The Dreaded Query

by Cindy R. Williams

I finished what I thought was the first book of my Thundertail's Tale Series. It came in at 200,000 words. YIKES! I immediately found a good halfway point, and it divided it into two books. I did have to beef up the climax battle scene, and then spin some new threads but it works great. I also chopped words because I'm not of the mind that I will be able to publish a 100,000 first book in a series. In fact, I don't really have much of a mind anymore, but back to the topic at hand. After writing essentially two whole books why in the world can't I write a dazzling one page single spaced query?

I have agonized over this query for three weeks. I have research and printed off and studied blogs and articles on queries from successful authors, agents, and writing friends.

I have woken up in the middle of the night with what I thought were brilliant ideas for my query only to jot them down and read them in the light of day to find they were horrid.

Why in the world is this sooooooo hard? I have my two protagonists, one, a 10 year old boy with acrophobia who loves dragons, and the young dragon with his own issues of being the only dull dragon of the clan. The boy rescues the dragon from the sinister, bad guys. There are fairies, mermaids, goblins, shibber goyls, bodochs and cyclops. He and the dragon must forge a friendship and go on a quest to battle the bad guys and save the world. Now why can't I write a brilliant pitch that will impress an agent and convince them that I am the next big thing?
I'm going around and around in "Query Nightmare Circle" where it has all become a blur and I just want to go for a walk around the block, eat chocolate, take a nap, preferably all at the same time and just plain forget about it.

I looked up Query: It's both a noun and a verb. It says: query is a request for information, a doubt or criticism, same as a question mark, to express doubt or objections about something, to ask something or ask a question. Okay, my question is "Will you please represent my novel about a boy, a dragon, magic and choices." There, I said it, now I'm done right? Wrong!

Jeff Savage, or J. Scott Savage as he's known to his fans, told us at our ANWA Writers Conference to make a list of 20 agents, then send your query to the bottom five. When you get responses back, tweak your query, then send it to the next five. Keep it up until you have a compelling query to present to your top five agents. Novel idea, pun intended, but I'm afraid you have to have some kind of a coherent query to start this process. If you read this Jeff, HELP!

I have come up with ten different versions of my query, and am not completely happy with any of them. I'm going to send them into the query boot camp at LDStorymakers Writer's Conference in April to be analyzed and shredded. I am actually looking forward to this and I'm willing to shelve my ego, or what is left of it for the sake of making some sense of my query. One good thing has come of this. One of my queries was so detailed and so long that I think I have my synopsis, or at least the first full draft. Uhgggg, my synopsis. That's another can of worms to be dealt with next.

I just sent all nine queries and the one query/synopsis to the leader of the query boot camp. I sure hope she can think a whole lot clearer than I can and see the differences. I'll write another blog after query boot camp to share what I learned and what my query turns out to be. In the meantime, it's time for some chocolate and a walk, then a nice nap.

I am too blessed to be stressed

and

too anointed to be disappointed!

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." --Groucho Marks

Amateurs Vs. Professionals

Figure this one out. . . . . .

Amateurs built the Ark

Professionals built the Titanic

Women Are Angels

Women are Angels.

And when someone breaks our wings,

we simply continue to fly --on a broomstick.

We are pretty flexable.

Friday Fun ~ Try this

Looking for something fun to do?  Have someone give you four words, as hard, strange or different from each other as possible and use them all in a paragraph and make sense. Take it a step further, and see if you can use these words in a speach or presentation you do and make it work. 

Blogs and Blurbs is floating in the Cyberspace

Cindy is in rewrites in another world right now. 

Blogs and Blurbs will be floating along for a little while. 

In the mean time, please enjoy the blog archive! 

Friday Fun ~ Naps

Today I am going to do one of the funnest things in the world--take a nap!  I remember when I was little how my mom read to us as we snuggled in blankets on the family room floor.  I met the Wizard of Oz, Marry Poppins, Nancy Drew, Tom Sawyer, Little Black Sambo and traveled to Shadow Castle. I learned to love books.  Maybe that's why I find naps so much fun. That and the fact that as a grown-up and a mom, I'm TIRED!

Saturday Scribbles ~

Today's scribble is about Secret Writing.  If you want to write a secret message try using Milk for your ink. It dries and becomes pretty much invisable. To read it, you heat the paper. You can do this easily over a burner on the stove. Just don't get it too close or the paper will catch on fire.

