Literary Rambles: 2/1/10

Omit Needless Words & Tighten Your Writing Part III

Part III in my tighter writing series. If you haven't read Part I and Part II, please do.

REDUNDANCIES:

Remember those redundant adjectives? I wanted to return to that and address redundant phrases / expressions because it's not always the modifier that needs to go. There are a lot of ways to be redundant.

Examples:

The reason is because I like you.

Becomes: The reason is, I like you... OR Because I like you.

Each and every one of your words should count.

Becomes: Every word should count.

He nodded his head and reached for a pen with his hand.

Becomes: He nodded and reached for a pen.

Looking back in the past, I realized it was me who introduced them for the first time.

Becomes: Looking back, I realized I introduced them.

I tried to warn her in advance that the weather conditions were likely to be quite severe.

Becomes: I tried to warn her the weather might be severe.

This is a good example where I might use a complimentary "that" as a beat ("I tried to warn her that..."). I also exchanged "were likely to be" for "might" to tighten further.

Here is great list of redundant expressions (pleonasms)that will show you just how prevalent they are.

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On a similar note, make sure you're also on the look out for sentences where you just plain repeat yourself. If two sentences give us the same information, even if they're worded differently, chances are one of them can go. I see this (and do this) a lot in transitions from internal thought to dialogue.

A quick example:

Wow, was he reading Jane Eyre? I snatched the book from him. "Are you reading Jane Eyre?"

You could take the internal thought off all together (which I would do if you're trying to shed word count) or replace it with something less repetitive.

Could become: Was I seeing this? I snatched the book from him. "Are you reading Jane Eyre?"

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SUBTLE REDUNDANCIES, or SPECIFYING THE OBVIOUS:

The other thing I wanted to expand on is specifying something to the point of subtle redundancy. Like using the word "there" to reemphasize where your character is, or in the above sample where I specified it was the character's head that was nodding or hand that was reaching, there are a lot of instances where you can be redundant without realizing it.

Examples:

1) In the garage, she walked over to the tool bench to grab a hammer before heading over to get in the car.

This could be a lot tighter. Look at the base words. We want the reader to know she's in the garage, grabbing a hammer, and getting in the car. We don't need the small movements or specifications.

Becomes: In the garage, she grabbed a hammer and got in the car.

If she was skipping or running, that'd be worth specifying but if nothing out of the ordinary is happening we know she's walking around. We don't need to know the hammer was on the tool bench unless it's important. And just like that, twenty-two words becomes twelve.

2) Sarah really wanted to see what was happening outside. She turned toward the window and looked down and out toward the scene. The gardener was yelling at a cat!

Again, we don't need the movements, and we know she'll be looking outside at a scene if she looks out a window.

Becomes: Sarah wanted to see what was happening. She looked outside. The gardener was yelling at a cat!

You could keep mention of the window but it's one of those things that's sort of obvious if we know Sarah is inside. It all depends on scene setting, really. When tightening like this, do make sure you're tweaking things, adding conjunctions, stronger words, etc. to adjust the flow and cadence. You risk sounding stilted if you don't account for cut words.

Compare this to the original sentence: Sarah looked outside to see the commotion. The gardener was yelling at a cat!

It all depends on your style, the flow, and the information we've already been given. Sometimes you need these details just for the sake of pacing. That's okay! Just make conscious decisions and you'll be golden.

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Thoughts? Questions? Examples? Leave your smarts in the comments!

Interview with Agent Intern & Aspiring Author C.A. Marshall

Hi everyone! Remember Cassandra from a couple week ago? She provided a fun guest post about pen names. If you missed it, please check it out. As promised, I've brought her back for an interview. Let's see what she has to say about agents, interning, queries, and writing!

Hi Cassandra! Could you start things off by telling us a little about yourself?

Hi Casey! I'm an aspiring author, agent intern, unemployed and completely broke, and an avid tea drinker.

You intern for a major NYC agent. How did the opportunity come about?

Just after I lost my job last year, I saw a post on an agent blog asking if any of the readers wanted to join them as an intern. I figured I had all this time now so I applied. I heard they had something like 150 applicants and I didn't think I had a chance at all but when I got the call and she asked me to be her intern I was totally excited.

What has the experience been like?

I learn new things everyday. I know that's a bit of a cliche, but it's true. I can ask the agent about anything and they will explain it to me. The agent is completely helpful and encouraging and thats one of the major reasons I love working with them. If you ever have a chance to be an intern, do it. It's so worth it.

In your time as an intern, is there anything you’ve learned about agents or agenting that has surprised you?

Being an agent is anything but easy. Successful agents must be very very passionate about what they do. I myself can spend over half my day reading industry blogs and keeping up with Twitter and other social media, and by the time you add in reading queries and partials/fulls, my whole day is gone. Agents have to do all that plus go to meetings, have lunches with clients and editors, manage current clients, do pitches and submissions, and a ton of other stuff too. Add in a husband/wife and/or kids and most agents have five to six full time jobs that they manage to cram into their day. And that's not including household duties, shopping, personal care, and conferences/book fairs. Agents totally work hard for their %15 and deserve a whole lot more.

What are the most common mistakes you see in the queries you review?

One of the major ones is not including sample pages. Make sure you read the submission guidelines for every agent you query. If they ask for pages, please include them. It takes a while for your query to make it's way to the top of the pile and if we have to ask for pages, your resent query gets put back at the bottom. It's a huge time waste for both of us.

Another mistake is the use of attachments. Never include attachments unless asked to. I don't know any agency that opens unsolicited emails and many of them delete all emails with attachments without even opening them. Always embed your sample pages in the body of the email following your query.

What else have learned from your time in the slush? Any tips for those querying?

If you have an MA or MFA, make sure your query has only one paragraph about you and make sure it's a small one. I don't know if MA/MFA holders are just particularly proud of themselves or they think it's going to mean an automatic request for pages, but most of the time the entire query is about the author and his/her hobbies and barely mentions the book they wrote.

On the other hand, if you don't have any qualifications or publishing credits don't fret. We will still read your pages and give you just as much a chance as the other authors. You don't have to include a paragraph about yourself at all if you don't want to. In a way it's a blessing because you'll have only one thing to talk about: your book. And that's the one thing we really care about.

You’re an aspiring author as well as an intern. Where are you with your own writing? Would you like to tell us a little about your current work(s)-in-progress?

I've got one MG book completed that i've been querying for a while. No bites yet, but I did get a few really helpful feedback emails from the agents that have seen it. It's a first novel anyway and I didn't really expect it to sell as first books rarely do.

