Are You Thinking About Your Characters' Motivations?

What is really driving your characters to do what they are doing? Is it all external? Is it internal? Is it even rational? Honestly, I am rejecting a lot of authors simply because the characters are doing things that, in the real life, no human being would ever do. The authors did it simply to advance the plot. 

When we start talking about motivation, we always focus in on that infamous concept of GMC, or Goal, Motivation and Conflict. What is the goal of the character, or what is it that they want to achieve. What is it that is motivating them to get there? And more importantly, what is it that is standing in the way of getting there? That is the conflict!

Now that motivation also involves not just the plot level, but the things that happen at the scene level. I had a director in a play I was in who openly told us he would rather all of us just stand still on the stage than randomly move around. The problem we were all having is that we were moving with no purpose. Here is how he described it. You don't just go to the front door and go and see who is there UNLESS there was a knock on the door or something that signaled someone was on the other side. You don't go and answer your phone UNLESS the phone rang. Get it? 

But there is another twist to this. Characters WILL NOT do things that would seem totally stupid. For example. Let's use the door example. There is a bad guy (or woman) on the other side of the door screaming "I have a gun and I demand to be let in so I can kill your spouse!" You are terrified! Would your character go to the door and think, "Hey, maybe it is a bluff. I'll let the person in and scare them or maybe hit them on the head with a frying pan. Heck, Rapunzel did it, right?" No way! You would be calling the police and running the other way. 

Here is another twist. I see this all of the time with romantic suspense. Forgive me if this is repetitive but I use this all of the time as an example. A rape victim is running from their abuser. They take shelter with the detective. Oh, but now they suddenly find it attractive to have a sexual encounter. Sorry to say this but I think romance is the furthest from their mind. 

I was talking with one of my authors a week ago and she was at this pivotal moment in her book and was struggling. I asked her what was happening. Her comment was simple. "I know what needs to happen next but I can't figure out a reason for them to get into bed." In other words, the motivation was not there yet. She couldn't just insert a phrase, "He do you wanna?" That simply would not work.

The problem is, most authors do just that. They are thinking only about THEIR story and not THE CHARACTERS' STORIES. You have to focus on their motivations. Not your motivations. 

Are You Using Your Network?

Being successful in the world today comes down to who you know. Getting a job requires having someone on the inside helping to "grease the wheels" so to speak to get the future employers attention. Despite what all of those ads say for sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed, just tossing your application into the mess will not likely yield the results you were hoping for. The same is true in publishing. If you want to have success, you have to utilize your network. I have two questions for you now...

Do you have a network?

Are you using that network if you do?

Let's talk about that first question. If you are just writing your stories at home and maybe just going to a local writing group at your library, then you have no network. Sure, those friends in your critique group may help with line editing, but that is not going to get you anywhere. If all you do is get on the Internet to learn how to do something with your writing, then you are not going anywhere either. To be successful requires getting out of your shell and getting out there among people who know what is going on. 

So how do you do this? You have to join those larger organizations. I know I talked about this earlier when I said to invest in your career. This is one of those times. Those larger groups provide you access to industry professionals, others who have been successful, conferences with "real" people and so forth.

Along the same lines, being around these people get you chatting with others who write the same genres you write. You share ideas and concepts. You talk shop. And who knows, the person sitting next to you at that evening hotel dinner of chicken or salmon may be an agent or an editor who wants to know about your project! What a concept, huh?

Now, let's talk about that second question. Let's assume you are part of that organization. Are you using that network? For so many authors, they simply will not use their network. "I don't want to impose," they say. Or "I don't want to take advantage of them." I hate to break it to you, but you are not imposing.  If they don't want to help, or can't help, they will tell you. But until you ask, you will never know. Here is an example. When I attend conferences, I will almost always be out and about in the lobby of the hotel. I make myself available. I have even gone so far as to challenge people on social media with live feeds to come and talk to me. Most never do. I have even gone to the lunches and just sat down at an empty table early to see if anyone comes over. Most don't. Their comment, "We don't want to interrupt you." Even though I offered. 

Networks are there for a reason. To advance your career. If you are ignoring that network, I hope you enjoy your life where you are at. It might not change a whole lot!

Why Are You Hiring Someone To Do Your Work

I decided to post this today after getting multiple submissions from authors who are seriously wasting their money on someone who doesn't know what they are doing. This is not the first time I have gotten submissions like this. Let me explain.

Clearly an author has gone out to "hire" someone (much like an agent) to send out submissions on the behalf of the author to agents looking for representation. Sound confusing? It should. In any case, these submissions are just form letters by the "agent???" trying to hype up these authors books. But here is the problem. I have never once gotten one of these submissions for a project that is romance or women's fiction. These are projects that are clearly things I would never represent.

Of course the query letter states they are reaching out to me because of my expertise in these areas.

