2010 Round Up

Hey everyone. I know I've been kind of flakey on posting regularly the last few months but hopefully I'll be back in full force in 2011. I wanted to just run through some big points of 2010 and give a little of what to expect come January (aka tomorrow).

On the book front, 2010 saw EUTERPE'S SONG going on submission to publishers. It was seen by 9 houses. It also saw me and my agent part ways. 2010 was also the year I wrote 4 novels, approimately 250,000 words total. Very impressive. In the coming year, I will be revising PHARAOH'S LINK as well as writing at least 2 other young adult novels.

I officially finished 1/2 of law school. I'm still waiting on fall semester grades but I'm confident I did well. I also got to spend the summer interning for the EEOC which I found very fulfilling. I will be back with the EEOC this semester a few days a week. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

I know in my last post I promised a blog about back door pilots. Don't worry, I'll be posting it in the coming weeks. Hopefully even somtime next week.

Also on the blog front, I blogged the first season of BBC's Merlin as well as various episodes of Glee and No Ordinary Family for More TV, Please! this past year. Coming in March, I'll be a semi-permanent fixture there while I'm blogging the freshman season of ABC's Body of Proof, starring Jeri Ryan (of Star Trek: Voyager fame) and Dana Delaney.

What does 2011 have in store for me? The new seasons of Doctor Who, Torchwood, Being Human and Merlin. Yes I've upped my British TV intake of late. I recently finished Robin Hood (I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys BBC shows).

As I look forward to beginning 2011 in a few short hours, I have to wonder what my resolution will be. I could say I'll blog more but I'm not sure whether that is really productive. So I think, my 2011 blog resolution will be to post more things that are interesting and different.

A short update and things to come

Hi everyone. I just wanted to stop by the blog during finals to give a quick query report and what's coming up next on the blog. I've just got my Evidence exam left until I'm officially 1/2 done with law school. Kind of can't believe it. It feels good to be closing in though.

I have sent out 23 queries so far and received 12 rejections. Yes, for those of you doing the math, that's a 50% rejection rate. I'm not overly pleased myself. But I've got 11 queries still out there floating around and I'm going to let them do their thing until January. I'll pick up the process anew then.

I'm also gearing up, once finals are done, to do a blog post about the success of back door pilots. So look for that in the near future.

News to Share

Hey everyone. Sorry I've disappeared again. Things have been very crazy the last couple of weeks. School has taken over my life as it tends to do when the semester is nearing a close.

I've also been working on this year's NaNo novel, titled THE DEITY TALISMANS, a sequel to PHARAOH'S LINK. I'm nearly halfway done with the first draft of the manuscript. I've been enjoying my NaNo '10 experience. Boston writers are just awesome. I'm looking forward especially do the 24-hour writing event next weekend. Roving writing will rock.

But on a more serious note, I've some important news to share. On November 3, my agent and I parted ways amicably. Things just weren't going the way I'd hoped and in the interest of my career, I chose to end our contract. EUTERPE'S SONG went out to many top publishers and I hope one day I can try again with the manuscript. But right now, I need to move forward with a different project.

So, starting to today I am back to sending out queries for PHARAOH'S LINK. I've sent out six queries so far and will keep you updated on the stats as I get responses.

Love's Bitch: Spike and the Women He Loved, Lost and Died For

So after the wonderfully Buffy-filled weekend I had with Jen at the Comic Con, I was inspired to write a post about Spike and the various relationships he has had with the women in his life (and unlife). It's not just because James Marsters is very attractive that I love Spike so much. I find his character arc from season 2 through season 7 (and a little bit into season 5 of Angel) fascinating. Even as an evil soulless bloodsucker, he had certain ideas about gender interaction that ultimately led to the point where he became a decent soul-having guy. So without further adieu, here we go! And special thanks to Jen for some awesome advice while writing this.

There are many women in Spike’s existence that inform his general relationships with the opposite sex. Perhaps the two to begin with are the Chinese Slayer (name not given) in 1900 and Nikki Wood, the Slayer in New York in 1977. Both of these women meet their demise at Spike’s hands but not before having a profound effect on how Spike sees the lineage of the Slayer. They shared a unique quality that attracted Spike to them; defiance. They were strong and powerful women in their respective times that challenged Spike to confront what he felt to be a perceived weakness in how he interacted with the opposite sex. In a way, by taking them out, Spike is able to take out his unexpressed feelings of scorn and disappointment towards women. By the end of the series, his perspective on the Slayer line has changed to a far more positive view.

In 1900, Spike, egged on by Angelus, confronts the unnamed Slayer in the hopes of showing his comrades that he is indeed badass. He’s intrigued by what she stands for: a woman, powerful and agile, sworn to destroy everything he is. In a way, her death defines who Spike sees himself as for nearly a century: the slayer of the Slayer (“Fool for Love”). This is what drives him in 1977 to seek out Nikki in New York and take her out. But, unlike in 1900, he taunts Nikki, draws her out. They meet first in a park one rainy night (“Lies My Parents Told Me”) and he says he’ll be seeing her again. He’s excited to discover she’s the one he’s after and he takes pleasure in ending her life (“Fool for Love”). Both of these women will ultimately lead him to Sunnydale to seek out one Buffy Summers whom he has loved, lost and ultimately died for.

Loved

There are many women in Spike’s life that he’s loved; his mother, Cecily, Drusilla and perhaps most importantly, Buffy. Each of these women has molded him into the man we see by the end of Buffy season 7.

Until season 7, little is known about Spike’s family before he was sired. The events of “Fool for Love” seem to conveniently leave out any mention of his mother. It’s only in the season 7 episodes “Lies My Parents Told Me” that we finally meet the first woman he loved. His mother is an ailing woman whom Spike (or more accurately William) adores. He cares deeply for her, both on a physical and emotional level. While it’s not outwardly shown, I think Spike fears being with any other woman because he doesn’t want to lose the sole companion he’s had his whole life. She lavishes him with affection, even though his poetry is drivel. She understands that her son needs her to support him if he is to have any sort of successful relationship with a woman besides herself. In hindsight, it may have been ill-placed motherly affection, given how William met his demise. Still, she shows him what love can look like, at least in a parent-child scenario.

We meet Cecily, a high brow British aristocrat, in “Fool for Love”. She’s the first woman William had romantic feelings towards. Interestingly, she is the reason William becomes Spike. She is what love shouldn’t look like. His advances (as well-intentioned as they may be) are spurned when she realizes the poetry he’s written is always about her. She can’t love him because he’s beneath her (something Buffy says to Spike at the end of “Fool for Love”). William was a bit of a dandy and pushover but at his core; he was and remained very dedicated to the notion of romance. It was that little bit of humanity that couldn’t be squashed by the demon inside that propelled him into the other relationships in his unlife.

Drusilla is the woman that Spike latches on to at a very dark time in his life. He’s just been rejected by Cecily and he happens upon Drusilla, a strange woman who seems to understand him. Her allure is enough to keep him from questioning when she sires him. Thus begins their 120+ year love affair. And honestly, since Spike had his heart broken just before he met Drusilla, it’s a really long rebound relationship. Perhaps that’s why in the end they don’t work out. Spike devotes himself entirely to Drusilla, claiming she is his destiny and they’re meant to be together forever (“Destiny”). At first glance, it would appear that Drusilla’s insanity would keep her from returning his affections. However, in her own special way, she understands and reciprocates the affection he was never able to obtain from Cecily. For a long time she is his world, pillaging and destroying life wherever they went. He loved her for so long and he only ever loved her. It says something profound about the part of William that survived that he would be so monogamous in a relationship. Never did you see Spike cheating on the woman he had feelings for. But everything changed the day he first saw Buffy.

In the progression of Spike’s loves, Buffy is the most instrumental. Without her, he would not have become a better man and regained the part of him that made him such a good person in life: his soul. While some would argue it wasn’t love at first sight, I would say that from the moment Spike saw Buffy dancing in the club (“School Hard”), he knew there was something more to her. She wasn’t just another Slayer to kill and put a notch in his belt. Even while he was having his troubles with Drusilla, he was drawn back to Sunnydale and to Buffy to seek help and comfort. It wasn’t until season 4 and the Initiative showed up and shoved a chip in Spike’s brain to keep him from harming people that things really started to take shape. For a long time Buffy let Spike hang around because he was neutered and couldn’t hurt her or her friends. She didn’t realize, and perhaps neither did Spike, that allowing him to spend time around her influenced him in a positive way. He was able to fight demons (get the thrill of the kill) (“Doomed”), and by season 5 Buffy began to rely on Spike for information. It wasn’t until he really started to think about her (hallucinate and dream about having sex with her) that he realized just how deeply he loved her. Drusilla and Spike’s love affair may have been dark but it was a light shade of gray in comparison to Buffy and Spike’s love. Buffy allowed herself to give in to her darker urges and be with Spike in season 6, so the pain and violence associated with their sexual relationship wasn’t just on Spike’s end. Still, Spike’s previous relationship which revolved around equating sex and violence informed his relationship with Buffy to the detriment of the relationship. They were so wrapped up in using each other to satisfy their own desires, neither stopped to consider whether they could have had a strong, positive relationship while Spike still lacked a soul. His love for Buffy ran so deep that he changed who he was to have a chance at being with her and earning her love the right way; without the violence and self-loathing.

Lost

Inevitably, given the fact that he’s lived so long, Spike lost all of the women he loved in one way or another. He also had some platonic relationships that I believe he lost in some way as well throughout the course of his development on Buffy.

Of all the women Spike lost throughout his existence, I find his mother to be particularly tragic. In an attempt to extend his love for her, he sires her (“Lies My Parents Told Me”). What he wasn’t counting on was the demon that took up residence in her body. As he explained to Robin near the end of the episode, she said some nasty things to him in the end that tore him up. But he now realizes that it wasn’t really her. Still, knowing that he was the sole reason for losing his mother ate at him for over a century. She was the first casualty of his love.

