Author puts cart before the horse and lands an agent
A Guest Blog Written By Annette Masters
After decades of persistence, I finally got “The Call.” Signing my contract of representation was especially rewarding because I drafted this novel differently than I had approached the others, and it worked! In the spirit of artistic camaraderie, I’d like to share my process. Of course, it may not work for everyone, but I hope my advice will help you write a marketable book (and land an agent, if that's what you want to do).
Step One: Test Ideas Before Writing
I’ve found that it’s necessary to know where I’m going before I begin, so I recommend writing the query and a synopsis before you even write page one. Collect pictures of your main characters, name them, and identify personality types, quirks, needs, flaws, and arcs. Once you have these basic ideas organized, share the results with competent critique partners to find out if the premise and characters are unique, interesting, and marketable.
Read books in your genre and start a list of recent comps. It’s important to know your audience and where your book will fit into the market. Mistakes made at this early stage are easy to fix. Finding big blunders after completing eighty thousand words is agonizing, and corrections may be unfeasible.
If your idea requires research, do it right away, or you may weave errors into your manuscript.
WARNING: Unweaving errors is a grueling process that may unravel your plot.
Step Two: Write a Detailed Outline (Sorry!)
Pantsers (those who do not use an outline) will scoff, but in my experience, a detailed three-act structure is essential. All writers love those magical moments in which unexpected words flood the page, characters take surprising action, or twists appear from thin air, and I promise those moments will still occur. An outline doesn’t suffocate creativity or result in a formulaic story; it keeps writers on a path that leads to a balanced and well-crafted story arc—not a “well-written random string of events” (an agent quote from a previous query, hence my need for step two).
Try using an outline as a path, as if following directions on an exciting new map. From beginning to end, the map keeps your writing on track, ensures good pacing, and guarantees that your manuscript includes all the plot elements at the right time.
In my opinion, the most valuable step of outlining is sharing it with trusted writers who can critique your specific genre, character motivations, stakes, plot structure, etc. Revising an outline after feedback is SO MUCH EASIER than rewriting a novel.
Step Three: Write with Forward Momentum
With so much preparation, I know my characters, hear their voices, and understand how we’ll navigate our journey. Because of steps one and two, I fill pages quickly, without writing in the wrong direction and creating the need to delete large portions of my work.
Writing time is precious, so while at the keyboard, WRITE. Don’t waste writing time googling what kind of tree might grow in your setting. Catch a moment for such things later while you’re waiting for the water to boil or standing in line at the grocery store. Move forward without rereading, rewriting, and agonizing over word choices. If you get stuck with dialogue or a certain scene is troubling, skip it, keep writing, and resolve these issues while cooking, walking the dog, or in the quiet minutes before falling asleep. It’s amazing how much “writing” I accomplish in my mind, saving precious screen time for new pages.
When the manuscript is “done,” go back and rewrite chapter one. Make sure it 1) hints at the full-circle arc of the novel, 2) foreshadows the protagonist’s arc, 3) reveals the tone of the book, and 4) hooks the reader within the first page.
Step Four: Share Your Work in Big Chunks
Critique groups often share short pieces of work, and while you can improve your craft this way, readers are merely responding to a tiny piece of the whole. Receiving feedback on a few pages is like showing friends your shoes and asking if they like your outfit. Although your shoes may require constructive criticism, polishing loafers will not guarantee a perfect ensemble, and revising one chapter will not result in a well-crafted novel.
In the past, I’ve spent months polishing a single chapter to gain approval from each person in my critique group, but seeking approval from everyone is both an impossible and sluggish way to move through three hundred pages. This time, I selected three trusted writers who understood and enjoyed my genre, and I shared my story one act at a time, revising and resubmitting as needed. Click here to learn more about beta readers.
Step Five: Employ Professional Feedback
Most writers agree that critique partners are necessary during each step of the process, but to ensure your work is up to industry standards, it’s important to get professional help, too. (Read more about the editorial process here.) If this is too expensive, do the bare minimum of having your query and first ten pages professionally critiqued and edited. You may discover you’re not as polished as you assumed you were, and it’s unfortunate to waste opportunities by contacting agents with work that isn’t ready.
I hired Kim Catanzarite to edit my work, and Nathan Bransford to critique my query and synopsis. I also joined inexpensive zoom meetings in which agents critiqued queries or first pages. Not only did this strengthen my work and teach me many ways to improve my next novel, but along the way, I found representation with agent Sharon Belcastro at Belcastro Literary.
Writing is a solitary endeavor, but creating a book shouldn’t be. Join groups, make friends, share your work, take advice, reject feedback that makes you cringe, and never, ever give up.
Annette Masters has served as both the president and critique-group moderator for Tampa Writers Alliance, and she is a member of Florida Writers Association, SCBWI, and ACES: The Society for Editing. She is an award-winning author and certified copy editor, and she also judges literary contests from time to time. Her short stories can be found in a number of literary anthologies. Sharon Belcastro of Belcastro Literary is her agent, and her third novel, The Hennessy Lie, is currently out on submission.
You can find Annette on Twitter: @annette_masters
