31 Days of Aries: The Blog Tour, Book Drawing and iPod Touch GIVEAWAY! See below for information on how to enter.

March 13, 2010

I’m very proud and happy to host author Bonnie Hearn Hill here at The Gaelic Wordsmith. It’s the thirteenth day of her 31-day blog tour. Whew! 31 blogs in 31 days, thanks to WOW! Women On Writing. What a busy lady.

Bonnie is with us today to discuss organizing your thoughts into a cohesive, well-written manuscript, and then what to do with your highly polished manuscript in order to gain the attention of that all-elusive, somewhat mystical agent (at least to those of us who don’t have one yet!).

Bonnie spent 22 years as a newspaper editor and wrote six adult thrillers as well as several non-fiction books.

She was also my first online writing instructor and has helped me tremendously over the past few years. She loves to mentor aspiring writers and has helped countless fledglings learn and perfect their craft. On behalf of all of us, thanks, Bonnie!

An interest in astrology and a friendship with Cosmo Magazine Astrologer Hazel Dixon-Cooper led to the development of her new Star Crossed Series for the teen market.


Q & A

Q: Some writers, myself included, have all kinds of ideas we want to put into a single manuscript. How do you choose which ideas to include and which to leave out?

A: The craft of writing fiction isn't about ideas. It's about character. Your character wants something (or doesn't want something), and your story is about the struggle. Of course, you'll have different story threads (such as subplot, love story, whatever), but your external conflict is your primary plot. Your ideas will be reflected in the writing and in what the reader takes from the story, but the reader won't be able to take anything from the story unless you set up a strong goal for your character at the beginning and carry it through to the end.

Q: With money so tight in this economy, how can a writer get the attention of an agent without attending a writers conference?

A: I thought it was cool of the Backspace conference to offer two scholarships this year. Even those who didn't win had their first two pages read by an agent. You might consider attending a less expensive workshop close to home or taking a class. Many agents obtain clients through referrals. Most of all--and I know you've heard this a million times--write a manuscript they can't put down, something in a hot genre that jumps off the page from the beginning.

Q: How did you find your agent?

A: I got very lucky. I had written a nonfiction book about the history of Muscle Beach, and it was picked up by a regional publisher. When I got ready to sell my novel, I wrote to the publisher and asked if she would suggest an agent. She did. In the header of the e-mail, I wrote: "Referred by ..." The agent responded in about five minutes. That was the end of 2000. I've been with the agent ever since.

Q: What mistakes do unpublished writers make that keep them from attracting an agent's attention?

A: Poor query letters copying something they've seen online or in a book. You need to tell the agent why you are writing to him/her. In fiction, no clear genre or no hook. Telling instead of showing. No scenes. Wandering point of view.

Q: How many agent rejections on a single manuscript should a writer receive before giving up?

A: Well, a friend of mine just got her first nibble for a mystery at #48. The agent got her a lovely three-book deal with a major publisher. You don't know if your queries are being read, so if you feel good about your genre, your sample and your query, I would think nothing of sending out 50 or 100. The query tracker web site is cool because you can check the results others have had with the same agents you are querying.

Q: I've seen lots of advice online about how to write a query letter. I know that you disagree with much of what's being advised. Can you elaborate?

A:  Many tell you to start with a section of your book. Not! Can you imagine how old that would be for the poor person in charge of the slush pile? Start with why you are writing to this person. Then describe (briefly) your story in terms of the protagonist's quest. Show that you know your genre and word count. Include your credits only if they are important. Taking writing classes or winning 8th honorable mention don't count. Your letter doesn't have to be lengthy. All it has to do is show that you can write and that you have a great idea.

Q: What sun signs make the best writers? (Those of us born under Taurus already know!)

A: My talented husband is a Taurus, so I'd have to agree with that one. Also, they are great at using all of the senses to create their stories. Any sign can be a writer. The Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sadge) tend to rush right in. Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are natural communicators, but each communicate in a different way. Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) can be more methodical in their approach. Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are more emotional, and some can let their emotions get so involved that they sabotage their own efforts.

Thanks again for the opportunity, and good luck!

Thank you for letting me hang out on your blog during my 31 Days of Aries. Hope we get lots of entries for the contest. Bonnie


GIVEAWAY RULES:

A copy of Aries Rising  to one lucky reader!

To enter: Post a comment (make sure to include your email address) and ask Bonnie a question, tell us why you want to win Aries Rising, or simply tell us your astrological sign. One entry per comment; multiple entries allowed. So let’s get some good questions going!

There's also a contest for an iPod Touch involved for those who enter. The drawing for the iPod Touch will happen at the end of March, 2010.

