Real Fiction

Joan: How far can a writer suspend reality in a fiction book? So-called magical realism can suspend reality so that it’s close to being a fable. In this genre, a writer could have a ghost who talks to the characters or an animal who shape-shifts. Or as in the book Like Water For Chocolate, the character Tito cooks a meal that has supernatural effects.

George: Now that's my kind of recipe. So in magical realism, anything can happen.

Joan: Well, realism still remains its biggest component. As in any fiction, a writer needs a believable plot, so while you could have an alligator grow wings and talk to a character from his sofa, it would not work to have a plot twist that wouldn't be logical.

George: So the details can be unbelievable, but not the story line?

Joan: For example, in real life, you could get on a plane and discover your long lost twin--who you had never met in person--in the seat next to you, or you could run into your neighbor in LA in a bank in NYC and find out you both happened to have an appointment at the same spa that afternoon. In fiction, however, life's strange coincidences and twists don't work as well because readers may feel like they’re being manipulated to further your plot in a way that is unbelievable.

George: Interesting problem. You can have a flying alligator but you can't meet your long lost twin in an airplane. So the basis of the problem is that meeting your twin accidentally is a rare occurrence in life, but a flying alligator is impossible. In other words, rare is manipulative in fiction; impossible is creative.

Joan: I think what is going on is that a good plot is always driven by the same elements even if there are variants in other elements in the story. For example, if the book was a science fiction novel, spaceships and future science would be themes but the plot would still have to be believable and if there were twists that manipulated the reader and made the plot contrived, it wouldn't work.

George: The opposite, of course, holds in non-fiction. If I write about meeting my twin on an airplane, it would be fascinating reading. If I write about flying alligators, I would be committed. Can you think of a published book that went wrong for you because of this?

Joan: The best published material that comes to mind is grade B horror, where a person--usually a beautiful woman--opens the door when the monster is clearly behind it. We the audience know that the monster is waiting for her ready to pounce. I have heard this type of character in such a contrived scene called TDTL--Too Dumb To Live. But a contrived plot that doesn't work smoothly, that has turns which are too obvious, and whose characters don't get it but should--all these make the characters look stupid, and for the reader it's just annoying.

George: I don't know. I'd be happy if a magical cookbook fell into my hands out of nowhere.

Give Good Query, Two

George: I'm amazed, and occasionally appalled, at the variety of email queries that we get. Some are short and sweet, often uninformative—the equivalent of 'hi, I wrote a novel and want representation. You can see it on my website...'—and some are long and rambling.

Email seems to create different expectations for writers as to what's acceptable as a query. I don't personally care whether a query follows a particular form, but it's still a sales document, and it needs to sell the writer's 'product' to me. Selling a non-fiction manuscript especially means everything that selling involves: describing the work, comparing it to others, distinguishing it in some way, prompting the reader to act.

Joan: I think what I notice most about queries now is that they are so often a mass mailing. While I believe it is necessary for a writer to contact many agents, I admit calling me Mr. Timberlake or Madam (with or without connotations) puts me off—or worse, receiving a query with no names at all.

George:  And we got one recently addressed “To my new agent.” Presumptuousness or aggressive marketing?

Joan: On our website, we explain what information we need to see. Having the query in the format that we requested or at least close to it makes the process easier and more efficient for everyone. In addition, when a writer reads our specifications for the query, the writer can also see what types of manuscripts we're looking for.

George:  Janet Reid has a good site where she invites writers to send query letters to be evaluated, at http://queryshark.blogspot.com.  She's interested in fiction, but a lot of her comments are true for non-fiction, as well.  Here's the obvious: if your query is not well written, why would an agent think that the actual manuscript is any better?  Email is another written medium, and the rules for good writing don't get suspended because the words are created digitally.

Joan: Yes, that's a good site. I am not sure why any writer would mind taking the time to write a good query letter. Everyone understands the importance of a well done resume. Why should a query be different? A query, if done well, can save authors and agents time and frustration. We have received some very well written queries and some I could hardly believe. Some authors don't include query letters at all and this is always a mistake when a query is part of the agent's guidelines. If the query does what it is supposed to do and is well written, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door and entice an agent to represent you.George: I'm amazed, and occasionally appalled, at the variety of email queries that we get. Some are short and sweet, often uninformative—the equivalent of 'hi, I wrote a novel and want representation. You can see it on my website...', and some are long and rambling.

Email seems to create different expectations for writers as to what's acceptable as a query. I don't personally care whether a query follows a particular form, but it's still a sales document, and it needs to sell the writer's 'product' to me. Selling a non-fiction manuscript especially means everything that selling involves: describing the work, comparing it to others, distinguishing it in some way, prompting the reader to act.

Joan: I think what I notice most about queries now is that they are so often a mass mailing. While I believe it is necessary for a writer to contact many agents, I admit calling me Mr. Timberlake or Madam (with or without connotations) puts me off—or worse, receiving a query with no names at all.

George:  And we got one recently addressed “To my new agent.” Presumptuousness or aggressive marketing?

Joan: On our website, we explain what information we need to see. Having the query in the format that we requested or at least close to it makes the process easier and more efficient for everyone. In addition, when a writer reads our specifications for the query, the writer can also see what types of manuscripts we're looking for.

George:  Janet Reid has a good site where she invites writers to send query letters to be evaluated, at http://queryshark.blogspot.com.  She's interested in fiction, but a lot of her comments are true for non-fiction, as well.  Here's the obvious: if your query is not well written, why would an agent think that the actual manuscript is any better?  Email is another written medium, and the rules for good writing don't get suspended because the words are created digitally.

Joan: Yes, that's a good site. I am not sure why any writer would mind taking the time to write a good query letter. Everyone understands the importance of a well done resume. Why should a query be different? A query, if done well, can save authors and agents time and frustration. We have received some very well written queries and some I could hardly believe. Some authors don't include query letters at all and this is always a mistake when a query is part of the agent's guidelines. If the query does what it is supposed to do and is well written, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door and entice an agent to represent you.