Chicken/Egg : Novel/Query

11 June 2010 | Filed Under Tools of the Trade 

So I’ve become a bit obsessed recently reading through the archives of Query Shark. It’s a super resource about querying agents to represent your novel.

Whoa, you’re saying. Aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourself? You’re still only revising your one completed novel.

True.

But writing the query now can be very informative. If your story can’t hold up in 250 words, how’s it going to manage in 70,000?

Sometimes queries are written perfectly, but they can’t get a bite from agents or publishers. Why? The problem is the novel. Maybe the premise needs work, or you’re forcing characters to do things no sane human would do, whatever. The point is, you’re going to have to rewrite.

So, if a query can tell you where you’re going wrong, isn’t it wise to write it early on, save yourself the heartache of thousands of wasted words?

After taking several days to draft a query for The Narrator, I realized I wasn’t milking the premise for all it was worth. Now I’ve got good ideas to fix this, and I’m going to enjoy the conflict that will naturally arise.

Should you worry about which comes first, the novel or the query? Not particularly. Just make sure you actually finish the novel before sending any queries out into the world.

Comments

One Response to “Chicken/Egg : Novel/Query”

  1. The False Choice | A Single Bell on September 10th, 2010 12:31 am

    [...] while ago, I explained the benefits of writing the query letter before the novel. If the query’s broken, no way will the novel hold up. On Wednesday, I realized that you can [...]

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  • Welcome

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    Hi, I'm Jenn, new grad student and old YA fantasy writer. I've long dreamed of being a novelist, and I bet you have too. I hope you find my blog helpful, inspiring, and maybe just a little bit fun. (But not too much fun. Writing is serious business, you know.)

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  • Official Progress


    4/21 segments

    A narrator hijacks a cliche fantasy story, much to the chagrin of its characters.

    Status: Second revision



    1,639/70,000 words
    A young noblewoman with strange powers must choose: her king or her soul.

    Status: First draft



    1,087/70,000 words
    When a girl's heart is stolen, she's plunged into a world of magic and shadows - but can she get her heart back before she loses it completely?

    Status: First draft





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