How?

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My "Why" posts have been going over pretty well according to the responses. So I have a question for all of you. But since I want ANSWERS, I am tempting you with a prize. 


I would like to help answer questions that you have on HOW. How do I...?  SO, the best (judged by moi) how or why question in the comments section by this time next week will win a first chapter critique by yours truly. Keep in mind my forte is YA, but I will also look at MG. This way the contest is open worldwide. Oh heck, Aliens are invited too, but it has to be in English if you want comments because that's all I speak!


If it's a great question but I don't know the answer? I will FIND SOMEONE WHO DOES and still get the answer. If I get more than one? I'll give away up to three critiques, but potentially use more questions. And don't forget I'll link back to those who asked them. 


Good luck! Can't wait to see what you come up with. ;D

WHY Do You Need a Platform?

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Ah the writer's platform. We've all seen this, right? The need to market ourselves in an appetizing way (without coating anything in chocolate) and build an audience that will eventually buy our book. It feels icky in a way, doesn't it? Like we're snake oil salesmen or something. But it's also understandable, especially in the current atmosphere, where authors are expected to do more and more of their own marketing.


There have been many posts already about HOW to do this. I can boil it down to A. Don't keep shoving your book under everyone's nose and "follow back" on Twitter just to up your follower count. And B. Make genuine connections with others by offering information of value, whether humor, support, or information.


But WHY? Why do this before we even get an agent? Isn't it a bit of a time waste?


Answer: Because by making GENUINE connections, you are gaining invaluable, reciprocal support from others like you. My writer peeps get me, and without them I might have given up at some point. Plus you demonstrate your ability to play well with others. Or not. (In which case, that's not as good for you as the agent or editor who may see that and avoid going down that road to begin with). But I digress and I suspect I'm preaching to the choir. 


Caution! Don't get so wrapped up online that you get no writing time. It's easy to do. Set personal limits.

Why Critique?

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We know critiquing is important. One of the first pieces of advice we get is to find a critique group. But WHY? Why do we need it?


Answer:
Because another set of eyes is invaluable. When you write, you know the story and your characters intimately. Your mind fills in the missing pieces without even realizing it. You are too close to things to see them clearly. 


We do our best to articulate what's inside our heads, but we don't always see the varied ways it can be perceived. 


If you have others critique your work, you can see what makes sense to the reader and what doesn't. Patterns might be obvious to someone else. You will learn your weaknesses and by doing the same for others, you learn as well. It's a win win situation.


But there's more! You also learn to take critique. It isn't always easy to hear anything other than, "This is fabulous." But you need to be able to consider the critique objectively if you want to get anywhere as a writer. What do you think your agent and editor will ultimately do? It's good practice. 


And by the way, even positive feedback is essential. You need to recognize your weaknesses and work them, but you also need to understand and explore your strengths. Take pride in them too, and don't gloss over the positive comments.

Why Must Queries be as Hard as Hunting Vampires

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You guessed it! Another WHY post.  Sure there are some Buffys and Van Helsings out there with uncanny query writing abilities who make it look easy, but for some it's tougher than writing the book. So why is it that writing queries has to be so darn hard?


There are good reasons for this, my friends.


Answers:

• There has to be a way for agents to sort through the multitude of manuscripts they receive on a daily basis. By doing the hard work, and writing a great query, you can set yourself above the rest and get a request for a full or partial.
• If you have trouble summarizing your book, it may be a sign that you need to look at the plot again before it's ready to send out.
• First impressions mean everything. It's cruel in a way, but true. When you go on a job interview, you strive to make a good impression. Well, your novel is making that impression, and if it wasn't hard to do, everyone would do it. Of course, it seems that everyone does do it, but the truth is that many people never even finish one draft of a book, let alone revise until their eyes bleed and research and agonize over the query letter.

So there you have it. Anything to add? Pat yourselves on the back if you've struggled with the query letter, and remember it's tough, but tough is good. And now you know why.

Why Adverbs Are a No No

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Welcome to another installment of BUT WHY CAN'T I DO THAT?? This time we will be discussing adverbs. One of the first rules I heard of when I started seriously writing was the "No adverbs if you can help it, especially in dialogue tags" rule. But WHY? 


Answer: Because many times adverbs signify laziness on the part of the writer. We've all done it. We want to emphasize something, we want to make sure the reader gets what we mean. But we need to find creative and original ways to do that. 


Example: Harry looked around lazily.  Without Adverb: Harry lifted one eyelid and let his gaze drift around the room.


And why especially dialogue tags?


Answer: Because the reader should know from your writing (other dialogue, body language, internal thoughts, etc.) how the sentence was said. And don't be lazy with your descriptions either. I'm guilty of it too. She rolled her eyes. He grinned. Etc. Push yourself to do better. You won't regret it. 


I do want to point out that sometimes adverbs are not evil. But you can do an "ly" search in your document to find out if you've overused. Weigh each one. Take it out and re-read to see if you need it. Chances are it will sound cleaner without. 


Any other reasons to avoid adverbs.

When You're Too Close to the Book

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We know some things are good for us. We eat our veggies, double space our manuscripts and try not to blow up like a crazy person on the Internet. I hope. *Ahem* Anyhow, I recently had a blogger ask me WHY? Why is it good to put a manuscript in a drawer for a month? Good question! I mean we hear advice like that all the time. But WHY? That's kind of the important part, don't you think?


So I am going to do a new series of posts trying to clarify the WHY on some of these common bits of advice, starting today with: Why put it away?


Answer: Because you are too close to it. For the last month to year you have lived and breathed this manuscript. You are in love with your characters. You know the plot inside and out. And chances are every time you see the words they start blending together to the point they're doing the hula. So if you put it away you get distance. You gain perspective. You can re-attack it with fresh and rested eyes. 


Does it work? Hell yes. I whine and moan and complain as my critique partners tell me EVERY TIME to put it away and don't dare touch it for at least several weeks. But guess what? It's like reading a whole new book when I go back. I see stuff that needs work, but I also see what I did right. Sometimes I even say, "did I write that? Cool!" So don't be afraid of it. It's like seeing a long lost friend. 


Any other answers you can add?