Aspiring Novelists

Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you.  Aside from being innundated with snow, life is good.  I recently submitted my first page for critique at Slushbusters ( http://www.slushbusters.blogspot.com / ). I'm quite nervous about opening my work for public scrutiny, but I hope the comments I receive will identify glitches in my writing.  After all, I cannot correct a problem unless I'm aware one exists.  This said, I'd appreciate it if some, or all of you, would drop by Slushbusters and take a gander at my first page.  I'll take all the help I can get(:  I look forwad to your feedback (gulp). Until next time, happy writing.

Hello All, I hope life is treating you well. I'm bursting with excitement about the upcoming " First Page Critique Friday" sponsored by Slushbusters (www.slushbuster.blogspot.com). For those who wish to participate, submit the first 400-450 words of your manuscript in the body of an e-mail to ( polishyourpitch@gmail.com). The rules are simple, no explicit scenes or profanity is allowed. Once your submission is received, Slushbusters will let you know when it will be posted for critique. Then, once you've read all the comments for the week, you will be given the opportunity to submit a revision the following Wednesday. I think this is a great opportunity to receive objective feedback about your manuscript. I've been told  most problems in writing can be identified in the first page, so if you happen to suffer from “adverbobia” or “adjectiveitous”, the critique is a great way to remedy those problems. I look forward to reading everyone’s first page on Slushbuste...

Last February I embarked on a journey to become a published novelist. At the time, I thought this should be a piece of cake.  All I have  to do is write my story. Well, believe me when I tell you, this is easier said than done. Each time I went to develop the story’s prophecy and its antagonist, I wound up blocked. Not only are the two elements linked, but they lead to the pinnacle of my plot. This is the place where the reader must say "Wow! Maybe something like that could really happen." Unfortunately, my original idea lacked the climax I needed to move forward with the manuscript. Then, after a lot of prayer and serious contemplation, I experienced what is best described as a “Eureka” moment.  Whereby a person is struck by an idea that is so original and captivating that he or she wonders if  it is all a dream.  I can't explain what triggered it, but suddenly, I had the necessary pieces to comple...

Recently, I entered a “Polish Your Pitch” contest sponsored by a wonderfully engaging blog titled Slush busters (www.slushbusters.blogspot.com) . Before signing up, I thought this should be a cinch.  Writing a few sentences about a topic I’ve been immersed in for more than a year, should take no time at all. I quickly learned that I was suffering from delusions of grandeur. When I sat down to sum up my story, I drew a blank. My novel’s plot is complex, it spans five centuries, includes multiple characters ranging from ancient Mayans, angels and demons to “normal present day people.” How do you  combine something like this into one hundred words? First, I conducted a bit of research, but most of the sites I visited said the same thing. Essentially, the pitch serves a dual purpose. It describes the genre and basic premise of your book and secondly and most importantly, it describes what sets your work apart from the rest of the competition. This is the author’s big chance...

Each day the news is filled with grim reports about the effects of the recession on Americans. It seems to have touched everyone in some way. Perhaps your co-worker was laid off, or a friend suffered a cut in pay or loss of hours. Anyway you look at it, these are difficult times. Despite the hardships Americans have endured, they are nothing compared to the harrowing anguish Haitians are experiencing as a result of a recent earthquake. I’ve read heart wrenching reports about death and devastation, homelessness and hunger and strife and dissention throughout the country. Although relief efforts are underway, there is still much work to be done. Right about now you may be asking yourself what the situation in Haiti has to do with writing. According to a wonderful blog called Slush- busters (www.slushbusters.blogspot.com) it has everything to do with it. A group called the Harry Potter Alliance is raising money to send three cargo planes filled with life saving supp...