Trust Your Gut

Gut instincts! We all know about these little feelings that tell us we should do something, but nine times out of ten, we decide it is probably just a hungry feeling and ignore it. It is only after we have made that decision that we realize that it wasn't that urge to hit the fridge, but your intuition telling us to do something. When it comes to writing, we have to always pay attention to our gut instinct,

especially when it comes to story development.

For those of you who have been following me over on Twitter, you have seen I have spent the last several days working through proposal development with one of my clients. We talked yesterday about her latest project and she realized that all of the extra baggage she was putting in her story came from ignoring her gut instincts. She was trying too hard to do with others were doing in their stories and not listening to the real story her brain wanted to tell.

I find so many authors doing things with their stories that simply are the wrong approaches. I always tell authors that there are no right or wrong ways of doing things in writing, but there are definitely wrong ways. Those wrong ways are when you are ignoring that gut instinct.

So, what should you be looking at when it comes to your writing? Consider the following:

• Are you writing in a genre because it is the hottest new trend right now?
• Are you pitching that story to an editor or an agent because someone else told you to do so?
• Why are having your characters say the things that you have them saying? 
• Are you putting something in your story because you just saw it on a blog, or heard it at a workshop?
• Are you adding that sex scene in the story because you have heard that hot is going to sell?

If you are listening to your gut instinct, you will know what to do. Ignore all of these external distractions and just focus on what needs to be done. Listen to your story. 

Trust it and you will be much happier. I promise.

Publishing Is About Taking Risks

There are no promises in publishing. There is no way we can make predictions on what great trends will happen in the coming year. Agents and editors are asked this at every panel I have ever seen or sat in on. "So, what do you see at the future for..."

When editors and agents sign on clients, they are doing so trusting a gut instinct. We THINK this might have potential. We THINK this new idea will fly. We THINK this author will have the stamina to pursue a career of the long haul. But these are all just guesses. We are taking a risk on you. And yes, that risk is going to cost the editors and agents.

• For agents, it is the time and energy, working for free, to get that that story ready and then to get it out to the editors.
• For publishers, it is the advance they sent to you, gambling that the book will sell, and the the time and energy that they put into the project.

I wanted you to think about that side of the equation before I dove into what risks, you as authors, need to be taking.

As you write those stories, you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone every now and then. Yes, writing what you always write is an easy route. You know what you are capable of doing and you can be comfortable writing it. But that pushing yourself to try to do different things with your stories is what will make you a stronger writer.

I don't know how many authors I have heard complain that their editors/publishers are "wanting them to write something that they are not comfortable with." The view this as an infringement on their craft and personal voice. In reality, what they should be seeing is the editors/publishers (and yes, even agents) trying to shape your career and give them something that might potentially prove to be great. 

It is a risk the author has to take. Writers cannot say that idea will not work. Remember, none of us can make that promise.

One of my clients was asked by her editor to spice some things up with her stories. Right now, her novels are pretty dang hot, but the editor wanted to "push the barrier a bit." I knew where the editor wanted to go, and I knew the writer could do it. But, as I read the partial, I could see she was holding back. This was a risk she was struggling with. So, we talked about it and worked through some potential directions she could go with the story.

But, to make it work, means she has to take that risk.

My son struggles with this. He s a swimmer and a dang fussy eater. We know something happened when he was young but now, food is scary to him. He sticks with the things he knows works and that is it. Does it get boring? Yep! Does he get frustrated? Yep! Is he willing to take that leap of faith. Right now the answer is no. We cannot push him to do it because it is up to him and his own personal motivation to take that leap. Only time will tell if he accepts that risk!

All authors have had to take that leap of faith. They had to take the risk to send out that first story for a critique. They had to send out that story to an editor or an agent as a submission. They had to take that risk and sign up for a pitch appointment. Would it work out? They didn't know at the time. Some did and some didn't. The point is, you don't know until you try it. 

So, what risk are you going to take this week. Let me know how that goes!

