The End

Getting down to the wire. I have about five chapters or so to go. This is the time to put your strongest work into the book. After several re-writes and eighteen months of work, I want the book over. Nevertheless, at this point you cannot rush it. Don’t deprive your readers of a strong finish.

I have always had a strong desire to put out a killer product for my soon to be readers. Even though I have looked at this book for what seems to be a short lifetime. I want it to be fantastic. My agent read the first half and notice about eleven typos. When she said she found some mistakes I was thinking that the manuscript would be totally red, marked. But, it wasn’t.

Now if I can make a strong finish with my agent loving it. Then we can move on to submission. It has become very exciting.

Note to Jim Butcher fans: The Harry Dresden Files was picked up as a series on the Sci-Fi channel. I don’t know when it will air. But I’m totally looking forward to it.

The Smell is Under Control!!!

I learned something very important from my agent in the beginning. Always use three out of the five senses in each scene. Hear, touch, see, taste and the one that almost put me down for the count. SMELL. Now I know what you’re thinking. How hard can it be to describe a smell?

Well that’s what I thought. Until I started trying to do, what my agent wanted. You have to let the reader now the smell without let them know by: Here smell these flowers under your nose. No, it has to be subtle. I turned to the internet for some assistance. Ex one, It smells like. Is a good way to start. Ex two, It smells of. And last, I took in the scent. Now there a ton of ways to do this. This is just the basic for starting.

You can also camouflage a smell with the words. Aroma and fragrance. But it is not an easy art to learn. All the other senses for me were easy. I hope this open your sinus. ; )

Movie or Not?

Another chapter down. The rest of the book is pretty much laid out. So it should go pretty smoothly. Other than writing, my day has been more or less shitty. I’m hoping things improve soon. What will make my year is when my agent pronounces it good enough to submit it to publishing houses.

The bad news is my agent still does not like the opening. One other minor detail to fix. So far, she likes what she has read.

It’s funny when writing the little movie the characters have playing in your head, how fast a chapter can go. Anyone else see their novel in movie form, in their head? How do your characters tell their story?

Action

Okay so I’m writing. Now I wonder how much hell to put my mc through. As anyone can tell you, I love my characters to jump through hoops. How much action as a reader do you like to see in a book? For me the more, the better. But, at what point do you say, wow does this character ever rest. Or do you?

I want a real page-turner but I don’t want my readers feeling exhausted after reading a chapter. Any thought on the issue? Although my CP has read the first half of the book and loved it. The action I mean. When do you draw the line?

As for me, I will more than likely have (Logan) my mc jumping through hoops all the way to the end.

Congrats

A big congrats to a dear friend, Naomi Clark. She signed with an agent last week. We talked about how your system goes into shock. It does. I still have a hard time believing I have an agent. Until I looked at the revisions that she requested. But, good news I have finished them. Yeah.

Now I have to finish the book. My first book she said we could do some major reworking. But could be later in the series. Book four to be exact. I’m hoping that finishing the book with go a lot faster since I know what my agent wants.

To make my goal of finishing my book I will have to write a chapter every two days. Everybody keep your fingers crossed.

How I got my agent

Six years ago, I set out to be a writer. At first, it was a hobby then it turned serious four years into the process. I joined various forums trying to figure out what I was actually doing. About that time, I met Naomi my wonderful friend. We traded info and work many times.

After 3 years of development and writing my first book in my series was finished. There was a lot of discussion about how similar my work was to LKH. I went through and made changes. Shopped around for and agent, nothing. I put the book a side and started the second.

I changed my series several times went back to the first book. Again, I sent out queries and I had some nibbles. From top-tier agents at that. I refuse to give up on the series or me. July 13, 2006 I was getting so frustrated. At that time I was waiting to hear from and agent that had a full manuscript and a publishing house.

I stared at Ricia Mainhardt’s web site. I picked up the phone and called. To my surprise, someone answered the phone. And, not just anyone it was Ricia herself. I thought ‘wait you’re not supposed to answer the phone. I don’t know what to say. Especially to a huge agent.’ I got over that quick. I explained my situation and she said to email her the first couple of chapters. ‘I’ll get back to you Friday,’ she says.

I did exactly what she said and that was about 3:30 or 4:30. My head was totally spinning at that point. Around 7:00 the same day, she calls back. ‘I love it,’ she say’s. Okay I’m thinking I love this woman because she loves my work. She offered to represent me on the spot. That’s how I got my agent.

I want to remind everyone. A phone pitch isn’t always wanted or excepted. Do it your way.