In the meantime, i've been working on a YA book about a girl who has to decide if she wants to be a grim reaper when she dies in thirty days. It's written in the style of Gayle Forman's If I Stay, one of my favorite books. More information about both books are on my website.

What else would you like to share about your experience as an intern and a writer?

I'll tell you a funny story: I tend to read queries into the wee hours of the morning. Just after I started as an intern it was around 3 a.m. and suddenly all the emails in the query box disappeared. Of course I freaked out, thinking I had done something and the agent was going to fire me and in that overfreakedout state I had the brilliant idea to call the agent. At 3 in the morning. They were incredibly gracious for being woken up in the middle of the night and explained that the system had been having problems for a while and that I needed to calm down. In the end, we switched servers and things have been pretty good since.

You received your Masters in Creative Writing in England. I’m so jealous! What was the experience like? How has it informed and affected your writing?

I actually wrote up a post about what it was like that you can read here ( http://camarshall.blogspot.com/2009/08/mighty-ma.html ) In short, it was the best thing i've ever done, even if I will be paying off student loans until I'm 80. I met some real quality people and had the most amazing adventures. It was so very worth it.

It deffo had an impact on my writing. I actually started out in the poetry section as that was the focus of my undergrad dissertation and what I used to get accepted to the UK university in the first place. I asked to switch to fiction and they let me and I haven't written a poem since.

I also write with a British accent sometimes. I don't know why or how that happens, but it does and I don't notice it. Thank goodness for critique partners and editor friends!

Where can readers follow your journey as an intern and aspiring author?

There's my website, camarshall.comhttp://camarshall.com/ and a blog at camarshall.blogspot.com and also i'm on Twitter constantly, twitter.com/thatwemightfly

I'm slowly adding internship goings-on into the blog, so check there if that's what interests you.

If you're on twitter, be sure to follow these hashtags to get the most out of the literary circles there: #thingsishouldnotseeinaquery #queries #askagent #YAlitchat #pubtip #writechat Tweetdeck is awesome for following hashtags as you can have a column dedicated to each one.

Thank you so much for giving us your time. Do you have any closing remarks?

Only that you should never give up, never stop writing. It only takes one agent to say yes to your work.

Also, I encourage any of your readers that have any specific questions to shoot me an email at camarshallwrites@gmail.com and i'll try to help as best as I can, even with your queries. Due to legal concerns though, I cannot read or help with your manuscripts.

Great interview, Cassandra! I love the advice about not giving up. And the story about waking the agent up at 3 a.m. is classic. Oops! Good luck to you on your journey to publication!

Agent Spotlight: Jim McCarthy

This week's Agent Spotlight features Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

About: "Jim McCarthy interned for DGLM while studying urban design at New York University. Upon graduating, Jim realized he would much rather continue working with books than make the jump (as he had originally intended) to the field of city planning.

"As an avid fiction reader, his interests encompass both literary and commercial works. He is particularly interested in literary women’s fiction, underrepresented voices, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, humor, memoir, paranormal nonfiction, and anything related to architecture, planning, or real estate.

"Jim was raised just outside of NYC and currently lives in Brooklyn." (Link)

Status: Open to submissions.

What He's Looking For:

Per AgentQuery:

Fiction Genres: Literary Fiction, chick lit, mystery, commercial fiction, fantasy, women's fiction, humor/satire, romance, young adult, multi-cultural.

Non-Fiction Genres: Sports, politics, memoirs, dating/relationships, current affairs, business, narrative, humor, home/design.

From his bio:

As of 06/2010:

"I just want to find something different! There isn’t any one thing that I’m desperate to find. It’s more that I’m chasing a feeling: when you hit something that stops you in your tracks and makes you think, 'Now that hasn’t been done that way before.'" (Link)

As of Oct 2009:

"I’d love to find literary horror whether in the adult or young adult realm. There simply aren’t enough great ghost stories crossing my desk, which I think is a shame. I want the book equivalent of Paranormal Activity. If you can scare the bejesus out of me, I’d be delighted to sign you on.

"I don’t know if steampunk is really the next big thing or whether people just expect it to be, but in either case, I think it’s a fascinating genre and would love to see more of it cross my desk. For those who don’t know yet, the definition of steampunk can be found here. And for those local to New York, there’s even a steampunk haunted house coming up which looks like it might be made of awesome. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you there.

"I’d be more than happy to take a look at alternative histories. Whether it’s fantastical reimaginings of the past a la Diana Gabaldon or stories about ways that history might have played out like Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America. Robert Cowley’s What If? series provides endless food for thought. This site provides lots of examples of the sort of books that have been done in the category before. I think there’s room to bring the genre more into the mainstream, and I’d love to see it happen." (Link)

As of May 2009:

"I want to see stories that aren't being told. I think there are a lot of groups that don't necessarily see themselves represented in the literary market as much as they should: whether that means underrepresented ethnic, religious, or even geographic narratives or simply people who feel like they fall out of the mainstream, I'd love to have a look. " (Link)

What He's Not Looking For:

Picture books, middle grade, dramatic works.

His Advice to Writers:

"If you think you can give up writing, then give it up. If you can't ... if you know that no matter how much stress or rejection or frustration you face, that you can never stop writing? In that case, never give up. Publishing is too hard to face if you aren't in it for the right reasons. But it's not too hard to break into if it's what you need to do." (Link)

Quotables:

"I want my authors to be as blunt as humanly possible. There's nothing worse to me than suddenly springing something on me, whether it's, "But my dream was to be published by someone else," or "I really thought I would get more money," or "I always expected that you'd be in touch more often during the submission process." Agents, by and large, have very thick skins. We can handle most anything an author can throw at us. But if things are held back, or feelings spared, there's no way we can go back in time to undo and redo anything." (Link with more)

"...I certainly do love my vampire romances. And zombies, succubi, werewolves, and all of those other glorious fantastical creatures. But what I'm seeing a lot of (and am really encouraged by) is that the boundaries of the subgenre are being stretched. I love fiction that is fantastical--alternate worlds, alternative realities, that sort of thing. It isn't so much about the entities you're writing about as it is the ability to create a world that feels wholly realized and entirely believable in its own right." (Link)

The Agency:

"Being involved in every stage of putting together a non-fiction book proposal, offering substantial editing on fiction manuscripts, and coming up with book ideas for authors looking for their next project is as much a part of our work as selling, negotiating contracts, and collecting monies for our clients. We follow a book from its inception through its sale to a publisher, its publication, and beyond. Our commitment to our writers does not, by any means, end when we have collected our commission. This is one of the many things that makes us unique in a very competitive business." (Link)

Pet-Peeves:

"Oh lord. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the movie pitch. Primarily because it's usually done so poorly. 'If Dan Brown read MADAME BOVARY while shrooming, and 2001: A Space Odyssey was playing in the background...' " (Link)

Editorial Agent?

