Ghostwriting: A Writing World of Illusion

We read other people's words every day - so why am I bothered by the idea of ghostwriting? Perhaps it has something to do with my newfound understanding of the illusion we prescribe to when it comes to this side of the publishing industry. 

I have pictured the cover for the 2012 film The Ghost Writer (based on Robert Harris' novel, The Ghost) directed by Roman Polanski and staring Ewan McGreggor and Pierce Brosnan. It wasn't a major hit but the concept might have opened a few eyes of who really writes some of these 'Best Sellers' by the famed and notorious.

According to Wikipedia...

A ghostwriter is a writer who writes books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written material. In music, ghostwriters are often used for writing songs and lyrics for popular music genres.

A fairly straightforward definition but the term that bothered me the most was "officially credited to another person." Is this another form of lying? Because it's "officially okay" with the people producing the book to not be truthful about who wrote it - does this make it okay with us as readers?

Creating Characters We Want to Know (the Marvel Way)

I was watching the bonus material that came with the Target Blu-ray set of The Avengers and thought there was a great 'Aha' moment that writers can take and apply to their writing. In the 90 minute video "Assembling the Avengers" - they interview the actors, producers and others about how they came up with the franchise and why it's been so successful. They interviewed Stan Lee (one of the main guys who invented most of the superheroes that Marvel made famous) and he brought up the idea that the reason their heroes are so popular comes down to one concept.

The characters in their comics are people we would want to know who just happen to be superheroes.

So basic and yet so brilliant.

Word Count: A Numbers Game You Can Win!

Every writer struggles with it. From young adult sagas to historical trilogies to romance one nighters and erotic phenoms like Fifty Shades of Gray - every author has a love/hate relationship with their word count.

Not enough. Too much. Or worst of all...zero.

The blinking cursor hovers with it's mocking sense of purpose. It keeps us going and terrorizes along the way.

But there are some basic facts about word count that EVERY writer needs to consider:

• Blog Posts are typically 400-1000 words long. This is for ease of reading but depends on the material. There is no set rule.

Good Writing Comes from Good Reading...ALOUD!

Perhaps you're a writer who's penned a 250 page novel...or a short story...an email...even a tweet encompassing all 140 characters. Odds are we've all done some kind of "writing." You've enjoyed the sounds of your fingers tapping along the keyboard breathing black and white life into your thoughts. But before your hit submit or save or send - take a moment to read your ramblings ALOUD.

Why?

Well, when it comes to short writing moments (like email, letters and social media posts), reading these aloud will help you more easily identify tone and inflection in your choice of words. This can ensure that your writing efficiently communicates what you want to say...and of course prevent you from saying something wrong.

Creating a Fiction Query Letter

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day - Your Fiction Query Letter Can Take Just as Long

I will go on record now and say I despise writing a query letter.



"Can you see my query? It's the little fish with the blue eye."

 I have spent countless hours of my life creating, writing and perfecting thousands of words. My novel has been read and revised a half a dozen times just to be sure it's everything I want it to be. Now I sit staring at a single page of text - a SINGLE page - and I am experiencing pure frustration. I understand how people can get book deals for books they haven't even written because the act of writing a good novel versus a compelling query requires different skills entirely.

Now, of course I understand that a writer needs to be able to concisely present their book but a query is not just you "telling" an agent or publisher what your novel is about. No - a query is the sales pitch and since it will be entering an agent or publisher's life with a school of hundreds to thousands of others that look, on the outside, all alike - it will need to be the sales pitch of the century to get noticed. I'm not kidding.

Do I sound stressed? hopeful?

Actually, I am both. Why? Because I really do believe in my manuscript and genuinely want a career as a full time writer. I'm among friends I know which is why I feel the need to spread what I have gathered from my hours of research and transpose it here in one location. I may despise the query letter but I finally think I understand the heart of the beast.

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Is there a formula or layout for the perfect Query?
No, and this is probably a good thing. Agents and publishers would have more wrinkles and love their jobs less if they got 'cookie-cutter' queries day in and day out. You're query letter should and will be different in many ways but there are some do's and don'ts that I have unearthed on my journey to conquer submission woes.

