Arrrggg!!!! It's never going to be right. Here we are again. Please critique away.
Dear Agent,
A mystical fire threatens to eradicate eighteen year old, Bridget O'Malley's lifeline.
Flames will devour the boy next door, Laurent Stephens. She knows this, because she's able to live in two moments at once. She's lived this moment enough to know to fear it; she also knows she can't save him. Though saving him might prove easier if Laurent would man up and admit he loves her. Admit the love they've both been denying for four years. New boy, Damian Cooper, enters the mix and Bridgt is ready to kick them both to the curb when she learns they're lying to her. Laurent knows Damian is more than what he seems and Damian just knows too much about Laurent. If she doesn't uncover the truth behind the secrets and lies a phantom fire will steal what matters to her most.
Phantom Fires is a young adult paranormal romance complete at 90,000 words. I'm an active member of YALITCHAT, SCBWI, and RWA. I blog at bethfred.com.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
How do you do it?
I'm freaking out, really. If I were a nail biter, I'd be viciously gnawing. I sent my first query a week ago, today. I'm already freaking out. I know--I know what you're thinking. At least some rejection is inevitable and everyone knows agents don't move fast, so I should shut up, quit whining, move on and stop freaking out. It isn't just that. It seems like every day there is something new. I don't know I can't explain it. Some rule my book breaks. Some mistake I made in the handful of queries I sent out. Something else you're not supposed to do that I've done. One more problem to add to the list in the face of the unknown.
I really didn't want to blog about this, but I've posted a schedule and feel committed to blog at least three times a week. I can't think. Not about anything else, anyhow. So I have to post this. It's true a lot of the potential problems I've tallied in my mind won't be a problem until much later, and truthfully even then it probably still wouldn't. But part of the problem of having an overactive imagination is that while it may make for interesting phantom fires, I can't turn it off at will. So I find myself freaking out. The logical thing to do is focus on the task at hand, getting an agent. I'm trying to focus; I really am. It just feels so powerless, like I've written the query letter and people like the book. If I could just get someone to read it...
...I feel the tightness in my chest and a total lack of worth as my anxiety has prevented me from accomplishing much of anything today. I've done some reading and I'm loving the book, yet it couldn't consume me. Not today. I ran. But my favorite part of the day has been cutting vegetables, because I got lost in the monotony of the task and until I realized I wasn't thinking about it, I didn't think about a year of my life begging to be looked at by people who for the most part will never see more than the pitch.
Does this happen to you? How do you deal with it? How do you do it?
I really didn't want to blog about this, but I've posted a schedule and feel committed to blog at least three times a week. I can't think. Not about anything else, anyhow. So I have to post this. It's true a lot of the potential problems I've tallied in my mind won't be a problem until much later, and truthfully even then it probably still wouldn't. But part of the problem of having an overactive imagination is that while it may make for interesting phantom fires, I can't turn it off at will. So I find myself freaking out. The logical thing to do is focus on the task at hand, getting an agent. I'm trying to focus; I really am. It just feels so powerless, like I've written the query letter and people like the book. If I could just get someone to read it...
...I feel the tightness in my chest and a total lack of worth as my anxiety has prevented me from accomplishing much of anything today. I've done some reading and I'm loving the book, yet it couldn't consume me. Not today. I ran. But my favorite part of the day has been cutting vegetables, because I got lost in the monotony of the task and until I realized I wasn't thinking about it, I didn't think about a year of my life begging to be looked at by people who for the most part will never see more than the pitch.
Does this happen to you? How do you deal with it? How do you do it?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Happy Friday
I'm soo sorry for my lack of real posts this week. This week has been crazy from getting my manuscript back with way more comments than I expected to not going to sleep until it was done, and sending my first query EVER. But next week will be better and I will give good posts! I'm not querying anymore until April 15. SCBWI will post the registration and info for the annual conference, so I'm hoping to find out what agents will be there and not query them until I meet them. It will also give me time to get responses from the people I've already query. This should tell me if the query is effective and who knows, I may even have critiques. It will also free up time for the blog! ;).
Now for the book hop hosted by crazy-for-books
"If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"
Matched, So Shelley, Hex Hall, If I Stay, Sea, and Overboard
If you leave a comment or follow me please leave a link so I can hit you back!!
Now for the book hop hosted by crazy-for-books
"If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"
Matched, So Shelley, Hex Hall, If I Stay, Sea, and Overboard
If you leave a comment or follow me please leave a link so I can hit you back!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Catch Me If You Can
So I'm supposed to post 550 words today, but I can't, sorry. Mainly because I started querying today. On one hand, I'm reluctant to post it because it's out and about and I would hate for an agent to think too much of it has been posted. On the other hand, the basic truth is I can't take anymore critiques. I know that sounds wimpy, but it's true. I have my manuscript in a place that works, devoid of any major problems. The thing is even my favorite books have some flaws, or maybe not flaws but things I would have done differently. And I'm sure I'm not capable of writing anything that is going to work perfectly for everyone. I really don't know who is. But since I've decided to leap forward, I can't second guess my words anymore. I'm sorry for not having a real post for this blogfest today, but I will be around to comment on your 550 words.
