II. SUBMISSIONS, continued

b) Craft and Critiques

Voice is often touted as a desirable element in fiction, yet it’s difficult to pinpoint (“I know it when I see it”). What does voice mean to you? How can it help create and define a character?

To me, voice is (almost) everything. I can help fix plot holes, I can show a writer where their characters need more development, but their voice is theirs. A strong voice can make me forget that I’m reading a submission; it’s what gets me lost in a story and makes characters feel real. When I say a book has a strong voice, I mean that the author has a sure command of language that makes their writing feel uniquely theirs—fresh and authentic.

Sarah Dessen says, “I never start a book until I have the first scene, last scene, climactic scene and first line all in my head.” Cheryl Klein’s Second Sight references arcs (such as climax) within each scene. What do you suggest for making scenes emotionally satisfying? 

For me, it boils down to this: What’s at stake in this scene? Readers need a reason to keep turning the pages, and it’s the author’s responsibility to propel them through the story. The stakes don’t have to be life-or-death—but they need to give the characters a reason for what they do and say.

Our workshop enrollees critique peers’ full novels. However, many writers are experienced only in critiquing excerpts. What helps you keep track of everything in a novel? What tips can you offer for whole-novel critiques?

As always, it depends on the book. For most, I make lots of line-editing comments in Track Changes, and keep a running list of notes in a separate document. Those notes become the basis of a letter with my general comments grouped into categories: plot, characters, style, and for fantasy, world-building. For some books, I make a chapter-by-chapter outline of the plot points, so we can see where the tension ebbs and flows and when characters appear and disappear.

Sometimes I can’t put my finger on what I think isn’t quite working until I give myself a couple of days to digest a manuscript and let it “settle” in my head. Just like writing and revisions shouldn’t be rushed, neither should critiques!

Do you read the synopsis before or after reading a manuscript—or do you bypass the synopsis entirely? How and when might a synopsis prove useful to you?

We don’t ask for synopses at TBA. I only ask my clients for them when we’re submitting a partial manuscript to their publisher as an option project.

What kinds of craft flaws do you commonly see in otherwise well-written manuscripts? What self-editing tips do you suggest?

Great question. You can be a strong writer and still overuse words or not vary the rhythm of your writing enough. My client Hilary McKay always reads her manuscripts aloud as part of her process, and I think that’s excellent advice: it helps the writer see where their tics are. Every writer has words they use too often, or sentence patterns they fall into that drain some of the color out of the story they’re telling.

You’re satisfied with a client's revisions, and pitch the manuscript to editors who then request a submission. How long should the author expect to wait until you send the manuscript to these editors? How many editors might you pitch or submit to—and over what time frame—when “shopping” a novel?

I generally call the editors I’m intending to submit a project to, tell them about it, and ask if they’d like to see it. If they say yes, I send it immediately. I don’t see much point in pitching and then not submitting right away—I want to make the most of the editor’s excitement about the pitch.

How many editors I submit to depends on the project. Sometimes I’ll have a book that I suspect will have wide appeal, and I’ll go to a dozen or more editors. Sometimes I’ll have an unusual situation—a really quirky premise, say—and I target the editors who I think are up to the challenge of the book. But it really varies. The list of editors will widen if a book doesn’t sell quickly. One book I sold went to over 30 editors before we found just the right one!

How would you describe your working relationship with your authors?

I think how they would describe our relationship is more important! I’d hope they’d say I’m responsive (if sometimes a little slow with edits, depending on the time of year), tenacious, and frank.

Next page »