Writing Advice

QUERY PROS

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Tell us your name and any fun facts about yourself or your writing!

My name is Sarah Pounds and I write MG/YA Fantasy/sci-fi. I’ve written off an on for years, and have always been an avid reader (my first job was at our local library) I live on a mini-farm in Eastern WA state with my husband and two children. When I’m not writing, I manage the bookkeeping side of our electrical business.

How many projects did you query in the past?

In 2017, I queried my first book, an Adult sci-fi. I didn’t get a single request. In 2018, I wrote and queried two more adult fantasies, which garnered some interest.

What were some of your rookie mistakes when you first started to query?

Looking back, there were so many silly mistakes I made, mostly because I was naive. My first two books had prologues (strike 1), they also were too short for age and genre, the first one capped at 65k, and second was 72k (strike 2), and strike 3, I didn’t use ANY beta readers which I think truly hurt my chances (strike 3).

At what point did you decide it was time to stop querying your project(s)?

My first two, I received nothing but form R’s or silence, so I knew something wasn’t working. I also started beta-reading other querying author’s MS as well as participating in workshops and realized my books weren’t near ready to query.

What do you wish you had known and could tell your past self about your very first query?

I would tell past Sarah to find writer friends, and get their valuable feedback on your materials. I’d also tell myself to get as many eyes on my book as I can as well as read, read, READ. Sign up for writing workshops as well as use Querytracker to keep track of which agents you’ve queried, and when.

What advice would you give new queriers?

FIND your tribe!!! Connect with other writers, no matter their writing journey, there is much to learn. It is a very lonely journey while querying, and so much of it is viewed from the outside. It seems like EVERYONE is getting an agent but you. But I can promise you that is NOT true! A tremendous amount of work and effort goes unseen. Trust me, no one is above rejections.

I also recommend participating in online contests and critiques (there are so many on Twitter these days). It’s nerve-wracking putting your work out there, but hey, isn’t that the whole idea of querying? Might as well rip off the bandage and go for it. 😉

How do you pass time during all the waiting of querying?

WORK ON A NEW PROJECT (not a sequel!) It might feel like the LAST thing you want to do, but trust me, it’s vital to keep busy for your mental health. Diving into a fresh, shiny project will not only keep you occupied (and off querytracker) but also give you a confidence boost that YOU are indeed a moving forward in your author journey even when those rejections roll in.

Lastly, tell us about the new project you’re querying–if you’re querying. What is it about this project excites you?

I am currently querying a Middle-grade portal fantasy set in 1970. I have read (and follow) the advice of craft books including Save the Cat, Stephen King’s book On Writing, and Story Genius. I have CP’s and read widely as well as books in my genre/age range.

This book has gone through many revisions, including changing it to MG from YA. Thankfully, the feedback I have received  (from CP’s and agents alike) has all been positive! I really feel it’s unique and I love how the societal issues are mimicked of those still present today, of which I feel is important for kids to be aware of.

Querying is a scary business. Don’t go at it alone! Use the #amquerying hashtag on Twitter, or DM me @Sarahjp22 on Twitter if you’d like to join our Query Support Slack Group!

Feel free to comment with any book/query questions you have. Writing is such a difficult, isolating world, find your tribe and love them hard!

If you’re interested in reading other QUERY PROS posts I’ve posted the links below.

These questions were graciously put together by the amazing Catherine Bakewell and the link to her awesome blog is www.catherinebakewell.com

Uncategorized

Capricious Cargo

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From where they sat under the shade of the trellis, Kat and Ella had a direct view of the arena. Groomsmen led horses back and forth along a corridor between the barns. Along the edges of the barn and corners of the arena, barrels overflowed with flowers and bushes. Horses’ coats gleamed and their polished hooves were neatly shod. Throughout her teenage years, Ella had spent the summers at the local racetrack with her family. However, the horse’s at Kat’s stable were nothing like those racing at the track. Compared to the leggy, muscular thoroughbreds, these creatures were refined and compact. Adapted to harsh conditions in the desert, they exhibited large nostrils and alert ears. The tip-off though was the way carried their flowing tails up high, like waving flags behind them.

“These are Arabians. Am I right?” Ella said.

Kat’s cheeks crinkled around her eyes. “I knew you were beautiful, but I couldn’t tell from your mom’s pictures you were also smart.”

Ella scratched the back of her neck, pretending to ignore the compliment.

“Yes, they are indeed Arabians. ‘Created by the gods from the desert sand and wind’ or at least that’s how the legend goes.”

“But how—”

“How do I keep them all? I can’t take all the credit, that’s where my dearest Zalika comes in. While I do admire the gorgeous animals, Zalika is the true horsewoman. Her father bred and raised Arabians for Saddam himself. After his fall, many of the horses were stolen or slaughtered. She’s procured them at various horse markets including Baghdad. I won’t lie, some cost a pretty penny, but we can sell them easily for double in Europe or the United States.”

