Novel Writing on Edge - Development Notes From Algonkian Writer Conferences

"Revision is Emotional" by Kelly Caldwell (a must read)

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 16:51:00 +0000

Revision is Emotional

“Revision! Whatever that is.”

And thus Gotham’s own Arlaina Tibensky kicked off our Fiction Writing Conference a couple of weeks ago, with a panel on strategies for revising. Which was perfect, because by asking, “What even is this?” Arlaina freed the other writers in the room to come back with an unexpected answer.

Revision is… emotional.

“The first thing is accepting that even though you’ve been working on your book, and you think you’ve finished it, it’s really not your book yet,” said Kate Fagan, sportswriter and author of the novel The Three Lives of Cate Kay. “You’ve got to mourn that.”

When she first sends a book to her editor, Fagan—who has also published two nonfiction books and is working on her next novel—indulges the fantasy that the draft is perfect, or nearly so. When her editor instead responds with notes, Fagan takes two days to mourn, “the loss that I didn’t deliver the perfect book.”

“You have to build the emotional space inside yourself for the realization that your first draft is only holding one little space in your heart,” Fagan said. “You have to create room and emotional energy for subsequent versions—it’s a very real thing.”

The emotional roller-coaster doesn’t end there, though. Matt Bell, novelist and author of a craft book all about revision called Refuse to Be Done, said he goes through a stage of revision where some characters don’t know who they want to be yet. They move in and out of drafts, existing sometimes “almost as a kind of alternate reality character that lived in the book, or maybe didn’t.”

“Living with uncertainty is another revision skill that gets stronger over time,” Bell said. “You learn it’s OK to have multiple things still in flux, that maybe that’s actually kind of joyful, even if it feels frustrating at time.”

For Gotham teacher Katherine Taylor, revising her second novel involved facing down demons, writing through heartbreak, and summoning no small amount of courage. Because, one day after going through a bad breakup, Katherine went to lunch with her editor, who told her she had to throw away her entire first draft.

“I literally boo-hooed for probably an hour, and my editor sat there, and we talked, or I talked and she listened, and finally, when I said, ‘I’m ready to talk about the book now,’ she just said it: ‘I need you to throw out this entire draft and start again,’” Katherine said.

The editor liked the characters and the story. But the voice and point of view were not working, and so everything else had to go.

Katherine briefly tried to salvage something from the draft, asking if there were even any nice sentences in it that she could keep. But once the shock wore off, she plunged in and started fresh.

“I think I was like every writer with their debut novel, traumatized by the response to my first book. I was trying to make the second one so different that I squashed out all the warmth and all the humor and all the stuff that makes my work, work,” Katherine said. “I took a breath and let all that stuff back in. And I did totally rediscover the book. I had fun writing it, which of course showed in the draft. Suddenly the voice was alive and not stuffed down and dead. And everything in the book was a total surprise after that.”

If all this makes revision sound like a wrenching gauntlet, I apologize, writers. If you re-read their comments, you’ll notice a common thread among all these writers. After each one made peace with their own demons, they all found another emotion—joy.

Kelly Caldwell

Dean of Faculty/Gotham Writers

Antagonist - Unquestionably the Novel's Most Important Character?

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 19:55:00 +0000

Antagonists are quite often the most memorable characters in literature, regardless of genre.

Without them many of the best selling novels of all time would simply cease to exist, their supporting beams cut away, the shell of remaining "story" quietly imploding to ignominy and self-publication. Consider the impact on a scene, any scene, as soon as the author moves the chess piece of antagonist onto the page. The mere presence of a Javert from "Les Misérables," Assef from "The Kite Runner," or Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," immediately energizes the environment. The narrative and dialogue literally crackle and groan with antagonist.

What chances do you as a writer have of getting your novel manuscript commercially published, regardless of genre, if the story and narrative fail to meet reader demands for sufficient suspense, character concern, and conflict? Answer: none. But what major factor accounts for this debilitating condition? What precisely makes for a quiet and dull manuscript brimming with insipid characters and a story that cascades from chapter to chapter with tens of thousands of words, all combining irresistibly to produce an audible thudding sound in the mind?

Such a dearth of Élan vital in narrative and story, more often than not, results from the unwillingness of the writer to create a suitable antagonist who stirs and spices the plot hash. And let's make it clear what we're talking about. By "antagonist" we specifically refer to an actual fictional character, an embodiment of certain traits and motivations, and one who plays a significant role in catalyzing and driving the plot, or at bare minimum, in assisting to evolve the protagonist's character arc - and by default the story itself - by igniting complication(s) that the protagonist, and perhaps other characters, must face and attempt to resolve.

Writers new to the fiction game often shy away from creating an effective antagonist. If you are an editor, you see this time and time again. But why? Is it because they can't accept that a certain percentage of cruel and selfish humans are a reality of life? Is it because they live in an American bubble surrounded only by circumstances that reinforce their Rockwellian naivety? Do they not watch Sixty Minutes or even a shred of film footage portraying the latest repressions of the downtrodden by tyrannical government? Or is it because they don't understand the requirements of good dramatic fiction (no good guy without a bad guy, folks)? Or some combo thereof? Whatever. Though you would think after watching hundreds of films (even comedies), and reading God knows how many novels, they might catch on. And this doesn't mean they have to reinvent the black hat cowboy. We're talking about prime movers of social conflict and supreme irritation that come in wide variety of forms, from relatively mild to pure evil.

Antagonists are often the most memorable characters in literature, without whom many of the best selling novels of all time would simply cease to exist, their supporting beams cut away, the shell of remaining "story" quietly imploding to ignominy and self-publication. And what drives these antagonists? Whether revenge, zealotry, ruthless ambition, hubris or just plain jealousy, the overall effect on the narrative and plot in general is identical, i.e., a dramatic condition of complication (related to plot) and concern (related to character) infuses the story.

True drama demands they exist. Imagine ANTIGONE without the dictator to stir her into plot. And consider the impact on a scene, any scene, as soon as the author moves the particular chess piece of an antagonist onto the page. The mere presence of a Javert from Les Misérables, Assef from The Kite Runner, or even Marilla from Anne of Green Gables, immediately energizes the environment. The narrative and dialogue literally crackle and groan with antagonist.

Below we see five antagonists from very different novels--all multimillion sellers (and successful films)--also noting their vital roles in the development of the story. Consider them ranked from sufficiently annoying to genuine super bastard.

First, but not worst, we have Marilla Cuthbert from ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Author Lucy Maud Montgomery intended for Marilla to be a source of tension and obstacle for Anne, not a plot-swinging major like the four mentioned below. You might call her, an "antagonistic force" or temporary antagonist, remaining an irritant long enough to provide verve to the story and suitable growth arc to the protagonist.

Marilla begins as a woman with the personality of a falling guillotine. Only a barely perceptible sense of humor shows itself. Marilla’s state of being clashes markedly with Anne’s romanticism and imagination. She scolds and criticizes Anne, and like Javert of Les Misérables, is equally harsh on herself. Even when she finds herself agreeing with Anne's brazen thoughts, she rebukes herself, and whenever she feels a fleeting rush of affection, she quickly suffocates it. Later, she changes, but she played her role long enough to help keep the reader on the page while at the same time provoking the evolution of Anne's character.

And what decent discussion of antagonists in literature fails to comment on the role of Tom Buchanan in THE GREAT GATSBY? Tom falls fourth on the intensity list. He doesn't qualify as a dangerous zealot or a vengeful junkyard-zilla, but without Tom's endearing personality, Fitzgerald's novel of love and loss falls to pieces.

Playing in a love triangle that includes his wife, Daisy, and Jay Gatsby, the wealthy Buchanan displays himself time and time again as an arrogant and bullying schmuck, enough that by the time Fitzgerald needs us to cheer for Jay, and desire freedom for Daisy, we are more than ready to do so. In comparison to Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, despite his faults, appears like a Lancelot, while Daisy, despite her shallowness, becomes the distressed damsel. If Buchanan did not exist, or if Fitzgerald had depicted him as a decent fellow, the faults of Jay and Daisy would have burned in high relief, and as readers, our sympathy for them would be zero. Fitzgerald's only chance would have been to render them both irrevocably detestable, as Emile Zola did for his murderous couple in THERESE RAQUIN--so much so that as a reader you turn the page in hopes they will both soon be wearing prison orange (or whatever color of rag they wore in those days).

Next comes the infamous Javert of LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo. Unlike the first two antagonists, Javert's primary flaw might be defined as dogged zealotry, and at times, he behaves as hard on himself as on others. After the character Valjean, a victim of mistaken identity, appears in court and loses both his business and his position in Montreuil-sur-mer, he escapes long enough to hide his fortune. He spends more time in prison, working aboard a ship. Eventually he escapes again and retrieves the character Cosette from the evil Thenardiers. Then begins a decade of hiding, moving from place to place, always staying just ahead of the implacable Javert. Will Valjean save the farm and live to tell the story? Are we not concerned enough for brave Valjean that we want to know?

Regardless, no Javert equals far less misery, and what else? ... No story.

A close second to Assef below, for reasons of sheer despicableness, is good ole boy Bobby Ewell of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee. Shunned by the entire town, and terribly embittered, Ewell’s raison d'etre consists of being antagonistic towards every living thing. As Atticus Finch does his best to defend Tom, the rancor and hatefulness exhibited by Ewell at the trial manipulates the emotions and fears of those present, raising the heat on Tom to lynch mob intensity. Ewell is determined to see Tom hang, and following the trial, Mr. 666 stokes up his inner dragon for yet another bellow. He seeks revenge on those who desired a fair trial for Tom, and doing harm to Scout and Jem seems like a great way to destroy Atticus.

Without Bob Ewell, would you have ever heard of Harper Lee?

Rising like a bad moon to the bottom of the list is the human monster known as Assef, antagonist from THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini, a novel that has sold millions of copies in dozens of languages. A vicious and bigoted childhood acquaintance of the likable characters, Amir and Hassan, he torments them whenever the mood strikes, but devolves to subhuman status upon attacking and raping Hassan. And at such time the Taliban gain control of Afghanistan, he gravitates to their culture, thus placing himself in a position to indefinitely torture others he considers inferior. As a brutal cherry on the sociopath milkshake, Assef turns the character Sohrab into his sex toy, and Amir must defeat Assef to bring Sohrab home.

Assef certainly doesn't possess the globe-spanning ambitions of Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, but what if you handed this megalodon a magic wand? Power equals opportunity equals "enthusiasms" as Al Capone might say.

Bottom line here: writers of manuscript-length fiction must create and deploy a suitable antagonist, allowing them catalyze the plot line and throw obstacles in the way of the protagonist and other characters, or at least become an "antagonistic force" of some type, like Marilla Cuthbert, a source of tension and character development. Or perhaps, you need maximum verve in the novel and wish to create characters who assume the roles of both a Marilla and a Bob. Whatever you do though, plan to make them an integral part of the story, or rather, allow them room they need to define the story.

Best 10 Steps for Starting the Novel - All Genres

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 21:44:00 +0000

As you explore the nooks and literary crannies here, you'll find considerable words devoted to warning you away from foolish and terrible advice.

But what about professional, tested, and proven advice? Below are ten bullet points for aspiring authors designed to help them overcome any confusion or misdirection when it comes to starting the novel. However, before you investigate, make certain you've already prepared by reading this sensible prologue.

Note: the list below makes a base assumption that the writer is a relative novice and currently searching for direction and focus--the same stage every one of us passes through. For those in the second stage, or higher, the list might well begin further down. Nonetheless, we cannot stress enough how important it is to fully understand your genre. Eat and breathe it. Know the currents in the market, what makes for a "high concept" story in this context. You'll never be published otherwise.

KEY CONCEPTS: genre, high concept, Publisher's Marketplace, self-editing, readers, core development strategies, craft and research, story premise, SATG Novel, novel hook, first draft outline, inciting incident, plot point.

Choose Your Genre First

Historical, thriller, women's fiction, mystery cozy, etc. Focus on one that will consume you, one you have passion for. Passionless choice never bodes well (can you guess why?). If on the fence, consider what kind of author do you wish to be known as five years from now? A thriller author? Horror author? Mystery?... Makes a difference, no? So be specific and take a slot (no "slot" shaming). You are attempting to break into a crowded and tough marketplace with a breakout novel. As of this point, you have no real idea how difficult it will really be in a country as big as America.

Best to begin wisely.

WARNING: failing to locate yourself firmly in one genre will only result in failure. And believe us when we tell you that agents and publishers will be merciless in their demand that you understand and obey the rules of that genre. From the heart, but smart. One last thing--you cannot invent your own genre. Don't try. Don't even ask. For the love of all that is holy!

Mercilessly Immerse

Read the classics in your genre combined with the latest and hottest. Look up "best book" lists, read reviews on Amazon, dive into review journals dedicated to your genre, and obtain a membership at Publisher's Marketplace. It's never too early to familiarize yourself with who is publishing what in your genre. At PM it's all there. And no, we don't get a kickback. As a bonus, you get to review expertly written hook lines for new novels bought by publishers, thereby also getting a chance to note the type of high concept stories in the works. Invaluable! Truly.

Via obsessive immersing, you'll also get an idea which authors and novels might compare favorably with you and your own work. Strongly consider analyzing story progression, character introduction, and scene development in three to five of the best in your genre. Take notes. Compare what you've learned to what you read here at NWOE.

Avoid Writer Groups

Do not join a local or online writer group, however socially alluring it may be, and regardless of what its apostles tell you. Don't fall for it. We know, it feels like the right thing because so many recommend it, but it's the wrong thing by a lightyear. You *might* consider it once you've developed enough novel writing savvy to actually know the difference between an amateur group that *might* be somewhat productive and one that could be potentially ruinous or time wasting at a minimum. Review carefully our notes on this crucial and controversial subject.

Begin the Reader Hunt

Following on above, attempt to engage upwards of five good readers, if humanly possible. It will take time to ID the right ones, so begin the hunt early. Take note, they will not be in a group. They will not meet to discuss your work. If possible, best they do not interact or know each other. This condition will disallow the inevitable evolution of group politics, groupthink, imagined slights, false flattery, etc. Yes, it can happen. Regardless, can your picks be reasonably trusted to provide generally intelligent reaction to your narrative? You might have to jettison a few. Be prepared. Additionally, serving as a reader for them will provide you with a form of editorial experience that might prove invaluable.

IMPORTANT: utilize "beta readers" for narrative purposes only (prose style, clarity, imagery, dynamic motion, dialogue quality--that sort of thing), NEVER for novel development, i.e., premise, plot, character roles, important setting details, etc. Engaging in the latter imperiling act will only threaten your progress with those insidious major flaws inherent in 98% of writer groups.

Study Self-editing Technique

Do it carefully, it's an art form, even if you're not onto your second draft. No reason to delay. It takes experimentation and practice. Relying exclusively on your betas or future freelance editors is a mistake. Ultimately, you are responsible for the final product. Faith should not be necessary. Also, keep in mind, the more refined your fiction narrative waxes, the more productive the future editorial professionals engaged to review your work will be, i.e., if you've already ascended to level 8, they can bump you to level 10. Now, what about that contract?

Craft Until Your Head Hurts

While researching your genre, immerse simultaneously into your core novel development strategy. Don't rush it or fret over it. You will inevitably revise. Meanwhile, utilize NWOE and especially Algonkian Author Connect as a staging platform for the illuminating pursuit of brilliant and necessary craft technique. This is NOT an option.

Devour every single article or essay on development, drama, plotting, prose, and viewpoints. Set aside a space for experimentation. Practice writing scenes, dialogue, complex descriptions for starters. Additionally, consume only the best books on novel writing. You will ALWAYS be an apprentice to your craft. Let Truman Capote be an inspiration.

Conceive Primary Premise

Given that you've chosen your genre and you're well on your way to possessing a true literary skill set (it's not easy, so don't be impatient), and given you've taken careful note of the quality of new novels coming to life at Publisher's Marketplace (have you?), you may now begin to formulate your own novel premise, the "high concept" story that will form the development, writing, and marketing basis of your genre novel from title to last sentence.

Uncertain on how to go about it? One way to initiate a bit of productive pondering is to visit the High Concept page first, followed by the Loglines and Core Wounds page. Read carefully. Note the three "hook line" examples. Consider WHAT WILL BE YOUR CORE CONFLICT, AND WHAT WILL BE THE CORE WOUND? (all caps for emphasis). Play with it. Write down options. Choose wisely. Seek discreet professional advice if necessary.

Begin the Planning Process

Engage in a careful examination of the Six Act Two-Goal Novel. With your embryonic story concept nearing the birth canal, use the SATG Novel outline to assist with beginning to conceive smaller parts of the bigger picture. At each separate stage, from Act to Act, take a deep breath and sketch ideas, circumstances, characters. Be free and easy with the process. Jot down everything that comes to mind. Keep in mind it's all in dynamic flux. It can change. Just as importantly, attempt to finalize insofar as possible your novel's major setting. Extremely important. Organize your thoughts, questions, commentary, and scenarios as needed. Imagination is truly your best friend (even if you don't like the original Willy Wonka).

Sketch a Draft Outline

Make certain your story premise is commercially viable and your chosen setting is simmering. Have on hand sketches of your major and secondary characters. Use the SATG to locate and ruminate over your major plot points.

Sketch your inciting incident and first major plot point. Go from there to your first major reversal, pinch point, etc., all the way to climax. Keep in mind this is a draft, however, it should reflect your efforts to date at fleshing out your story.

Consider also, not just your basic plot but those special points, twists, and turns demanded by your chosen genre, e.g., if writing a cozy mystery you best get that body on the first page (or pretty close). Refer to steps 1 and 2 above.

Draft Your Hook Scenes

Don't think of the novel in units of chapter. Think of it as units of scene, each scene dedicated to a particular task, and each driving the plot forward (a must) in one way or another. I use the term "hook scenes" to refer to that combination of opening scenes that will lead us through the initial set-up to the inciting incident and from there to the first major plot point that begins the next Act of the novel--30 to 50 pages into the novel, roughly. There are always exceptions.

Download the Algonkian Study Guide for necessary additional references and a breakdown of hook scenes up to and beyond the first major plot point in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (a favorite for the application of classic dramatic technique in the novel).

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Writing the Ideal Heroine

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 16:52:00 +0000

By Christine Stewart

Many years ago, I took a workshop called Writing the Ideal Heroine, which was taught by Rebecca Smith, a novelist, a former writer-in-residence at the Jane Austen House Museum (Chawton Cottage), and the great, great, great, great, great niece of Jane Austen. Pretty good credentials in my opinion.

There's another tip - if you can find a writing workshop wherever you're going, take it! How cool was it to sit in her garden doing writing exercises?

It's harder to write a sympathetic female lead character than a male one, I think. Sorry if that sounds like a double standard, but in my experience as a reader and writer, it's true. Most have certain expectations of female characters related to emotions, actions, desires. Whether you meet these expectations or subvert them and how you do so, will affect whether or not your readers (especially women, who often identify with the female character) like them or hate their guts and throw your book in the fire or out the window. Wait, that could be just me....

If you don't care if they like them, no need to read further! I'm a writer that believes in both likable and unlikable characters. I've written characters who were hard to like and I enjoy those characters too. But your reader must at least respect them and care about their conflict(s) and obstacles, enough to read through the entire book. If you make your character too unlikable and difficult, readers will toss your book aside.

We're talking about the likable ones here, so the best formula, I believe, is this: for every subversion, meet an expectation. For balance.

No one is perfect. We make exceptions for people we care for and they for us. Who am I kidding? We make exceptions for everyone, including coworkers for which we should receive an Oscar for our performance of a person who doesn't want to kill them. Again, maybe just me.

If your reader is introduced to a character they like, they are more willing to follow her, even when she does something stupid, mean, or inexplicable (the explanation will hopefully come by the end of the book). So start off with reasons to like them, then feel free to jerk that rug out from under the reader at your earliest convenience.

In the workshop, we talked about our favorite heroines (in books and films) and made a list of qualities they possessed. Here is the list - but remember that you only need to pick a handful of these! Whatever will make your heroine appealing.

-interesting backstory

-vulnerable

-a survivor

-solitary (even if in marriage, with kids, etc.)

-stands by convictions

-loyal

-mature (can be learned in the story)

-talented (in large or small way)/physically adept at something

-can hold her own in the world (can be learned in the story)

-makes mistakes but learns

-willing to fight/struggle/sacrifice

-feisty/witty

-gets involved/speaks up

-overturns stereotypes

-flawed

-doesn't need to be the center of attention

-determined

-can be headstrong

-must have capacity for change

-moves out of comfort zone

-has quirks (struggles with some - perhaps they make things worse?, proud of others - set her apart)

-examines emotions and actions (at some point), self-aware

-outsider

-inquisitive/curious

-unassuming

Here are some exercises we did that yielded pretty fabulous results from everyone. I'm a tough critic and I found something admirable in everything I heard, and there were many different styles and genres among the dozen of us there. I've tweaked the exercises a little because one or two I found rather bland.

I'll tell you why you should write them after you give them a try.

1) Introduce the character as we would first come upon/see her. If this is too broad and difficult, write about some aspect of your heroine's routine. How she starts or ends her day. How she arranges flowers, writes a letter, organizes her desk, (gosh these sound so soft and girly - okay, how she cleans and arranges her knives, in case she's a serial killer. Better?).

2) Write a scene where you draw out one of the above characteristics in your heroine via an argument with another character. One where she has to defend herself - for example, defend a belief, an action, a possession, a goal, a desire.

3) Write about your heroine's room or an object that is important to her. She can be straightening the room, packing or unpacking a suitcase before or after a trip, figuring out where to hide this object in her room from someone (make sure we know why), or better still - have another character be snooping in her room. The object and room should highlight one or two of the characteristics in the list.

4) One of the big ones in the list is 'must have the capacity for change.' Without it there's no story. Write a scene where a character has changed and learned something - the crisis/climactic moment or the moment of realization. A scene of self-examination.

I wrote quite a few fine scenes that really surprised me from these exercises. I learned a couple of things about my character that I hadn't known before.

I highly recommend doing separate writing exercises on your character, especially if you write in a linear fashion as I do. I write each scene one after the other. Writing scenes out of order is too chaotic for me. But it also means that, in the first draft, my main character can become rather suffocated. I don't see, and therefore dig into, her cracks as much as I could because we are both looking straight ahead. And the cracks are where it's at.

By looking at her from different angles via exercises, I look at her obliquely, and make inspiring discoveries that can make her fuller and richer in the book itself. It's called 'averted gaze' and it's how one looks at the stars in order to get a sense of their shape and see how brilliantly they shine.

_____________________________________

Christine Stewart is program director for literary arts with the Maryland State Arts Council. She writes, teaches, and edits in Baltimore. Check out her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ChrisStewartTheRealWriter.

Do You Try Your Agent's Patience?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:57:00 +0000

From the desk of Richard Curtis.

If you do something so horrendous as to provoke your agent to declare, "Life is too short," you'd better start looking for someone else to handle your work. It means you have tried his or her patience beyond its limit. You're a walking dead author.

We recently described good timing as one of the most important virtues a literary agent can bring to the job. There's another that most good agents possess, and that's patience. If timing is the art of "when to," patience is the art of "when not to." Unfortunately, that often means when not to knock my head against a wall, wring an author's throat, or hop in a taxi, race over to a publisher's office and trash it.

