Artist retreats provide a wonderful opportunity to get loads of work done, rest your over-stuffed brain, and most importantly, recharge the creative battery. This week, I’ve retreated to the sticks of Missouri to get some serious work done.

Artist retreats aren’t like normal vacations; they can be a waste of time if you don’t come back with work to show for it. As I go through my week, I’ll be posting a few simple rules you can use to get the most out of your retreat or vacation.

1.  Pick a comfortable destination, both familiar and relaxing. I’m at my in-laws’. Despite most people’s experiences, my in-laws relax me.

2.  Depart with the mindset to work hard and accomplish things.

3.  Make sure to bring all the necessary materials for your project.

4.  Once there, arrange your workspace in a comfortable manner. (Twenty hours after arrival, my desk is not arranged, thus I’m writing this on a top bunk propped up by a pillow. Ouch.)

5.  Focus on your writing despite possible distractions (including a room full of month-old kittens next door).

6.  Exercise so you don’t start feeling restless or rundown.

Er–okay so I haven’t gotten to that last one yet, but I will! I promise!

RHDavis

Today is Sunday, which means guest blogging over at SM Blooding and friends. Visit Sm Blooding for all sorts of writing advice: the character-driven plot, query letters, fitting writing into your busy schedule, and more.

RHDavis

My first published review of fiction is up at Thiszine. It’s a review of Hannah Berry’s graphic novel BRITTEN AND BRULIGHTLY. Go here for the full review.

RHDavis

Is writing at home a real job? Maybe for Steven King. But is it a real job for aspiring authors who haven’t been published and aren’t seeing any money yet? Most authors (including me) think so, but there are always those who disagree, who see it as a lazy excuse to stay home.

The great write-at-home debate has finally been settled in the Yahoo universe.

This Yahoo news article officially classified “Writer/Editor” as number 9 in the top 10 legitimate stay-at-home jobs. Whatever you or I may think about Yahoo news’ idea of journalism, we must admit that it reflects the appetites and attitudes of pop culture. If Yahoo says it, most everyone is going to ingest it by the end of the day.

So those of us who write full-time at home, let’s raise our fists high and claim the respect we deserve as hard workers!

RHDavis

With everything we authors have to keep in mind (the ins-and-outs of writing, the ins-and-outs of publishing, the habits, the marketing, etc.) we often forget one important item: positive feedback!

I got positive feedback on FLYNN today. We’re talking the kind of feedback where my reader stayed up late because she couldn’t stop reading, and can’t imagine that FLYNN won’t get published.

After all my hard work this spring and summer, finishing the third draft and preparing to query, I think I deserved a moment of basking in encouragement. We really do need it. We can’t just give and give and give to the writing machine without ever getting anything back.

My courage redoubled, I’m going back to work on my synopsis tomorrow so I can start querying!

RHDavis

What does a good query letter look like? Well, that depends on who you ask. Frustrating as it is, different sources will give you different query letter guidelines. I know this because I’m in the process of querying for FLYNN, and have read two books and several web sites on the subject.

Here are the guidelines which seem to be consistent. A query should: give a concise description of the work; have a hook; make the agent want to keep reading; look and sound professional; be error free.

Beyond those bare basics, I’m afraid it gets confusing. No two sources give the exact same advice. Some say to give a general overview of the story; some say to give only a paragraph-long taste of it. Some say to include a paragraph about your writing credentials; some say to keep it to one sentence. Some say to only talk about your book, while some say to mention your bio and your genre’s market.

So which source do you listen to? When crafting that all-important query, whose guidelines do you follow?

The answer is actually very easy. Follow the guidelines of the particular agent you’re submitting to.

Yup. Different agents want different things in a query, so even if you were to find the “standard” query guideline in some magical book, you’d still have to change each individual letter you sent to fit that agent’s criteria. Most agents have query letter preferences somewhere on their web site, so do your homework.

Does this mean writing a new letter for each agent? No. Your hook will stay the same, and your book’s summary will probably stay the same for most agents. Some may request a short summary of only one paragraph, and for those you might write a whole new letter. But most of their special requirements will only pertain to how much you write about yourself, and whether or not they want you to address how your book fits into the market (most agents don’t look for that in the query letter, but some do).

So look at all those “writing a good query” books and get advice from them, but in the end, craft the final draft according to the individual’s preference.

