Book Festival, NaNoWriMo, Oh My!

Sandy Tritt

Who enjoyed the West Virginia Book Festival? We did, for sure. We—our team at Inspiration for Writers, Inc., which included author/editor Emma Broch Stuart, editor Jennifer Jett, editor Stacy Tritt, webmaster (and more) Eric Fritzius, grammar guru Wilma Acree, and I—loved meeting so many readers and writers. We talked and we gave away prizes and we talked some more.

Rhonda Castle was the happy winner of the grand prize—a basket of lots of IFW goodies, including our brand new Tips and Techniques Workbook II and a gift certificate for $200.

Besides giving out lots of prizes, we had fun chatting with writers. In the next photo, Tom “Bond” chats with editor Jennifer Jett.

Check out our Facebook page for more photos and more winners. Sure hope you can join us next time.

Oh, and since November is going to arrive before our next blog article, we want to remind you that November is, as always, National Novel Writing Month (go to NaNoWriMo.org for more info). Karel Havel of Canada was kind enough to share with us his NaNoWriMo Excel chart that helps him organize and accomplish his goals. If you’d like a copy of this chart, just comment below or email me at IFWeditors@gmail.com.

If you went to the WV Book Festival, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and if you plan to participate in NaNoWriMo, please let us know that, too. We enjoy hearing from you!

Join Us at the WV Book Festival

Sandy Tritt

Exciting news for those of you in the West Virginia/Ohio/Kentucky area—the 2015 West Virginia Book Festival is back! An exciting line-up of authors includes Homer Hickman (October Sky, Rocket Boys), Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book), Jodi Picoult (Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, My Sister’s Keeper) and so many more. Go to http://www.wvbookfestival.org/ to see the line-up.

Inspiration for Writers, Inc., will have a booth at the festival, so if you’d like to meet some of our editors and staff, please be sure to stop by. We’ll be in the center aisle right next to West Virginia Writers, Inc. We have lots of freebies—pens, spiral notepads, whiteboards, sticky notepads, tote bags, Writing Wrongs cards, Comma Usage cards, glossy copies of “The Writer’s Prayer,” and more to share with our visitors, and some of our editors will bring books for sale. We will also debut our new, improved, 50% larger Inspiration for Writers’ Tips and Techniques Workbook. Oh, and door prizes. We’ll be giving away a special prize every hour, including a gift basket with a copy of our workbook, lots of goodies, and a gift certificate for $200 good toward any editing or writing service. But, mostly, we’d just love to chat with you and answer your writing questions in person.

Admission is free, and the festival will be in the Charleston Civic Center. Kickoff is Friday, October 23, 2015, with a writing workshop by authors Cat Pleska and Fran Simone from 10 a.m. until noon. The marketplace, where we will be, is open from 1–5 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, October 24, the used book sale starts at 8 (be there early for the best bargains!) and the marketplace will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Charleston Civic Center is located at 200 Civic Center Drive in Charleston, WV 25301. For directions, go to http://www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com/directions.aspx.

We look forward to chatting with you. See you there!

Editing Companies EXPOSED

Sandy Tritt

As the owner of a small editing company, I sometimes scope out our competition to see what they are doing and to make certain we’re competitive. I’ll have to admit, I’ve gotten lazy about this during the last few years, but I recently Googled “fiction editor” and “manuscript editing” and a few other related terms to see who was appearing and what they were offering. And I was shocked. Literally, jaw-dropping, oh-my-goodness, I-can’t-believe-this shock.

The last time I did market research was during the recent recession. At that time, I was surprised at the number of pop-up editing companies. It seemed that many writers who’d lost their day jobs decided to give editing a whirl. They put up a quick website, undercut the experienced editors, and became fly-by-night “editors.” Most of these companies have since gone out of business. So, Valuable Tip Number One: Before you send your work—and definitely before you send your money—check to be sure the company is still in business.