Although some people are born patient, for most of us it's an acquired quality. We attain it only with experience, and it is arguably the only significant benefit of aging.

If you are constitutionally incapable of practicing patience, you are definitely not cut out to become a literary agent. Despite the appearance of furious activity, and notwithstanding such timesaving innovations as multiple submissions, computers, email, laser printers, cell phones, high-speed printers, overnight mail, instant books, and quickie releases, the truth is that just about anything of importance that happens in our industry happens slowly. Good books are written at a snail's pace, submissions take ages, negotiations drag on, money flows like cold lard, and the building of an author's career from first sale to bestselling masterpiece is about as dramatic as watching a lake evaporate. Difficult publishers test our patience, as do difficult authors. If agents seem to have a higher per capita ratio of weekend homes than other professionals, have pity on them: they must have a place to go to chop wood, bay at the moon, and otherwise relieve the strain of holding their natural impulses in check during the other five days a week.

I do not own a weekend home, but I do have a set of molars that have been ground down close to the nerve endings from restraining the desire to commit a variety of felonies in order to make things move faster. Behind a demeanor that one of my clients once described as "judicious" (it was not a compliment) seethes a cauldron of emotions, energy, grievances, and heroic fantasies. I smile, I speak moderately, I behave politely, I move deliberately. I polish my buckler and hone my sword, ear cocked for the call to arms. It may come in the form of a letter, a phone call, an offer, an opportunity, an insult. But I am ready for action.

Meanwhile, I wait.

I wait, for instance, for you to finish your book. Because my agency does a lot of business in paperback original series, I have to wait only a month or two for many books. For most mainstream ones, however, I have to wait nine months, a year, or longer. The potential in these books presses heavily on my consciousness; I'm dying to wheel and deal. But with few exceptions there is little to be done to convert that potential until the manuscript has been turned in, reviewed, critiqued, and revised (once, if I'm lucky). However much I am dying to go into action with that book, I cannot advance the calendar by one day, the clock by one minute. I grind my teeth and wait.

I wait for publishers to make up their minds about my submissions. Decisions on manuscripts can be forced by means of the auction, and when agents have to move fast they can elicit decisions virtually overnight. But most material does not command that kind of attention. The more conventional approach of one submission at a time, or at best two or three simultaneously, is what is usually called for. Like most agencies, we have a reminder calendar and regularly write or phone publishers prodding them to keep the property in question at the top of the pile.

Despite every measure taken to make editors respond to submissions promptly, it is unrealistic to expect decisions in less than six weeks, and quite realistic to expect none in less than three months (at the end of which you discover the manuscript has been lost). If a work isn't placed on the first or second round of submissions, therefore, a year or more can pass with relatively few responses to show for all one's investment of time. So we wait.

We wait to make deals. Deals can be struck in a matter of minutes, but many negotiations take days, weeks, or even months to unfold. With the evolution of publishing from an individual entrepreneurial enterprise to a bureaucratized corporate one, seldom do agents end up negotiating with the principals of a publishing company. Instead we discuss terms with editors, who refer them to superior officers or editorial boards. Several weeks may pass if the appropriate executives are not available to formulate offers or counteroffers. Often, figures have to be worked up by a variety of departments to help the company determine its negotiating strategy. During which time we wait.

We wait for contracts. The people who work in the contract departments of most publishing houses are among the most professional in our industry. Nevertheless, it is seldom possible for them to produce contracts for signature in less than six or eight weeks. After the editor reaches agreement with the author or agent, he prepares a deal memo summarizing the terms of the contract for approval by the head of the company. After approval has been rendered the deal memo goes to the contract department where it serves as the basis for the formal agreement. This agreement is reviewed by the acquiring editor and an officer of the company, then returned to the contract department for final issuance to the agent. After signed contracts are returned to the publisher, they are circulated for signature and a voucher is issued directing the accounts payable department to prepare the check. We now wait for the check.

We wait a long time for the check because in many cases the accounts payable department is not in the same building or even the same state as the contracts department. After receiving the voucher from the contracts department, accounts payable prepares a check that must be reviewed and signed by the treasurer or other officer of the company. It is then forwarded to the contracts department to be issued with the contracts, or sent to the payee directly from the accounts payable office.

If form follows function, publishers could not conceive of a better structure for attenuating the time it takes to release money. Even with all hands working at maximum efficiency - not a very desirable state from the publisher's viewpoint, you must realize, when there is interest to be earned - I figure two to three months is now the industry average for payout from the time check vouchers are issued (add thirty days if it's an emergency). Agents who have managed to map and penetrate the system can keep things moving with phone calls to various departments along the paperwork routes goading delinquent bookkeepers to press on with their tasks. (I am not afraid to alienate the CEO of a publishing company, but I never, ever speak unkindly to clerks in accounting offices.)

And of course, we wait for books to be published and...well, you get the idea; just about everything concerning publishing is a test of an agent's patience. I wish that didn't include authors but why should they be exempted? One of my colleagues in a fit of pique wailed, "Publishing would be great if it weren't for authors." And another, with tongue somewhat in cheek I suspect, created an index for rating his clients. He calls it the PITA factor.

PITA stands for "Pain In The Ass." He assigns his clients a rating from one to ten, depending on such factors as how often they hit him up for loans, how many times they call him at home at six o'clock on Sunday mornings, how many editors they insult, and in general how much maintenance they require beyond routine care and feeding. Their PITA factor is then divided into the commissions earned on their sales. Applying his criteria, an author who earns only $1,000 annually in commissions but is a model client with a PITA factor of 1 is as valuable to his agent as one who earns $10,000 in commissions but, rated at 10, is a raving lunatic. "Life," says my friend, "is too short to have to deal with 10s."

Well, I don't know.As I said at the outset, if you do feel that way, the literary agent's trade is not for you and you should go into something less aggravating, like sewage management or emergency room administration. When it comes to dealing with artists, irritating behavior comes with the territory. And, far more important, think of what they have to put up with. With the rare exception of the author whose first book stuns the critics, sweeps the public off its feet, and soars to the top of the bestseller list, success for most writers is won only after decades of economic struggle, mental anguish, crushing loneliness and obscurity, and the consumption of murderous doses of pride. They spend a lifetime practicing patience, and if they do not always practice it very well, if conditions are difficult when they start out, difficult when they begin to make it, and difficult even when they finally arrive, a larger degree of tolerance is called for on the part of those who serve them, particularly if they've never tried that life themselves. And most agents haven't.

A PITA scale that does not factor in the emotional satisfactions of midwifing first books, of nurturing authors careers as they gain skill and confidence and stretch to realize their visions, and the joy of attending their graduation ceremonies featuring smashing reviews and sales by the trainload, requires some serious rethinking.

Life is not too short if an agent's patience is rewarded with such satisfactions as these. And so, when tried, the wise agent will count to ten, then - realizing things could be worse, that we've heard horror stories of agent-killers with PITA Factors of 20 or worse - we count another ten, sigh and go back to work.

And if you're wondering about my clients?

They're all saints.

This article was originally written for Locus, The Newspaper of the Science Fiction Field. It's reprinted in Mastering the Business of Writing. Copyright © 1990 by Richard Curtis. All Rights Reserved.

Top Worst "Worst Writer Advice" - Outrageous and Mind Boggling Maxims

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:54:00 +0000

It's like acid rain.

It never ceases to scar, harm the environment, and ruin vacations. We're talking about bad writer advice, of course (btw, see our first article on this subject).

While perusing several collections of "Worst Writer Advice" found sprouting like toxic tulips after a simple Google search (most of it authored by insufferable rank amateurs working for the ad-driven content industry, and who wisely appear between ages 12 and 17), I found the various fallacies and idiocies about novel writing contained therein to be worth pointing out. Much of it was reminiscent of childish Twitter rumor, and therefore, potentially harmful to aborning novelists.

Should one even bother though to set this straight? It makes you feel a little like the baffled ex-astronaut prodded into revealing Earth really is a globe when addressing a convention of flat earth fanatics, i.e., "I can't believe I'm even talking about this."

And btw, while out and about, I also visited the kingdom of Reedsy, one of the more popular writer advice hangouts. I was investigating their article on writing for NaNoWriMo, aka National Writing Month, but I found the surge of cheerleading blather concerning this competition to be a grand welcome mat for bad advice scuffery. No surprise there (not *everything* was bad advice, though most points required far more elaboration, and enough dark neoplasms did exist to cripple a writer's ability to succeed, e.g., "Follow whatever crazy character shows up and leads you down the rabbit hole, and let yourself be surprised!”). Yes, yes, leave the plot behind, just follow that crazy down the hole, and once you've reached the bottom, sitting with your crazy on a toilet in a squalid gas station bathroom just south of Pismo Beach, look up and squint to see that small crack of light high above you.

Overall, I felt as if I were being lectured by children who had just discovered how to type, and it made me think... Could I now toss aside decades of experience and acquired knowledge regarding the topic of novel writing, and quite simply, like them, sally forth and tap out a new "epic novel" in a month?

We are awash in wunderkind. Where do they come from? What do they want?

Not long ago, a Reedsy-like writer in a Zoom workshop enthusiastically erupted, "The best thing about writer groups is that no one is necessarily right. Writers are free to approach novel writing in any number of ways, even if they have to INVENT IT AS THEY GO." I informed her that was actually the worst thing about writer groups (btw, was the inverse "necessarily wrong" also true?), and the "invent it as they go" was itself an invention of ignorant narcissism on the "go" only to rejection. Next, I asked her if she knew the definition of a plot point, whereupon she evaporated into electronic memory. I never saw her again, but apparently, "no right way to write a novel" was an important standard for her, one she clung to tenaciously.

And btw, she's not alone.

Such "writers" don't wish their "creativity" to be "controlled" or "diluted" with rules meant for "some." In all fairness, it's likely she'd absorbed such foolish and ruinous maxims after ingesting the literary advice equivalent of cyanide, the kind one inevitably discovers puddling around the web (see Google search above). Where else?... Oh right, I forgot. She could have learned it from her writer group?

I felt as if I were being lectured by children who had just discovered how to type, and it made me think. Could I toss aside decades of experience and acquired knowledge concerning novel writing, and quite simply, like them, just sally forth and tap out a new "epic novel" in a month?

Where is the nearest cliff?

Maybe this act of investigatory literary journalism will rescue your dream from ruination, or not. As one of the wise sages we'll review points out, "don't listen to experts if it makes you feel bad.. just follow your instincts." Again, I repeat, where is the nearest cliff?

Regardless, more favorites below, from mind boggling to laughable. WE will not provide them with free publicity by naming or linking to them.

As follows:

"Some people, however, will say that no book will ever succeed without an outline. This is terrible writing advice. If you don't want to use an outline and want to go straight to writing then go ahead - don't allow anyone to tell you otherwise."

(Some people? In two decades I've never heard anyone make this sweeping statement; however, I do belong to the non-pantsing school. I adamantly advocate for productive planning and/or outlining in advance, especially for aspiring genre-specific authors relatively new to the field. WE article on this issue here.)

Some people are fortunate and they don’t have a lot of time commitments on their hands. These writers might get their book written, edited, and on their way to publishing in just a few weeks. This in no way means it’s not good! It just means they were able to spend a lot of consecutive time on it.

(Some writer people known to this writer person are able to conceive, write, edit, and publish their novel in a few weeks... Tell me who. Show me the novel. This reminds me of the ancient Jack Kerouac novel-typing-in-one-sitting stunt, but not quite as extreme. Nevertheless, preposterous no matter how you look at it.)

Join a writing group either in person or virtually and give them extracts of your work.

(We've debunked that solution here.)

Write in your own voice, with your natural grammar. Let copyeditors and proofreaders worry about your grammar later.

(Your "natural grammar"? As both a line and developmental editor, this green light to ignore reasonable grammar can result in eye popping hybrids. Consistent and obvious bad grammar is a red flag to professionals. There are irritating nuances to grammar, yes, but advising writers to ignore grammar rules in general is wrong.)

Most of the writing and publishing industry is shockingly elitist, and most of what they teach is bad advice that doesn’t work.

(The portion of the industry that might present itself to some as elitist is not that portion of the industry currently engaged in freelance editorial work, i.e., unless the editor in question happens to be a former publishing house editor or literary agent. In that case, they are feverishly searching for jobs and will not be inclined to act snotty. The broad brush allegation that "most of what they teach is bad advice" is plain ridiculous, if for no other reason than the allegation is too sweeping. Most? Really? No examples given here. No names. Who provides unproductive advice and who does not varies widely.)

(FYI, the statement above, and below, was made by an instructional-and-self-publication website)

Nothing about reading books about writing—or subscribing to blogs about writing—is going to help you do that... But I have yet to find a book about writing that’s a better use of your time than actually writing.

(I'm still bandaging my jaw. Well said, I must say. The writer has yet "to find a book about writing" that's any good? Waste of time? For example, "Screenwriter's Problem Solver" by Syd Field teaches nothing worthwhile? "Art of Fiction" by John Gardner? And so forth? We addressed this issue quite well on WE. It's hard to believe this issue has to be debated. I've only ever heard one person say this in twenty years, and that was an MFA prof attempting to sell his program to a writer workshop. And I'll maintain that if you cannot communicate writing advice using the written word, then you cannot communicate it verbally either. )

Read as much writing as you can in your genre (the kind of books you want to write)?... I actually tell people not to do this... Instead, read only the minimum amount necessary to know what the general consensus is in that field.

(Huh? This fellow actually finds harm in immersing in one's chosen genre? Read the minimum amount? What does that mean? How does he define? We never find out. It's just overall ridiculous.)

Do you find it hard to believe that a portion of the above isn't just an invention? I'd prefer it that way actually. Far more disturbing to see fellow writers (or alleged writers) passing this pap around as if valid.

God bless this website.

Algonkian's Seven First Assignments

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:44:00 +0000

Below are the first seven assignments we provide to writers who will be attending upcoming Algonkian events. All of them are vital to reaching an understanding of the critical elements that go into the creation of a commercially viable literary project, whether novel or narrative non-fiction. There is more to it, of course, much more, but this is an excellent primer.

Pay special attention to antagonistic force, breakout title, conflict issues, core wound, and setting.

Quiet novels do not sell.

Michael Neff
Algonkian Conferences Chief Editor
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THE ACT OF STORY STATEMENT

Before you begin to consider or rewrite your story premise, you must develop a simple "story statement." In other words, what is the mission of your protagonist? Their goal? What must be done? What must she or he create? Destroy? Save? Accomplish? Defeat? ... Consider the following classics.

- Defy the dictator of the city and bury brother’s body (ANTIGONE)?
- Place a bet that will shake up the asylum (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST)?
- Do whatever it takes to recover lost love (THE GREAT GATSBY)?
- Save the farm and live to tell the story (COLD MOUNTAIN)?
- Find the wizard and a way home to Kansas (WIZARD OF OZ)?

Note that all of these are books with strong antagonists who drive or catalyze the plot line going forward. More on that later.

If you cannot conceive or write a simple story statement like those above (which will help define your story premise) then you don’t have a work of commercial fiction. Keep in mind that the PLOT LINE is an elaboration of the statement.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement.

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ANTAGONIST PLOTS THE POINT

Since a true antagonist is the major driver of plot in successful genre fiction, what chances do you as a writer have of getting your manuscript, regardless of genre, commercially published if the story and narrative therein fail to meet reader demands for sufficient suspense, character concern, and conflict?

Answer: none. But what major factor makes for a quiet or dull manuscript brimming with insipid characters and a story that cascades from chapter to chapter with tens of thousands of words, all of them combining irresistibly to produce an audible thudding sound in the mind, rather like a fist hitting a side of cold beef?

Such a dearth of vitality in narrative and story frequently results from the unwillingness of the writer to create a suitable antagonist who stirs and spices the plot hash. And let's make it clear what we're talking about. By "antagonist" we specifically refer to an actual fictional character, an embodiment of certain traits and motivations who plays a significant role in catalyzing and energizing plot line(s), or at bare minimum, in assisting to evolve the protagonist's character arc (and by default the story itself) by igniting complication(s) the protagonist, and possibly other characters, must face and solve (or fail to solve).

CONTINUE READING ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

SECOND ASSIGNMENT: in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the ways they react to the world about them.

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CONJURING YOUR BREAKOUT TITLE

What is your breakout title? How important is a great title before you even become published? Very important! Quite often, agents and editors will get a feel for a work and even sense the marketing potential just from a title. A title has the ability to attract and condition the reader's attention. It can be magical or thud like a bag of wet chalk, so choose carefully. A poor title sends the clear message that what comes after will also be of poor quality.

Go to Amazon.Com and research a good share of titles in your genre, come up with options, write them down and let them simmer for at least 24 hours.Consider character or place names, settings, or a "label" that describes a major character, like THE ENGLISH PATIENT or THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST. Consider also images, objects, or metaphors in the novel that might help create a title, or perhaps a quotation from another source (poetry, the Bible, etc.) that thematically represents your story. Or how about a title that summarizes the whole story: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, etc.

Keep in mind that the difference between a mediocre title and a great title is the difference between THE DEAD GIRL'S SKELETON and THE LOVELY BONES, between TIME TO LOVE THAT CHOLERA and LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA between STRANGERS FROM WITHIN (Golding's original title) and LORD OF THE FLIES, between BEING LIGHT AND UNBEARABLE and THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING.

THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three, and revisit to edit as needed).

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DECIDING YOUR GENRE AND APPROACHING COMPARABLES

Did you know that a high percentage of new novel writers don't fully understand their genre, much less comprehend comparables?

When informing professionals about the nuances of your novel, whether by query letter or oral pitch, you must know your genre first, and provide smart comparables second. In other words, you need to transcend just a simple statement of genre (literary, mystery, thriller, romance, science fiction, etc.) by identifying and relating your novel more specifically to each publisher's or agent's area of expertise, and you accomplish this by wisely comparing your novel to contemporary published novels they will most likely recognize and appreciate--and it usually doesn't take more than two good comps to make your point.Agents and publishing house editors always want to know the comps.

There is more than one reason for this. First, it helps them understand your readership, and thus how to position your work for the market. Secondly, it demonstrates up front that you are a professional who understands your contemporary market, not just the classics. Very important! And finally, it serves as a tool to enable them to pitch your novel to the decision-makers in the business.Most likely you will need to research your comps. We've included some great starter websites for this purpose below. If you're not sure how to begin, go to Amazon.Com, type in the title of a novel you believe very similar to yours, choose it, then scroll down the page to see Amazon's list of "Readers Also Bought This" and begin your search that way.

Keep in mind that before you begin, you should know enough about your own novel to make the comparison in the first place!By the way, beware of using comparables by overly popular and classic authors. If you compare your work to classic authors like H.G. Wells and Gabriel Marquez in the same breath you will risk being declared insane. If you compare your work to huge contemporary authors like Nick Hornby or Jodi Picoult or Nora Ephron or Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling, and so forth, you will not be laughed at, but you will also not be taken seriously since thousands of others compare their work to the same writers. Best to use two rising stars in your genre. If you can't do this, use only one classic or popular author and combine with a rising star. Choose carefully!

FOURTH ASSIGNMENT:

- Read this comprehensive article regarding comparables.

- Develop two smart comps for your novel. This is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in your chosen genre.

- Also find two comps related to TV and Film--always a good idea at this point in the 21st century.

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HOOK LINES, CORE WOUNDS, AND CONFLICT

Conflict, tension, complication, drama--pretty much basically related and going a long way to keeping the reader's eyes and thoughts fixated on your story. These days, serving up a big manuscript of quiet is a sure path to post-slush damnation. You need tension on the page, and the best way to accomplish this is to create conflict and complication in the plot, and narrative as well.

Conflict was first described in ancient Greek literature as the agon, or central contest in tragedy. According to Aristotle, in order to ensure interest, the hero must have a single conflict. The agon, or act of PRIMARY CONFLICT, involves the protagonist and the antagonist, corresponding to hero and villain. The outcome of their contest cannot be known in advance, and according to later critics such as Plutarch, the hero's struggle should be ennobling. Is that always true these days? Not always, but let's move on. Classic drama creates conflict with real stakes. It cannot help but do so. You see it everywhere, to one degree or another, from classic contemporary westerns like THE SAVAGE BREED to a time-tested novel as literary as THE GREAT GATSBY (that would fall apart if Tom Buchanan were not a cretin). And the core of conflict can be expressed in a hook line. For example, let us consider hook lines from the following novels.

Note the following hook lines are divided into two basic parts--the CORE WOUND and the resulting dramatic complication that denotes and drives conflict towards climax and resolution.

The Hand of Fatima by Ildefonso Falcones
A young Moor torn between Islam and Christianity, scorned and tormented by both, struggles to bridge the two faiths by seeking common ground in the very nature of God.

* The protagonist is scorned and tormented, thus the core wound, and as a result he seeks to fulfill an almost impossible task.
___

Summer's Sisters by Judy Blume
After sharing a magical summer with a friend, a young woman must confront her friend's betrayal of her with the man she loved.

* The protagonist is betrayed by her friend and thus her core wound, and as a result she must take steps to reach a closure wherein conflict will surely result.
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The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
As an apprentice mage seeks revenge on an elder magician who humiliated him, he unleashes a powerful Djinni who joins the mage to confront a danger that threatens their entire world.

* Humiliated into a core wound by an elder magician, the story line erupts into a conflict with the entire world at stake.
___

*** Note that it is fairly easy to ascertain the stakes in each case above: a young woman's love and friendship, the entire world, and harmony between opposed religions. If you cannot make the stakes clear, the odds are you don't have any.

FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line following the format above that includes core wound and resulting conflict. Consider also, what makes your novel distinctive? Might elements of the setting be displayed to add color? Is the antagonist noted or inferred? What do you see in the three examples above?
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OTHER MATTERS OF CONFLICT: TWO MORE LEVELS

Consider "conflict" divided into three parts, all of which you should ideally have present in the novel. First, the primary conflict (noted above) that drives through the core of the work from beginning to end and zeniths with an important climax (falling action or denouement to follow). Next, secondary conflicts or complications which can take various social forms (anything from a vigorous love subplot to family issues to turmoil with fellow characters). Finally, those inner conflicts the major characters must endure and resolve--which may or may not be directly related to the main plot line (but at least an important one should be).

SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Why will they feel in turmoil? Conflicted? Anxious? Sketch out one hypothetical scenario in the story wherein this would be the case--consider the trigger and the reaction. And relate it to the main plot line or primary conflict.

Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Will this involve family? Friends? Associates? What is the nature of it?

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THE INCREDIBLE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING

When considering your novel, whether taking place in a contemporary urban world or on a distant magical planet in Andromeda, you must first sketch the best overall setting and sub-settings for your story. Consider: the more unique and intriguing (or quirky) your setting, the more easily you're able to create energetic scenes, narrative, and overall story.

A great setting maximizes opportunities for interesting characters, circumstances, and complications, and therefore makes your writing life so much easier.

Imagination is truly your best friend when it comes to writing competitive fiction, and nothing provides a stronger foundation than a great setting. One of the best selling contemporary novels, THE HUNGER GAMES, is driven by the circumstances of the setting, and the characters are a product of that unique environment, the plot also.