And in case you’re wondering…Bonnie is a double Gemini, saved by an Aquarius Moon. Air and Fire with very little Earth.

Be sure to visit Bonnie’s website at www.bonniehearnhill.com/. It’s a great site!

Facebook: Become a fan! www.facebook.com/StarCrossedseries.

Check out WOW! Women on Writing at www.wow-womenonwriting.com/.

Upcoming “Aries Rising” blog tour (and book giveaway contest)

Mark your calendars – author, editor, teacher and public speaker Bonnie Hearn Hill makes a stop on her 31-day “Aries Rising” blog tour (and book giveaway contest) to visit with us on Saturday, March 13, 2010. Post a comment, ask Bonnie a question, or just tell us your astrological sign, and you’ll be entered in the contest for a chance to win a copy of her book. At the end of the tour, one lucky person will win an iPod Touch. So be sure to stop by and enter to win! Check out her website at http://www.bonniehearnhill.com/.

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

People who don’t write often ask those of us who do where we get our ideas. Even fledgling writers like me sometimes wonder where those famous authors we admire get their ideas, and can we get a key?

Where ideas come from are as varied as writers who have them. Ideas come from life, from our experiences, from our imaginations. They even come from other people. One of my favorite activities has always been people-watching. As a young teenager, my mother worked at California State University in Fullerton. She used to take me to work with her, and I was free to roam the campus. In the center was a small quad area, and I would sit there under a tree and watch all the students scurrying to and from class, fascinated with everything, taking copious notes. I loved the way people walked, the way they talked, what they said, how they said it. Body language was intriguing to me. One woman would toss her hair and smile and that seemed to mean “I’m available,” while another would toss her hair and walk away and it meant “leave me alone.”

People-watching is a great way to study real-life situations, to learn realistic traits that will add depth and dimension to your characters. You can do it in a park, at McDonald’s, waiting in line somewhere, even driving on the freeway. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve sat, dreamily watching the world go by, storing tidbits of information about conversations, body language and how facial features work together or against one another. Or how often such scraps of information simmer just beneath the surface, only to emerge years later as a wisp of a character trait or a bite of conversation I employ in my stories.

Try it – you just might like it! Post a comment about your people-watching experiences. I’d love to hear from you.

Backstory

I started writing in grade school. Back then they called it “Creative Writing.” I just called it fun. Except every year when the teacher would hand out the same tired worksheet, and we were supposed to fill it out completely and turn it back in for a grade. We were supposed to know everything about our characters, from their name and occupation to what they looked like, thought about and wanted to do with their lives. How was I supposed to know all that about some character I’d just made up? More to the point, why did I need to know all that junk? It seemed like a gigantic waste of time to me. I just wanted to get on with it, to get the story written. Needless to say, I hated having to think about my characters’ backstory, and resisted all attempts at forcing me to do so.

I’ve matured as a writer since then, and now I not only believe in backstory, but I understand its importance. In fact, sometimes I think I might even know too much about a character. I live with my characters for a long time before I commit their story to pen and ink (more like fingers to keyboard these days, but you get my drift). For weeks – or sometimes even months – before I start writing, they “talk” to me. I learn all about their childhood, their hopes, dreams, fears and what they think about. They even fill me in on their shadowy secrets.

By the time I do start to transcribe the stories they share with me, my head is filled with a character’s life. Sometimes it’s hard to filter through everything and decide just how much backstory to use. This is the dilemma I find myself in with my current manuscript, Murder in the Family. The first draft had a second chapter that was far too heavy. I tried to put in everything I knew about Sheriff’s Deputy Dana S. Sinclair’s life. What a mistake that was. After putting the manuscript aside for the difficult but necessary cooling off period, even I was bored with Chapter 2. Yikes!

So how do we decide how much backstory is really necessary for the reader to know in order to advance the story? I spent a lot of time thinking about how the story ended (which for those out there who know me know that even I was surprised by the identity of the killer!) and worked my way back from there. I took large chunks out of the chapter and rifled through them, saving what I thought I might be able to use and discarding the rest. Then I went through the manuscript and inserted a little bit here, a little bit there, until I was satisfied that I’d put in just enough to make the story cohesive without (hopefully) boring the reader with too much unnecessary information. Like how Dana’s brother Phil died, and why she felt responsible. Or the incident with the ice cream and her seventh birthday. Things that may seem unimportant at first glance but ultimately advanced the story.

We want our fans to enjoy themselves, to stay not only with books but with our books. With so many options out there pulling people away from books and reading – the internet, video games, dvds, to name just a few – we want to keep our readers entertained and coming back for more.

And isn’t entertainment the ultimate goal of fiction?