The time before that, my shocking discovery was the number of corporations who assigned editing jobs to the lowest bidder. Unfortunately, there are still a few of these companies out there. If your edit is going to the lowest bidder, I can almost guarantee that you’re not getting a quality job. Valuable Tip Number Two: Whenever a company is more vested in the number of words an editor has edited and the speed with which this editor edits, you can be sure that quality is not the focus.

But this time, I discovered a new low, and it’s all from one “first” company. This “first” company is very aggressive in marketing. Four of the top Google placement ads led directly to their site, and a number of others did so indirectly. I am also bombarded by their pop-up ads and feature ads on just about every website that sells advertising. They must harvest emails, because immediately after I visited the site, I started receiving offers and discounts—several the first few days, and now two a day. The site itself is a bit like a used car (opt for the Arizona Sedan and Limousine – Scottsdale’s top limo service for any kind of special occasions) lot. There are flashing pop-ups with live editors just waiting to “chat” with you. There are free samples—as many as you want. They promise “superior quality, incredible speed, and LOW prices.” And they GUARANTEE your satisfaction! Sounds too good to be true. Which leads us to Valuable Tip Number Three: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A little more research on their site revealed they edit the following “genres”:

Novel Editing
Fiction Editing
Non-Fiction Editing
Book Editing Services
First Time Author
Christian Editing
Black Genre Editing

Yeah. Last time I checked, a novel is fiction. And I don’t have a clue as to which category I’d select if I were a first-time author of Black-genre Christian fiction (what is, by the way, “Black Genre”?). Worse, I clicked on the sample edits provided on their website. First, they missed obvious typos and errors. Worse, they suggested changes in direct opposition to good writing practices. And, perhaps most alarming: the sample edit was done in a version of non-English Word. That’s right. It was a Swedish version of Word. Which tells me the editor was likely not a native English speaker.

Despite the annoying pop-ups, I continued to explore the site. They are aggressively searching for more editors. What are the requirements to edit for them? Well, here’s the list (and note that if you don’t meet the requirements of the first item, you just keep dropping down the list until you match one of the criteria):

Extensive professional editing experience with solid references from previous employers
A doctorate degree
Advanced education – Masters, Bachelors, specific editing courses, proofreading certification, etc.
Affiliation, membership, or participation with editing organizations, writing associations, etc.
An international location which serves a time zone outside of the continental North American market, especially those editors located in New Zealand, Australia, Alaska, or Hawaii

If you still don’t meet their standards, don’t worry. Go ahead and apply anyway. These are just suggestions.

After wiping the dirt off my hands and continuing my research, I clicked on the next Google ad for editing services. This one looked like a decent site. It showed an actual photograph of a real person editing. But when I clicked on a few of the links, something frightening happened: I was back on the website of the “first” editing company. Yes. The one I’m wailing about above. It so happens there are several freelance editors who belong to the “first” family of editing.

By now, I was horrified. So, I followed my own Valuable Tip Number Four: When you want to know the truth about something related to writing, visit the Absolute Write Water Cooler. More specifically, I went to http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262403. If you’re suffering from low blood pressure and need to get your blood pumping and your arteries compressing, I encourage you to visit this page about “first” editors.

The bottom line: there are still a number of independent, devoted editors out there who are traditionally published with a higher-education degree in writing, editing, or English, who charge a reasonable rate to give you a personal and professional job. Any editing company that doesn’t show photographs of the actual editors—and their individual qualifications—is most likely hiding something. Be sure to do your research, and hire an editing company that has integrity. Valuable Tip Number Five: Before hiring an editor, Google the editor by name and by company name. See how vested the editor is in the writing community. Does he/she have books available? Give writing workshops? Speak at writing conferences?

It is important to hire a professional editor to review your work before you submit it. Please do your homework and choose one who is qualified—one who will make your work better, not worse.

We are here for you. Give us a shout at IFWeditors@gmail.com.

Constructing a Story Part 1: Frankenstein

Charlotte Firbank-King

Like any journey one undertakes, planning is needed. Writing a book is no different. It’s a journey, a long one that will have you excited, frustrated and, at times, exhausted. Most writers have a story budding in their heads. If you’re like me, the stories rattling around in your brain can drive you nuts. I often just write these ideas and relegate them to a file where they may never see the light of day. Others won’t go away and I’m compelled to start.