Yes, as needed. Mr. McCarthy talks about his various agenting roles (including being editorial) a little in this interview. And, Jane Dystel praises his editorial mind in this post.

Web Presence:

QueryTracker, AgentQuery, & AuthorAdvance.

Clients:

A list of Dystel & Goderich clients is available on the website.

Mr. McCarthy's clients include: Cyn Balog, Mary Carter, Cynthia Ceilan, Mark Henry, Geoff Herbach, Phoebe Kitanidis, Victoria Laurie, Richelle Mead, Michelle Rowen, Carrie Ryan, Barb Schwarz, David Sears, Margaret C. Sullivan, Julia Templeton, Suzanne Young, among others.

*Clients with young adult works are in bold.

Sales:

As of 07/2010, Mr. McCarthy is listed on Publisher's Marketplace as having made 6 deals in the last 12 months, 43 overall, and 1 six-figure+ deal. Recent sales include 4 young adult, 1 paranormal, and 1 historical non-fiction.

Note: PM is usually not a complete representation of sales.

Query Methods:

E-mail: Yes (preferred).

Snail-Mail: Yes.

Online-Form: No.

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

Send an e-query, synopsis, and sample chapter. (Link)

Per the D&GLM website:

"Enclose a cover letter, outline or brief synopsis of the work (with word count if possible), a sample chapter, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope for our response. Please type all of your correspondence and double space everything other than the cover letter. E-mail queries are fine, but keep them brief and make sure your cover letter is in the body of the e-mail. We won't open attachments if they come with a blank e-mail. Please be sure to query only one agent at this agency. We will not review queries sent to more than one of us."

See the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.

Response Times:

The agency's stated response time for queries is six to eight weeks. If you do not hear back in that time, feel free to resend. Jim McCarthy seems to have very quick response times ranging from hours to a couple weeks on queries and just a few weeks (or even sooner!) to a month on requested material.

What's the Buzz?

Mr. McCarthy is top notch. He has fabulous clients and sales, a great work ethic, fast response times, a terrific sense of humor, and his clients really seem to love him. I've heard nothing but good about him and the D&GLM agency.

Worth Your Time:

Interviews:

Interview with Agent Extraordinaire, Jim McCarthy at adventures in space (06/2010).

Agent Advice interview with Jim McCarthy on the Guide to Literary Agents blog (2009).

Interview with Jim McCarthy at The League of Reluctant Adults (2007).

Stuff on the agency site:

Jim McCarthy's personal note on the Dystel & Goderich site.

The agency's newsletter is also available on the website, which may be of interest.

Blog posts:

"Why I Am An Agent (Jim)" - Jim McCarthy shares how he became an agent.

"Jim McCarthy's Reading Process" - Just what it sounds like. Great blog post from 2007.

Because there are just too many great posts to link, I'm linking the "Jim" label on the agency blog, which will take you to many, though not all, of Jim McCarthy's past posts (and posts he's been mentioned in).

Other:

You can read Agent Appreciation Day posts for Jim McCarthy here, here, here, and here.

Contact:

Please see the Dystel & Goderich Literary Management website for contact and query information.

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Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail.com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

Guest Blogger Pat Martinez: Reading and Writing Patterns

Remember Pat and her great guest post, "Morphemes and the Creation of Character Names and Words?" Today she's back with another fun and thought-provoking post. I'm really looking forward to reading the comments to this one. Please visit Pat's blog, Once Upon a Time...., on your way out. Thanks!

Reading and Writing Patterns

The admonishment to write consistently and everyday is like the number one song on the radio-you hear it over and over again. Fellow writer and friend, Annie Douglas recently gave an insightful perspective to this admonishment: When they say to write daily, I'm seeing another reason why it's so important. Think about a time when you've picked up a book and read it quickly, in a day or two. Now think of a time when you've read a book a day here and a day there, as time permits.

How does reading this way affect the meaning of the story? Does the story speak differently to you?

I'm seeing that consistent writing helps me write a better, more meaningful story. I'm more engaged with my characters.

I completely agree with Annie and the multitude of other voices- editors, agents, writers, who shout from the rooftops "Write everyday!" Yet, how many of us are as consistent as we should be? Annie's reading to writing comparison caused me to look at the way I read.

At this moment, I am reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead; The Story of the World and The History of the Ancient World, both by Susan Wise Bauer; Homer's The Odyssey; Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle, and Have a Little Faith by Mitch Album.

I know. Quite the array of genres. But this is how I thrive as a reader. So, could this have anything to do with how I could thrive as a writer?

For many months I have been snailing at my new edgy YA. In the last month, I've gotten two new ideas for yet two new edgy YA's. But working on three YA's? Crazy, distracting, possible?

Because most writers are avid readers, here is the challenge: Look at the way you read. What are your patterns, time frames, even the hours you love to read? Do you sit down for hours? Or grab snippets of time here and there? What keeps your interest? Do you plow through one book at a time? Many? While examining every aspect of your writing habits, see if you can apply your reading discoveries to your writing success.

Writing / Research Tip Tuesday #25

After reading Heather's tip last week on versioning, S. Kyle Davis sent in some tips he's found extremely useful for novel writing. There's some really great stuff here. Please visit Kyle's website after enjoying the read!

1) Google Docs (https://docs.google.com/)

I found Google Docs several years ago, and have been using it religiously ever since. Google Docs is a simple online office suite that can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It can even export to .doc, etc. I used Google Docs to write The Ledger Domain.

The documents in Google Docs are stored online and are accessible anywhere with an internet connection. This is a GREAT feature. Going to your in-laws’ house for a few days? No need to take the laptop with you. If they have a PC you can use with an internet connection, then you can access your files and work on your book. Do they have a Mac (*shudder*) or a cheap PC without MS Word on it? No problem! All they need is a web browser, and any of them will do.

Be aware that they do limit the size of each file, so you can only put five or ten chapters in each document. Of course, you should be doing that anyway. Large files can corrupt easily, and it would be terrible to lose the entire novel!

Another great thing about Google Docs is versioning. Heather mentioned the benefits of saving multiple versions of your document with all your changes. Well, Google Docs does this automatically, and it’s easy to roll back to a previous version, copy that paragraph you want to retrieve, or even compare the versions to see what you’ve changed.

