We’ve reached the end of another busy week. Hope yours was a good one. Here are five writing related links you should click on.
1. Let’s start with a post from Jane Lebak at the QueryTracker blog looking at The Query Process: laughably bad rejections. My favorite: “We just accepted a story with a main character that has the same name.” What would you do with that? I’ve never emailed anyone back questioning a rejection, but in that case it sure would be tempting to reply with “I can change his name.”
2. From Adventures in YA Publishing, here are Seven Keys to Building Relatable Characters. Lots to think about here. I know I’ve received at least one rejection note saying the reader just couldn’t relate to main character.
3. I stumbled on this post from io9.com boasting One Weird Trick For Cutting Down Your Novel. I think I agree with their “secret,” which is to write outline after outline of your novel after it’s finished in order to find and cut the unnecessary parts. I don’t usually write a detailed outline before starting a project, but I do after it’s finished to help with plotting and whatnot. I haven’t thought about using it for cutting, but it’s worth a try. For short stories too, if you ask me.
4. On a similar note, Janice Hardy has a post with tips on how to Eliminate Unnecessary Told Prose that is totally worth a read. Unnecessary prose leads to bored readers. And boring writers.
5. In today’s writing world, you have to be so much more than a writer to succeed. Among other “jobs”, you have to be your own marketing department. Check out How To Build A Top-Notch Media Kit from Molly Greene’s always awesome and informative blog.
That closes out this week. Keep writing, and see ya soon!
