On Friday, July 10 at the We Love YA blog, some of my fellow YA finalists in the 2009 Golden Heart Awards are popping by to talk about their nominated manuscripts. Leave a comment over at We Love YA for your chance to win a copy of HEARTBREAK RIVER, by 2007 GH winner Tricia Mills (aka Trish Milburn). Trish had the happy task of ringing each of us back in March to tell us we had finaled.

One of my dear critique partners, Stephanie Kuehnert, is gearing up for this month’s release of her sophomore book, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. In this powerful story, the main character, Kara struggles to find a way to cope when her family breaks down and friendships go awry. Steph has a very personal story to tell about what inspired her to write the book here.

And in other news…
One of my other dear CPs, Anna Campbell, features in the Sunday Telegraph’s Sunday Magazine supplement today. The article talks about how romance novels are back in fashion and that the women who write them aren’t stereotypical, champagne-swilling, bon-bon-eating, feather-boa-wearing hacks. (Although, I’m partial to champagne and chocolate, so the cliche is not far off in my case.) They’re smart, savvy, and enthralling millions of readers. Overall, it’s a nice article that acknowledges the good work of our nation’s internationally bestselling romance authors.

It’s always good to hear about new YA imprints popping into the market. The latest one that’s generating a bit of chatter is the upcoming Harlequin Teen line. Senior Editor Natashya Wilson is currently acquiring. She considers both agented and unagented submissions. Forearmed is forewarned, so I’ve gathered up a few links relating to the line, which launches this August with Rachel Vincent’s paranormal MY SOUL TO TAKE.

• Harlequin Teen trade website for reviewers.

An official website aimed at readers is due to go live in July.

• Writing guidelines.
• Isabel Swift’s interview with Natashya Wilson.
• Novelist Inc’s article on why Harlequin has set up a YA line.
• Plans afoot for the line.
• Harlequin’s Teen Panel, where readers between the ages of 13 and 17 can discuss what they’re reading and stories they’d like to see published.
• Publishers Weekly article.
• Naysayers? We’ll see if they’re right after the line has had time to establish itself.

In other news…
There’s still heaps of time to comment at We Love YA and win a copy of Dee White’s absorbing new YA, LETTERS TO LEONARDO.

Join me on Sunday, June 28 at my other blog home, We Love YA, when Walker Books author Dee White drops by as part of her cybertour.

In Dee’s latest YA, LETTERS TO LEONARDO, fifteen-year-old Matt dreams of being an artist, just like his late mother. But when his supposedly dead mum sends him a birthday card, Matt’s life becomes as complicated as a Pollock painting. He finds solace in writing to the only person who could possibly understand what he’s going through – Leonardo da Vinci.

Dee’s got a spooky story for us to kick off our dream theme this week. Be sure to comment at We Love YA for your chance to win a copy of LETTERS TO LEONARDO.

In other news, my fab critique partner, Stephanie Kuehnert, is just weeks away from launching her second novel for MTV Books, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. It’s an intense read about a bunch of kids whose stories resemble a ballad. The choruses echo mistakes they make again and again, while in the verses they try to make sense of it all. In July, I’ll be guest blogging at Steph’s place, and you could win new music and a T-shirt from one of my fave bands. Please check back for an exact date.

I’m tearing my hair out over subplots right now. Since highlights at Toni & Guy don’t come cheap these days, I thought I’d count to 10 and do some research to get myself out of this mess.

First of all, what is a subplot? Well, it’s a mini storyline that runs alongside the main plot. While it shouldn’t outshine the main story, a subplot is a story in itself and serves to reveal more about the protagonist. It can add depth and realism to characters. Subplots are generally introduced early in the book and they’re resolved before the climax of the main plot.

I’ll use Christine Wells’s historical debut, Scandal’s Daughter, as an example of expert subplot wrangling. At the heart of the novel is the main plot: a romance between Gemma, whose mother has a reputation to rival certain Hollywood starlets, and her childhood friend, Sebastian, an earl who’s allergic to marriage. Gemma would like nothing more than to take charge of her beloved grandfather’s estate. Unfortunately, it’s not a task for a woman (It’s the year 1814, you see.) Gemma doesn’t know it, but grandad Hugo is dying and he wishes to see her to marry well. He believes Sebastian is The One for Gemma. Sebastian, meanwhile, has sworn off marriage as he knows it would’ve pleased his dead but detested father. So he promises to instead find a good match for Gemma. But as the story unfolds, it seems the only man fit to marry Gemma is Sebastian himself, an option neither wants to consider at first. Gemma craves a peaceful, rural life, and hedonistic Sebastian doesn’t fit into that paradigm.

One of the subplots tracks Gemma’s awkward relationship with her notorious but misunderstood mother. Rumours and innuendo underpin Gemma’s shaky position in society. Another subplot is the on-again/off-again courtship between Sebastian’s sister and her beau. This was handled in a fun and flirtatious manner that contrasted with Gemma’s own romantic woes. There are a few more subplots that provide additional conflict/complications, each with a purpose and each intersecting with either Gemma or Sebastian, or both. By the closing chapters, you’ll see how seemingly unrelated details in the subplots gradually lock together and go toward solving the main conflict.

