Monthly Archives: February 2014

What’s Harder Than Writing A Book?

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ImageIf you said writing the pitch or the query or the synopsis, you win the prize. 

Um…I haven’t actually got a prize for you. But I do have help, so that’s sort of a prize, right?

Over at The Muffin today, I shared my quick tips for taming the three-headed beast of pitch, query, and synopsis. I even threw in an example or two, using Beauty and The Beast. (How clever is that?)

But one thing that I didn’t mention over at The Muffin is this: if you want to get good at writing the pitch or query, practice writing them. Use a novel you’ve just read–one that you loved. Or maybe even a movie. Then go back and take a look at your manuscript.

If you can’t figure out your pitch or query as easily, it could be because your story’s not quite focused enough. You might need to do a little fine-tuning in revision.

Um…sorry. That’s not exactly the prize you wanted, is it? But you’ll thank me later when you win a contract.

 

Tuesday Tip: A Pinterest Primer

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ImageI’m just going to start by saying I didn’t think I was the Pinterest type. You know–the artsy-craftsy, look-what-I-can-do-with-duct-tape-and-shiitake-mushrooms type.

To be honest, I wouldn’t know a shiitake from a Shia Labeouf. But I will, on occasion, do something craftsy. Not fancy craftsy, mind you. I like my crafts the way I like cooking: if it takes more than fifteen minutes, I’m probably going to pass.

But Pinterest is not just about crafts and recipes. I mean, there’s an awful lot of crafts and recipes there, but you’ll find other stuff that may inspire you in other ways. And for a writer, inspiration can be a very good thing.

So here’s a very simple primer for Pinterest from those keen folks at Mashable: Pinterest: A Beginner’s Guide to the Hot New Social Network.

And notice that Pinterest is a social network. It can’t hurt to expand your social networks, if you’re a writer. That’s why I waded into Pinterest.

(It can hurt if you stay in those artsy-craftsy-social waters so long that you forget to write. I’m just sayin’.)