“Sometimes a game takes an unexpected turn, in which beauty begins to emerge.” – Vladimir Kramnik, Russian Chess Grandmaster

I must be completely and totally honest. I knew exactly how the 2013 DFW Writers Conference was going to go for me when I first registered.

I would meet with the literary agent I requested at my assigned pitch session. I would pitch my urban fantasy, Milton Tuttle. I would be told it sounds interesting. I would be asked to send a partial manuscript. And in two months, I would receive an email that would contain the most vile, wretched and loathsome word to an aspiring author…

Unfortunately.

You see, I’ve done this before. And submission after submission, that word has come up time and time again. And I had no reason to suspect anything different this time.

That was before I had a chance to sit down with Michelle L. Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency.

Now, Michelle wasn’t my requested pitch agent. According to the agent checklist, she didn’t even represent my genre. But I was fortunate enough to spend some time with her and talk about things other than DFWCon. It was during one of those conversations that I mentioned that my daughters love for me to tell them stories.

“Do you ever write them down?” she asked.

“There’s one called The Daisy Flower,” I told her.

“So why aren’t you writing children’s literature?”

“I don’t know. It seems too simple. There’s got to be a catch or a trick to it.”

“No, not really. It has to have some form of meter. It has to be engaging and it has to have a lesson in the end.”

“I don’t know. There’s still got to be more to it than that.”

“Send it to me and I’ll tell you what I think.”

I agreed and sent it to her shortly thereafter, fully expecting an Unfortunately to follow.

When the conference ended, my expectations concerning my pitch session were actually worse that I predicted. I didn’t get a partial request, but I did get that most vile, wretched and loathsome word.

A few days, not weeks, passed, and I got a message from Michelle. She loved The Daisy Flower and thought it had potential marketability. However, she wanted to do some research because she’d never worked with children’s picture books before.

On June 5, 2013, exactly one month after DFWCon ’13, Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency offered me representation.

And it’s for a series of children’s stories based on a bedtime story I told my daughters on a random night in 2010 that I decided to write out the next day.

So at the 2013 DFW Writers Conference, despite knowing exactly what was going to happen, I met with a literary agent I didn’t have an appointment with, stumbled unknowingly into a pitch I never intended to make and now have representation in the publishing industry.

Fortunately for me, it’s not a bad way to be proven wrong.

Great job David, and we hope you the best success.

What’s that? The kids are hungry, your day job is demanding and you can’t find your other shoe? Welcome to reality. Shake it off and let’s get this check-up done.

The most important point of your four-week check-up is scheduling. The conference buzz is fading and you are in the “hurry up and wait” part of the submission process. It is easy to let other things take priority over your writing. STOP! Sit down right now with your calendar and set up writing appointments.

How you schedule is up to you– it has to work in your life. Some possibilities:

* a daily appointment for a set amount of time

* a daily word-count or page goal

* writing goals that have to be reached before you can watch television, go for a swim or work in the garden

* a specific day set aside for writing

Choose your schedule, announce it to the world and respect that time.  Make others respect that time. It doesn’t have to be every day. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours. It just has to be consistent. Don’t lose the momentum you have gained.

Review the two-week check-up.  Which of those things didn’t you do? Be honest. Why didn’t they get done? If it is a matter of not having the time, please refer to the first point about scheduling. Make it a priority. If it is a matter of not having the confidence, then get in touch with your writing pals and get some cheerleaders behind you. Ask a friend to be the second set of eyes on your query letter.  Have someone you trust hold you accountable for getting things done.  Use Twitter hashtag #dfwcon to find support from other attendees.

Set some goals. Whether you are working on new material, revisions, queries or research, put a date on it. Deadlines are wonderful. Why is NaNoWriMo so absurdly popular? Because it sets a very concrete goal- a complete story of 50k words in 30 days. Not a good story, not a technically perfect story–just a complete (beginning, middle, end) story of at least 50k words. Arbitrary? Yes. Does it work? Yes.

Work on some new ideas.  What if your dream agent gets back to you and says, “I love your writing, but this story isn’t doing it for me. What else have you got?” You want to have something to offer them– even if it is just one chapter and an outline.

