Browsing through Writer's Digest, at 'Guide to Literary Agents, editors blog'(by Chuck Sambuchino), I found valuable information for writers. It is a list of no no's that literary agents hate to see on the first Chapter of a manuscript. I advise you to pay close attention because these people may be the ones you submit your story to.
Agents Chapter 1 Pet Peeves:
"Anything cliché such as ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ will turn me off. I hate when a narrator or author addresses the reader (e.g., 'Gentle reader')."
- Jennie Dunham, Dunham Literary
"Sometimes a reasonably good writer will create an interesting character and describe him in a compelling way, but then he’ll turn out to be some unimportant bit player. Other annoying, unoriginal things I see too often: some young person going home to a small town for a funeral, someone getting a phone call about a death, a description of a psycho lurking in the shadows, or a terrorist planting a bomb."
- Ellen Pepus, Signature Literary Agency (formerly Ellen Pepus Literary)
"I’m really turned off by a protagonist named Isabelle who goes by 'Izzy.' No. Really. I am."
- Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management
"I dislike opening scenes that you think are real (I rep adult genre fiction), then the protagonist wakes up. It makes me feel cheated. And so many writers use this hackneyed device. I dislike lengthy paragraphs of world building and scene setting up front. I usually crave action close to the beginning of the book (and so do readers)."
- Laurie McLean, Larsen/Pomada Literary Agents
"I do in fact hate it when someone wakes up from a dream in Chapter 1, and I dislike an overly long prologue. The worst thing that you can do is let that crucial chapter be boring - that’s the chapter that has to grab my interest!"
- Michelle Brower, Folio Literary Management (formerly Wendy Sherman Associates)
"I don't like an opening line that's 'My name is...,' introducing the narrator to the reader so blatantly. I might be prompted to groan before reading on a bit further to see if the narration gets any less stale. There are far better ways in Chapter 1 to establish an instant connection between narrator and reader. I’m also usually not a fan of prologues, preferring to find myself in the midst of a moving plot on page 1 rather than being kept outside of it, or eased into it."
- Michelle Andelman, Lynn C. Franklin Associates (formerly Andrea Brown Literary Agency)
"I hate seeing a 'run-down list:' Names, hair color, eye color, height, even weight sometimes. Other things that bother me is over-describing the scenery or area where the story starts. Usually a manuscript can lose the first 3-5 chapters and start there. Besides the run-down list preaching to me about a subject, I don't like having a character immediately tell me how much he/she hates the world for whatever reason. In other words, tell me your issues on politics, the environment, etc. through your character. That is a real turn off to me."
- Miriam Hees (editor), Blooming Tree Press
"Perhaps my biggest pet peeve with an opening chapter is when an author features too much exposition - when they go beyond what is necessary for simply 'setting the scene.' I want to feel as if I'm in the hands of a master storyteller, and starting a story with long, flowery, overly-descriptive sentences (kind of like this one) makes the writer seem amateurish and the story contrived. Of course, an equally jarring beginning can be nearly as off-putting, and I hesitate to read on if I'm feeling disoriented by the fifth page. I enjoy when writers can find a good balance between exposition and mystery. Too much accounting always ruins the mystery of a novel, and the unknown is what propels us to read further. It is what keeps me up at night saying 'just one more chapter, then I'll go to sleep.' If everything is explained away in the first chapter; I'm probably putting the book down and going to sleep."
- Peter Miller, Peter Miller Literary
"1. Squinting into the sunlight with a hangover in a crime novel. Good grief -- been done a million times. 2. A sci-fi novel that spends the first two pages describing the strange landscape. 3. A trite statement ("Get with the program" or "Houston, we have a problem" or "You go girl" or "Earth to Michael" or "Are we all on the same page?"), said by a weenie sales guy, usually in the opening paragraph. 4. A rape scene in a Christian novel, especially in the first chapter. 5. 'Years later, Monica would look back and laugh...' 6. "The [adjective] [adjective] sun rose in the [adjective] [adjective] sky, shedding its [adjective] light across the [adjective] [adjective] [adjective] land."
- Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary
For the complete list, go to this link: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agents+Chapter+1+Pet+Peeves.aspx
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hostile Thoughts
It’s okay to think it but I strongly suggest not taking action…
Has an employee at a check-out line ever given you a hard time? Or the secretary in your doctor’s office? Or even the window attendant at a Fast Food joint? If you haven’t, let me inform you that you’ve been thoroughly blessed. For those of you who have though, I’m sure you understand the uncontrollable struggle of having hostile thoughts under such mistreatment.
I remember having to go to a government office to renew my passport. I had an appointment and arrived early to resolve my issue as quickly as possible. But after the first two hours of waiting, where the temperature seemed to match Antarctica, I began to suspect I was going to have one of those days. When I was finally called upon, I was snootily informed how I’d botched all my information sheets and would have to refill everything as well as wait for another turn. Naturally, I got a little… testy. And I believe I would not have gotten so upset if the woman at the desk was just as uncaring with everyone. She wasn’t though. The person behind me received smiles and courteous service. I thought the snob was going to give the bloody client a hug; meanwhile, she scowled at me. Oh the injustice! And before you start wondering, no, I was not rude or impolite. Yes, I double checked.
So, at that moment, I felt the heat of indignation and the spark of anger blend together, jolting my imagination into violent overdrive. Oh how badly I wanted to set that evil witch straight. No matter how nice I was, she treated me like a natural-born-idiot who couldn’t tell her left hand from her right foot. Needles to say, the longer I had to stay in that freezer, waiting, waiting, waiting, the more the situation crawled right under my skin. Hostile thoughts inevitably surged up with eager delight. Images of slaps, body slams, headlocks, eye poking, face kicking… I guess you get the picture… they were my only consolation through the exasperating ordeal.
This occasion made me realize that people are constantly and wrongfully insulted, verbally abused or have to suffer through rudeness – whether you’re the employee or the customer. Not fair! You have no fault over whatever has this person’s undies in a twist, why should you have to take the heat? But (and this is a really big BUT), no matter how tempting the taste of satisfaction promises to be for me, at putting these hostile thoughts into action, I do not. Why? Multiple reasons really. I don’t want to go to jail, I can’t afford paying for the damages I cause, I may be hurting a child’s loved one, I doubt many would congratulate me on the violent gesture, and in the end, it probably won’t be one of my proudest moments.
However, it truly is a difficult exercise on your self-control to not give in, when what you really want to do is introduce your fist to a few faces. So, what to do if I don’t want to test the law? Remind myself, persistently, to have patience. Sure, it may not be as satisfying as loosening someone else’s teeth, but it beats getting more intimately acquainted with an overgrown jail mate named Big Bertha.
Simply my opinion of course. Plus it is highly recommended to find any distraction possible, focus on that, and pray for a hasty deliverance.
By: V.S
Has an employee at a check-out line ever given you a hard time? Or the secretary in your doctor’s office? Or even the window attendant at a Fast Food joint? If you haven’t, let me inform you that you’ve been thoroughly blessed. For those of you who have though, I’m sure you understand the uncontrollable struggle of having hostile thoughts under such mistreatment.
I remember having to go to a government office to renew my passport. I had an appointment and arrived early to resolve my issue as quickly as possible. But after the first two hours of waiting, where the temperature seemed to match Antarctica, I began to suspect I was going to have one of those days. When I was finally called upon, I was snootily informed how I’d botched all my information sheets and would have to refill everything as well as wait for another turn. Naturally, I got a little… testy. And I believe I would not have gotten so upset if the woman at the desk was just as uncaring with everyone. She wasn’t though. The person behind me received smiles and courteous service. I thought the snob was going to give the bloody client a hug; meanwhile, she scowled at me. Oh the injustice! And before you start wondering, no, I was not rude or impolite. Yes, I double checked.
So, at that moment, I felt the heat of indignation and the spark of anger blend together, jolting my imagination into violent overdrive. Oh how badly I wanted to set that evil witch straight. No matter how nice I was, she treated me like a natural-born-idiot who couldn’t tell her left hand from her right foot. Needles to say, the longer I had to stay in that freezer, waiting, waiting, waiting, the more the situation crawled right under my skin. Hostile thoughts inevitably surged up with eager delight. Images of slaps, body slams, headlocks, eye poking, face kicking… I guess you get the picture… they were my only consolation through the exasperating ordeal.