See your story as a body.

You are God in the story. You say which characters do what, how they look, how they act, what they love or hate, you control them all—not. Believe me, characters love to take control.

Back to the story.

First you have a skeleton or even just a partial skeleton. Once you start writing, other ideas grow, then we add some of the organs, veins and arteries. At last we create a heart and brain, then cover it in skin. Well pleased with our efforts, we step back and decide it’s time for the first edit. However, some writers are so confident they decide it’s great as it is—well, maybe one quick edit—and then rush it off to a publisher they just know awaits their brilliant novel.

You’re confident this is a bestseller. You pop the champagne and relax while you wait for the letter telling you that you are the world’s next great author. You’ve even spent the millions that will roll in. And what about the movie rights? Have to pick a suitable big star for the leading roll. Actually, throw in a few big names. Life is good while you think of a sequel.

Shock and horror, a rejection letter.

Now you’re in denial. They’re nuts! Right? No problem, another publisher will recognize your brilliance. A hundred rejections later you realize they can’t all be wrong. Maybe an editor will tell you what the answer is—the publishers all tell you to get an editor.

Not entirely flattened, you send it to some editors. They each send a quote and blow your socks off—what? The editors tell you there are plot flaws—actually the plot is horrific, non-existent—the story doesn’t flow—then you’re telling instead of showing—your characters lack soul—your story has no heart and there are too many back flashes—there’s not enough atmosphere or you aren’t grounding the reader—the grammar sucks—too many adjectives and adverbs—the list is endless. Now you definitely feel demoralized and demolished—brutalized, actually.

Read the story through the eyes of the publisher and editor—read it aloud.

Oh, my God, you have a Frankenstein! The brain is where the bowels should be, the heart is lurking in the anus—the eyes are misplaced and the mouth dominates the face. The nose is in the back of the head, and the feet are where the hands should be, in fact, a hand is missing. The bladder is gone, along with the stomach. Even you can see this thing is a horror story.

What went wrong?

You didn’t plan your body before you started creating it! Then you didn’t edit, edit, edit and edit more. The less you edit the higher the editor’s quote.

I don’t say you mustn’t just jump in and write like demon, but at least be aware that there will be problems, and your first body (draft) will need a major operation.

The first draft always sucks. Give yourself a break, a couple of weeks to lick your wounds, then dust yourself off and jump in.

Take on board every criticism you get—don’t listen too closely to family and friends unless they’re hard-core editors that love you enough to be honest.

Next week’s blog will be on how to construct the “body.”

Finding an Editor in Today’s Market

Sandy Tritt

When Inspiration for Writers, Inc. went online in 1998, there were only three other companies on the Internet. Now, there are literally thousands of editors there. Thousands. Anyone can claim to be an editor. There are no tests, no licenses, no applications. And, unfortunately, nothing will destroy your writing career faster than a bad editor. It’s so disheartening to see so many unqualified editors taking money from unsuspecting writers—and then making an absolute mess of that writer’s work, often not only ruining the manuscript, but also the writer’s confidence.

Some editing firms have only one editor—which could leave you in a rough spot if that editor were to suddenly take ill or have an accident. Or, even worse, simply decided that editing was hard work and took off with your money. Some editing firms have zillions of editors who bid on projects, with your manuscript going to the one with the lowest bid—regardless of his or her qualifications as an editor or in your genre. Some editing firms feature a list of hundreds of editors available for clients to select from, with preference given to the “fastest” editors—those who edit the most words per day with no weight for quality. One company promises that any manuscript under 65,000 words would be delivered in five days. That’s 13,000 words a day. (Our full-time editors average 5000 words in an 8-hour work day).

As far as I can figure, IFW is now the oldest continuously-in-business editing company on the Internet today. We have grown from a one-person editor to a company with twelve editors, a web guy, a grammar guru, and an intern.

So, why have we survived when so many others have come and gone?