Research submission avenues.  I know, I know…your dream agent is going to call back and sign you, followed by selling your book the next week in an intense 7-figure bidding war.  Use this waiting time to research agents, editors and publishers.  There is absolutely nothing lost by knowing what you want to do in case of rejection.

There is one final action for your four-week check-up: get out your calendar.  Make an appointment for your eight-week check-up on July 1st.

See you then!

Jodi Thompson is a life-long wordsmith who is currently spending her days in the new-to-her fiction arena. You can see more of her disjointed ramblings at http://www.thejodithompson.com/or catch her any Wednesday night at DFW Writers’ Workshop.

For those of you who already know me, I’ve got bad news:  I am now the Publications Manager for the DFW Writers’ Conference.  YES.  I have assumed editorial oversight for this site, as well as our forthcoming publications.   That uncanny chill you felt just now?  Yeah, that was me assuming unstoppable cosmic powers of comma correction.  Cue up the Imperial March and get me a red lightsaber – it’s going to get ruthless!

But that is not all!  We’ve had other great changes in the works too.  As a matter of fact, we’ve just switched over to a new registration system, RegOnline.  It’s a great tool, but you don’t need to take my word for it.  As it happens, I’ve interviewed our Supreme Leader – Kirk von der Heydt, Director of the 2014 DFW Writers’ Conference – to find out more about registering for 2014.

Tex: So what are the advantages of the new system?

Kirk: There are substantial benefits for both organizers and attendees.  Those attending the conference will be able to choose their classes through the agenda page, which will build a personalized schedule just for them.  They’ll be able to access the mobile event guide during the conference, so they can see their schedule and pull up a map of the conference center.  And our conference volunteers will be able to communicate more effectively with attendees, so we can provide better organization and a superior level of service for everyone.

Tex: What about attendees who have already registered for 2014 on EventBrite?

Kirk: Switching over to RegOnline is easy and painless.  Attendees who have already registered for the conference received an email on Friday with instructions on how to migrate to the new system.

Tex: Let’s say I buy my ticket and then need to make changes later.  What can I do?

Kirk: When you buy a ticket, you create a profile – one that you can edit at any time.  With the new system, you’re never “stuck” with anything: you can update your information whenever you need to.

Tex: Jonathan Maberry is pretty cool, but it’s kind of a gamble to register for a writers’ conference before I even know what classes you’ll have.  Why sign up so early?

Kirk: The easy answer is the price: the sooner you register, the less your ticket will cost.  However, we’ve also built a reputation as one of the best conferences available.  Every year, the education program exceeds the year before it, and 2014 will be no different.  In fact, I’ve just been able to confirm that Donald Maass will be coming to the 2014 conference, as will Les Edgerton.  As the summer rolls on, we’ll have more confirmed speakers to reveal – but suffice to say that we’ll definitely have more than we can fit in two days!

So there you have it, folks: excellent reasons to sign up early for 2014, with more to come!  Keep working hard in the meantime, and check back on Wednesday for Jodi Thompson’s one-month post-conference to-do list.  (And come see me over at The Tex Files if you haven’t yet – I’ve got a contest ending tomorrow, and would love to add to your library!)

Tex Thompson is locally notorious as a ‘rural fantasy’ writer and comma placement specialist.  She is represented by Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary, tolerated by the DFW Writers Workshop, and authorized to act as editor-at-large for the DFW Writers’ Conference.   Her fictional exploits and LOLcat grammar lessons appear regularly at TheTexFiles.com.

Annie Neugebauer

Three days before the conference, Annie queried Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary with her horror book Once The Darkness Comes. Annie had already secured a 10-minute pitch session with Michelle, but she was planning to pitch a different project at DFWcon, so she sent her OTDC.

“I thought it would be interesting to feel her out with one project before we met and I pitched another,” Annie wrote on her blog. “I guess it was sort of a social experiment for me: What would it be like meeting someone who’s already either passed or requested one of my projects?”

Annie mentioned in her query that she’d be attending DFWcon, so Michelle read it out of order — something she rarely does. But she’s glad she did.