But even if you're not writing SF/F, the choice of setting is just as important, perhaps even more so. If you must place your upmarket story in a sleepy little town in Maine winter, then choose a setting within that town that maximizes opportunities for verve and conflict, for example, a bed and breakfast stocked to the ceiling with odd characters who combine to create comical, suspenseful, dangerous or difficult complications or subplot reversals that the bewildered and sympathetic protagonist must endure and resolve while he or she is perhaps engaged in a bigger plot line: restarting an old love affair, reuniting with a family member, starting a new business, etc. And don't forget that non-gratuitous sex goes a long way, especially for American readers.

CONTINUE TO READ THIS ARTICLE THEN RETURN.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. What makes it interesting enough, scene by scene, to allow for uniqueness and cinema in your narrative and story? Please don't simply repeat what you already have which may well be too quiet. You can change it. That's why you're here! Start now. Imagination is your best friend, and be aggressive with it.

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Manuscripts to Market - An Interview With Michael Neff of Algonkian

noreply@blogger.com (CharleneC) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:00 +0000

Senior editor Charlene Castor of Algonkian Author Connect interviews Michael Neff, the CEO and Chief Production Editor of Algonkian Writer Conferences.

Q: What made you and Algonkian decide to start this novel editing service?

NEFF:

Manuscripts to Market is a natural outgrowth of our writer events and programs. Writers are always asking for something like this, especially following the New York Write to Pitch. Over the years, I've spent many hours helping alums get published, in one way or another.

CC: That makes sense, of course, but seriously, Michael, does the world need another novel editing service?

NEFF: Yes and no. The world does not need another commonplace editorial service. Ours is unique, indefinite in length, customized for each writer, and finally, structured more productively than other novel editing services--the condition we're striving for in terms of method and final results.

CC: That's a bold statement. So how does "Manuscripts to Market" really differ from other novel editorial services? I'm skeptical. There's a hundred of them out there.

NEFF: Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that one-pass ms reviews rarely, if ever, result in publishable manuscripts. You'll see writers pay gobs of money to various freelance editors only to be left hanging with sweeping or confusing rewrites, and once done, the ms will require yet another layer of editing. Follow-up is always necessary. The writer must be guided as needed, depending on their skill set, and the project itself must be developed in stages.

We provide a three-stage review of the manuscript. First, a preliminary "sell sheet analysis" of the story premise and other major elements that might well necessitate rewrites and a new draft from the start. Why begin a full edit of the manuscript if we know from the onset, for example, that crucial elements of plot are missing? Second, a core developmental review of the manuscript from first page to last, resulting in ms notes and a separate editorial report.

Weeks or months later (depending on the author and ms) this is followed by a third and final review once the author has completed the necessary restructure and rewrites.

CC: And that wraps it up?

NEFF: Next, we assist with the search for agents and production of a superlative query letter. We also stick with the writer through the query process for an indefinite length of time, reality checking as appropriate and necessary.

We also differ from the many editorial services in other ways. For example, our own combined skill set exceeds that of most freelance editors. Unlike the academic types, we've actually worked with commercial publishing house editors and agents, we have a track record, and unlike the majority of ex-editors from publishing houses who left the business to freelance, we are actual writers, published authors of fiction.

CC: What about editor-for-hire bulletin boards like the one on Reedsy? Don't they have real editors there?

NEFF: Reedsy means well. They host dozens of editors looking for jobs and freelance work. Why? Because they lost their jobs. The turnover in the industry is at an all-time high. A few might be of value but most don't pass the test of being writers themselves, plus those who claim to have worked with popular authors have done so only because they were warming the chair when that particular author at the publishing house needed a line edit. In short, dabbling at Reedsy can result in mixed results. Just be careful.

CC: Why do you feel your novel editing method is more valuable or realistic than methods utilized by MFA faculty? I know you're not keen on advice that emanates from MFA programs.

NEFF: For the most part, no. I totally reject the Conroy philosophy and approach began at Iowa decades ago and later cascaded into the bulk of MFA programs throughout the United States. They preach that writing can't be taught, and in keeping with that disproved absurdity, therefore eschew notions of discussing plot or story premise when it comes to writing a novel. What could be more ridiculous? Craft becomes a whisper after dark and the word "market" gains the status of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter, i.e., becoming a word which must never be spoken in the presence of ivy.

An academic whose beliefs about novel writing, or fiction writing in general, are rooted in that culture should never be consulted. It's a little like consulting with a home builder who doesn't believe in the basics of physics. If nothing else, the "professors" fail to understand the demands of various genres and their readerships, and that's just for starters.

CC: Do you offer guarantees to writers? I mean, do you assure the writer they will be published as a result of utilizing Manuscript to Market services?

NEFF: No editor, no matter how brilliant, by contract or otherwise, has sufficient control over a work to engineer it to guaranteed commercial publication. Why? Because no matter what you do, no matter what services you provide or what you say, it is ultimately up to the writer to rise to the challenge. At the end of the day, the writer must actually write or rewrite the manuscript. Also, given the reality and ease of social media interaction, you sometimes find yourself as an editor in a struggle to be heard over the din of readers and writer groups interacting with your clients--often telling them what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.

Any number of things will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I've witnessed long slogs to brass ring territory only to see a history of titanic effort go whooshing into the sewer because one single player in the writer's life, sitting beside her one evening at a theater, told her that her novel was perfectly wonderful, no more changes were necessary, and to just "follow her heart" to certain success.

A tragic event for that writer, though it seemed so right and blessed with divine good feeling.

CC: Anything else you would like to add on the subject?

NEFF: Yes, I want to tell everyone out there to ask themselves the following questions before they ever decide to spend a penny on novel or nonfiction editorial services. As follows:

Do you get to review the credentials of the individual who will be working on your ms?
Do the person's credentials include any real-time experience working in tandem with the New York publishing business, or at least with mid-sized or quality independent presses?
Is there a demonstrable track record of commercial or literary publication of any kind associated with past clients of this person? Is the track record relatively recent or really old news?
Is the proposed editor person an actual writer of narrative nonfiction or novels? Has the work been self-published or published?
Are accolades or testimonials about the business itself focused rather on buzz phrasing than pointers to actual results, i.e., contracts with major houses or agencies?

If you get positive answers to all these questions, you know with reasonable certainty that you and your manuscript will have a fighting chance.

CC: Thank you for the interview, Michael.

NEFF: Thank you, Charlene.

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Manuscripts to Market

Algonkian Writer Conference Reviews and Contracts

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 18:11:00 +0000

THE FOLLOWING COLLECTION OF REVIEWS, CONTRACT NEWS, AND GENERAL COMMENTARY INVOLVES ALGONKIAN WRITER CONFERENCE EVENTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THESE ARE AN ESTIMATED 20-25% OF THE TOTAL MAILS, INTERNET POSTINGS, AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SENT TO US. WE APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHOSE REPORTS AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED HERE. PLEASE KNOW WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.

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From First Line to Final Contract

Adam Chromy, chief of MTM signed me last evening. I believe from my conversations with him that he will be the perfect match to support me in execution of this project. This could nor would ever have occurred without my attending your St. Augustine workshop retreat or receiving so much wonderful feedback over that magical week. So all of that fancy language is to say: THANK YOU! I am bruised from pinching myself. :-)

- Frances Brown

Monterey Writer Retreat alum, Harlow Robinson, saw his memoir, MY HOT TIMES IN THE COLD WAR : AN AMERICAN MEMOIR FROM GAY RUSSIA, picked up by McFarland for pub in 2026. His agent, Katharine Sands of the Sarah J.F. Agency, first learned about his work at the Algonkian Monterey event and signed him asap. Congrats to Harlow!

A quick note to say thank you because I attended the Write to Pitch conference in December (I was in Paula's group) and just landed a contract with The Book Group agency for MAYBE WE MEANT IT which I completely credit to the conference. I spent the winter editing my book based on what I learned that weekend, as well as in the eBook. My agent just landed a six-figure deal with Park Row Books!

- Bri LeClerc

I really wanted guidance and a professional opinion to help me decide if my writing was "good enough" to pursue seriously. So I signed up for the Algonkian Writers Retreat with Michael Neff. It was a wonderful experience. I told him my idea for THE BETTER MOTHER and over the five-day workshop, he and his faculty helped me flush out the idea more solidly, write an outline for the whole novel, and write a pitch for whenever it would be ready to query. I went home and finished the first draft within five months. I kept in touch with Michael and helped me polish it, and by April of 2024, I was ready for my first queries... I sent my very first query on April 18, 2024 and got an offer of rep from my dream agent on July 30! And as of December, my contract is in the mail from a major publisher, Crooked Lane.

- Jennifer Van der Kleut

After the Algonkian NY Write to Pitch, I realized I needed more help to prepare my manuscript before querying, so I reached out to Michael Neff for developmental editing. Not only did he enlist multiple published authors in my genre to assist with providing critical insights that took my novel, MIA'S LIST OF DON'TS, to the next level, he became my biggest advocate in the publishing world. He sent my finished MS to agents he knows and ended up being my matchmaker with the popular literary agent Terrie Wolfe.

- Laura McCamy

Renee Richards was signed by the Talbot Fortune Agency who will rep her upmarket novel entitled LEAVING WOODSTOCK. In her own words regarding the Algonkian WTP conference: "I was fortunate to be assigned to the incredible Paula Munier during the conference, and her guidance was instrumental in securing my current full manuscript request."

From debut-author CJ Rivera, comes a harrowing tale of a parent risking it all for her child. THE FINAL ORCHARD is perfect for those looking for a novel that intrigues like television shows such as Black Mirror. Here we have a new novel fresh off the Write to Pitch event in New York and straight into the hands of Angry Robot in the U.K. Thanks also to the event faculty who worked behind the scenes with Crystal. We wish her huge success!

A Life-Changing Experience - Leading to a Book Deal. If I could capture my experience at the Algonkian New York Write to Pitch Conference in a single word, it would be "transformative." It's a unique blend of a supportive writing community and insightful mentorship that sparked a revolution in my writing approach. The preparatory reading assignments alone were worth their weight in gold. They stretched my understanding of narrative structure and character development, reshaping my own work. I can't emphasize enough the value they added to my writing journey.

- Crystal Rivera

I attended an Algonkian Writer Conference event a couple of years ago. It was just what I needed to turn my idea into a published, award-winning book entitled The Mrs. Tabor. No kidding.

- Kimberly Coleman Burns

Agent Katharine Sands of the Sarah Jane Freymann agency has signed a T.E. Bean, a brilliant new writer and his SFF novel, NIGHT EYES. Congrats to all involved and special thanks to Michael Neff, his workshop leader!

Moveable Type Managment has signed several NYWP and Algonkian authors since 2022 for commercial publication. Among them are Gregory Carpini Jr. and his historical novel SHINEY POWDERED FACES; Jennifer Ericson and her cozy mystery series CURIOSITY RESCUED THE DATE; Jody Gerbig's postpartum horror novel TAKE CARE; and Gerri Lewis' obituary writer mystery THE LAST WORD sold to Tara Gavin at Crooked Lane. Most recently MTM signed MARKERS UNKNOWN, a tech-thriller by writer O.E. Soderberg. In her own words: "It is a total dream come true, and I can’t thank you enough for everything. Your conference is truly one of a kind and has turned me into the writer I want to be."

Audrey Woods sold her short story, Miss Suspicious, to Brendan Deneen at Blackstone, whereupon the film rights were sold to Universal Studios. Hollywood is beginning to notice the Write to Pitch Conference, and we're going to keep it that way.

Carola Lovering's best selling novel, TELL ME LIES, has been turned into a successful TV show on Hulu, now going into its second season. The Write to Pitch Conference in New York made it all possible. Great to hear from you, Carola!

I signed with my dream agent in late June of this year. My experience at the New York Write to Pitch conference in March '23 was a worthwhile investment that gave me the extra push I needed to fine-tune my manuscript with a deeper insight and clearer vision for my story. The pre-event assignments were key in guiding my revisions before and after the workshop, and the personal attention Susan provided in the classroom was invaluable.

- Wendy Tatum

The Corviserio Literary Agency just signed Melissa Mohalla's SFF, SYMPHONY OF CHAINS, for representation after meeting at the Algonkian NYWP. Congrats to all those who made a new six-figures-in-auction possible! Fingers X'd for a great novel.

The Cindy Bullard Agency as recently signed three new clients from Algonkian events, including A DEADLY GAME by Gayle Brown, and new novels by Scott Fleuter and author Nina Smith. Congrats to Gayle, Scott, Nina, and Cindy!

Just wanted to let you know I signed with Bob Diforio from D4EO literary with the novel we workshopped! You guys really helped me boost the concept to the next level, and btw, thanks again for the great new title, SECRET OF KILCHULLEN HOLLOWS."

- Samantha Schinder

We just learned a pleasant surprise on the fly, namely that Talcott-Notch agency's Amy Collins has signed a total of five writers from Algonkian events over the past three years, most recently Joseph Hall's SF novel, STEEL HOUND, now making the rounds at major imprints. On the other side of the city, Algonkian writer Shola Adedji was signed by Blackstone Publishing to write a new SFF series called SHADOWMAN. He and his editor, Brendan Deneen, met at the NYWP.

We're pleased to announce that Susan Breen's workshop group has once again produced a winner. A women's suspense thriller, A DEADLY GAME by Gayle Brown, was signed by Cindy Bullard of the Cindy Bullard agency. Congrats to Gayle, Cindy, and Susan!

You guys have clearly worked very hard to develop a terrific event for upcoming writers. It's exactly what people need: support in producing a commercial idea, plus contacts to help sell it.... It was brilliant, and great to get to know you and Audrey too. I'm so glad I flew over from England or it.

- Harper Collins Author, Annabel Kantaria

I know three people who've attended [New York Pitch]. I went to one of the after parties with one of those people. It's definitely worth doing. One of those people got a six-figure book deal out of it, the other two got very serious offers.

Prepare yourself to have to rewrite the book, though. The people there will tell you what edits you'll need to make in order to sell the book to them.

- Eleanor Konik

A Sample of Twitter Posts

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I received a contract from Harper Collins in 2021 as a result of an agent I met at the NY Pitch Greatest Show on Earth circus. I say "circus" not in a derogatory way, but as a good metaphor to utilize when describing the creative and delightful social chaos of the event itself.

The studios are the equivalent of circus rings, each with their own culture, ringmasters, and applause. The hallways brim with entertainment art like a maze between the tents, echoing with the sounds of audition. Mouths are open, eyes are big, tears and laughter are real, and I'm going again, even if just to watch.

And on top of everything else, I learned more about good fiction writing than in three years of groping for an MFA.

- Marion Clark (Bestseller3)

J.R. Roessl, who attended the 2020 St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Retreat, was recently signed by a faculty agent at the retreat. The PM announcement as follows: "Former model J.R. Roessl's HERITAGE, the 1960s-era coming-of-age story of the author raised on a boat built by her father and christened Heritage, where the family dynamics were just as treacherous as the pirates and stormy seas, to Rick Rinehart at Lyons Press, for publication in spring 2023, by Adam Chromy at Movable Type Management (NA). Audio rights to Addi Wright at Blackstone Audio."

Bombarded with offers from agents at the New York Pitch Conference in 2022, Nan McCann finally agreed that agent extraordinare, Paula Munier, should be the right one to represent A MAN OF TWISTED WORDS. Congrats to all!

Agent Amy Collins of the famous Talcott Notch agency just signed SFF writer Sandra Kruse to a two book deal. According to Amy in a note to us, "My first time at the New York pitch as an agent and I was blown away by the quality of talent assembled there, and I signed not one, but two authors. I can't believe it." And it was actually Sandra's second visit to the event. As she says in an email, "I learned so much the first time that I came back six years later with a different book and, this time, came away with an awesome agent. Thank you! Thank you!"

Randy Denmon's new nonfiction about rediscovering the other side of America in an old Ford truck was just signed by NY faculty member, literary agent Barbara Zitwer following a meeting between the two. Randy's novels and nonfiction have won the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Faulkner-Wisdom Award, and he has been a finalist for the Ben Franklin Award. He is also the author of THE FORGOTTEN TRAIL TO APPOMATTOX.

A couple of big projects at the NYPC were recently signed by the renowned literary agency, Moveable Type Management (MTM), for representation to both book and film markets. These include the WW II historical fiction pitched at the 03/21 NYPC, THE LAST AIRMAN by Roy Qualls, and A MILLION MILES TO DAISY by Sam Nahins, a novel about an assasination drone pilot out of Vegas seeking redemption by struggling to save his mother from a corrupt and brutal nursing home.

NEWS : NEW YORK PITCH ONLINE

At recent New York Pitch events held online via high-tech video conferencing, upwards of 67 projects were chosen for professional consideration by NY Pitch faculty for both book and TV/film markets. Agents, publishing house editors, and producers in attendance included agent Amy Stapp from Wolfson Literary, editor Hannah O'Grady from St. Martins, film producer Ken Atchity of AEI/Story Merchant, senior agent Michelle Richter of Fuse Literary, editor Elle Keck from Harper Collins, editor Miranda Hill from Penguin-Random House, editor Chris Morgan from Tor/Forge, editor April Osborn from Harper Collins, film/tv executive Brendan Deneen from Assemble Media, senior agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch, and editor Gwen Hawkes from St. Martins. Novels selected from multiple genres included SHOUTING AT LEAVES, WAR GODS OF AFRICA, ALL THE GIFTED, GOD OF THE FALLEN, THE GIRL WHO SOLD DEATH, THE WASTELAND CREW, RESURRECTION ARC, LAST SORCERESS OF ROME, AMERICAN CALIPHATE, THE RULES OF HAUNTING, A MILLION MILES TO DAISY, THE SIFTING, WOUND SOWER, GETTING RID OF DAVION, A DEATH OF ANGELS, THE DARK RESISTANCE, and THE GREATEST ELECTRICAL SCIENTIST.

Melanie Bacon's DRAGON RIPPER, a spin-off of Sherlock Holmes starring his sister and Jack the Ripper's daughter, was published by Del Sol Press after being streamlined by Algonkian workshops and edited by Algonkian editors. Talcott Notch represented the author. Accolades from best selling author, Hallie Ephron. Congrats all around!

Women's fiction author, Joani Elliot, just informed her workshop leader, Susan Breen, that an offer from Jennifer Weis Agency was forthcoming following the NYC Pitch and that the NYC Pitch played a major role in sealing the deal. No surprise there! Congrats to Joani... Update: Joani has signed with a major affiliate of Simon and Schuster.

Attending the Algonkian Author-Mentor Workshop in St. Augustine was a most excellent experience. By far, it was the best investment I could have made in my progress as a fiction writer. Knowing what editors, agents, and publishers are looking for helped me refine my approach. There was a strong sense of camaraderie among our group as we openly shared our stories. We've even formed our own online group so we can stay in touch, and continue to support each other in the coming months and years. Thank you for all you do to encourage, educate, and guide aspiring writers to succeed. I personally benefitted from the valuable insights and feedback I received from you, Paula, Lissa, Hallie, Adam, and Bob.

- Sheree Richnow

Author Linda Rosen just wrote and said: "You were so generous in helping me create a better title for my book... THE DISHARMONY OF SILENCE. Thank you so much! I want you to know, though the novel wasn't picked up from an editor at the conference, after several revisions later, and based in part on your editorial review, the novel is now coming out from Black Rose... I wanted you to know of the book's success so far and my sincere appreciation for all your help."

Pitch Playlist:

We've just learned from Loretta Marion, NYC alum, that thanks to the conference her career is flourishing. Congrats to Marion! "Awarded an Honorable Mention by the New England Book Festival and the Gold Book Award from Hungry Monster Literary Awards, Loretta Marion's debut novel is a twisty tale of mystery and suspense with whispers of romance." [ in her own words ]

We've just learned from Rebecca Fujikawa that she has signed with the prestigious Seymour Agency after acquiring the necessary knowledge and editor leverage at the New York Pitch conference in 2017. She wrote workshop leader Susan Breen to tell her the good news. Congrats to Rebecca! [ in her own words ]

A BORROWING OF BONES by Paula Munier, NYC senior faculty member and literary agent par excellence, will be out from Minotaur books in September. Lee Child calls it, "A compelling mix of hard edges and easy charm..." Paula is also the author of the bestselling PLOT PERFECT, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS, WRITTING WITH QUIET HANDS, and FIXING FREDDIE: A True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle.

I recommend attending the conference if you're open-minded about your work and, most importantly, willing to change it. The four-day event is an emotional rollercoaster. Be prepared for honest feedback. Comments about your novel will not be sugarcoated. You may be asked to add characters, ditch a point-of-view, or even switch genres... You'll be peppered with questions. Don't defend. Rather, listen to ideas from those in the industry.

- Tracey Kathryn

The insights and learnings from the Algonkian conference that I attended were instrumental in helping me find a top literary agent (Red Ink) and resulted in the publication of the very book that I arrived at the conference with. This book, now titled VICTIMS FOR SALE, was published and released worldwide by HarperCollins in 2018 and has recently been long-listed for the Bombay Film Festival awards.

- Nish Amarnath

MURDERABILIA By Carl Vonderau will be published by Midnight Ink Publishing come July, 2019. The Algonkian New York event honed his story and pitch so perfectly that he snagged an agent at the San Francisco Writers Conference. The agent turned out to be Michelle Richter of Fuse Literary, a frequent contributor to the aforementioned event in NYC. Michelle provided him with excellent representation and an eventual sale to a terrific publisher.

The Flapper, the Scientist, and the Saboteur by Charlene Dietz is now available on Amazon. Char wrote to tell us, "I want you to know how those five days at the Monterey Writer Retreat impacted my writing adventure. Paula Munier shoveled lots of stuff my way, helping shape my soon to be debut novel: put another murder right up front, don't kill a main characters while still on stage, be sure to have a USP, change the length, change the pacing, pay attention to where act one, act two, and act three happen... The Retreat helped choreograph my novel to the point that when I delved back into the revision process real magic happened. Thought you might enjoy reading these Kirkus starred reviews for my debut mystery novel (2016) and also for its prequel (2017). Thank you for the Monterey adventure!"

I just wanted to share my amazing news with you. I attended your workshop in September '15, and earlier this month, sold my YA novel and a sequel to Delacorte/Random House. I just wanted to say thank you for the great advice and tough critique you and the editors shared with me... I'm incredibly grateful.

- Kelly Coon

TELL ME LIES by Carola Lovering will be published by Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) . Carola owes a significant portion of "getting over the top" to the NY Pitch, not to mention the fact that editor interest gave her needed "query leverage when querying agents at several top agencies" including Janklow & Nesbit, who later provided her with great representation. Carola Lovering comments.

RIGHT OF ANSWER by Hilary Llewellyn-Thomas, a historical fiction about the first woman imprisoned in the Tower of London (who was the author's ancestor) was signed in contract to Trident Media literary agency, to be represented by Mark Gottlieb. Hilary Llewellyn-Thomas comments.

- Kelly Coon

The weekend I spent at this conference was transformational for me, and one of the best experiences of my life. It challenged my thinking, improved my craft, and helped me as a writer. Best of all, it made me feel like a writer for the first time in my life, and introduced me to a community of fellow writers with whom I am still friends today. If you ever had the desire to write professionally, and if you're willing to hear hard truths and do some serious work, I highly recommend it.