William lost Cecily probably even before he had her. He pined for her from afar through his poetry and she rejected him the moment she realized that his poetry was about her. As I said before, it was this loss in his life that lead to William becoming Spike and starting down a rather dark and destructive path of love. They would cross paths one last time before the end of Buffy once Cecily had become a vengeance demon (“Older and Far Away”). It provides an awkward little moment that makes you giggle and gives some closure to that almost-relationship.

It’s rather unfortunate that every romantic relationship Spike enters into ends with the woman leaving him. First, Cecily rejects him for being too low status and then Drusilla abandons him in Brazil for a Chaos demon (“Lover’s Walk”) because his head is too full of the Slayer. This is only the first time Spike loses Drusilla. After the events of “Lover’s Walk”, he goes off to try and reunite with her. It’s unsuccessful again because the third time he returns to Sunnydale he’s got Harmony attached at the hip (a convenient shag if nothing else). Even as Spike moves towards loving Buffy entirely, he’s more than willing to fall back into Drusilla’s arms when she returns (“Crush”). He allows her to make him think he can beat the chip the Initiative put in his head and take out Buffy. Ultimately he loses Drusilla for the last time when he says he’ll kill her to prove his love to Buffy. Dru may be a crazy nut job but she could see that she’d lost Spike’s heart long ago. While I prefer Buffy to Drusilla, I think Spike losing Drusilla was an important step in his evolution to the man we see at the end of the series. It gave him the freedom to pursue Buffy without feeling as though he were betraying Drusilla.

While his mother’s death was certainly tragic, Spike’s heart broke too many times with his love for Buffy. First, he failed to keep her from death’s door in “The Gift”. We see him literally broken and bleeding watching as Buffy’s body lies lifeless on the ground. He sobs openly at his loss as the sun comes up, ignoring the fact that he could burn to ash any second. The best part of his life has been wrenched away and there is absolutely nothing he could do to change it. You would think he’d be happy when Willow, Xander, Tara and Anya resurrect Buffy in “Bargaining Parts 1 and 2”. He’s miserable. He knows that if the spell had gone wrong, and any part of whatever came back was Buffy; he wouldn’t let them get rid of it. He would be willing to fight the people she cares the most about to protect her. He loses her again by the end of season 6. An old love of Buffy’s returns and in the end, she breaks up with Spike. She can’t be with him anymore because it’s killing her (“As You Were”). She hadn’t been truthful with her friends about their relationship and now she realizes that she can’t be happy if she’s with him. She doesn’t want the violence in her life anymore. But that’s not the worst of it. In his grief, Spike makes the worst decision he can, an attempted rape (“Seeing Red”). He knows it’s wrong but violence is the only thing he’s ever equated with intimacy. It is these two losses that drive him to change and seek out his soul. Losing Buffy sends him on the path to redemption.

One of the more tragic relationships Spike had during his time on Buffy was with Joyce. Their first real meeting (excluding “School Hard”) in “Becoming Part 1” was hilarious and you could see how Spike wanted to impress Joyce. Even after Drusilla dumped him, he ends up sitting at the kitchen table in the Summers house being consoled by Joyce. He may have found a love (however twisted) in Drusilla but he’d desperately been seeking a mother figure ever since he killed his own mother. He found it briefly in Joyce. Especially in season 5 (“Crush”), she enjoyed his presence, let him into her home. He was devastated when she died. Not being allowed to pay his respects (“Forever”) really cut deep into him. Spike needed to grieve the loss of another mother figure in his life, and even though this time it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible. He even helps Dawn try to resurrect Joyce (“Forever”) in an effort to reconnect the second mother he lost.

Spike’s interactions with Willow, especially in seasons 3 and 4, show the first real platonic relationship he’s had with a woman. Certainly, he kidnapped Willow (“Lover’s Walk”) with the intention of killing her, but she turned out to be a great listener. Even in her fear, she managed to console him a little, and he latched onto that feeling. He sought comfort from her again (“The Initiative”) when he escaped from the Initiative. He knew he couldn’t go to Buffy. She’d just stake him, but Willow would be a more willing listener (even if he did try to eat her again). I think Spike’s tendency to attack the one woman he didn’t have feelings for speaks to the fact that he never had a model on which to base such a relationship. Perhaps it was the time in which he lived that had an effect on his ability to form a meaningful platonic relationship, but he ends up losing Willow as well. It may have been Spike’s attempt to break apart the gang that drove him and Willow apart or the simple fact that by that point in time they were both wrapped up in their own problems, but she was yet another woman he lost.

Dawn’s loss came slowly over the final three seasons of Buffy. In season 5, it was obvious she had a crush on him (“Crush”). She wanted to hang out with him because he was dangerous and had a cool coat and hair. Spike, having some sense of right and wrong (and probably because of his love for Buffy), never returned her affections. He looked out for her and tried to do what he could to keep her safe (“Blood Ties”, “Bargaining Parts 1 and 2”). He even swore to protect her until he died so as to stop Glory (“The Gift”). In season 6 he takes on more of a big brother/little sister relationship even as he moves into a sexual relationship with Buffy. But by the end of season 6 and beginning of season 7 he’s lost Dawn through his actions (“Seeing Red”, “Grave” and “Beneath You”). One might think this isn’t that big a loss for Spike, but it really is. In a way he counted on having Dawn on his side. If Buffy were to trust him, he’d need Dawn’s support. Losing her pushed him farther from Buffy in season 7 to the point where he paid the ultimate price; death.

Died For

Most importantly in Spike’s evolution is the fact that in the end, he sacrificed himself to save the world and make it a better place for the women with whom he’s shared the last 130 years. He couldn’t have done that if he hadn’t loved and lost all of these important female figures.

The scene at the end of “Chosen” where Buffy finally tells Spike she loves him always makes me cry. They’ve come to a place in their relationship where they are both able to acknowledge their deep feelings for one another, even if there is nothing sexual about that relationship. Buffy begs Spike to stop, but he can’t. He needs to finish what he started and that means giving up his life so Buffy can enjoy hers. It is a powerful scene because even though Spike tells Buffy she doesn’t mean it when she says she loves him, he is expressing the fact that he will always love her. His love for her edged him closer to taking the final step to becoming a better person. Losing her pushed him over the last hurdle to his soul. But getting her back in the very end is what built him up to be a better man, one willing to give so much of himself and asking nothing in return. Buffy believed he could change and it was this belief that refueled their love after so much darkness and destruction. In his rebirth of having a soul, she showed him what it meant to have a real love. Much like his mother showed him the true nature of love between parent and child, Buffy showed him what a real love between two people could look like. She gave him the hope that even as he gave up his existence, he would be capable of loving, respecting his partner. Perhaps the strongest example of this came in “Touched” when he confessed that he didn’t love her because he couldn’t have her but because of what she stood for to him. She was strength and power and beauty. All the good things about life. It was this acknowledgement on his part that gave him the strength to die for Buffy.

Certainly Willow and Spike grew apart after season 4 but it doesn’t mean she wasn’t still affected by his sacrifice. At the end of season 2, Angelus wanted to both awaken the demon Acathla to destroy the world and kill Buffy. Spike remarks that Angelus will get both things because Buffy is in the world. To me, there is a similar principle at work in Spike’s death in “Chosen”. Simply by being in the world, Spike burning in the hellmouth saved Willow’s life and thus he died for her. It was really a combination of Willow magic and Spike’s soul that kept the First from winning and I think that makes his death touch her life in a special way.

Similarly to Willow, Spike died for Dawn because she was in the world. I think, however, that her situation was a little different. The key difference is that Dawn is a part of Buffy, a part she was willing to sacrifice herself for (“The Gift”). By saving Dawn’s life, Spike is in a way saving Buffy twice (perhaps once for each time he lost her). He is giving Buffy the ultimate gift of life, both for herself and for those she cares about.

As any “Buffy” fan knows, Spike didn’t stay dead long. He returned in the final season of Angel. I find it interesting that once Spike regained corporeal form, he didn’t rush off to be with the woman he’s given so much of himself to. Instead he stayed in Los Angeles and fought side by side with the guy he spent a good deal of his past hating (Angel made him a monster) (“Destiny”) to continue saving the world. I’d like to think that Buffy and Spike have a future together some day. But he needs to save the world a few more times before he’s ready to try another shot at love.

Batman and Vader and Vampires, Oh My!: Comic Con Round Up

So, as I may have mentioned in a previous blog post somewhere, Jen (of MTVP) and I attended the New England Comic Con two weekends ago. And, as promised, I’m here to recap it for you. It was three days of wild and wacky fun.

Friday began with me struggling to focus for my morning classes. I don’t think Evidence has ever made me so antsy. I really enjoy the class but I was ready to get the weekend underway and hang with Jen. We did a quick lunch and grocery run before heading to the venue. It was a relatively calm affair for the first day. I went with the intention of only getting Amber and James’s autographs. I walked away at the end of the weekend with everyone’s. We managed to get through the autograph line very quickly on Friday and so I snagged Clare Kramer (Glory), Mercedes McNab (Harmony) and Nick Brendan (Xander) in addition to Amber. As always, Amber was delightful and I miss chatting with her. She remembered me from April and we talked books a little bit. Book 3 in her Caliope Reaper-Jones series comes out in February or March and she’s planning books 4 and 5. I can’t wait. Jen and I also managed to get our photo with Amber. It came out quite well if I do say so myself.

