Mini Blogcation

Heya, Mary. Sounds like a great weekend. Hope you find lotsa promising authors.

I’m wondering what you think of WeBook.com’s AuthorInBox (online query system) and PageToFame (online 1st page, then 5 pages, then 50 page rating system). Have you checked into it?

Mary, we keep hearing that “show vs. tell” is one of the main things that makes or breaks a novel (in terms of writing it). I completely agree, but each age group needs a different mindset (rule, if you will) in this respect, in my opinion. A middle grade book might need just a tad more of a tell along with the show, than a YA book. Would you agree?

For instance, at times, we let the dialogue explain the mood of the speaker, without any additional explanation like “he frowned”. But at other times, we do need to add a little explanation: “She bit her lip, worried that she may have set the alarm off”.

So, my question is: When is “less more” in terms of telling? And when is the author possibly compromising the reader-character relationship by leaving out explanation? I would love to hear your take on this… Thanks!

Wish you a grand (Texas kind of grand, nothing less ) time in Dallas!

Hey Mary,

Have a nice flight! We’ve got gorgeous weather in store for you this weekend.

My question is about tween lit. I’ve read a few articles that say there is a gap for 11 – 14 year old readers (too old for true MG, too young for ‘older’ YA), and that publishers are starting to show interest in filling it. Are you seeing that in the market?

Mmm… ribs in the Big D… I do miss them (now that I’m in Michigan).

Have fun and safe travels,
Joseph

Yay! I’ll see you there tonight!! So excited to put a face to the great blog I follow!

Krista, I read the interview and it was great! Have fun in Texas Mary, I’m sure you’ll come back all smile after hanging out with all those fabulous Texans

Have a great time in Texas!

Look forward to hearing your thoughts in your upcoming posts

Mary,
I have two questions. What are the rules for documenting a character’s thoughts? I’m writing a novel in third person limited. When I zoom into that character’s thoughts should I italicize? Tag with “he thought?” Put the thoughts in quotation marks? Do all of the above? What if I preface the thoughts with a beat like “He frowned” followed by a thought? Would that be enough? Hope that makes sense.
Second question–should a writer tag dialogue more frequently in a middle grade book? I teach high school freshmen and I noticed that some of them have a hard time recognizing a speaker without a tag (even when it’s obvious to me).
Thanks and have fun in Texas.

Hi Mary,
My burning question: Is a week–or two–too long to wait to get back to an agent requesting a partial? Based on a different agent’s feedback, I’d decided to do a huge revision of the beginning of my manuscript. Recently another agent (queried *before* my decision to revise) asked to see the beginning. Obviously I want it to be perfect before sending it, but I don’t want to lose the agent’s interest or have them think I queried them prematurely (which is actually the case, but it was an honest mistake).
I could really use your advice! Have a great time in Texas!

Hi, Mary. I hope your visit to Texas is (was?) both fun and productive for you.

In your interview with Krista V., you said you started out reading slush. My question is — how does a person find “slush pile reader” opportunities? Many of my fellow writers think I’m crazy, but I have a burning desire to read slush.

Thanks, Marybk. I will give that a try. I’d still love to find out how to find opportunities to read slush for publishers and/or agencies too.

Another question for Mary: How much emphasis do you put on “reading level” for picture books? Do you like the Fleisch-Kincaid rating system in Microsoft Word’s spellchecker program, or is there another rating system that you find more reliable?

Thank you!