The thought of such frivolous use of money among such squalor made Ella cringe. “I don’t understand,” she said through gritted teeth. “The price of one of these horses could pay for a month’s supply of food at a refugee camp.”

Kat raised an eyebrow, looking taken aback by the harsh tone of Ella’s words. “Of course, you’re right dear, but—”

“How can you sit here among all this?” Ella said, getting to her feet. “When there are families being torn apart and every day more children are orphaned?”

Kat pursed her lips as if waiting for Ella to finish.

Ella’s chest heaved as she clenched her fists. “Here you are, drinking your fancy wine, and not ten miles west, people are literally starving to death!”

Kat tilted her head but didn’t reply. As if an idea struck her, she knitted forehead, narrowing her eyes. “I want to show you something. Follow me?” Without waiting for Ella, the old woman had pushed herself up from her chair and had begun tottering out into the glaring sun toward the arena. Three horses were being worked, two ridden and one long-lined. They trotted in the shade along a grove of trees, their polished hides slick with sweat.

Kat paused at the fence, resting an elbow over the top rail as Ella joined her.

“You see that young man over there,” Kat said, pointing to a man on the ground lunging a spirited gray mare. “That’s Qadir. He’s been with us two years this fall. He was fifteen when his entire family was killed in an air strike.” Kat’s eyes grew distant as she gazed toward the boy.

“They’d been preparing a family dinner when Qadir’s mother had asked him to fetch a birthday present for his father from the store down the street. On his walk home, a missile struck the side of his family’s house. Qadir had to watch his home burn, with his father’s wrapped gift clutched in his arms.”

Ella’s chest tightened. Her cheeks felt hot, feverish.

Kat turned and rested her back against the fence. She motioned to a middle-aged woman and older man attending to a pair of water buckets. “Sayyid and Jasmin came only a few months ago. Jasmin lost both her husband and son to suicide bombers. Sayyid is her father. His brother joined a terrorist cell and was responsible for the suicide attack at the cafe last February.”

Ella bit her lip. “Alright, but what exactly are you trying to say?”

Kat flicked an annoyed look at her. “Now don’t make me take back my compliment about you being smart.” She motioned around her again. “Everyone you see here has been affected by an act of violence in one way or another. However, we welcome them here. We provide a decent wage as well as room and board. And if needed, transport out of the country.”

Ella’s eyes widened as the words struck her. They were smuggling people out of Iraq. And to think she’d raised a critical eyebrow at their contraband wine last night.  

“You can’t be serious.” Ella narrowed her eyes at the gray-haired woman.

“Serious as a heart attack,” Kat smirked and knocked on the wood rail behind her.

“But how?”

“The same as the wine,” Kat said. “When we export horses out of the country, we have to send a few grooms to go along as well. Tend to the horses en-route, make sure they’re cared for and fed. And once they’re delivered to their new owners, whether it be France or England.” Kat paused and gave a small shrug. “There have been occasions, the shipping containers return empty.”

Ella couldn’t believe it. It was almost too clever to work, and yet, it did.

“And you’ve never been—” Ella trailed off.

“Been caught?” Kat supplied. “No, dear and we hope to keep it that way,” She shot Ella a stern don’t-tell-a-soul-or-I’ll-kill-you-myself look.

Ella shrank under the woman’s glare and gave a quick nod. She felt a sense of honor that Kat had disclosed such a secret to her. She’d never betray it. However, Ella knew someday they’d get caught. The authorities would get tipped off eventually and shut them down. But until that day, Ella hoped many more lives could be saved.

Writing Advice

Give Me Five

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Make Your Writing Come to Life by using ALL five senses

Have you ever sat down to read a book and then glanced at the clock in what felt like only a few minutes and an hour has flown by? THAT is every author’s ultimate goal in their storytelling. More than anything, they want to engross their reader to the point where they forget all reality and are truly swept away by their story.

As a new writer, many authors find themselves making their characters perform their actions like robots or puppets on a stage. They hear this or feel this, or see this, but every time you use one of those words, you’re putting distance between you and your reader.

So how DO you immerse your reader and make them forget they’re even reading?

While, there are many pieces to this puzzle, but one of the best ways to really pull your reader in is by utilizing all five senses. Now there are varying tips on how often to do this, depending on age range and genre, but a general consensus is to try and use all five on every page. Now you might be saying WHOA there’s no way I can do that! But stay with me for a minute…

Let’s imagine a scene where two people are having a conversation at a coffee shop. It may seem that this is just an ordinary interaction of dialogue, but there are plenty of opportunities to not only describe the scene but immerse your reader! Of course, you can show the barista’s making coffee, taking money at the register, and other customers sitting at the nearby tables, but what else is there? Here is a prime opportunity to do what I like to call “piggyback” the senses. Are the wooden tables worn and scratch their arms? Does their lipstick leave marks on their coffee mug?
Does the hot coffee singe your main character’s tongue? When you do this, you’ve hit not just taste of the coffee or feeling the heat, but also elicited an uncomfortable pain feeling. Perhaps the whole conversation is upsetting them, and this is just one more thing they are annoyed with? When you do this, you’re getting two or three senses for the price of one (sentence).