“When I read Annie’s query, I was so floored by her concept and her opening pages that I had to request the full,” Michelle said. “You know what happens when you read an amazing book, and you feel like the characters are your family and you’ve lost them when you’ve finished the book? I call that a book hangover. I got that from reading Annie’s query. Query hangover.”

Annie sent the manuscript and Michelle read it during her flight to Dallas and finished it in her hotel room the night before the conference. That night, Michelle said it wasn’t just the reading that kept her up — it was the terrifying world Annie had created.

On Saturday morning, Annie and Michelle met briefly, an experience they both describe as being a little awkward.

“Michelle said something to the extent of ‘Gosh, you really tore me up,’ referring to OTDC,” Annie explains. “I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, if it was a good or bad thing.”

But when Annie sat down for her pitch session, she learned that this was a very good thing. She pitched her next project, and Michelle requested the full manuscript, even though she admits to being rather preoccupied.

Michelle Johnson

“Listening to her new pitch was difficult, because I was distracted by the amazing book I had just read and knew I was going to offer representation,” Michelle said. “Honestly,  Annie could send me her shopping list and I would be interested in reading it. She is an amazing writer.”

With the pitch out of the way, Michelle told Annie that she loved OTDC and discussed some changes she’d like to see in the manuscript. Then Michelle said, “So, about your other book. I would like to offer you representation.”

Annie was shocked. “I’ve been working toward this for five years, so hearing someone tell me that I was actually achieving it felt pretty surreal. I think I just covered my mouth with my hands because that’s all I could think to do.”

“I wish I’d had a video camera,” Michelle said. “Annie’s body jerked backward, twice — it looked like I’d just shot her in the chest. Her hand flew up to her heart. She said something incoherent, like ‘Whaaaa-errr-really’ and her eyes welled up, and I said, ‘Oh my God, don’t cry, you’ll make me cry!’ because my eyes were already filling up, too.”

By this point, the gong had sounded and the pitch was over. Annie explained that other agents were still looking at her manuscript and asked Michelle if she could wait a couple of weeks for her answer. Michelle agreed, but in the end, Annie chose to work with Michelle. Her enthusiasm for OTDC was exactly what Annie was looking for, and she’s pleased with her decision.

And so is Michelle. “I am so lucky to have gotten the chance to offer on this in person, and triply blessed that out of all the offers she had, she chose me,” she said. “Keep your eye on Annie Neugebauer. Expect great things.”

Are you ready to query? Annie and Michelle have some tips.

Annie says:  I really believe in querying. A lot of writers seem interested in trying to find a way “out of the slush,” but the slush has worked great for me. My advice is to work hard at mastering the art of the query letter. For both of my most successful query letters, I brought at least three completely different drafts to my critique group. When they told me it wasn’t there yet, I wrote a new one and another until the draft had them all a little wide-eyed. Then we set to work on polishing that one.

Michelle says:  Make sure you really are ready. Read through your manuscript one more time. Practice talking about your book to other people, and try to capture their interest in just a couple of sentences. Pay attention to how they react. When you get to the fourth or fifth sentence and they suddenly lean forward and say, “Oh?” That is the line you should lead with. If you’ve gotten five sentences in and they start checking their watch, keep practicing.

Laura J. Moss is a YA writer and MNN.com editor whose stories are regularly published on CNN, The Huffington Post and Yahoo. She’s a bitter muggle and an aspiring cat lady who tweets at @LauraJMoss and blogs at LauraJMoss.com.

Not true!

Conferences are about more than just pitch sessions. They are full of great classes and workshops on the craft and business side of writing, as well opportunities to meet other writers and form last friendships.

As for meeting with and talking to agents- that doesn’t have to be limited to pitching a finished manuscript. There are often opportunities for writers to have consultations with agents on unfinished projects, which can mean valuable feedback from a professional in the business, and even a request to see your work.

When I registered for the 2013 DFW Writers’ Conference, I had no intention of meeting with an agent. I knew I wouldn’t have a completed, pitch-ready manuscript, which is generally required for pitch sessions. This would be my year to simply listen, learn and meet people.