Saturday was a bit crazier. Not only was the convention in full swing but Deval Patrick (our current governor in MA) was having a rally for the election next week and President Obama came by to lend his support. Needless to say, the convention center was barricaded to the hilt with every cop in Boston and loads of Secret Service patrolling the area. Our main focus for Saturday was James’s Q&A. We got to the venue around 8:40 (we were ushered around the building into the cold due to security for the rally) and were first in line. It was a good thing too because there were hundred of people in line behind us to get in. Not everyone did. Our seats could have been better but we could still hear everything. James was sweet and answered everyone’s questions. I’ll admit some were strange (one woman asking him to sing the end duet from Once More with Feeling). He also go very emotional when talking about the attempted rape scene in Seeing Red (Buffy season 6).

After the Q&A I got in line for my photo with James. He was just as much a sweetheart up close as he was in the Q&A. He said I was cute (I felt like I was in the old Claymation version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer). Once my photo was taken, Jen and I got in the obnoxiously long line for James’s autograph. We ended up foregoing his until Sunday because of time constraints. We had autograph tickets for Charisma and she was only there for Saturday. It was a strategic move but it worked. We ended up missing her and Nick’s Q&A panels but that’s okay. From what we heard on the grape vine, they weren’t all that good (lots of people asked Charisma about her hair. I mean…seriously?)

Sunday was a bit more relaxed, much like Friday. We got to the venue early again and got in 9with great seats) for Amber’s Q&A. She showed Chance (a film she did with James and Andy Hallett (Lorne from Angel…RIP) back during filming of Buffy season 5). I’d seen it before (shh don’t tell anyone) but I enjoyed it again. Seeing James in a dress and heels always cracks me up. He’s such a ham. I got to ask Amber some questions about publishing and was rather excited to hear she hates self-editing just as much as I do! I swear we’re like made for each other (in a non-sexual way of course). Afterwards, we headed back to main area to get James’s autograph. He made kind of a disparaging remark about John Barrowman (we knew he was joking because he pretty much professed his giant man-crush on the guy the day before). I also learned that he enjoys reading nonfiction books on science-y subjects. I tried to convince him to do my evidence reading but he declined. So sad. He did sign my photo that I got with him the day before. I’ll be framing both his and Amber’s photos whenever I find a frame shop.

Overall, I really enjoyed the weekend. Jen and I augmented our convention-going with some Doctor Who, Torchwood and Buffy watching. It was only appropriate you know. I’m entirely looking forward to any future conventions in either Boston or Baltimore that include Buffy cast (or Doctor Who…that’d be awesome too).

An easy way to make a difference

So I realized I disappeared for much of September. I apologize but school kind of overtook my life (as school is want to do). I wanted to drop by and spread the word about a really great website.

Free Rice

This site tests various categories of knowledge, from math to english grammar and vocabulary to famous art and georgraphy. For every answer you get correct, 10 grains of rice are donated to feed the hungry around the world. Since 2007, 82.266,339,860 grains (approimately 1,418 tons) of rice have been donated.

It's a simple way to make a difference and I urge you to take a little time and have some fun while doing a good thing.

Merlin recap round up

As promised, I'm posting a list with links to all of my Merlin blog posts over on More TV, Please! I hope you enjoy them if you take a look.

Merlin 1.01 "The Dragon's Call"

Merlin 1.02 "Valiant"

Merlin 1.03 "The Mark of Nimueh"

Merlin 1.04 "The Poisoned Chalice"

Merlin 1.05 "Lancelot"

Merlin 1.06 "A Remedy to Cure All Ills"

Merlin 1.07 "The Gates of Avalon"

Merlin 1.08 "The Beginning of the End"

Merlin 1.09 "Excalibur"

Merlin 1.10 "The Moment of Truth"

Merlin 1.11 "The Labyrinth of Gedref"

Merlin 1.12 "To Kill the King"

Merlin 1.13 "Le Morte D'Arthur"

I will be back over on MTVP once ABC decides to releaes an air date for their new medical drama starring Dana Delany and Jeri Ryan, Body of Proof.

A little bit of law for the lay person

So since the title of the blog has law student in it, I'd share a little about my first week of 2L year. I have classes Tuesday afternoon through Friday morning (no, not like every since hour between then) and that means five courses. Week one was longer than I thought and far more exhausting. But I thought I'd give you a little run down of each.

I'm doing clinic this semester and that means I get to do practical work during the semester. My credit hours dictate that I must do at least 10 hours a week. I'm looking forward to it, even though I'm a little bit nervous about dealing with my own clients. At EEOC I sat in on some charging party intake meetings (well potential charging parties)but I was always with an investigator and I didn't really talk much. I'm sure I'll do fine but it's just a new experience.

In addition to my 10 hours a week of work for clinic, I also have a weekly seminar (which includes a 15-20 page paper) on Tuesdays. It's public interest so I had to read a lot of articles this week about different aspects of public interest work. I'm looking forward to this week's discussion. In general, my professor is nice though I've learned I need to sit closer to him if I want to hear what he says because he speaks rather softly.

I also have Evidence on Wednesday morning (and Friday morning). This and legal writing are my only required courses this semester. Evidence is also my only two-times-a-week class. Going in (after seeing the syllabus) I feared it would be a lot like my criminal law course from last semester. Thankfully, it's not. Our professor is new (and fairly young) and he's very laid back. He assigns a few problems from the casebook and manageable reading each class and he's very open to explaining things if you don't get it. I'll definitely be taking advantage of his office hours most likely following the first graded problem. That is, of course, if I don't do as well as I want. The Federal Rules of Evidence are deceptively complex for short little blurbs in a book.

My other Wednesday class is Alternative Dispute Resolution. I think this course is going to be the most engaging, quite literally. Each week in class, we do role playing (no not in the "what's your safe word" way). We did a couple of smaller exercises in the first class that I liked. I'm not really one to confront conflict. I tend to avoid it. But I'm hoping that through this course, I'll better be able to confront conflict. I'm certain it can help in both my professional and personal lives. We also have a 15 page paper for this course.

My Thursday class is Internet Law. It's not much reading and our professor is pretty laid back too. She assigned only a 6-page paper because it's only a 2-credit course. I'm cool with 6 pages. Plus, I already know my topic. This is one assignment that can be knocked out over a weekend (Prof said as much). The one thing that was a little weird with the first class was she Facebook stalked people, including me. Then again, I thought certain things were set to private if I wasn't friends with them. Guess not. Though she did seem impressed with my writing and that I have an agent and such.

Friday morning comes way too early. 8:00am on a Friday for a class is just cruel. It's legal writing. I know I'm a writer but yeah...legal writing isn't my favorite. At least our assignment this semester is an interesting topic (constitutional law issue). But yeah, I'll have tot get through the two 15 page assignments for this course, plus an oral argument at the end of the semester as well. My professor is nice enough. She's an immigration law attorney which is kind of interesting.

So that's a no-so-short list of my classes for this semester. Overall, good classes, good professors, lots of writing. I should enjoy the fact that I only have 1 actual exam in December. I'll just to forget for the time being that it's at 9:30am on a Monday.

End of Summer a Success!

I promised I would be back this week to let you know how everything went with wrapping up my few fun things before classes began. I managed to do evertyhing.

I read "As Lie the Dead" by Kelly Meding. It's the sequel to a book of hers I picked up at the beginning of the year. I really enjoy the world she's created and she gives you just enough info to know what's happening if you didn't read the first book.

I buckled down on Saturday and got all of my revisions done to Pharaoh. I hae a call with my agent this Friday to discuss our plans for it (other edits, going on submission, that sort of thing). As for what I'll be writing next? Well I'm starting to plan for November. It's probably going to be a middle grade fantasy with a new twist on part of the Arthurian myth. We'll see how it goes.

Merlin has also been blogged. I will post a list of all the recaps over on MOre TV, Please! once Jen posts the last 3 blogs. I really enjoyed the rewatch of series 1. It turns out SyFy picked up series 3 and it will likely air in early 2011. I will try to be good and watch when it airs on this side of the pond.

Speaking of recapping, I think I will be recapping season 1 of Body of Proof this season for MTVP!. I'm quite excited because it means I get to watch more Jeri Ryan and gush over her. I know, I'm kind of sad and pathetic but I'm really hoping it turns out to be a good show. I don't normally do medical dramas but this is more of a crime drama in that the MC (Dana Delaney) is a medical examiner.

Well I need to head off to my first class of the semester! I'm excited to be getting back into the swing of things, even if getting up early has been more difficult this week.

Pre-Semester/Summer wrap-up

So sorry I disappeared for a couple weeks. Not much was happening on the writing front. I had family visiting this past weekend which was fun. This was my last week of work for the summer as well. This weekend and next week I start gearing up for school. I've got all my first assignments for class. Some will probably take longer than others but I'll get them done. All except one of my classes meets once a week. Right now it seems enough time between classes to get things done but that could change when I'm doing 10 hours of clinic work a week.

As for the end of summer, I have a few fun things I'd like to finish before classes begin. I would like to finish blogging Merlin series 1. At this point, I only have 4 episodes left. I just re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have one more book I'd like to read before classes. I'm hoping to finish revisions on Pharaoh's Link by the 24th as well. It seems I'm well on my way to getting all of my end of summer to-do list done. I'll be back before school starts to let you know how everything went.

Novel round-up

So I didn't exactly get that email from my agent. We chatted on the phone a bit. We haven't had any new rejections on EUTERPE since Dial. We've just gone out to Egmont USA and will be going to Candlewick in August and likely Disney/Hyperion in September. So in all, I think we're still out with like 5 or 6 publishers. Summer is a slow time, too. Lots of people go on vacation and the houses have summer hours (often times not open or very limited hours on Fridays). We just have to keep plugging along.

I've been making some little-ish edits to PHARAOH over the last week (as my mom reads, she sends me stuff). The biggest change so far has been the MC's name. He is now Jahi, a far more traditional Egyptian name. I'll be introducing some interesting religous undertones to the manuscript in revisions as well. It's going to actually add to the subplot of Jahi and Nan's relationship.