The Do's - or more poetically...the things that will keep you from being tossed right away

• Make sure the agent or publisher represents your genre of fiction - As logical as it sounds, it bears repeating. Besides, you don't want an agent who doesn't know how to sell your style of book do you?
• Personalize every query letter - even if submitting to a generic agency email, tell them which agent you are interested in. Be formal - using Mr. or Ms. (not Mrs. or Miss).
• Include the title of your novel, word count and genre
• Briefly answer "Why them?" - do some research and know how your manuscript will fit with this agent or publisher's current array of work. Do you fit? Why? Again, 1-2 sentences which could also include why you believe your novel will be successful in the marketplace.
• One Sentence Hook (or pitch) - yes you have to be able to use one sentence to describe the character and plot of your novel. (Examples to come!)
• One paragraph that describes the main plot (4-5 sentences) - do this in a similar style of writing that you implement in your novel. If you use victorian language in your historical romance - keep it up here BUT still cover your setting, character, turning point, rising action, climax, falling action and resoltuion into this paragraph. I know what you're thinking - I hate it too!
• 1-2 Sentences about you - Do not spill your life story - just what we need to know like education or career and if/how they tie into your novel. (ie: I'm writing about the exciting romance of bee keepers and low an behold, I've been a bee keeper for 20 years.)
• Say Thank You - it's called good manners.
• Offer the option for them to contact you for your COMPLETED novel - Yes, they do like the word 'completed.'
• Your Contact Info - whether at the bottom or the top of the page, make sure there are multiple ways to contact you (ie: phone, email, address)
• KEEP IT SHORT - after sifting through dozens of articles that talk about query letters, this is one of the plaguing issues that should be forefront in your mind. Everyone says, one page but I will take it a step further and say 250 to 350 words. That is much shorter than one page but almost every agent interview I read mentions that they want an author who understands 'brevity' - get to the point with precision and quickness.

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The Don'ts - which covers other tidbits to avoid.
• Overly kiss up - stay professional in how you present yourself. Even if this is the agent you would love to have, don't gush on why you think you guys are a match made in heaven. It might get you noticed but for all the wrong reasons.
• Use weak language - Using statements like "I think you might like..." or "I know I'm a first time writer but I wish..." will not help you. Be confident in your presentation. Remember this is a sales pitch. Believe in your product. If you don't - go back and revise again until you do.
• Hide the story - you might think that by keeping the story a mystery that you will intrigue the agent or publisher to want to know more -  but this will backfire on you. An agent or a publisher wants to know the premise of the ENTIRE  book so they can judge whether you are worth their time. Again be confident that your plot is interesting and lay it out there.
• Step outside the box when it comes to format - if an agent wants you to send an email query, don't physically mail one in. Follow their guidelines (found on their company website) as well as keep the font and formatting of the letter professional and clean. Again, you don't want to stand out for the wrong reasons. 

Conclusion
Writing a query can be painful but by the end you will have a greater understanding of how to approach your novel from a sales perspective. Keep at it. This isn't something set in stone so if something doesn't appear to be working, try a new tactic. It's possible that someone could ignore everything I've said and still get published. That's the nature of the publishing world and the more you understand the business of it - the better equipped you are as a writer. Good Luck!

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Writing Tools: Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents

The manuscript is finished...edited...polished to a brilliant shine - now what? If you're an aspiring writer, I'm sure somewhere around page 50 you consider that someone at some point might want to read the labor of love coming forth out of your fingertips. Someone who doesn't love and support you.

If you're like me, there might have even been a point when you acknowledge that you really do want others to read your story but you are also battling with the rising amount of dread at the realization that getting an agent and achieving publication will be ten times more difficult than writing the novel. One of my first steps was a dash down to the bookstore to buy Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents.

First Impression...this book is HUGE!
Weighing is at close to two pounds and nearly 1100 pages - it is not something to be taken lightly...literally. The guide is divided into five sections covering differernt types of pulishers and editors as well as an in-depth look at literary agents. I will confess - I have not read it cover to cover. I'm not sure that it's intended to be that type of book. It's a guide which means I have poked around the variety of sections including a large portion on Advice for Writers to the extent that I believe my several spoonfuls have offered a well rounded taste of the entire soup.

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Why it's worth $29.99 USD
Jeff Herman has put his best effort forward to make this book more than just a monotonous journey of going from aspiring writer to published author. He interjects humor and asks many of the questions that we want to know. I have studied many of the profiles of the literary agents and I admit that after reading some of the answers to his questions, I have been able to discern what agents are not for me - even if they represent my genre. Perhaps when I'm desperate, I will send queries to these agents as well but in the meantime, I feel like my quest for an agent has been more productive.