However, when pitch session registration opened, I learned that several agents would also be open for consultations on unfinished manuscripts. This intrigued me. In spite of the potential I see in it, my current WIP has caused me some headaches recently, thanks to the sometimes polarized reaction of my critique partners and a main character that is not always easy to like.

I did a little research on the agents offering consultations and learned they expressed interest in my genre, women’s fiction, but I was still unsure whether to sign up. My schedule would already be full with classes, and there was also the fear factor. What if they thought my project sucked?

I decided to sign up. I was paying a lot of money to attend the conference, not to mention traveling almost 1000 miles. I wanted to get the most out of my conference experience, and ten minutes one on one with a literary agent to discuss my book seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

I put in my agent selections and then thought little else about it. Weeks passed. The conference announced small group genre workshops, and I jumped to sign up for the romance section. I’d started a new project that seemed perfect for it. I devoted my attention to that. Meanwhile, the other WIP sat in my Dropbox, neglected.

Two weeks before the conference, I got the email. I’d been assigned a pitch/consultation with agent Katelyn Detweiler. I started to second-guess myself. After all, I hadn’t looked at the book in weeks. Should I cancel and give someone else the opportunity? I decided to keep the appointment.

Since it was a consultation on an unfinished project, I wasn’t sure I needed the traditional pitch. I decided to err on the side of caution, so I wrote a pitch. I asked for feedback, ripped it apart, and wrote it again. And again.

I left the pre-conference mixer after a couple hours to go back to my hotel and practice my pitch. I wrote it on an index card, paced my room as I said it, and ended up rewriting it again. Saturday morning came, and I practiced my pitch in the shower. I was ready!

Except my session started early and I barely got there, which threw me off a little. Katelyn introduced herself and said I was her first pitch of the day.

At that point, I probably should have introduced myself and launched into my pitch. The one I’d practiced about fifteen times the night before. Instead, I froze for a second, tried to explain I was there for a consultation on an unfinished project, and stammered around for a bit before finally getting to the point of what my book was about.

I thought I’d blown it, but I still had nine minutes and I was determined to use them. I mentioned some of the issues I’d encountered with my book, asked some questions, and received helpful answers. Katelyn also asked me a few specific questions of her own about where I saw the project heading, which helped me make sense out of some of my thoughts.

Although the conversation began poorly, it recovered quickly, and as time was winding down, Katelyn surprised me by asking me to send her the manuscript when it was completed. I couldn’t believe it. From disaster to success, in ten minutes.

Over lunch, I had the opportunity to chat with some fellow attendees about my consultation experience. One of them had not signed up for an agent appointment because she did not have a finished manuscript. When I saw her again that night at the cocktail reception, she told me that after our lunch conversation, she went and signed up for a consultation with an agent. She, too, got a request to submit her book when it was ready.

Since the conference, I’ve come down from the high a little bit. I know the book still needs a lot of work before I submit it, and by the time it’s ready, the agent might not be interested or forgot she even requested it. After all, I was her first appointment of the day.

Regardless, I enjoyed our conversation and her feedback and interest has given me renewed focus on this book. When it’s ready, I will send her the manuscript and see what happens. I will also query other agents and prepare to go all in at next year’s conference and sign up for multiple pitch sessions.

This year’s experience proved that anything can happen. You can have an unfinished project and still get a request and you can bumble your introduction and recover. But it can’t happen unless you put yourself out there, sign up for that appointment, walk in that room and go for it.

What’s the worst thing that happens? The agent might say “No, thanks. That project isn’t for me.” It might sting at the moment, but who among us has never heard the word ‘No’ before?

More importantly, they might ask you for your manuscript, a request you might never have gotten if you didn’t meet with them.

So if you’re considering going to a conference but aren’t sure because you don’t have a finished book, or you’re going to a conference but aren’t sure you’re ready to talk to agent: Just go for it. You never know what might happen.

Michele Shriver lives in Iowa and writes women’s fiction. You can find her on twitter (@micheleshriver) or at http://www.micheleshriver.com

The first thing you need to do is to review your notes.  If you take cryptic notes that need to be transcribed, do that before you forget what “%dftba/fiction always” means.