- Ben Keller

With Susan Breen as my workshop leader, our group was collaborative and supportive. Hearing how other writers in the group improved their pitches was inspiring. Because the conference participants are screened, editors know they are not wasting their time. Each editor I pitched listened carefully, giving suggestions and asking questions that improved my pitch. Susan followed up, interpreting the editors' feedback to be sure each writer got the most out of the encounter. Whether or not my manuscript had been requested, I would have learned if my novel had commercial appeal and how to best pitch it. Leaving the conference, I felt confident that my novel did have potential and that I could effectively query an agent or editor.

I got lucky. My novel was requested by four of the five editors I pitched. Tessa Woodward at Harper Collins quickly made an offer for it, and Paula Munier, who had read my first page at the conference, represented me to negotiate a contract. After getting Tessa's notes, I am now working on a significant re-write that will expand and improve my novel more than I ever could have on my own...

Just so you know, I spent five years researching and writing my novel before I went to the Algonkian Pitch Conference. For the past year, I had been querying agents and submitting to small presses. One agent requested it then didn't even bother to email back to reject it. Two other small presses rejected it and all other agents and presses didn't even reply. I owned a copy of Writer's Market, I had written what I thought was a good pitch, I researched each agent and press so I could tailor my query. Still, nothing was happening.

Attending the Algonkian event was an investment in my career as a writer. For me, it paid off beyond my wildest dreams. No matter what, though, it would have been worth it for what I learned.

- Kim Van Alkemade, signed by Harper Collins

The very first day, I was told I needed to rethink the plot of my novel, and work through quite a different story from the one I wrote. I was initially devastated, but intent on keeping an open mind. I returned home wiser about the publishing industry and had to go through the stages of grief over the loss of my 400 -page baby. This was not a conference for writers with thin skin. It is a conference for those interested in the almost impossible goal of publication with a major publisher.
- Gregory Renz

Over the course of a week at the St. Augustine Author-Mentor, you pitch, rewrite your novel, hone your presentation with some of the best credentialed pros in both publishing and Hollywood. Course materials help you see where you are as a writer, and what your need to work on. You get to know your fellow writers and realize that you are not alone in the confusion of today's fast changing markets for fiction and non-fiction. And as a bonus, you are in a huge suite overlooking the Atlantic and one of the biggest beaches in Florida.
- Author Catherine Clark

I got two invaluable things out of the recent Algonkian Writers Conference. One was the repeated admonition to utilize all the tools of the craft. Even those of us who've written for a living forever can always use this reminder. A carpenter wouldn't attempt to frame a house without tools and neither should a writer ever sit down without his or her full arsenal at hand... Secondly, The Algonkian Writers Conference is a no-nonsense primer on all that needs be done to prepare a manuscript for presentation. Agents are deluged with thousands of MS yearly and only a few are ever advanced to a publisher. Hence, a pitch, a log line and a synopsis must be absolutely sensational to garner even the slightest attention. In that regard, this is not a feel-good seminar. Some hearts were broken and some treasured ideas were trashed by the agents who attended. But from the first hour of the first day, faculty emphasized the cold facts and discouraging numbers of the trade, urging us to beat the odds by avoiding the errors and pitfalls of the amateurs.

Now, there is some unavoidable tedium associated with such a gathering, when people are working on projects that seem silly or meaningless to you, but I found it helpful to pay attention to everyone's presentation in order to hone mine to a better polish. In doing so I discovered that the focus of my project needed to be compressed and a new angle of attack implemented.

- Burr Snider, Algonkian Veteran

Although I had a strong manuscript already, the Algonkian Writer Conference played a crucial role in helping me develop commercially viable marketing materials. During the conference, I wrote a much more coherent hook, changed the title of my manuscript, and composed a much more agent-friendly query letter. I also learned how to structure the plot for commercial fiction, which will benefit me in subsequent books. The result? In less than three months, I accepted an offer of representation from Mark Gottlieb, one of the top ten literary agents in my genre, which is fantasy.
- J.P. Gownder

The New York Pitch Conference focused attention on a fairly major gap in the early versions of The African Groundnut Scheme which was the lack of a strong female character to help carry the story. The follow up Algonkian conferences helped focus attention on the necessity of making sure every scene in the book is part of the seamless plot. The Algonkian conferences also pointed out the need to structure the story more clearly along the lines of a classic three act play with an opening, middle and conclusion. There is a Greek myth about the god Hermes boring a giant to death with an endless story that is all middle with no beginning or end. So this is not a small matter.

Also, the New York Pitch Conference and Algonkian showed me how to present a book to agents. The technique is somewhat arcane and unsatisfactory, but, hey, that's the system we've got. If you don't know it, it is hard to get off ground zero.
- Interview with Alex Keto

I recently attended the Algonkian Writers Conference and found the experience to be invaluable. Michael Neff led the conference with ethics and integrity. He clearly explained the tools needed to successfully write and publish including reviewing tension, plot outline, character development, dialogue, and perfecting a pitch and synopsis. Michael Neff carefully and relentlessly worked with each writer to assist them in polishing their pitch for agents and troubleshooting the novel in general. This was exactly where I needed to be. Some of the feedback was, indeed, sobering, but I wasn't promised the conference would be a string of feelgood sessions. The work we accomplished was real and the feedback was real. I concur with the review submitted by Burr Synder. My thanks goes to Michael Neff for his patience and attention to detail in designing a writer's conference that was truly meaningful.

- Author Sally Henry

I've been to three of these Algonkian Writing Conferences, including both writing conferences and a Pitch Your Book session in New York City and on the whole they provide good education for a reasonable price... As the publishing business gets more and more difficult, I'm not convinced agents and editors have the time to read queries very easily. Being in front of them is a definite way to improve your odds of at least getting decent feedback. The Agonkian Writing Conferences provide, IMHO, far better value than some of the 'bigger' conferences where the interactions are increasingly staged and short-lived.

- Veteran Writer John Arnold

Robin Stewart's techno-thriller, "Kill Signal," was pitched at the March 2016 and soon signed by Talcott Notch Agency--represented at the New York Pitch event by agent Paula Munier. The ms is now undergoing edits with Algonkian staff. Congrats to Robin. This thriller is going to be a bestseller, we're certain! We love you Robin!!!

From Publishers Marketplace: Sandi Ward's "The Astonishing Thing" pitched as "The Art of Racing in the Rain" meets "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" to John Scognamiglio at Kensington, in a two-book deal, by Stacy Testa at Writers House. Congrats you old pitch conference! [more by Sandi]

Amanda Greenfield says, "Because of your conference I had 2 editors, one being Tessa Woodward, ask for my MS and/or pages and another forward my info to one of her associate editors at St. Martins. I was able to cross reference that with information on Publishers Marketplace and sent a query to an agent that worked with Tessa Woodward at Harper Collins. I sent her the first 50 pages and she was really excited about my work. She read the rest of it the next day and immediately sent me a contract. [more]

Roger Johns, an alumnus of the New York Pitch Conference, wrote and told us: "Just wanted to let you know that Paula Munier, my group leader from the conference, took me on as a client and negotiated a deal for my book - DARK RIVER - with St. Martins. Announced tonight on Publishers Marketplace. Thanks for a wonderful experience. The conference was superb. I'm spreading the word among my critique groups in Atlanta."

Algonkian alums Tracee Hahn (on left) and Britt Tisdale (right) signed recent contracts as a result of attendance at the New York Pitch Conference. Tracee's novel, SWISS VENDETTA, was edited and sold by Algonkian NYC agent faculty to Elizabeth Lacks at St. Martins. Britt's women's fiction novel, DAUGHTERS OF ROSA LA ROUGE, found home with Marsal Lyon Literary Agency: "I re-vamped my pitch, also revised the book to reflect new emphasis. 18 agents requested the ms..." [more]

At last count, an estimated 51 total manuscripts are currently in the process of being reviewed by publishing house editors. More than 63% of total ms presented and discussed at length at our last events were requested, and 75% of all ms requested were requested by more than one editor. This high percentage is a result of intelligent project screening, great projects, attentive editors, and liberal applications of superb pitch craft.

I have to echo what Skate and Eir and John Arnold said about Algonkian Conferences... Neff's approach is simple and pragmatic - he teaches the writer to understand the perspective of the agent or editor, whose job to sell your novel. In my case, I showed up at the workshop with a completed novel. In the workshop, we had to write a pitch and rewrite it, then we got to practice it on a real, live agent who gave us feedback. Bad pitch? Rewrite it and try again a couple days later on MORE agents. I will add that everyone brought their laptops and at one point I passed my laptop to Neff so he could vet my pitch, and he added a sentence or two, and he did this for any of us who asked. So the conference is your basic Pitch Laboratory. This is not to say it was easy. I found it tremendously difficult to switch gears like this, from hardcore novel-writing to hardcore market analysis - but once I got it I felt great. I realized I can use this very pitch in a query letter. Or I can go to another conference and pitch a bunch of other agents in person. Another thing we got to do was to ask questions of the agents - and this, again, de-mystified the whole process. Totally worth the price of admission, and I won't hesitate to go again.

-Annette Stanley

"My novel was requested by four of the five editors I pitched. Tessa Woodward at Harper Collins quickly made an offer for it, and Paula Munier, who had read my first page at the conference, represented me to negotiate a contract. After getting Tessa's notes, I am now working on a significant re-write that will expand and improve my novel more than I ever could have on my own."

Kim Van Alkemade, Author of ORPHAN 8

275 queries later, I attended the New York Pitch and by lunch of the first day I knew exactly why my novel had failed. By the end of the day, I had changed the title, made editorial changes to the story, and later, when time came to query, I employed the strategy recommended at the conference: research agents on Publisher's Marketplace and use the editors from the conference who requested manuscripts as leverage. Within one hour I received an email requesting a full manuscript from an agent at Trident Media. Six days later I received another email about my novel, THE ENIGMATOLOGIST, and requesting to discuss representation. Using what I learned at the conference, I was able to do in what week what I couldn't do in three years. I'm absolutely convinced that everything I learned at the conference is responsible for my success.

- Benjamin Adams, signed by Trident Media Agency

Cate Holahan's DARK TURNS pitched at the NYC in Paula Munier's NYC mystery/thriller workshop and sold to Matt Martz at Crooked Lane, the new crime fiction imprint of Bookspan--two book deal. Publication set for 2015. Paula Munier, NYC faculty, representing Cate and DARK TURNS.

Cate Holahan's DARK TURNS

Algonkian helped me develop a discipline around the creative process, enabling me to write with a clear intention to publish. It has been a year since the program and I continue to refer to the workshop material. From the story analyses I learned to examine my own work with rigor.

- Sheela Sukumaran, PEN USA Emerging Voices Fellow

"I went to an Algonkian writers workshop in the heart of the Berkshires at a pivotal time in my pre-career. I'd been trying to get published for five years, and was stuck. The Algonkian instructors offered sage advice and exposure to the industry so that I came away with a much more realistic understanding. But even more than that, the Algonkian experience brought together writers in a close knit environment that has continued to inspire me eleven years later. Now with my third novel about to come out, I credit my time in the Algonkian woods with helping me get here."

Jenny Milchman, Mary Higgins Clark Award Winner

Algonkian Author Salon's Kate Cox has signed with JENNIFER LYONS AGENCY, and we couldn't be more pleased. Kate has attended several Algonkian events, been a member of AAS, and has worked periodically with Algonkian director Michael Neff on her novel, THROUGH CHAGALL'S WINDOW. Her new agent, Jennifer Lyons (the third agent she queried), represents numerous big name authors.

- Algonkian Author Salon

"Understand, before that I had never taken a writing class, attended a seminar or workshop, I didn't even have a writer's group. The beauty of this conference was that they had editors from major houses coming to listen to our pitches and to give us feedback, and even to ask for our manuscripts if they were interested. And I was one of the lucky ones. Two editors asked to see a partial. I started querying about September 20, and my agent, Sally Wofford-Girand of Brick House Literary Agents, made an offer of representation."

Sujatha Hampton, Author of AS IT WAS WRITTEN

The pitch conference gets tons of credit for my pending publication. Plus, your advice on querying to only a few agents at a time, and Caitlin's editing all contributed to my good news. Publication set for early 2016! Thanks for putting it on and for encouraging scared newcomers like me.

- Angela Pisel, novel sold by Jill Marsal to Putnam

"I must confess that it surprised me when folks at the New York Pitch Conference fastened on Thomas Edison's dark side as the most interesting aspect of the novel ... Once you define the book as being about the struggle between the Weisses and Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patent Company, however, a lot of diffuse stuff falls into line. Then I came home from the recent Algonkian conference at Harpers Ferry, reread the manuscript, and realized I had thrown away a great opportunity in the second-to-the-last chapter to resolve the Edison/Weiss conflict in a meaty and dramatic way. In a word, it was lame."

Irene Fleming [aka Kathleen Gallison], Author of THE EDGE OF RUIN

The Algonkian Park workshop was one of the most useful and stimulating classes I've taken lately (OK, ever). The topics are very useful in themselves; most creative people tend to hide from the business aspects of what they're doing, and most workshops barely touch on this. (Also, thanks for telling us the truth and not coddling us.) And naturally the feedback of the agents was invaluable in its concrete, one-person's-point-of-view way. But also, the writing exercises and your methodology (e.g., PDQ) were right on. Frankly, I felt that I was floundering the whole time and didn't produce very good stuff. But, oddly, that didn't really bother me.

- Helene ("L.N.") Sproules

"I met with an editor from Plume, pitched the idea and she liked it and after several weeks, and rounds of discussion and so forth, she made an offer. Meantime, Michael Neff helped to set me up with my agent, who is a lovely person at Trident Media. So I can honestly say that going to that conference changed my life. Everything turned out so much better than I had dreamed. I did sell my novel--not right at that moment, because there is a process. But I did sell it because I went to Algonkian's New York Pitch Conference."

Susan Breen, Author of THE FICTION CLASS

I want to say a little something about Algonkian Conferences here, because it was the tough-love teaching method of Michael Neff that made me a much stronger writer. And it was through his Algonkian Author Salon that I connected with Carla Norton... The other wonderful (and surprising) thing that came out of my association with AAS is that I've discovered another passion -- editing.

- Lois Gordon, Algonkian Passions

"You may remember me participating then: I was in Charles' group - the cloak and dagger brigade - and my pitch was about a mystery set in WWII Sarajevo. I made a couple of successful pitches, one of them to Tom Colgan at Penguin, and I thought you'd like to know that I've since been offered a two-book deal with them. The first book should be coming out in June next year. I thought it important to write to you because, without the opportunity afforded by the conference, I wouldn't have made the contacts I did."

Luke McCallin, Author of THE MAN FROM BERLIN

I had already sent my novel to an agent from Prospect Agency, telling her I was accepted into Algonkian and this was the ms I was pitching. When I returned, I was able to tell her I knew the novel needed a re-write (thanks to you) and that three publishing house editors were interested in seeing it when it's ready (also thanks to you). So she offered me representation! She's going to work with me on it over the next few months, and when she thinks it's ready, send it off.

- Jane Ann McLachlan, Signed by the Prospect Agency

"I'm writing to say a long-overdue thank you! Now that I'm getting into the more tangible aspects - copyediting, cover designs, etc. - it's feeling more and more that this is real and it's actually happening, and really, I have you and your workshop to thank for getting the whole ball rolling ... And even now, all this time later, I'm still using the pitch that I wrote and worked on that weekend - a large portion of the cover copy is based on it."

Gina Damico, Author of CROAK

It was tremendously effective to receive training in specific writing-enhancing techniques immediately followed by exercises that cemented that training. Ditto the pitch development; if we had developed the pitch but hadn't presented it repeatedly to both colleagues and the agents, the effect would not have been so transforming. I appreciated the intense focus of the conference; we did not waste time.

- Author Julie Kaewert

"At the workshop we read sections of classics and contemporary works demonstrating craft concepts, we wrote vigorously, brainstormed and critiqued sections of our works in progress, meditated, had readings, and got one on one editorial attention. Many of the connections I made at the conference remain with me to this day. Whether you've just completed a first draft of a novel or a tenth draft, the Algonkian Novel Workshop could be just the step you need to take your writing public."

Erika Robuck, Author of HEMINGWAY'S GIRL

I attended your Algonkian Writer's Conference at San Francisco's Fort Mason back in May of 2010. I thought you'd be happy to know that after a year of sending off query letters and partial and full manuscripts, I finally found representation with Sam Stoloff of the Frances Goldin Literary Agency in New York. I'm very happy. Sam is great! We submit my YA manuscript to publishers this September. Thanks so much for all the information I learned from your conference! It was very helpful and worthwhile. How have you been and how are your conferences going? Any other success stories?

- Writer Michael Hagan, signed by Frances Goldin Literary Agency

"Several weeks ago, I attended the Algonkian Write to Market Conference, north of San Francisco. I met amazing people, made friends with wonderful fellow writers, participated in some of the best live pitch critiques you'll hear on the West Coast, and on the first evening was ceremoniously sacrificed at the altar of upmarket fiction with two fellow authors as witnesses and a horse-size cobb salad to bury my face in. I emerged re-born..."

Author Birgitte Rasine

I just wanted to let you know that the conference did me a world of good. I had not spent time with literary people in 12 years, since I left the world of journalism. I had never before been to a writer's conference of any kind ... I believe that once I make the recommended changes to these projects I'll be onto something. I always thought I could write well, but the peripherals of the publishing business were daunting to me and I had lost contact with them. Thanks for helping to bring me back in touch.

James Crawford

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I was beginning to get discouraged in the "find an agent game." I'd managed to wrack up a more than a few rejections on the queries I'd sent out. Then at the conference, with the help of an amazing workshop leader, I was able to improve my pitch. Three out of four editors at the conference requested my manuscript! That and the enthusiasm of my fellow attendees gave me heart. With an improved pitch and the editor interest to back me, I jumped back into the fray, Now, a few months later, I've signed with Emily Sylvan Kim of the Prospect Agency.

Amy Ester Fischer

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Despite my many years as a journalist and non-fiction author, the transition into writing good fiction was difficult for me. Upon taking the Algonkian workshop, it all came into focus. For the first time, I am aware of the techniques and craft it takes to write a competitive manuscript.

Dusko Doder, Author and Former Moscow Bureau Chief for the Washington Post

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The Algonkian conference was pivotal in moving my career forward. While I went there thinking it was just a really cool way to meet publishing editors, it turned out to be a portal into so many other avenues of the publishing business. Because of the conference, I've signed with the agent of my dreams!

- Dave McMenamin, Signed by Talcott Notch Literary Agency

I've yet to leave without requesting manuscript pages from participants. What's more, the manuscripts deliver. I recently signed and sold Gina Damico's YA fantasy in a two book deal to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt after hearing her project pitched at the conference. Serving on the Algonkian faculty has also been tremendously gratifying. Not only does the conference attract a wide variety of writers working in many different genres, it also has a great vibe--supportive, friendly, fun. I highly recommend it.

- Tina Wexler, agent at ICM

Algonkian Workshops take one's work to the next level. With an intimate, supportive, focused atmosphere and rigorous schedule, writers can set realistic goals and get projects to the place they need to be to take them to a wider market. As an agent, I appreciate that Algonkian writers have an established sense of what works and what doesn't. Their projects are a cut above the rest.

- Elise Capron, agent at Sandra Dijkstra Agency

"So pleased to share this news with you and extend my thanks once again for the career boost from the pitch conference: "Rosemary DiBattista's (writing as Rosie Genova) MURDER MARINARA, first in a new mystery series featuring a quirky Italian-American family and their restaurant on the Jersey Shore, to Sandy Harding at NAL, at auction, in a three-book deal, by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds."

Rosemary DiBattista, author of MURDER AND MARINARA

I wanted to pass along the good news that I signed with Writers House this week, and they'll be representing my novel TINY DANCER. I'm certain that I would not have gained their attention were it not for the vastly improved novel and pitch I crafted at the NY conference in June.

- Kelly McNeil, signed by Writers House

"I attended Algonkian conferences in NYC and San Francisco in 2009 and 2010. They were among the best experiences in my writing life. I met some of the most powerful people in the publishing industry, both major publishers and agents ... I was offered a publishing contract by Harper Collins UK soon after my last visit to an Algonkian conference. I am now translated into 10 languages."

Laurence O'Bryan, Author of THE MANHATTAN PUZZLE

Two of the four editors I met with asked to see my work and the other two were very interested ... I credit the reception of all four editors to the pitch. It generated questions which helped me explain in more detail the vision of the project.

- Pam Binder, Best Selling Author

"Algonkian offered me the opportunity to be part of a real writers group where my ideas and evolving characters were first introduced to other writers and potential readers. That critique allowed me to tweak my characters and storyline to perfection. Algonkian's approach in fine tuning my pitch helped me to tighten my manuscript as well. As a result, my manuscript sold to the very first publisher who saw it."

Roberta Gately, author of LIPSTICK IN AFGHANISTAN

I am arrogant, manipulative and intelligent, but not unrealistic. The New York Pitch Conference was exactly what I needed - a reality check. I learned what publishers look for and shy away from, and gained a deeper understanding of the unlikely odds of becoming one of the few that get published. I walked away with a lot of work to do - reworking parts of my novel and studying my genre.

- Terri-Lynne Smiles

"My workshop leader at the NYC Pitch and Shop Conference, Michael Neff, believed in me. The careful advice, connections, and publishing savvy I received there made all the difference. Because of that conference, I was introduced to the woman who became my editor at Berkley Penguin, and later to the woman who became my agent."

Ann Garvin, author of ON MAGGIE'S WATCH

Agent Jill Grosjean requested to read my manuscript, ESCAPE TO LORELEI, one month ago. And today, I'm proud and excited to tell you that she is my agent ... Jill made a point of addressing the well written pitch and I was quick to mention the Algonkian event ... I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the NYC Pitch conference. What I learned from the experience was invaluable.

- Loretta Marion

"The Algonkian Pitch Conference helped me constructively in channeling the information into a focused pitch, which I used successfully, and as a consequence, my novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN, was published by HarperCollins!"

Talia Carner, Author of JERUSALEM MAIDEN

The Algonkian Conference assignments helped me to refine the organization of my novel, and see it in context of the actual market. The intensive pitch workshops were brilliant for learning to see work from the publisher's point of view. The agents were very generous with their time and gave thoughtful feedback to everyone. I also attended the New York Pitch Conference and can say that these two conferences have filled in the blank left by my MFA: how to actually get published.

- Kari Pilgrim

"This conference helped me TREMENDOUSLY. Tremendously. I changed the title of my manuscript after it was clear that our group didn't really care for it, and the title change helped me realize some of the book's themes; I was asked to submit my manuscript to an editor at Penguin (something I put on my query letters); and I tightened my query to the point where I was 90% successful in terms of agents asking for partials or fulls. I also met some good writers there. Three of the writers in the group I was in have made deals. I'm with Shaye Areheart; another writer is with Plume; another is with Knopf."

Will Lavender, Author of OBEDIENCE

Most effective for me was learning how to write (and rewrite) the pitch based on feedback from those in my group, and the editors. In the process, I really dug into the book - what it was about, what I was trying to say, what the strengths and weaknesses were - discovering elements of it that I hadn't noticed before.

