Today, I’ve decided on a very subjective exploration about what makes me give a novel an unflinching thumbs up. This is not a blog that represents anyone’s taste but mine. Purely personal. I’m guessing there wouldn’t be another literary agent …
Fiction
Tick, Tick, Boom! Raising the Stakes to Raise an Agent’s Interest
It’s summertime, so let’s talk stakes. Not steaks, which we could talk about, especially if you’re planning a 4th of July cookout. Today, let’s discuss an essential ingredient of storytelling that makes the difference between an agent emailing you back …
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Four Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing BIPOC Characters or Stories
“If I add a BIPOC character to my novel, will it improve my chance of finding a traditional publisher?”
I’ve been asked that question several times over the years. There are several motivations behind posing it. However, I believe that …
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Creating Your Own Style Sheet
I was recently talking to Brittany Stonestreet, a friend who is finishing up her Masters in Publishing at the prestigious Emerson College in Boston. She mentioned she was just completing the style sheet for her newest YA novel. I
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Avoid Character Labels
I read a fiction manuscript last week that described a character as a cripple. I winced when I read the word and stopped to think about why I had such an immediate revulsion. After all, it was historical fiction and …
Getting an Agent to Read Your Entire Query
As a literary agent, I love seeing stacks of queries in my inbox. Like the other agents at Books & Such, I enjoy discovering unique book ideas, moving memoirs and fresh new voices. However, all literary agents must balance limited …
Fiction Giveaway Time!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I was struggling to find a blog topic, but then my eyes fell on a stack of beautiful novels. I have an extra copy of each of these books by my clients …
Story–The Common Ground Between Fiction and Nonfiction
Story–The Common Ground Between Fiction and Nonfiction
By Cynthia Ruchti
In a January 16, 2011 post for Psychology Today, Dr. Pamela B. Rutledge expounded on “The Psychological Power of Storytelling.” She focused on the concept as it relates to changes …
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What’s the Story on Backstory?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
One of the biggest challenges for novelists—new and seasoned alike—is avoiding too much backstory in the opening of the book. A lot of people ask me questions about backstory, and often argue with me about it. So …
Engaging Our Culture–Part 2
Blogger: Mary Keeley
As promised in last week’s blog post today I’ll give you Michael Boyle’s last four charges on engaging our culture. The gulf between a Christian worldview and the prevalent views on life, culture, and biblical truth seems …