One final thing about Google Docs. It is easy to share your manuscript with friends and family. I had several people that were reading my book as I wrote it. I didn’t like the idea of just sending my files out into the nexus, even though I obviously trusted my friends. With Google Docs, you can share your documents with anyone with a Google Account, but they can’t resend it, as it’s stored in a secure location. When I did this, I typically waited until I’d completed a chapter, and then copied that file and created a new one, and then shared the chapter with my friends, preserving the one I work from so that I could make additional edits, etc. You can even just allow them to “view” the document, so that it appears like a web page, and they can’t edit it or make changes.

It’s a great tool, and it’s served me well.

2) Microsoft Office Live Workspaces (http://workspace.office.live.com/)

This tool is similar in many ways to Google Docs, only by Microsoft. It is a latecomer to the game, but it is a great and powerful tool. It offers versioning and sharing, just like Google Docs, and lets you store and edit your files. The one thing it doesn’t have (yet) is online editing ability. This is coming, but currently Live Workspaces only works with Microsoft Word (or other MS Office files). However, there are advantages to this.

To use Live Workspaces, you need to have a small app on the computer that allows Workspaces to work with MS Office. Then, when you click “Edit” in the Workspaces website, it will open the file in Word.

Alternately, you can download the Office Live toolbar for MS Office. If you are like me, you don’t like downloading extensions to your applications, but this one is a great one! When you have the toolbar, you don’t have to reopen the Workspaces website (unless you’re at your in-laws again... man, you visit them a lot, don’t you?). The Office Live toolbar has an Open dropdown and a Save dropdown, which lets you choose the workspace you want to open the file from or save the file to. So, Office Live becomes shared internet storage, only with built-in versioning and sharing. It is part on-line storage and part file management.

I have been using this more recently, mainly because it has only been around recently. However, the workflow I adopted has been to finish my first draft in Google Docs. It doesn’t have the grammar checker, which I don’t use for the first draft anyway. When I’m in “writing mode” for that first draft, it’s good to just be able to get it down, and Google Docs is great for that. However, once it is time to really get down and polish, I move to Office Live. I can format into manuscript format, edit the grammar and style, etc.

3) Online Storage

Speaking of online storage, if you haven’t saved a copy of your manuscript onto some sort of online storage location, you really need to. An online storage site will give you a few gigabytes of online storage where you can upload files and access them from anywhere. I don’t use online storage as part of my regular workflow, but I do use it as a backup. The one I use is owned by Microsoft, so you can bet that it is less likely that their memory is going to be lost than the files on your home hard drive. It’s a smart idea to make sure your manuscript is saved in multiple locations so that you always have a backup.

I use Skydrive (http://skydrive.live.com/), which you can use if you have a MS Live account. A simple Google search for free online storage will give you many others.

Wow, Kyle! These are some great tools. I wasn't aware of Google Doc's versioning or sharing capabilities. I'll definitely be checking all these features out now. Thanks!

Omit Needless Words & Tighten Your Writing: Part II

Continuing my series on needless words and tighter writing, we have part II. Feel free to review Part I here. As ever, I suggest grabbing your manuscript and applying what you've learned while it's fresh in your mind. Make it stick!

THAT and THERE:

That:

The word "that" has three functions. It's used as a demonstrative pronoun, to introduce a restrictive clause, and as a complimentizer.

A demonstrative pronoun acts as a noun or pronoun. It is often acting as the subject. You need these "thats."

Examples:

That won't let you down. If fact, that will outlive the other.

Hey, I wrote that!

That he didn't try was the problem.

A restrictive clause limits or specifies the identity of the subject in some fashion. You need the "thats" that introduce one of these clauses.

Examples:

The apple that didn't have mold fell to the ground. (Not that apple but that apple.)

That car that sped across the grass, didn't you see it? (Not the car on the street, the one on the grass.)

Those are the ones that can stay. So which ones go? The "thats" that are meant to compliment. The majority of them will be empty in purpose.

Examples:

I felt ~~that~~ he was an untrustworthy man.

It was apparent ~~that~~ I was late.

I hope ~~that~~ this makes sense.

When was it ~~that~~ you were going to come over?

Sometimes, however, a complimentizer is needed for cadence or respite and you just can't let it go. If you find one that could go but you're reluctant to delete it for some reason, say your sentence out loud to see if you're using it as a sort of pause. If so, it should probably stay as a stylistic choice. Just make sure the sentence really needs it!

There:

The word "there," as you know, refers to a place (concrete or abstract). Most "theres" are okay and needed but oftentimes a sentence with "there" could be strengthened/tightened. Particularly, I see a lot of writers use the word "there" to reemphasize location when it's not needed.

Examples:

~~There~~ was nothing there. Change to: Nothing was there.

She laid ~~there~~ on the bed and cried.

He leaned ~~there~~ on the locker, afraid to go to class.

He came out ~~of there~~ and faced me. (Either delete or use a concrete noun in a case like this.)

While you're examining your "theres" make sure you're using them in concrete ways. Should it be "there"? or should you be giving "there" a name? Do you even need to reference location again?

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An example of tightening and revision using "there:"

My house was like a circus, loud and animated. Then there was Grandma's house, such a quiet, peaceful place. I loved visiting there.

Becomes:

My house was like a circus, loud and animated while Grandma's house was a quiet, peaceful place. I loved visiting.

My house was like a circus, loud and animated, but Grandma's house was quiet and peaceful. I loved it.

ETC. There are many ways to rewrite it; the point is that I didn't need either "there" from the original sentence. Though, the first could stay if you wanted the emphasis and conversational tone. I'd definitely launch the second. Again, it comes down to examining what you want/need versus what came out when the words were flowing.

***

So, for both That and There, I recommend hitting Crtl F, doing a search for each, and examining all your uses. If you find an empty "that," delete! If you find a "there" that (extra points if you can tell me what "that" I just used) makes location redundant, delete!

As before, please leave your examples, smarts, and thoughts in the comments (and correct me if I'm wrong on anything)!

Omit Needless Words & Tighten Your Writing: Part I

You hear it all the time, "omit needless words," "tighten your writing," and maybe you're thinking, huh? What words? How? What don't I see? How do I learn? I'm going to ~~try and~~ point out ~~some~~ things to look for, but ~~I don't think~~ the knowledge won't ~~will ~~really~~~~ soak in unless ~~you're willing to~~ you'll treat it as an exercise and get into it. So grab ~~a few~~ pages of your manuscript (double or triple spaced) and a ~~red~~ pen and ~~get ready to~~ wage war on extraneousness. This ~~will be~~ is a series, so keep your pages and mark them up as we go.

