FAQ -- Will You Read My WIP?

Q: Would you read/take a look at/ critique/edit my work in progress?

A: No.

Unless you're in one of the classes I teach, I really have to decline. And here's why.

I'm overwhelmed with stuff to do already -- just now, tomatoes, garden, house, the reading I'm doing for the Edgars -- all these are consuming most of my time. In a week, my writing class starts: in a few more weeks my new book is out and the month of October is full of visits to book stores, libraries, and other groups -- and I'm not even working on a book now. As soon as I begin my next book, there is no such thing as extra time.

There's another reason I'm reluctant to read your work. There are many kinds of writing -- and  some just leave me cold -- not my cup of tea is one of the politest ways of saying it. And not my cup of tea includes many a blockbuster New York Times bestseller. 

So I really wouldn't want to discourage a writer by responding negatively. Who know, you may be the next Mary Higgins Clark or Dan Brown!

 That said, here's a few quick thoughts for you would-be novelists -- stuff I would tell you if you were in one of my classes.

If you're writing a novel you need a sense of where it's going, an initial problem that sets things in motion -- leading, after many twists and turns, achievements and setbacks, to a resolution.

You need a protagonist readers will care about. This is why readers keep  reading -- to find out what happened to this person who has captured their attention.
   
And you need to catch your reader's attention at once -- on the first page. (It's a constant battle to keep the reader's attention with all the distractions available in modern life.)

Show, don't tell. Get comfortable with dialogue. Learn how to skip over tedious bits that don't contribute to the story. Put in the weather. Give  your characters something to do while they talk to each other (and don't overdo the drinking coffee, eating meals thing.)


Read your stuff aloud. You'd be amazed at how this helps you to avoid stilted language.


You should have an idea of what sort of book you're writing (what would you compare it too?) and who your protagonist is and what she/he wants. What stands in his/her way and how will she/he overcome it?

If you're serious, you'll keep going.