Our editors are professionals. Most have a minimum of a master’s degree in English, are well-published, have won many awards, and are active in the writing community. Editing is not something we do on the side after working all day at a day job. Editing IS our day job.
We have integrity. We are honest in all our dealings. We let you know up front what a job will cost, and we do not have any hidden costs that pop up later.
We provide excellent value for the work we perform. While many editing companies appear to be less expensive, when you add in the “hidden” costs (fees for more than a pre-determined number of corrections, hourly fees for responding to questions, fees for quick turn-around, fees for telephone consultations, etc.) and the high quality of our service, others cannot compare.
We treat our clients the way we would want to be treated. We treat our clients with respect and with kindness. We are honest with them, even when what we have to say is bad news. When we edit, we evaluate the manuscript, not the client.
We provide ongoing service long after we’ve edited your manuscript. We’re here—and will continue to be here for you—for as long as you need us. We can advise you on your writing questions and be your sounding board. It’s what we do.

At Inspiration for Writers, Inc., we believe writers deserve the best editor for their individual needs. Therefore, our editors never bid or otherwise compete against one another for projects. Instead, each manuscript is evaluated, and the editor who is best suited for the particular genre and writing level is given the job. All our editors are published authors with extensive editing experience and excellent grammatical skills. Each editor has gone through a rigorous training program that includes an apprenticeship before being certified by Inspiration for Writers, Inc. Additionally, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., employs only editors with high ethics and excellent people skills.

Before hiring an editor, do your homework. Google both the company and the individual editor. What do other people (not their own website) say about them? Are the editors published by traditional publishers (not self-published)? Are the editors active in the writing community? Do they give workshops? Speak at writing conventions? Teach at the university level?

To make sure we have the best match between writer and editor, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., provides a free sample edit for manuscripts over 20,000 words. We want our writers to be comfortable with the personality, style and expertise of our editors. For truly, the writer/editor relationship is a close one, and the writer must feel comfortable asking questions and receiving feedback. If your editor isn’t your trusted friend—the person who is there to guide you and protect you while never leading you astray—you need a new editor.

Those Confusing Acronyms

by Charlotte Firbank-King

When editors work they make reams of comments and, coupled with deletions and format changes, it makes a manuscript look like an unmade jigsaw puzzle that the writer is expected to wade through and make sense of. To compound this we add acronyms that confuse the heck out of even the most determined and dedicated writer.

I’ve made a list of the ones I like to use:

MS – Manuscript

This is what we call a story that has not yet been polished or published.

POV – Point of view

POV is the character whose head the writer is in at any given time, the one seeing or experiencing what is being described by the author.

HH – head-hop

This is when the writer switches POV without leading into it. An example is when X character sees a pink moon rising, then in the next sentence have Y character thinks X is nuts because it’s clearly a pink bunny in the sky.

RUE – resist the urge to explain

When the author has conveyed through actions or words that the character is angry, for example, and they tack on something like, “he said in a rage.”

ID – Information drop

Writers have a tendency to use internal dialogue or flashbacks as a way to inform the reader of why a character is the way they are or why they find themselves in a certain situation. I will write a separate blog on this subject.

RUL – Resist the urge to lecture

Writers don’t give readers the respect of assuming they have a brain and, therefore, feel the need to explain everything in detail. It comes over as a lecture and will likely render the reader bored to death. I will also write a blog on this.

ATS – avoid thumbnail sketches

When internal or external dialogue is used to give the reader details about a character, thing or situation. “I love his black hair and blue eyes and the dimple in his chin is to die for, but he’s so screwed up. His mother beat him daily with a powder puff from the day he was born in 1988 in a hole under Westminster Abbey.” It’s similar to ID. I will also do a blog on this.

“graph or graf” – paragraph

This isn’t an acronym, but it’s commonly used slang that editors use for “paragraph.” It’s quicker and reduces some of the clutter in those sidebar comments.