Manuscript and Desk Cleaning Day

Every now and then, it is time to do a little Spring cleaning. OK, it doesn't have to be spring, but cleaning up around the house, the office, the garage and even the closet is a good thing. When we do this, not only do we feel better because things look better, but we now have room to do more things. When we clean the closet, it means a trip to the mall for some more shopping. When we clean the house, we can now think about rearranging the living room, or even getting that one picture you wanted for sometime.

For authors, this activity will have a huge impact on your writing. Doing a little cleaning around your writing space as well as your manuscript will give you a new insight on how you approach your story.

Let's start first with your writing space. Clear off that desk of all the things that have been piling up for some time. Just like your closet, if you haven't needed the item for a while, it is time to put it in a filing cabinet or throw it away. If it is a project that still needs to be finished, find a place other than your desk. As long as it is sitting there, it is going to distract you. Every time you sit down to write your story, you see it and think, "I really should get around to doing that."

Next, take the time to clean off that computer monitor. Mine happens to be a touch screen so I have to really do that every now and then. Otherwise, I have to type around those sticky fingerprints.

Now it is time for making things nice around your desk. Sharpen those pencils, get some new note paper and Post-it notes, buy some new pens, refresh that picture on your desk... you get the idea.

Many employers have figured out that if the environment is friendly and comfortable, people will be much happier. Think about when someone brings in snacks for the office? The Microsoft campus here in the Seattle area has lounge areas, open lighting, great snack areas, basketball courts and so forth. If this is just like a resort, you stay longer.

The same with writing.

And now it is time to hit the manuscript you are working on. It is time to clean that bad-boy up! Today will not be about writing but will be about hacking away at the story.

A lot of you have heard the phrase, "tightening up your story." What this simply means is getting rid of all of those scenes, phrases, passages, paragraphs dialogue and even chapters that are doing nothing to advance your story. I know, at the time, you thought you really needed that scene, but when you go back and look at your story, you will find that it does nothing more than to suck the air out of the pacing and drag things down.

Many of those scenes are simply plot devices. You have crafted a way to get your character from Point A to Point B. In some cases, you created characters just to give a piece of new information to the characters. In other cases, you filled the scene because you had to get the characters angry with each other on the way to the in-laws house. For each of these cases, you can probably find another route.

• Use a montage effect to describe how idyllic the last week was at the lake with the hero. 
• Use a time tag to tell us how much time passed by.
• Have a character who is already in the story tell the other character the news.
• Have your main character figure something out for himself or herself.

While this might hurt because "you really liked that scene" also realize that you have now freed up space to do something else.

Your homework today. Clean up! Let me know how things work out.

There Are Always Different Approaches To Writing

I believe that a lot of new writers struggle a lot with approaches to writing. There is this belief, especially after reading a craft book, or taking a workshop that there is only way way to do things. There is only one way to write a synopsis. There is only one way to write a query. If you are writing a YA or New Adult, it must be in 1st person. This is far from the truth!

Writers need to understand that there is no right or wrong way for doing pretty much everything in writing and publishing. But, with that said, there are certainly wrong ways of doing things.

The approach you take with your story is dictated by the story and your voice. If your story is going to work best in first person, then write it in first person. If your story needs a prologue, then put one in. It is important to note here, that I am saying the story dictates this. You simply cannot say "Well, I like writing in first person." That may be the case, but this story you are working on may not like that approach.

But, does this mean you can do anything you darn well want and if someone rejects your story, it is their fault. Absolutely not. When we say there are a lot of different approaches, we still have specific parameters we are working with. Remember, this is an industry and a business. If you want to write for Harlequin, the you need to meet the parameters of their individual lines. If you want to submit a story to them, you need to follow their guidelines for submission. The same goes for the agents out there. They too have guidelines. They also have specific likes and dislikes. This means making sure you adapt your writing and your approach.

I simply want to remind you to not take things too seriously when it comes to approaches. If you read something on this blog that says, I recommend writing a query letter one way, and Janet Reid over at Query Shark takes another approach, that's fine! Guess what, both approaches work!