While reviewing your notes, take a look at all of the business cards you collected. Are you following all your new conference pals on Twitter, Facebook and their blogs? It means a lot to be able to connect with others who are struggling to get the words on paper, the perfect query and the perfect agent.  It means even more to be able to connect with those who have already made it to the other side. Other writers are not your competition, they are your biggest cheerleaders!

Best gas station wine

Did you have a heart to heart with an agent or editor about your shared love for rescue dogs and dark chocolate?  Did you bond over a glass of gas station wine? Don’t be afraid to tag them in a simple “thank you, had fun” message.  Once.  It is nice if they can feel the love from conference goers.  It is bad is they feel like they are being stalked.  Once.

Now that we have all the pleasantries taken care of, it is time to get down to business.

A query asks an agent/editor if they would like to see your work.  A submission is what happens after they say yes.  Do not query if they have already asked to see your work, just submit.

Let’s take a closer look at queries.  Before you do anything else, read here and here about avoiding query pitfalls.  Is your query as good as it can be?  Okay, now you can move on.

Work through your list of agents/editors to query and double-check all of their requirements.  You did all that before conference? Doesn’t matter– do it again.  Follow their query guidelines exactly.  If you met them in person or sat in on one of their classes, that is an excellent way to open your letter.

Dear Agent X:

I recently had the pleasure of hearing you speak on <really cool topic> at DFW Writers’ Conference.  I especially enjoyed your explanation of <coolest part of really cool topic>.

<insert rest of your awesome query letter>

Respectfully,

Author of the Next Big Thing

(Please don’t follow this exactly; it is pretty lame.  Use your situation and your voice to connect with the agent.)

Enter your queries in whatever tracking method you use and have a cookie.

It is finally time for your requested submissions.  Did you pitch to an agent/editor (in a pitch session, at the cocktail party, over lunch) and get a request to send them a partial/full manuscript? Well done! You can have another cookie.

After you dust of the cookie crumbs, give your manuscript a final look. Is it formatted correctly? Have you fixed all the rough spots? If possible, have a fresh pair of eyes review it for the things that spellcheck won’t catch. It just isn’t cool to have your main character visiting the pubic library, blistering threw knew booked.

Once again, follow the directions given by the agent/editor. If they told you to submit via crayon on a donkey, do it. Submit exactly what they requested, not one bit more or less.  Unless they have specifically told you what to put in the subject line, you should put something like ”requested materials- DFWCon.” Keep your cover letter brief and to the point. (Cover letter, not query!) Let your manuscript do the talking.

Update your query/submission tracker and have a carrot. (You’ve already had two cookies.)

You have one last thing to complete your two-week conference check-up: Register for 2014 at the Super Early Bird Rate of $200.

Just like a new baby, you can’t stop caring at two weeks and expect things to turn out well.  Your next check-up is at one month. See you there.

We were right.

After Corey and I presented our sixty promised tips (covering topics such as discipline, organization, motivation, creativity, resources, and tools like Scrivener), we opened the floor for the attendees to offer suggestions of their own. We could not have asked for a more amazing group of people; there wasn’t a dead moment.

We’d prepared ourselves to capture an onslaught of tips, and it was a good thing. I typed furious notes into my iPad as people shared their ideas; we also passed out index cards so they could write their tips down, just in case we didn’t have time to hear from everyone in person.

Since the list is long, I’ll go ahead and wrap up the bloggish portion of this post. This list is comprised purely of tips from the participants, but we covered even more in the actual class. We shared three handouts—a list of the 60+ tips Corey and I presented, a handout on how to be a good beta reader/critique partner, and a pretty detailed handout devoted to the amazing features of Scrivener. If anyone is interested in those, shoot me an email or a tweet and I’ll send them your way. [Email: kayla (at) kaylaolson (dot) com  •  Twitter: @olsonkayla] 

A reminder: as we emphasized (over and over again) in our class, don’t feel like you have to try every tip. Also keep in mind that your writing process isn’t the end goal—your finished novel is!

Thank you, again, to everyone who came to our class! We loved having you, and wish you the best.

