Questions Writers Ask...And The Answers!

Okay, you guys asked me some questions about writing, and here are my answers. I hope they help!!

Q: Do you know a good website to find a list of literary agents that would be interested in children's books?

A: Oh, heck yeah!! My fav is Agent Query -- you can do a search by genre and even ask for just agents who take email queries and are currently open. I used it when I was querying! Other fav links: The Water Cooler, which shows other writer's feedback on agents; Preditors and Editors, which shows info on if agents have sold; and Publisher's Marketplace, which costs $20 a month but shows what agents themselves have reported for their sales (If you're wanting to use this to figure out who to query, I suggest maybe buying a subscription for a month and researching the crap out of the site during that time! LOL).

Q: I do have a question about the writing process. You see I have this problem, I write parts of my stories randomly and I can't for the life of me seem to organize myself. How do you do it? Do you plan what you're gonna write first or do you write whatever comes to mind first and then put it all together.

A: I am sooooo a plotter. If I try to just sit down and write without knowing where I'm going in the story, I freeze up, badly. Here's my typical process: I get a kernel of a plot idea and write down everything I can think of about it. Once I've puked all of that out, I look at what I have and figure out first what the main story arc will be (mainly, what are the big plot points I want to hit on). Then I figure out how my character can grow/change within that. Or, I do the reverse if I started off with a character idea. Actually, I wrote a previous blog entry that shows some practical tips on starting a novel, HERE. Basically, I find it works better for me to go in chronological order with plotting and writing, because my story builds better and stronger that way.

Q: If you could maybe offer some suggestions as to how to create some healthy, useful writing habits as well I will be very grateful. You see I have all the ideas in the world, my mind is constantly working but even though I have the time to write I don't know why I just don't sit and do it.

A: The best thing you can do for your writing is write regularly. You have to really force yourself to get into the habit and not give up on it, even if it sucks sometimes. Treat it like a job--you may not always LOVE your work, but you need to do it. What I do is, when I'm writing a book, I write 5 days a week and give myself 2 "weekend" days per week. I find that I can generally write 3 pages in an hour, so I will do either 3 or 6 pages a day, 5 days a week, depending on my schedule. It's steady progress, which makes me feel encouraged. I also have a crit partner, and we challenge each other to send material to each other daily while we're drafting. Being accountable to someone else REALLY helps!

Q: I was wondering how you get/got over the middle-of-the-book what-was-I-thinking I-should-throw-this-out-and-start-over?

A: Oh man, I hate that. We all go through it. I do with pretty much every book. haha. Here's what I generally do: first, I tell myself that the story is a rough draft, and I give myself permission to basically write crap. That means if I'm not happy with a scene that I know needs to be in there, I'll flag it to go back and write later so I can keep moving forward. I sometimes leave out description and focus on bigger plot points/dialogue that I know will need to be filled in later. You can't edit what you haven't written. Likely, when you get to the end and let the book cool off for a few days, you will find lots of material you want to keep upon rereading. The big thing is, don't quit a story because you are afraid it sucks. That's your internal editor, and the editor isn't supposed to come into play until after you've written. You will crush your creative side if you let the editor dominate!!

Q: I have a question on behalf of my hubby. He's written a book and is in the process of soliciting agents. He feels that maybe his synopsis/query letter needs to be re-evaluated, but he's at a loss as to how to go about it...any suggestions?

Ooooooh good question! There are lots of books and websites out there that show you how to draft a query letter. Actually, I posted mine HERE, so feel free to take a peek. In that post, I show what I wrote and broke it down, telling why I wrote it the way I did. Maybe an example would help? Also, have him join a writing group/forum--getting outside perspectives can be invaluable.

Q: How do you pull past the "OMG I SUCK" feeling?

A: Wait, you mean you can get over that feeling? ROFL. I don't think I ever will. It's just the nature of the business. It's soooo hard, especially if you start comparing yourself to others--wow, their description is better. Their guys are hotter. Their characters are more compelling. It goes on and on. What I try to do to counter that feeling (well, as best as possible) is tell myself that I am on my own path. And with each book I write, I hone my craft better and better. None of us are perfect. But if we are serious about it, we should continue to learn and grow. Study those authors who are really good--dissect their stories. See the mechanics of how they make that magic happen. And see how you can use those techniques in your writing!

Q: Any favorite books on craft?

A: I have lots! Strunk & White's The Elements of Style is a fav. I also love my Flip Dictionary--it's a great resource when I can't think of the right word I want to say. Things Your Grammar Never Told You is a funny book that makes grammar non-boring. Writer's Digest makes tons of great reference books--all from drafting your first novel, to finding an agent, to honing your craft, to developing plot and character, to researching careers. Definitely dig into them!

Thanks so much to everyone for the FABOO questions! If you have anything you want to ask, please add the question in the comments, and I'll update this post with my answers. And PLEASE, feel free to jump in and share your own advice as well! I'm always on the lookout for new tips and tricks. :D