A chat with Jolene Perry part two

Thanks to those of you who posted your pitches below! I hope the feedback helped you.

Now for part two of Jolene Perry's awesome interview. (She's pictured here with her two lovely kids.) Please continue to post your two-sentence or Twitter pitch in the comments - rules are below.


7. How was The Pub Call different from The Agent Call?
Very different. The Pub call was HUGE. WAY HUGE - even though they're a smaller publisher. The more I learn about them, the happier I am that I ended up with them. Their distribution is INCREDIBLE for being smaller. That was, again January of 2011
The agent call - I had my head on a lot more straight when Lauren called me. That was June of 2011. I was still shaking with excitement, and then, as happens often, I had more than one offer. I knew, because of friends like Kelley, that finding an agent was simply another step. I ADORE Lauren, I love how enthusiastic she is, and how hard she works.


8. You're working on more projects (a LOT more projects) Tell us how the process of writing now is different than it was for The Next Door Boys.
I'm a better writer by far. I'm not sure that my process is really any different. I write the major scenes and events first, I rarely write in order. I write the end before I hit 10,000 words. It generally needs to be changed up a bit later, but it gives me a place to get to. I tried the whole starting on chapter one on my last two projects, and I find that I just get irritated, and that I lose steam. I think the biggest thing is that I'm MUCH better at self-editing than I used to be. I can see my mistakes, and how the story could be made better so much more clearly. Not all of them (SO important to have good critique people)

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9. You're on the 'board' of For the Love of Contemporary, a new blog aimed at (in case the name didn't give it away) YA contemp. Talk about the start of this idea and how it evolved.
Kelley mentioned off-hand that she'd thought about doing a group blog dedicated solely to contemporary, and that we'd only talk about stuff we LOVED. Later that day I made the blog header and sent it to her, and a week later we'd asked a few friends to join with us. All are VERY talented, published authors. I've read everyone's book but Kelley York's which comes out this December. If I had to choose one genre to read forever, that would be it. I love stories that take place in the real world.


10. How does managing this blog and your blog, affect your writing schedule? I mean, you've got kids, right? Do you never sleep? :)
I don't sleep nearly as much as my body wants me to. Seriously.
My number one is keeping on top of email. Also, once your blog gets to a certain point, it sort of runs itself. I think it was more work when I only had 100 followers than it is now. I have people whose blogs I almost always visit, and of course I pop by those who visit me. It all works. I've slowed to three days a week on my personal blog, and I'm only in charge of a few items a month on the contemporary blog. So, it all works. Some days I ignore my blog in favor of writing, but usually I'm in and out in both. As soon as my fingers slow on my keyboard while in my current project, I'll bounce into email, check and answer a couple, and then go back to my WIP.


Bonus: 11. And now...for everyone who doesn't live where we do - share the best part of living in Alaska. 'Cuz we know they're all jealous. Er...until winter hits anyway. :))
I have to remind myself of the best parts OFTEN, lol.
I run into people I know when I go into Wasilla. I live on two acres and can see no other homes from my backyard, but I can see all of Hatcher's Pass, which is just beautiful. We get moose in our yard all the time. I LOVE to go snowmachining (snowmobiling to those out-of-staters) and there's LOTS of time for that. I also love how quiet it is. When Mike was in law school we lived behind the Walmart off the corner of Tropicana and Pecos in Las Vegas. It was NEVER quiet. So, I love that. It's also just beautiful. It doesn't matter if I head north up the highway, or south, it's just a beautiful place to live.

Agreed!

Now, to recap, please post your pitch in the comments using this format:

Title:
Genre:
Pitch:
Email:

And critique at least three other pitches (assuming that many are posted). The drawing Monday will determine a winner to discuss with Jolene the kind of short critique desired. Good luck!

Lindsay and Trisha, part deux!

I'm back again with the astonishing duo of Lindsay and Trisha, writing partners extraordinaire who, no doubt, will soon take the publishing world by storm! (You heard it here first folks.) Yesterday we learned how they met, how they work and revise together. Today we're covering what happened after the rough draft...