As for MONTICELLO, I've just gutted it. Lost over half of the word count but it's what was required. I've saved the material in case there is some parts that I can keep. I'm sure there may be a few choice bits of dialog that can be reused. I'm aiming for 13,000 words by the 31st which I'm fairly confident I can accomplish.

I've blogged the first five episodes of Merlin and through episode 4 has been posted over on More TV, Please. I swear once they're all up I'll throw up a post over here with a list of each recap. For now, I have to go do some beta-ing.

A brief update on state of affairs

Hey everyone. This is going to be a short post this week. I wanted to report that PHARAOH'S LINK is now being shipped off to readers before I do another edit and send it to my agent. Hopefully everything I've learned since last September (when I signed with my agent) will mean less revising time before submitting to publishers. I'm expecting a reply to an email from my agent in the next few days so I will probably swing by and give an update on that early next week.

I've now also done three guest blogs on More TV Please for the Summer TV Rewind series. I'll wait to post with a link to the individual entries until most of them are up. However if you go over to More TV Please, you can easily search through the July posts to find the first 2 entries.

I'm really enjoying this rewind. I hadn't watched Merlin series 1 since last summer (even before it aired on NBC). It is reminding me why I really like the show and getting me stoked for series 3 in September. And I'm eagerly waiting for series 2 to be released to region 1 DVD.

A Day with Steve Berry

So, I spent Tuesday morning and early afternoon at a workshop in Bridgeport, CT led by international thriller writer, Steve Berry. For those of you who have been following me for any length of time, you may have picked up that Steve is one of my favorite authors. For the genre, I would say he is the top of my list. It was nice to know someone besides me and my parents thought Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was horrible. Steve said you could read it as what not to do in writing a novel. So, I've decided to recap what Steve lectured about and a few interesting answers to some questions from the Q&A session.


Story Structure (the 6 Cs)

A story can be broken up into essentially 3 Acts. Acts 1 and 3 compose roughly 5% each of the novel while Act 2 comprises the remainly 90%. Additionally, each has a set of Cs of structure one must follow.

Act 1 has Character, Conflict and Crucible. Obviously, you need to introduce your characters in the first part of the novel, including the antagonist. This will come into play more when we discuss Point of View but there should be 2-5 characters that you introduce at this point in time. You also need to introduce the main conflict for the story in the first act. It's even better if you introduce the conflict as early as you can. One way to do this, Steve suggested, is to start the story as close to the end point as possible. Finally, you need to have the crucible. This is more difficult to work out. It's the thing that makes your character (even your antagonist) act a way they would not normally act. It's basically, if I understand correctly, their motivation.

Act 2 has Complications. This where the meat of things happen. You also start weaving subplots in during this part of the novel. It's important that the subplots tie into the main plot. Just throwing a romance in for no good reason (or for filler words) is pointles. If it doesn't tie to the main plot, and resolve by the end of Act 2, then you need to either lose it or find some way to tie it in. Try not to have too many subplots. Two or three is more than sufficient.

Act 3 has the Crisis and the Conclusion. The crisis is the high point of the drama. The bad guy and the good guy are facing off and shit is about to hit the fan. Generally speaking, this should happen at the beginning of Act 3. And finally, you have the conclusion. Keep the 'duhs' to yourself. You need to end the story, not just let it sit there. Wrap it up.

Point of View

There are mainly two general points of view novels are told in; first person and third person. First person is far more difficult than one might imagine. Believe, I've done it and I much prefer third person.

First person can have the charactere either actively participating in the story be more passive. But since I don't write often in first person, there isn't much else to say.

Far more common, is third person (or omniscient). There are four types of third person narration; none, one, some and all. No narrator is generally done where there is only dialog and sees rather difficult to pull off. The moment you have the need for some kind of description, then you are no longer in no narrator. The second type of narration is one narrator. This is much like first person in that it's only shown through one character's perspective and can be difficult. Of course, it can be done and may be better for some types of novels than others. The most popular and used type of narration is some (or multiple) narrators. This usually is 3-5 characters and you guessed it, they happen to be the characters you introduced in Act 1. The last type of narration or point of view is all where you are in every character's head. I wouldn't recommend it and neither would Steve.

A few other things to remember regarding point of view. Throw away POVs are lazy writing. These are characters who you toss in for no other purpose than to show them getting killed off. Just don't do it.

Another interesting POV thing is psychic distance, how far away from the character the reader is. This is a completely new ocncept that I learned at the workshop. You want to be as close to the character as possible beause that keeps the point of view tight and there's less chance of accidental head hopping. So keeping things as s/he or I (depending on first or third) does this for you. One way to establish POV in a chapter is to start the chapter with the character's name and use s/he the rest of the chapter. Call other characters by name the whole time. You can throw in the POV character's name as a reminder if it's needed but only if it's really needed.

Dialog

Dialog is far more important than one might think. It helps to advance the plot, provide comic relief, maintain suspense/tension and/or illustrate character development. You want dialog (and every scene in fact) to do at least two of these things. Try not to use dialog as a giant info dump. There are plenty of ways to get the informmation out rather than a big long conversation. The best kind of dialog to use is oblique. It doesnn't have many direct questions and answers or yes and no or even hello or goodbye. I'm trying to do this as I revise my own manuscripts and it's kind of difficult. But, like anything, if you keep at it, it gets easier.

There are a few other things one needs to know about dialog; tags versus beats. Beats indicate movement and can come either before or after dialog and remind the reader who is about to speak. A tag is "said". And as much as it pains me to say this (no pun intended), use said 99.9% of the time. Occasionally you can toss in asked. But generally, avoid other qualifiers. Don't use exclamation points. That's just lazy writing. You can show the reader how the character is speaking with a beat.

The 10 Rules of Writing

1. There are no rules as long as it works
2. Don't bore the reader
3. Don't confuse the reader
4. Don't get caught writing
5. Don't lie to the reader
6. Don't annoy the reader
7. Writing is rewriting
8. Shorter is always better
9. Story never takes a vacation
10. Must tell a good story

Here a few questions I'd asked him that I thought had some interesting answers.

Q: Do you work on more than one project at a time.
A: I'm actively writing one and plotting two more. So there's always 3 stories in my head.

Q: Do you write daily and if so, how often?
A: I write four to five hours a day, usually in the morning. I spend the afternoons working on the business of writing.

Q: Do you ever wish you could write another genre?
A: I'd love to write historical fiction but moving between genres (unless it's a completely different audience) will make you lose your audience.

So that is everything I've learned from Steve. He's a delightful guy and I'm ready to implement his knowledge in my own writing.

I'm That Sort of Man

Hey, everyone. Nothing really new on the writing front other than I've finally hit 20,000 words (halfway) on PHARAOH'S LINK and I'm stedily working through chapter 2 of THE MONTICELLO DIARY.

I wanted to stop by and share with you another guest post I've written for More TV Please! This time, we explore the three Modern faces of Doctor Who.

(Sometimes) Rude and (Still) not Ginger: The Three Faces of the Doctor

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I have to say I'm so happy I decided to check out Doctor Who. Not only does it shed some serious light on Torchwood but it's just genuinely a fantastic series.

Oh Happy Day!

So I've had an interesting week so far. I'd totally intended on powering through PHARAOH'S LINK this weekend but it didn't end up happening. Instead, the muse decided to wack me over the head with 3 other ideas. So I gave in and am starting a couple of them.

I'm really hoping to get a few chapters in on this one project, an historical thriller, before July 6. Why you ask? Because I'm going to a writer's workshop led by Steve Berry and I'm hoping to get his opinion on a few things. Plus, I'd like to be able to send the material to Roger to get his feeling on the project.

I also have some other good news. I was very concerned that I had lost my scholarship for school. I received a letter in the mail today congratulating me on keeping it! I was SO happy. You have no idea. I'd been pnaicking for weeks that I'd not made the grade to keep it. I'm so relieved now.

I also recieved another rejection on EUTERPE'S SONG yesterday. And it was quite the lovely rejection. The editor praised the premise and a lot of the situations but they felt it wasn't quite right for their imprint, which focuses on character driven work. And they were concerned that any new work that has a heavily Greek mythology bent will obviously be compared to Percy Jackson and it may not hold up. But the editor assured me (and my agent) that we'd probably get a taker and that they would have the perfect vision to get my characters on the shelves.

Now this may seem like, oh they didn't want it because of the competition. Which, to be fair, is true. But what I like about this is that it shows the editor took the time to carefully consider my work. That to me, speaks volumes.

And hopefully I'll be back next week with some writing progress updates for you. And who knows, I may have read another book by then. We'll see.

How Music is Like Writing a Novel

So I thought I'd bring you all a little post about something other than just general updates this week. I was thinking last night about how creating music and writing novels are similar.

As I listen to the new Hanson album (Shout It Out) (don't judge me), I'm reminded what it is that I love so much about the band. No matter what the music sounds like, it always evokes in me a renewed sense of admiration. I've grown up with the band since the beginning in 1997. And the core of their music making hasn't changed. They still have their trademark 3-part harmonies and soul and '50s-'60s rock n roll feel.

So how, you ask, is music like writing a novel? It's simple. Both novel writing and music making tell a story. The real heart of music is communicating a story to your listener. Musicians, especially songwriters are really poets in disguise. They weave tales with beautiful lyrics just as a novelist crafts a story with the right words. It's about sharing a piece of the musician's soul with the wider audience. And isn't that what we, as novelists, do as well? We take a piece of ourselves and bare it to the world in what we write. Sure, it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint the piece of the creator in the finished product but it's always there, regardless of whether you can see/hear it or not.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that music can serve as great inspiration for other creative endeavors. As I continue to work on my various projects, I let the music I listen to fill me up and inspire me to greatness.