Thursday Thoughts ~ I Think

I think I will say my morning prayers. I think I will feed the cat and dog, then scoop the kitty litter.  I think I will give the dog her joint and pain medicine. I think I will help unload the Saturday garage sale items from my mom's car. I think I will do five batches of wash. I think I will tidy up the house. I think I will put the dishes away.  I think I will tidy up five bedrooms and a lived in family room. I think I will eat a healthy breakfast.  I think I will  check me emails and respond.  I think I will update my blogs.  I think I will finish painting two rocking chairs and a desk.  I think I will return some phone calls. I think I will check on my mother and mother-in-law. I think I will think of my son who is gone serving the Lord for two years. I think I will get dressed, and even put on some make-up.  I think I will run some errands.  I think I will feed David and Goliath, the gold fishes, and Squigs, the hamster. I think will take my daughter to the bank to cash some checks. I think I will get my  hair cut. I think I will check two boys out of school for their dentist appointments.  I think I will drive a son to Cub Scouts. I think I will be the kids homework supervisor.  I think I will help my oldest daughter deal with a difficult situation. I think I will get the mail and pay a few bills. I think I will prioritize the tasks on my main work desk. I think I will take care of some Church calling assignements.  I think I will drop by and check on one of the ladies I visit teach. I think I will follow-up on a few business matters.  I think I will practice the harp for the upcoming performance with my son's highschool choir.  I think I will do some revision of the third to the last chapter of my novel. I think I will remember to feed my family a healthy dinner, and if I forget they can eat the homemade Cream of Potato Soup I made yesterday. I think I will attend my writing friends Halloween party and leave early to attend another friends baby shower. I think I will have family prayer and tuck the children into bed.  I think I will say hello and goodnight to my husband. I think I will take my evening shower, say my prayers and fall into bed tonight, knowing that I only did half of the things I think I needed to do!

Wednesdays Words ~ No Difference

No Difference

by Shel Silverstein

Small as a peanut,

Big as a guiant,

We're all the same size

When we turn off the light.

Rich as a sultan,

Poor as a mite,

We're all worth the same

When we turn off the light.

Red, black or roange,

Yellow or white,

We all look the same

When we turn off the light.

So maybe the way

To make everything right

Is for God to just reach out

And turn off the light!

Tuesday Tips ~ Make a List

Make a list of your tasks, then prioritize them. Set a goal to get at least the top priority tasks done.  Catch yourself if you get off track and get back to it. Be aware of your personal avoidance tactics such as waisting time on things like surfing the internet, playing video/internet games, watching TV etc.  Pat yourself on the back and give yourself a big smile each time you accomplish one of your tasks.  Keep moving forward to being your best self.

Monday Muse ~

My muse today is sleeping.

Sunday Smiles ~ A Time for Reflection

Sundays are a day of reflection.  Once a week, take time to review what you did well and who you served.  Remember to pat yourself on the back and be happy with your accomplishments.  We are often too hard on ourselves and must also remember we have a place in this world and good things to contribute.

It is also the time to plan for the next week.  Plan to search out those in need and help them. Schedule time for your family.  Schedule time for both work and play. Be aware and take advantage of activites to participate in that will help you grow spiritually, mentally and physically into what you are meant to be. 

Show kindess and gratitude to loved ones and our Father in Heaven. 

Sundays make me smile.   

Saturday Scribbles ~ Family

Today is Saturday, and the day for scribbles. Typical day of cleaning, chores, wash, playing with kittens, watering the flowers, supervising and teaching the youngens and fishing with the family. Well the fishing was more like sitting and watching the clouds. The fish were either asleep, satiated or pretty tricky. However, the cactus were biting. OUCH!! The many "doctors" in the family saved me from the hundreds of poky pricklees. The rest of the time was spent preparing a program for 100 energetic children for Sunday. The greatest thing about today was to be with the family. We finished up with a family movie, and the day has been scribbled away! (Previously Posted elsewhere)

Wednesday Words

Be nice to me or you may become the next villain in my book.

Tuesday Tips ~ How To Get Gum Out of Hair

Skin So Soft by Avon is a bath oil. Rub it on the gum, and it comes right out.  Now you know!

Monday Muse

Get lost nature.

Sunday Smiles

Sundays make me smile because I see so many wonderful people smiling at me! 

