1. Show your character interacting with the setting. This relates to the “show don’t tell” adage. Instead of telling the reader that a storm is approaching, show your character running outside to bring in the baby’s teddy bear so it doesn’t get ruined.

2. Use setting to create tension. At times, your character should be at odds with their world, whether it’s the natural or physical world. Perhaps the roof develops a leak moments before an important visitor arrives.

3. Consider senses other than sight. How does your setting smell? If your character imagines touching the faraway mountain range, would it be smooth or rough?

4. Include unusual story-specific details. The sky isn’t simply “blue,” is it? Maybe it’s an inky blue that matches the sapphire in your character’s new engagement ring.

5. Show how the setting changes over the course of the story. If your character’s life is disintegrating, their surroundings might reflect that. The progression of the seasons is another good place to start.

You may also wish to consider why your story is set where it is. Why did you choose its particular setting? If there’s something unique, some reason the story needs to take place here, then make sure to share that with your reader to heighten their engagement.

For the past several weeks, I’d been meeting, or even exceeding, my daily word count goals. I was writing early in the morning before work. And late at night. And in the margins. I was a woman on a mission. Focused, productive. Making progress. Checking things off my list. Watching the word count grow. Eyes on the prize.

Then—boom—one afternoon I hit a wall. My brain resisted any attempt at crafting more words. I texted a couple friends to confess just how tired I suddenly felt. I shared the honest truth: I could no longer keep these hours or juggle All The Things. I needed a break.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? When we push ourselves so hard, we will inevitably run out of steam.

If you find yourself in a similar position, I hereby offer you permission to press “pause.”  Take whatever time you need to recharge.

Get some exercise.

Catch up on your favorite show.

Get lost in a good book.

Organize your pantry. (Okay, yes, I’ve been told I need to learn how to relax…)

Go on a date with a partner or friend.

Enjoy nature and fresh air.

Wander around a museum or art gallery.

Whatever your time of rest looks like, be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a loved one.

Your writing project will be there waiting for you once you are recharged.

If you’re querying agents or otherwise pitching a book-length manuscript, you’ll need to nail down your genre. It can be difficult to put our work “in a box,” but the publishing industry uses these boxes to market and sell books. Let’s explore some of the most common fiction genres:

Book club: character-driven stories that invite discussion (Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People; Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere; Therese Anne Fowler’s A Good Neighborhood)

Fantasy: involves world-building and supernatural, mythological, or magical elements (Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses; J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

Historical: Reflective of a specific time period before the average reader’s lifetime (Susan Meissner’s As Bright as Heaven; Kimberly Brock’s The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare; Shana Abe’s The Second Mrs. Astor)

Literary: contemplative/experimental; driven by attention to language versus plot (Marie-Helene Bertino’s Parakeet; Paul Harding’s Enon; Sheila Heti’s Pure Color)

Mystery: centers around a crime; often involves a professional or amateur sleuth; sub-genres include cozy, police procedural, and more. (Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club; Landis Wade’s Deadly Declarations; Margaret Maron’s Long Upon the Land)

Romance: focuses on a romantic relationship culminating in a “happily ever after” (Emily Henry’s Beach Read; Katherine Center’s What You Wish For; Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient)

Science Fiction/speculative: explores futuristic, scientific, or technological “what if” scenarios (Katharine McGee’s The Thousandth Floor; Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games; Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun)

Thriller/suspense: Keeps the reader in a state of suspense until the story’s resolution (Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train; Kimberly Belle’s My Darling Husband; Janelle Brown’s Pretty Things)

Women’s Fiction: follows a female character as she journeys through life (Kristyn Kusek Lewis’ Perfect Happiness; Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Slightly South of Simple; Nancy Thayer’s Surfside Sisters)

Your age category (Adult, YA, Middle Grade, etc.) is distinct from your genre.

Although these explanations are overly simplified and all genres aren’t listed, I hope they answer some of your general questions. Happy writing!

Character: You at least need a main character or protagonist. And yes, you can have more than one main character. Dual timelines remain very popular and many well-regarded stories explore the points of view of more than two main characters. This is especially true if you’re writing a novel versus a short story. My one piece of advice? Try not to repeat the same scene, showing it from different characters’ viewpoints. This can end up frustrating your readers and making them impatient.