Thank you Hanson for 13 wonderful years and many more to come!

Another smattering of updates

So sorry I haven't been keeping to my weekly posts. Last week was busy with starting work and this week is busy with my boyfriend visiting.

Not a whole lot to report. Nothing new on the EUTERPE front sad to say. But that's the nature of the biz. I have set an absolute deadline for myself for finishing PHARAOH's LINK; Sunday June 20th. Even if it kills me, I'm going to stick to it!

Work has been really interesting so far. I've got several big cases I'm working on for several different investigators. I've been drafting interview questions for a 2-day onsite interview process for one case. I'm quite excited to atually go and participate in the questioning. How cool that they let us just dive in? Been doing some statistical analysis on another case. One thing I've learned fairly quickly is that even if someone seems sympathetic from reading their statement, you have to remain impartial and not take sides.

I sat in Tuesday and yesterday on a hearing for a Dept. of Agriculture case. Very fascinating to see the dynamic between the attorneys (who knew each other for quite some time) and the various witnessses. The judge is probably one of the most awesome people in the office. Got to sit in just by chatting with her at the copy machine on Monday.

As for keeping up with the blog this summer, I think I may work a little something out with Jen over at More TV, Please! about doing a TV rewind series on a show (probably a shorter show...like Merlin season 1). I've got the DVD set but haven't rewatched any of the episodes yet.

Well I need to head off to work...such is the life of the grown up (or summer intern).

General Update

So now that finals are over, I'm back! I've got a few days until I start work at the EEOC in the Enforcement Division. I'm quite excited about it. I'll be doing something good and it will be a totally different experience from anything I've done before.

As for writing, I'm slowly getting back to PHARAOH'S LINK. I'm still on track to finish the draft by the end of the month. I'll be sending it to betas and submitting it to my agent by sometime in July (whenever I finish my beta edits). And then I'm not really sure what I'll be doing.

I've read a couple of really good books the last couple weeks. Death's Daughter and Cat's Claw by Amber Benson. For those of you who've been following my blog, you know that I adore Amber. Her novels are both very good and I'd recommend them if you like fun urban fantasy with some mythology thrown in. I'm definitely awaiting the final installment in the trilogy.

I'm currently working my way through Timothy and the Dragon's Gate by Adreinne Kress. And next on the list is A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane and The Red Pryamid by Rick Riordan. I'm quite enjoying being able to read something other than law textbooks.

Torchwood anybody?

Hey everyone.

As I'm in crunch time for finals, I've put writing on hold. Well, almost. I did take a little time to write up a guest blog on More TV, Please for Torchwood. You can find it at the link below.

TORCHWOOD: Why Brits Do It Better

It recaps my five favorite episodes of the series. I will be back after the 17th with hopefully some writing updates.

Cairo Time

This is the final blog post about IFFBoston. It was a great event and I plan on going back again next year.

CAIRO TIME

Premise: Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), the wife of a UN officer, travels to Cairo for a vacation. She meets Tareq (Alexander Siddig), her husband's former right-hand man. They share a delightful time in Cairo until her husband returns from Gaza.

Reaction: I think, besides Drones, this was the best film at the festival, hands down. The cinematography and the score/soundtrack was beautfiul. The film was completely shot in Eygpt (a feat never before done. There were scenes at the pryamids and the White Desert (an 8 hour drive out of Cairo). Truly, fantastic. The storyline reminded me a lot of an irish film that showed at Sundance a few years back; Once. That was a sort of love story where both main characters went their separate ways at the end. Here, Juliet went with her husband, Mark, and Tareq went his own way.

I have to say I was really rooting for Juliet and Tareq. I mean, they enjoyed each other's company and even shared a kiss. But the thing I've leaned about independent films is that they rarely have the traditional happy ending. I will definitely buy this film on DVD.

Afterwards, there was a Q&A and with the director, Ruba Nadda. She was delightful and answered everyone's questions, even the ones that were critical of her casting choices. I didn't think that was necessary and I guess most people wouldn't know there was anything wrong. But this film was really the perfect way to end my festival experience.

Rating: * * * * *

We'll be back next week with writing-related posts. Cheers.

Drones

Here we are, back for the final movie from Saturday.

DRONES

Premise: Brian (Johnathan M. Woodward) is a regular guy working in an office until he finds out his friend, Clark and his girlfriend, Amy (Angela Bettis) are aliens. They have a week to save the planet.

Reaction: By far, this was the best movie of the day on Saturday. And no, I'm not just saying it because it's related to Amber Benson and Adam Busch. Well okay, so maybe a little. But I really enjoyed it. The humor was great and everyone laughed at just the right times. The alien names were hilarious and watching Brian try to say them was even better.

The fun part was that Clark and Amy didn't know the other was an alien until Brian pointed it out. and even better, their races are diametrically opposed to each other. Clark's people just want to enslave humanity and hey, Brian would get a pay raise out of it. Amy on the other hand wants to destroy Earth and use it as fuel. Well clearly, that plan sucks for Brian and the rest of humanity. But all is saved when Cooperman, a fellow officemate and alien called a Bingo (they're basically hippies) evolves humanity. It saves the planet and everyone is happy, even Amy. Since now she gets to spend the next 50 years regathering her data and dating Brian.

On a slightly non-related note, I did get to see Amber again. She'd been watching in the balcony and had come down for the Q&A which I had to miss. But I saw her and her first words to me were "you made it!" I was so thrilled that she remembered me. And she was so happy I'd come and enjoyed the film. It really was a great way to end the night and a fun day of movie going with my parents.

Rating: * * * * *

Check back in a short while for the final film recap.

Lovers of Hate

And I'm back with the final 3 films I saw at the film festival.

LOVERS OF HATE

Premise: Two brothers are caught between the same woman. One brother, Paul, a successful novelist and the other, Rudy, a failure. Paul invites Rudy's soon-to-be-ex up to his mansion in Park City, Utah for a weekend. Little do they know Rudy's already there and spying on them.

Raction: So I saw this film partly because it had writers in it and partly because the film I was going to see at the same timeslot was all in Italian. As we found out with Seeds of the Fall, subtitles and I don't get along very well. So I went to this one instead. It was pretty good. I liked the writing aspect of it, you know the struggling novelist. The title of the film is actually the title of Rudy's novel that he's probably never going to finish.

The house where it was filmed for the most part was enormous. There was one part with about four sets of stairs (it was 4 stories, go figure). Rooms everywhere. Pretty impressive. None of the characters were overly wonderful though. I mean, the ex was sleeping with her brother-in-law even before the divorce was final. And Rudy doesn't make things any easier when they finally find out he's actually there.

I will say that the ned was interesting. She finds out pretty much that she should hae ditched both guys years ago because they just use her for their own tug-of-war. Not sure I'd see it again, but for what it was, it was decent.

Rating * * *

The Freebie

Back again with another post about the second film I saw on Saturday.

THE FREEBIE

Premise: A married couple (of 7 years) decides they are going to grant each other one night out, for a one night stand. They agree not to ask questions afterwards but it doesn’t go as planned. They blow up at the end, only to end up happy again.

Reaction I found this film pretty good. The concept seemed a little stupid, as the characters themselves acknowledged. They thought it would be a good idea because their sex life was fairly nonexistent in their marriage. They thought that by having a one night stand, it would reignite the spark they feel for each other.

Yeah, that didn’t happen at all. They both go out and it appears they do go through with their respective one night stands. Of course they both deny it after their huge fight. Personally, I didn’t believe them at all. Not one bit. But they at least eventually acknowledge that their idea was pretty stupid.

Rating: * * *

I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of the last 3 films I saw over the remainder of the festival.

Shorts

And I'm back with another review of what I've seen at IFFBoston.

SHORTS

GOD OF LOVE

Premise: This was a 10-15 minute film about a guy who prays to God (whose name he doesn't know) to make the drummer in his jazz band fall for him. In response, he gets magic love darts. The guy is a master dart thrower and it works, for a short time. The dart's magic lasts six hours in which he must convince the girl to fall for him. Despite his efforts, her love for the guitarist shines through.

Reaction: OF all the shorts I saw in this set, this was by far the best. It had a story that had a beginning, middle and ending. It was a happy ending, too which didn't hurt. We see him ride off on his bike with a quiver and arrows, a modern day cupid. He's bee able to find love for all sorts of people, including all of his band and most of the audience. Definitely worth seeing again. Plus, the director/lead actor was there for a short Q&A after the film and he was very personable.

Rating: * * * *

THE GAYBY

Premise: Two friends from college decide to have a baby, even though the guy is gay.

Reaction Yes, the premise really is that simple. Unlike God Of Love, this film didn't have a solid resolution. It ends with the pair sitting on the roof for a smoke (even though neither are actually smoking) waiting for the pregnancy test. They discuss the reason for the baby and it was kind of interesting. Apparently, this is quite a common arrangement, women getting pregnant by their gay friends, hence the title of the film. I enjoyed it overall but I do wish we could have found out if it had worked. I will say that the sex scene was quite entertaining, if a bit strained. But it fit the situation very well.

Rating * * * *

BLACKHEAD

Premise: A guy develops a huge blackhead on his back and there are very disgusting consequences to his actions.

Reaction This film was absolutely revolting. Nothing funny about it at all. Almost immediately you knew what was going to happen (finding a homeless guy to screw him...there). Yeah, I sat there with my eyes covered most of the time. Even thinking about it now makes me kind of sick to my stomach. Highly NOT recommended.

Rating *

THE ARMOIRE

Premise: A boy's friend goes missing and they eventually find him buried on school grounds. The adults in the boy's life try to figure out what happened.

