Great New Query Resource: Critiki Lounge

Looking to shiney up your query?  Check out the Critiki Lounge, a great new query resource created by two writers who were inspired after hosting the 2013 Like a Virgin pitch contest.

How it works:
Every month the site hosts several volunteer writers (aka the Lounge Lizards) that have successfully made it out of the trenches. Accepted genres change based on the Lounge Lizard's area of expertise.  If you have a query that fits within that months genre requirements (and you're unagented and follow the guidelines)  make a reservation and your query could be that weeks pick for the Scorpion Bowl (aka the featured query).

Fun, eh?  There are a lot of useful resources out there to help writers work through their queries, but I love that this site connects unagented writers with agented and pubbed writers that have successfully mastered the art of the dreaded query.

Regardless of whether or not your query gets critiqued that month, the past Scorpion Bowls posts are available for viewing so you can peruse the feedback and offer up comments of your own.

The Critiki Lounge is currently open to February submissions (with a Valentines Day inspired theme).  And if you're a YA Paranormal Romance writer, yours truly will be offering up her services on the 21st. ;-)

Happy writing!

Writer's Resource: Absolute Write Forums

Absolute Write is a writer's resource extravaganza. Arguably the most helpful part is the vast online community of the Absolute Write Water Cooler.

Working on a novel in any genre, nonfiction book, short story, or freelance pieces? There's a section of the forum for each at the link above. There you'll find tons of information on writing, editing, and publishing your work. A tip: if there are stickied threads at the top of a forum, read them through before posting a question. The regulars sometimes get a little testy if they're answering the same question for the eighty-ninth time that month.

Another area to check out in the Water Cooler is Share Your Work (SYW). Free registration is required to view this part of the forum. Here you'll find hundreds of people sharing their query letters, synopses, and pages for peer critique. Once you accumulate 50 posts, you can post your own work for critique.

A very important word of caution: SYW is not for the faint of heart or thin of skin! People will be completely, sometimes brutally honest about their reaction to your writing. Keep in mind that a lot of it will be subjective--but if you get more than one person posting the same comments, you would be wise to consider their suggestions.

The Absolute Write Water Cooler isn't right for everyone, but it can be a great way to connect with like-minded writers and find critique partners. Check it out and see what you think!

Writer's Resource: AgentQuery Connect Part 1, Query Resources

Today's post features a resource that every aspiring writer needs to have in their tool box:  AgentQuery Connect.  The site has everything from query writing tips, to forums for venting frustrations and celebrating successes.  In fact there are so many phenomenal tools on AQC that I'm going to use more than one post to get through them all!

Today's focus will be on the AQC query writing resources.  Many new members join the site just for this purpose, and end up sticking around for the wonderfully supportive community and the myriad of other benefits the site offers.

The query critique forum lets you post your query for peer feedback. Before posting, make sure you've reviewed the post about how to write a query and the query posting rules. You might also want to check out some examples of successful queries to give you an idea of what success looks like. The AQC community is extremely supportive and always willing to help you build you query, but you need to make sure you've done your homework before posting.

If you're brand new to the query writing world check out the query question & conversation section.  You will not only find answers to many of the common query questions, but you can post your own questions and let the experts respond.  And believe me, they will respond.  Everyone on the site was a beginner at one point, and they are always happy to lend their advice.

After posting your query, make sure to pay it forward by critiquing other queries on the site.  It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced query writer or a novice - everyone has something valuable to offer.  And the more you crit the more crits you will get, as noted in the handy section about how to get other AQCers to critique you work. 

In many ways I've learned more from critiquing other queries than I have from reading my own feedback - learning to identify what works and what doesn't work will only make you a stronger query writer.

I'd also recommend perusing the posted queries to see how they've evolved.  You'll find my early drafts buried somewhere on the forum - see how many faux pas you can count in my early drafts!
Happy writing!