Writing Resources

K.A. Krantz
Epic Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Author
Tempestuous escapes unleashed in darkly altered realities

Writing Resources

Aspiring writer? Have you penned the next Great American Novel and are wondering, "what now"? All hail the excitement of becoming a writer and welcome to a community that shares yours highs and lows. Here are a few factoids I've gleaned from various conferences, agent Web sites, publisher Web sites, and published authors:

About Your Manuscript:

Pick a genre. Learn the tenets of that genre. It's okay to blend, but if you think you're writing a romance and you don't have a Happily Ever After (HEA) it's not a romance. It could be a thriller with romantic elements. It could be an epic fantasy with romantic elements. It's not a romance. Readers have expectations, which means publishers have expectations, which means agents have expectations. Don't fight them until after you've built a dedicated following of a few hundred thousand readers.

Mind your word count. Use the count provided by your word processing software. Yes, there are sites that give you some strange formulas to count the words-per-line and multiply it by the lines on the page...but it's akin to using an abacus in the days of microprocessors. For most adult genres, keep your word count between 80,000 and 100,000 words. If you submit a query for your beloved tale of 235,000 words, you'll be instantly rejected. If your story is that long, split it into three books. If you've written 35,000 words, take a look into the novella market.

One Point of View (POV) per scene. Do not develop the habit of head-hopping, it pulls the reader out of the thrall of your story and makes them guess who is feeling/thinking/speaking. Yes, there are books on the shelves penned by unrepentant head-hoppers. Story telling is an art. Rise to the level of artist and make it easier on yourself to gain an dedicated audience, starting with an agent to champion your story to publishers.

Know your protagonist's Goals, Motivation, and Conflict (GMC). What does your hero/heroine want, why do they want it, and what is keeping them from having it? Make sure your readers know the GMC in the first chapter. It tells them why they are reading your story. Crystallizing the GMC will also make writing your query (your pitch to agent/publisher to acquire your book) and your synopsis infinitely easier.

Remember to "Show not Tell." Consider the tempo of your prose. Lead with dialogue, don't bury it in the middle of a paragraph. Make every character's voice unique.

About the Business:

Behave like a professional. If you write a book with the intention of someone other than you and your family reading it, then embrace the reality of business. Think of the rest of the entertainment industry. At the end of the day, no one likes working with a temperamental jack-ass. They do love to scorn and mock them.

Accept that your story is subject to change. Putting a book in the hands of the public requires the contributions of many people, people who are professionals--from the editor who has to convince her publishing house to take on your book, to the folks in the marketing department who will decide how your book is promoted, to the men and women in the art department who will design the cover for your book. You don't get a lot of say in what happens once your book is purchased. If your editor requests changes to your story, do it. If you think the changes are unreasonable, then diplomatically state your case. Be judicious when picking a fight with your lone champion in the amorphous publishing industry. You can only fall on your sword once.

Develop thick skin and be resilient. You and your story are entering public territory. There will be those who like you and who like your story. There will be those who like you but hate your story. There will be those who don't like you but love your story. There will be those who cannot separate you from your story. Don't be one those people.

Say thank you. Really. Remember to thank the people who helped you, from critique partners to Web mistresses, copy editors to blogging book reviewers, two simple words will leave them with a positive impression of you.

Web Sites for Writers:

Associations & Organizations