This occasion made me realize that people are constantly and wrongfully insulted, verbally abused or have to suffer through rudeness – whether you’re the employee or the customer. Not fair! You have no fault over whatever has this person’s undies in a twist, why should you have to take the heat? But (and this is a really big BUT), no matter how tempting the taste of satisfaction promises to be for me, at putting these hostile thoughts into action, I do not. Why? Multiple reasons really. I don’t want to go to jail, I can’t afford paying for the damages I cause, I may be hurting a child’s loved one, I doubt many would congratulate me on the violent gesture, and in the end, it probably won’t be one of my proudest moments.
However, it truly is a difficult exercise on your self-control to not give in, when what you really want to do is introduce your fist to a few faces. So, what to do if I don’t want to test the law? Remind myself, persistently, to have patience. Sure, it may not be as satisfying as loosening someone else’s teeth, but it beats getting more intimately acquainted with an overgrown jail mate named Big Bertha.
Simply my opinion of course. Plus it is highly recommended to find any distraction possible, focus on that, and pray for a hasty deliverance.
By: V.S
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Most beloved untiringly classic favorite books
This discussion was originated through Inkwell, where we've decided to write about our preferred volumes. Like so many it’s hard to choose even two or three, but I have to say that the following books I thoroughly enjoy. Now, I say ‘untiring books’ because I find I can read them over and over again. Considering I rarely ever read the same book twice, this means there is some powerful content in these babies.
1.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (Just saying the title makes me sigh… I know, it’s pathetic) I fell in love with this story somewhere in my teens. I didn’t know what to expect the first time the book was lent to me, especially since I didn’t read too often then. But as I went through the book, I got caught up and swept away by the characters and the depth of self-discovery they have to confront, among other things.
This is the story of the Bennet family, but most of all, it is about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. These two characters come together after learning to overlook first impressions and after facing misleading appearances, pride and misunderstandings. Set around the 18th century, the story follows subjects of marriage, love, ignorance, morality, family, etc. I found it surprisingly funny too. In addition, the language used in the text simply enthralls me every time.
2.The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAlister. Fair warning there is some rated R material in this book… really steamy stuff, seriously. Nonetheless, this story is laugh-out-loud hilarious! And it’s still funny the next time you read it. I was surprised at the amount of comedy that could be placed into romance. I love it! It encourages me to be creative with my own storylines.
Tessa is a “skinny challenged” American, who’s agreed to not only partake the leading role in a Victorian reality TV show, but to also wear a corset for the duration of it. (The character assures that the second issue was harder to survive through than the first) Pretending to live in the 1800’s sounded better than the real deal, until Tessa meets her pretend husband, the Duke. Then, she can’t tell if it’s him or the corset that leaves her breathless.
How about you? What favorites make you weak in the knees or thoroughly hypnotize you? The kind of books that, once you’ve read them, make you say: “I never stood a chance of resisting.”
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The world grows smaller every day
I felt the ground shake early this morning, around 1:15 am. I felt the foundation of my home tremble: the walls around me, the bed I laid in, the second story floor I later stood in. After my initial confusion, I soon realized it was an earthquake.
I thought about all those places that had suffered through an earthquake. I thought about the damages made, the lives lost and the grief some still struggle to survive through. I thought… it could be my turn now. And I was thankful. Not because I was eager to take on a natural disaster, but because the youngest members of my family were not in residence. They wouldn’t have to face an earthquake and bear through its consequences. I was grateful for that.
In a matter of seconds, the quake was over. I was praying. Nothing was destroyed. No buildings shattered, no roads splintered, no lives lost. It was reported as a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Later in the morning, I woke up to find everything normal. Nothing had changed except my awareness of the tremor, and the knowledge that it could have been much worse. I couldn’t help but to think… the world grows smaller every day. Earthquakes have rocked across continents, affecting nations and devastated people worldwide. Some recent recorded events are:
• Italy – April 6 2009
• Haiti – January 12 2010
• Chile – February 27 2010
• China – April 14 2010
We have seen the damages, the tears, the deaths, the devastation and the look of desolation in the eyes of some of these victims. Because of that, we, people from different cultures and upbringings, come together in a time of despair. We are brought together by grief, by fear, by the outcome of violence and destruction. We share pain, we share loss and we share the overwhelming feeling of being small that comes from such distressing circumstances. Instinctively, we unite, and with our differences thrust aside, we pray and help one another. Consequently, the balance of humanity is restored in exchange for a heavy price. I say this because, even though the method in which we are reminded is a frightening disaster, in the end, we remember to value one another as true human beings.