Will Everyone Slow Down! Please!

For those of you who have talked to me at conferences in the past, you know that I am someone who loves to have a book in my hand. Sure, I know we have moved to a digital age, and yes, I do read submissions on my iPad, but when it comes to actual reading, I am someone who loves the feel of a book! But for me, the move to digital has presented a new concern that I believe needs to be addressed. Writers and publishers seem to be obsessed with speed!

As an agent, I am now seeing so many projects come across my desk that are really bad! Are these stories that can be fixed? Most likely, but the authors needed to take the time to really work through their writing to put the best they can out there for editors and agents. They all seem to be rushing. Maybe there is a belief that if they don't get that story out to the editor or agent hours after they type the words THE END, they will never be published.

And this isn't just with submissions. I don't know how many times I am downloading books to read (and yes, this is where the digital element comes into play) where the premise of the books sounds amazing, but, within the first few pages, it is clear this book seriously needed editing.

I have a couple of authors at Greyhaus who ventured into the "digital market" with traditional publishers. These were not cases of self-publishing. They were working with larger publishers and their digital lines. Again, we saw the same "rush" approach. Stories were submitted for editorial feedback and comments really didn't come in until a few weeks before the publication date. Although in these cases, the authors had enough support systems with critique partners and my help to get them through it, the process was still rushed.

I guess I am thinking this way because several of my authors, who are working on the traditional side of things, are in the middle of revisions right now. This is a gorgeous waltz to watch them (and yes I get to dance too) discussions with their editors. They submit material, their editor provides feedback, they discuss it further, they talk on the phone to discuss issues... I think you get the idea. The goal is to produce the best dang story out there for the readers.

I really don't care if authors want to self-publish, write entirely digital, or write for traditional publishers. I just want to see us return to that approach of quality control before putting the products out there for the readers.

Maybe part of the reason we are seeing a decline in sales for books is not so much the reasons we have heard: digital vs. traditional; the rise of self-publishing; the decline of traditional bookstores; El Nino... and so forth. Maybe we are seeing the writing quit reading because the quality is not there. And note, this is not an issue of "publishers not open to new concept". I am strictly talking about the time it takes to write a great story.

Just something to think about.

Happy Holidays From Greyhaus

I'll be taking a quick break from the blogging and the other work around the agency to get caught up on a few things and to do things with the family.

I want to wish you all the best over the holidays and to remind you to keep on working. You don't want to lose that momentum you had on that current writing project.



A Big Thank You To The Courteous Authors

This morning, I received an email from an author who sent me a project for consideration. The message was short and sweet.

She simply noted that she had received an offer of representation from another agent and wanted to let me know she had accepted.

What this author did was right on the money and I want to thank her for it. We know that authors are sending out projects as multiple submissions. This is standard. But the nice thing is that she kept the agents informed so that we didn't end up reading a project that had already been accepted by someone else.

Showing courtesy like this will get authors a long way in this business! For this author, I want to wish her all the best.

Understanding Dedication In Writing

I hear a lot of writers (and certainly see this too in query letters) state they are "really dedicated to their career." They are "committed," they proclaim. And, as an agent, (and I know editors probably in agreement here), this is what we want in our authors. But this dedication is more than simply a word. This is more than the time and money you would spend on "marketing and promotion." This dedication is really an internal commitment.

This is a business about putting everything on the line. This is about looking at your work and not being satisfied even with the work that is good. There should be a constant desire to be better at what we do.

It is important to understand this is not about "attending more conferences" or "writing more books." This is not about the time we spend on a story. This is about internalizing what we do and really pushing ourselves to be better at what we do.

I will be honest. I see a lot of authors out there who have some great stories. They pitch a great pitch. But when you really start to talk and get to know these people, it becomes clear that maybe, they still don't have it yet. Sure, they know the right words to say, but it is that meaning that might be lost for these authors.