6. Your top three revision tips?

Lindsay: Trisha is the master at revisions so I’m taking this straight from her mouth. Read the suggested set of revisions. Walk away for a few days and let them simmer. Come back to the manuscript with fresh eyes before reworking. For the record, her process kicks all kinds of ass.

Trisha: That about sums it up, except for the copious amounts of wine. That and always ALWAYS save every version of your MS. You’d be surprised how many times you come back to the first, the second, heck even the tenth revision of a manuscript searching for that one line, that one scene that you want to put back in.

7. On your blog, you mention doing agent research. How much agent research do you do - did you cyber-stalk for weeks or just read their web site, or interviews like those on Literary Rambles?

Lindsay: Yes, we did a ton of research. Literary Rambles is awesome as well as sites like QueryTracker. And never underestimate the value of Twitter! Following agents you are interested in to watch for their personal tastes, wish-lists, and turnoffs is a great way to get to know who might be a good fit for your manuscript.

Trisha: No matter what avenue you take,, be sure to do your homework. Agents receive hundreds of queries a week so it is important to do your homework, make sure the MS/ genre you are querying them with is one they actually have interest in representing.

And don’t be afraid to query your top-five dream agents; you just may be surprised. We were!

I'm always amazed to hear from agents who give stats about how FEW of their queries actually follow the guidelines. *rolls eyes*

8. You had multiple offers. What was it about SILO that hooked them? (I'm sure it was the whole package but if you heard one thing continually from agents about what they loved, please share that.)

Lindsay: Our dystopian is unique – this is what we heard time and time again. It was grounded in reality, based on events that could happen today, tomorrow, or next year. It is also written from a male POV and explores the darker side of human nature. It was a combination of these things that attracted the agents, and fortunately, landed us the amazing Ginger Clark.

Trisha: Well, it was obviously my winning personality and Lindsay’s fabulous blog photo. Yeah, no. Silo is simply a unique take on a dystopian. Grounded in reality, written in the voice of our male MC, and set in a contemporary environment, it walks that fine line between complete fiction and oh crap, that could really happen.To me.Tommorrow!

I keep hearing how dystopian is so hot right now. Congrats on writing a great MS that's also timely! If only we could orchestrate timing like we can pace chapters...sigh.

Fast and furious five:

1. Dog or cat person
Lindsay: Dogs, dogs, dogs. Cats stare and freak me out.

Trisha: dog, although if mine continues to chew up the couch, I’m going to switch my answer to cat!

Yeah, that's why I'm a cat person. *stares creepily at Lindsay*

2.Song that gets stuck in your head most often.
Lindsay: Viva la Vida. I used to make fun of Coldplay, but I guess the joke’s on me now!

Trisha: Peter Gabriel – Salisbury Hill

That title Salisbury Hill makes me think of the song that gets stuck in my head: Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkle. *hums the annoying tune* Crap!

3.Person you'd go back in history to meet.
Lindsay: I’d have to say Shakespeare. I was very influenced by his work in college and would love to know exactly who he was and how he came to write such amazing things.

Trisha: Seriously . . . Shakespeare? I guess I can see the draw. For me, probably Catherine the Great.

See folks? Writing partners can be different and still get along!

4. No. 1 thing on do-before-I-die list (non writing)
Lindsay: I’m not a big risk-taker so that takes parachuting, bungee jumping and virtually anything involving an early death out of the mix! I’d have to say traveling with my family. I love being in new places and seeing them through my kids eyes.

Trisha: I want to walk the great wall of China.

5. Best movie you've seen this summer.
Lindsay: Harry Potter – all the way!

Trisha: Smurfs 3-d. Particularly the scene where Brave Smurf (sporting a Scottish kilt) steps onto the ac vent and says something to the effect of “Ohh . . . this really cools the giblets!”

Wow. The fact Trisha's choice is the Smurfs isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the choices Hollywood is making these days.

So that's it folks! Put your questions/feedback in the comment box and check in Monday to see if Melvin has chosen your name for a free query or first-three chapter critique. Good luck and thanks for playing! :))