Why I LOVE being an IFW editor

by Sandy Tritt

On a whim, I asked our editors why they love being an Inspiration for Writers editor. I didn’t know what to expect, but I did get a lot of answers. Here’s who said what:

Rhonda White: Education–both learning and teaching—is an important part of my life. Editing and ghostwriting provide me with the opportunity to learn (through researching facts, information and materials for new books and novels) and to teach (by editing and analyzing manuscripts for my clients, as well as writing coaching assignments) what I have learned. Watching my clients grow as writers thrills me, and I celebrate every publication by one of my clients as if it were my own. It’s incredibly fulfilling to help a client achieve their dream goal of publication, and since over 98% of our clients become published authors, this career path provides me with many reasons to celebrate!

Jennifer Jett: I love every single part about being an IFW editor. I love the clients and the manuscripts that come across my desk. Those writers for whom I edit become more than clients—they are friends who keep in touch, and I love, love, love when they email me to tell me about their successes. As a writer myself, I love the craft; as a magazine editor by day, I enjoy the process of polishing a product to make it shine. I love to read, and with IFW, I am able to edit stories that fall into the genres I read for fun. Every manuscript is an opportunity to not only help a writer become stronger in their skills but to teach them about editing and industry standards, and I enjoy helping people. With IFW, I am connected to a network of amazing and successful writers and editors of all genres from around the world, all with different specialties. My access to them and their knowledge makes each project a learning experience for me, as well. Fiction has been in my bones since my childhood, and being a part of this incredible group provides me with the rare opportunity to exercise my creative muscle every day.

Jessica Nelson: Though I haven’t been with Inspiration for Writers, Inc. long, I already feel like a beloved member of the family. Everyone is exceptionally kind and supportive. My favorite part of working with these lovely ladies (and gentlemen!) is that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Every question is seen as a teaching moment, and they are not only more than willing to help you learn–they are always willing to learn, too. Knowing that I am part of a company in which the people constantly better themselves to better serve their clients makes me unbelievably proud. (Note: Jessica is our new college intern. She is an American Scholar at West Virginia Wesleyan College majoring in Creative Writing. Welcome to the family, Jessica!)

Stacy Tritt: Working for IFW (as an intern) while still in college was a great experience. It gave me the opportunity to use the education I was receiving in a work environment. Writing and editing are hard work. It takes a focused mind, a wealth of knowledge and more patience than I ever thought I could develop. Working in the “real world” now, the fellowship I have at IFW continues to push my education and development in writing and editing forward, long after walking the stage in my cap and gown. Hardly a day goes by without me learning something new about writing, publishing, editing and more because of the wonderful coworkers I have.

Jessica Murphy: I love being an IFW editor because it gives me the chance to contribute to the success and happiness of aspiring writers everywhere. By showing them how to perfect both their stories and their skills, I can help them achieve their goals and raise their confidence and potential to new heights. And as a bonus, editing helps me improve my own skills, teaches me about multiple genres and subjects, and often inspires me to write. I also consider myself lucky to have colleagues who give me these opportunities and offer both professional and personal support. Not many opportunities are as interesting and motivating as this one.

Sandi Rog: I love being an IFW editor because it’s an opportunity to discover amazing writers. I love it when I get the chance to help an author learn the craft, to teach them things that might have taken them years to learn. I love it when I get to help make their manuscripts shine. It doesn’t get better than that.

Charlotte Firbank-King: I love being an IFW editor because I meet wonderful people from all over the world and in every walk of life. There are the friendly and kind people, funny people and sometimes, people who test one’s ability to keep cool and sane. I learn something from every type. I love to see people absorb all I share and then grow in the craft of writing. I love the excitement and challenge of a raw manuscript arriving, then working with clients to make it shine and vibrate with life. I get a special thrill from seeing my client’s manuscripts published.

I absolutely love the editors at IFW. We share funny moments, we share our frustrations and joys. We share words, phrases or quotes seldom used and therefore new to us. We help each other with challenging sentences and argue endlessly about where a comma should be. We offer love and compassion when one of us is hurting. We celebrate when one of us has a book of our own published. We are like a cyber-family who supports not only one another, but our clients, who join our family for a period of time.