This is a tough business. You are putting (or should be) your heart and soul into a project. Those are your emotions in the book and not just the characters talking. When you finish writing a chapter, you are as physically exhausted as someone who just ran a marathon. But to be successful in this business, you have to keep pushing. You have to be all in!

It's Just One Person's Point Of View

This is just a quick post today but I think it is an important one.

As we have said time and time again here on this blog, (I am sure I have said it in other places as well) this is an extremely subjective business. This simply means that what works for one person might not work for someone else. I might pass on one of your projects because the story didn't work for me. This does not mean someone else might fall madly in love with it.

I bring this up because I will frequently get an author who responds back to a rejection wondering if he or she could completely revise the story and resubmit. While this is a great request, I honestly believe it is time that I might not spend if I were an author - or at least at that exact moment. My rejection was just one point of view. Another agent might see things differently.

Now, if you have received the same feedback from multiple agents, then yes, you might want to start listening.

I try to remind authors of this when I do critiques or judge final rounds for contests. Don't get all worked up if it didn't work for me.

Tidbits About Scott - The Horse and Dog Take Over

 Sharper Eagle - Agent Assistant

 Apollo - Agent Assistant

We have each taken over one time before, but we figured we would get in here together, before Scott got to the post and do another take-over. We know he is always talking about the importance of getting to know an agent before you send your work in to that person, so we thought we would give you some insight.

That's right Sharper! I don't know how many times he complains to me as we are reading submissions together about the authors who really don't know who Scott is.

OK, Apollo. Let's get started. We are simply going to make a list of his likes and dislikes. 

Born in Santa Monica California. 

Favorite place to visit: Disneyland

You do know Sharper, that he met his wife at Disneyland.

Places he has visited: France, Ireland, Slovakia, Austria, Italy

Tell them how many kids he has Apollo...

He has three and they keep him pretty busy. One swims both for a club team and the school team. The middle one rides you on the jumper circuit, and the youngest is on a dance team.

I was nosing around the garage one day, Sharper, and did you know that Scott used to do theatre? He says it was BC (Before Children)

Actually Apollo, I did know that. He started in high school and continued in community theatre. His favorite roles were:

• Romeo
• Benvolio
• Lorenzo (Merchant of Venice)
• Orsino (Twelfth Night) 
• Oberon (Midsummer Nights Dream
• Capt. Von Trapp (he did that one twice)

Favorite food: pasta and seafood

Other careers: teaching middle school, high school and now does some part time work at the college

Does he have favorite music Apollo?

• Jazz
• Classical
• Country
• But mostly loves 80's music

Favorite sport: Baseball and the Seattle Mariners

Favorite TV Channels: Food Network, Travel Channel

Dream job? Surprisingly Apollo, I do know Scott has talked about wanting to do editorial work, but his big thing right now is to work for Disney.

Favorite Book: The Ascent of Rumdoodle

You know, I think the two of us have done a really good job of getting this going. Here is the challenge though. If you want to know more about Scott, send us your questions and we will try our best to give you all of the juicy inside news. We can't promise we will answer everyone, but we will do our best!

Apollo and Sharper Eagle

Halloween Agent Terror Tales

It's Halloween so I figured I'll be like so many other bloggers out there and make a list of the ten most terrifying things we face as agents:

• 10. The stalking author We all have them and I have to say, we get to a point where we are simply afraid to open up our email. It is this same person that will always find you at a conference, approach you at the airport to and from a conference and so forth.
• 9. Opening your email after a week away at a conference - There are how many new submissions? The editors want those revisions 2 days ago? The contracts that need to be reviewed!!!. Arggghhhh
• 8. Sitting down with an author during a pitch session dressed up as a vampire. Honestly it doesn't have to be a vampire but I think you get the idea. I did have one woman stand up as the pitch began and started singing. How do you keep a straight face to that?
• 7. Going to the restroom at a conference While we might think this is a sanctuary from the authors, they have been known to pitch to us.  
• 6. Attending a conference to find the bar is closed. Look, we have to get through the conference some how. I will also add to this the terror of finding out the "conference rates" at the bar that give you a 6 oz. wine for $7.50.
• 5. Hearing your top writer say their computer just got fried and their latest story went with it.  We're counting on you and now we hear things are delayed? How do I break this to the editor?
• 4. Having to tell your author they are changing editors, again. This is normally not an issue, but it becomes more of a counseling session with the author. We drink wine. We listen to them cry. We listen to them scream. We drink more wine. 
• 3. Opening up a query letter where the author goes on for pages about how they translated their personal experience of being a werewolf into their latest story. See items #8 above
• 2. Reading a query for a 500,000 word story for a series line - Inevitably this person becomes a stalker too. When we see these, we simply scream, "Run Forrest Run!"
• 1. Hearing another book store closed - Need I say anything else.

Have a great Halloween everyone!

We All Have Stories That Kick Our Butts - But We Will Survive!

One of my authors has been working on one project for a while now, and I have to say, it has seriously been kicking her butt! There isn't a week that goes by that I am not working on the computer and my SKYPE light starts blinking and it is from the author simply asking "Do you have a minute to chat?" Now first of all, don't get me wrong. This is what I am here for and I very much appreciate our chats together. These are far from interruptions. The point though, is that the struggles this author is facing are issues that EVERY author goes through at least once in their career. Most likely, it happens a lot more than we know.

There will be times that we have this great story idea and, for some reason (and these reasons can vary from book to book) you will hit a point in the writing or editing process that you feel you totally suck as a writer. You hate the characters. You hate your last scene. You feel your editor will completely disown you and throw you to the street if you don't pull this off. You know your agent is never going to help you with a project.... you get the idea.

Unfortunately, this becomes a downward spiral for you. Yes, we know you will hit moments when the story isn't working right for you, but, if you add in that element of stress, you will only make things worse for you. Increasing the stress and the pressure to succeed is not going to get you through this. You have to find a way to work through this.

There are a lot of people who have tried to convince themselves that they need to write under pressure to succeed. Yes, we do know having a deadline is important and we can set our own deadlines, but writing under pressure to increase that stress turns out to be counter productive. In a 2012 article from Forbes Magazine discussing How Stress Affects Your Mental Health (this information also came from the APA in 2010), the author notes "Stress also causes the release of chemicals that impair the function of the prefrontal cortex, home of higher level thinking.  When we experience acute stress, these chemicals–including cortisol and norepinephrine–heighten our reactive tendencies by muting our reflective tendencies, leading to everything from anxiety to aggression to depression." For an author, this is not good. We need those higher level thinking skills to problem solve our way out of the story.

Now I don't want to spend a lot of time giving you all of these solutions of how to "fix" your stress level with this impossible story. This is one of those times when you need to go back to what works best for you. Chocolate, Hot Baths, A Cruise, Whatever.... What I do want to stress is that you are not alone.

You need to take a quick moment though to realize that you have the skills to get through this. You have the resources around you. For this author, it took some comments by both the editor and me to tell her we had confidence that she would do it. Yes, it took a couple of calls on SKYPE, but we got through it.

What was the end result? The manuscript was turned in. The editors loved it. There was a scream of excitement heard around the world knowing that story was behind her. And more importantly, her enthusiasm to get into the next project was even stronger. In many ways, I am reminded of the final line from Paul Newman in the Color of Money... I'm Back!

Some Fun For Wednesday - Insults For Those Bad Reviewers

A colleague of mine sent these to me. I thought this would be perfect for those letters you want to write to the reviewers who hated your books, or to the agents and editors who rejected your books.

Please remember, DO NOT SEND THE LETTER. Just vent at home, don't print, don't hit send, don't call. Just get it out of your system and write the next dang good book!

