Face-Lift 259

Guess the Plot

Gotta Get A Q

1. Lenny Lonsdale squares off against Xankorr of Gortha IV, in a Scrabble match to save the planet. With Earth hanging in the balance, can Lenny draw the letter he needs for a triple word score?

2. Destined for greatness, marketing genius Quigley Queen inspires a revolution by launching his "Q is the new X" campaign. But when the powers-that-be freaQ, Quigley discovers their retaliation will be Xtreme.

3. Bombshell Bianca has dated a guy for every letter of the alphabet--except "Q." When she meets Quincy, she thinks her quest is finally over--until she notices that Quincy paints his nails pink and carries a man-bag.

4. Sam Bindlestaff died with his face on his typewriter and a spear in his back. The only clue was on the page. Detective Mae Wong read it--the letter "Q." Obviously he was trying to name the murderer, but was it his wife, Quintessa? Was it his butler, Quinn? Or was it--and this was a long-shot--Quentin Tarantino?

5. Joey 'Big Ears' Stromboli left The Family for medical school and an honest life, but Don 'No Nose' Franzia's severe ear wax problem could draw him back into The Outfit. Hilarity ensues as Joey searches pharmacies nationwide for extra long Q-tips, with Don Franzia's crew hot on his tail.

6. Ueen Gwen Uincey rules a ueer land with an enchanted alphabet. The Qirish qwizard, Qrichard Qwick removed the Q from Qwinglish to maq his own new lanquage. Everyone will speak ueerly forever unless Ueen Gwen finds the cave where he hid the Q and gets it back to the alphabet uickly.


Original Version

Dear Evil Editor,

She's so close to becoming a dating legend, she might as well declare herself victorious, but there's still one thing standing in her way: a "Q."

GOTTA GET A Q, a 35,000-word young adult novel, follows former nerd and current bombshell, Bianca Hadrian. In her two years of high school, she's dated a guy for every letter of the alphabet--except "Q." [Of course, she was extremely lucky to be attending the same high school as Zorro and Xankorr of Gortha IV.] When she finds out that the new kid's name is Quincy, she's positive it's her destiny to date him and accomplish her dream. The plan sours when she discovers Quincy carries a man bag, paints his nails pink, and uses jazz hands. [And looks like Jack Klugman.] Chances are he'd rather be the Homecoming Queen than date Bianca. This is a major dilemma—until Bianca has to deal with a catastrophe of tragic proportions.

Bianca's best guy friend dies in a car crash, a guy friend Bianca loved. Bianca regrets her serial dating ways and how superficial she's become, but most of all, misses her friend. [Not enough connection between her loss and her regret. Something like, The loss Bianca feels for Mick reveals to her how superficial her other relationships have been, and she comes to regret her serial dating ways. would be more clear.] Quincy turns out to be a major gay gift [We know he's gay, and I'm not sure what "major" means. "Gift" is sufficient.] from above and soon becomes her rock and confidante. After a month of heart to heart chats, Bianca finds herself crushing on Quincy, complicating her life to the point she'll do anything to get over him--even ruin their friendship.

My short story, "Third Party Candidates," is published in the January/February 2007 issue of New Moon Magazine.

Thank you for your time and consideration. More material can be sent upon request. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,


Notes

The query is well done. I had a few minor complaints, some of which I fixed.

It's the plot itself that gives me pause. Wouldn't this work if Bianca's best guy friend had to move to New Zealand? Because the death in a car crash doesn't, in my opinion, meld with the tone of the setup. Your first paragraph is funny, as I suspect the first part of the book is. I'm not sure how heavy you want to get. Your best friend moving away is bad enough, and still leaves you needing a rock and confidante. Is it necessary to also have a mangled body in a crushed steel death trap, followed by a depressing funeral? I prefer a light book to stay that way; whether the minions will agree remains to be seen.