Reaction This was a really strange film. We see the boy counting down and running all over the house trying to find his friend. They’re playing hide and seek. Seems normal enough and when the boy can’t find his friend, everyone and their brother it seems shows up to question him. He sees a shrink and trough hypnosis we see what really happened. The boys were playing truth or dare and the boy dared his friend to stick his (metal) fork in the power socket. I think we all know how that ends. So yeah, very weird.

Rating * * *

SEEDS OF THE FALL

Premise: A Swedish couple's bedroom bets bulldozed by a diabetic guy in the middle of the night and their neighbors stop by asking for help in conceiving a child.

Reaction First off, let me say I had no idea this was a foreign film. Subtitles and I do not mix one bit. Especially when most of the text appeared against a white background. And yes, the text was also white. So that made it hard to figure out what was going on. Also, it was kind of hard to tell what happened anyway. There was a carpenter named Stefan who ended up sleeping with the neighbor’s wife (the hubby got hit by an ice cream truck). Just a very bizarre film.

Rating * *

Perrier's Bounty

So I'm back (finally) with my recaps of the films I've seen so far at IFFBoston. I'll be blogging about each film (or in the case of the Shorts, films,) separately. So here we go!

PERRIER'S BOUNTY

Premise: A young man, Michael (Cillian Murphy), owes Darren Perrier (Brendan Gleeson) 1,000 pounds and he's got 2 days to get the money or else he'll die. He teams up with his downstairs neighbor, Brenda, and his dad (Jim Broadbent) to get he money. Along the way, they encounter other thugs, drug dealers and dog fighting trainers. In the end, it's Perrier who has to worry about a bounty.

Reaction: First word that comes to mind about this film; violent. People are forever getting knocked out and shot and beat up. In the end, there's a very disturbing (though thankfully not much is shown) scene in which all of the dogs are set upon Perrier. Not a pretty picture, at all.

But I thought the film was very well done. The cinematography was decent and it was set in Dublin so I was happy. I like Irish films, even if the accents are a little hard to understand at times. I really liked seeing Jim Broadbent's character, so different from the one he portrays in the Harry Potter world. His character Michael's estranged father, shows up and tells his son he's dying. And the wya in which he fears he will die is quite amusing. He's convinced if he falls alseep, the Reaper will get him. He's proven wrong though, only to be shot. Poor bloke.

For my first film at a festival, it was a good choice. There were certainly a few tings a little bit better that I've seen over the weekend but it was definitely a good choice. And while I don't 100% agree with my mom, Cillian Murphy does have a certain cuteness to him. Not hot, mind you, but cute.

Rating: * * * *

A slight change of pace

The next 2 weeks are going to be a slight departure from a writing focus. The 21-28 of April is the Boston Independent Film Festival, which I will be attending. So instead of once a week posts about something writing related, I will be recapping the films I see. That's 10 films in the next 2 weeks. So, I hope I can recount them and make things interesting for you all.

This is my first forray into the film festival scene. Needless to say, my parents were thrilled. They'll be joining me for a day of film going on the 24th. I'm quite excited about it. It's going to be a long day but it's well worth it. I'll be blogging about a certain film from that day. You'll just have to check back to see which one and what's so special about it.

Euterpe's Song update

Hey all!

As promised on Sunday, I'm back with a quick update on where EUTERPE'S SONG is in the publishing rounds.

Not much has changed. We've still only gotten one rejection. It was a nice enough one. I've learned that editors don't want to give you any really useful information in their rejections. I suppose it's because they don't want to appear foolish when the book actually does get published. But as rejections go, I'll take it.

By the end of the month we will be out with 5 houses, all top honchos in the biz;
S&S, HMH, RH, Penguin and HC. We'll see where things stand at the end of finals time.

Until next week. Cheers all.

Comic Con Recap!

Hey all!

As promised, I'm back this week with a recap of my time at the Boston Comic Con.

I arrived at the venue around 8:40am and stood in line. There were probably 30-ish people ahead of me but it was fine. I chatted with a couple of fellow first-timers and read a bit of Death's Daughter, Amber's first solo book. Around 10:05, they finally let us inside the venue (which was great because it was a bit chilly out). I made my way downstairs and into the convention area. There were tables everywhere. Luckily I found a couple of people who were looking for Amber and we ended up scouting out her table. They left after we found it and she wasn't there. I waited, probably 20-25 minutes until Amber arrived.

That meant I was first in line. Pretty freaking cool! So once she got settled, Amber and I chatted for a bit. She autographed my copy of Death's Daughter and we snapped a picture together.

I have to say, she is probably one of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. She was really easy to talk to. I mentioned how excited I was for the Boston Independent Film Festival in a couple weeks and she said it was cool that I was going and maybe we'd see each other at the screening of her newest directorial accomplishment, DRONES. She also mentioned there's oging to be a Q&A. I predicct the 24th-25th are going to be LONG days. But it's totally going to be worth it.

On the book front, Amber answered a couple questions about her newwest book, Among the Ghosts that comes out in August and is publisehd by Aladdin books (imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). I'll be scooping that up once it arrives!

She wished me luck in my own submissions and said she'll keep her fingers crossed for me. How cool! Hopefully, if/when I see her on the 24th, I'll have an update.

Now, on to the two pictures I took at the whole event (I spotted a couple storm troopers but didn't pull out my camera fast enough).



Amber and I



Amber's autograph on my copy of Death's Daughter

I'll be doing a second blog post this week after I have my 3-month status call with Roger, my agent on the 14th. So fingers crosse for some good news there!

What's Your Soundtrack?

As I thought about what to write about this week, I realized I hadn't written about one of the most important pieces of my writing process; music. I love music. From singing in my church choir from age 5 to dabbling in music composition and joining a music centric sorority, I have always loved music. And these days there's no exception.

So, as the title of today's post indicates, I have a soundtrack for my writing. It helps me get in the right headspace for whatever I'm working on. But I don't have just one soundtrack. That wouldn't be useful. I have several. I really recommend using a soundtrack to get you in the right space. Just don't get too distracted singing along (waves hand around with a guilty look on her face).

So I thought I'd share some of what's on my writing soundtrack for the last few projects I've done and the one I'm working on now.

ACCORDING TO OWEN (adult contemporary)

I relied heavily on my miscellaneous playlist while writing this novel. It helped that the story had kind of a modern feel. The list was a mixture of indie rock (3 Doors Down, Brandi Carlile), a dash of country (Christian Kane) and some fun filled TV soundtracks (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Glee).

UNPLANNED (women's fiction)

I used my exclusive Glee playlist while writing most of this novel. Somehow writing about unplanned pregnancy seemed easier with the upbeat tunes from the McKinley High Glee Club. Near the end of the process, I added my exclusive Christian Kane playlist made up mostly of his new EP that was released in early March. I found that his wildly alcoholic filled songs were just what I needed to get me through the hard portions of the storyline with each of the four main characters.

PHARAOH'S LINK (middle grade urban fantasy)

This novel took me a bit by surprise soundtrack wise. I started writing it on Friday on the train ride home for Easter. I thought something upbeat like Glee would work, or even my miscellaneous would work. I was wrong. Dead wrong in fact. Let's just say I rediscovered my youth on this one.

For those of you that know me, you know I am a huge Hanson fan. I've been into their music since the beginning (and am anxiously awaiting their new album on June 8th). I've collected quite a lot of their music over the years and it's been sitting in it's own special playlist on itunes for years. I have some of their stuff in my miscellaneous playlist and a few smaller lists but not like this. So on a whim, Friday on the train I turned it on and started with my old reliable, "MMMBop". And then the words flowed like water. Okay, so that's a bit dramatic but whatever. The point is, I'd found my soundtrack for this novel.

It also served to remmind me where my love of music comes from. The stuff that made me smile and squee as a child. And that's what I need for this new novel. The excitement of a child about to go on a wild adventure.

So that's my little bit of writing wisdom for the week. Check back next week for a recap of the Boston Comic Con (where I will be meeting Buffy alum and fellow author, Amber Benson).

Not an April Fool's Joke

So as I sit here on April 1 and reflect back on March, I realize just how tough this biz can be. I started the month believing I could easily handle everything that needed to get done. School and writing alike. Unfortunately, I was wrong. School went well enough, as I had no choice in the matter. But writing really took a hit.

I really think March epitomized the phrase "the best laid plans...". I had every good intention of keeping to my writing schedule but many times my motivation was just lacking. I certainly had some days where I managed to churn out large amounts of wods. The 29th for instance I churned out 6,000 words and the 30th saw 7,000 words. But, in the end I did not meet my March goal.

Still, I am happy to report that I was only 1 day late. I finished my women's fiction piece, UNPLANNED, this afternoon. It clocks in at 81,000 words. I'm very proud that I managed to exceed my expected goal.

So now it is on to new projects. I will begin writing a new middle grade novel today, titled PHARAOH'S LINK. You'll just have to wait and see what becomes of the main character on his exciting adventure through modern day Egypt. I've been waiting quite some time to tackle this project and I think my vigor in getting it written will sustain me through April and keep me on track.

Apologies and a very brief update

First off, I want to say I'm sorry for not blogging last week. My computer had a whole host of problems that kept me from being able to blog. Though, perhaps it was for the best as I didn't have much to report/share last week.

This is going to be a pretty short post. Just wanted to give a quick update on where EUTERPE'S SONG stands. So far, we've gotten a pass from one publisher. No worries though, plenty more out there. And to me, getting that first rejection means we're really in the game. I'm quite excited to see where this goes. I've been told my editor and agent are working together going forward to submit to various editors. It makes me swell with pride to hear how vigorously and pasionately they've been pitching my baby.

Reading Recommendation

So I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I just love getting lost in a good book and when I'm on a roll, I can poweer through a 350-400 page book in about 2 days. So I thought I would drop by and give you a little book recommendation from my reading list.

