How to Get Published

A Rerun

by Al Kalar

“Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of - but do it in private and wash your hands afterward.” -Robert Heinlein

Point of View (POV)

How are you going to tell your tale? Through who’s eyes will the reader see and experience what is happening? This is an important decision, because you must be consistent throughout your book.

There are three main methods of telling a story: (more…)

By James Scott Bell

The opening page of your novel is your big introduction. It’s what an agent will read with most interest, to see if you can write (which is why page 1 is often the first thing read in your proposal. You may have spent 100 hours on a killer synopsis, 50 on an irresistible query, but if the writing itself is not up to snuff, the busy agent can save time by tossing the whole thing aside without reading the rest of the proposal).

Think of it this way. You are at a party and the man or woman of your dreams is across the room. The host offers to introduce you. You walk over. There is great anticipation, even from Dreamboat, who is there to meet people, too. So Dreamboat extends a hand, you take it, and say, “Nice to meet you.”

Only you have a horrendous case of garlic breath. Dreamboat winces, whips out a phone and walks quickly away, muttering, “I have to take this.”

Well, that’s what it’s like for an agent reading your first page. He or she wants to like you, but if you’ve got garlic breath, it’s all over. Bad first impression. See you later. (more…)

by Diane O’Connell

Q: There’s a raging controversy over point of view in my writing group. We’re taught to pick one and stick with it. But writers (big famous ones) are changing points of view all the time! What do  agents and editors think about this?

A: Your controversy on point of view (POV) is one I’ve heard often from many writers and in my online writing classes on POV. You are right in that it’s best to pick a POV — whether first person, third person singular or third person plural — and stick to it. However, you are also right that many bestselling authors seem to flaunt these rules all the time and get away with it. Michael Connelly and James Patterson are two that come immediately to mind. So, what gives?  I just read Patterson’s Run For Your Life, and it is all over the place with POV. (more…)

by Al Kalar

A good story requires conflict. Without it, you don’t have much to offer the reader. Perhaps a fictional travelogue can get by without conflict, but any good yarn is pretty boring without it.

I ran across a good checklist for conflict written by our old friend, Ben Bova. The list is his, the comments are mine. (more…)

When dealing with rejection as writer, remember: it’s a numbers game. You have to go through ‘no’s to get to ‘yes’. Play the game!  -Cheryl Tardif

by Al Kalar

Some of the best writing on television goes into the production of 24, the high-tension fast-moving thriller staring Kiefer Sutherland as agent Jack Bauer.

What makes the show so riveting? What can novelists learn from the show?

A huge appeal of the show is the almost non-stop action. There is always something happening. For twenty-four hours (over 24 episodes), the characters are constantly challenged by the “bad guys”. No rest, no ruminations, no time to sit down and just chat.

And forget about sleeping.

Every episode is filled to the brim with tension. Not something you want to view just before going to bed.  But their formula brings you back every week to see what happens next; especially if you’re an action junkie like me. (more…)