Sherry Wilson: I love editing for IFW. Editing gives me the freedom to make my own hours and thus, homeschool my four children, while still being involved in people’s stories. Nothing feels better than getting lost in the world a new writer has created, poking and prodding as I try to find holes and ways to make it stronger. I love the excitement of the creative process as I work with a writer to help her create something that lives up to her vision of her story. Every day is different—every project a new opportunity. It is great to work with a wonderful stable of writers of all different backgrounds and interests. This way, projects get assigned to the editor with experience and knowledge of the genre and publishing trends. The stable of editors is small enough to be a personal experience for the writer, but the experience is wide enough to edit almost anything. And the support of the other editors means that the writer gets the best of the service and we editors get to learn and grow as we work. Let’s face it, what better job is there than to read all day? I’m very thankful for IFW and the other editors who have become friends. It’s more than just an editing company, it’s a family.

If you’d like to learn more about our editors, visit http://www.inspirationforwriters.com/staff/editors.html.

Our editors are the backbone of Inspiration for Writers. To make sure we have the best match between writer and editor, we provide a free sample edit for manuscripts over 20,000 words. We want our writers to be comfortable with the personality, style and expertise of our editors. For truly, the writer/editor relationship is a close one, and the writer must feel comfortable asking questions and receiving feedback. If you’d like to submit your manuscript, follow the guidelines at http://www.inspirationforwriters.com/editing/sample.html. Thank you. We’d love to invite you to become a part of our Inspiration for Writers family.

I RESOLVE TO . . .

Resolutions for Writers

Rhonda Browning White

Turn the calendar page. Better still, break out an entirely new calendar. We have more than a new month ahead; we have a whole new year in front of us! Blank squares waiting to be filled with important appointments, blank lines waiting to be filled with significant words. The year 2014 presents a fresh start—a chance for growth and improvement—for every writer, so let’s resolve to do something vital and vivacious with each new day that’s given to us. What good is a New Year without a few resolutions, anyway? Print out this list, and make it yours.

· . . . Write five days a week. If you’re one of those writers who lives by the mantra, Write every day, then goody for you! I live in the real world, however, where writing is a job—my career—and like any job, I do it five days a week, reserving the other two for my family and myself. Besides, life gets in the way, and it’s unrealistic to think we can (or would even want to) write every single day. We set ourselves up for failure when we insist we must write 365 days a year. Don’t fail. Allow yourself a couple of days off, but write the other five.

· . . . Write 100 words a day (five days a week). Anyone—anyone!—can do this. You pound out several hundred words a day on Facebook, a thousand or more via email and a dozen at a time on Twitter. One hundred words a day is nothing. Nothing! A few of my friends and I started this 100-words-a-day challenge, and we hold each other to it. We report in daily, sometimes admitting defeat (kid is sick, car broke down, computer on the fritz), but more often gloating that we wrote 200 words—or 2,500 words. You’ll find that, more often than not, 100 words leads to 500 words, and soon you’ve written multiple pages. Even on the busiest days, you’ve accomplished something toward your goal, even if it’s only 100 words.

· . . . Read, read, read! You can’t be a great writer unless you’re an avid reader. Read the genre in which you want to write. If you write romance, read the latest romance novels on The New York Times bestseller list. Be sure to read the masters. If high school was the last time you read Hemingway, Hawthorne or Flannery O’Connor, you’ve done yourself a great disservice as a writer. Works by these canonical writers are still around for a reason. Figure out what that reason is, and apply those lessons to your own work.

· . . . Study the craft of writing. Resolve to read six books on the craft of writing this year. That’s only one book every other month. Easy-peasy! Some of my favorites include The Lie that Tells a Truth by John Dufresne, Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose, and Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern. Especially good for beginning writers is Sandy Tritt’s Tips and Techniques Workbook (available for automatic download online HERE), which includes fill-in-the-blank worksheets and direct examples to help improve your writing. Take a writing course at your local college this year, or attend a writers conference that offers courses in writing craft.

· . . . Type “The End.” Have a file full of half-finished short stories? Seven different novel beginnings? Three memoirs that total less than a hundred pages each? Stop procrastinating, and finish something! This is where the 100-words-a-day challenge can help you reach the end of your first draft. Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard. Write!