Shakespeare Insult Kit

Combine one word from each of the three columns below, prefaced with "Thou":

Column 1           Column 2            Column 3

 

artless             base-court          apple-john

bawdy               bat-fowling         baggage

beslubbering        beef-witted         barnacle

bootless            beetle-headed       bladder

churlish            boil-brained        boar-pig

cockered            clapper-clawed      bugbear

clouted             clay-brained        bum-bailey

craven              common-kissing      canker-blossom

currish             crook-pated         clack-dish

dankish             dismal-dreaming     clotpole

dissembling         dizzy-eyed          coxcomb

droning             doghearted          codpiece

errant              dread-bolted        death-token

fawning             earth-vexing        dewberry

fobbing             elf-skinned         flap-dragon

froward             fat-kidneyed        flax-wench

frothy              fen-sucked          flirt-gill

gleeking            flap-mouthed        foot-licker

goatish             fly-bitten          fustilarian

gorbellied          folly-fallen        giglet

impertinent         fool-born           gudgeon

infectious          full-gorged         haggard

jarring             guts-griping        harpy

loggerheaded        half-faced          hedge-pig

lumpish             hasty-witted        horn-beast

mammering           hedge-born          hugger-mugger

mangled             hell-hated          joithead

mewling             idle-headed         lewdster

paunchy             ill-breeding        lout

pribbling           ill-nurtured        maggot-pie

puking              knotty-pated        malt-worm

puny                milk-livered        mammet

qualling            motley-minded       measle

rank                onion-eyed          minnow

reeky               plume-plucked       miscreant

roguish             pottle-deep         moldwarp

ruttish             pox-marked          mumble-news

saucy               reeling-ripe        nut-hook

spleeny             rough-hewn          pigeon-egg

spongy              rude-growing        pignut

surly               rump-fed            puttock

tottering           shard-borne         pumpion

unmuzzled           sheep-biting        ratsbane

vain                spur-galled         scut

venomed             swag-bellied        skainsmate

villainous          tardy-gaited        strumpet

warped              tickle-brained      varlot

wayward             toad-spotted        vassal

weedy               unchin-snouted      whey-face

yeasty              weather-bitten      wagtail

Murphy's Law And Writing - Be Like a Boy Scout and "Be Prepared"

We have all heard the expression, from our good friend, Murphy. "If it can go wrong, it will go wrong." You know, there are some days I wish Mr. Murphy had kept his mouth shut. But, unfortunately, he is correct. As a writer (although I will have to say in pretty much every profession out there, we have to be prepared for the bad things happening to our writing when we least need it to happen.

One of the things I try to tell many beginning writers is to take as many pre-emptive steps to insure that if something does go wrong, you have a back-up plan or something to save your but. This is even more important now that we have moved into a digital age.

We rely on the internet, our computers and email for everything. But what happens if you have a deadline and your computer crashes? What happens when the internet crashes and you need to get a document to your editor across the country? What happens if your memory stick with your full manuscript is lost or damaged? What are you going to do?

Is there a single correct answer to fix this problem? Can we literally insure that Mr. Murphy will not come diving into our lives uninvited? Probably not, but we can be a little more prepared to insure we don't fall too far behind.

As we start the month of May, I want you to make some serious plans to insure that your writing is safe and sound and you have those back-up plans. Take the time in the rest of the week to do a couple of things, just to play it safe.

• Print off that current work in progress so you have a "hard copy" 
• Save that document in multiple locations - on "the cloud", in emails, on USB Drives (anything will do).
• Determine a back up plan in case your own personal computer crashes.
• Do you have a back up email address in case you need to get in touch with someone or they need to get in touch with you?

Even if this does suck up some of your writing time, you will feel much happier in the long run.

So, anyone want to share their horror stories of Murphy coming to visit your writing career?

In Search of the Timeless Classic

I really don't know what it was that got me thinking about this recently. It might have been me simply surfing the television one day looking for anything worthwhile to watch and stumbled across a movie that I have always loved. No, this wasn't what I would call a classic, but I do think it would be ranked up there in the top of my movie watching list. But what about books?

