One Electrifying Sentence: A hook encapsulates a book in one electrifying sentence. It will grab the attention of agents, editors, publishers, bookstore managers and clerks, bloggers, journalists, reviewers and readers. So how do you write a hook? Michael Kimball and Stonecoast Alumna Bix Skahill have a simple formula they call The Art of the Hook: Start with a protagonist. Use an adjective … [Read more...]
Cultural References in Writing
A Fabulous Plastic Hoopla: In my novel, the narrator’s mother has a “fabulous plastic hoopla" where the saleslady extols the virtues of Tupperware to fawning women drinking vodka-spiked punch with a scum-like foam of quivering pastel sherbet. The point of the scene is not the burping storage containers, but the daughter’s uncanny observations of the women in the 60’s, and how, “with fixed smiles … [Read more...]
“Security” is HERE!
I'm proud to announce the release of my fourth poetry chapbook, SECURITY, published by March Street Press “In Security, Linda brings us her hard-edged vision of a domestic life in which miracles pale in comparison to the solidity and substance of real people. She blesses the world- our world- with her attention to our hopes and fears: we know these people, struggling for dignity and meaning, … [Read more...]
Your Query: Plot or Character Driven?
I found a terrific blog post on query letters written by Lynn Price, the editorial director for Behler Publications. Lynn says if you can define your story as either plot driven or character driven it will help you write a strong query letter. Plot Driven novels: If your novel is plot driven, a query that defines the characters’ personalities or their emotions but is thin on plot is going to … [Read more...]
Sales Pitch- Query Letters
What You Need Upfront: A typical query letter starts out with a hook, which is followed by the most important information an agent wants to know upfront: genre and word count. The Pitch: The next two paragraphs are the pitch: what happens. The hard part is fitting this into two paragraphs at the most while leaving something for the agent to wonder about-- a little tease. (In mine, for example, … [Read more...]