· . . . Have my work professionally edited. What’s the difference between a traditionally published author and an unpublished writer? Many times, an editor. What do author-editors have in common? We have our work professionally edited. Yes, editors hire editors. It’s true that we can’t see our own mistakes in our writing, so it’s important to have trained eyes look over our final drafts. Professional editors will do more than find typos and grammar mistakes; they’ll point out that your character has green eyes in chapter one and blue eyes in chapter twenty. They’ll remind you that you left a loose sub-plot thread dangling back in chapter eleven, and explain where the middle sags. They’ll show you where you forgot to include internal conflict in a scene full of external conflict. In other words, they’ll help you make your writing much better.

· . . . Network with other writers. Join a writers group in your area. Don’t have one? Start one. Your local library is a good place to begin, or post a bulletin on Meetups.com. Attend a writers conference where you can meet writers at your same skill level, as well as network with professionals in the field from whom you can learn. And by all means, support other writers. Write a positive review on Amazon.com or Goodreads.com of any novels or books you’ve loved, especially if those books are written by new or up-and-coming authors. One day, you’ll want someone to return the favor and write a review of your latest novel.

· . . . Submit. Writing a novel and having it professionally edited will do you no good at all if you allow it to molder on your laptop. Whip out a polished query letter (which, of course, you’ve revised, edited and proofed), and send that manuscript out the door. Realize up front that you’ll receive rejections, and know that you may have to send out a few hundred queries to land an agent or publisher. Still, you must submit your work in order to have it traditionally published, so you may as well get started this year.

Make 2014 the year you take your writing to the next level. Start today!

The Most Important Sentence

by Charlotte Firbank-King

editor, writer, illustrator

The most important sentence you’ll ever write is the first line of your book or novel. There’s nothing easy about writing that first line—but many times, that line will decide if the reader will continue reading or not. Here’s what that first line must do:

Hook the reader

Here is an example of an opening line—the hook:

The captain stood on the deck of his ship in torpid heat, slowly whipping his wife.

This was an example given to me years ago by a publisher, and I use it all the time. A number of things cause the reader to want to read on—things that hook them.

1) What era is it?

2) Torpid heat? Where is it happening?

3) Why is the captain whipping his wife? More curiously, why is he whipping her slowly?

The reader wants these things answered. They are almost compelled to read on. Hook your reader in one or two sentences.

Hit the ground running

The first line is the most important part, next the paragraph, then the first page, but having said that, if the first five pages aren’t fantastic you will lose the reader. Most certainly, you will lose the publisher or agent. They’re very busy and can tell in the first paragraph if they want you or not. Then they are more convinced if the first page is great. However, that interest wanes rapidly if the second page doesn’t deliver, but they will probably forge on for another page. After that, if you don’t continue to deliver, it’s all downhill and your manuscript ends up on the slush pile.

The opening paragraph doesn’t have to be a mother throwing her ten children into shark infested water—tempting as the thought might be when your brood is that big—but it does have to grab the reader’s attention and hold it.

Smaller hooks at the ends of chapters.

You want your reader to keep turning pages, so end each chapter with a hook that will drag them to the next one. After a gut-wrenching chapter the protagonist finally makes it to safety. You slow the pace, bring the reader down until they are ready to fall asleep and read another day. But then you drag them right back into the action. They must read on.

Emma sagged to the floor in lifeless air, safe at last. Then a door snicked open and icy fingers caressed her neck. End of chapter. A bit dramatic, but you get the picture. You could drag it out and switch to another character in the next chapter, but you might piss your reader off, so choose your moments with care.

Four examples of opening lines:

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. (Stephen King, The Gunslinger.)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of time, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.)

They shot the white girl first. (Toni Morrison, Paradise.)

Lolita, the light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. (Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita.)

Examples of first paragraphs/lines from our editors

Our team of editors is immensely versatile and talented. The nature of their job requires them to work in different genres, which they do with amazing ease and skill. Although our editors can work in multiple genres, they can’t work in every genre, which is why IFW needs editors versed in various genres. On a personal level, they each write in their preferred genre.