TIPS FROM CLASS PARTICIPANTS AT DFWCON

PROCESS + INSPIRATION

• I used to keep track of story documents in separate Word files until I discovered Microsoft OneNote. Now I can keep track of research, characters, chronology, etc. efficiently, all in one place.
• I love to write with a fountain pen in a composition notebook. I carry it in my bag everywhere. I can work on a draft or make notes, even when I only have a few minutes.
• Reward yourself when you accomplish a big goal—finishing the first chapter, first draft, first pitch, etc. Otherwise, writing can become drudgery.
• Get a standup desk—it keeps you awake! (Order online, or build your own if you’re crafty.)
• Write while out in nature, not pent up in a building.
• Create a Pandora station suited for each different project or the tone of the scene.
• Don’t revise as you write—get it all down first!
• Set up a writing space in which you’ll feel inspired to write.
• Take a writing class—you’ll learn tools that you can use the rest of your writing career.
• Go to the local library to write, especially if you need to get away from distractions like other family or friends, the temptation to do something else, or the ever-present fridge. You can even bring your own fancy coffee!
• Check out NaNoWriMo every November (you’ll have a lot of accountability, and the goal is to write 50,000 words before the end of the month).
• Set aside a time every day that is a writing only zone. Don’t allow yourself to cancel your writing plans during this time. And, it’s worth it, even if it’s only 15 minutes.
• Travel for research and write a blog about it.
• Write a 3000-word short story (in order to get concise with characters, plot, story climax, etc.) and then expand into a novel.
• PC users: consider using yWriter5 for crafting a novel.
• Leave your document open all day while at work—you can write 500–1000 words a day, even if it’s just notes or changes you want to make to your scenes. [Note from Kayla: But please make sure you do your *actual* work, too!]
• Write first thing in the morning.
• Log ideas onto index cards and file under future project titles. I have a file called “Too Good Not to Use.” When you start a new project, you can go through the cards for ideas.
• Don’t be afraid to move around while writing—the movement can supercharge your imagination.
• Make a mind map! They’re super fun, and they’re an awesome way to have a blast while plotting. I keep mine through my whole drafting process, and they’re super easy to change. (Don’t know what a mind map is? Tweet at @paperbacklove, who suggested this tip, for clarification.)
• Tell your idea to someone else to get re-energized.
• Tell your idea to your dog to get re-energized.
• Write a letter to yourself or a friend to remind yourself why you wanted to write in the first place. (Works for writing in general or for a project you’re discouraged about.)
• Ritual is the friend of writing. Blending writing into your life via tradition is super good for creativity. I like to find unusual, or even forbidden, places. Abandoned buildings, rivers, the unlocked executive suite in the library, the tops of buildings, etc. [Another note from Kayla: Uhhh, don't blame me if you get arrested! Ha.]
• Pray for guidance.
• Listen to Stephen Sondheim.
• Keep a dream notebook next to bed with a light pen.
• In MS Word, I use the notes feature to highlight things I need to follow-up on. (Example: you let the dog out in Chapter 3—don’t forget to bring him back inside! Write a note to remind yourself.)
• When revising, re-read the scene until you can’t eliminate any more words.
• “Nifty 350”—commit to writing 350 words first thing in the morning (or during your first writing session of the day); you get just far enough into the scene that it makes it easier to pick up later. Great for people who have extremely limited sprints of time in which to work.
• Make good use of your cell phone: the timer app is great, and you can take pictures of things that inspire you.
• Ride the bus to see new characters you wouldn’t normally encounter.

WEBSITES

• www.agentqueryconnect.com — Post your query letter and synopsis, and others will critique it for you.
• www.writeordie.com — “Putting the ‘prod’ in productivity.” (Greatest tagline ever, right?)
• https://yarny.me — You can have lots of projects going at once; it links cross-platform; download the RTF when you get home.
• The “Blogging A–Z challenge” (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/what-is-blogging-from-to-z.html)
• http://750words.com — They’ll send you reminders to write that 750 words, and you get little rewards along the way.
• www.possibilityoftoday.com — Good general inspiration site with an e-newsletter.
• www.storysort.com — Sign up for a StorySort beta invite! StorySort is like a cross between Scrivener and Evernote: it’s online-/cloud-based, and you can create virtual, multi-user critique groups. (Tip suggested by the creator of StorySort, who was in our class.)

