Hi everyone! Hope you’re writing, writing and writing some more!
Last Cliches:
Like it was going out of style — describing something being done with extreme urgency, last chance to do it. Date from about 1970.
Do Tell — Is that really so? Expresses disbelief or sarcasm, around since early 19th century. John Neal used it in The Down-Easters (1833).
The Fact of the Matter — Truth. Empty phrase newer than as a matter of fact = in truth. Both cliches since 19th century. But matter-of-fact, an adjective has quite different meaning and a matter of fact without as means something of an actually factual nature and used in 16th century.
There you go with the cliche meanings and hope you’re enjoying them.
Well, last time I talked about querying. How many have you tried to write your query? I’m still trying and finding it quite daunting.
Now that you’ve written your query, do you have your critiquers review it? Have you gone to query shark? Checked on-line for how to write one or read books on how to?
We sure post our stories for people to critique. But do we post our queries and or synopses? That’s the first thing we should do. Get someone else’s opinion on our query.
I haven’t posted mine yet–I keep procrastinating as I can’t get a handle on it to satisfy me.
Why do we find it so hard to sell our stories? Not for money, but to show what they are about.
I took classes for query writing, and then listened to agents at a conference. Everything I learned in my class is what they said they don’t like! So now what do I do?
Back to the drawing board, reading what agents/publishers want in a query and trying to come up with a good sales pitch.
A one paragraph blurb about my book that hooks you into wanting to read more.
Sounds easy–Me, I’d rather write a novel!
I’m going to work on my queries this week and submit them to my critique group. See what they have to say.
Join me in doing that.
Keep Writing and Enjoy!
Julie