- Writer and editor Chris Stewart

"The New York Pitch Conference offered direct access to major publishing houses, great mentors, and a community of supportive writers ... The intensive workshops force you to crystalize the appeal of your manuscript. That helps greatly in the pitch sessions, but also -- maybe more importantly -- in drafting query letters and in editing the novel itself. It's no coincidence that such a large proportion of our small group found publishing success."

John Ford, Author of THE MORGUE AND ME

If they just gave you what you paid for at the New York Pitch and Shop conference - face time with serious decision-makers from the top publishing houses - it would be worth 10x what they charge. But they go further; personal guidance, encouragement, and honest evaluations of your novel.

- Ginger Lombardo

My weekend at the New York Pitch Conference was one of the few highlights in my beginning writing career. The tutoring from the workshop leaders, the support and encouragement of my fellow writers, and especially the feedback from the editors was well worth my time and money. Three of my children attend private universities and three others are enrolled in expensive athletic programs- (that's right- six children, one husband, a mortgage and a whopping grocery bill) pennies are precious, my spare minutes are few, but I considered the conference invaluable.

I shopped conferences extensively before choosing the New York Pitch Conference. Because I've a finished manuscript that has been extensively work-shopped, I wanted a conference where I received personal evaluation and critique by professionals who are top in their league. I got what I wanted and more.

- Kristine Tate

I went to the most recent conference worrying how to juggle four editors all wanting my well-written, professionally-edited, much revised story. That was not a problem, however. I learned that my masterpiece is going to rot until I learn how to pitch and market the theme (a.k.a. premise).

At another writer's conference, I had 15 minutes each with an agent and editor who, having previously read some of the manuscript, told me my writing was excellent, the humor great, etc. But they weren't interested. At the NYC Pitch & Shop conference, I learned why. If you cannot sell your novel idea within the first two minutes, the remaining time is for polite chat. That's the real world.

- Greg Bascom

The New York Pitch Conference, as rumored, is cool, and like someone said, a little like American Idol. Writers are real tense and anxious about their meetings and the responses they are getting.

Some of them cry and others storm around, but the pitch staff calm them down. They have too much stake in the process and want to quit their day jobs.

I don't blame them, but ya gotta have perspective.

One of the coolest things about the New York Pitch Conference is the venue at Ripley-Greer. Lots of art and cool theater people and ooooh la-la dancers of both sexes mingling and rubbing shoulders with the writers.

Never seen anything like it, really.

- David O'Keefe

I attended the most recent New York Pitch Conference and as a currently unpublished author found it to be well worth the time and expense. I travelled from North Carolina, paid for a NY hotel (at a reduced rate thanks to the conference sponsor) plus airfare. Not only was I able to refine my pitch and present it to interested publishers, but participants were able to sit in on early pitch sessions and benefit from the professional critique of other pitches.

Oh, and by the way, an executive editor who has worked with the likes of Tom Clancy is currently considering my mystery-thriller manuscript for publication. How much is that worth?

- Guy Forcucci

Before attending the conference, one ought to do one's research. From what I was led to understand, there were no guarantees. It was not advertised to be anything more than a conference for pitching to editors - face to face. I did not expect editorial help, except as related to the pitch, and I was given more than I expected. I was also given a peep-hole into the current state of affairs in fiction, and I saw what kind of a crapshoot it is - not just for writers but for editors, as well. I saw that editors who were known for taking a certain kind of fiction could be on the lookout for other kinds, so long as it met this nebulous criteria of seeming marketability. When I parted with my $500, I knew from outset that there was a chance that none of the editors might want to see my work, and even if they all wished to see it, that there was no guarantee any of them would take it. It was difficult, but it was an experience I'm grateful for. It was informative, as well as being a reality check, it was helpful in providing editorial contacts, and it was an opportunity for bonding with other writers. The people in my group and our facilitator were first rate human beings.

- Alice B.

I attended in March. Before applying, I studied the website. I made sure I was the kind of writer who might find the experience -- and hence the expenditure -- worthwhile. It was obvious that there were no promises made regarding contracts, fame, or fortune. What you were promised was face time with 4 editors, and what was promised was ABSOLUTELY delivered.

On the first day, participants were aided in developing their pitches -- a very different animal from the standard query letter -- and during the following days, we pitched and honed accordingly, all the while aided by the conference organizers and presenters. Personally, I came away with more than I initially expected. 3 of the 4 editors asked for partials and/or the entire manuscript. My novel is still under consideration by an editor I never would've reached via the slush pile. Other participants had similar success, while others still received a much needed reality check, or simply insight as to how the publishing world works. There were disappointments to be sure, but it wasn't due to the conference, it was due to the individual manuscripts. Writing is a subjective art form, like love, and like love, not everybody found a match during our "speed dating" sessions with the editors. However, everyone in my group -- regardless of their success level -- found the experience worthwhile.

Most importantly, I met a lot of great people who do what I do and are at the same place in their literary pursuits. I live in the Midwest. I don't come across many people who are aspiring authors. Writing is a solitary endeavor and to have met a few colleagues, as well as another writer with whom I now exchange work and have a real and lasting friendship is, as the Mastercard ad says, priceless.

- Amy Hanson

Like others, I came from quite a distance and found the workshop to be more than I had been able to imagine, because I had no idea that what we were going to learn was so labor intensive. I couldn't imagine how it could take three full days to perfect a one to three minute pitch. I can now, and really have a grasp of what I've taken on. This line of work--writing fiction--is no where near an easy task. Sometimes I wonder if I'm off the deep end, but I love the writing and so am willing to keep trying. I appreciated the fact that there were no punches pulled. The Shop staff were almost brutally honest when it came to my writing and that is exactly what I wanted. And, I was told what was wrong and what road to take to fix it. Again, exactly what I wanted. I was told from the first that only a certain level of writing was accepted at this 'conference', and I found that to be true. It was scary exciting and intimidating, as well as motivating to participate in this workshop. Like anything, no one thing works for everyone.

- Lisa Buie-Collard

I came from Canada, another from the Cayman Island, others widely from across the USA. The conference offered training in how to "pitch" one's manuscript, and it offered a face-to-face opportunity to pitch to four editors.

It delivered.

There were days of discussion on improving the pitch, rehearsal sessions, opportunities to discuss one's work and whatever else one pleased with fellow 'wannabees.' Reduced cost hotel accommodation across the street was also arranged.

I did not personally get a contract. Penguin did look at my book and rejected it -- I can't believe that was for any reason other than it didn't match their requirements.

Anyone signing up for this workshop should feel comfortable that they will get what they are told -- however, a guarantee of publication is NOT PART OF THE OFFER.

- Michael Hall

I attended the latest pitch and shop and found it to be tremendously helpful. If you have honed your craft and written a saleable product you should have no problem attracting an editor's attention. You learn how to pitch in one minute. I didn't understand how that was done. I do now, and I do it very well. I recommend it highly. It was the the best writing conference I've experienced.

- William Holland

These are my experiences with the Pitch Conference. I suppose in the back of my mind I went in hoping for some miraculous discover me at the soda fountain Hollywood story. This didn't happen but then I'm no Lana Turner.

The meat of the conference was preparing the pitch. This meant giving the pitch to others in a group of about fifteen writers and listening to their pitches. This helped me focus on two things: what was my novel really about and how could I communicate that effectively in as few words as possible? These may seem like simple matters but to watch fellow writers struggle to make a compelling summary of their works was fascinating and instructional. This process was repeated and the improvement in the presentations was apparent. The pitches were presented more confidently and they were worded more confidently.

We had a good group. I respected them as writers. Members of our group actively rooted for one another and we have kept in touch since. All of the ones I have communicated with shared positive stories. There are several I am hoping to see in print come some day.

I saw four editors. My pitch lasted two minutes followed by the editors asking about three minutes of to-the-point questions. One asked for my manuscript. After a couple of months of mulling it over, it was ultimately rejected.

The NYC Pitch Conference was an excellent experience for me. In a short time I learned how to see through an editor's eyes. I understand now how to present my creation in that one page query letter that seemingly every agent requires. Worth the money? Not if you are only hoping for that Lana Turner type moment. But it taught me what I needed to know to bridge the gap between art and business. I would consider doing it again - especially if I knew I was to have as enjoyable and affirming group as I had my first time. If I were to drop something in their suggestion box I would have the team create a conference for graduates of the first conference. If I were to return, a lot of the basics I would be learning would be redundant.

BTW - the Lana Turner story is a myth anyhow.

- Martin Hill Ortiz

I attended the June New York Pitch Conference and found it to be an amazing experience.

Right off the bat there were no promises of publishing contracts. There were promises of a reality check, help in perfecting our pitches and face time with four reputable editors from major houses. They delivered 100% and then some.

Our group leader, an established writer and teacher, took the time to work with us to hone our pitch, making himself available before our morning session began and it the afternoons. He sat in with us when we pitched to the editors. Our face time with the editors was not one minute, it was anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. The editors also provided helpful critiques.

An executive editor from Penguin requested my ms, I would not have had the opportunity to pitch to him if I wasn't at the conference and my pitch would not have been perfect if it wasn't for the guidance I received by my group leader.

Although not everyone was asked to submit their ms, we all gained valuable advice and critiques to better our work. No one in my group found the conference to be a waste of money.

I also agree the conference reminds me of American Idol. We were all very nervous and very tense, but we bonded together to cheer and support each other. Most of us still keep in touch and have gotten together post conference. I've made valuable friendships and have the support of other writers and that's priceless!

- Robin Tauber

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Dear Michael and Charles,

Some encouraging news since my return from our workshop, I've managed to garner a blast of new agent interest in reading my manuscript, a development I attribute to having fine-tuned my pitch there with you. The following agencies received my new pitch via email queries and are now reading the entire MS:

Levine Greenberg
The Rights Factory (Toronto)
Trident Media
Imprint Agency
Folio Literary

As to the chat forum, I did take some advice about smoothing out the first few pages, it can only help...but left my opening essentially as it was. I can see the value of mass response but a few of us are emailing each other with larger chunks of ms which answers my needs better right now.

Finally, the workshop was a good experience for me. I benefitted from hearing the refining process go on for others' work as well as my own. It was overall a great group of people and your own leadership was terrific.

Thanks again.

Victoria Costello

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I'm a children's writer hoping to break into the historical novel market. The Algonkian Workshop surpassed every other conference I've been to. It wasn't "rah-rah" pep talks that do little more than leave an unpublished writer frustrated. It was four days of intensive, down-to-business training and face-to-face contact with agents and authors who told us what we really need to know--and do--to get published. And the agents invited us to send our book proposals to them, first. That's more than worth the price of admission.

Kathryn Dahlstrom, Author of The Good News Club series

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Algonkian Workshop is an intensive nuts and bolts primer in learning and examining the techniques of storytelling and dialogue. It gets the writer focused on the ingredients that bring a story or a novel to life. Of the six workshops I have done in the past four years, Algonkian is by far the best.

Michael B. Miller, Translator, Virginia

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The motto and approach, 'write from the heart, but smart,' is pure genius. If you're serious about writing and getting published, an Algonkian conference is the way to go.

Peter Eichstaedt, Newspaper Journalist and Author of If You Poison Us

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I have returned to writing after a 20 year hiatus. The Algonkian workshop was instrumental in helping me focus and clarify my characters and story. The small size of the workshop encouraged interaction between attendees and with the facilitator. We all got a lot of specific feedback on our work; the feedback was constructive and specific. I highly recommend the Algonkian Novel workshop for anyone looking for new insights on his/her work.

Amy Roeder, California

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From H. Scott Dalton (attendee at New York Pitch Conference)

Since the conference, three of our group, including Will, have been offered contracts for the books they pitched (I, unfortunately, have not had an offer yet). All three say the coaching they received at the conference helped them shop their books more effectively by tightening and targeting their queries.

For myself, I decided to attend for a few reasons:

It gave me a chance to meet other writers, folks serious about this craft, including some from the Big Bad Industry.
It gave me an opportunity to get a reality check on my writing and my book, and help me figure out how to market it to maximize my chances.
It might get me struck by lightning, get picked up and avoid the frustrating query-and-rejection cycle I'm in now (please note, though, I did not go thinking I was guaranteed a contract).
Hell, it was a chance to go to New York.

As it happens, all but the struck-by-lightning thing worked out. I'm still in contact with several of the folks I met there, one of them Will, and we all continue to learn from each other. Personally, I find it useful to be able to put names and faces to my fellow rookies, and have at least one common experience to look back on. And meeting one-on-one with four real live editors helped me gain a little perspective on this business; the four of them, and all the rest of you, are much more human to me now than before. For me, the conference was worth the price tag.

RESTORING THE TROLL TROPE - Concepts and Solutions Regarding the Use of Tropes in New Fantasy Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:42:00 +0000

Using the Rowling "Harry Potter" approach, you create a sympathetic underdog and render highly imaginative events with masterful narrative while also introducing more characters who are unique and endearing to the reader. Meanwhile, as mysteries writhe beneath the surface and the reader is absolutely gripped, you introduce the trope (e.g., a roving killer troll) in a circumstance that can't help but create immediate concern.

Which tropes must you employ in fantasy fiction vs. those you must reconsider, and perhaps discard or alter? What techniques might an unknown writer use to avoid overdone-to-a-char tropes and create a competitive fantasy fiction novel that trumps the slush pile? ... A writer who shall not be named was recently asked in a forum to identify what she believed to be overused fantasy tropes (YA or adult). As follows:

Golden-haired princesses, elves that are beautiful and magical and powerful and the most powerful race, grumpy dwarves that live underground, talking dragons, magical swords, white steeds, unicorns, vampires in general, looming castles, wizards with staffs (seriously why can't they have some other enchanted object?), female characters that are thin (particularly protagonists), the prince is always the most desired choice for a boyfriend, Caucasian protagonists and races, other races that resemble humans (Elves, dwarves, orcs are all roughly humanoid), female characters able to talk with animals, some magical object of power that will save the world, helpful hermits that always turn up at the right time, green eyes ...

A major problem for you, the modern day fantasy or young adult fantasy writer, consists of the struggle to identify which tropes are acceptable right now in the genre, which tropes should be modified or "refitted" and returned to the battle, and which should be avoided as if they were mines set to explode you into rejection letter hell.

As a writer workshop leader, I stress high concept stories (insofar as humanly or inhumanly possible) and the ability to view your work or the work of others with the eyes of a professional in the business--in other words, would you put your career on the line for that novel in an editorial meeting surrounded by senior editors, your bosses and the always bitching marketing department who demand great marketing hooks? Let's see one example of the contrast that becomes apparent at such time the brain of a hypothetical neophyte fantasy writer is compared with that of a veteran literary agent.

Through the eyes of the writer penning a story about a prophesied dragon-riding princess known as "The Chosen One" who wields a flaming sword of power while on her way, together with her favorite faerie, Glynfee, to visit the Wizard Crumgar at Hell's Keep and enlist his aid in finding a team of elves and dwarves to help her defeat evil and thus fulfill the prophecy:

I've seen dragons and prophecies, wizards and such, and I love Tolkien and Ann and Robert and all the movies with these creatures in them ... they're everywhere, others love them, and this tells me such things are what people will always wish to read about.

In other words, the fact of reading and seeing overused tropes done so many times by great authors, or in films, or in the Halloween costume store, leads to the assumption that because they are ubiquitous or prevalent they are somehow immortal, never to be overlooked or overdone.

A novel-dooming assumption if there ever was one.

Can you imagine the hundreds, perhaps thousands of manuscripts like the one above that don't stand a chance? Or do they? Let's see the same manuscript or story concept through the eyes of a veteran fantasy agent:

Oh my God, another dragon-riding princess out to fulfill a prophecy ... And let's see, some elves and faeries, of course, what else? A flaming sword? Argh! I'm getting two hundred of these a week. Can't anyone write anything that sounds original? I'm suffering an existential crisis ...

The literary agent, on the look for high concept stories, something unique she can sell a publisher, is going mad after reading query letters about novels that all begin to sound the same. Can you sympathize with her? Isn't she more likely to focus on a story that doesn't sound like all the rest? Isn't she/he? Isn't THAT the story you should be writing, aspiring fantasy author? Shouldn't you try to stand out from that Montana-sized slush mob from archetypal flaming-sword hell?

But how to do it? Besides simply avoiding the mention and use of faeries, witches, flaming swords, and so forth, let's explore and consider other ways. You might high-concept a fantasy novel by creating a unique setting for the novel. A writer we know recently created a special tree hundreds of miles in diameter called The Brood Haven and populated it with various cultures and creatures, and explained it in such a way that it came alive and fascinated all who heard it. One of our writers at Author Salon has created a unique and complex fantasy version of Manhattan, but one alive with personality in a world that somewhat mirrors our own. Settings such as these will help convince agents and editors to take the novel seriously.

Another way is to invent a culture in a fantasy world different from other trope cultures, many of which typically mimic medieval or Tolkien-esque cultures. But how? Look for a culture extant on this planet (or from the past) that is unique ... search New Guinea, South America, Africa, the South Seas, even American cults, or perhaps just Thailand, and brainstorm a new and unique culture for your world, but unharness the imagination. Be aggressive with it. Between unusual cultures and settings, you create a hooky little pouch within which to insert those tropes the genre demands and which never grow old enough to go away: the battle of good vs evil, the game of romance, the need for a hero, conflicts between allies, among others.

Or let's pretend you simply MUST have a troll in your story, maybe even a killer troll. Okay, fine, we'll leave it out of the query letter or pitch simply because it might be a FLUSH WORD (i.e., agent hears or reads word and in her mind a hand reaches out and pushes the flush button).

Using the Rowling "Harry Potter" approach, you create a sympathetic underdog and render highly imaginative events with masterful narrative while also introducing more characters who are unique and endearing to the reader. Meanwhile, as mysteries writhe beneath the surface and the reader is absolutely gripped, you introduce the trope (e.g., a roving killer troll) in a circumstance that can't help but create immediate concern (as opposed to an early exposition comment about "the Trolls of Hell's Keep"), and attempt, insofar as possible, to make an aspect of the killer troll a bit different from other troll tropes.

And while you're at it, introduce the monster without reference to it being a troll, calling it something else (the "Bolly Wumpus" or whatever), and only later, a character might say, "In another time, they called them trolls. But these aren't really trolls, not like our parents knew them ..." etc.

In effect, you counterbalanced the overused trope by giving it a new twist, introducing it with a new set of clothes or background, or by containing it within a special setting or circumstance. Keep in mind that none of the aforementioned is possible without imagination. It's your best friend. Push it to the utmost and it will help you stand out from the flame-sword slush mob and get a contract.

And as a bonus, your agent and editor will love you.

btw, anyone invent a steampunk Troll yet? No? ... Yes?

The Pub Board - Your Best Friend and Worst Enemy

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 21:18:00 +0000

So your agent has finally found a sympathetic editor for your wondrously impatient manuscript?

And they work at a major publishing house, imprint, or press. Now you think you're in tight? Whooo! Think again. The obstacle course has just begun. Your credentials and manuscript are facing the gauntlet of THE PUB BOARD!

The what?

A group of chair-bound editors and professional types at the press who down or up their thumbs for the stack of proposals sitting in front of them; and it varies from place to place, but more often than not, the pub board meets once a month. They include the specific editor who is a fan of your manuscript, of course, but what about other players and professions?

Let's back up for a second. Pre-pub board editorial meetings can occur for the purpose of winnowing forth the absolute best proposals, thereby giving the editors a running start before sales and marketing weigh in to potentially cast doubts. And let's face it, if this group of editors don't see sufficient potential in the proposal (novel) despite the devotion of your new fan editor, your future career with this organization stops there. The Pub Board will never see it.

We can verge off here into the politics of human organization, but that's a subject for your social-psyche class, or some derivation thereof.

Now back to the working parts of the Pub Board. Traditional publishers will send reps from the Sales and Marketing departments to Pub Board meetings. The sales types focus on sales to major bookstores and chains like Barnes & Noble. Their jobs are on the line, like everyone else's. What if they get it wrong and a thumbs up results in a first novel that sputters to dust on the shelf? How much dust can collect before feeding the tropical fish becomes a daily pursuit?

Where do the fingers point after the thumbs go wrong?

In contrast, the marketing types are focused on selling the proposed novel directly to the reader. Among other things, they examine the author's platform. Is it good enough? Do they have 5,650,876 followers on social media? No? Does sales believe the bookstores might wish to stock the novel? Well, too bad. The platform isn't good enough. The thumb goes down. And like the sales type, the marketing type foresees a future of feeding the fish if too many poor decisions are made. So what does this mean in terms of fight-vs-flight decision-making? It's much easier to be negative and wax positive only when it feels like there is sufficient support and enthusiasm all around the room, and that way, you see, if things go south later on when the book flops, the fingers will point everywhere, or perhaps, not point at all.

Consider, how many humans are willing to accept responsibility when their jobs are on the line?

So as you might surmise, Sales and Marketing thump the heaviest fists at the table.They can be expert or inexpert, experienced or green as ivy, whatever, it does not matter. If they get fidgety over the prospect of success, gravity rules the thumb.

And don't forget Accounting!

Accounting figures the cost of book production, and they'll crunch the numbers on you.The more pages your novel has, the more expensive to produce. Aside from pages, the accounting types might argue that an especially fancy cover will work hard to cause the novel to remain in the red. Then guess what happens?

You must keep in mind that Pub Board politics and dialogue fail to take into account such vital and earth-moving novel elements as plot, characters, and theme.

I wonder why? Does anyone know?

Thoughts on Pitching a Memoir to New York - A True Story

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:51:00 +0000

Several times a year I'll receive an email from a memoir writer wanting to know if attending one of our writer events is worth it. The answer is always a mixed bag depending on several factors; however, for purposes of meaningful sample, I've decided to include a recent response to a concerned memoir writer who inquired about the potential of the Write to Pitch Conference to sell her project.

Michael Neff
Algonkian Chief Production Editor

________________

Dear Madeline,

You appear to desire real honesty, so I'll take a chance and provide you with that. As you read what I have to say, keep in mind that I respect memoir writers for having the courage to tell their stories

I quite understand your trepidation regarding the conference in New York. The brutal truth is that memoir rarely sells at any writer conference, and for similar reasons. The writers are usually not even quasi-famous (thereby disabling marketing attempts to sell the book at least partially on the basis of the author's background). The memoirs in question almost never have valid marketing hooks (according to marketing), i.e., they're not high concept. Much of memoir subject matter inevitably falls into categories believed by publishers to be tapped out (cancer recovery, bad family, marriage horrors, parental abuse and alcoholism, career drama, growing up in poverty, growing up in poverty with cancer, etc). In addition, many memoir writers can be very resistant to editorial direction as compared to fiction writers (yes, it's true--I've seen it myself more than once)., thus running up the dreaded narcissist red flag.

As the messenger of this brutal truth, I know that editors and agents are very wary as a result of the above. Writers who display even the slightest sensitivity during pitch sessions are often coddled and falsely encouraged just to avoid the potential of drama.

No one wants to be seen as "unkind."

On the flip side, we've had oversensitive memoir writers attend and later complain that the professionals they pitched really didn't take memoir in the first place, but the dark truth was that the editors or agents didn't wish to offend the writer (because memoir is so personal), and therefore behaved as if memoir just wasn't viable for them, unfortunately using boilerplate excuses (rather like those found in responses to query letters--won't work for our list, etc.).

