tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post115254788147796909..comments2024-03-18T13:32:44.865-04:00Comments on Evil Editor: Face-Lift 109Evil Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879826770199639420noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152638000009382242006-07-11T13:13:00.000-04:002006-07-11T13:13:00.000-04:00I mean, the writing in the query is done very well...<I>I mean, the writing in the query is done very well (except maybe the dangling modifier, but that's an easy fix) so why not assume the author handled subjects well instead of assuming otherwise?</I><BR/><BR/>Good question, John. I think there are two things on display in a query: the writing, and the plot. Capable writing is easy to tell. We can even assume that a writer didn't spend as much time as he should on the language, and forgive the dangling modifiers. But a really good plot is a series of cause and effect: "Hamlet fakes crazy because the ghost of his father told him that his mother's new husband murdered him." A bad query would neglect links between characters and actions, or just list events, or insert characters with no explanation. Unlike the quality of writing, there's no reason to believe that the book makes more sense than the query implies. There probably <I>are</I> problems with the plot. Actions should flow from other actions, and if every element of the story needs to be explained individually, there's probably something wrong. -AAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152630825332794512006-07-11T11:13:00.001-04:002006-07-11T11:13:00.001-04:00Well, crap. I was really diggin' #6 there.And I ab...Well, crap. I was really diggin' #6 there.<BR/><BR/>And I about lost it on the RX Glue - license for a horse doctor.Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17083327647412477394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152630786698637742006-07-11T11:13:00.000-04:002006-07-11T11:13:00.000-04:00Is it just me or did anyone else start to get the ...Is it just me or did anyone else start to get the feeling that this query was channeling "Romancing the stone"? Woman goes to a latin american country on a mission to help her sister and runs into a flakey guy that she falls in love with while dodging all sorts of people that are after her for mysterious reasons.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, the details are different (and sometimes, a major mental illness that is controlled with medication still leaves people pretty dysfunctional), but I was starting to have flashbacks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152629842360198712006-07-11T10:57:00.000-04:002006-07-11T10:57:00.000-04:00EE your Cell-Mart comment should have come with a ...EE your Cell-Mart comment should have come with a beverage alert! Thanks for the badly needed laugh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152627477523472442006-07-11T10:17:00.000-04:002006-07-11T10:17:00.000-04:00"Barely There" doesn't sound like an appropriate t..."Barely There" doesn't sound like an appropriate title for this book. It suggests a story about a woman sleepwalking through her life. My suggestion? "Brazilian Whacks." Not really, but it should be something more spicy.<BR/><BR/>Also, the joke where you list a bunch of calamities and then add "and then things <I>really</I> started to get complicated!" is hackneyed and should be avoided, in my opinion. But then again, what do <I>I</I> know? I just made a terrible pun about a Brazilian wax.Lightsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396366702192330680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152626451611700282006-07-11T10:00:00.001-04:002006-07-11T10:00:00.001-04:00I think some of this points out the difficulties i...I think some of this points out the difficulties in writing a query. How do you explain 113,000 words in one page? And do it justice? <BR/><BR/>Well, you can't, so you have to go with your gut on what to explain and an agent/editor has to be intrigued enough by the idea to see if you've covered his/her questions in the ms. Right? <BR/><BR/>I mean, the writing in the query is done very well (except maybe the dangling modifier, but that's an easy fix) so why not assume the author handled subjects well instead of assuming otherwise?<BR/><BR/>Queries are tough.<BR/><BR/>JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152622911008639862006-07-11T09:01:00.000-04:002006-07-11T09:01:00.000-04:00You know, I actually liked the original version. I...You know, I actually liked the original version. If the tone of the book is as loopy as the query, I bet it's a fun read. -A<BR/><BR/>ETA: Wait, wait. My word ver is actually "RX glue"? That could be the license plate for a horse doctor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152622806202380412006-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:002006-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00I hope the schizophrenia in the manuscript has mor...I hope the schizophrenia in the manuscript has more impact in the character's lives than one past incident. <BR/><BR/>Does it bother anyone else that she has apparently had divorce papers for this guy to sign for 5 years, but she never looked for him? She waits until she runs into him in Brazil? <BR/><BR/>"Vince! Hi! Gosh lucky I ran into you, I've been carrying these papers around for simply ages. Gotta pen?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152622700134413282006-07-11T08:58:00.000-04:002006-07-11T08:58:00.000-04:00I would have started the first paragraph in presen...I would have started the first paragraph in present tense. but that is just me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152610062806750482006-07-11T05:27:00.000-04:002006-07-11T05:27:00.000-04:00Those darn schizophrenics working for the French g...Those darn schizophrenics working for the French government...<BR/><BR/><BR/>Boy, dumping him because of his (usually controllable with medication) mental illness is kinda jerky of her, isn't it?<BR/><BR/>I think this could be good, but as EE said, too many unanswered questions. The query might want to mention something about the childrens' last known address, or something, so we don't think this woman flew to Brazil without a single lead and just luckily stumbled on people who know about them.Staciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07969399927758009095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152607968104410842006-07-11T04:52:00.000-04:002006-07-11T04:52:00.000-04:00I'm going to be giggling at that "Cell-Mart" excha...I'm going to be giggling at that "Cell-Mart" exchange for <I>days</I>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152600817676697742006-07-11T02:53:00.000-04:002006-07-11T02:53:00.000-04:00One last note for the author, EE: I hope to hell y...One last note for the author, EE: I hope to hell you know what you're talking about when you say 'schizophrenic'. Contrary to popular belief, it does NOT mean 'to have a split personality'. That is called 'multiple personality disorder' if I'm not mistaken. Schizophrenia is something dramatically different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-1152591075395950462006-07-11T00:11:00.000-04:002006-07-11T00:11:00.000-04:00I want to know whether Vince really had a career w...I want to know whether Vince really had a career with the French goverment, or if he was simply delusional.Fish Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15513113946225645783noreply@blogger.com