Disclaimer: I am no expert at this. I'm just trying to share what I've learned and may make errors or omit important info in doing so. Please add to the lessons in the comments!

ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES:

The Adverb:

An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. They often end in -ly, but don't always, and tend to qualify, intensify, or downtone what you're saying. They also ask a question such as, How? When? Where? How much? or Why?

The cat ~~jumped quickly~~ leapt onto the couch.

The boy walked ~~slowly and carefully~~ tiptoed out of his room.

John ~~ran quickly from~~ fled the scene.

"Get rid of those words!" she ~~said loudly and hastily~~ shouted.

I ~~really~~ want you to understand this.

It's ~~very~~ quiet here.

This is ~~really, quite~~ fun.

Sometimes you need adverbs to convey something more than your base words do alone, but if they're not adding to the sentence, cut! Check them all, especially your -ly words. Remember: Weak verbs depend on adverbs. If you feel you need an adverb, examine your verb before moving on.

Here are some adverbs to look for: very, not, too, really, basically, in a sense, rather, quite, extremely, totally, essentially, somewhat, almost, a bit, a little bit, nearly, severely, sort of, kind of, etc.

The Adjective:

An adjective describes a noun or pronoun and tends to answer a question such as What kind? How many? How exactly? or Which? Adjectives are interesting because sometimes you're removing one to tighten a sentence and sometimes you're adding one.

An adjective needs to go if your noun or sentence implies the description your adjective offers (is redundant). Make sure your adjective is telling us something your noun absolutely cannot.

Examples:

The ~~icy~~ icicle hung from the ledge.

The ~~fragile~~ glass shattered.

The ~~hot~~ summer sun seemed stagnant that ~~summer~~ day.

It was a ~~horrible, horrible~~ crime to shoot that woman.

The ~~small~~ baby didn't like the ~~harsh~~ cackle of the ~~evil~~ witch.

The ~~loving~~ mother hugged her child and said, "My heart is yours."

He was a ~~furious, violent, and~~ rabid man. (In this case I'm getting rid of two adjectives and keeping one that implies the other two).

An adjective should be added if it can replace a clause or phrase and still convey what you want to convey.

Examples:

The woman was ~~very intelligent and knew all about~~ knowledgeable in physics.

~~With little thought or care~~ Irresponsibly, the couple left the dog on the side of the road.

He ~~was deserving of~~ deserved the award.

The ~~haze of the atmosphere~~ atmospheric haze was thick. (Watch out for "of the.")

~~A large number of~~ Many students love her.

It was ~~within the realm of possibility that~~ possible she had magic.

And so on and so forth.

***

Here is an example of a sentence that could be edited of adverbs and adjectives:

A harsh, wicked wind swept quickly through the empty streets that cold, stormy night and made a loud, mournful sound outside my thin window.

Becomes:

Wind swept through the streets that night and howled outside my window.

Or:

That night, wind swept through the streets and howled outside my window.

Not the greatest example, but do you see how much faster it reads? How many less words it uses? "Harsh, "wicked," and "quickly" are implied by the action of the wind sweeping through the streets. "Empty" is almost a given and doesn't seem to be relevant. "Cold" and "stormy" are implied. "Loud, mournful sound" needed to be replaced with a strong verb. "Thin" is redundant.

The one adjective I might keep is "wicked."

That night, a wicked wind swept through the streets and howled outside my window.

The key is not to cut and tighten everything that could be tightened, but to examine whether keeping, discarding, or adding an adverb or adjective best conveys your intent for the sentence in as few words as possible.

In the comments, please add examples, knowledge, and your own findings in regard to adverbs and adjectives!! Part II is now available.

Agent Spotlight: Becca Stumpf

This week's Agent Spotlight features Becca Stumpf of Prospect Agency.

About: "Becca Stumpf joined Prospect Agency in 2006 after working as an assistant at Writers House Literary Agency. After graduating from Grinnell College with a B.A. in English Literature, Becca lived and worked in England to indulge her yen for cobbled streets, neighborhood pubs, and barbed wit. She came to New York armed with naïveté and a love of books, and couldn't believe her luck when she found a field that allowed her to work closely with authors and their manuscripts. As a reader, Becca falls hard for sentences that are beautifully crafted, for humor in unexpected places, and for characters that come to life and follow you around for a while. She rereads the first chapter of A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle every year because it still knocks her socks off with its simple evocation of a family awoken by a storm in the nighttime." (Link)

Status: Accepting submissions and building her client list.

What She's Looking For:

Genres of interest per QueryTracker and AgentQuery:

Fiction: Middle grade, young adult, commercial, mainstream, fantasy (urban preferred), mystery, romance, science fiction, and graphic novels.

Non-fiction: Biographies, memoirs, celebrity, pop culture, music, film & entertainment, art, photography, cultural/social Issues, humor & gift books, journalism, narrative, travel.

Specifics:

"Becca is currently looking for Adult, YA and Middle-Grade literary and commercial fiction, with a special interest in SciFi/Paranormal/Fantasy books with broad appeal (genre fiction is not just for nerds anymore, so let's bring it to the masses!). She falls hard for high concept plots that balance drama, wit, and intrigue in equal parts, and has a long-standing weakness for anti-heroes, fringe-dwellers, troubled souls and the occasional scoundrel...provided such characters are richly drawn and demonstrate some serious soul.

"Becca also keeps an eye out for gritty, character-driven thrillers and mysteries and is always up for romance novels that are wry, witty and dark with a paranormal twist (or just very smart and sexy). Other interests include select non-fiction, including narrative non-fiction, memoir, journalistic perspectives, film studies, travel, and humor. (Link)

Other quotes I saw around the net just reaffirmed the above interests.

What She Isn't Looking For:

Picture books.

Quotables:

The Agency:

"Inspired by Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Prospect Agency takes inspiration from the park's peaceful energy and the diversity of the people who run its paths and explore its forests. Prospect Agency aims to provide just such a space for reflection, motivation and implementation of goals large and small.

"Clients receive professional and knowledgeable representation from our literary agents. We are committed to offering skilled editorial advice and advocating for our clients in the book publishing marketplace. With unsurpassed technological tools to make managing a literary career easier, and a forum for literary agent and client to engage in an artist's community, Prospect Agency takes a leadership role in shaping the changing face of book publishing." (Link)

"We're a young agency and that's good for you because we're definitely looking for new talent! Prospect Agency values literature that surprises, breaks conventions, transports the reader to a new world whether that be Planet X or Cleveland, but never forgets the basics of storytelling: strong characters and a gripping narrative." (Link)

Editorial Agent?