For sources of general query advice (remember, these are books, not stone tablets with eternal commands), check out:

YOUR NOVEL PROPOSAL: FROM CREATION TO CONTRACT by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook

 YOUR FIRST NOVEL by Ann Rittenberg and Laura Whitcomb

RHDavis

Thanks to everyone who voted for my query letter hook! The winner is a hybrid combination of sentences 2 and 4, with a hint of 3.

“Sixteen-year-old Flynn thinks learning about her dead parents is a dream come true—until she’s asked to live up to their legacy by leading the army to war.”

I appreciated that you guys took time to actually analyze why you liked or didn’t like each sentence. Many of you will be pleased to see that the telepathic sorcerers no longer make a cameo in this sentence.    It’s for the best–as one of my readers said, it over-simplifies who the bad guys actually are, and makes the reader think that fighting those bad guys is the book’s primary source of conflict (they are the occasion  for inner conflict, which is the primary conflict).

Anyway, again, thanks for the votes. Please join me this week as I discuss my experiences agent-hunting and query-writing on this blog.

RHDavis

Every novelist faces the dreaded query letter eventually–that unsolicited piece of mail meant to convince an agent that you, a complete stranger, have something worth their time to read. This summer it’s my turn to craft one, and I need all of your help (it’ll only take a second, I promise).

Below, I’ve listed four possible opening lines, or hooks, to start my query letter with. A good hook is essential to a successful query letter, so I want to know which of these hooks is the most interesting to you as an objective reader. All this weekend, you can post a comment voting for your favorite of the hooks (or if you like different elements of two or three of them, mention that too! I’m not opposed to making hybrid hooks from these originals).

Before we begin, let’s review the goals of a good hook; it catches your interest so you want to read on, and it presents the unique angle of your book. In other words, does it make FLYNN sound interesting, and does it make you think that this is going to be a neat story as opposed to a cookie-cutter fantasy?

Here, in no particular order, are the four candidates:

1. As an orphan, Flynn’s greatest wish is to learn about her heritage—she never thought that would mean leading an army against telepathic sorcerers at age sixteen.

2. Sixteen-year-old Flynn thought that learning about her real parents would be a dream come true, but now she has to live up to their legacy by leading the army against telepathic sorcerers.

3. Sixteen-year-old Flynn is excited to learn that her late parents were war heroes, until she’s asked to live up to their legacy and lead the army against a race of telepathic sorcerers.

4. Sixteen-year-old Flynn is excited to learn that the parents she can’t remember were great military heroes—until she’s asked to lead the kingdom to war in their place.

The polls close Sunday night, and Monday I will announce the winner. Also, stay tuned for possible postings of FLYNN excerpts in the near future!

RHDavis

I’m having a heck of a time finding published female graphic novelists! I’ve been asked by two different sites to submit reviews of graphic works by women. Both sites are female-centric groups who recognize the sad truth: there aren’t enough women in the comics industry!

Think about it. How many of your Sunday paper comics are written by women? How many by men? Go into any Borders, go the Manga/Graphic Novel section and try to find an American or European graphic novel that is written or drawn by a female. I did this the other day. I found two. Two out of an entire front-and-back shelf of graphic novels (I didn’t check the Marvel stuff, though).

I found Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry and Robot Dreams by Sarah Varon. There’s a graphic novel called Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi that I am just dying to read–it was listed in Newsweek a few weeks ago as one of the top 50 books to read to “understand our times,” whatever that means. I think it just means Persepolis is a really good book.

Looks like me and my graphic novel are among the pioneers. All you drawing ladies out there, let’s get to work and break into the public sphere!

But enough of that. I’ve been absent from this blog for awhile, because of business and laziness. I’ve been working on ideas for my web site, reading, and working on critiques of the two female graphic novelists I found. I’ve been trying to keep house, which isn’t working so well, and I joined a new group of ladies for Tuesday night Bible study. Oh yeah, and I was in an amateur music video for a Rock Band competition. More details on that to follow.

Today is going to be work, followed by going to the pharmacy, followed by going to the vet (my little rat Krycek is sick), followed by going to the hometown to see friends. Maybe eating and exercising in there somewhere.

RHDavis

My stint of highly experimental book promotion tactics continued today as I began the first round of cold-calling bookstores to ask about hot-selling titles in YA fantasy. I called exactly nine stores and got a host of responses from the inventory staff/managers, ranging from a twenty-minute conversation to a curt declaration that “Vampires are big, and that’s all I can tell you.”

Yes, vampires are big. I knew Twilight was an all-out phenomenon, but I had no idea how much until today. Twilight or the word “vampires” was the first thing out of every store manager’s mouth--without exception. Nine managers, and most of them had to think hard to remember any YA fantasy titles besides vampire ones.

