Today on the MS Editors blog, I ask if good writing, like good typography, is invisible. Read the post and let me know if you agree!
I also talk about the 7 Writing Maxims, what makes a strong voice, cliches, formal writing, critique partners, and how to not annoy your reader 🙂
Be forewarned: I included a TON of links to resources you might find useful.
Here’s my open call for pg70pit slushies!
#pg70pit is a unique contest in that entries are selected by voice alone. While other contests are better suited for commercial fiction which hooks by the first page, #pg70pit is a contest intending to highlight strong, diverse, or “quiet” voices.
If you think you’ve got the writing and revision chops to be a slushie, read on!
Remember: the contest itself is open to any writer with a complete and polished novel-length work, for age categories MG–Adult.
Constest slushies, however, must have either:
*Acceptable publishers:
Why these rules? We need slushies who can recognize a strong literary voice, and I don’t have time to vet everyone personally. There are so many excellent pitching contests for commercial fiction;Â I wanted to offer a pitching contest for quieter stories. #pg70pit is the result.
Reading the slush is a volunteer position. Entries come in July 1 for MG, July 2 for YA, and July 3 for Adult. All entries must be read and judged by July 5th at 7pm EDT. I estimate that each slushie will be assigned fewer than 60 entries (60 pages).
By hitting “submit,” you recognize that this is a blind contest—you pledge to not enter this contest yourself in 2016, and you pledge to pass any entries you recognize onto another slushie.
MS Editor Elizabeth talks about the difference between Beta Readers and professional MS critiques. I’ll add that strangers can be Beta Readers, but it’s best to pick acquaintances—they are objective, yet you can get a hold of them IRL if they drop off the planet or steal your work (FYI, this happens way less often than writers think). I had twelve friends read my novel and give feedback anonymously using a Google form—it worked well!
You just finished writing the last page of your story—congratulations! Whether you pumped out a NaNoWriMo victory or spent the last five years agonizing over your dream book, you now have a full manuscript sitting in front of you. Give yourself a pat on the back; you deserve it for making it to the end. Now what? You want to make your story better, but you’re still too close to see its weaknesses and discern whether readers would enjoy it. It’s time to get an outside opinion.
If you take your work seriously, you should show your story to someone other than your mother or best friend. Run far away from anyone who has an obligation to tell you that your story is great as is! No book will be ready for publication without major revisions, so you need to hook up with someone who can give you informed feedback…
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Lara Willard 