Pikes Peak Writers Conference 5

Thanks to Amanda for her delightful post yesterday. I'm sure we can all relate at some level. And (which seems normal for me), Publisher's Weekly was updating its website, so it's quite possible you weren't able to get over to Barbara Vey's Blog. Such is life. I updated it when I got the new URL, but if you missed it, it's here.

Before I move on with another workshop recap, I decided I'd share an email I got from an agent I met at a conference. She'd told me to send 3 chapters, which I did. This was her response:

Thanks so much for offering me the chance to consider your material. Unfortunately, your project doesn't seem right for me. Since it's crucial that you find an agent who will represent you to the best of his or her ability, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to step aside rather than ask to represent your manuscript.


That's fairly standard—at least among the rejection letters I've received (and there have been a lot of them). But she went on to explain more about why she decided to pass.

You have a great imagination - I love the premise - and you're a good writer, but I'm sad to say that I just wasn't passionate enough about this to ask to see more. I wish I could offer constructive suggestions, but I thought the dialogue was fine, the characters well-crafted, and the plot well-conceived. I think it's the kind of thing that really is subjective - why some people adore the book on the top of the NYTimes bestseller list, and others don't.

Anyone getting into this business has to know it's subjective. Not only do you have to write a good book, but it has to resonate with the right people at the right time. With a response like this, it's impossible to 'fix' the manuscript—because it doesn't seem to be broken. It's a matter of moving on.

And now to Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2

Thanks to Ann for giving us that insight into setting. I've got mixed feelings myself—the hardest book to write was Nowhere to Hide, my July release from The Wild Rose Press, because it was set in Orlando, where I'd been living, and I was being very careful to get all the details right. Making stuff up, while maintaining the flavor of a locale, seems to be my favorite approach.

First, a quick personal update. We will have been in the house 2 nights when you read this. We're getting acquainted with how everything works, and spending a lot of time and money at places like Wal-Mart, Costco, and BB&B! I have some new pots and pans, but we're still using paper plates. Tumblers, but no stemware. Clothes are stacked and heaped—not enough hangers. But we're slowly chiseling away at the basics, and hope to start on some of the upgrades soon.

Now, back to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference.

One interesting item I omitted on Monday was the final topic of Barbara Samuel's workshop on Story Design and Values. She presented the Principles of Antagonism as set forth by Robert McKee, in his book, Story.