Colleen Oefelein

#WritingCommunity
Did you use a filtering verb in your opening (see, hear, feel, watch, smell)?
Eliminate it & bring your POV closer:

#querytip

Query trouble?
Make sure u include all your juicy bits!

1. Use this template to collect them
2. Work them in:
- MC intro
- strong verbs
- inciting incident
- conflict/obstacle {crisis}
- intrigue {secret}
- MC's goal
- stakes {consequences}
#querytip #WritingCommunity

Struggling with your query?

Writers Digest has a great series called Successful Queries (examples of real life queries that landed an agent or publisher):

writersdigest.com/successful-que…

#WritingCommunity #Writers #amquerying #querytip

Lately I see submissions that ignore the subjunctive mood.
I wish it were not so.
Here’s a quick and dirty reminder of when/how to use subjunctive:
grammar-monster.com/glossary/subju…
#amwriting #querytip #amquerying #writerscommunity

Editing tip:

Avoid double-writing. Don't explain what your words show.

Ex:
She couldn't contain her excitement. She sprinted across the street and tackle-hugged him. -> She sprinted across the street and tackle-hugged him.

Much more better 👍

#writingcommuity
#querytip

Editing tip of the day:

Remove “began to” and “started to” for your MS. Use the verb that follows.

Ex:

The sky started to glisten. —> The sky glistened.

Much stronger 👍

#querytip
#amquerying
#WritingCommunity
#writerslift
#authorlife

Attention #amwriting’ers!
Get your query letters shined up for agent Erin! See her wishlist on jdlit.com.

❤️ Welcome Erin! ❤️
#amquerying
#writerslife
#Writers
#querytip

On today's Agent Monday post, meet fab Senior Literary Agent Stephen Fraser @fraserstephena of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency!
@JDLitAgency
#Mondayblogs
#pubtip #querytip #amquerying
marielamba.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/age…

Passive voice is hated by me.

It should be annihilated.

Authors should be compelled by a sense of duty to their readers and be forcibly sat at their computer so that the dizziness created by a run-on passive sentence can be addressed.

#querytip

And so, to recap, if your rejection feedback is

"too much telling"

and you're inclined to edit,
look for instances of explained motivation
as one way to tweak some telling into showing

#querytip
#amquerying
#amediting
#writerslife

Let's talk about explained character motivation & 1st drafts:

🗣️She lunged at the teetering statue to steady it.

This is telling. It distances the POV.
Edit out the telling (the explained motivation, "to steady it") & show action instead:
#Querytip
#writerslife
#amquerying

The “Engine Cranking” fix: Ask a couple brand new CPs to read & ID the paragraph that starts your story.

The subtleties that follow engine cranking usually knit all that backstory dumped in those first “engine cranking” paragraphs, beautifully.

#querytip #amwriting #writerslife

First page trouble?

Axe the engine cranking!

Many authors bury their best opening a few paragraphs/pages into their MS
(thread)
#querytip #writerslife

#querytip