tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post1174401982710038850..comments2023-11-02T06:57:11.400-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: Workshop WednesdayBookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-2153007691346183572012-01-26T20:31:06.205-05:002012-01-26T20:31:06.205-05:00Your blog, Query Shark, and others are very helpfu...Your blog, Query Shark, and others are very helpful. I would, however, love to see what a successful query looks like. Could you post some queries that some of your published clients have submitted that really grabbed you?The Cardboard Crafterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10880426970554225968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-38794820528167709712012-01-25T22:26:11.630-05:002012-01-25T22:26:11.630-05:00I had a journalism professor who used to harp on t...I had a journalism professor who used to harp on the need to tie life experiences to something broader. The example she used was Terry Tempest Williams who wove a story of breast cancer with a threatened bird population (Refuge). <br /><br />A more popular example, Seabiscuit wasn't just a story about a horse, it was a story about the depression. Can you weave your story into something broader that's about more than just you?Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15244004664612029086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-82446998415281717102012-01-25T13:15:02.537-05:002012-01-25T13:15:02.537-05:00This could be a really compelling story, but we...This could be a really compelling story, but we'd never know from the style of the query. It's very "this happens, and then these are some general things that happen over the rest of the book". Sell it to us with even more specifics and the voice of the memoir. The writing is technically proficient, but make it shine so that it is more compelling to the reader than any other overcoming-a-terrible-medical-obstacle memoir.Kristin Laughtinhttp://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-66649596857698174312012-01-25T11:47:18.649-05:002012-01-25T11:47:18.649-05:00I agree with the first commentator, that this is a...I agree with the first commentator, that this is about defeating epilepsy in specific. I think I would want to read something about the epilepsy experience, such as parallel histories of current prominent people who inspired (readacted) -- I'm thinking how political strategist David Axelrod (Obama's 2008 adviser) frequently mentions his family's interest in that, while he's on TV to be interviewed for his point-of-view on politics. So the focus could be broadened to be something about the political context, the health care costs or politics about U.S. health care from the point of view of a person overcoming epilepsy, aocial policy debate. Background on brain science advances might help pitch the proposal toward medical non-fiction markets too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-68491526678545200642012-01-25T11:45:49.142-05:002012-01-25T11:45:49.142-05:00I'd be inclined to think of it the way you wou...I'd be inclined to think of it the way you would think of fiction. Right now, the sense of movement I get is like, this happened, then this happened, then this happened . . .<br /><br />I think readers will relate more if you think of it as a series of challenges that need to be overcome. First, my goal was X. Then this got in the way, and this is how I faced it. Then this other thing got in the way, and this is how I faced it. . . .<br /><br />It is very common for non fiction to tweak the actual sequence of events, emphasize something, de-emphasize others, in order to make the narrative more compelling. As long as you're not outright lying, of course.Jeff Carneyhttp://www.jeffcarney.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-47452408723131172032012-01-25T10:52:10.251-05:002012-01-25T10:52:10.251-05:00The basic story is interesting, but it's not e...The basic story is interesting, but it's not enough for 100K words. You can tell the essence of your story in a novella of up to 50K words. I wonder if you can write a memoir/fiction, keeping your story while adding, for example, a love interest, where the young man knows you before and after the surgery and what happens to the dynamic of the relationship. Your story is very interesting to you (it's your life after all) and for people and their families who had similar experience. But for the average reader, like me, who have no experience with your life story, you need to add more to keep him or her reading till the end. Best wishes with the book.G.M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02652216131823877445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-76526198924551235452012-01-25T10:05:49.630-05:002012-01-25T10:05:49.630-05:00I do think there's real potential here, though...I do think there's real potential here, though. Her platform is strong for memoir/non-fiction, and that counts for something. <br /><br />Her detail about the gauze covering the exposed brain was compelling--perhaps the most compelling line in the query. If she can get the level of writing to that quality, she'll have something. Of course, she does have the pesky task of finishing the book first. . .Rosemaryhttp://www.rosemarydibattista.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-52505129657481231062012-01-25T09:44:00.552-05:002012-01-25T09:44:00.552-05:00If this is a memoir, then I assume [redacted] is t...If this is a memoir, then I assume [redacted] is the patient. Referring to herself in the third person seems a little strange to me.<br /><br />And yes, my reaction was "I know plenty of people who have been through worse things." It needs a focus to make it more interesting besides just the experience of recovering from major surgery. The focus could be epilepsy, the particular kind of surgery (if it's experimental), the particular hospital/surgical team... something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com