She is likely editorial as needed, though I found no definite confirmations. The website does claim the following: "We are committed to offering skilled editorial advice and advocating for our clients in the book publishing marketplace." (Link)

Web Presence:

Prospect Agency web site.

AgentQuery, AuthorAdvance, & QueryTracker.

Clients:

A list of Prospect Agency clients and illustrators is available on the website.

Ms. Stumpf's clients include: Molly Backes, Amanda Berry, Jessica Davidson, Lark Howard, Jane Kohuth, Jessa Slade, Simon Goldberg and Dan Ettinger, among others.

Sales:

As of this posting, Ms. Stumpf is listed on Publisher's Marketplace as having made 3 deals in the last 12 months and 4 overall. Recent deals include 1 picture book, 1 young adult, and 1 women's romance.

Her most recent children's sale:

"Molly Backes's THE PRINCESSES OF IOWA, set in suburban Iowa, a reverse-Cinderella story in which an It-girl who seems to have it all - the gorgeous boyfriend, the perfect best friends, and a spot on the Homecoming Court - starts to wonder if there's more to life than being popular, to Kaylan Adair at Candlewick, in a nice deal, for publication in Spring 2012, by Becca Stumpf at Prospect Agency (World)." (Link)

Note: PM is often not a true representation of total sales.

Query Methods:

E-mail: No.

Snail-Mail: No.

Online-Form: Yes (only).

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

Online Submission: Include a query letter, three chapters (or first 30 pages) and a brief synopsis as a single Word, PDF, HTML, or Text file. Only submit to one agent and only submit one manuscript at a time.

"Your query letter should include your name, the date, contact information and a brief description of the work. Include only relevant personal information: previous publications, writing education, etc. For previously published authors, please also give a brief overview of your career thus far and your goals for the future."

See the agency's website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines before querying.

Response Times:

The stated response time on the Prospect website is one week to three months. If you do not hear back in six months, resend. Realistic response times for Ms. Stumpf seem to fall around the three to four month mark with occasional instances that are quicker or slower.

What's the Buzz?

Becca Stumpf has a pretty quiet web presence, but she's a frequent conference goer and everything I read on her seems to be very complimentary. Most of what you hear or read comes from the pitch sessions and contests she does at conferences and the general consensus is that she's very bright, professional, and approachable.

While she isn't listed on P&E and isn't a member of the AAR, the Prospect Agency is very much legit and adheres to the AAR Canon of Ethics as a whole. Plus, Ms. Stumpf started as an assistant at Writers House, joined Prospect in 2006, and became an agent in 2007, so her relative history in publishing is golden.

If you don't mind the response times, everything's in place to recommend her!

Worth Your Time:

I couldn't find very much on Ms. Stumpf, but here are a few things I did dig up.

There's a list of resources and a schedule of events on the Prospect Agency website.

If you didn't click out to Becca Stumpf's website bio already, there's a list of recent reads there as well.

You can read a "How I Got My Agent" post by Becca Stumpf's client Lark Howard at Vicky Dreiling's blog.

Some pitch advice, "Pitching to Becca Stumpf - Insights from a Client", at The Edge.

And I found a few cute pictures, which you can view here, here, and here.

Contact:

Please see the Prospect Agency website for contact and query information.

***

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com

Guest Blogger Alisa M. Libby: What Inspires Me? Bad Girls

My guest blogger this week is Alisa M. Libby, author of two historical YAs, The Blood Confession and The King's Rose. Please visit her website and blog before you skip out. Enjoy!!

“What Inspires Me? Bad Girls.”

Looking for inspiration? Consider history. Don't worry, I'm not talking about that boring list of dates that you had to memorize in junior high. I'm talking about history as it was lived by real people who did amazing, ridiculous, dangerous and devilish things.

I like writing about historical bad girls. My first novel, The Blood Confession, is inspired by Countess Bathory, who (according to legend) believed that bathing in virgin's blood would keep her eternally young and beautiful. My second novel, The King's Rose, is about Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, who cheated on King Henry with one of his servants. These are two very different women, of course, but when I came across their stories I had a similar response: “What in the world were you thinking?” The fact that I couldn't easily answer that question was what intrigued me most. I wondered how they would explain their actions, if they were given the chance. While I certainly don't agree with what they did, my task was to create reasons that would seem believable, while not entirely releasing them from blame.

Do I worry that a historical character I would like to write about might be snatched up by some other author? Yes, I fear this all the time. The thought wakes me up at night. That said, every story can be told in a myriad of different ways: different voices, different approaches to the character and their context. Everyone writer has their own voice, their unique perspective. No one can tell this particular story in the same way that you can.

Poll: New Background Color or Old?

Hi Again!

I've changed the background color from light text on dark to dark text on light in a way that allows me to keep my color scheme. But, I'm really on the fence about it. So, poll time! If you're reading from a reader, please click through and vote. I'm almost thinking the text would have to be bolder if I were to keep this look. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. I promise this layout stuff will be over soon!

ETA: I've changed the font. I think it reads better but let me know if it's not standing out enough still.

Writing / Research Tip Tuesday #24

I have a Tuesday Tip from the fabulous Heather Hansen today. Please visit her blog and considering following. She's fun and hilarious!

If you're a perpetual editor/nitpicker in drafts and your editing includes cutting large sections of text (like me!), it's helpful to back up your work periodically in a new file. That way you can always go back to an earlier version if you need to rescue something you inadvertently cut. To make it easy, I use a current file (NAMEOFNOVEL-CURRENT) and then save my back up files using the date for easy retrieval. Such as:

2010.01.15 NAMEOFNOVEL
2010.01.26 NAMEOFNOVEL
2010.02.03 NAMEOFNOVEL

Heather does this for each draft! Isn't she so organized? I only back up drafts when I'm revising and making huge changes, but I think I'm going to adopt this method from now on. It has to be nice in those instances where you've rewritten a paragraph or chapter and think you might have liked the first version best after all. And it means you're constantly backing up as well. Thanks Heather!

Blog Changes. Feedback Please!

Soo, I'd like everyone's input. I've been changing things here and there on the blog, and I'd like to know what you think and what other changes you might like to see.

Here's a list of what I've done so far: Created static pages and took some of the clutter off the right sidebar. Put up a new bio for my "About Me" page. Changed my RSS feed and twitter links to cute icons. Deleted some extraneous links. And, the big one, changed the subtitle of the blog.

