Spot Check

by Heather Moore


So, how is everyone's summer going? What are you working on?

I'm writing a new book this summer (well, I started in March), so it's been very interesting. In the past I haven't committed to a serious writing project in the summer.

My goal is 2,000 words a day, and for the most part it's been doable. If the day is more busy than usual, then I get up early, if not, then I can usually get in a couple of hours in the afternoons. I've found that I have to seriously limit blog-surfing in order to make true progress :-) Although, I can't really resist all of the time, especially when posts like this pop up from Janet Reid, Literary Agent.

What are your tricks for finding time for summer writing?

Monday Mania--Query Letter

One of our readers submitted a query letter for critique. Feel free to make comments, but please keep them constructive.

Critique Archive 0038:

Dear Ms. ______________________

He’s not in heaven, she’s no angel . . . and he’s her punishment.

Where Paradise Lies, a 98,000-word paranormal adventure, tells the story of two brothers: selfish and charismatic David Jenner, and good-hearted but easily manipulated Will Jenner. While being robbed, one is killed and the other mortally wounded. The surviving Jenner wakes on an uninhabited island with no idea how he got there or who he is. Unable to escape, Jenner’s prayers seem answered when a beautiful woman washes ashore. Then she says she knows him and he’s evil. She explains that they’re both in comas and the island is Purgatory. Fears, prejudices and growing attraction surface as they search for the purpose of their conjoined asylum. Then Jenner wakes up in his body. His memory is back and that makes all the difference. The clock is ticking. A comatose woman lies waiting. And drastic measures must be taken. The worst part is—the happily-ever-after involves dying.

I have two published novels, am a member of the League of Utah Writers, and have led a critique group since 1999. I am also a professional artist and have spent the last eleven years drawing portraits of deceased people in the arms of Jesus. I’ve interacted with the dying and bereaved, and see their innate cravings for peace. I’ve heard more than a few tragic stories, some with miraculous bitter-sweet endings. After years of reflection on the questions of life and death, the result is Where Paradise Lies.

May I send sample chapters and a synopsis, or the full manuscript? Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

AUTHOR

Encl.: SASE

Teen Writers Conference

THE TEEN WRITERS CONFERENCE

Pass on the information to teens in your area who are interested in becoming published authors.

Precision Editing Group is a sponsor of the annual Teen Writers Conference. Registration Deadline is May 25, 2010. This year, space is limited, so please register asap.

For more details and registration information, visit the website HERE.

Guest presenters Janette Rallison, Dan Wells, and Lisa Mangum, as well as many other published authors.

Saturday June 5, 2010

Weber State University in Ogden, Utah

Classes on everything from writing a first novel to finding the right publisher for your book.

The popular Writing Contest is back!

Agent Tips from Storymakers 2010

by Heather Moore

Laura Rennert & Heather Moore

Over the weekend, I attended the Storymakers Conference in Provo, Utah, with my fellow editors and 450 other writers.

I was lucky to host Laura Rennert, a talented agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She had great advice, along with agent, Nephele Tempest, of The Knight Agency (it was fun learning to pronounce Nephele's name and we all agreed she should be an actress with such a fine stage name--Neh feh lee). Both agents were friendly and outgoing women who were simply a delight to hang around with.

I think the most interesting thing about listening to an agent speak is learning what their preferences are. Most of their advice is the same across the board. Bottom line, they are looking for good writers with compelling stories.

Nephele Tempest told us to not be afraid when pitching to agents--they are just people who love books and are fortunate to work in an industry they love.

I liked that. I love books and therefore, it already gives us writers a lot in common with agents.

Laura Rennert made a point of saying that publishing contracts vary by quite a large degree. But she told us not to get caught up in the number or the size of the publishing house. She said that the books she represents will find the right home for that particular book. She also talked about fine-tuning your craft in her workshop. Out of the criteria that she considers when reading a submission, she said that voice is the hardest thing to edit. And her advice on finding the right voice for your work? Write. A Lot.

Conference Tips

by Annette Lyon

The entire Precision Editor Group staff will be at a writers conference this weekend as presenters. We love participating, both as speakers as well as attendees.

Conferences are a great place to do lots of things:

Learn the craft.