A few points to consider when developing subplots:
* Secondary characters are as important as main characters (MCs). Explore each character’s goals, motivation and conflict. You don’t have to incorporate all of these details in the manuscript, but it helps to know your characters well.
* Subplots can involve the MC and a secondary character, or they can be about two secondary characters. But find a way for the subplots to intersect.
* If the main story is a romance, you might like to take on a subplot involving the heroine’s career/family/greatest fear, etc, etc.
* Don’t allow the subplot to overtake the main plot. If the secondary plot is elbowing the main one off the stage, maybe you need to rethink the book’s direction.
* Desperately seeking a connection? Find a theme or motif that carries through all the plotlines.
* Agent Donald Maass says the subplot shouldn’t have the same storyline as the main plot (MP). Others emphasise it should still relate to the MP.
* How many subplots can a book have? If it’s a short category romance, you probably don’t have room to have for anything other than the main conflict. Longer novels can have four or five or more, but I really don’t have a firm figure on that. Just don’t go for the world record for greatest number of subplots and you should be fine. If in doubt, cut the subplot if it doesn’t serve a purpose to the MP.
* A subplot can show a different side to your characters. You might have a hero whose steely gaze alone could cut down a sequoia, but that same man turns into a softy who never misses his niece’s ballet recital.
* By the same token, a subplot can be used to add interest or to clarify the main story.
* A subplot, like a MP, has a beginning, middle and end. Its turning points can affect those of the MP. The difference is subplots have shorter story arcs.

O brave apprentice authors take heart: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the writing fence. As much as I’d love nothing more than to be a multipublished author, getting a dream contract isn’t going to solve all my problems. In fact, a publishing deal can herald the start of even bigger insecurities.

Don’t believe me? Have a peek over the pickets, where my published neighbours live.

1. A typical unpublished author might spend decades coming up with an original plot and lovable characters. They agonise over every syllable, erase excess adverbs or adjectives, wonder ad nauseam if the bad guy should be drawn and quartered or simply vanquished to a bleak parallel universe.

A typical author under contract might have a couple of months to deliver a polished manuscript. People other than immediate family and pets are depending on them. Any delays mean altering the timetable for marketing, artwork, printing and distribution. They worry they’ll never get another contract.

2. A typical unpublished author might enter a writing competition to help her write to a deadline.

A typical author with a two-book deal might submit their second novel to an editor. For various reasons, the manuscript isn’t up to scratch. The editor wants a complete revision. Turnaround time: two weeks. They worry they’ll never get another contract and that they’ll never write a book as brilliant as the first one.

3. A typical unpublished author might enter a writing competition (isn’t cut & paste fabulous?) to get unbiased feedback because, frankly, loved ones adore anything they write, even if it’s awful. Entrants are anonymous. Judges’ comments range from encouraging to indifferent to soul-destroying.

A typical author sees the bound product of their very own blood, sweat and ink released unto the public. The Internet becomes the Enemy as critics and readers flood Amazon with the verdict: Typical Author’s Book Sucks. They worry they’ll never get another contract, that they’ll never write a decent book let alone a brilliant one, that the most savage critic will find out where they live and personally throw rotten tomatoes at them.

At the 2006 Romance Writers of Australia conference, not-so-typical authors Trish Morey and Lilian Darcy spoke with nostalgia over their pre-published days. Although grateful for her published status, Trish lamented over not having more time to tweak and retweak her work. And we all gasped when Lilian confided she’d been published too soon. She would love to go back and rework her first book now that she’s a better, more experienced writer.

So dream of publication, by all means, but steel yourself against the sharp pinch of reality.

When you finish a manuscript, first you must cheer, cry, turn cartwheels and/or eat a pound of chocolate. Celebrate it any way you want, because it’s a massive achievement. The next step is to submit the book to a publisher or agent, right? No, very, very wrong.

• Step away from the book. (Oh, okay, you can read it for fun, but then you have to leave it alone.)

• Allow the book to marinate for no less than one week. Some authors don’t even peek at their mss for an entire year. There are certain luxuries to being unpublished. If you’re not expected to have the polished ms on an editor’s desk ASAP, you can take as much time as you want before revising. Just don’t do it too soon.

Why wait? When you’ve just written the book, you’re still inside the characters’ heads. You’re head over heels in love with your work and can’t see the flaws. You really don’t know what you’re missing – like a gap in the plot, for instance. When you can no longer anticipate what’s going to happen in every scene of the book, then it’s safe to go back inside the pages.

• Now, if you’re a pantser and don’t write an outline before you write, read the book and briefly summarize each chapter or scene. I recommend you do this step even if you’re a plotter. Not only will this help you get a bare-bones synopsis down, it’ll show you where you might’ve killed off Aunt Dora twice, etc. Identify scenes that need more emotion, less narrative, more dialogue, continuity and pacing tweaks, for example.

Observe how the story “hangs” overall. Is there enough conflict? Are the characters likeable and interesting? At which points did you skim the words or let your mind wander? It takes practice to see the imperfections in your own work, but put aside your ego and this gets easier.