Saturday Scribbles ~ Writers Quote

Being an author is like being in charge

of your own insane asylum. ~ Gracie Harmon

Friday Fun ~ Silly Things to Do

Lots happening. Isn't that how it should be. If not, what would we do all day: Twiddle our toes, eat rasslepups, chase worms, swim with birds, polish marbles, scratch chalk boards, dust feathers, fight butterflies, climb strings, paint salamanders, juggle pine cones, braid eyebrows, stir mosherpots, sniff jello, tweak stars, wash frambles, stack jaswats, scrub scribbles, catch mustaches, count earwigs, scoop clouds, dig tallywags, clip toothbrushes, squish mountains, fly doodlesnaps? These are some of my favorites. Any to add? (Previously posted elsewhere)

Thursday Thoughts ~ Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm craving a chocolate chip cookie right now. Does anyone in blog land happened to have a few (dozen) warm home-made soft and chewey ones with tons of chocolate chips they could send me?

My son baked some yesterday but gave them all away to a kind lady for taking his shirts in at the side seems. He is my "GQ" son and must always look gooooooood!  The fabulous sweet scent is still floating around the house, and I can't seem to focus on editing the very huge climax in my novel.

I know if I had some chocolate chip cookies, I would be so inspired that the battle seen would be fabulous. Break time . . . . oh, well.  It would take too much time to make cookies, but there were some cut carrots in the fridge. They taste just as good. Now I know I'm totally nutsy kookoo.

Tuesday Tip ~ Natural Home Remedies, Onions

Natural Home Remedies ~ Onions

I love using natural remedies. My grandmothers excelled at healing those around them without doctor visits. He is a natural remedy I read about the other day. First let me state; I am not giving medical advice. I am not stating that this will cure anything. I am just telling you something I read and found fascinating. 

A terrible flu was passing through a large area.  Most people in the area became ill and many died. A local doctor noticed that one large farming family never caught the flu.  He visited them to ask their secret. It turned out that the mother had heard from her mother who heard from her mother . . . that if you place an onion in a room, you will not get sick. So she placed an onion in each of the rooms in the small farm house. 

The doctor asked to take one of the onions with him. He had it tested and sure enough, it was full of the bacteria that was present in the flu being battled in that area.

Once again, I have no idea if this is a true story. I didn't find anything on Snopes about it. I do like trying natural home remedies so I thought I might put this one to the test.  You never know!

Mondays Muse ~ Planning Brings Peace

Mondays are amazing. If you let them, they can be overwhelming as you look at the mountain of work to be accomplished during the upcoming week. I choose to use Monday as a planning day, to very carefully schedule the "need to happens" and the "want to happens." I have found if I will take the time to sit in a comfortable chair and mull the week over with my planner, I relieve the pressue and stress that could smother me. Mondays are now one of the most peacefull days of the week. Easy for me to say, since right now all of my children are either at work, or at school, and my sweetheart is at work. The morning chores are done, the wash is sorted and running. I have visited two of my dear friends. I have done the dishes, tidied the house, have dinner planned, and have the music room ready for my guitar student this afternoon. I will cut one son's hair as soon as he gets home from school, then another son's after that, then the stress, I mean fun begins! I almost have myself convinced that this will be a peacefull week. Mondays are amazing!

Sunday Smiles ~ Miracles

Sunday Smiles. These newborn sweet little angels are twins from two different mothers. Let me exlpain. Elly on the left was born on 7/6/09 and Ivy was born on 6/7/09. Yes, Elly is younger but much bigger. These little ones were adopted by our good friends within days of their birth. Being blessed with both little girls, we all consider them their darling twins. The story is an amazing one. This couple has two other children in elementary school. Both children had been praying for twins. Twins of course are rare especially in adoptions. But the miracle happened when both birth mothers chose our friends, and these little girls were born a month apart. Prayers work, and children have perfect faith. What a wonderful modern day miracle and a lesson in praying with faith.

Sunday's are all about the day of rest--I mean service. Today I learned that I am loved by many and I love many. When your heart is happy it is full of love, and it is easy to love those around you. I serve in Church as a leader to children ages 18 months to 12 years old. Today I had the opportunity to teach and sing with them for two hours. I had so much fun but came home with body parts ready to drop off. I quizzed my own young one about today and asked him if he and his friends had fun, and he said yes, but that it was different. I asked him why. His response was that we don't usually get to have so much fun. I was tickled. He's about as honest as they come, so if he had fun, then it went well. I love these exuberant little spirits. They are so accepting and energetic. How fun it would be to have ten children. On second thought, yes it would be fun, but I'm not sure how long I would servive.

Today I also learned that I must choose then act upon my choices if I want to change. Sunday's are days to reflect, serve and smile. (Previously Posted )