Advice on writing that Elizabeth has given over the years:
Dear Elizabeth,
Whenever I hear writers talk about point of view they seem to have strong, and very different, opinions about how it should be used in telling a story. Can you clarify point of view and explain how I can use it to improve my work?
Puzzled
Read Elizabeth’s response: Point of view
Dear Elizabeth,
I’m excited by all the ways to use point of view. But how do I establish it in the first place?
Puzzled
Read Elizabeth’s response: Point of view, part II
Dear Elizabeth,
Is there a foolproof way to chose a point of view character?
Puzzled
Read Elizabeth’s response: Point of view, one more time
Dear Elizabeth,
I m not a conference newbie, but I want to brush up on my conference skills before attending to the national RWA conference this summer. Do you have any advice for getting the most out of the experience?
Peggy
Strategies for a productive conference experience
Dear Elizabeth,
I am getting ready to submit my first query and synopsis to a few agents. In your opinion, what are the biggest NO-NO’s and mistakes beginners make in approaching people in the business? (Besides colored paper and cocky letters.)
Cary
The ever-elusive perfect query letter
Dear Elizabeth,
One judge in a recent contest said the story I entered broke the rules of romance. Rules? What rules?
Jennifer
So are there rules to writing romance?
Dear Elizabeth,
How do you effectively interweave your research into a story, whether historical or contemporary, without overwhelming the story with details?
Thank you,
Patty
Adding that special dash of research
Dear Elizabeth,
I have read a guideline of one synopsis page per twenty-five manuscript pages. I have heard one so lengthy it would bore a prospective agent or editor to tears. And I have also heard they are not even read by editors (but I don’t know if I necessarily believe that).
Cindy
Dear Elizabeth,
How on earth do I take my 75,000 word manuscript and turn it into a 2-3 page synopsis and not have it sound like the average eight year old’s book report?
Julie O.
Dear Elizabeth,
I am beginning a writing career and want to ask for some advice. I am wondering about agents. I see that a number of publishing houses will not accept manuscripts unless submitted by an agent. Did you find it necessary to get an agent before being published? Do you currently have an agent? If your answer is yes to the above questions, how, then, does one find a good agent?
Thank you for your kind consideration of my note.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Dear Elizabeth,
Could you please expand on plot comes from character. What if you have a plot in mind already but no characters? Is it wrong to try to create characters to fit in your plot? Or, should I create characters and just let them figure out the plot? Or, is this a question like which came first the chicken or the egg?
Thank you,
Carey K.
Plot or Characters
The other half of that “chicken or the egg” thing — PLOT
Dear Elizabeth,
When you re writing introspection, is it appropriate to include “he/she thought” after a thought, or not? Is it simply implied that it is the characters thoughts?
Carey
Elizabeth Grayson 