By: V.S
I thought about all those places that had suffered through an earthquake. I thought about the damages made, the lives lost and the grief some still struggle to survive through. I thought… it could be my turn now. And I was thankful. Not because I was eager to take on a natural disaster, but because the youngest members of my family were not in residence. They wouldn’t have to face an earthquake and bear through its consequences. I was grateful for that.
In a matter of seconds, the quake was over. I was praying. Nothing was destroyed. No buildings shattered, no roads splintered, no lives lost. It was reported as a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Later in the morning, I woke up to find everything normal. Nothing had changed except my awareness of the tremor, and the knowledge that it could have been much worse. I couldn’t help but to think… the world grows smaller every day. Earthquakes have rocked across continents, affecting nations and devastated people worldwide. Some recent recorded events are:
• Italy – April 6 2009
• Haiti – January 12 2010
• Chile – February 27 2010
• China – April 14 2010
We have seen the damages, the tears, the deaths, the devastation and the look of desolation in the eyes of some of these victims. Because of that, we, people from different cultures and upbringings, come together in a time of despair. We are brought together by grief, by fear, by the outcome of violence and destruction. We share pain, we share loss and we share the overwhelming feeling of being small that comes from such distressing circumstances. Instinctively, we unite, and with our differences thrust aside, we pray and help one another. Consequently, the balance of humanity is restored in exchange for a heavy price. I say this because, even though the method in which we are reminded is a frightening disaster, in the end, we remember to value one another as true human beings.
By: V.S
Friday, May 14, 2010
Happy birthday to a very special sister. I know we’re apart and we may not speak too often, but there’s no forgetting who you are and what you bring to the family. Happiness, love, laughter, creativity, warmth and a bond of sisterhood as strong as steel. You deserve every drop of joy. God bless you.
From a very humbled sister.
From a very humbled sister.
Never alone
Tell me everything will be alright
I need to know I’m not alone
Never alone
It’s not easy
You’ll never know how hard it is to get up in the morning
To feel like I’m one step short of disappearing into thin air
I can hardly recognize myself
Time won’t answer how I got this way
I’m falling to pieces I can’t replace
Tell me again, everything will be alright
I need to know I’m not alone
Never alone
The weight over my shoulders gets heavier every day
And each time I fall it’s harder to get back up
I feel myself fading away, and there’s no one to hold on to me
I’ve been paying life’s prices since I was born
I need this heartache to end
There are no tears left for me to shed
Please tell me once more, I need to hear you say
Everything will be alright
And that I’ll never be alone
By: V.S
Monday, April 26, 2010
You grow, you learn, you live
Education… a privilege, a right, or a journey that will change your life?
I remember how I hated school. I used to think it equaled imprisonment. And the only reward was the friends I earned in exchange for serving my time. Many of the correctional officers, or teachers, were intolerably obnoxious and seemed to think very highly of themselves - though to this day I cannot explain why. The walls of the school seemed not only to effectively keep students captive but to retain an environment full of hypocritical views, superficial values and shallow conversations. Amidst this restrictive ambiance, my learning experience was like being put in a stray jacket.
This image of high school hasn’t changed for me. However, once I graduated and continued my studies, my perspective about schooling began to take a big change. No longer was it an obligation I had little say in… I suddenly had a choice. I could choose whether or not to attend the classroom, or to participate in it, or to dispute a point if I disagreed. I had the freedom to do as I pleased (within reason that is.) I was now responsible for my own education. And that, is a GREAT feeling.
Once I was in the driver’s seat, I soon realized that if I didn’t commit time and dedication to learning, I’d be… well, plain dumb. And I’d have no one to blame but myself. The world was a bigger place now, and if I wanted to move around in it I would have to learn. Little by little I started to understand a few facts: I couldn’t grow as a person if I was ignorant; I couldn’t gain knowledge by indifference; and, I couldn’t acquire an education through negligence. The significance of my instruction had little to do with proving my intelligence or the ability to pass tests or obtain high scores… it was all for me.