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Basic premise: The Gods of Olympus have ruled the world for the last 3,000 years in the 5th Age (the Golden Age), moving across the globe as Western Civilization moves. Currently, Mount Olympus rests atop the Empire State Building in New York City. Enter 12-year-old Percy Jackson. He's just a kid with ADHD and dyslexia until he discovers he's the son of one of the Big Three (Zeus, Posiedon and Hades) and is ushered off to Camp Half-Blood (training ground for all demigods).

Why I like the series: I really love Greek mythology (as those of you who have been following my progress with Euterpe's Song know) so I was interested to see how someone else handled the pantheon in modern times. I saw the film adaptation of The Lightning Thief (book 1) before I read any of the books. The movie was enough to hook me. I immediately went out and bought the first two books in the series and devoured them in three days flat. Books 3 and 4 went the same way last week and book 5 (the last in the series) was gobbled up in less than 24 hours yesterday.

I was drawn in to the world Riordan created and the way he made everything fit. I really enjoyed the fact that Olympus was in New York at the top of the Empire State Building (the 600th floor). The gods and goddesses all have their roles to play as the saga unfolds and I found their portrayals fascinating, especially in comparison to the personas I'd given several of the gods and goddesses in my novel. Certainly there are differences between Riordan's work and my own but knowing that someone else managed to publish a book about the Greek pantheon gives me hope. I also found Percy's voice entertaining, albiet a little repetitive between books. We were constantly reminded who his father was and who his friends were (and who their godly parent(s) were). But I suppose all series have some sort of recap in them at some point.

I will also admit that reading Riordan's sereis gave me some things to mull over for my own books (books 2 and 3 in my trilogy). I hope that my interpretation of these great figures can stand up to his. I would feel veryy honored to share shelf space with him.

Overall rating: * * * *

Juggling two writing brains

So this week marks the beginning of National Novel Editing Month. It will be my first time particpating but it should be a good time. So this week's post will discuss the event a little and how I plan to juggle getting in my editing time and writing time.

So EdMo, as it's affectionately known, is a world wide event, albeit small, in which one spends 50 hours editing in the month of March. That works out to roughly 1 1/2 hours of editting per day. Not too bad.

For those familiar with National Novel Writing Month, EdMo is set up in a similar fashion. You can record the number of hours of editting logged and at the end if you make your goal yo get a shiny certificate. You are also able to go to regional events and edit-ins. That's the thing I love about these events. If you live somewhere that has a lot of events and are easily accessible by mass transit, you get to meet lots of new people and make friends.

How do I plan to keep up my writing schedule and edit at the same time? I plan to get as may hours in during the first week of March as possible. I have a break from school so I can do a lot of work during the week. Also, my writing goal for the month of March is substantially smaller than February. I plan to go to edit-ins when I can because let's face it, it's fun to hang with people doing the same thing you are. They can encourage you and motivate you.

So, if you're at the editing stage of your writing process, I urge you to sign up for EdMo and join in the fun! Happy March everyone!

Writing Tips: TIP Sheet

Hey all!

As promised, this week we will be talking about the TIP (Title Information Page) sheet. So, here we go.

TOPIC: TIP Sheet

So what is a TIP, you ask? It is a very handy form an agent may send along to editors with your manuscript. The TIP or Title Information Page gives editors a plethora of information about you and your book. Now, not all agents will have you do this but those that do are doing the editors a real favor. So we'll break down the TIP into its basic components.

The first block contatins the TITLE, Author Name, Reading Line, Age Level/Grade Level, Specs, Subject/BISAC, Agent contact information and author websites/blogs/etc. Most of this information is pretty self explanatory. Title and author name are a snap. You don't have to fill in the agent information either. The Age/Grade level information is generally for children's novels (at least it is for my agent's form). Specs are projected page length and format. The Subject/BISAC relates to the keywords that will be associated with your book. Finally the reading line is a one line phrase that also conveys the essence of your book. Think of it like a movie tagline.

The next section the author needs to consider is the Handle. This is often referred to as the elevator pitch. It is a one to two sentence hook for your book. Think of it as you have 10 seconds to interest a prospecive editor. What would you want to convey about your book?

The next big section is the Description. Treat this like the body of a query letter. So, (as review) it is written in third person present tense and it about 250 words, maximum. Introduce your main character, their dilemma and what is at stake if they fail to achieve their desired goal.

Next comes the selling points. This is more focused on marketing. What do you beleive sets your book apart from all of the others out there? You can list things such as if it provides a new approach to an old trope or if it's geared towards a specific audience. For instance for my current work in progress, my selling points include the fact that it is geared towards a subset of younger readers and provides a prominent historical figure in a new and interesting light.

AFter the selling points section comes the Author's Bio. This is fairly straightforward. Include information about where you grew up and attended school. Mention what postsecondary degrees you hold and some of your interests. To give the editor some idea of where they might focus local marketing efforts, you can include where your family is located.

The second to last section on a TIP sheet is reserved for the author's prior sales. If you haven't sold anything before, don't sweat it. Your agent will remove it. It's there to demonstrate to editors that if you do have prior sales tht you are worth taking on as a contact.

The final piece of the TIP is the Comparative/Competitive Titles. Admitedly, this is my weak spot. It requires the author to conduct research in the genre to determine what other books they will be competing against. You are also asked to provide comments on why you believe your book is similar or diferent to the titles you choose. It's important that you don't just chooose the latest trendy book. If it is an accurate comparison to your book, then fine. Otherwise, try to avoid the latest best seller. You can get the information you need by going to a library or bookstore such as Borders or Barnes & Noble or by using their online counterparts. You may find something in your search that piques your interest.

So, now that we've taken a quick trip through what the TIP includes and how to go about preparing it, we'll talk briefly about when you should complete the TIP. It really doesn't matter whether you do it before you begin writing, while you're in he process of writing or after the book is finished. It really all depends on how you organize your ideas. If you believe working on parts of the TIP, such as the description and handle, before you write will help you focus your ideas, then go for it. Completing it at these various stages of the writing process each have their own advantages and only you can determine what works best in your situation.

As a little side note, my agent gave me an A+ in my TIP prep for my projects. That makes me smile.

I hope you found this a useful and helpful writing tip. I'll see you next week.

Off and Running!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a good President's Day. If you had it off, yay you! If not, well I hope it was still a good Monday. Also, a belated Happy Valentine's Day to those of you who celebrate. Hope you got share a little something special with your some special.

Anyway, I've got some very exciting news to share. As of today (2/16/2010) EUTERPE'S SONG is on submission to publishers.

What does that mean?

It means that my agent (Roger) has sent out my manuscript and the TIP sheet (tune in next week for a Writing Tip on the TIP) to editors at various publishing houses. We should hear back on this initial round in a few weeks. I will keep you updated.

So now I'm going to celebrate this rather monumental step forward in the publishing process. See you next week for a fun and informative Writing Tip.

Writing Tips: Organization

Hello all!

I'm back with a new writing tip this week. So let's dive in!

TOPIC: Organization

This may seem like an obvious thing for a writer to have but it's not as easy as one might think. Organization doesn't just apply to making sure you have all the elements in a story in a coherent order. It can apply to the story development phase of the process, which is what we will be talking about today.

As a writer, you no doubt have more than one idea floating around in your noggin. Lord knows, I've got several stories fighting for my attention right now. So how do you keep them straight and make sure you don't go crazy trying to keep them all in line? You commit them to a print media and let them stew for a while.

I have found that keeping an Excel spreadsheet allows me to get down the details of ideas in a smei-coherent form and free up space in my head. I recently decided this would be a good idea to keep my latest shiny new ideas from tangling up with one another.

What I've done is set up mutiple sheets within the larger document, each tab relating to its own idea. Each sheet has the same set up. Title, genre short summary and status columns for drafts. This is an easy way to jot down some basic ideas about a storyline and characters without having to spend arduous hours working through every plot detail. That comes later when you're actually ready to tackle that idea and take it through the whole writing process.

A quick note about titles. They are by no means set in stone (as we talked about before). These should be something that will jog your memory down the road so you don't sit there going "now what was this again?" Even with summaries, you can sometimes forget where you were going with an idea. Having a title helps your brain latch on and recall those initial brain sparks that got you interested in the idea in the first place.

Now, Excel isn't required to keep a list of ideas. A simple Word or Text file would suffice just as well. I tend to be a little anal about my organization and the additional separation of Excel sheets suits me. Regardless of how you decide to keep your ideas organized, it's important that you do so. If not for all the wonderful bits and pieces that you come up with, than for your sanity. After all, no one wants to go crazy with a zillion ideas bouncing around in their head.

I hope this little tip was somewhat helpful. See you next week!

Status Update

Hey everyone!

This week is basically a status update on EUTERPE'S SONG. I've finished my final edits and my agent (and editor) are figuring out where to submit my baby. With any luck we'll be on the road (read: on submission) in the next couple weeks. I'll keep you updated as I know more information.

I have to say, I'm quite amazed by how much EUTERPE has changed since that first draft back in May. Sure, I'd had beta readers critique it and did a revision before I started submitting to agents in August but it wasn't quite where it needed to be. So, I did another revision in August before I sent it off to a new batch of agents (Roger included), getting it up to about 34,000 words. A better length but not quite strong enough still with some elements of the plot. Despite my overwhelming misuse of commas and my plethora of disembodied body parts, Carlie stuck with me and I think we have a beautiful little novel. Now weighing in at 35,000 words. She's ready to find a nice home somewhere.

So I will see you next week (possibly sooner, depending). Stay warm!

I think I owe the job market an apology

So maybe I was a little premature in this morning's post. Or maybe it was a good thing. I have a job interview next week and I'm really excited about it. I will keep you updated!

What's wrong with this picture?