The truth is these same professionals would certainly get excited if they actually saw sufficient reason to pitch the project at an editorial meeting without raising severe doubts on the part of marketing. Memoirs that have sold at Algonkian Writer Conference events all had high-concept marketing hooks, and in general, an aura of uniqueness about them. There may be exceptions to this circumstance, of course.

I hope this helps.

Best,

Michael

How Not to Get Blacklisted by the Publishing Business

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:34:00 +0000

By Chris Stewart

As someone who organizes readings and a large literary arts festival with workshops, author appearances, and exhibitors, I have developed a list of writers who I will not work with again. And rest assured, I’m not the only one who does this.

Why? Because they didn’t follow directions. It’s that simple. Who's on it? Writers who acted like the organizer/staff were their personal assistant/manager.

Take note of the following ways to avoid this blacklist and be a true professional!

KNOW YOUR OWN SCHEDULE

Double booking is such a big no-no we can’t believe you’re not aware of this already yourself. Whatever you have to do to make sure you know the days you are already booked: DO IT. Back out of our event at the last minute because you “forgot” you already had a gig? You’re on the list.

SEND THE REQUIRED INFORMATION

It should be no surprise to you that we need your bio and right away—possibly a short one and a long one. We also need a high resolution digital photo of the appropriate size with good lighting, not a selfie taken in the bathroom with your cell phone or with the light behind you. We need ordering information for your book. Possibly your dietary restrictions or lunch/dinner order. Special seating or parking needs. Have that at the ready to send right away. Don’t have them? Get them together and email them to yourself now so you will.

Have a publicity team? Great! They are usually more organized than authors. But pick only ONE person for us to work with.

SEND THE REQUIRED INFORMATION AS REQUESTED

If we ask for your short bio, we mean about 100 words. Not half a page, a full page, or two pages. Put your current, key publications, awards, job in there and include your website so people can find out more. You should not send a link to your website or write back “it’s on my website which is in my signature block.” You will be asked again to send the bio and if you again don’t comply, you won’t have a bio listed. Same with the photo and book order info. If we give you the format in which we want these and you send a link to your book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your publisher’s website you will be asked again, etc. If you're a "famous writer" we will chase you for the info but you'll go on the list.

MEET THE DEADLINE

When we tell you the deadline by which we need the information we are not picking a random date. We have a deadline for ordering your book and/or getting it to the host so he/she can read it before your reading or interview. We are collecting information to layout and send to the printer for marketing materials: brochures, programs, postcards. For posting on the website and social media.

Decided at the last minute you want to change or send your picture now that it’s too late? Yeah, no. Not changing the program which is already at the printer and would incur fees.

PUBLICIZE!

Organizers count on participants publicizing the event they are part of, which helps extend the organization’s reach and hopefully means high attendance on the day/evening. Post our event on your website, your Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/wherever pages. Follow our social media pages and share info from them. Let people know about your part, but also share the info about other writers, exhibitors, etc. if it’s a larger event or festival.

DON’T EMAIL WITH 101 QUESTIONS

We are aware of our own schedule. We know when we want to release final details to authors, etc. Don't stalk us for weeks before asking where you’re parking, what building/room you’re in, or asking if your book has arrived yet. We will send out the logistics email when everything is finalized and in plenty of time.

Please don’t “check in.” If we wanted to check in we would have. Basic information is, by now, on the organization’s website: location, day, time, parking. Do your own homework until you hear from us. That’s what websites are for. If it’s a few days before and no email, check your spam folder, then call.

How a reading works or an interview or a Q&A is not rocket science. You shouldn’t need a minute by minute breakdown of what is expected.

BE ON TIME—NOT EARLY AND NOT LATE

On the day of the event, don’t show up two hours before your reading if you’re part of an event that runs for several hours, or a festival, wanting to check in or with questions. Check in at the appointed time—an hour before is best. Wait until the session before yours has started so it’s quieter and we can focus on you.

Don’t wander off to other sessions, to lunch, whatever, and not be there on time for the start of your event. Keep track of the time and return at least fifteen minutes before your part starts.

CHECK IN

Always check in! Otherwise, you are considered a “no show” and we are scrambling to figure out what to do without you, sending people to look for you, spending time calling/texting you when there are ten other things requiring our attention.

NO TEXTS/CALLS WITH QUESTIONS ON THE DAY

We simply do not have time to take your call. The ringer on our cell is mostly likely turned off. If you want to reach us because you’re going to be late due to traffic or a car breakdown, text us and give us your name and ETA. If there is a host for your session, text them as well. Don’t text us and ask us to tell them. We may not see them in time and guess what? We have ten other things requiring our attention. What? You don’t have their phone number? You know my response to that.

DON’T GO ROGUE

If we didn’t offer or ask about your tech needs then please don't email asking if you can show a short film the day before the event. Or even weeks before. Tech has already been decided. We’ve had the final walk-though. We would have to hire a tech person at the venue which is not in our budget. You also may not call the venue yourself and ask for them to do this for you. We have a contract with them and you are not part of it. Put whatever you want to show on your website and have people view it on their smartphones during or after the session.

STICK TO YOUR TIME LIMITS

We probably gave you a time limit for your reading or, if you’re a host of a reading/session at a festival for us, how long your session is. If you’re a writer, choose appropriate material and practice reading it to make sure you are just under your time. So if we said seven minutes that’s what you prepare. Not three minutes. Not nine minutes. Your running under/over screws up the schedule. Minutes add up.

If you’re a host, don’t run over. Manage/track your time. If the host of the session before you didn’t do that and their session ran into yours, let us know later (they will go on the list!), but that doesn’t mean you can do the same to the session’s host and authors after you.

STAY THE WHOLE TIME – PARTICIPATE!

Go to other sessions if you’re at a festival. Stay the whole evening if it’s a larger event/reading. Take pictures. Post on social media using the event hashtag and quote writers/speakers. Tag people. Share other people’s posts.

If you just do your part and leave you were not really a participant making a contribution to our event and community.

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, BE GRACIOUS

Organizers are juggling more than you know depending on the size of the event: partners and their expectations, venues, catering, audio/visual recording, marketing, publicity, security, tech, tables, chairs, signage, exhibitors, book orders, the schedule, volunteers, parking, transportation/hotel for visiting writers, walk-throughs, last minute changes.

We are horrified that your name was spelled wrong or the parking lot was closed or someone else took your vegan lunchbox. We didn’t do it on purpose and we can’t fix it now. Don’t call/text us asking for restaurant recommendations or the nearest parking lot. These are all accessible to you via your own phone.

BOTTOM LINE

We are doing our best to make everyone comfortable and happy while dealing with the banner falling off of the front of the building, microphones with dead batteries, a famous writer needing directions over the phone instead of using their GPS, volunteers who didn’t show up, the session room that’s locked so no one can get in, obvious questions from people who could answer them by simply opening and reading the program or checking the map.

There are plenty of people ready to criticize every aspect of an event with massive amounts of know-it-all disdain. People who have never organized anything in their life but who think they’d be geniuses at it. Don’t be that person. You have no idea what was discussed, promised by venue/partners/caterers/etc., not allowed or not available, or didn’t work on the day.

Be a help, not a hindrance. How? Remember that the event is not about you (unless you’re the headliner, in which case, still be gracious, not a diva). Do your homework. Do your prep. Bring your own water and a granola bar, just in case. Leave early, map out additional parking, check in, tweet about how much fun you’re having, smile.

We are excited to have you at our event! We think you’re fantastic! But be responsible for yourself. If you can’t be, hire someone who will be able to handle your needs/details or risk not being invited back and word getting around that you are not a professional or too much work.

Your call.

_______________________

Chris Stewart is Editor-in-Chief of Del Sol Press (@DelSolPressBks). Find tips, tools, information, and inspiration on her website: The Real Writer.

IMPORTANT: Coverage Checklist for Aspiring Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:48:00 +0000

Note, MARKET VALUE FIRST...

Listed below are a summation of "coverage" checkpoints utilized by various screenplay and novel ms readers in both Hollywood and New York. Not every publisher intern or assistant will necessarily employ all these categories (a mistake), however, they're a great checklist for you, the aspiring author, to help ascertain whether or not you're meeting your goals for a successful commercial genre novel.

MARKET VALUE:

Originality, freshness - high concept
Clear target readership?
Hook Quality

STRUCTURE:

Act Zero backstory development
Exposition delivery
Effective setup with inciting incident
Plot line arc, and subplots (if appropriate)
Well designed reversals (major and minor)
Pinch points (at least two)
Catalytic situation driven
Conflict, tension, rising action,
Every scene relevant (i.e., to driving plot forward)
Effective, believable climax
Resolution/Denouement

CHARACTERS:

Antagonist Quality and Role
Consistent opposition
Protagonist goals
Sympathetic protagonist
Protagonist arc
Secondary character quality and roles

NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT:

Scene length and structure
Effective transitions and cliffhangers
Quality prose narrative (genre appropriate)
Tension on every page
Dialogue mastery
Narrative composition (quality of set and engaging circumstances)
Cinematic imagery (both static and dynamic)
Proper point-of-view
Appropriate use of craft technique
Interior Monologue and rumination

The Enlightenment of Tragedy - Dramatic Art Primer

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 14:26:00 +0000

Before the novel, there was drama...

Ancient dramatists understood the requirements of a good tale, one in which willful human beings engaged in major conflict, the goal being to possess or achieve something of value. A designated character, by virtue of position and personality, became the antagonist, naturally defying the efforts of the protagonist, or hero, to overcome. This basic conflict scenario resurfaces again and again in a myriad of forms, not only in life, but in novels, short stories, and of course, film and television. What makes true dramatic conflict so universally effective is not only its ability to create tension, suspense, and powerful characters, but its unique method for portraying the need for value in human existence.

Below we've created a drama primer with quotes ("European Theories of the Drama") from three important dramatists to illustrate the nature of the drama and it's overwhelming relevancy to novel writing discussion here at WE. It's all pretty simple and brief, actually, but the major points are invaluable to the novel writing mindset.

KEY CONCEPTS: calamity, value in human life, universal human desire, dramatic art, essential character of drama, the "discovery," the wound, social conflict, the enlightenment of tragedy, tragic flaw, fear and pity.

J. W. Krutch

― Its action [drama] is usually, if not always, calamitous, because it is only in calamity that the human spirit has the opportunity to reveal itself triumphant over the outward universe which fails to conquer it.

― Tragedy reveals value in human life … The death of a loved character, for example, reveals a value, something worth cherishing about life or humanity.

― Art should, at least in part, satisfy the universal human desire to find in the world some justice, some meaning, or at the very least, some recognizable order.

― The highest dramatic art is not achieved by pitting the most gigantic will against the most absolute necessity. The agonized struggle of a weak will, seeking to adjust itself to an inhospitable environment, may contain elements of poignant drama.

― The essential character of drama is social conflict in which the conscious will, exerted for the accomplishment of specific and understandable aims, is sufficiently strong to bring the conflict to a point of crisis.

― Drama should lead up to and away from a central crisis, and this crisis should consist in a discovery by the protagonist which has an indelible effect on his or her thought and emotion and completely alters his or her course of action.

Arthur Miller

For Arthur Miller, the underlying struggle is that of the individual attempting to gain his or her "rightful" position in society. "Sometimes he is the one who has been displaced from it, sometimes one who seeks to attain it for the first time, but the wound from which the inevitable events spiral is the wound of indignity."

It is this "tragic flaw," this unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what she or he conceives to be a challenge to personal dignity, that causes the protagonist to initiate the action of the tale, i.e., the rising drama. If the struggle of the protagonist is just, if she or he contests for a fair evaluation, then those conditions which deny this reveal a wrong, or an evil in the world. Thus, the "enlightenment of tragedy."

Pathos is achieved in struggling for a goal that cannot possibly be won, however possible it seemed in the beginning.

John Dryden

Insofar as the protagonist is concerned, the primary emotional reactions on the part of the reader are fear and pity. Fear during the course of the drama that the protagonist will meet a tragic fate, and pity for the protagonist at such time this occurs. Pity, or sympathy, cannot occur unless the character is respected. Thus, it is true concern for the protagonist that produces the highest emotion.

___________

Algonkian Writer Conferences - The Ugly Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:20:00 +0000

Algonkian Writer Conferences reviews two of the most troll-heavy "reviews" ever encountered by its staff, or for that matter, humans yet remaining alive in the 21st century.

Algonkian Park in Northern Virginia might be described as a lush and calming act of forest rubbing shoulders with the Potomac River, and it was here, twenty-two years ago, that Algonkian Writer Conferences began with a small workshop of five writers. Since then, the grand majority of my own experiences with many hundreds of my fellow writers have been rewarding, and I can truthfully say I've played a productive role in assisting many to secure both agent and publisher contracts. However, during this same time, as Algonkian evolved with new faculty (both agents and publishing house editors) and fresh-rooted into New York and California, the relatively benign flow of interactions could be compromised on rare occasion by something unexpected, and quite frankly, a bit lunatic.

Below are a couple of meandering tales that unfortunately fit under the rubric of Algonkian Writer Conference reviews, and as such, are so incredibly bad I never would have believed them possible had I not lived them from first howl to final tantrum.

________________

A Mad Hatter Out for Blood

Twelve years ago, in Marin County, I received a phone call at 3 AM on a weekday. Bleary and puzzled, I picked up the landline phone to hear the enraged voice of a popular author I knew in Faifax, Virginia. And what he said jolted me into a shocked awakening. "Who the f**k are they?" he began, yelling into the phone. "They're lying about me, about you... the bastards! Who the f**k are they?"

Since I had zero idea who or what had launched him screaming from the silo, I finally calmed him enough to extract an unexpected and jaw-dropping explanation. He'd set up a Google alert to inform him any time his name was indexed and published by the search engine, and that morning at 6 AM EST, an alert led him to a particular thread on a certain writer chat board (remaining nameless due to my reluctance to provide said board with thousands more visitors).

And what did this disguised floating blip say that could have turned a mature and regarded literary author and full-time MFA professor into a mad hatter out for blood?

Within only a few minutes of reading what an anonymous poster had said about him on this thread, he was persuaded to contact me. And what did this disguised floating blip say that could have turned a mature and regarded literary author and full-time MFA professor into a mad hatter out for blood?

But first, a little scene set.

Picture your browser window filled with a dull, grey-white background and blocks of typed narrative in a small black font. To the top left of each posted block, residing in its own narrow column, you see the icon and alleged name of the poster, plus info like date joined, etc. Typical chat board layout. Now, for the one in question. You zoom in on the icon and witness a bubbly vibrating fairy. To the right, you read the blocks of text this fidgeting blip as typed. You see "Algonkian Writer Conferences" and something about an upcoming reveal that "will finally tell the truth about this organization stocked with literary frauds and flying sock monkeys!"

Flying sock monkeys?

It took over a year of investigation, but Algonkian staff discovered the identity of the primary abusers. They operated a competitor writer event in the northeast. No big surprise there.

For starters, the primary instigator of this massive fraud, Michael Neff (who else?)--in order to make his workshops seem more credible--willfully assisted a local author and college professor to spread a huge lie about winning a certain national literary award for one of his books. Not only that, but the flying sock monkeys that ran Algonkian really didn't feature actual faculty. They were just "driven around in limousines" for a few hours, but never met with anyone. Also, our staff were "waiting at bus stops for dazed MFA grads" to arrive home so we could trick them into taking these workshops with limousine-lounging faculty.

I'm not kidding. Not a bit.

To make a long and ugly story short, the author noted above went on the chat board in question and began a roaring argument with the anonymous tribal members, most of whom resembled beasts or cyborgs. After a few days of wrangling and threats mixed with general acts of denigration and mockery on the part of all, the author finally produced evidence that indeed proved without doubt he had won said literary award, and no chicanery was involved in any way whatsoever. Despite his undeniable proof, the chat board owners refused to remove the post alleging his immoral act.

Despite his undeniable proof, the chat board owners refused to remove the post alleging his immoral act.

Following this, at least ten or so Algonkian writers who had learned of this ongoing farce via Facebook stormed the board and opened a new front to battle with the beasts and cyborgs. It must've lasted weeks, but at the conclusion, the chat board shills admitted no wrong and no mistakes. The accused were guilty, the evidence was irrelevant, and the lies multiplied even further. In truth, it was a precursor to the later cancel-culture mobs of Twitter. Regardless, the whole affair was exhausting, stupid, and pointless, only further serving to taint the integrity of the human race.

It took over a year of investigation, but Algonkian staff discovered the identity of the primary abusers. They operated a competitor writer event in the northeast. No big surprise there. The surprise lay in the fact that the vibrating fantasy blip was actually a well-known editor at a major publishing house who loved playing a roving assassin on various chat boards, not just the one noted here. Also, one of the meanest of the board trolls who ran a close second to the aforementioned blip turned out to be a popular literary agent in New York who also ran a blog that worked 24/7 to insult and cancel everyone she didn't like. No surprise there either.

And still, not kidding.

To this day, none of them have ever apologized for intentionally lying about that author or for my alleged involvement. Both of these accusations, and more, were acts of per se defamation and therefore legally actionable in civil court, but given the locations of the parties, the cost involved, and additional fallout issues involving the blip's publisher, we let it go.

I've often regretted that decision.

______________

The Terrified One Smears Far and Wide

Unlike the case above, this one manifested like ash fall on Pompey prior to inundation. It began with incessant phone calls and messages to staff over the course of several weeks from just one person who we finally determined would never be satisfied with reality as it presented itself. Did people at conference workshops sit in circles? Did they sit in half-circles? Did they stand? Sit? Why sitting? Why not a theater-seating kind of arrangement? Why not this? That? And on and on.

Then things got weird.

Rejected and free of restraints, The Terrified One transmogrified into the hysterically raging one, and the world was her playground.

One of our staff people was trying to help this individual and reaching wit's end. Towards the conclusion of these interactions, the staff person was accused of "terrifying her" with her communications. I looked over the mails and saw absolutely nothing to indicate a hostile or "terrifying" attitude, only a weary human being attempting to help someone desperately striving to acquire a new victim culture medal.

A final email was sent by staff to The Terrified One:

I offered to help you but you chose to become "terrified" though I did nothing to terrify you. Best to reconsider and perhaps some other time. It's not good to approach an event like this with fear and major doubts, and wondering whether or not people sit in circles, or whether you have to be a public speaker, etc. etc. It's just not worth it.

Effectively disallowed from attending the actual event (because we all knew that an appearance by this person could well result in even more complaints and self-martyrdom) The Terrified One transmogrified into a Nemesis with a holy mission. The fact of this wasn't a shock, however, the sheer relentlessness of the retribution could not have been predicted. Rejected and free of restraints, The Terrified One transmogrified into the hysterically raging one, and the world was her playground.

Nowadays, it's easier to quickly get a court order to force the social media source to divulge information about the user, thus enabling legal action, but back at the time, such action was far more laborious.

The rest is a footnote of a footnote in history. TTO posted screeds of rage, alleging all manner of nefarious intent (nearly identical to the absurdities noted above, thus hinting at direct inspiration) and preposterously conceived fraud on several chat boards, Facebook, Twitter, you name it. Various childish identities were employed over the course of weeks, but the source was obvious.

Nowadays, it's easier to quickly get a court order to force the social media source to divulge information about the user, thus enabling legal action, but back at the time, such action was far more laborious. Most of the offending revenge posts evaporated over time and one or two are left, rising and sinking in the SERPs depending on the nature of the algorithm.

Damned if we did, and damned if we didn't.

_____

Michael Neff

Algonkian Writer Conferences

A Great Damp Loaf of Description - Experiments in Fictional Imagery

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:37:00 +0000

Prepared for appropriate frustration and tapped out fingers?

Using our favorite "stand on the shoulders of the classics" approach, we're going to examine the role of detailed character description when it comes to enhancing prose narrative. We've touched on this previously with our High Impact Narrative article and a caboose of Enhancement via Nabokov, but we're not done yet. Let's look at various examples and techniques.

A GREAT DAMP LOAF

From Annie Proulx's "The Shipping News":

"A great damp loaf of a body. At six he weighed eighty pounds. At sixteen he was buried under a casement of flesh. Head shaped like a crenshaw, no neck, reddish hair ruched back. Features as bunched as kissed fingertips. Eyes the color of plastic. The monstrous chin, a freakish shelf jutting from the lower face."

Note that Proulx first makes a single statement of character impression before moving on to details, i.e., "A great damp loaf of a body." Note also, "shaped like a crenshaw." Consider your setting and choose an aspect of it to create a comparison to your own character. If your character lived in a desert town you might say, "his face unshaved for days, rough as prickly cactus."

"Ed Punch talked out of the middle of his mouth. While he talked he examined Quoyle, noticed the cheap tweed jacket the size of a horse blanket, fingernails that looked regularly held to a grind stone. He smelled submission in Quoyle, guessed he was butter of fair spreading consistency."

Consider and sketch a few metaphors to physically describe a unique character you've created. If you don't have one, perhaps you should get one ASAP? In any case, the more interesting the appearance, the easier your job. Begin with a single statement of impression and include simile or metaphor based on your novel's unique setting (is it sufficiently unique?). Note the above is third person POV.

WATCHING THE MOUTH WITH ITALO

From Italo Calvino's "Under the Jaguar Sun":

"Right in the midst of chewing, Olivia's lips paused, almost stopped, though without completely interrupting their continuity of movement, which slowed down, as if reluctant to allow an inner echo to fade, while her gaze became fixed, intent on no specific object, in apparent alarm. Her face had a special concentration that I had observed during meals ever since we began our trip to Mexico. I followed the tension as it moved from her lips to her nostrils, flaring one moment, contracting the next, (the plasticity of the nose is quite limited -- especially for a delicate, harmonious nose like Olivia's -- and each barely perceptible attempt to expand the capacity of the nostrils in the longitudinal direction actually makes them thinner, while the corresponding reflex movement, accentuating their breadth, then seems a kind of withdrawal of the whole nose into the surface of the face)."

"Right in the midst of chewing..." The character is engaged in an action. Focus on one physical attribute, then another. "As though" what? Consider, she or he, looks "as though" or "as if"? Where are the eyes? What are they doing? Is the face twitching, moving? How? And now, time to unleash the PNE here at WE. Look it over carefully. This is an ideal brainstorming prompter for prose narrative conception and description - the perfect onion peeler.

Apply at least five PNE questions to your character's face and overall appearance. Take your time and think about it carefully... Note the example above is first person POV, but third person POV works as well.

UPDIKE'S MOTHER IS ANGRY

(from John Updike's "The Centaur")

"A glance at my mother's mottled throat told me she was angry. Suddenly I wanted to get out: she had injected into the confusion a shrill heat that made everything cling. I rarely knew exactly why she was mad; it would come and go like weather. Was it really that my father and grandfather absurdly debating sounded to her like murder? Was it something I had done, my arrogant slowness? Anxious to exempt myself from her rage, I sat down in my stiff peat jacket and tried the coffee again. It was still too hot. A sip seared my sense of taste away."

Now describe a character who is familiar to you, like a family member, and depict them in a charged emotional state. Also, add at least one rumination like Updike did above, i.e., "Was it something I had done, my arrogant slowness?"