BOOKS

• THE FIRST 50 PAGES, by Jeff Gerke
• THE FIRST 5 PAGES, by Noah Lukeman (Like the Gong Show)
• WHAT IF, by Pamela Painter and Anne Bernays
• THE WAR OF ART, by Steven Pressfield
• MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER, by Elizabeth Lyon

Kayla Olson writes YA novels and lives in Austin, Texas. She is active on Twitter (@olsonkayla) and, on occasion, her blog (http://owlandsparrow.wordpress.com).

One.

Curious about what black magic allowed one letter through while the others were mercilessly gonged and eviscerated? Me, too.  Turns out it is some witchcraft known as “querying smarter.”

The original letter:

Dear Literary Professional:

Killing a demon is harder than most people think. You can shoot a werewolf with silver, or an ifrit with brass, but that will only kill the body. Destroying the demon itself requires a special weapon, a holy weapon.

Spencer Mallory is a demon hunter who uses a holy revolver named Dämoren. After surviving a wendigo attack as a child, Spencer displays many signs of possession, even though the demon that marked him was killed. He understands all spoken languages, demon blood heals him, and mixing his own blood in water creates a compass to locate fiends.

After a violent series of demon attacks leaves only fifty holy weapons in the world, Spencer is recruited by the Valducans, an ancient order of demon hunters dating back to the Second Crusade. Many of the knights do not trust Spencer because of his powers. When sabotage and murders begin, the Valducans know there is a spy in their ranks, and Spencer becomes the core of their suspicions. Desperate to prove himself, and to protect Dämoren, Spencer fights to gain their trust and discover the nature of what resides within him.

DÄMOREN is a 98,000 word contemporary fantasy, set in North America and Europe. My short stories have appeared in Black Static and Flashing Swords magazines, as well as the “Time in a Bottle” anthology and the upcoming Rogue Blades Entertainment “Assassins” and “Challenge: Stealth!” anthologies.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

The writer took this letter to the Speculative Fiction Workshop. He also took the following four sentence plot summary:

Fourteen years ago a pack of wendigos killed Spencer Mallory’s family and damned his soul. Now, Spencer is a demon hunter armed with a holy revolver named Dämoren. When a cult begins destroying holy weapons, Spencer is recruited into an order of demon hunters. Desperate to protect Dämoren, Spencer fights to prove himself and discover the nature of the entity residing within him.

According to one participant in the workshop, they shredded the letter. The writer didn’t see it as a shredding, but an opportunity to improve. The comments offered were specific and directed him in how to make his letter stronger. A few of the comments stood out to him:

* Separate, more concise plot summary is catchier than the one in the query. (Jennifer Udden)

* Eliminate the list of the hero’s powers- it makes it seem like there will be no challenge. (Jennifer Udden)

* Writing credits are important. Include them. (Lou Anders)

In a perfect example of how to query smarter, he took the critiques, wiped away his tears and wrote a better letter.

Reblogged from M.E. Kinkade:

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One of the things discussed in a session at DFW Writers' Conference this year was not to blog about writing. I'm gonna go right on ahead and break that "rule," because when I was first starting out, there were so many mixed messages and people with a bias making proclamations that it was hard to tell which way was up. I wish I'd had someone "in the thick of it" to tell me what was going on, so I'm going to provide that resource.

Read more… 605 more words

Here is Vance’s story:

First of all I want to thank DFWWW for putting on such a great conference.  I learned SO much…

Stories?  I have one for you…  While I am sure mine is not all that unique, I’m fairly certain there can’t have been that many there who started out as naïve as I.  This was my first writers conference.  I’ve only been seriously writing for the past couple of years.  I came into Hurst with a book under my arm and a highly acclaimed (and professionally edited) query letter in my binder.  I was signed up for my workshop of choice, at which I was confident my query letter and first two pages would be met with a standing ovation and offers to sign.  I had a guaranteed 10 minutes with an agent who was actively looking for authors in my genre.  So, I was therefore absolutely certain I just needed to hang around until my appointment with her and that following my much practiced pitch simply sign on the dotted line(s).  Surely by Monday I would be working my way up the New York Times Bestseller list.  Life was good.

