Query day and Madness

Now that the manuscript for Moon Tree Brothers is complete, revised, edited and it's logline is done, it is time to work on my Query letter.

First, never think your logline is done. None of these submission documents are ever "done". They are just complete until you look up the next agent and see what they like and then you can emphasis the things in your novel that "the current submitting to agent" likes.

I think that makes it a bit easier to write them. It's like having an assignment in school and knowing that the teacher is really fond of (gosh, all I can think of here is chocolate), well that would work if chocolate is in your book, so okay, you emphasis the chocolate instead of the spaghetti this time around. But, you still need an original really good synopsis, query, etc to work from.

Late last night I came up with a good way to do it. Well, I didn't http://marcussakey.com/articles_querygoround.php did. Sorry it's not linking right, just Google Marcus Sakey. One of my book loves is mystery and I have turned to Marcus Sakey to figure out this Query in simple terms. "Just the facts, Ma'am."

Summing up your newly finished beloved baby in 3-5 lines is not easy. He says to "focus on the drama and the stakes and leave out the minor characters"...themes/complications. Check out his article if this is not clear enough for you. It seemed clear at 2am. But, I am tired now, from being up that late so nothing is seemingly clear.

The point of the Query, he says, "Just show them you know how to tell a story." Now, that is simple. I have also seen it described as sitting down to tell your manuscript as a short bedtime story. After all, that is what we are selling: We are great storytellers!

That said, I love Madness. Book two , Moon Tree Madness, is going well. I may have mentioned it already but I had this great idea for a character based on Dawn French. She just seems to flow from my fingers. I usually "cast" my characters early on. Even if it is a photo from a magazine of someone I have no idea who they are, I seem to see something in their face that makes them come alive for me.

So, I'm off to finish my basic query, so that I can get back to Madness. Have a great day.