CHABON AND NEFF'S HUNSECKER LOOKS PACINO

From Michael Neff's "All the Dark We Will Not See"

"First of all, Mr. Basil R. Hunsecker acted and looked the stereotypical bad boss: a middle-aged prick in three-piece gray and tacky pink tie who disturbingly resembled Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (narrow head and brooding Italian look), only an older version, with a thinner face, pock-marked cheeks, and big, protruding, blue-bone eyes that sucked in everything and contrasted in an irritating way with his sallow brown skin—as if he were the victim of one too many spray tans. His odor, somewhat unique, like cooked shellfish marinated in mildew. What Manny didn‘t know was that Hunsecker remained the owner not only of a rare, painful, and mummifying disease that ate away the body fat between his skin and muscles, but also of more than one post-pubescent social trauma, his memory way to full of punky kids screeching at him: Hey, pizzaaa face, you fucking shithead pizzaaa face!”

From Michael Chabon's "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay"

"Then a hand as massive and hard as an elk‘s horn, lashed by tough sinews to an arm like the limb of an oak, grabs the boy by the shoulder and drags him back to the wings... "You know better, young man," says the giant, well over eight feet tall, to whom the massive hand belongs. He has the brow of an ape and the posture of a bear and the accent of a Viennese professor of medicine. He can rip open a steel drum like a can of tobacco, lift a train carriage by one corner, play the violin like Paganini, and calculate the velocity of asteroids and comets, one of which bears his name."

Apply the techniques and lengthy description of Neff and Chabon to describe a unique or outrageous individual of your own creation. Be bold and imaginative with your strokes. Use metaphor, simile, the wallop of a single first impression. Feel free to make the character move and speak if you wish. Be aggressive and prototype your sketch first.

Now, are you on your way to becoming a masterful prose stylist? Perhaps, but this is just the beginning.

Algonkian Writer Conferences Reviews Steps Prior to Querying

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 04:23:00 +0000

How to prepare before sending queries to agents, e.g., utilize Publisher's Marketplace to intelligently narrow down the best possible candidates. Algonkian Writer Conferences reviews each step in turn.

Here is our take on the smartest way to go about it. As a bonus, you learn a lot of insider knowledge about the business (like who is in "the club" and who is not--see below) along the way. You might also come to the realization that your ms is not yet ready. Such illumination is always a positive thing.

Join Publisher's Marketplace and review it for at least a month (yes it costs a few bucks, but so what?).
Search out the deals made during the past two years in your specific genre (or specific sub-niche in your genre). Why? Because it will clearly define who is in the club. Every genre has a club composed of favored publishers and literary agencies. This data mining is going to take a few hours at least, but it's worth it.
Make certain the "deals" you review and mine are with major publishers, imprints, or well regarded mid-sized presses. If your novel is more literary in nature, make certain the deals are at least with respected and traditional small presses. If you become desperate just to get your foot in the door, you might adjust expectations accordingly.
With data in hand you'll know the top agencies making the most sales, and the top agents in the those agencies. Now, put the top agents on hold for the time being, but choose at least a dozen agencies working in your genre based on the criteria above.
Instead of the top agents, identify the "hungry agents" in these top agencies. Use other sources like MS Wish List if you must. Choose the agent minus a full belly, yes, but only those who have transcended their salad days. Why? Because they'll likely take more time with you, be more lenient, perhaps more open to your story idea, perhaps more willing to provide editorial notes? Perhaps?
As for transcending salad days, make certain your picks have at least four to five sales to major publishers under their belts, and in this way, you'll know they've made their mark and are evolving, as opposed to showing signs of dropping out as so many do. It's a very high turnover business. VERY HIGH.
Once the above is done, especially if you have not already done so, review your list on MS Wish List just to verify you've nailed the best people..
When you query, note in the very beginning something like, "I saw you on Publisher's Marketplace..." because this will mark you as a professional.

________________

Once you've satisfied above, move on to writing the perfect query letter.

A few other slivers of advice:

Trying to cold-query superpowered agencies like CAA is utter futility.
Agents with clients on social media who twitter forth with gushing comments is meaningless.
Agents getting axed by grinders is equally meaningless.
Personalities are such fragile creations subject to taste and circumstance. Focus rather on the eight steps above.

- Michael Neff

Algonkian Writer Conferences

OMG! Offended Writer Syndrome!

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:04:00 +0000

Have you ever been in writer workshops and reacted to criticism of your writing or story by demanding the other writer defend their decision in such detail that it served your purpose of making certain they never gave you unfavorable critique again?

Hell hath no fury like a thin-skinned narcissist with a needy manuscript... But wait!

Could you be one of them? In case you're not sure if your skin qualifies, Algonkian psychologists have developed a few skin test questions below. Feel free to respond honestly to yourself as you read each one. Everyone wishes to avoid time-wasting instances of Offended Writer Syndrome (OWS) that often takes place in writer workshops all across America. Even at this very moment!

Now, time to take THE THIN SKIN TEST:

Has any writer ever prefaced their critique of your work by first saying to you, "Don't hate me, please?"
Do you sense that writers who unfavorably critique your work are "loading the gun" and taking aim?
Do you rush to defend your work when a reader gives you criticism rather than absorb and weigh it carefully?
Do you feel a need to say unkind things about a writer's work if you perceive she or he was unkind to you first?
Have you ever chastised any writer for what you consider to be improper or incorrect critique of your work?
Have you ever been in writer workshops and reacted to criticism of your writing or story by demanding the other writer defend their decision in such detail that it served your purpose of making certain they never gave you unfavorable critique again?
Do you receive critique you oppose in good humor, but routinely seek the negation of it from those you know will agree with your version of reality?
Do you feel a bout of OWS coming on after reading the above questions?

If you answered yes to three or more of the above questions, writer workshops are definitely not for you. Please discontinue attending such events. They won't help you and you can't help but make them less productive for everyone else.

You might even make *yourself* miserable.

___

The Author Dawn - Rise and Blink

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 17:58:00 +0000

What should be brewing in the mind of the aborning author right from the start?

Let's Talk About Passion

A few basic questions first. Why are you writing a novel? For reasons of ambition, ego? Well, why not? Most of us, in one way or another, tend the ego. We want recognition, validation, a chance to prove our ability to others and thereby rise above (careful... verging on narcissism). We may need to prove something to ourselves, or more simply, gain a degree of independence from an unsatisfactory mode of existence, the existential nausea of daily grind. We might require purpose, a desire to fill our lives with a mission, and what better way to achieve than by writing a novel? Then, of course, there is the pure need to create, the godlike urge shared by true artists... or perhaps your particular desire to write the novel results from some or all the above working in synergy.

Regardless, please consider your answers, even before the first steps towards actually developing and writing the novel are taken. Be honest with yourself, and pause to consider writing a novel because you also have something of value you wish to say--a potent concept, alien to many. You might desire to expose a social injustice, restore an unusual footnote of history, or reveal a new world of experience. Whatever your genre, the realization it must be said, and only you can say it, gifts you with passion (and perhaps even a theme).

Core Vision and Realization

The following are non-negotiable:

Ego must be sufficiently tamed, enough to allow full realization that the aborning author is a beginner in every sense of the word, and on every level.

Aborning authors must consider themselves apprentices to the craft of novel writing.

The Epiphany Light must be entered. This viewpoint must be front and center.

The "Art of Fiction" must be satisfied. Passionate writers fail to become published either because either they do not sufficiently understand the art, or are unwilling to make those compromises necessary to satisfy it. See Reasons Why Passionate Writers Fail.

The most powerful novels focus, at their core, on human beings in conflict with one another. Regardless of window dressing, characters are defined by their actions in the context of a dramatic story.

In order to become published, authors must also demonstrate a degree of mastery suitable to their chosen genre; and in order to do that, they must become intimately familiar with their chosen genre (no exceptions).

Now that you've absorbed the above, we'll bridge from that last bullet over to Best Ten Steps for Starting the Novel.

From the heart, but smart. There are no great writers, only great rewriters.

Experiments in High Impact Narrative - Jerzy, Ralph, Italo, and Graves

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 02 May 2022 13:11:00 +0000

Once more, the classics speak to us.

What is one of the primary reasons novels get rejected? The narrative is too passive. It ultimately falls flat, quiet and dull. Details are insufficient, metaphors lacking, lack of energy obvious, circumstances predictable (see also Narrative Enhancement via Nabokov). So what to do? At WE we believe in learning from great authors whose shoulders we stand on. Therefore, we've developed a means of addressing this issue. We wish you to seek inspiration from the prose extractions below and utilize them for purposes of defeating passivity via emulation. In other words, you will intentionally choose and compose fictional subject matter for your novel that entertains, frightens, or enthralls the reader. And how? By creating a circumstance, place, thing, or event that is unique and curious by virtue of its very nature.

Let's engage in a few writing "prompts." You must prod the imagination and peel the onion. By the way, in the context of your own novel, your task will be much easier if you've chosen an overall setting that lends itself to vibrancy and engagement in the first place.

From Robert Grave's "Claudius the God"

Graves was a genius at utilizing set and circumstantial details to create verisimilitude in this novel of Romans battling ancient Britons. Note this unusual event and the associated imagery. Also, note the profound and engaging use of "delayed cognition" technique. Read the paragraph carefully. The author intentionally postpones the full explanation of the primary phenomenon we encounter in this scene, thereby creating suspense in the narrative. The reader can't wait for the truth.

"A British outpost was stationed in the pine copse at the farther end, and as the moon rose these watchful men saw a sight and heard a sound which filled their hearts with the utmost dismay. (Graves doesn't come right out with what this is, but rather introduces a sight and sound "which filled their hearts with dismay." As the reader completes this sentence, a dramatic question, an enigma is created.) A great bird with a long shining bill, a huge grey body and legs fifteen feet long suddenly rose through the mist a javelin's throw away and came stalking towards them, stopping every now and then to boom hoarsely, flap his wings, preen his feathers with his dreadful bill and boom again. The Heron King! They crouched in their bivouacs, terrified, hoping that this apparition would disappear, but it came slowly on and on.

At last it seemed to notice their camp-fire. It jerked its head angrily and hurried towards them, with outspread wings, booming louder and louder. They sprang up and ran for their lives. The Heron King pursued them through the copse with a fearful chuckling laughter, then turned and slowly promenaded along the edge of the marsh, booming dully at intervals... (Not until the next sentence does the reader learn the true nature of the Heron King.) The Heron King was a French soldier from the great marshes which lie to the west of Marseille, where the shepherds are accustomed to walk on long stilts as a means of striding across soft patches too wide to jump. Posides had rigged this man up in a wicker-work basket... head and bill improvised of stuff-covered lathes and fastened to his head. He knew the habits of herons and imitated the walk with his stilts...

Graves turns reality on its head. First the monster, then the exposition. Following on the Graves example above, consider using your imagination to invent a rather fantastical circumstance (in the context of your own novel) with the delayed cognition technique. In other words, portray a phenomenon with a surprise true identity, and depict this circumstance through the viewpoint of a character who is surprised or shocked by it, then use your narrator to explain the true nature as Graves did above.

From Jerzy Kosinski's "The Painted Bird":

"From behind the cemetery appeared a mob of village women with rakes and shovels. It was led by several younger women who shouted and waved their hands …The women held Ludmila down flat against the grass. They sat on her hands and legs and began beating her with the rakes, ripping her skin with their fingernails, tearing out her hair, spitting into her face. Lekh tried to push through, but they barred his way. He tried to fight, but they knocked him down and hit him brutally. He ceased to struggle and several women turned him over on his back and straddled him. Then the women killed Ludmila‘s dog with vicious shovel blows."

Using the example above, write a short vignette that describes a group of human beings engaged in a task both energetic and filled with conflict. Use characters from your own novel. Invent as necessary. As we've said, and will say again, imagination is your best friend. Be aggressive with it.

"Here and there I saw ax cuts on tree trunks. I remembered that Olga had told me that such cuts were made by peasants trying to cast evil spells on their enemies. Striking the juicy flesh of the tree with an ax, one had to utter the name of a hated person and visualize his face. The cut would then bring disease and death to the enemy. There were many such scars on the trees around me. People here must have had many enemies, and they were quite busy in their efforts to bring them disaster."

Write a second short vignette describing a single visual phenomena of sufficient complexity that will surprise the reader with its unusual nature, and which also makes a statement on the human condition. Be original! This should be something unusual and taken from your novel. If you don't have it, improvise.

From Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man":

"On Eighth Avenue, the market carts were parked hub to hub along the curb, improvised canopies shading the withering fruits and vegetables. I could smell the stench of decaying cabbage. A watermelon huckster stood in the shade beside his truck, holding up a long slice of orange-meated melon, crying his wares with hoarse appeals to nostalgia, memories of childhood, green shade and summer coolness … Stale and wilted flowers, rejected downtown, blazed feverishly on a cart, like glamorous rags festering beneath a futile spray from a punctured fruit juice can. The crowd were boiling figures seen through steaming glass from inside a washing machine …"

From Italo Calvino's "Under The Jaguar Sun"

"Waiting for evening to fall, we sat in one of the cafes under the arcades of the zocalo, the regular little square that is the heart of every old city of the colony -- green, with short, carefully pruned trees called almendros, though they bear no resemblance to almond trees. The tiny paper flags and the banners that greeted the official candidate did their best to convey a festive air to the zocalo. The proper Oaxaca families strolled under the arcades. American hippies waited for the old woman who supplied them with mescaline. Ragged vendors unfurled colored fabrics on the ground. From another square nearby came the echo of the loudspeakers of a sparsely attended rally of the opposition. Crouched on the ground, heavy women were frying tortillas and greens."

With inspiration from both Ralph Ellison and Italo Calvino, imagine you are a camera sweeping across a big set with many different items included. Describe a place and note colors, movement, sounds and smells. Include bits of things, details of the set, types of people and their activities. Be vibrant with your description. Find something unique about the place you describe, and if you can't do that, find or invent a place wherein a unique or anomalous thing exists.

Big doses of imagination. How many times do we need say it? Living there, you'll be free, if you truly wish to be.

Writing Novel Scenes A to Z - Drama, Sex, and Sass

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 18:04:00 +0000

So now you're writing the novel, or rewriting it, or preparing to?

There is so much to consider your head has exploded and now you're groping for the parts. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend in this phase somewhere between false confidence and mortifying epiphany that you wisely execute your novel a scene at a time. No better organizing principle than this. Forget chapters, for the moment. Know that each scene serves a purpose, often more than one, e.g., pushing the plot forward while introducing a major secondary character. Each scene also evolves with its own beginning, middle, and end (see the steamy example below).

Btw, if you've not yet done so, great idea to absorb the Six Act Two-Goal Novel before continuing. Also, please review the First Ten Steps, as well as our crucial articles on setting, antagonists, and delivering exposition. Why? Because the points below will make way more sense if viewed in the proper context.

KEY CONCEPTS: story premise, storyboard, dramatic plot instances, novel elements, protagonist vs. antagonist, inciting incident, character evolution, genre novel analysis, inter-scene narrative, sex scene in three parts.

Most Important First Scenes

For starters, below are the first five dramatic plot instances that will appear in your genre novel-in-progress as you develop the novel based on a defined premise and with an aim towards creating a tale just as suspenseful and engaging as any great film.

Note that scenes might not appear in the exact order presented below (except in the case of inciting incident before first major PP). The protagonist might walk onto the stage first or immediately following portrayal of the antagonist, or not be present until after the inciting incident, etc. Nonetheless, these five plot instances occur in their own customized scene (sometimes more than one); and never forget that every major scene, and nearly every minor one, drives plot momentum and complexity in both novels and screenplays as well:

PORTRAYAL OF ANTAGONIST - We witness antagonist power and influence, in whatever way it's made manifest in the context of the story, e.g., the Opus Dei albino hunts his target in the DA VINCI CODE; Assef torments his victims in THE KITE RUNNER; Javert displays his powers and ruthless fanaticism in LES MISERRABLES; the crazed slasher in SCREAM dispatches his first victim... NOTE: the plot instance below can easily be contained within this plot instance also, however, we believe it more powerful if they're distinct.

ANTAGONIST IN POSSESSION OF MAJOR GOAL - What will the protagonist and antagonist struggle to possess or control as the story moves forward? The mafia capo ruthlessly rules the casino; the Big Nurse controls the asylum; Tom Buchanan dominates his wife Daisy; a tyrannical King owns the "Sacred Life Stone."

PORTRAYAL OF PROTAGONIST - The protagonist appears on the page or in the film and the reader knows instinctively she or he will be matched against the antagonist (esp if the antagonist is seen first). Thus, the fate of the protagonist is foreshadowed and "dramatic irony" is manifest, i.e., the reader realizes potential doom, tragedy, or failure even before the protagonist does (thus greatly increasing concern and suspense). For this scene and others that follow keep in mind the protagonist sympathy factors--important for the first scenes!!!

INCITING INCIDENT SCENE - The initial plot instance that sets in motion an inevitable course towards the first major plot point. Katniss takes her sister's place in THE HUNGER GAMES; the general decides to search for Private Ryan in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN; the disappearance of Amy in GONE GIRL engages the town.

FIRST MAJOR PLOT POINT SCENE - Following the INCITING INCIDENT, the protagonist, in one way or another, declares or indicates they will engage in the challenge, fight, or struggle to defeat, curtail, or foil the antagonist; thus, the core rising action or conflict of the novel is launched, as well as beginning the second act of a film: the Hobbits begin their journey to destroy the Ring; Gatsby makes it clear he will reclaim Daisy; Sarah Conner joins the struggle against the Terminator.

Scene Writing by Steps

Now, a couple of points about scene writing in general. Unless you're a veteran, strongly recommend the following advice.

1. Storyboard the scene. What does that mean? In other words, sketching on paper the layout of the scene with major characters and objects to assist with spatial placement and movement as necessary. This could ideally involve a bit of artful drawing combined with scene notes. In your scene notes, include the major characters and the particular set details (where, what, who). State the purpose of the scene in one or two lines and know its relation to the overall plot line going forward, e.g., from the points above, you would state "Inciting incident" and go from there.

Don't overlook all the novel elements that must be established in and around these first five dramatic scenes, and that includes the bulk of necessary exposition, setting details, introduction of major characters and important secondary ones, establishment of the primary conflict or "agon," and more. Refer to the Six Act Two-Goal for additional information.

2. Chart and establish all the major plot instances that follow on the first five above, e.g., your first major reversal. List them and add notes for each one as you consider their role in the novel. Just know, they're not set in stone yet. Editorial development will follow. Refer to the Six Act Two-Goal for additional information.

3. Following on above, and as additional guidance, locate the inciting incident and first major plot point scene in at least three of your favorite genre novels. Analyze these scenes, note how they develop, and begin to write your own experimental scenes based on our notes here, and what you've observed in the examples. THIS IS IMPORTANT! If you begin in this manner, you'll not only get it straight but build confidence in your own ability. The successful development of these crucial first scenes will serve as a vital guidepost going forward.

4. Within the first 50 pages of the novels you've chosen, also note via your careful analysis all the scenes that adjoin, support, and complement the five major dramatic scenes already noted above. Make a list of them and write down the purpose they serve in the novel. THIS WILL BE INVALUABLE to you going forward. Trust us!

glue narrative

Character Evolution

character development

Consider the point-of-view character

Because the viewpoint of this character will inevitably bring a certain tone and filter to the scene.

the character's overall arc

Once you've drafted a few scenes, up to and including your INCITING INCIDENT, return to them after a few weeks

Self-Editing Technique

BTW, here is another article on advanced scene development. Worth a read.

Inter-scene Narrative and Sex

"Glue narrative" also known to us as inter-scene narrative. Like scene narrative, it delivers the major elements we've discussed so far (exposition, setting, etc.), but outside the framework of an actual scene. It's not live action narrative that makes you feel as if the characters and circumstances are evolving dynamically in front of your eyes, no, rather it mimics a near omniscient or "sweeping" narrator style, immersing the reader in a panoramic world of time shifts, brief flashbacks, energetic exposition, and wide-angle camera vistas--whatever is necessary to relate the story outside the confines of the formal scene.

Quite often, the narrative in question possesses an anecdotal quality to it, whether related in first or third person, and more often than not, dialogue is absent (though exceptions exist, e.g, a short anecdotal flashback wherein a character is heard speaking one or two lines).

The example below of this type of narrative is borrowed from another article here on WE entitled Brilliant Fiction Narrative in Four Stages .

Senna and her father set the traps together, for Senna possessed the power to see the trails of the animals they hunted--often dangerous trails that led the two of them into wounding thickets or up the slick trunks of tamarand trees, following wild Cholu monkeys that set traps for predators like themselves.
Father never saw the thin shimmering trails in the air, scattered all around and leading every which way, looking as if interweaving spiders had drawn impossibly gigantic webs. He could not mark the passage of living creatures through the world, and his blindness to it seemed like a failure to him. Senna knew he felt jealous. Her instincts often contradicted his own hunting wisdom, and that especially irritated him. But to Senna, her "trail eyes," as she called them, felt natural, her ability effortless and always part of her vision. The newer the path of the animal, the bluer the shimmer. Older ones glowed in hues of green or waned to yellow, and the truly ancient ones softened to a dark red.
Father could only fume, or act annoyed, depending on the hour and his mood. Senna avoided him if his mood darkened, and she feared that further development of her power might make him feel even more obsolete and angry, for her power grew each day.

[transition to live action scene - set-up then into dialogue]

With the arrival of summer, the two of them journeyed once more in search of the Cholu monkeys, knowing full well the dangers, but Cholu fur brought huge rewards at the marketplace in Ulaanbatar, the closest town.
Father insisted on taking the lead during their foray as they ascended into highland country where the tamarand trees thrived in the cooler temperatures of the Massanutten foothills. Senna agreed without a word, just nodded. Over the past year, she'd began to change her mind about hunting the Cholu. She found the practice rather cruel, despite the rewards. She could have sworn that a Cholu once tried to speak to her as it was dying. But the gods knew, talking Cholus or no, Senna and her father desperately needed coin to stay alive--the kind only Ulaanbatar provided.
"We will bag a dozen Cholu this time out," her father said.
"I'm not sure we should," Senna said, her voice weak with anticipation of the consequences.
"What do you mean?"

Above, you see a distinct difference between inter-scene and following scene narrative that creates a stronger camera-eye focus.

And now, a short sex scene by Jennifer Weiner from her novel WHO DO YOU LOVE? Noted below, the beginning, middle, end. Man's point of view, and it ends with his fantasy:

BEGINNING (set-up, light the match, emotional response, reflection)

They walked in silence through the parking lot. When they got to his car, he hugged her, holding her tightly against him, an embrace still on the right side of propriety, one that could still be considered friendly, but only just. When they broke apart, her face was flushed, her eyes shining.
"I hope it won't be another three years before we see each other again."

MIDDLE (decision, action, emotion escalates, narrative verve escalates)

Instead of answering, Rachel reached for him, putting her small, warm hand on the back of his neck, lifting her lips to his. They kissed, first lightly, then more urgently, his tongue in her mouth, her hips tilted against his, her breasts against his chest, her whole body sending a message that was undeniable.
"Want to come up?" he asked.
She'd left her bags in his apartment, with the understanding that they'd pick them up after dinner and he'd take her to the hotel she'd booked. More than once, when they'd been talking, he'd offered her his bed, saying he'd sleep on the couch, and Rachel had turned him down, politely but firmly.
Without a word, she climbed into the passenger seat, smiling at him, saying, "Yes."
They started kissing again. Her tongue fluttered against his, and his hands were deep in the softness of her hair, and it was like time unspooled, carrying them right back to when they were teenagers.

