Agent Friday: Kae Tienstra

Take a public relations professional who loves books. Blend with an English Literature major with a masters in Library Science. Throw in a desire to assist writers on the road to publication, and what do you have? KT Public Relations and Literary Services.

Kae Tienstra and her partner Jon, have been agenting since 2006, and have run the public relations arm since 1993. They represent a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction at their Pennsylvania-based agency. They've been blogging for several years. Here are some highlights you won't want to miss.

Have you been tempted to try one of those querying services? You pay a company to write, send, and keep track of your query letters. Bowker's Manuscript Submissions is one such group. Tienstra gives her take on Bowker, and other query services from an agent's point of view.

One of the big questions writers have is whether they can be successful if they choose to self-publish. Tienstra has an interesting answer, having been involved in publicity for independent authors for years.

Tienstra shares opinions on several different genres, like science fiction, cozy mystery, and romance. Believe it or not, writers can learn a lot from Nora Roberts' work ethic.

You might wonder about what else literary agents do, besides selling your book. Tienstra also answers the question of how an agent/publicist keeps track of which hat they wear.

And finally, Tienstra asks the question, "For whom do you write?" Is it really just for you? Or are you ready to share it with the world?

Looking for more Agent Friday posts? Check them out here.

Time to Write Your Novel? Free Resources to Help You Get It Done

We all have to start somewhere. And tackling a novel is not a project for the squeamish. Avoiding the pitfalls of many writers is a tangible goal, with the help of the internet. Fortunately, there are plenty of writers who take the time to share what they've learned on the journey.

Two of those are Sue Viders and Becky Martinez. Viders is also one of the authors of The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines, which I reviewed last week.

These authors have set up a site, Write That Novel, that gives all the information new writers need. Each section contains concise explanations and exercises for practicing what is learned.

There are pages on beginning, basics, plotting, and character. From there, writers can learn about setting, dialogue, pacing, and editing. Once the work of writing is complete, there are pages teaching about getting published; covering the search for agents and editors. There's even a page of helpful forms, like character charts, and printable pages to help keep track of who you've submitted to. And a tutorial on marketing your book.

Of course, if you've written a novel, it's not enough to edit it yourself. It's important to find a critique group, whether in-person or online, who can help you see what you've overlooked. Viders and Martinez have begun a blog, called The Critique Corner, that will cover what critiquing is all about.

Sure, these hard-working writers could just focus on their own work. No one would blame them. But they've taken the time to virtually mentor any writers that discover their site. 

Do you know some generous writers?

Book Review: Writing the Paranormal Novel: Techniques and Exercises for Weaving Supernatural Elements Into Your Story, by Steven Harper

The paranormal genre is not going away. Why? Because there are so many permutations of vampires, werewolves, demons, angels, fairies, ghosts, and witches. Don't forget about the zombies, shape-shifters, time-benders, and gods. All these characters can be placed into romances, thrillers, mysteries, and science fiction.

Maybe you've felt the need to get on the paranormal bandwagon, but you're not sure if you'd be a success. The first place to start is to hone the craft of writing itself. A great writer will write great paranormal novels. Books that will rise to the top of the ever-expanding heap of novels in the genre.

Steven Harper, a fantasy author, has recently written Writing the Paranormal Novel: Techniques and Exercises for Weaving Supernatural Elements Into Your Story.

In the book's fifteen chapters, Harper gives the definition of how paranormal differs from a "normal" novel. He breaks down the elements needed, and explains why just adding a vampire or ghost to your completed novel will not make it a paranormal.

Harper helps writers craft three-dimensional paranormal characters, and spends time on the nuances of the paranormal plot and pacing. With great humor, he offers examples from published books, and exercises for the writer, like how to create a unique supernatural object that will be a central focus of your book. 

Writing the Paranormal Novel can give writers the tools they need to step into this ever-expanding genre with confidence. Check out Harper's blog and website, too.

Note: I found a few more resources from this author. Check out his downloadable forms for creating vampires, new cultures, and ordinary people that will inhabit your paranormal story. And this page has his excellent article on Interviewing Techniques for Researching Your Novel.

Big Name Advice: Writing Tips From Famous Writers

I wish I had a mentor. A published writer willing to walk alongside me in my journey to publication. Someone to answer my questions. Generous enough to share advice and steer me around pitfalls. It is my hope to be that kind of mentor one day.

