Wednesday Reads: Paper Towns

I've already mentioned how John Green is the bomb right? Here's a picture in case you need visual representation.

This is what, the fourth book of his I've read? I didn't want to put it down. He has it all. Unique plots. Voice. Exceptional and exceptionally odd and geeky characters. I can't decide which is my favorite, Paper Towns, or Looking for Alaska. Of course, topping them all, my all time John Green favorite is Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-written with David Levithan. (And don't forget to check out John Green's vlogs and whatever else he has coming up.)

Synopsis:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life–dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge–he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues–and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

First Line: "The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle." This is from the prologue which, by the way, is a great example of a really good prologue. And the first line from the first chapter, quiet but telling: "The longest day of my life began tardily."

Brownie Points: Q's interactions with his equally nerdy friends. They often have conversations making fun of each other that just go on and on and on and I'm laughing at every single line.

Recommendation: Everyone who likes YA should be required to read at least one, if not all, of John Green's books.

Would I represent it? The idea of representing someone like John Green... there are no words. I might throw a party for myself... that would never, ever end.

Happy reading!

Questions for the Agent: Queries and Partials

From when I was gone, I asked you, the lovely reader, to ask me questions and/or suggestions for future blog posts. I'm back. I'm (mostly) caught up with work. And now I'm answering your questions in segments (this is part two). And asking for more questions. Here's the time to find out all you can about the agent (remember most everything is subjective and does not apply to all agents). 


Do I respond to all queries?

Yes, I do, usually with a form rejection or request. I wish I could add a personal note to them all, but I have too many to answer. If I am particularly struck by one, an exceptional title jumps out at me, or you have a well written query but I must reject your ms for some reason (either the writing, characters, or subject matter didn't draw me in) I will try to add a note to help or encourage you. 


When I'm on the fence:

I take into account your fiction platform; this means if you are active in writing communities, online communities, Twitter, and/or blogging, I'll be swayed favorably. If I see that you have a Twitter and/or blog that was started but abandoned two years ago or updated once in a blue moon, it might harm your chances.
I'll also take a look at the market. I might like a project (not love) but if it's in high demand, I'll probably take a chance. If I know absolutely no one is buying it (if, for example, your main comp is Twilight) I'll probably say no. 


Insta-nos for queries:

• Obviously, if it's the wrong genre for me, it's gonna be a no. 
• Also, if you don't address me by my name (spelled correctly), it's probably going to be a no. If you don't use my name, I'm going to assume you didn't personalize the query and you sent it to twenty agents at the same time (if you do, for the love of all that's holy, hide the bccs).
• Writer shows he/she does not understand basics of grammar and/or spelling (I'll overlook obvious mistakes, even I can't catch every error; I can usually tell the difference between "Whoops didn't catch that" and "I think this is how this goes but I'm just going to guess") 
• Not always an instant deal breaker, however, using cliches aren't going to get you far. "Fateful night" is one that gets under my saddle and chaffs.

Insta-nos for partials:

• Unnatural dialogue.
• Excess of backstory.
• Cliche characters and/or situations and/or phrases. Ex: beautiful girl is so tragically misunderstood at school and that all changes when the mysterious new boy at school pays attention to only her.
• Writer shows he/she does not understand basics of grammar and/or spelling (I'll overlook obvious mistakes, even I can't catch every error; I can usually tell the difference between "Whoops didn't catch that" and "I think this is how this goes but I'm just going to guess"--this goes for query letters too)
• Writer shows he/she does not understand how to set a scene and/or plot. Ex: something I look for is length of sections and chapters. If the first chapter has sections or scenes a few paragraphs to a page or two long, it's probably because the writer doesn't know how to lengthen a scene and gives us what we need to understand the story or character.

Not so obvious insta-nos on partials:

• Lack of voice. If I cannot connect with the character, and if I can't empathize with him/her, I won't care about what happens.
• Unnecessary or excessive use of slang or bad language (this may or may not be subjective, because I understand some books use this as a device--I usually don't like those books). There is a fine line between voice and excessiveness.
• A prologue that is excessively long or I don't think is necessary; I'll try to skip ahead to the first chapter to give it a fair chance, but your prologue should be just as well written as the rest and if I'm in a hurry or super slammed with partials, I won't get that far.

Would I take an elevator pitch knowing the writer needs a month or more to actually query?

Yes. You're showing initiative by showing up the the conference (class, bathroom, wherever you may be) instead of waiting to research until after you've finished writing. Please don't send me something unfinished. You get one chance, use it wisely. I've heard of agents getting manuscripts from people they met at a conference two years prior. Agents understand that conferences are packed with a lot of info, info that probably makes you think "I need to revise that in my ms". Please, go use what you've learned, then get back to us.


Any more questions that go in this category of queries and partials?

Happy writing!