If you have a character who is adverse to your main character, they might be an antagonist.  Sometimes the antagonistic force isn’t another character, but another sort of obstacle standing in your main character’s way—or even a force of nature, such as an approaching storm.

Pacing: the speed at which your plot unfolds. A quiet, literary story may have a contemplative pace whereas a mystery or thriller is going to be a page-turner that rarely slows down.

Plot: Something has to happen to your character or the reader will become bored. The plot draws the reader into your characters’ lives. Plot is the bouncing ball, the up and down, of the narrative. Your main character encounters obstacles, learns lessons, and gets closer to, or further away from, her goal.

Setting: Where does your story take place? Of course, difference scenes are likely to have different settings. Give some thought to how setting might impact your characters and plots. Why is the story taking place here? Time period is closely related to setting. Are you writing historical fiction, contemporary, or speculative (set in the future)?

Theme: What are you trying to say with this piece? I tend to favor themes that emerge organically. Otherwise fiction can feel forced or preachy.

One of your goals as a fiction writer is to weave these essential elements together to make a cohesive whole. This involves asking yourself a number of questions as you write. Have I selected the main character with the most dramatic story arc (i.e., the character who changes the most)? Why is this particular setting the right one? What does this time period mean for my main character? Does the story’s pacing help or hinder the emergence of the theme? By keeping these questions in mind you are well on your way to crafting a multi-layered story that will keep your readers’ attention.

We talked at the beginning of the year about writing goals. Now that we’re approaching summer, I wonder how we are all doing. I don’t know if life has thrown you a curve ball or two, but I want to leave space for that possibility.

As for me, my day job as a lawyer has been taking up more of my time than anticipated. And the nature of it—litigation involves so much conflict—can be draining.

But I love spring. The warmer weather. The flowers. The sunshine. Did I mention the warmer weather?

Every day I take our Yorkie, Blue, for a walk. He’s a rescue dog and we don’t know for sure how old he is. Suffice it to say, he’s a senior dog. He can’t walk as long as he used to. With these limitations in mind, I help him down the front steps and off we go. We sniff at interesting smells (Blue) and admire the latest hydrangea blooms (me). By the time we return home, we might have solved a plot problem or two.

My friend Renea Winchester recently asked me, “How is your story unfolding?” I found this so lovely. It’s a completely non-judgmental question—the best kind.

How is your story unfolding, my friend?

My last post discussed whether you might, or might not, want to seek representation from a literary agent. I’ve been getting questions about this topic so if you’re interested in getting a literary agent, this post is for you.

How the Process Works

First, yes, it can be extremely difficult to get a literary agent’s attention. It’s a numbers’ game. Agents’ in-boxes are overflowing.

Let’s consider a hypothetical. (Sorry, I’m a lawyer so I’m all about hypotheticals…) Meet Agent Jasmine, who is working hard for her existing clients. Although Jasmine is certainly interested in adding new talent to her list, she can afford to be picky. Jasmine receives hundreds of submissions called “queries” every week. She might request additional pages from a small percentage. If she’s going to offer representation, those pages must wow her.

Also, Jasmine isn’t simply reading to see if she likes the story. She’s already thinking about whether she can sell it to a publisher. That’s how she gets paid.

Tips for Success

It’s critical to follow Jasmine’s submission guidelines, likely located on her agency’s website. If she specifies five sample pages, don’t send her fifteen. If she wants the pages pasted into an email versus an attachment, then do that. Don’t make it easy for Jasmine to say “no” and move on to the next query.

Research agents before pressing send. You want an agent who represents similar books to yours. If Jasmine represents cozy mysteries, you probably want to look elsewhere if you’re querying an urban fantasy.

Keep track of the agents who represent books you’ve enjoyed. You can find their names in the acknowledgements.

Generally, you can’t re-query Jasmine multiple times on the same project. If you send queries in small batches, you can adjust your submission package before sending out another batch. If you start off sending fifty queries, you’ve limited your ability to do that.

Be careful about querying too early. Take your time. Once you’ve incorporated feedback from critique partners and polished your manuscript until it shines, it will be ready to wow Jasmine. I’m cheering you on.