What if the customer next to you is wearing an abundance of perfume, but instead of saying “I smelled her perfume” you could say, ” I sneezed as the haze of perfume overpowered even the scent of the coffee beans, and set off my allergies.”

Another example could be when describing the weather, use the character’s own voice to interpret how they feel. Perhaps there is a sudden downpour of rain. You could of course default to “I felt the rain splash on my face.” Or use the sudden change in weather to further develop your character. Would your pretentious, vain character be upset about their hair getting ruined? Or would your free-spirited teenager immediately want to splash in the puddles and not care about their socks getting soaked?

I hope some of these tips helped you out! I highly recommend the next time you’re reading a really good book, look for ways the author has incorporated senses into the character’s development, or ways they “piggyback” multiple senses in one action.

Remember, even the longest novels are written one word at a time.

Happy writing!

Writing Advice

Why Tension Doesn’t Always Have to Mean Death

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 ten·sion/ˈtenSHən/noun

1.the state of being stretched tight.”the parachute keeps the cable under tension as it drops”synonyms:tightness, tautness, rigidity

2.mental or emotional strain.”a mind that is affected by stress or tension cannot think as clearly”synonyms:strain, stress, anxiety, pressure

Whether you’re drafting your novel or in the final stages of editing, there are ALWAYS way you can create more tension. Tension is defined as the pressure or forward momentum a story has. Think of it as someone laying a card face down in front of you. 

What’s your very first temptation? Immediately, you want to flip it over, right? 

What happens if the person lays three cards face down? 

Then, imagine they flip one over but add two more?

This analogy demonstrates what readers experience as they journey through your story. Moments of revelation, (the card turning over) no matter how big or small, which when are quickly followed by another promise (the face down card). This pattern of promise and reveal provides your story an ongoing pressure, encouraging your readers to keep turning the page! (every author’s dream!)

Now, don’t get me wrong. The risk of death of a character or side-character is always a HIGHLY tense card to play. However, there are so many more ways to increase overall tension…

For example, consider the good old “ticking time clock” with or pressing deadlines (a big test or job interview) are also commonly used. But what about a side character with an obscure tattoo on their neck? Or burn scars on their face or an eye patch. Perhaps a character is pregnant and (heaven forbid) unmarried!! Give a character a mysterious limp, or accent. Heck, give them a dog! 

All of these ideas are akin to hidden cards being placed in front of your reader. As they’re stacked on top of each other, they build the tension, increasing the need to turn the page. 

Word of caution: It isn’t necessary for you to have to reveal ALL of your cards in the course of your novel. If they don’t directly pertain to the overall plot, go ahead and leave them un-turned, and leave it up to your reader to contemplate the answer…or use them in the sequel! 

I hope you found this post helpful! Feel free to comment below with ways you add tension to your novel!

  1. Dear Sarah Jane, Inspirational and encouraging story. Thank you for sharing. Especially appreciate your honesty. I am beginning to query…

  3. This is brilliant, Sarah Jane – so glad you’re persistence paid off. I’m in the query trenches now – my…

  4. Congratulations! I went over and checked the other post and was inspired by it as well. Wishing you all the…

  10. Your website looks beautiful! Can’t wait to read more!

  11. Susan on ABOUT

    Sarah Jane, how beautiful!!!

  12. Lenore Stutznegger on ABOUT

    Looks great! Can’t wait to get my hands on this book!

About

ABOUT

mpounds85

My name is Sarah Jane Pounds. I’m write fantasy and science fiction books for both middle-grade and young adults.

In middle school, my first job was at the local library. While volunteer only, just being able to breathe in the smell of all those books was pure bliss. My arms would be overflowing with books when my mom picked me up at the end of the day. While I’d always wrote short stories or poems, it wasn’t until after college that I decided to start creating my own full length novels.

Spending my days writing brings me so much joy and I’m blessed that I have found a profession that both exhilarates me and challenges me.

When not writing or reading, I spend my time exploring hidden trails in the Pacific Northwest, playing D&D on the weekends, horseback riding and driving my friends crazy by guessing the twist endings of movies. I live on a small farm complete with a dozen very spoiled chickens in Washington state with my husband and two children.

I’m also co-host of the Out of Initiative podcast, where we discuss all things storytelling, developing characters, and D&D as well as bring special guests to discuss writing craft.

For book publishing & rights inquiries, please contact my agent:
Becca Crandall @ Carolyn Jenks Agency.

For all other inquiries-
Email me directly: sarahjpbooks@gmail.com

  1. Dear Sarah Jane, Inspirational and encouraging story. Thank you for sharing. Especially appreciate your honesty. I am beginning to query…

  3. This is brilliant, Sarah Jane – so glad you’re persistence paid off. I’m in the query trenches now – my…

  4. Congratulations! I went over and checked the other post and was inspired by it as well. Wishing you all the…