Wednesday Reads: Anna and the French Kiss

Why did it take me so long to get to this book?! I absolutely loved it. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

Synopsis:

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

First Line: "Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amalie and Moulin Rouge." She goes on to list more things she knows about France, which is pretty hilarious actually (and is actually more than I knew about France). But what I love is that her rant is headed by three movies. Anna loves movies. She wants to be a movie critique when she grows up (unique choice of profession) and you can see this in her voice. But her voice doesn't only consist of movies references. There is a lot to Anna and you fall in love with her as easily as every other character.

Beefs: Not an actual complaint but I felt compelled to mention it. Etienne St. Clair isn't your usual "OMG he is soooo hot" type of boy. He's imperfect, he has abandonment issues, and he's short. I usually prefer my hot male characters to be tall (tall, dark, and handsome; cliche, I know). But I love St. Clair despite his lack of height.

Chocolate Eclair Points: Perkins reveals France to us slowly, in bite-sized increments (and tasty mouthfuls of food I can't eat) that's easy to swallow. More points go to the friends, the family, and school. All unique and wonderfully well done.

Recommendation: You mean you haven't read it yet?! Shame on you! I'm super excited for her next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door to come out in fall 2011.

Would I represent it? In a heartbeat.

Happy reading!

Questions for the Agent: Personal Preferences

From when I was gone, I asked you, the lovely reader, to ask me questions and/or suggestions for future blog posts. I'm back. I'm (mostly) caught up with work. And now I'm answering your questions in segments. And asking for more questions. Here's the time to find out all you can about the agent (remember most everything is subjective and does not apply to all agents).


Boy POV MCs:

I'm for it. One of my favorite authors of boy POVs of all time is John Green. Of course, I don't expect you to be John Green-- let me correct that: please don't strive to be John Green (his awesomeness is so great I cannot refer to him simply as John or Green). What makes John Green John Green is his personal style and voice and plot. If you emulate him exactly, you won't be unique (he came first so he'll still stand alone at the top and you'll be cast lower). Find your own style and voice and hooks. Remember that boy POVs are less in demand than girl POVs because, sadly, the majority of teen readers are girls (and all readers in general actually). That said, plot accordingly. You probably don't want to write a YA romance from the POV of a boy. And an action/adventure written solely for a boy audience probably won't sell. 


Dystopians:

What? Where? Can I have it?
I love dystopians. They are less in demand than they were right after Hunger Games came out, but people are still reading and buying. But don't forget about other genres that haven't been explored as widely. And you can mix genres as well. 


Have I read Jellicoe Road?

Thanks for the suggestion! It's in my TBR pile right now. Have any others for me to read? 


Would I represent an international writer?

Sure. The same parameters apply to non-international writers: namely, I have to love it. So worry about that first. 


How to query LGBT lit:

Cast your net as wide as you can go. Unless an agent specifically isn't looking for it, go ahead and query them (if it meets their other guidelines--for example, I say I'm not looking for Time Travel, so if you have a LGBT time travel, don't query me--that said, I'm personally not looking for LGBT). The thing is, as agents, we understand that we might fall in love with the project even if we've been quoted by saying we didn't like a sub-genre. I'm not a huge fan of ghost stories and guess what? Yup, I signed one. It's about voice and craft.


Any more questions having to do with my personal preferences? This can be genres or how I like things submitted or something general about the business.

Happy writing!

Wednesday Reads: Rival

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer, besides its gorgeous cover, was a fantastic read. This is an example of multiple POV done excellently. What's more, is that the two character POV we see are two girls, but never once was I confused as to who was talking. Also, the consistent theme and references to music gives the rivalry theme a new twist.

Synopsis:

Brooke
I don't like Kathryn Pease. I could pretend everything's fine between us. I could be nice to her face, then trash her behind her back. But I think it's better to be honest. I don't like Kathryn, and I'm not afraid to admit it.
Kathryn
I saw a commercial where singers used their voices to shatter glass, but the whole thing is pretty much a myth. The human voice isn't that strong.
Human hatred is. Anybody who doubts that should feel the hate waves coming off of Brooke Dempsey. But I don't shatter; I'm not made of glass. Anyway, the parts that break aren't on the outside.
Brooke and Kathryn used to be best friends . . . until the night when Brooke ruthlessly turned on Kathryn in front of everyone. Suddenly Kathryn was an outcast and Brooke was Queen B. Now, as they prepare to face off one last time, each girl must come to terms with the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. 

First Line: Before we get to Chapter 1, each section is headed off with a musical definition. The first one is "Dissonance: a harsh sounding of notes that produces a feeling of tension and unrest."

Beefs: The line about the human voice not being able to shatter glass threw me for a moment because I saw it actually happen on Myth Busters. But the metaphor is well used and quickly gets you into the conflict of the story (and doesn't let you go).

Brownie Points: The use of musical metaphors is done is such a way that allows anyone (music lovers or not) to understand what is going on and connect to the characters. This also plays into VOICE; it's obvious what both characters value and we see it time and time again in their inner monologues.

Recommendation: Read it!!! It's one of those books that will take you by surprise. Basically it is a teenage rivalry/high school drama sort of book, but it's done so well, and so unique, that it really doesn't feel like one.

Would I represent it? You bet.

Happy reading!