rj_anderson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rj_anderson) wrote2006-09-18 03:24 pm
rj_anderson) wrote2006-09-18 03:24 pm
Pitching KNIFE
Except my aim isn't nearly as good as Mary Russell's, so you may want to duck...
Anyway, further to my last entry, I've been trying to follow![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alg's suggested format in writing up a pitch for my manuscript. Here's what I've got:
My novel Knife is undergoing revision with the help of [Editor] at [Publisher], who has read and given me detailed comments on two earlier drafts of the book. I'm halfway through another revision and plan to have it done and resubmitted to her by December.
Knife is a contemporary YA fantasy of about 95,000 words, written in third person from the heroine's point of view. Knife, the heroine, is born into a small, dying colony of fairies living in a hollow oak tree, who have mysteriously lost their magic and live in constant fear of crows, humans, and the dangers of the modern world. But Knife's boldness sets her apart from her sisters, and when the Fairy Queen chooses her to be the Oakenfolk's new Hunter, she soon forgets her fear of the world outside the Oak and becomes a fierce and dauntless warrior. Soon her search for a better fighting blade brings her into contact with the forbidden human world in all its strange, perilous beauty, and when she meets a young paraplegic man named Paul, she begins to question everything she has ever believed about humans, fairies, and her own troubled heart. Driven by restless curiosity and a growing awareness that her people are headed for extinction, she embarks on a quest to find out the truth about the Oakenfolk's past and their loss of magical power -- a mission which puts her much-prized career as a Hunter and her budding friendship with Paul in jeopardy, tests her courage and resolve to their limits, and ultimately pits her against the Fairy Queen herself.
Knife is my second completed fantasy novel, and I have an idea for another story set in the same universe. It was born out of frustration with overly cutesy portrayals of fairies in books and movies, and a sketch I subsequently drew of a savage-looking fairy throwing a dagger; it was also partially inspired by my interest in compelling and sympathetic disabled characters in certain classic works of YA literature such as Madeleine L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planet and L.M. Montgomery's Emily books. In addition to my novels, I have written numerous short stories and novellas, some of which were published in charity anthologies alongside the work of authors such as Peter David and Diane Duane.
Becoming a published author of fantasy literature has been my lifelong dream, and I intend to continue honing my skills, polishing my existing manuscripts, and writing new stories until I achieve that goal. Basically, I plan to keep writing until someone cuts my arms off--and after that I will type with my nose.
Well, she did say it helps to have a sense of humor...
BTW, "Crowded House Radio" on Pandora is BEYOND AWESOME. I've listened to about twenty-five tracks now and only come across one that I didn't like.
Anyway, further to my last entry, I've been trying to follow
alg's suggested format in writing up a pitch for my manuscript. Here's what I've got:My novel Knife is undergoing revision with the help of [Editor] at [Publisher], who has read and given me detailed comments on two earlier drafts of the book. I'm halfway through another revision and plan to have it done and resubmitted to her by December.
Knife is a contemporary YA fantasy of about 95,000 words, written in third person from the heroine's point of view. Knife, the heroine, is born into a small, dying colony of fairies living in a hollow oak tree, who have mysteriously lost their magic and live in constant fear of crows, humans, and the dangers of the modern world. But Knife's boldness sets her apart from her sisters, and when the Fairy Queen chooses her to be the Oakenfolk's new Hunter, she soon forgets her fear of the world outside the Oak and becomes a fierce and dauntless warrior. Soon her search for a better fighting blade brings her into contact with the forbidden human world in all its strange, perilous beauty, and when she meets a young paraplegic man named Paul, she begins to question everything she has ever believed about humans, fairies, and her own troubled heart. Driven by restless curiosity and a growing awareness that her people are headed for extinction, she embarks on a quest to find out the truth about the Oakenfolk's past and their loss of magical power -- a mission which puts her much-prized career as a Hunter and her budding friendship with Paul in jeopardy, tests her courage and resolve to their limits, and ultimately pits her against the Fairy Queen herself.
Knife is my second completed fantasy novel, and I have an idea for another story set in the same universe. It was born out of frustration with overly cutesy portrayals of fairies in books and movies, and a sketch I subsequently drew of a savage-looking fairy throwing a dagger; it was also partially inspired by my interest in compelling and sympathetic disabled characters in certain classic works of YA literature such as Madeleine L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planet and L.M. Montgomery's Emily books. In addition to my novels, I have written numerous short stories and novellas, some of which were published in charity anthologies alongside the work of authors such as Peter David and Diane Duane.
Becoming a published author of fantasy literature has been my lifelong dream, and I intend to continue honing my skills, polishing my existing manuscripts, and writing new stories until I achieve that goal. Basically, I plan to keep writing until someone cuts my arms off--and after that I will type with my nose.
Well, she did say it helps to have a sense of humor...
BTW, "Crowded House Radio" on Pandora is BEYOND AWESOME. I've listened to about twenty-five tracks now and only come across one that I didn't like.
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Only two suggestions I'd make: (a) I'd cast the differences between Knife and the L'Engle and Montgomery books as being a positive thing that is in your books instead of a negative thing about theirs. Maybe "a desire to take a fresh approach with a disabled character" or something like that. (b) I'd avoid the word "crippled." Maybe it's PC of me, but there are other ways to say it that don't run the risk of grumpifying the agents. Does this make sense?
Anyway, sounds good. I'm sorry I'm in too deep with stuff to keep up on revisions to Knife, but I do check in and enjoy. :D
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As for the dissatisfaction part, you're right about the negativity. I'll just frame it in terms of a general interest in writing a disabled hero and leave it at that.
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Sounds good, interesting concept, though a tad more geared towards girls than boys (at least that's what my 11 year old just said reading over my shoulder). That could very well be because he's very disdainful of anything having to do with fairies -- almost wouldn't buy one of the Artemus Fowl books because of them.
Me, on the other hand would buy it to read, but I'm always buying kid books along with my contemporary fantasy novels. The theory is, if I read it in front of the kid and enjoy it, he will eventually pick it up to read before I'm done (because he's being sneaky).
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And yes, I resigned myself long ago to having an almost exclusively female audience for this book -- not only because of the fairy angle, but because there are only two males in the entire novel and one is a very minor character...
Thanks for the feedback.
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Might I, with the appropriate information, be able to find any of said anthologies at the library? If the public library doesn't have it, the university library might....
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"Of all magical beasts the fairy might be said to have received the best Muggle press." -- N. Scamander :-)
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I think Barney in The Blue Castle is about th eonly one of her heroes who retained any personality after puberty. Several of her other male characters did - Dean and Cousin Jimmy for two - but no leading men.
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Now I'm going to want to read the Emily books again.
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