derting’s books she gives readers a strong, female teen with a fresh voice that is current. The more authentic the voice, the easier it is to connect and root for the character, and in each of these series you fall in love with the girl on the very first page, and Derting’s attention to this particular detail is what makes it so effortless.

Second one is stakes: There is a huge difference between what a young adult values over what an adult would. Teenagers are experiencing so many firsts, all while trying to uncover who they are at their core, so incidents that may seem small to an adult can be life-altering to a teenager—like their first love, or first brush with grief. Responding to each new stake in their lives is a key factor in reading and writing a great young adult story—the response has to be genuine. Just like their voice has to be authentic, so do their actions, and in each of Derting’s series you can easily see the motivation and desire behind the main character’s actions. They’re rooted in the mindset of a teenager, and the stakes are upped to another degree when experiencing difficulties or love or danger for the first time.

Last up is concept: Again, concept is always important in any genre, but in young adult you not only need realistic teenagers that are easy to relate to, you need an engaging concept that keeps readers flipping through the pages until they reach the end. There are thousands of young adult books to chose from, the market is stacked with variety, so a unique concept is key in garnering the reader’s attention. In each of Derting’s series she hits readers with a fresh concept with a hint of fantasy in each one. Though there be fantastical elements in each story, it still reads like contemporary, making the reader believe the events could actually happen, which is such a brilliant way of sinking the reader even deeper into the story. She keeps you hooked—whether it be with a girl who can sense the dead, a girl who can speak any language, or a girl who has been abducted by aliens—and she does this by keeping her character’s authentic, holding on to the modern teen voice, and giving readers one hell of a ride from start to finish.

If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend them. Her work is what I set the bar against when attempting to pen my own young adult masterpiece, or when I’m picking up a new young adult author’s work. And if you’re working on your own YA story, think about the above three key components I’ve touched on and see how well they apply to your own work. Sharpening each one of these elements will help dig you into the genre and set your fingers flying over the keyboard.

International YA - think global

More than five years ago I was in an online chat with a Big Five editor discussing books. I cheekily asked about book settings, seeing as my book, DIVIDED, was set in Australia. His answer shocked me. UK or US based books should be the norm.

Say What?

The internet had broken down global boarders and Gen Y (who were the main teens at the time) were most definitely interested in other countries.

Then more recently at a book conference I was at a session on diversity in writing. It was quite clear from the conversation of the panel that the focus was on diversity in an American frame of reference. So I asked the question, "Have you ever thought about setting your books outside of America?" I was greeted by stunned silence for a few seconds until one of the panelists replied that maybe they should think about that.

The #OwnVoices moment is gaining momentum. Personally I'd like it to also be pushing for international authors to be more accepted in publishing. . In Australia out bookshelves are flooded by American books. I've noticed books with US spelling on the shelves, which doesn't help our local literacy issues. And last I read Aussie writers make on aver $4K a year. Not enough to write full-time by any means. But with the shelves crowded by non-Aussie authors, and international publishers and some agents reluctant to take on non-US clients, how is that ever going to change?

Also, #OWnVoices doesn't mean you can't set your stories in different locations. Having a US character in a different country is a great way to take diversity to the next level.

The Millenials are thinking globally. And publishing should be responding to that. Check out their top twenty dream destinations if you want some writing inspiration for locations.

There are so many places stories could be set other than the US and UK, and readers want to read them. Publishers need to catch up. And some are. Here's a list of recommendations I crowd sourced for some of the best internationally set YA stories.

• Good Oil 
• Wander Love 
• Written in the Stars
• Daughter of Smoke & Bone
• Anna and the French Kiss
• Just One Day
• Just One Year
• The Reader
• The Star Touched Queen
• The Wrath and the Dawn
• Orchards (Upper MG)
• Shadows
• Jellico Road
• Wonderlost
• Alt to the Sea
• Da Vinci's Tiger
• Like Water On Stone
• Up From the Sea
• The Girl Who Borrowed Wings
• Silver Phoenix
• Serpentine
• The Good Braider
• Threatened
• The Islands at the End of the World (Hawaiian - but focused on their culture)
• The Girl at the Centre of the World (Hawaiian - but focused on their culture)

Add your recommendations in the comments and I'll add it to the list!

Sharon is a proud Aussie who writes Sci Fi and other weird stories. Her NA Divided is set in her state capital, Brisbane.