Irene Goodman is seeking pitches from historical novelists. Anyone got a manuscript ready?
www.irenegoodman.com/historical_fiction_contest.php
"Irene Goodman is looking for brilliant new historical fiction, and is holding a pitch contest to find those hidden pearls. Irene currently represents historical fiction authors Diane Haeger, Carrie Bebris, Amanda Elyot, newcomers Anne Barnhill and Juliet Grey, and many other New York Times bestselling authors.
The event will start with pitches only. A pitch should consist of 3-4 single-spaced paragraphs. It should include a brief plot description, the major characters, and the time period and setting. The final word count of the novel should be indicated."
What is interesting is that her list of criteria gives a fair idea of the sort of fiction she thinks she can sell, so worth looking at even if you are not ready to send anything. Her website has full details.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Tuesday Tip - Location, Location, Location
I've just moved house so I have suddenly become only too aware of the importance of location.
I read so many books where the important scenes happen in the obvious places - domestic arguments in the kitchen or the bedroom for instance. But perhaps these scenes could be more vivid in another place.
When a scene is not working, consider just changing the location.
An argument can be much more vibrant if one person is chasing another down a busy street, or if the disagreement takes place in a library where people are supposed to be quiet.
When revising your work, why not list three alternative locations for your scene? At first I was reluctant to do this, worrying about "how will they get there?" but for important scenes, the "where" of the scene outweighs the smaller consideration of the backstage transitions from one place to the next. And a change of location breathes new texture into your work.
An excellent book on location and how it can be both background canvas or foreground character is "Description and Setting" by Ron Rozelle in the series "Write Great Fiction."
And now - I'd better get on with unpacking those books.....
I read so many books where the important scenes happen in the obvious places - domestic arguments in the kitchen or the bedroom for instance. But perhaps these scenes could be more vivid in another place.
When a scene is not working, consider just changing the location.
An argument can be much more vibrant if one person is chasing another down a busy street, or if the disagreement takes place in a library where people are supposed to be quiet.
When revising your work, why not list three alternative locations for your scene? At first I was reluctant to do this, worrying about "how will they get there?" but for important scenes, the "where" of the scene outweighs the smaller consideration of the backstage transitions from one place to the next. And a change of location breathes new texture into your work.
An excellent book on location and how it can be both background canvas or foreground character is "Description and Setting" by Ron Rozelle in the series "Write Great Fiction."
And now - I'd better get on with unpacking those books.....
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
The Tuesday Tip - One sentence
Scent and smoke hit the taste buds with a thwack at three o'clock in the morning. (first version)
Scent and smoke and sweat can suddenly combine together and hit the taste buds with an acid shock at three o'clock in the morning. (second attempt)
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three o'clock in the morning.
Opening sentence of Ian Fleming's first James Bond Novel, Casino Royale.
Tuesday Tip - One sentence can be the key to your whole book.
This anecdote from "Writing Your Way" by Manjusvara.
Scent and smoke and sweat can suddenly combine together and hit the taste buds with an acid shock at three o'clock in the morning. (second attempt)
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three o'clock in the morning.
Opening sentence of Ian Fleming's first James Bond Novel, Casino Royale.
Tuesday Tip - One sentence can be the key to your whole book.
This anecdote from "Writing Your Way" by Manjusvara.
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