That thunderous boom you heard about 8:45am Saturday morning was me hitting the ground with a resounding thud!  In my workshop, the magnanimous Lou Anders and the much acclaimed Jennifer Udden took turns being Snoopy in the trusty Sopwith Camel, with myself being the doomed Red Baron.  The reading of my Query Letter and first two pages was actually second to be heard by the panel, and long before I spoke my first words I already knew I was doomed.  The person who went before me had some similar mistakes and had been duly admonished by the panel.  By the time I opened my mouth I had already begun evasive maneuvers.  To no avail.  The panel’s first salvo took out my engine and subsequent barrages riddled my wings with holes…  In actuality, the Red Baron lasted much longer in that magnificent animated story by Charles Shultz than I did Saturday.  I walked out of that Workshop with my dignity in tatters and my manuscript shredded.  That is not to say that Mr. Anders and Ms. Udden were in any way…mean.  Far from it.  They were both very professional and were able to refrain from laughing – something I’m not sure I would have been able to do in their shoes.  They also gave wonderful critiques and made a lot of suggestions that I was able to write down and take with me.  Unfortunately, there was so muchsuggestion required that it bogged down the class and they had to rush after that to get through the remaining papers….  Sigh.

If that was not bad enough (and…it was, btw), my scheduled pitch before an agent was only 30 minutes after the workshop ended.  Plenty of time for me to wander aimlessly in search of that proverbial ‘deep end’ in which to jump….  After all, with what did I have left to pitch?  My Query was a total disaster and only two lines of the first two pages of my manuscript resembled anything that was pitch-able…  Heavy Sigh.  Fortunately for me, Kathleen Zakhar was wonderful.  She helped me put out the flames from the wreckage, and I left my session with her no longer ready to Google the nearest cliff.

Classes the rest of the day were fantastic and most informational.  I didn’t attend a single class the entire weekend that didn’t provide several bullet points I was able to take away.  Surprisingly, there were several pitch sessions available with agents within my chosen genre, and I immediately signed up for three more – including with (key ominous music here) the aforementioned pilots of the Sopwith Camel:  Lou Anders and Jennifer Udden!  The session with Lou was scheduled for the end of that day, and I spent the remainder of the day readying my pitch.  We had a great session (at least I did!), and I came away from that with several more suggestions – including one that I might want to rethink the title of my book!  (Which I am, btw – He’s good!)

Sunday was even better!  I had signed up for back-to-back pitch sessions with Jennifer Udden and Alice Speilburg.  Ms. Udden listened to me fumble through my pitch and also gave me a few pointers.  By the time the gong sounded, I was feeling much better about myself and that showed when I sat down with Ms. Speilburg.  My confidence was again flying high, bolstered this time by some kind words about my work (and me!), so that this last session went very well for me.  I was once again able to get excited about my book, and it showed.

The classes Sunday were awesome!  I really appreciated Mr. Anders class on Screenwriting – so much so that I stayed through the entire class instead of getting up to attend another class I had intended to catch half way through!  I had a great day Sunday,  as well – topped off by the gong show.  I briefly considered putting my query letter in the pile, but figured I had suffered enough (as had others who had already had to listen to it!).

I want to thank everyone responsible for putting this DFWCON#6 together – you did an awesome job!  The facilitators were great, and the subjects they presented were most helpful.  The agents/editors were also extremely helpful and very willing to listen.  They had some great questions – ones that really had me thinking.  The speakers did an outstanding job, and I really appreciated them taking their time to speak to us.  I walked into the conference a naïve first-timer, and walked out a whole lot more knowledgeable first-timer!  (Next year I hope to be able to be an even smarter second-timer!  We’ll have to see about that, though…  The trip down from Seattle may not be in the cards next year.  I am SO glad it was this year, though!)

Thanks again for all the hard work,

(P.S. – I know…that was a bit long-winded.  Can you tell I’m a writer?  I certainly hope so!)

Do you have a story you would like to share about the conference? Email me at kirk@dfwcon.org