Thanks,
Beth
P.S. My friend and beta reader Maggie is an 8th grader in New Jersey. She's an awesome kid and she's entered a vocal competition. You can catch a video of her singing 1000 Miles by Vanessa Carlton here. She'd love it if you had time to create an account at that site and vote for her ;) Good luck Mag!
Thanks,
Beth
P.S. My friend and beta reader Maggie is an 8th grader in New Jersey. She's an awesome kid and she's entered a vocal competition. You can catch a video of her singing 1000 Miles by Vanessa Carlton here. She'd love it if you had time to create an account at that site and vote for her ;) Good luck Mag!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Blog Hop
I think my favorite book villain would be all the power hungry people in Panem that did bad things to kids! (Hunger Games) I know that's not one distinct villain, but that's what I get maddest about.If you leave a comment or follow please leave me a link to your blog so I can return the favor. Thanks!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wed. & Writing: The Power of Words
At the risk of sounding narcissistic, today's post is half a brag and half a realization. (Sorry guys, but I don't really feel that bad about my little brag because I spend so much time thinking I will never be good enough)! LOL.
On Valentine's day I did the Just Kiss Already blogfest. I chose to use a section of a very rough draft of my incomplete ms Chance Encounters. I have a much cleaner, completed manuscript, but in that one the characters grew up together. The attraction was instant and the whole town knew it. The kissing scenes are good and there romance is real, but I don't think their first kiss is a shock to anyone. I decided to use the a scene from the other book because the mc is so guarded her hero has to break his way in with a sledge hammer, but he patiently does it. It's a lot of work for her too, letting someone in like that. The kiss seemed almost sweeter being earned rather than fated.
I opened the ms to copy and past the scene and began to worry. It just didn't seem like my strongest work. The worst part of it was I wanted to use this specific scene because of all the subtext. But as I read the words on the page, I felt the subtext was missing. It happened before the scene, but all I could show you that day, was this scene. I braved it out and posted it anyhow. (I didn't know what else to use).
I was particular concerned about the last line. Those words were so simple, I wondered if you would really get how important this even really was. I thought about italicizing them, both sentences. That felt like too much. Then I wasn't sure what sentence to italicize. Then I laughed it off and trusted you would tell me. Haha. (Writers are such nice people, and when something isn't right they just can't help but rewrite it).
But the words were enough. The comments told me that. Several people referred specifically to the last line! The subtext was there, in that scene itself. I know it was because you told me. You were nice enough not to point out the countless grammatical errors. (I said it was ROUGH). But most of the comments were people telling me they liked the things I was specifically concerned about.
I realized words are enough, powerful in their own right. Italics weren't needed. The words said it at all. Words win court cases and write books, I guess I should have trusted in them.
But I was elated because for all the days I get critiques that make me want to beat my head off the wall, my jumbled mess told you exactly what it was supposed to.
Oh--and a quick apology. I'm so sorry I've been slow with comments. This week has been weird and today my asthma is torturing me, but since I made a schedule I felt obligated to do this post. I'll be back up to speed in a day or two. Promise guys.
On Valentine's day I did the Just Kiss Already blogfest. I chose to use a section of a very rough draft of my incomplete ms Chance Encounters. I have a much cleaner, completed manuscript, but in that one the characters grew up together. The attraction was instant and the whole town knew it. The kissing scenes are good and there romance is real, but I don't think their first kiss is a shock to anyone. I decided to use the a scene from the other book because the mc is so guarded her hero has to break his way in with a sledge hammer, but he patiently does it. It's a lot of work for her too, letting someone in like that. The kiss seemed almost sweeter being earned rather than fated.
I opened the ms to copy and past the scene and began to worry. It just didn't seem like my strongest work. The worst part of it was I wanted to use this specific scene because of all the subtext. But as I read the words on the page, I felt the subtext was missing. It happened before the scene, but all I could show you that day, was this scene. I braved it out and posted it anyhow. (I didn't know what else to use).
I was particular concerned about the last line. Those words were so simple, I wondered if you would really get how important this even really was. I thought about italicizing them, both sentences. That felt like too much. Then I wasn't sure what sentence to italicize. Then I laughed it off and trusted you would tell me. Haha. (Writers are such nice people, and when something isn't right they just can't help but rewrite it).
But the words were enough. The comments told me that. Several people referred specifically to the last line! The subtext was there, in that scene itself. I know it was because you told me. You were nice enough not to point out the countless grammatical errors. (I said it was ROUGH). But most of the comments were people telling me they liked the things I was specifically concerned about.
I realized words are enough, powerful in their own right. Italics weren't needed. The words said it at all. Words win court cases and write books, I guess I should have trusted in them.
But I was elated because for all the days I get critiques that make me want to beat my head off the wall, my jumbled mess told you exactly what it was supposed to.
Oh--and a quick apology. I'm so sorry I've been slow with comments. This week has been weird and today my asthma is torturing me, but since I made a schedule I felt obligated to do this post. I'll be back up to speed in a day or two. Promise guys.
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