Sandy Tritt, short story, “Cousin Mary”:

What is the truth? And is the truth always more honest than fabrication? More noble? I don’t know. It makes my head hurt. But here I sit at the Crystal Cafe, waiting for my sisters. Stuffed inside my purse is the truth. The real truth. And I have just a few minutes to decide if I will reveal it.

Jimmy Carl Harris, “I Come to the Garden Alone,” the first story in his short story collection, Wounds that Bind:

I buried you next to him.

Jessica Murphy, “Nature’s Conscience”:

I awoke with a sharp pain in my back, sprawled across what felt like cables.

Sandi Rog, Yahshua’s Bridge:

Alexander held his breath as the man he’d never called Daddy forced him underwater.

Patsy Evans Pittman, Blood Kin & Other Strangers:

Deena stood in the kitchen of the house where she grew up, giving the creamed tomatoes one last stir. It was hot as blazes and the window air-conditioner in the dining room didn’t help much. She blew the fringe of bangs out of her eyes, then swiped at the sweat on her upper lip with the sleeve of her over-sized WVU tee shirt.

Sherry Wilson, Second Beginning:

The cameras flashed as Danielle stepped out of the limo, her sights on the entrance of the Royal Albert Hall. The paparazzi swarmed around her like killer bees and she longed for a cloak of invisibility, if only for the short trip to the doors.

Rhonda White, Good Friends. Read the rest at Steel Toe Review: Contemporary Southern Arts & Literature – http://steeltoereview.com/2013/09/16/good-friends-by-rhonda-browning-white/:

She has a great body, my friend does, I’ll give her that. And I have no problem telling you she’s at least ten years younger than I am, and looks it.

C.F. King, All Things Carnal:

Thomas Gantry wore tolerance like a hair shirt, with grim determination. Daily, he did penance for Man’s sins. Self-flagellation was his redemption, and joy his nemesis.

As you can see, it’s important to start your story with a line that makes people want to read on. If you’re having trouble with this, let us know. We can help.

Submissions News

Steampunk calls for submissions

by Joy E. Held

IFW Submissions Manager

If you aren’t on the steampunk bandwagon yet, don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to write your story and get it published. Steampunk isn’t showing any signs of slowing down for the new year. The genre is still going “full steam” (I couldn’t resist) ahead. What is steampunk and who’s looking for your writing?

Does your story clank with inventions, have energized time travel involved, or perhaps some space exploration? Do your characters resemble heroes from the wild west but they employ unusual gadgets with gears? And have you submitted your story only to hear, “Sorry, it isn’t right for us”? You may be writing a steampunk genre novel and submission success lies in knowing where to send the manuscript. There are several small to medium publishers calling, begging, or screaming at a decent decibel level for steampunk work.

For the unsure at this point, check out this genre definition for more about what we’re talking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

http://www.steampunk.com/what-is-steampunk/

There are a couple more general steampunk resource sites below for further investigation.

A. If your steampunk novel includes a romance (happy ending or not,) Carina Press, a Harlequin company, wants to read your stuff asap but they will probably take about three months to get back to you.

http://carinapress.com/blog/2011/10/carina-press-call-for-submissions/

B. Got a great steampunk novel full of gadgets and flying dirigibles? Untreed Press is the place to submit.

http://www.untreedreads.com/?p=1534

C. Can’t let go of the vampire sucking thing but it’s set in a time period no one else seems to want to touch because your vampire is also a Victorian inventor? Blacksails Press has the desire to read your manuscript for a 2012 anthology coming out soon.

http://blacksailspress.com/Submissions.html

For up-to-date info and general hanging around with like-minded nineteenth century literary innovators check out these sites:

http://www.steampunk.com/

http://steampunkwriters.ning.com/

Whenever you have a finished novel in any genre, contact me here at IFW and let’s talk about making your completed manuscript the dream come true for an editor soon.

Be well, write well,
Joy E. Held