When I finally understood the importance of my education, and how it affected me in so many ways, I stopped resisting my role as a student. It began to feel more like a privilege rather than a task. Recognizing the truth was liberating: I wanted to be there, I wanted an education and I wanted to learn more. And I was given this opportunity, encouraged even. Able to voice my own opinion, without being lectured for it; able to stretch out and open my mind, and not be judged for it; able to share my disagreements, and not be silenced for them… it was a gratifying experience. Before I knew it, I was growing, I was learning, I was living a life I didn’t know I could have.
I believe this is a journey I’ve yet to conclude, and I hope it never ends.
By: V.S
I remember how I hated school. I used to think it equaled imprisonment. And the only reward was the friends I earned in exchange for serving my time. Many of the correctional officers, or teachers, were intolerably obnoxious and seemed to think very highly of themselves - though to this day I cannot explain why. The walls of the school seemed not only to effectively keep students captive but to retain an environment full of hypocritical views, superficial values and shallow conversations. Amidst this restrictive ambiance, my learning experience was like being put in a stray jacket.
This image of high school hasn’t changed for me. However, once I graduated and continued my studies, my perspective about schooling began to take a big change. No longer was it an obligation I had little say in… I suddenly had a choice. I could choose whether or not to attend the classroom, or to participate in it, or to dispute a point if I disagreed. I had the freedom to do as I pleased (within reason that is.) I was now responsible for my own education. And that, is a GREAT feeling.
Once I was in the driver’s seat, I soon realized that if I didn’t commit time and dedication to learning, I’d be… well, plain dumb. And I’d have no one to blame but myself. The world was a bigger place now, and if I wanted to move around in it I would have to learn. Little by little I started to understand a few facts: I couldn’t grow as a person if I was ignorant; I couldn’t gain knowledge by indifference; and, I couldn’t acquire an education through negligence. The significance of my instruction had little to do with proving my intelligence or the ability to pass tests or obtain high scores… it was all for me.
When I finally understood the importance of my education, and how it affected me in so many ways, I stopped resisting my role as a student. It began to feel more like a privilege rather than a task. Recognizing the truth was liberating: I wanted to be there, I wanted an education and I wanted to learn more. And I was given this opportunity, encouraged even. Able to voice my own opinion, without being lectured for it; able to stretch out and open my mind, and not be judged for it; able to share my disagreements, and not be silenced for them… it was a gratifying experience. Before I knew it, I was growing, I was learning, I was living a life I didn’t know I could have.
I believe this is a journey I’ve yet to conclude, and I hope it never ends.
By: V.S
Friday, April 16, 2010
An adventurous heart
My adventurous heart beats harder in my chest
It is a calling to my wildest desires
The thumps rumble with tireless effort
A persistent reminder of the dreams I’ve yet to attain
The blood in my veins thickens with longing
For the prayers I wish to be answered
To feel a river of accomplishment rush through me
To live free of restraints, self-deception and limitations
A heavy craving in my spirit swells
It ripples through my being
Igniting my fears and aspirations alike
Though a seed of hope blooms with open vulnerably
My pulse thunders against my skin
It drills pure determination into my soul
A startling willpower fills my lungs
Knowing no risk of unpredictability will deter me from the taste of adventure
By: V.S
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Oscar Niemeyer, a 102 year old Brazilian architect, shares his view on life:
“Life is a gust of breath, it’s a minute. A person leaves here his little story and goes away. So it should be a worthwhile one.”
“La vida es una ráfaga de aliento, es un minuto. Alguien deja aquí su breve historia y se marcha. Así es que debe valer la pena.”
"La vita è una raffica di fiato, è un minuto. Una persona lascia qui la sua piccola storia e se ne va. Allora, dovrebbe valerne la pena."
"La vie est un coup de souffle, c'est une minute. Une personne laisse ici sa petite histoire et s'en va. Donc, il devrait valoir la peine."
“La vida es una ráfaga de aliento, es un minuto. Alguien deja aquí su breve historia y se marcha. Así es que debe valer la pena.”
"La vita è una raffica di fiato, è un minuto. Una persona lascia qui la sua piccola storia e se ne va. Allora, dovrebbe valerne la pena."
"La vie est un coup de souffle, c'est une minute. Une personne laisse ici sa petite histoire et s'en va. Donc, il devrait valoir la peine."
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