 What is a beat sheet, and what is it used for?
In his screenwriting book Save the Cat, Blake Snyder lays out fifteen essential plot points and images that appear in (almost) all three-act movies. These plot points, or beats, are major events that build the setting, push the plot forward, and force the characters to change or take action. They can apply to any genre and can be used for middle grade and YA novels as well as adult fiction. Can you use a beat sheet if you're a pantser rather than a plotter? Definitely. The beat sheet lays out the major plot points. It doesn't mean you have to fill in all the details of what happens in every scene. Think of your book as a road trip. The beat sheet is a map that shows the start, finish, and the major points of interest along the way. You can label one, two, or more of those beats depending on how much of your novel you like to plan before you start writing. When you're ready to query, your beat sheet can also be a great reference for writing your synopsis.  So you've finished your draft. Congratulations! Now take a deep breath—here's where the fun begins.
Before you send your story into the world, make sure it's as polished as it can be. To help you, authors from different genres have shared their insight and wisdom gained over the years. Read below to learn what not to do during revisions as well as what you absolutely should do, and you may even come across a few tips you never thought to consider. 1. Read your work aloud. "You may sound full of yourself, but this is the best way to listen for rhythm—or lack of it, to zone in on klutzy spots and to hear words you may overuse: all, always, just, so, usually, very, perhaps, really… If you repeat words, be intentional about it." - Sally Koslow  (A guest column by literary agent (and author) Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary.)
Dean Koontz pretty regularly kicks my butt. So does Sharon Carter Rogers. And Chuck Palahniuk. Even Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling frequently leave me gasping on the mat, an adoring victim of their worded blows. These people know how to transform a simple fight description into a breathing, ragged conflict I experience deep in the emotion centers of my brain. In short, their fight-scene writing kicks butt. And yours can too—if you skillfully deliver the P.U.N.C.H.  It doesn’t matter how many books you’ve written or how much you’ve achieved—at some point, you’re going to deal with imposter syndrome.
Even Maya Angelou said, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” And here’s what John Steinbeck wrote in his journals while working on The Grapes of Wrath: “I’m not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people. I wish I were.” Even Agatha Christie struggled with these thoughts. She said, “I don’t know whether every author feels it, but I think quite a lot do—that I am pretending to be something I am not, because, even nowadays, I do not quite feel as though I am an author.”  A guest column by Nour Sallam of Helm Literary.
Everything you need to know about pitch events: How to prepare for pitching literary agents in person and what to expect in a pitch session. If you’ve found yourself here, you’re thinking about signing up to pitch an agent in person (or you’ve already done so!). As a literary agent, I’m going to tell you how to prepare for pitching agents and what you need to know about how to use the time you have for your pitch effectively. Pitching in person (or virtually) can be daunting. I get that! I’m not here to tell you not to be nervous because I’m sure everyone in your life has already told you that. But what I will tell you is that I personally find that the best way to reduce my anxiety about something is to be very prepared for it. This post will act as your prep kit. It will cover what you need to know, what to expect and how to navigate your pitch.  (A guest column by literary agent (and author) Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary.)
You want to write professionally? Then study the craft of writing. Here are a few places to start:  Genres are boxes.
Imagine you are a bookseller, and have a stack of books to organize on your store’s shelves. Each shelf is labeled with a genre: horror, romance, fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, and so on. Now and then, you may find a book that doesn’t fit neatly into a shelf. It is horror but set in space. You’ve got a sci-fi horror novel on hands. Where do you shelve it? Horror or science fiction? You need to choose. Who is the most likely to enjoy this book? Sci-fi readers or horror readers? Now, the good thing about being a writer is that you aren’t a bookseller. You don’t need to choose what box to put your book into when you are writing it. Of course, at some point you will have to ask yourself how to market your book to a literary agent, a publisher, or a reader, and the genre(s) of the book will matter. But when you are still alone in front of your draft? Forget the box.  (A guest column by literary agent (and author) Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary.)
The woman asked a sensible question; she deserved a practical answer. I was sitting on an “Agents & Editors” panel at a writer’s conference when she took the microphone. “I’ve been working on revising my manuscript,” she said to all of us in the crowded ballroom, “and I think it’s getting better. But how do I know when I should stop revising and start sending it out? How do I know when my book is done?” Good question, I thought. And one with an easy answer.  A guest post by Literary Agent Nour Sallam of The Caldwell Agency.
What makes a good prologue? And a huge shoutout to the prologue in Riley Sager’s The Only One Left. Agents don’t actually hate prologues. Sorry, I lied. But we do approach them with caution. That’s because we’ve been burned by many unnecessary or ineffective prologues before. But I’m a glass-half-full kind of gal, so let’s instead talk about what makes a good prologue.  (A guest column by literary agent (and author) Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary.)
Here’s the deal: You really only need to impress three key people to get your book published. No, your agent isn’t one of them. Neither is your editor. Those people are only scouts who may or may not get you to the real decision-makers. So, who decides if your book gets published, and how do you impress them? That’s what I’m here to tell you. I’ve spent all of the 21st Century working in book publishing in roles as varied as editor, literary agent, author, and marketer. For this article, I’ll be wearing my “acquisitions editor” and “literary agent” caps, and we can chat. (So, if I say something like “when you send me your proposal…” you can assume that “me” in that sentence refers to both “me-the-generic-acquisitions-editor” and “me-the-generic-literary-agent.”) When we’re done here, you’ll know what it really takes to get your next book published. The rest, of course, will be up to you. Ready? Then let’s go. |