• In my case, I had to ditch a ludicrous subplot and clean up the debris associated with that. This left my manuscript considerably shorter. Before despair set in, I did a little brainstorming and wrote a new synopsis, expanding on other parts of the story. Then I was able to jump back into the story and make the necessary changes.

• On the next pass, address issues like awkward phrasing, redundant speech tags, repetitions (make use of your thesaurus at this point rather than at first draft stage), spelling mishaps, typos, punctuation, paragraphing, and verify names of real people, places and products, etc. Check your use (or overuse) of adverbs and adjectives. If you ever get published, your copy editor will love you.

• Try to have each chapter start and end with a hook. It doesn’t have to be explosive, just intriguing enough to keep the reader eager to turn the pages.

• By now you’ll be thoroughly sick of your book. Pass it on to your critique partner. I also have my two amazing teen readers give me a reality check too.

While you’re waiting for the verdict, work on a knockout synopsis and query letter. You’ll need a blurb for your query, no longer than 250 words. Cover all possible requests and write synopses of varying lengths – one, two, three, and up to five pages. I’ve no idea why, but no-one has ever requested four pages. Not that I’m complaining. The shorter the synopsis, the better, if you ask me. If you’re outside the US, order international stamps for your SSAEs from USPS.

• Fix any problems flagged by your crit partners. Read the book again. If you’re sure the book is the best it can possibly be, check your ms’s formatting (one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman or Courier font), take a big breath and submit it.

There’s some debate about the value of entering writing competitions. My view is that you’ll get an unbiased opinion of your work, it toughens you up for inevitable rejection and you might win some pocket money. Even better, the final round of most RWA comps are judged by an editor or agent, giving you an opportunity to leap over the slush pile.

Quick fixes:

• Slow pace? Ditch routine tasks that have no bearing on the story (making coffee, uneventful car journeys, shopping for Lindt Bunnies…); subplots or characters that go nowhere.
• Unsympathetic hero/heroine? Show them doing something that requires strength of character, something readers can relate to. Like rescuing helpless cats </a>from cruel owners, or single-handedly saving the planet from blood-sucking aliens. Or give them an endearing flaw that readers can relate to.
• Cookie-cutter villains? Most people aren’t all evil or all saintly. Give the bad guy some human qualities too. By the same token, give your protagonists a shortcoming, preferably one that could come back to bite them (a fear of snakes, for example.)

So this method of revision worked for me. What are your revision tips?

Several people I know are ready to submit their squeaky-clean, polished mss to an agent. In about 99.99% of cases, agents initially require just a one-page query letter that describes the project and relevant info about the author. If the agent likes the premise, they might ask to see a partial (the first three chapters or 50 pages) or the full manuscript. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Well, if you browse around the many forums, blogs and loops, it’s clear just how many other writers are agent hunting. How do you make sure you don’t shoot yourself in the foot?
Write a sharp, well-targeted query, of course.

* A polite, clean, spellchecked, grammar-checked and straightforward letter says more than scented stationery or flowery fonts.
* Indicate which genre the book falls in and the word count.
* Never say you’ve written only the first three chapters and you’re just “testing the waters.” Write the book, the whole book, revise it properly and then query agents.
* Mention any of the book’s contest wins or finals. If you’re lucky enough to have a long list of these, choose a couple of the more recent and/or more prestigious competitions.
* Don’t talk about how much your greengrocer/grandmother/daughter/pet bird liked the book.
* Be modest–never say you’ve written the best novel in publishing history or that it’s a surefire bestseller.
* At the other end of the scale, don’t tell the agent your book has been rejected by dozens of agents and you’re querying them because they’re your last hope.
* Pitch one book at a time. If you’ve created a series, talk about book 1 and mention it’s part of a series but hold off on describing books 2 to 17 or whatever.
* Don’t be a smart alec or be too familiar, even if you read the agent’s entertaining blog every day and feel as though you’re BFF.
* Follow the agent’s guidelines (eg. send a SSAE; don’t submit to multiple agents at the same agency at the same time, etc).
* Most importantly, write a compelling paragraph (or two) about the project. Try to infuse the same tone/voice used in the manuscript. It’s the plot and the writing that captures the agent, not necessarily your qualifications. Unless of course you’re writing non-fiction; a credible platform could bolster your chances.

When formulating my own queries or elevator pitches, I analysed several published back-cover blurbs to get an idea of what constitutes a hook, something to grab attention. Have you ever looked at a blurb and thought, “That sounds brilliant! I have to read this”? I felt that reaction when I read Amazon’s editoral description of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s YA series, THE SQUAD: PERFECT COVER:

“Bayport High’s Varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. They have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkeys and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.”

Those four sentences tell me the essentials: who, what, where and why. (If you’re like me and find this sort of plot irresistible, you can pre-order Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s book here.

For more resources on query letters, check out:
Call My Agent!, a blog by an anonymous Australian agent.
Agent Query’s article on formatting the letter.
Agent Nathan Bransford’s blog post on the anatomy of a query letter.