The first conference I attended was nearly 14 years ago. In that time, I've had the chance to listen to some amazing (and, okay, some less-than-stellar) speakers. I know a lot about writing, but I can always learn more. I attended a friend's class a few years ago simply to support her. While most of the workshop was a review for me, I still learned . . . and came away with some fantastic ideas for developing my characters further. There's always a nugget to be learned, regardless of how "good" you are.

Learn the industry.

I recall attending a conference where the visiting agent was getting questions that I thought were elementary. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that six years prior, I hadn't known the answers to those very questions. I'd come a long way!

Meet other Writers.

Some of the people who are now my best friends are those I met through conferences and other writing networks. Writing is a rather solitary profession; it's just you and your keyboard. I'm still amazed at the positive impact that a strong support network of friends who GET what being a writer means (and have been there, done that) can be.

Meet Industry Insiders.

As unfair as it sounds, the reality is that very often it's not necessarily the best manuscript that gets published. Often it's who knows who and what manuscript lands on the right person's desk on the right day. The more writers, editors, agents, and other professionals you know, the greater the chance of reaching the right person when your time comes.

As we've mentioned before, these kinds of meetings can sometimes happen in pitch sessions and manuscript review appointments. Prepare for them, but be professional. Don't stalk the agent and start with your elevator pitch WHILE IN THE ELEVATOR.

Recharge Your Batteries

Even if you think that you won't learn much from a particular conference, chances are that if you go, you'll leave pumped to write and improve. I know that every spring after this conference, I come home jazzed to get back to the keyboard and do what I love most: WRITE.

I can hardly wait for this weekend to arrive, when I get to see the friends who understand me best, be immersed in the writing world, and come home totally on fire.

Write-a-Thon Winners!

What a night! Thank you to each and every one of you who participated, it is amazing what we can do when we block out that time. What a fun experience this has been. We had 29 participants for a total of 106,005 words!

So, without further adieu, here are your winners:

Word Count Winner: Sarah Eden @ 8991 words

*She wins either a 50 page edit from PEG or a $50 gift card to Amazon.com. Way to go Sarah! She just couldn't bring herself to write 9 more words I guess :-)

Random Winner: Jade Simmons

*She wins a $30 gift card to Amazon.com, Congrats Jade! She also wrote 3,954 words--awesome!

AND, because our total was over 100,000 words we have a third winner:

Word Total Random Winner: Amy

*She wins BOTH a copy of my There, They're Their: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd AND a hand-bound blank journal from Pendragon's Bookbinding. Congrats Amy! She also wrote 5,206 words!

Thanks again for being a part of the first PEG Write-a-thon. We'll do it again.

(winners, please e-mail Josi at kilpack@gmail.com with your address so we can get your prizes to you.)

START Write-a-Thon April 8, 2010

This was supposed to post automatically, but maybe it was on East Coast time. Sorry. It's 4:22 now so . . .

Rev up your engines, it's time to get this party started!

Here's a repeat of the rules-and-or-processes for tonight's write-a-thon:


1-Enter your starting time and starting word count in the comment section of this blog. Contest is open from 4:00 pm, April 8 to 12:15 am, April 9.

3-Write for four hours--set a timer if you need to! (You can take breaks, but track your time!)

4-When finished, come back to this blog and put your end time, end word count, and total words written in those 4 hours in the comment trail.

5-All "end time" posts must be posted by 12:15, Mountain Daylight Time (we're giving you 15 minutes to tally your numbers). To calculate your times based on where you live, go HERE and educate yourself about time zones.

6-Please be honest. You are your own time/word keeper and we are trusting that none of our dearly beloved readers would sell their integrity for $50 or 50 pages :-) You must post a start comment AND an end comment to be eligible to win and have your words counted toward the total.

7-The winner--whoever has the most words written in their four hours--will be posted Tomorrow, Friday, April 9th here on the PEG blog. The winner will receive their choice of a $50 gift card to Amazon.com or 50 pages of a content edit from one of the Precision Editing Group editors.

**Bonus prize: If all participants combined word counts meet or exceed 100,000 words an additional prize drawing will be held for a hand crafted journal from Pendragon's Bookbinding.

Ready, set, go...