In the meantime, I'm mentored by the novels I read, the books on craft I consume, and the workshops I attend. And thanks to the internet, there are even more writers I can learn from. Writers no longer alive, and writers I'll likely never meet.

Let me introduce you.

George Orwell. The author of Animal Farm shares six questions writers should ask themselves, and six rules writers should follow.

Ernest Hemingway. Check out this iconic author's five tips on writing well. Succinct and helpful.

Steven King. If you haven't read his book, On Writing, it needs to go on your list. In the meantime, here are seven tips for becoming a better writer from the book.

If you could ask a famous author a question, what would it be?

Fuel for the Fire: Take a Class to Ignite Your Writing

It wasn't writer's block. I wasn't stuck. I wasn't out of ideas. I had just lost the energy to write. Rehashing the same chapters over and over, trying to discover that spark to make them come alive, had sapped the creativity I needed to move forward.

Have you been there?

Since it's my birthday this month, I gave myself the present of taking a writing class. I longed to take a class from Margie Lawson, a trained psychologist who uses her decades of knowledge to teach writers how to pull readers into their stories. 

Lawson's lectures and assignments have lit a fuse that is igniting my passion to not only finish my novel, but to make what I've written far better than it was. Do you need a little inspiration?

From Lawson's website: 

"I am fascinated with the emotive power of words. When a scene grabs me, I analyze it, dissect it, figure out what the author did that worked.

 

How can writers 'up' the emotive power of their work?  By tuning in to the nuances of their characters’ nonverbal communication.  By writing visceral emotion and body language to strengthen subconscious connections with the reader.  By editing deep.  By writing fresh.

Writers work to capture the perfect balance of dialogue, visceral emotion, body language, action, setting, internalizations, and tension for each scene.  The goal is to entrance the reader, lead them into your fictional world, and make them beg to stay."

 Lawson's expertise will have you writing stronger, analyzing for weaknesses, and developing the ability to hook readers with the emotional intensity of your writing.

While Lawson's classes are not free, they are so reasonably priced, you'll be surprised. I'm taking Empowering Character Emotions, a month-long class that will net me over 300 pages of notes from Lawson, including individual critique of my assignments. In the first three days of class, I felt I had already got my $30 worth. For writers who can't invest the time in an online class, Lawson sells the complete lecture packets for any class for $22.

I've been learning from Lawson for years. In her free newsletter, she shares her analysis of current writers, and I learn something every time. Lawson's blog features "how-to" interviews with successful authors. And if you'd like to see the effects of the "deep editing" techniques she teaches, check out her deep editing analyses. Just reading her comments will get you thinking about your own writing.

Would you like to win a one-hour deep-editing consultation with Lawson? You have an opportunity to enter her Dare Devil Dachshund contest each month. The prize includes a pile of goodies and a one-hour Skype chat with Lawson about 15 pages of your manuscript.

I don't receive anything from letting you know about Lawson. I just believe that writers want to know about resources that can make them better writers.

Have you been in a place where you've lost your spark? What helped ignite your desire to write?

Agent Friday: Natalie M. Fischer

If you're prepublished and looking for an agent, sometimes the best strategy can be to query agents just starting out in the business. Natalie Fischer has been agenting for a couple of years, and just recently moved from the Djikstra Agency to The Bradford Literary Agency, both of which are in California.

Fischer's emphasis is on commercial fiction, with a great interest in children's literature. While she is not taking queries during this time of transition, you can read more about her particular interests in fiction and non-fiction.

What's impressive is that though she's just beginning to build her list, she still takes the time to educate writers about the agenting business, and offers tips on making the search for representation a better one.

Here are some posts I think you'll be glad she wrote:

Top Ten Query Pet Peeves

Top Questions Answered, regarding querying, how agents work with clients, trends in the business, and whether blogging helps fiction writers.

Pitching an Agent. What to do, and what not to do.

Common Manuscript Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them. The top three reasons Fischer says "no", and how to keep from making those mistakes. I really like her tips for avoiding horrible pacing. 

How to know if you and your agent should part ways. Great tips to help you discover whether you can work through the issues. 

I'm looking forward to reading more from this energetic agent. I learned a few things today. How about you?

Want to Accomplish Some Writing Goals This Month? Try Some March Madness

I know NaNoWriMo seems so far away. And spring fever might have you itching to close the laptop and spend some quality time outside. Pity your poor manuscript that needs to be finished. I've found the perfect motivational tool, and you might even win some prizes in the process.