My online research and my own in-store sleuthing have turned up many other fantasy books besides vampire/supernatural–the Pellinor series by Allison Croggon, Eon by Alison Goodman, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, the Bekah Cooper series, and other things dragon and wizard related.

Are these titles getting lost in the shuffle because Twilight is so big? At what point does a fun cultural fad begin to eclipse other work and take more than its share of the spotlight? I was pretty surprised that most of the store managers didn’t even mention these more “traditional fantasy” titles when I asked.

I had a few good luck wishes from friendly people, and an exceptionally long conversation with the head of the children’s lit department at one store. I’ve no idea if any of this will pay off down the line when it comes time to market Flynn, but I think a couple of those people might remember me. A couple out of ten isn’t bad.

RHDavis

As I launch into this adventure of (hopefully) publishing, the subjects of book marketing and author promotion are ever in my mind. It’s a fact that authors must self-promote books, and that’s hard in a world over-saturated with media promotions and advertisements. The savvy author gets creative, and that’s what I intend to do with these highly experimental and as-yet-untested ideas. Will they work? Will they fail in a fiery crash of doom? I guess we’ll find out.

This first idea I coined “planting the seeds of a book signing.” Here’s how it works.

It’s always a good idea to check with bookstore managers or inventory personnel about which titles are selling well in your genre. It’s a way of scoping out the competition. But have you ever thought of using it to get your foot in the door for future book signings?

When you call a store up, don’t just mumble out: ”Yeah, can you tell me which titles are selling right now in YA epic fantasy?.” Introduce yourself (by the name you hope to publish under) and explain why you want to know this information. “Hi, I’m Rachel Heston Davis. I’m calling to ask about which titles in YA epic fantasy are selling well for you. I’m writing a YA epic fantasy and I’m trying to get a sense of the market and the competition.”

Okay, don’t say it just like that. They’ll think you’re a robot or an automated message. Speak like a warm-blooded human being, but for heaven’s sake get the vital information across: you are calling for this information because you are writing a book.  Be friendly and personable. With any luck, your call will stand out from the masses of people who call in, don’t introduce themselves, ask a quick question and hang up.

Maybe this bookstore manager or inventory stocker will find it interesting that an industrious future author called for research purposes. Maybe this, along with your friendly demeanor, will help him/her remember you down the line when your book is finally published and you call to ask if you can do a signing at the store.

Okay, many of these people probably won’t remember you. But at the very least, what can it hurt to try?

And if you live anywhere near these bookstores, you should go have this conversation face to face. (I plan to do this, but I also plan to call stores from every region in the US to make sure I’ve got a feel for national trends as well as local.)

I’ve gathered phone numbers for stores from every region of the continental US (at least two in each region). Many of these places I probably won’t do a signing at (Montana, for example) but you never know! And it can be hard to get a book stocked in a big chain store, so having all the connections possible ahead of time will help.

Tips for pulling this off: make sure you ask for a manager or inventory person, not a clerk. Know what you’re going to say ahead of time so you’ll sound happy and confident. Write down the name of the person you chatted with, and anything interesting that was said during the conversation.

Don’t forget to write down the titles of the books that s/he says are selling well. That’s the whole reason you called, right?

If you really feel confident and excited about this project (I do), get out a map and look at likely routes you could take if you ever did a book signing tour. I, for example, live in Southern Illinois, so I researched Borders locations in all of Illinois, western Missouri and Iowa, eastern Indiana, and even into eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. I will call several Borders along those major interstate routes in the hope that someday, when Flynn is headed for the shelves, I can call back and ask to do a signing.

RHDavis

I only missed one day of NaBloPoMo, and I almost missed tonight, but not quite! After Sunday’s guest blog with SM Blooding I was out of blog juices for awhile.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin a series of posts on innovative marketing ideas for the new author. The thought of marketing and self-promotion daunted me at first, but after reading a few resources on the subject I feel confident in my ability to bring my book to the attention of the public. I’d like to share some of my more imaginative ideas.

Tomorrow, despite many pressing responsibilities (preparing the house for Tuesday night and Wednesday celebrations), I will get some actual work done on my querying package. And hopefully some reading.

RHDavis

If you’ve time, perhaps you’d like to hear about my moment of despair.

