Query Mistakes 101: Don't sugar coat it. TELL THE TRUTH.

During the month of November, I've got quite a many friend and family member who post everyday what they are thankful for. I too am no stranger to all the great things in life that I'm am greatful for. However today, there's one thing 'm more thankful for than anything else as it's helped me see the light...

I am THANKFUL for FAILURE.

Without failure, how would we ever know what we need to do to succeed? 

After all the rejections of my novel, I've realized - yet again - I'm not telling the truth. My novel is not quirky. It's not a humorous adventure. It's not even a love story. It's about a rape survivor's healing journey back from wanting the peace only death can bring.

"She said you'd do it."

Those words have haunted me and my main character for years...and it's about time I just BE HONEST and stop hiding behind the smile of forced humor. Stop trying to not make it hurt.

My novel, like my story, is painful before it becomes victorious.

So... I am thankful and grateful for my continuous failure. Without it, I'd never tell the truth, which is the ONLY way to get this novel in front of those girls and women out there that I want to hear this message: It's not your fault. You didn't ask for it. You can LIVE and SURVIVE and THRIVE even if you can never get the redemption and restitution you seek! Don't give up the fight. Don't let them win. You are WORTH joy and light and love.

SO. Back to the drawing board! Thank you failure. You are the best eye opener. And thank you, God, for giving me the chance to help others be strong. Please guide my pen once again...

Deadlines, Editing, and My Unofficial Query Letter....UNofficial...

So, I totally blew my self-imposed deadline of March 23rd to have finished all edits and send out my first query letter. Death, taxes, 6 feet of snow, and the Olympics...all things totally unrelated, yet all things I've allowed to stray me away from my goal.

Therefore I'm imposing a more SANE deadline of "by summer", and this gives me time to polish and shine my query letter. A few weeks ago I polished and shined my "one sentence" pitch of my novel, and I am happy to say that I LOVE IT! No need to edit any further. Next step now, is to start with the paragraph synopsis of what happens in the novel, beginning to end, leaving nothing out...

How the hell?!?! The whole book, explained in detail, in one paragraph!?!?!?

Enter, the query letter...

Whether you snail mail or email an agent, you need to formulate one hell of a kick ass query letter to not only GET their attention, but also KEEP their attention.

I took a quick crack at swallowing my entire novel into one horribly written paragraph, just to see if I could manage to get all the major points in there (NOTE: there is much work to be done on this...the following is just for fun). But I did manage to capture the darkness of the novel, and then show that it all turns bright by the end. I think for me this will be my biggest challenge. I can't leave out the fact that my MC is a bit of a nut case in the beginning (of course 'nut case' by normal standards. I think she's fine, just needs a little TLC...we've bonded ;)

So, without further delay, here is one horribly written query for my amusement only (and yours too, I hope ;).

My novel opens with a past rape scene, moves forward to the present, where you see my MC living with the after effects of an abusive past, she goes to therapy, you are inside her head, see her odd living style, hear voices, all sorts of strangeness, until she breaks free from it all and finds a way to heal, finds her courage again, finds herself again...then she meets someone, falls in love, has a normal life, albeit there are still triggers from her past, some of which threaten to suck her back down into that deep black hole...but she's a new woman now, has tools to help her stay in her present and deal with her past, and she moves on and up and it's great at the end!

Phew!

That is one long run-on sentence ;)

Yet, somehow, I feel one tiny small step closer to my goal...Feel free to leave a link to your own horrible one paragraph synopsis!

;)