My family competes every year to see who can get the most basketball picks correct for March Madness. I lose every year, since I'm not a big sports fan.

But I've found a better contest to join.

A group of five bloggers has teamed up to host March Madness. You get to decide your goal for the month--and it doesn't have to be huge like NaNoWriMo. Maybe you want to edit your manuscript, or finish a certain number of chapters. Perhaps you're brainstorming a new novel, or catching up on reading books in a particular genre. 

The way you win prizes is based upon being accountable. You'll check in by commenting on one of the five blogs each weekday, letting the group know how you're working toward your goal. Your name is entered in the drawing each time you comment.

Each blogger will share a short, but encouraging post on the days they host the contest. It's a great, low-pressure way to increase your output this month.

Here are the blogs to visit:

Mondays, http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Tuesdays, http://www.shana-silver.com
Wednesdays,  http://yascribe.blogspot.com
Thursdays, http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/blog
Fridays,  http://www.craigpirrall.com/craig/craigs-blog/

Anyone ready to give it a try?

Book Review: The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes

  Last week's review covered Archetype Cards, and maybe that got you thinking you'd like to know more about archetypes. I've got the perfect book.

The three authors, Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders, are members of a critique group who researched archetypes to help each others characters come alive. They cover sixteen "master" archetypes in depth in The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines.

You may be skeptical of the value of a book like this. Only sixteen archetypes? The authors explain that within each of these designations are many facets of a particular type. For example, Cowden states in an interview with Margie Lawson, "Even those characters within a pattern could be very different from each other, yet there were also strong connections that made them instantly recognizable as belonging in the same group. A good example – Encyclopedia Brown, Mr. Spock and Sherlock Holmes – all members of the same archetypal family (Professor), yet hardly so similar as to be stereotypes."

Sections one and two detail the hero and heroine archetypes, explaining each one's positives and negatives. The authors point out the styles the particular archetype presents in, and notes the occupations these characters gravitate to. Each archetype includes examples of characters from books or movies.

The book gets even better in section three. This is where the authors teach how to take a particular archetype and create a character. They explain the difference between core archetypes, evolving archetypes, and layered archetypes. This is where richly-imagined characters begin.

Section four is a big chunk of the book--Archetype Interactions. It takes each of the sixteen archetypes and examines how they relate, conflict, or get along with the other types. This is great for figuring out the best characters to increase the tension in your story. The authors even discuss which types tend to "pair up" well.

This is a great book for creating characters for your story. But it will also be helpful if you're getting mixed feedback on your manuscript. By examining your characters in the light of this book's information, you might just be able to modify them enough to make your book sing.

If your critique group wrote a writing book, what would the topic be?

Love at First Sight: Finding the Agent Match That's Perfect for You

Just like couples who are attracted by outward, physical traits, you don't want to pick an agent just for their glamor (or who they represent), but dig deep to see if this is a relationship that can last. On a dating site, you wouldn't go out with someone just because they have a profile on the site. You'll check to see if your interests are compatible, and get to know more about them first. 

In the same way, don't query an agent just because they're an agent. This is a long-term relationship, and you want it to last. But lacking a "dating site" for agents, how do you narrow down your search? There are thousands of agents to choose from.

Be aware of your genre. You don't want to send an agent a manuscript that's not right for their interests. And within your genre, figure out what themes you tend to bring out. Are you humorous, or dark? Do your characters tend to be feminists or orphans? The better you know what ideas lurk within, the more targeted will be your agent search. 

Read, read, read. Check out sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing for recommendations of books in your genre. When you read them, take note of the acknowledgments section. Authors usually make mention of their agent. Search the internet for interviews with these agents. They often make note of the kinds of books they're drawn to, even if those authors are not their clients. Find more ideas for this at the Falling Leaflets blog. Highly recommended.

Ask for a recommendation. If you've gathered the names of some agents, but you want to find out more about how they interact with authors, try emailing a few of their clients. Honor their time constraints by being brief, and ask a couple of questions. The benefit of this approach is that you might begin a relationship with an author.

Of course, it goes without saying that you must have a finished and polished manuscript. And a killer query letter. And a plan for which agents to query first. 

If all this seems daunting, remember it's like joining the army. Boot camp toughens up new soldiers so they're ready for the battles ahead. Think of the query process as your "boot camp" for becoming an author. Down the road, you'll be thankful for your rhino skin, your work ethic, and your professionalism. Ready to march?