Right now I’m unemployed and have no guarantee that anyone in the publishing world is ever going to print what I’ve just spent the last 13 months of my life working on every weekday. I may not have anything to show for this endeavor, except to be even further behind those of my peers who are already showing promising careers.

Sigh.

All right. Enough. It’s healthy to allow yourself a little groan about these things once in awhile, just to air the feelings out in the sunshine. But really, it’s only helpful if you pull yourself out of it afterwards.

On another note, I will try hard to post tomorrow so as not to break the NaBloPoMo, but I don’t know if I’m going to have the Internet. We will have to see if I manage it.

On Sunday, I’ll have my first guest blog at www.smblooding.blogspot.com

RHDavis

It’s important for modern authors to market themselves online via web sites, and to that end I purchased rachelhestondavis.com tonight. I’m so excited! I have an excellent web designer friend all lined up to work with me, so hopefully within a short amount of time I will announce the release of my site upon the world. Mwuh-ha-ha!

In other news, you can now subscribe to this blog via email! Just visit the widget farther down the page which says “subscribe to Up and Writing via email.” Pretty self-explanatory.

Please continue to visit yesterday’s post and put in your two cents. What books/characters really come alive for you when you read them?

RHDavis

What makes a piece of writing creative? Why do certain genres–novels, short stories, poetry, journalism, even copywriting–get the additional word “creative” attached to them?

Is it because they require the execution of certain forms? Perhaps the manipulation of form, such as the rising and falling action of a story or the line pattern of poems, and a careful choice of words constitutes creativity. But all writing adheres to form; the alphabet, the rules of grammar, etc. Creativity must go deeper than just that.

Let’s consider what the word itself actually means. I turn to the little Merriam Webster dictionary which sits on my desk and watches me write every day. It defines “create” as, “To bring into being: cause to exist.”

Creative writing brings something into being. It causes something to exist.

In his famous essay “On Fairy Stories,” J. R. R. Tolkien called this “sub-creation,” the idea that humans make worlds of their own through imagination. We’ve all experienced the effects of this. Novels, short stories and poetry invent worlds and people which become as real to us as our friends and family. I, for one, catch myself thinking of Atticus Finch as a real person, and I swear Hobbiton must be out there somewhere if only I could find it!

Even journalism and copywriting have a sense of creation about them. Journalism takes factual and often mundane events and weaves a world of interest and relevance around them. Reporters don’t just report layoff statistics for the factory down the road; they make the story personal through interviews, and explain the relevance for the community. (For more on journalism and its often-fantastic means of creation, visit Journalism Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances.)

And copywriting doesn’t just give information about a product; it creates a need you didn’t know you had, and then creates the idea that this product will fill it.

How about you? What books and stories feel real to you? What characters or worlds come alive? What product advertisement made up the biggest problem you never knew you had?

RHDavis

J. R. R. Tolkien had an old-school writing style. He studied mythology and Old English extensively, and his prose in Lord of the Rings reflects a high, mythic sound reminiscent of older books and stories. A sound I don’t run into anymore in the world of literature. That is, until now.

Imagine my surprise when I ran across a modern book (copywright 2002) with a high wordy sound like Tolkien, and in a very similar universe. The Namingby Australian poet Alison Croggon is my newest summer read, and a good YA fantasy at that.

I must admit, there’s something charming about that style of writing. Though modern readers like things quick and snappy (heck, so do I), we can also find value in a slower pace, in intricate description and high language. It puts us in mind of times long past, and helps draw the setting and action clearly in our mind’s eye.

I’m now in the mood to read Shakespeare, the King Arthur legends, Greek and Norse mythology–and to finish The Odyssey, for heaven’s sake, which I’ve been working on for a solid six months now and haven’t even gotten a third of the way through.

So just for the heck of it, let’s all go pick a good old-school book and have a reminiscent summer read.

RHDavis

Here are the quick and easy online networking tips I used today:

1. Subscribed to a blog concerned with my writing genre

2. E-mailed the creators of another relevant blog and commented on their site

3. Follow-up correspondence about guest writing on other sites

I also wrote up an official To-Do list and made it less daunting using a tried-and-true trick. Many of my overall tasks (example, Get Web Site) involve so many steps that the whole process looks impossible. So I set up an outline which looks something like this:

Web Page

• Buy domain name
• Design
  • Research other authors’ sites
  • Ask my friend about helping with design
• Write content
• Get head shot for front page

Broken down into a hierarchy, I know exactly which things need to be done first and how many baby steps are involved in each big step. This somehow made things easier to swallow.

Happy writing all!

RHDavis