END (verve and action ebb, resolution, reflection)

He pulled her against him, thinking that he'd never get her close enough, that if he could fold her inside of him, like a mother tucking a baby into her coat, he'd do it. He'd keep her warm, he'd keep her safe, he'd keep her with him, always.

_____________

Settings Are 60% - Maximize Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 16:57:00 +0000

When considering your novel, whether taking place in a contemporary urban world or on a distant magical planet in Andromeda, you must first sketch the best overall setting and sub-settings for your story.

Wasn't it F. Scott Fitzgerald who said something like, "Setting is 60% of what makes your novel stand out"? A great setting maximizes opportunities for interesting characters, circumstances, and complications. Therefore, with a dash of unleashed imagination and a dose of sufficient research, nothing provides a stronger novel foundation than a great setting. Fact. One of the best selling contemporary novels in recent memory, THE HUNGER GAMES, is driven by the circumstances of the setting, and the characters are a product of that unique environment as well as the plot.

But even if you're not writing SFF, the choice of setting is just as important, perhaps even more so. If you must place your upmarket story in a sleepy little town in Maine winter, then choose a setting within that town that maximizes opportunities for verve and conflict, for example, a bed and breakfast stocked to the ceiling with odd characters who combine to create comical, suspenseful, dangerous or difficult complications or subplot reversals that the bewildered and sympathetic protagonist must endure and resolve while he or she is perhaps engaged in a bigger plot line: restarting an old love affair, reuniting with a family member, starting a new business, etc. And don't forget that non-gratuitous sex goes a long way, especially for American readers.

And not only must you choose the overall best setting, but you must consider sub-settings that come into play for particular scenes. For example, if your overall choice of setting is India, you have it made. You might choose a sub-setting for a scene that includes a particular village wherein a large snake is sleeping in a tree and thus creating an absurd spectacle in the form of an ongoing conflict between Muslims and Hindus over the spiritual meaning of the snake's behavior.

As noted above, a great setting maximizes the potential for great characters, unique circumstances, and story complications of one kind or another.

Of if your character is in Scotland on a cold and dull day, place him or her in a scene during a "blackening of the bride" ceremony wherein the future bride is trashed and sloshed with everything from tar to Scotch whiskey. Will your character have any internal issues with this? Yes? Whatever creates inner or interpersonal conflict is a bonus too, don't forget.

If nothing else, create a setting or sub-settings that assist with the development of conflict between characters. If your character is an office worker in an otherwise stereotypical setting, place them in a special surprise meeting with certain types of ambitious, reckless or sociopathic personalities who combine to ignite an unavoidable moral dilemma.

Set it up so that the tension crackles. Setting fixtures don't have to be inanimate!

By the Way, Does Your Setting Possess the Following Qualities?

Dynamic Evolution Over Time

One might quibble over the difference here between "set-up" and "setting"... Suffice to say, the author chooses a setting (a time and a place) that comports with a plot allowing for story enhancing social, political, cultural, or character-focused evolution in the fictional environment. Consider a novel filled with quarreling and toppling kingdoms (GAME OF THRONES), or a terrible secret uncovered that generates a killing machine to grind one man down (THE FIRM), or the coming downfall of a whole way of life for millions (THE UNVANQUISHED).

A New World of Wonder

Publishers like it when your novel takes readers into a world they're unfamiliar with. The freshness of new places, climes, cultures, people and things creates an irresistible draw for many. Witness the the popularity of EAT, PRAY, LOVE. Would it have been so engaging if the character had not traveled to exotic climes, but instead ate, pray, and loved in Podunk, Idaho? THE KITE RUNNER is another example. A whole new world, way of life, characters we could never have met otherwise.

The Potential for Energy

As noted above, a great setting maximizes the potential for great characters, unique circumstances, and story complications of one kind or another. Now, any idea what might best suit as an example for this category? How about THE POISONWOOD BIBLE?

An overzealous Baptist minister drags his wife and four daughters deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the "unenlightened souls" of Africa. During this time, Belgium is about to give the country its independence, and a popular election will be held to select the new ruler. A purge of Westerners is expected once independence is won. All of this coupled with the presence of superstition and conflicting customs creates a dangerous and weirdly dynamic setting for the American mission family. Consider, would anyone have read this novel if the author, Barbara Kingsolver, had set the story in Canada? Perhaps, but the color and energy would be lost, certainly polar opposite of what Kingsolver's setting, in that time and place, allowed.

Now, please go back over your settings and scenes and rewrite accordingly. You can't have too much energy or tension on the page. Be as aggressive with your work as possible.

____________

Aspiring Authors and the Epiphany Light

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 02:25:00 +0000

A WATERSHED EVENT FOR SERIOUS WRITERS

Whatever the stage of your project or writing life, know that all writers, if they desire to become commercially published, must see and enter the Epiphany Light.

First of all, what is the "Epiphany Light"? The EL is a state of mind crucial to any aspiring author desirous of commercial or serious literary publication, and one which clearly divides the 99% from the 1% of those who've learned the hard way how challenging it is to have their expertise and projects taken seriously by professionals in the publishing business. But are the percentages so drastic as depicted here? Yes, and probably even more so.

Consider the very small number of first time authors who emerge with publishing contracts from major houses, imprints, or even well-regarded traditional presses, and then compare these few hundred to the hundreds of thousands of writers in America struggling valiantly yet vainly to accomplish the same feat. Viewed from this perspective, as we near the EL, we eventually come to a knowledge of true writer pathos on a scale unimagined: instances of duress and disappointment inflicted each day on hundreds if not thousands of writers as their manuscripts are routinely rejected by agents or publishers.

But how does the EL finally come about, or rather, fail to come about? Before the light can be viewed and entered, before writers can possess a state of mind that enables a forward movement towards success (by any reasonable artistic standard), they must, by one means or another, view their project through the eyes of an editorial professional in their chosen genre. So why doesn't it come easy? It isn't natural, has to be learned, and circumstances of one kind or another arise to prevent this crucial vision.

Viewed from this perspective, as we near the EL, we eventually come to a knowledge of true writer pathos on a scale unimagined: instances of duress and disappointment inflicted each day on hundreds if not thousands of writers as their manuscripts are routinely rejected by agents or publishers.

Whether it be a failure to properly immerse in the contemporary world of their chosen genre (reading books and interviews, studying deals at Publisher’s Marketplace, talking with publishing house editors at conferences or elsewhere), or an inability to rise above limitations imposed by their current writer’s group (consistently providing encouraging yet unproductive advice), or bad advice from those they believe possess an adequate comprehension of the current book market (e.g., freelance editors of one stripe or another who are removed from current market realities or who fail to differentiate necessary tropes from overused tropes), the writer is deprived of the consciousness necessary to make crucial edits or changes to the story.

Put quite simply, if you write mysteries loved by your friends and fellow writers, and perhaps even your paid freelance editor (who most likely has never worked in the New York publishing business), but can’t produce a thing other than pale imitations of Miss Marple, no editor or agent who represents the mystery genre will ever take you or your work seriously.

Regardless, the writer naturally grows frustrated and tired of unsuccessful efforts (if they‘re smart), and if determined not to fail, seeks new sources of information and inspiration.

Now the question becomes, how do writers transcend life in the 99% and enter the EL to arrive in the one percent promised land? What might lead them to a cognizance of reality? It can happen in various ways, by accident or no, but always preceded by trial and error groping as false signals are received concerning the commercial viability of their writing (see above) thus leading to false confidence. Regardless, the writer naturally grows frustrated and tired of unsuccessful efforts (if they‘re smart), and if determined not to fail, seeks new sources of information and inspiration.

Perhaps by happenstance the writer reads an article that clicks with them, or speaks to a professional who waves the red flag regarding what they’re doing wrong or what is specifically missing from their voice or manuscript that results in rejection after rejection--whatever the source of cognizance, the writer, perhaps for the first time, declines to fall back on old sources of corroboration.

If you are nearing the Epiphany Light, or you’ve entered it already, much of what we say here will resonate with you. If you have endured months or years of rejections, perhaps you need to point your toe over the line, just to test. And don’t feel down about all this, or discouraged. Learn from it. Understand that all writers make the same mistakes, learn the same lessons, fall down and get up.

The neophyte mystery writer holding her Miss Marple close and dear, as she might a mother’s warmth, must one day leave home and apply for a job with a suitable resume.

____________________

Dialogue - Never a Gratuitous Word or Boring Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Algonkian Chief Editor Michael Neff) — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 06:23:00 +0000

For starters...

Let's place this in a context rarely mentioned elsewhere. At such time dialogue becomes difficult or perplexing for writers to produce, it's usually because they have failed on some level to create interesting characters in the first place, or because they do not properly understand the role of each relevant character in the scene (please stop and read this article now if you've not already done so), or both. To complicate further, the writer may not actually understand the role of the scene in the novel. Put these three conditions together and artful dialogue becomes impossible regardless of other factors.

KEY CONCEPTS: screenplay emulation, dialogue as art, the LED, major functions of dialogue, delivery of exposition, dialogue arc, character style, tags and ellipses, provocations and disagreements, the foil character, dialogue samples.

Initial Admonitions

But let's assume the first three conditions above have been met. So where to go from here? First, a few admonitions for neophytes and middle-stagers:

1. Best not to attempt dialogue until you understand that dialogue is art, not real life. Art imitates life only insofar as necessary. In the world of art, characters say what they must and almost always make it clear. Unless you're obsessed with David Mamet's early work, strongly recommend not placing speech on the page that mimics actual human blathering (btw, on the subject of Mamet, strongly recommend a close reading of the brilliant Glengarry, Glen Ross).

2. Do not write novel dialogue without having first read, studied, and experimented with good screenplay dialogue. Download and read over screenplays relevant to your genre, then also watch the films, or at least a few scenes that correspond to the script. This is vital. In general, the best dialogue written these days can be found in screenplays or teleplays - not that great novel authors don't produce brilliant dialogue now and then, and we'll see a few below, but a classy smart screenplay is more likely to meet the goals for our purposes here. Later you can make useful comparisons between the two forms (you'll benefit hugely from this).

3. Don't fail to realize that screenplays teach us how to the say THE MOST with THE FEWEST words. This is also vital. Again, MOST with the FEWEST. Novel dialogue should always have a reason for existence, never be gratuitous, and never overstay its welcome on the page.

4. Refrain from drafting dialogue on the novel page until you have first drafted prototype dialogue in your literary experimentation document (LED). What do we mean? Quite simply, you maintain a separate word document for the purpose of fictional experiments conducted by you prior to insertion in the actual novel. Here you sketch a sample scene that includes chosen characters engaged in dialogue. First, create a good reason for them to converse in the context of the plot line and make certain to include elements noted below (i.e., conflict, exposition, etc.)

Functions and Forms in Brief

Dialogue's major functions succinctly stated as follows (examples below):

Advance the plot line or core conflict ("We must intervene by noon tomorrow, or we wait three months.")
Serve as characterization (see examples here)
Create conflict or provocation (overt or implied)
Engender suspense ("...and no one has ever gone inside and lived...")
Create or support minor complications ("We have a problem, people.")
Deliver exposition ("The wheeled city, driven by steam and 5,432 gears, grinds now towards Belgium.")

To satisfy the above requirements, for example, dialogue may acquire the following forms:

Expression of fear or apprehension over a circumstance or event ("Did you see that? By the gods, we're done!")
Sexual mating play: posturing, advances, overt and covert ("Kiss me, you fool.")
Arguments or disagreements of varying degree ignited by viewpoint disagreements or personality clash ("Hell is too good for you.")
Provocative topics introduced or continued (Dr. Yen replied to the student, "The soul, even the personality… all a fraud. They really don't exist.")

Critical for Both Screen and Novel

Enter late, leave early. No different than novel plotting, best to begin dialogue in media res. What do we mean? From masterclass.com on the subject of writing sharp screenplay dialogue: "Small talk is prevalent in real life, but it can be dreadfully boring to watch two people chat about the weather and other pleasantries on screen. One way to rectify this is to enter the conversation as late as you possibly can. This technique can you help you write better dialogue by allowing you to skip the boring, introductory remarks and unnecessary follow-up questions and get straight to the heart of the scene." WE couldn't have said it better!

Avoid dialogue that sounds stale. Dialogue can devolve into overly familiar patterns, as if you're imitating a bad television scene. Exorcise with extreme prejudice. Best to negate this possibility ahead of time via an energetic and unique setting populated by intriguing characters.

When utilizing dialogue to deliver exposition, make certain it's accomplished at a time and in a place that makes sense relative to the story flow, i.e., delivered artfully rather than clumsily. See notes on exposition here for more details. Note classic expo delivery by Jordan Baker, Robert Cohn, and Harding.

Refrain from inappropriate use of dialogue, especially irrelevant dialogue, by minor characters. From screencraft.org: "Every line of dialogue in the film has to matter and move the story and characters forward. Giving lines to characters "in the room" for the mere sake that they are in the room is a very common mistake that takes away from the rest of the dialogue that should be in the script. They are there to support the lead characters and the story. If what they are saying isn’t accomplishing that, it should be cut."

Like characters and plot, dialogue also has a beginning, middle, and end - it's own arc, so to speak. Consider this carefully. What must be addressed and resolved? What must be introduced, but end with a mystery? From screencraft.org: "Each scene of dialogue has to build to a climax, each story act of dialogue has to build to a climax, and each screenplay’s dialogue has to build to that ultimate climax at the end."

Insofar as possible, give the leading and major secondary characters their own dialogue style, e.g., Felonious Mack is a nervous petty criminal who hesitantly speaks with lines of clipped speech in contrast to the magnificent Jezzie Belle who presents herself as flamboyant and outgoing.

Punctuation purists senselessly quibble over the use of em dashes (e.g., "You should close it and -") to signify speech interruption, and ellipses "..." to signify pauses, but only in the context of novel writing. Screenplay writers use both of these, as appropriate, and it works perfectly. Truly, it's unrealistic not to include artful pauses and interruptions in the course of dialogue. In summary, do what works, but wisely.

Dialogue Samples from Novel and Stage

From Freaky Deaky by Elmore Leonard. A police Detective, Chris, is staying at his father's apartment after getting kicked out by his girlfriend. This initiates an understanding of the relationship between son and father, delivers a bit of exposition, and concerns a specific topic of interest relevant to the plot line. Leonard's tags ("said") are kept simple and sparse. Also, the dialogue obeys the rule of "enter late," i.e., it opens without preliminaries, just jumps right into the subject at hand. Chris as "a lot of trouble with women."

     His dad said, "You seem to have a lot of trouble with women. They keep throwing you out."
     "I do what she wants, she comes up with something else, I don't talk to her."
     "I don't know what it is," his dad said, "you're not a bad-looking guy. You could give a little more thought to your grooming. Get your hair trimmed, wear a white shirt now and then, see if that works. What kind of aftershave you use?"
     "I'm serious."
     "I know you are and I'm glad you came to me. When'd she throw you out, last night?"
     "She didn't throw me out, I left. I phoned, you weren't home, so I stayed at Jerry's."
     "When you needed me most," his dad said. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."
     "Actually," Chris said, "you get right down to it, Phyllis's the one does all the talking. She gives me banking facts about different kinds of annuities, fiduciary trusts, institutional liquid asset funds... I'm sitting here trying to stay awake, she's telling me about the exciting world of trust funds."
     "I had a feeling," his dad said, "you've given it some thought. You realize life goes on."
     "I'm not even sure what attracted me to her in the first place."
     His dad said, "You want me to tell you?"

From Piper Robbin and the American Oz Maker by Warwick Gleeson. Piper Robbin is having a talk with her father in their Brooklyn apartment as they prepare to enjoy take-out and a movie. Note the difference in tone compared to the Leonard sample above, as well as the more vibrant energy that makes the Leonard characters seem almost flat in comparison (detective mystery vs. science fantasy genre). Note also the topics discussed are provocative and curious by their very nature. This passage establishes relationship between the two characters, allows the reader to experience their personalities, and parcels in necessary exposition. Narrative interjection is not overdone, just enough to render appropriate imagery relevant to the characters. Tags are simple, and we have a few em dashes and ellipses. And what else? A bit of friendly conflict between the father and daughter.

     "Impressive in a primitive way, mon amour précieux," Edison Godfellow said of Manhattan one night while using the remote control to locate a suitably ridiculous movie on ComFlix prior to consuming Ms. Song’s khor stew, "But like a mound of ants in comparison to London."
     Piper rolled her eyes. "Your old magical super city, eh?"
     "Yes, my own Oz," he said, followed by a whimsical smile. "I spent years planning each and every molecule."
     "But what does that matter now?"
     "Next to nothing," Edison said, verging on gloom.
     "And how much magic to erect those evil towers, Dad?"
     "Enough to solve the debt of Ireland."
     "And how many Englishmen did you piss off?"
     "Thousands, but they grinned once I created flying cars."
     Piper gave him the Bronx cheer.
     "Daughter, how is it you can behave so immaturely after more than twenty centuries?"
     "Dad, sometimes it's you who act like a child. Think of the good you could have done in the world with all that magic... And by the way, you've spouted off about London at least five times over the past week. Do you really need to rabbit-hole your shit?"
     "Psychoanalysis is a long dead pseudo-science, Piper, and you should know—"
     Enough was enough!
     She interrupted him with her signature snap: small white hands palm up above her mango head, arms elbows out and pushing high, her expression a big smiley face—all achieved in a quarter of a second.
     In reaction, his eyebrows pinched ever so slightly, as if feeling a surge of pain. "I loathe that silly snap thing," Edison said. "Must you further enhance your preposterous role as an American?"
     "I'm having fun, Dad, and for the first time since jazz was invented.”
     "But the language you damage is not—"
     "Brooklyn talk is dumb good. Brooklyn is my muther-f’n music that talks to me."
     "Please, Piper. You attempted a farcical identity restart many years ago in Hawaii. It failed miserably."
     "That's because King Kamehameha was too anxious to spread his DNA. He ruined everything."
     "Recall... you once lived as Grand Sorceress of the Holy Roman Empire. You commanded every room you ever entered with power and magnificence. Magicians feared you. Kingdoms groveled before you."
     "Yeah, yeah, and I can return to those groveling moments whenever, but it all bores me, kinda like a plate of cold putz and cheese."
     "Putz and cheese?"

From The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (the following dialogue creates suspense as it helps define the character Laura, and her relationship to her mother, Amanda; it also supports the major complication, i.e., the problem with the social environs)

     "Laura, where have you been going when you've gone out pretending that you were going to business college?" Amanda asked.
     "I've just been going out walking."
     That's not true." Amanda said.
     "It is. I just went walking."
     "Walking? Walking? In winter? Deliberately courting pneumonia in that light coat? Where did you walk to, Laura?"      "All sorts of places—mostly in the park."
     "Even after you'd started catching that cold?"
     "It was the lesser of the two evils, Mother."
     "From half past seven till after five every day you mean to tell me you walked around in the park, because you wanted to make me think that you were still going to Rubicam's Business College?"
     "It wasn't as bad as it sounds. I went inside places to get warmed up."
     "Inside where?"
     "I went in the art museum and the bird houses at the Zoo. I visited the penguins every day. Sometimes I did without lunch and went to the movies. Lately, I've been spending most of my afternoons in the Jewel Box, that big glass house where they raise the tropical flowers."
     "You did all this to deceive me, just for deception?"
     "Mother, when you're disappointed, you get that awful suffering look on your face, like the picture of Jesus' mother in the museum!"

From Private Contentment by Reynolds Price. A man and a woman stop beside a creek to rest and talk. Elements worth noting include the value in this context of clipped speech, the lack of tags due to both characters being clearly delineated (we know who is talking), the artful delivery of exposition (about the woman), the presence of tension between the two, and the role of the man as a foil character. In other words, he exists to manifest and reflect the qualities of the woman.

     "Let's don't stay here, please," she said.
     "Got homework to do?"
     "Latin, but that's not why."
     "Scared of Nazi bombers?"
     "I used to be. When the war first started, I thought every plane passing over at night had me in the bombsight. Now I doubt even Germans would want this place."
     "Seems nice to me."
     "It's better right down by the creek."
     "I could build a fire here—"
     "I said I couldn't stay here."
     "Lead the way, lady."
     "Don't make fun. This is where I was miserable."
     "What happened here?"
     She walks over and kneels beside the creek bank, dips her right hand into the water.      "Is it cold? he said."
     "No, warm for some reason. You can sit down here."
     "Thank you. I'm tired."
     "I knew you'd complain."
     "I just told a simple truth."
     "I used to love it here."
     "You said you were miserable."
     "That's why I loved it. I came here and talked to what couldn't talk back: rocks, leaves, lizards, frogs."
     "What would you say?"
     "I'd ask for things—a life like everybody else."

From Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Who are we to tell James Joyce how to write, but a few of the tags and adverbs would probably be deleted by contemporary editors; however, the presence of these does nothing to dilute the intensity of the drama. Rather than lecture on the socio-political problems of Ireland, Joyce places his characters at a Christmas dinner table and let's them go at it. Mr. Dedalus is the provocateur of the conflict that ramps up to violent frequency. As a bonus, we are treated to historical exposition concerning Ireland. Also, note the added narrative interjection to match the dinner mechanics, as well as each distinctive personality and the dynamics that bring them to life: Dante, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Dedalus.

     "There's a tasty bit here we call the Pope's nose. If any lady or gentleman..." He held a piece of fowl up on the prong of the carving fork … "I'd better eat it myself because I'm not well in my health lately."
     He winked at Steven, and replacing the dish cover, began to eat.
     There was silence while he ate. Then he said:
     "Well now, the day kept up fine after all. There were plenty of strangers down too." Nobody spoke. He said again:
     "I think there were more strangers down than last Christmas." He said this then, receiving no reply, remarked bitterly: "Well, my Christmas dinner has been spoiled anyway."
     "There could be neither luck nor grace," Dante said, "in a house where there is no respect for the pastors of the church."
     Mr. Dedalus threw his knife and fork noisily on his plate.
     "Respect!" he shouted. "Is it for Billy with the lip or for the tub of guts up in Armagh. Respect!"
     "Princes of the Church," said Mr. Casey with slow scorn.
     "Lord Leitrim's coachmen, yes," said Mr. Dedalus.
     "They are the Lord's anointed, Dante said. "They are an honor to their country."
     "Tub of guts," said Mr. Dedalus coarsely. "He had a handsome face, mind you, in repose. You should see that fellow lapping up his bacon and cabbage on cold winter's day!"
     He twisted his features into a grimace of heavy bestiality and made a lapping noise with his lips.
     "Really, Simon," said Mrs. Dedalus, "you should not speak that way before Steven. It's not right."
     "Oh, he'll remember all this when he grows up!" exclaimed Dante hotly. "The language he heard against God and religion and priests in his own house."
     "Let him remember too," furiously cried Mr. Casey to her from across the table, "the language with which the priests and the priest's pawns broke Parnell's heart and hounded him into his grave. Let him remember that too when he grows up!"
     "Sons of bitches!" cried Mr. Dedalus. "When he was down they turned on him to betray him and rend him like rats in a sewer. Lowlived dogs! And they look it! By Christ, they look it!"
     "They behaved rightly," cried Dante. "Honor to them!"