I'd particularly like to know if you like the new subtitle and if you have any other suggestions for it. Also, how many of you think I should change the blog title (Literary Rambles) altogether? It's been suggested that the blog is no longer a place of rambling, so I've been considering new titles. I felt the subtitle, at least, had to go and so it has. If you think Lit Rambles should change too, please throw out some suggestions.

Additionally, I'd like to know if reading on this layout with this color scheme has been a bother for anyone. Would you like something easier on the eyes?

I'm wondering too if I should create agency labels. Would it help to be able to view the agents I've spotlighted by agency?

Let me know! This is basically an open feedback thread so feel free throw out whatever you want. It can pertain to what I've already mentioned or anything else you have on your mind. I want this blog to be the best it can be and that really comes down to you, dear readers, and what I can give you. What do you want to see?

Thanks in advance!!!! I'm eager for your thoughts.

Win Linger by Maggie Stiefvater!

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Interview with Author Beth Pollock

A warm welcome to Canadian children's author Beth Pollock!

Hi Beth! Thanks so much for allowing me this interview. You have two published middle-grade novels, THE NEXT STEP and HARLEY’S GIFT, can you tell us a little about them?

Harley’s Gift is the story of an eleven-year old girl who lives in a single-parent family. Her biggest Christmas wish is to reconcile her feuding mother and grandmother so they can share Christmas dinner together. Her wish is granted, although not in the way she had imagined. By the end of the book, Harley also develops the courage to respond with integrity to the homeless people she encounters.

In The Next Step, Clara is an eight-year old girl whose mother has just died. Her new life includes buying clothes with her father, eating her nanny Tessa’s cooking, and taking more responsibility for her little brother Calvin. Hardest of all, she doesn’t know how to tell her dad she doesn’t like ballet class. With the help of her good friends and a caring teacher, Clara learns how to grow up without leaving the memory of her mother behind.

Both books were published by James Lorimer & Company – Harley’s Gift in 2007 and The Next Step in 2009.

Both stories sound wonderful. I love the themes behind them. What did your journey from aspiring author to published author entail? What were the key milestones along the way?

My path has been anything but straight! As a child, I loved to read and write more than anything. But I couldn’t imagine myself making a career in it so I studied Economics at university. After a couple of years working, I went back to get my MBA.

I got a job at a bank, moved to Toronto, and shortly afterward got married. I worked at Scotiabank for ten years, cutting back to part-time when my oldest daughter was born. When my youngest daughter turned two, my husband and I decided that we could make it work if I stayed at home with them. I was too embarrassed to tell most people, but I decided I’d also like to try writing children’s books, having fallen in love with so many of them as I read them to my girls.

It's a good thing you dove in despite your initial embarrassment! How did you come to work with your literary agent? If you don’t have one, how did you come to work with your publisher?

I don’t have an agent. I’m one of those writers who was discovered in the slush pile!

Ooo, another slush discovery! I love that. Is there anything that you’ve learned or experienced during the publishing process that’s surprised you?

I’m constantly delighted at the kindness of other writers. They’ve been generous with their help and advice, and I always try to repay that kindness to other writers, beginners and experienced.

I’m also surprised at how much fun school presentations are. I love the energy of the kids and, for me, giving presentations is almost as much fun as writing.

Speaking of kids, you began your writing career as a stay-at-home mom. What has that been like?

It has been a complete joy. My daughters are now fifteen and twelve, and I treasure the many hours we’ve spent together. Even if my writing had never come to anything, I’d still consider I made the right decision by leaving the bank to be a stay-at-home mom.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Don’t give up! I have more rejection letters than you can imagine. Keep sending your work out, but never stop improving it.

And do whatever you can to get input from other writers. I’ve taken several writing courses that have really helped me improve my craft. I’ve been a part of two writers’ groups – one that I heard about through a course, and one that I formed with two friends. Getting and giving feedback as part of these groups has made improved my writing immeasurably.

Love the advice not to give up. Sometimes it's so tempting! But stories like yours can really rejuvenate a weary writer.

On your website, you have a picture of you and your children the day you found out your first book would be published. The caption says, “We look remarkably good, considering we were twelve hours off a trip that involved three continents, four countries and five airports — most of them unintentional.” I definitely have to ask! What’s the story there?

I’ll try to condense this story, but if I ever meet you or any of your readers, I’ll tell you the long version! We were returning from a family holiday to Morocco. Ironically, the Moroccan part of the trip was smooth and problem-free. But when we arrived in London, the line for security was unbelievable. By the time we made it to the desk, the agent told us we wouldn’t make our connecting flight to Toronto. There was also a terrible winter storm over much of northeastern U.S. and Canada, and airports were shutting down. She couldn’t get us to Toronto, but could fly us into Boston, with a flight from Boston to Toronto the following day.

We took it, and ran to make the flight. The plane was about an hour outside of Boston when they announced that Logan airport had been shut down, and they were rerouting us to Montreal. Good news for us – right? Montreal is much closer to Toronto, and maybe we could get a connecting flight that night! However, when we arrived, the flight attendant said that no one could get off the plane unless everyone did. After an hour and a half sitting on the tarmac, another announcement was made that Logan airport had reopened and we were flying back!

When we arrived in Boston, it was past midnight – sometime the next morning in Moroccan time. A worker in security told us every hotel in the city was sold out because so many flights had been cancelled. Undaunted, we decided to double-check at the Hilton, which is directly connected to the airport. Indeed they were sold out, but after hearing our sorry tale, they were able to find half a suite that wasn’t being used. It had no bed, but we were happy for the pull-out sofa and the extra cot they wheeled in.

Wow, this story is way too long! If you ever interview me again, I’ll tell you how we got from Boston to Toronto. However, it was a thrill to get back from all those adventures and read the e-mail saying that Lorimer wanted to publish my first book that fall.

That's quite the story! And I must say, I love the happy ending. You must be working on something new. Can you divulge anything about your current work(s)-in-progress? I beleive you have another book coming out this year as well, when can we expect it to hit shelves?

I love having lots of projects underway! I have four unfinished manuscripts in various stages, although I only work on one at a time. The one I’m busy with at the moment is a third book for Lorimer. It’s lighter in tone and more humorous than my first two books, and will be published in Fall 2010.

In addition, I have a completed middle-grade manuscript that I’ve been sending out to a few publishers and agents to a (so far) complete lack of interest. To my earlier point, it’s time to consider what I should do to improve it. I also have a young adult novel that I’m dying to get back to. The main character, the voice and the plot are completely different from what I’ve had published, and I really miss working on it. My final manuscript is the dark horse – it’s a fantasy, and I’m not sure it’ll ever see the light of day.