As I was thinking about what to blog about this week I realized I didn't know what to write about. So I pondered it for a few hours and realized how depressing the job market is right now. So, this is going to be a (mercifully short) rant post.

So, being a first year law student has enough stress attached to it with the constant studying and piles of reading. You add the search for a decent summer job and you have one neurotic me. Which I have to say is not fun for anyone.

I have submitted to probably twenty places (a little less than the number of agents I submitted to before I found Roger), and I'e had one positive response. Yep, you heard me right. One. Uno. Everything else, dead silence. I realize it's only January and that summer is like 5 or 6 months away but I need something solid in the next month or so. I'm hoping to haear back from some other places and not just have to rely on the one place that showed interest.

There is someting seriously wrong with this picture. It shouldn't be easier to land a literary agent than a summer job. It just shouldn't. Agent searching is a long, arduous process and yet It took me a little under two months to get that squared away. But with jobs, it's like I'm spinning my wheels even when I'm not. I know the leal job market is a festering pool of dispair right now but it makes me all sad inside. In my special angry place.

Check back next week for your regularly scheduled writer-y topics.

Script and Novel: Half Siblings or Distant Cousins?

So I thought I was depart a little from advice giving on getting that dream agent and share a sort of odd experience in which I currently find myself. The idea that a storyline written in one medium can be put into another.

Roughtly 2 1/2 years ago, I wrote a full length movie script. While the experience of writing in a new medium was certainly fun and interesting, I realized scripts aren't my cup of tea. Not enough room for prose and the dialogue really has to carry the story. So I let it sit on my hard drive for a long while.

Now, I find myself revisiting the story I managed to tell in that sript. It was a fun story and the characters are snarky and really go on quite the wild journey. So what have I decided to do? That's right. I'm taking that script and turning it into a novel. I'm not sure what will become of the finished product. Only time can tell that. However, it is a new experience taking from one medium and turning it into something so utterly different. Or is it?

I've found that the script format lends itself well to a rather detailed outline. Scenes simply need some fleshing out and the dilaogue is all there and ready to be put into the moment. As I go through this process of transfer, I'm reconnecting with these characters all over again. I'm reliving their journey and it reminds me why I loved the story in the first place.

So the question becomes, are scripts and novels more half siblings or distant cousins? My vote: half siblings. They come from the same place of creativity even if they are different in execution. But, despite their differences, they can still play well together.

How to Snag an Agent Part 2: Synopsis

Hey all!

Here is the second part of How to Snag an Agent. Today we'll be talking about the synopsis. Some think that writing the synopsis is just as hard as the query letter and they may be right. It takes the bare bones of the query letter and fleshes it out.

In a synopsis, unlike in a query letter, you want to introduce all the characters, their problems and most importantly how everything is resolved. The agent wants to know the ending in a synopsis. Perhaps one of the reasons synopses are tricky is because they differ in length from agent to agent. A general rule though is if you can get your query down to 2-3 pages, you're golden.

Some tips for how to write the synopsis. Think of it sort of as an outline of what happens at each stage of the story and follow the main character on their journey. Keep the writing in third person present tense. When you introduce a character for the first time, put their name in all capital letters. You should also make sure you double space your synopsis, using standard 1 inch margins and Times New Roman 12 pt font.

One thing many writers struggle with both in the query and the synopsis is getting their voice to shine through. One way to handle that is to write the synopsis first in first person present tense from the perspective of the main character, changing all of the necessary nouns and verbs afterward to transition into third.

Since I shared with you all my query for EUTERPE, I thought I would also share with you my synopsis. Keep in mind that this was before I did my first round of edits with my editor so some aspects of the storyline have changed.

Ten-year-old ABIGAIL “ABBIE” ROLLANDS knows she is in trouble again when she’s sent to the Principal’s office. On top of being suspended for a week, her Mom grounds her for something she didn't do. She tells her mom that it wasn't her fault that her classmate PETER tried to work out a math problem on the board; it came out as a sappy love poem instead, even though everybody thinks it was. Abbie’s mother makes her go to see psychologist, DR. PRISCILLA PHILLIPS. Abbie tries to forget the meeting as she spends a fun-filled weekend with her dad but finds it difficult.

Reluctantly, Abbie returns to see the psychologist. The session goes quickly and Abbie is grateful to race out the door with her dad. The next time, after a drink of water offered by Dr. Phillips, Abbie blacks out. When she wakes up she’s in a room with no door. And she’s not alone. ROSALIA “ROSA” BIANCHI shares her prison. And they have more in common than just being cellmates. Both girls can make people around them do strange things.

The next morning, Dr. Phillips returns with another girl, the unconscious body of ERIN KEMP. Immediately upon waking, Erin takes charge, trying to find a way out. Abbie comments that there is a window in the bathroom. It might be a way out.
While in the bathroom, Abbie balances Erin on her shoulders so she can reach the window high above them. To their dismay the window is sealed shut and all the girls succeed in doing is hurting themselves. Dr. Phillips gives them a knowing smile as she drags them back to their prison.

As if the entire experience isn’t freaky enough, a telepathic owl, GLAUKOS, visits in the middle of the night. After an initial bout of thinking they’re crazy, the girls listen as Glaukos tells them that they are really three of the Greek Muses; EUTERPE, CALLIOPE and POLYHYMNIA. And that’s not all. Dr. Phillips is the Greek goddess PERSEPHONE. Before disappearing in a puff of feathers, it tells them that knowledge is their greatest ally. Abbie and her new friends are left to find a way out on their own.

The next time Dr. Phillips returns, she brings a keyboard and three chairs. She informs the girls they will be working on a project together, writing a play. Abbie thinks the idea ridiculous but fakes being interested. After the session, Rosa confides in her friends that the experience was less than pleasant. She describes the feeling as being tugged along by a hand.

Abbie uses Glaukos’ advice to sneak past Dr. Phillips and search the outer room for anything that might give them information on their history. Abbie succeeds in retrieving a book without being noticed. After the session, the girls browse the book, learning all they can about Persephone and the muses.

Abbie and her friends manage to prop the secret door open just enough to hear the conversation in the next room. Dr. Phillips admits she plans to keep the girls locked up until she finishes writing the play which, once complete, will break up people in happy, healthy relationships. The feeling will spread until people all over the country are breaking up.

Realizing the danger in letting Dr. Phillips win, the girls use what they have learned about their gifts to inspire Dr. Phillips at the same time. Rosa escapes with the book and Dr. Phillips’ notes before the doctor starts fighting back. Abbie must decide if it’s worth risking her own freedom to save Erin. In the end Abbie risks her own safety to save her new friend.

After Dr. Phillips is in police custody, Abbie and her friends are reunited with their families. Shortly, Abbie finds herself back at school. Her mother informs Principal Tannery that Abbie won’t be returning for the last month of school. Abbie can’t believe her luck. As summer begins, Abbie, Rosa and Erin gather for a sleepover, destroying the notes for Dr. Phillips’ play, solidifying their bond as muses and friends.

How to Snag an Agent Part 1: Query Letters

Hey everyone! First blog post of 2010. As promised, we'll be discussing writing query letters. It is the first part to snagging an agent once you've gotten your list of properly vetted agents together.

Query letters are one of the hardest parts about the whole writing process. You have to fit in the important parts of your novel, what makes it unique in about 200 words. Not an easy feat as one might imagine.

So here are a few tips on how to go about it. We'll discuss format and then cover three important questions to answer in a query to provide the agent/reader with an exciting hook that will make them want to read the manuscript.

So, format. That's the easy part. Remember that this is a business letter so you want to come off as professionally as you can. That means, ending the salutation with a colon, and the closing with a comma. See below for general format.

Dear [Agent Name]:

I am seeking representation for [TITLE HERE IN ALL CAPS], a XX,XXX-word (round to the nearest 1,000 words) [genre]. NOTE: This can go at the bottom of the letter, before the closing as well. Also, if you envision your book to be the first in a series, it must be able to stand alone. Generally, using language such as "is a stand alone with series potential" conveys the intended information to the agent.

Paragraphs 1 and 2 (sometimes 3) present the meat of your novel. In these paragraphs you'll want to answer three questions: 1) what does your main character want? 2) How do they plan to get it? and 3) What happens if they fail to get it (the stakes)? Once you've included thsi information, you can add other details to round it out.

The final paragraph is reserved for writing credentials. Don't worry if you don't have any. Many agents know that first time authors don't have any previous publication history. If that's the case, the solution is simple. Just don't include this paragraph.

The manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email

So, I thought I would share my query letter for EUTERPE'S SONG so you can get a feel for what a decent query letter looks like. Keep in mind, I had a lot of help on this letter. It went through about 9 or 10 revisions before it got to this point. Here we go.

Dear [Agent Name]:

Ten-year-old Abbie Rollands swears she doesn’t know why other kids around her break into dance or write love poems when they’re supposed to be doing long division. But when her mother sends her to see a psychologist after she is suspended from school, she knows she's in big trouble. But trouble doesn't even begin to cover it when Abbie blacks out during one of her sessions. She wakes up to find herself imprisoned in a room with no door, in the company of two unfamiliar girls.

As if that wasn’t freaky enough, Abbie and her new companions learn they are three of the Greek Muses and they’re not alone -- the entire Greek pantheon still exists all over the world, being reborn each generation. In fact, Abbie’s psychologist, Dr. Phillips, is really the Greek goddess Persephone! She plans to keep the girls locked up, using their gifts to write a play that will sow discord and heartbreak whenever it’s performed.

Abbie and her fellow Muses must learn to control their abilities and rely on their growing friendship if they are to have any chance of stopping Persephone’s plan. If they don’t, never seeing their families or homes again will be the least of their worries.

EUTERPE'S SONG, a middle grade urban fantasy complete at 35,000 words, is a stand alone with series potential. The manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Me