I am frequently asked in interviews (and I know other editors and agents are asked the same thing) what is your favorite book ever. This is always a tough question to ask, especially from someone who has both undergraduate and graduate work in literature. What I always find myself doing, when answering the question, is really naming two books (and yes, it does change all of the time depending on my mood). One book is always that "go to book" when you simply are looking for something to read. The other is the one that would somehow fit that category of classic. But again, what is a classic?

I personally would have to define a classic as a book that really can stand the test of time. The characters, the theme, the exploration of human emotions - all of these are things that seem to make a book a classic. These books certainly don't need to break the mold and do something no one else has ever done, even though these "classics" often do. They simply need to stand the test of time. These are books that are just as powerful today as when they were first written.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do believe there are a lot of great books out there with outstanding studies of human emotion, themes and great characters, but I wouldn't likely classify these as "a classic." These would simply be GREAT BOOKS!

As I said, there are also those books that are my "go to book." For me, these books are those that I can open up to any page and just start reading. I don't need to read the whole thing, I don't need to read a lot. These are the "feel good" books. For me, these really don't need to be stories that will stand the test of time. Sure, some do, but these are often really personal selections.

So, here is the question for you. Name you favorite "timeless classic." Let's see what we come up with!

The Truisms of Walt Disney World (That's My Opinion) by Steve Russo

The Truisms of Walt Disney World (That's My Opinion) by Steve Russo

This is a great article for all of yu Disney freaks like me. So, what are you "publishing truisms"? And please people, this is a fun activity for the weekend. No posting things just to make a political statement or slam against something in publishing.

I'll get this started...

It is a certainty that I will find a spelling error AFTER I hit the send message with a submission.

What Motivates You To Write?

Simple question for this weekend.

What is it that motivates you to sit down at that computer and write your story?

Share your thoughts.

Midweek Discussion

This is a simple one for today...

What type of character do you like in books you read? What are the characteristics of that great hero or heroine?

Monday Morning Challenge

"Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been 5 kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure, this one left them all behind."
So, give me your favorites. They can be movies, they can be great romance authors. Give me the name of the book/movie, the author (if there is one) and the characters. Then tell me what made it so "perfect".

Cameron Diaz and Greyhaus Literary Agency Unite

I am really excited to talk about this today. This all came from some fun and exciting emails and calls yesterday as I was hanging out with my dog.
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Let me first say that Ms. Diaz and I are not working together on any project; however, if she is interested in working on this project, please make sure to contact me.

Now, let me explain.

Let me also note that I am not going to state names here because these are honest mistakes, but things that I do believe we can all learn from.

As I was working yesterday, I received an email from a senior ranking editor from a major publisher. This person was extremely excited to see that I was working with Ms. Diaz on a book project and wanted to talk to me about it.

You have to understand, this threw me for a loop. I had no idea what this person was talking about. In any case, I did email the editor and stated that there was obviously a mistake or a miscommunication.

But wait, it gets better.

I get home from taking my kids to swimming and I have a message on my answering maching. Apparently a major talk show is also interested in this new partnership I have with Ms. Diaz. In this case, the person mentioned how they found the information from the internet.

I will obviously be talking to this person later today to discuss the issue as well.

So, what is the point of all this? Simple.

In each of these cases, the mistakes stemmed (from what I can tell) from an issue of misreading material on the internet and drawing conclusions without really taking the time to read the information fully. I was able to duplicate how they might have gotten the information and in reality, this is the only answer. This is what we call a "reading miscue." It is simply an issue of the brain doing one thing and we do something else.

I recommend for all writers to be very aware of what is going on out there on the internet and in the business. We need to do this to make sure we are all on the same track. Yes, I understand there is a ton of material out there on the internet so that means we have to be even more careful of what we read. This also means that we cannot start jumping to conclusions or doing things that might bite us in the butt later on.

As for me, I do have to say, yesterday was a great day.

And Ms. Diaz, if you are interested in working on some additional writing, please let me know. I will certainly be there for you!

Scott