It sounds like you have a lot of great projects in the works. I'm sure we'll be seeing them in the future! Where can readers stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest on you and your books?

My website is at http://www.bethpollock.ca/. Please check it out – and I’d love to hear your comments!

Finally, what’s one interview question you haven’t been asked and wish you would be? And please, answer it!

Q: I love the picture of you in grade three on your website. Do you still have the same sense of style?

A: Unfortunately, yes.

Ha! What a great way to finish things off. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of interviewing you, Beth. Here's to a successful writing career!

Agent Spotlight: Catherine Drayton

This week's Agent Spotlight features Catherine Drayton of InkWell Management.

Status: Accepting submissions.

About: Catherine Drayton graduated with a Bachelor of Arts/Law from the University of Sydney and a Masters of Law from University of New South Wales. She worked as a copyright and defamation litigator in Sydney for four years before moving to the United States in 1995. She had a brief stint as a literary scout and then joined Arthur Pine Associates in 1998. She represents women’s fiction and books for children of all ages. Her clients include New York Times bestselling authors and a number of internationally successful writers. She represents Markus Zusak, John Flanagan, Becca Fitzpatrick and Beth Hoffman, amongst many others.” (Link)

About the Agency:

"InkWell was formed in the summer of 2004 through the merger of three agencies, Carlisle & Company, Arthur Pine Associates and Witherspoon Associates. In that short time, we have gained a considerable international reputation as a significant and innovative player in the industry.

“In addition to its full-time agents and their assistants, the InkWell team includes a tireless foreign rights department, a dedicated marketing and publicity expert, an experienced film and television strategist, an in-house editor, and a meticulous contracts manager. We also join forces with leading literary agencies in every foreign market and we have a full-time agent based in Australia.

“While we are proud to represent major literary prize winners as well as many of the world's bestselling and best-loved authors, we continue to be excited by and on the lookout for original ideas, riveting stories and great writing from new writers.” (Link)

Web Presence:

InkWell Management website.

Twitter.

AgentQuery & QueryTracker.

What She's Looking For:

Genres/Specialties:

Women’s fiction, literary fiction, crime, world literature, young adult, middle-grade and picture books. (Link)

From a Tweet (01/2012):

“Someone please send me a fabulous picture book. I'm in the mood for good art!” (Link)

From a Tweet (09/2011):

“Anyone writing a YA psychological suspense novel? I keep hoping that a stunning manuscript is going to land in my inbox!” (Link)

From an Interview (09/2010):

“I tend to concentrate on all genres of children’s books (picture, middle-grade and YA) and women’s fiction. In young adult, I love the very literary novel such as The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee, but I also enjoy compelling commercial projects such as Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. I look for high-end women’s fiction such as Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman and am always on the look-out for novels that will appeal to women’s book clubs. I’m excited about Cleo, a memoir by Helen Brown that is about to be published, but I don’t do much nonfiction these days.” (Link)

From an Interview (07/2009):

"My dream project in any genre has a wonderful imagination, a wry sense of humor, a distinctive, vibrant voice and memorable characters. I’m passionate about publishing books that will inspire teenagers to read and only want to take on those authors who are reaching for the stars." (Link)

What She Isn't Looking For:

“I don’t represent much non-fiction (except memoirs), thrillers or science fiction.” (Link)

Quotables:

Regarding what she expects in an agent-author relationship:

“Honesty, professionalism and a sense of humor! I try to keep my list small so each client feels as if they are my top priority.” (Link)

Editorial Agent?

She makes revision requests and edits as needed.

Clients:

A list of InkWell management clients is available on the website.

Ms. Drayton's clients include: Katherine Battersby, Jane Bradley, Nathan Bransford, Helen Brown, Joshua Cohen, Andrew Fukuda,Becca Fitzpatrick, John Flanagan, Peter Hartcher, Jacqueline Harvey, Beth Hoffman, Tara Hudson, Katherine Longshore, Shawn Thomas Odyssey, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Craig Silvey, Markus Zusak, among others.

Sales:

As of 5/2012, Ms. Drayton is listed on Publisher's Marketplace as having made 5 deals in the last 12 months, 5 six-figure+ deals, and 66 overall. Recent deals include 1 debut, 1 young adult, 1 middle grade, 1 picture book, 1 international rights: children's.

NOTE: PM is usually not a complete representation of sales.

Query Methods:

E-mail: Yes (only).

Snail-Mail: No.

Online-Form: No.

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

In the body of an e-mail include a query letter and short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Despite what it says on the InkWell website, she prefers to receive queries directly. The e-mail address is available on her AgentQuery page.

Please see the Inkwell Management website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines and terms of agreement.

Query Tips:

"The query letter is very important to me. I want to know that an author has done their research and knows what I represent and why their book would be a good fit for my list. Then I look for imagination – a plot that is unusual, creative – and the ability to pitch the book in one paragraph. A brilliant query letter is very persuasive!" (Link)

Response Times:

The agency has a stated response time of up to two months but Ms. Drayton tends to be very fast. Stats on the web show she responds to most queries within days to two weeks and requested material within days to a month or so.

What's the Buzz?

Catherine Drayton seems to be an all-around fabulous agent. She's got the three Ps going for her - prompt, pleasant, and professional - along with a great list of clients, many bestselling, and big sales.

I recommend following her on Twitter @cjdrayton.

Worth Your Time:

Interviews:

Agent Advice Interview with Catherine Drayton at Guide to Literary Agents (09/2010).

Interview with an Agent: Catherine Drayton at Mother. Write. (Repeat.) (06/2010).

Interview with Catherine Drayton and Stephen Fraser at Class of 2K9 (07/2009).

Around the Web

Catherine Drayton at P&E ($).

Inkwell Management thread at AbsoluteWrite.

WriteOnCon Live Event transcript featuring Catherine Drayton and Becca Fitzpatrick (06/2011).

Successful Queries: Agent Catherine Drayton and “The Liar Society” at Guide to Literary Agents (01/2011).

Becoming A Career Author by Literary Agent Catherine Drayton at WriteOnCon (8/2010).

"The Agented Angle" an interview with Lisa and Laura Roecker with a focus on Catherine Drayton and their experience with her (12/2009).

Agent Appreciation Day post for Catherine Drayton by clients Lisa and Laura Roecker (12/2009).

Contact:

Please see the InkWell Management website for contact and query information.

Profile Details:

Last updated: 5/1/12.

Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.

Last Reviewed By Agent? N/A.

***

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's and/or teen fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

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