As extensive as his questions and facts are, I still recommned firing up the search engine and letting your fingers do the work to verify that everything the agent or publisher claimed is still in play. Even though, Herman continues to publish new editions of the guide, there is nothing better than checking the 'real time' submission guidelines from an agency website. Think of Herman's guide as a compass that points you in the right direction but you still have to use your eyes and do the walking. The compass might say 'Go North' but if a mudslide has taken out the road last weekend, you might need to consider alternative routes.

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Why you might be disappointed
My main complaint is the formatting. The layout of paragraphs with bolded titles is not user friendly. When there are multiple agents listed under and agency - you might miss them because it's difficult to identify where one bio ends and another begins. The publishing section is a little easier to differentiate as he has added key symbols and dividing lines.

I also secretly wish he would give more meat to his query letter and synopsis examples. Even multiple examples would be beneficial. Herman interjects positive advice throughout the guide and offering examples of differing styles of queries would give you more of an idea of where you should be creative and where you stick to the rules.

A good portion of the guide is directed towards non-fiction which is great if you're writing that genre but if you're only interested in fiction - it will feel like you are sifting through a lot of information to get to the stuff you want/need.

Conclusion
Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents is a great tool to add to your tool box. Use it to help you along your path towards publishing but realize that you might need more than one tool to get the job done. Would I spend the money again? Yes. It has helped me sift through agents in less time and with stronger confidence in my research. 

Learn more about Ashlei Ryan Jackson

Watching the Story of a Fellow Blogger

So I am watching the movie Julie & Julia which seems sort of funny since the main character is an aspiring writer. (I know, I know - I should be working on my word count. Book #2 isn't going to write itself) But anyway the main character played by Amy Adams says this line

"You aren't a writer if no one publishes your book."

I think I should go on the record that I politely disagree. Although, I have my own moments of doubt - I have received two "no's" from Agents already - I truly believe that I am a writer. lol Now perhaps, if no one wants to publish me...ever. I could concieve that I am not a very good writer but I am a writer nevertheless. My mother, the eternal optimist who could quite possibly make Pollyana look like a glass half-empty type of person - she would tell you that I have been a storyteller since I could talk. She would also say that it is their loss! You might think that is what mother's are supposed to say but my mother believes it - to her core! But it brings me to another line from this movie...

"I realized that this getting published isn't going to be so simple."

Well, I guess I already knew that...but here's to the road less traveled most traveled by those who do it anyway!

Plot Curveballs: Fish, Rain and the Release of Two Very Bad Men

Today has been a great writing day. I was able to get up early and write in the peace and quiet accompanied by some odd glances from the fish and the drops of rain pattering on the skylights. Talk about the perfect melting pot for creativity eh?

So back to the writing...it is early yet in my second novel but by the end of chapter 2 - two very bad characters - Twin Giants - have been released from their prison. Perfect for tossing my 'good guys' plenty to consider and battle with. I find the more I write - the more I love action. Since my stuff falls within the 'Suspense' genre, I suppose it would be only natural that I would enjoy the Plot Curveball. I saw a perfect example in a TV show this week. The good guy did everything like he was supposed to and then at the very end, the bad guy changed the terms - throwing him a curveball so to speak - you think the ball is going to go one way and then at the last minute - the direction changes. My recent exposure to playing softball for the first time this past fall feels all the more apropos.

NanoWriMo's week one pep talk discussed adding ninjas - when in doubt - well I can't say that I am adding ninjas - my twin giants are actually very good looking albeit very angry but I think they will add energy to the story even this early on.

Here's to good action! Whether achieved by ninjas or angry giants or a very normal but inconveinant circumstance for your protagonist...it makes things oh-so-much more fun!

Day 2 of NanoWriMo

So it's Day 2 of NanoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and I'm proud to report that my word count is exactly....drumroll.....ZERO! I suppose I should feel like a total failure already but to be honest this week has been a crazy mess already. It looks like it will get much much quieter which means that my big fat '0' will soon be a fleeting memory. The good news is that if we were to consider the number of ideas in my head regarding this month's novel....there wouldn't be a zero in sight! In fact it would scroll like the ticker tape on Wall Street. Perhaps this flood of plot action scenarios and potential catastrophies will drown my protagonist in some very interesting writing. We can hope right? Well, I suppose this was as fit a way as any to begin this blog...cheers to writing!