Do you have what agents are looking for?

Time for another IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) session. This month, I'm spilling my guts about how to snag an agent. Uh, no. I haven't snagged one yet myself, but I did snag an editor/publisher. Similar, yet more difficult. Agents are a different breed.

Soon I will be asking myself if I have what agents are looking for when I venture out with my latest WIP. I feel like I have to start over. Maybe that's why this one is taking me so long, not looking forward to the tsunami of rejections ahead of me. But nothing is guaranteed in life, right? Change comes whether we like it or not, we just have to deal with it.

So, I wanted to offer a couple of ways to peek at what agents are thinking...

First, is the very insightful: #MSWishList - where agents spout off story ideas they'd love to see written and offered to them. Trouble is, you have to have what they're looking for right then because sooner than you can write your first draft, they'll come up with a new twist, and yours will be so last month! The best approach is to see if anyone is seeking something you've already written or started.

Second, enter Twitter pitch contests. Like:
#PitMad - where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. Agents and editors make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch. Every unagented writer is welcome to pitch. All genres/categories are welcomed. Upcoming dates are:

June 6, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EDT)
September 5, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EDT)
December 5, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EST)

and
#PitchWars, schedule is as follows:

6/24 Mentor Applications Open
7/8 Mentor Applications Close
8/12 Mentors Announced
9/11-25 Mentor Wishlists Posted
9/25-27 Submissions Open
11/3 Mentees Announced
2/5-10 Agent Showcase

and the IWSG has a pitch event as well! Missed it this year, but the next #IWSGPit contest will be in January 2020 (Date - TBA, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm EST)

Last - Research. Always do a search for agents in your genre. Almost all of them have a list of what they are seeking on their websites, though some don't update them as often as they should. And many do interviews where they talk about the industry as well as what they're looking for, like on Writer's Digest.

So good luck to us all. Expect the worst and you won't feel as bad from the rejections. But hang in there, your perfect match agent will find you! And we will all do the silly celebration dance for you!


via GIPHY

Happy April! And yay for Spring!

What people want to read - Life with a Twist

What would happen if...
Wouldn't it be great if...
What if we could...

Let your mind wander and fill in those blanks. Boom! You're a writer! That's basically what we do - create a story based on What Ifs.

That's also how writers break the mold of stereotypical stories. Every storyline has already been done and redone over and over - we just update or upgrade - PUT A NEW TWIST ON IT!

Agents are always looking for fresh and exciting new stories. They want something that will grab readers' attention, something different, cutting edge, risk taking, outside the box stories. But not too far out there, and definitely well-written.

So how does it work? And how far is too far? Personally, I thought the zombie/Pride & Prejudice and the Vampire-killing Lincoln mashups went too far, but some people ate it up (sorry for that pun-ishment!) On the other hand, some people thought the Twilight & Gray series both went too far - but look how well they did. Sometimes the risk is worth it if it gets people talking!

In the end, a great story is a juicy plot with gripping characters you can relate to put into dire situations, making good and bad choices and figuring out how to survive. So my advice:

• Take Risks!
• Send your characters into Twisty Peril no one would guess!
• Surprise Yourself!
• and Immerse Yourself in the unknown!

And this leads me to an author who's mastered this process!

SHOUT OUT OF THE WEEK:

S. A. Larsen!

I appreciate a woman who is published and super busy, but still finds time to connect with and encourage other writers! Thanks, Sheri!

As a little girl, S.A. Larsen believed her closet held secret passageways to magical worlds brimming with all sorts of creepy creatures – her favorite kind. Now, she uses her exquisite imagination to write award-winning middle grade and young adult stories, starting with -- MOTLEY EDUCATION and MARKED BEAUTY. When she’s not chasing her characters around a cemetery or antagonizing them with the wonders of young love, she can be found in the land of lobsters and snowy winters with her husband and four children (yes, they all play hockey), a playful pooch, and three kittens.

Go check out her blog & books!

Happy Writing!