So, I went to one of their website and they are trying to advertise themselves as more of a hybrid publisher. Oh, they have raving testimonials from "authors." What I found interesting is that one of the testimonials was from this author who has found great success with the company and the book is supposedly published...

AND YET...

The email I received was claiming otherwise.

When I went to their LEGAL TERMS page, they never once tell us how much they charge but WOW, there was a lot in there about having to pay and even setting up payment and installment plans. 

Look, legitimate hybrid publishing is fine, if you want to pay for it. But, "riddle me this" why would you pay to have someone sending out your queries? More importantly, why would you have someone who clearly has no idea who they are sending the projects to.

Hey, if you want to waste your money, go for it. Personally, I would never advocate for this.

Talking a bit about using A.I. in your writing

 

Writing the PERFECT Query Letter

Let's talk today about that darn letter you all hate to write - The Query Letter! I know you all hate it because of the huge uptick I have seen (as well as other editors and agents) of the number of you turning to A.I. written letters. For those of you doing this, let me say that your taking that approach is probably the reason so many of  you are seeing an equal uptick of rejection letters, or more likely, no response from those editor and agents. So, with that in mind, let's talk about that perfect query letter.

FOLLOW THE RULES  I cannot stress this one enough. Do exactly what the editors and agents ask for. If they say to NOT include attachments, then don't. If they say send the first three chapters, do just that. You might feel you are helping them out by doing more, or you want to show them the "really good part of the story" but that approach will get an automatic rejection. If you can't follow the guidelines, you are demonstrating that the odds are, you will not follow the revision letters we send to you.

THE THREE PARTS There are three parts of that query letter and you need to include all of these parts. THE BASICS, THE BOOK, THE BIO

• The Basics include: title, genre, word count, the high concept and why you are contacting that editor or agent. You may include comps to other books, but make sure you explain why (see below under Show Don't Tell. Make sure you know exactly what your genre is. You will also note I am saying word count not pages you have written. 
• The Book is where you are going to tell us a brief summary of the entire novel. We need to know who the characters are, the conflict and the general plot (including the ending). Don't give us something such as "and along the way our character meets quirky characters and faces different obstacles and challenges) Come on. NO DUH!
• The Bio is where you tell us about you THE WRITER. If this is your first book, tell us what else you have planned or in the works. If you have been published in the past, tell us what you wrote, who published it, etc. If this book has won awards, tell us. If this book has been published before give us sales numbers (not reviews).

MAKE IT PERSONAL Make sure that you are talking directly to that individual editor or agent. Know what the like and showcase that. If you met them before, tell them when and where. Show us you have done the research. BTW, here is how we know you are using A.I. "I am pleased to share this story with you because of your extensive background in...[and then you tell us something we don't do].

SHOW DON'T TELL You have been told to do this in your writing so you need to do this here as well. When you talk about comparable book, then don't just give us names, explain why and how your book is similar. When you tell us why your book is a perfect fit for us, then explain why. 

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Every letter you write will be different. Do not just write, Dear Agent and then mass send it out to everyone. This connects back to MAKE IT PERSONAL.

Look, the query letter is just the same as a cover letter for your resume. This is where you showcase why you are the best candidate and why your story is the things we have to have. 

#MSWL PART TWO

 Yesterday, I posted about Manuscript Wish Lists. I figured, this is the time for me to post my #MSWL and the #Not my MWSL

#MSWL - YES!

• Category/Series writers - Specifically Harlequin: I am looking to find authors in ALL of the Harlequin lines. This includes:
• New authors who want to write for Harlequin
• Established authors at Harlequin who want to continue there AND explore other areas
• Historical romances set in 1920-1945: These stories need to be romance focused but have the feel of the time. Make sure you know your time.
• Romantic Suspense: Specifically cybercrime and white collar crime
• New Adult romance: I am really looking for stories that the 18-22 generation can relate to. 
• Contemporary Single Title: Stories should be 75K-100K and focus on characters that we would likely have as neighbors or colleagues. No excessive drama and not hyper trope focused.
• Women's Fiction: I want stories of again, characters that we would likely have as neighbors or colleagues. No excessive drama and not hyper trope focused. I want you to think UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN (the book not the movie) if it was fiction. These are stories of learning and understanding the world.
• Multicultural romances where the culture plays an integral part (see below for a twist on this). Think Sandra Cisneros

#MSWL - NO!

• Quit the "Rom Con in the style of Emily Henry" The market is saturated
• No sports romances
• No time travel
• Not a fan of "road trip stories"
• No band romance and followers "In the style of Daisy Jones and the Six.."
• Multicultural stories of drama. I am getting deluged with stories from India
• No Regency, Georgian of Victorian (thank you Bridgerton and Downton Abbey for swamping the market)

And finally, if it is not traditional romance and women's fiction, or items specifically on my NOT list found on my website, then DO NOT SEND IT!