Questionable TAG! - Matthew MacNish

Quality Queries Question Quintessentially

This TAG is exciting for me, I don't know why exactly-other than I enjoy his blog and was excited when I stumbled upon it. Oh and I was excited that he agreed to be one of my TAG victims participants.

Many of you know Matthew (Matt) MacNish from his wonderful blog, The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. I don't know him personally, but I found his blog a few months back and have been following ever since. He's awesome :D You can read some of his short stories, here. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook. If you haven't visited his blog, go now...well, after you read this post. :)


1. When did you start writing?
I’ve always enjoyed writing, well, at least ever since I learned how, but I did not really start pursuing writing as a career until about 4 years ago.

2. What made you want to write?
I wanted to tell stories. To make people enjoy reading a story as much as I did.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
See above. But to give more detail, I always kind of wanted to write a novel, but actually gave up on writing for over a decade in my twenties, because life just got in the way. Then, I had a great idea for a novel, one that finally felt worth dedicating my time to, and I just got started.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Everything. The only novels I’ve written would all be sold as YA (Young Adult) but that’s not really a label I believe in. My short fiction has been published as Fantasy, Literary, Horror, and pretty much everything.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
Well, I just write the stories that come to me, but when I write novels (or manuscripts intended to become novels) I write about young people, because that was when everything exciting happened to me in my life – when I was young.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Not anymore. I used to have to be at my desk, at work, in the early morning hours. But then I got promoted a few times, and I no longer have that freedom. Now I write wherever and whenever I can.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
Unless it’s for something very short, I can’t even begin writing if I don’t have at least a loose outline telling me where I’m going.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
I generally prefer a glass of nice Highland Single Malt Scotch, and a beer, but neither is required.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
Lord no. My handwriting is illegible.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
Two novels, and countless short fiction. You can find the short fiction that has been published, on (this page), on my blog.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
No, because I don’t tell anyone about it who actually knows me.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
Yes, I have the blog, and I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
Show don’t tell. I know what people really mean, and I get it, but most rules are just guidelines. Just write a great story, and realize it will have to include some telling.


14. Where did you come up with your blog title: The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment?
The QQQE is an alliterative play on the fact that my blog started as a place where I would share examples of the query mistakes I made in the beginning, in the hopes that others could learn from them.

15. What goes on at your uniquely named blog?
Lots of things. Mostly it's my own random thoughts on life, style, reading, writing, books, films, music, and entertainment, but there's a good helping of advice when it comes to getting published. Like query critiques, and examples of successful queries.

16. What is the longest book you've read?
I've read War and Peace, but if you research Tolkien, you'll find that he intended The Lord of the Rings to be a single book, originally, and since he's my all time favorite author, I count LOTR.

17. A favorite quote that starts with a Q?
No idea. Are there any? Here's one I like, but I had to look it up: Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear. - Thomas Jefferson


18. What do you do when you aren't writing?
I have a day job. I’m a dad. I collect vinyl. I walk my dog.

19. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Read, write, and critique. Read everything you can get your hands on, write whatever you feel like writing, and realize that you learn more about the craft by giving others feedback than anything else.

Sometimes You Have To Backspace and Try Again

I am revising the latest query I was all set to send out. I have officially decided that I need to start with a completely blank slate and re-read my novel yet again. I know it is worthy, I just need to get it across better in my query.

So, I am doing a complete do over, just glad I didn't start sending it out. POINT-Sometimes we get anxious and want to get the queries out there. We write/revise/write/revise and so on, but then after a few we decide, OK I am done revising-I want an agent so I am sending this latest revision.

I am setting a goal, at some point in November(by the end of November) I will have my query and synopsis complete, polished, and ready to go. My reason for this is-that will make it four & 1/2 months of working on the query letter and synopsis and that is how long it took me to COMPLETE my novel.

Many may say, four & 1/2 months?!? That's it!?!? But let me say, I was immersed in writing. When I forced myself away from it, it was like when you are reading that great book that you hate to put down, and every time you have to, you cannot stop thinking about what happens next. I may have been writing the story, I even knew where it was going, yet every time I was away from it I could not stop thinking what's going to happen next?

Therefore, I spent MANY MANY VERY VERY late nights working on my book. There were nights that I, sadly, could not stop and ended up being up ALL NIGHT, never even going to bed. I wasn't even that tired because I was loving every minute of the story. So, i wrote, edited and polished it in four & 1/2 months. I figure since i wrote my novel in that amount of time, that is how long I will spend on my query and synopsis. So, by end of November I plan to be sending out queries. Sometimes you have to just clear everything out and start over. I already made notes for my query, but I think if I just re-read the novel and make new notes i will have that AHA! moment that my query is missing.

Query Critiques

Well, I ended up not taking the latest query and using it...I revised. I actually like my revision best of all of them. I am pretty sure I will begin sending it out starting tomorrow. It gets to the point when you have to just get out there and give it a go. If I continue getting critiques and revising who knows when I will really send a query. This takes me around to the topic at hand....

QUERY CRITIQUES:

So many writers(that I have noticed), especially just starting out, get so nervous about everything. Is my novel really ready? Maybe I should add this, or take this away, or maybe even rearrange. Is my synopsis right? Is my query letter good enough? Is it the right letter to get the agent I have been longing for? Point being, we get nervous and paranoid and then we begin to question everything we are doing. Sometimes the thing to do is just sit back and think-why am i doing this? Why did I just spend X ammount of months writing this novel? Why did i just spend another however more months(or years) reading through it and editing?
Personally I write for one MAIN reason-I love to do it. I know there are people out there who decide they know how to write and they do it well so why not just write a novel or five because they can. Those people may sell a book, hell they may even make it for a few more books, but they will never be a true AUTHOR, its impossible. There will come a book that, although it may be well written and thought out, they will not be able to write a compelling query or synopsis. The reason is this

Agent Research

Well, I was all geared up last night to post but then I did not. The reason is because last night would have been the same post as Thursday-I love my fellow authors. Any aspiring author-or even one who is established but still in the query/agent research game-should definitely get out into the social network for authors. There are so many of us out there, and so many of us are just really great people. So many great people who are willing to take time from the long process of writing a novel, editing and polishing that novel, writing a query, editing and polishing that query, researching agents, querying agents, and everything else that goes along with being a writer. So, I just wanted to say another thank you to any one who reads this who is one of these great people, someone who is willing to extend a hand.

Next thought for tonight- I have posted on Query Tracker and on AQ Connect (my query) I was getting a little feedback on AQC but then nothing, nada, and even what feedback I was getting was only coming from a few people. On QT I got feedback from only 3 people, but it was sooooo helpful. I was really hoping that i would get some more advice from my peers on AQC but I think I am going on to sending out queries. I could sit around and wait, hoping I get more feedback, but I really think I should just go with what I have. I like this query(not that it says much because I liked all the others) this one is improved compared to some of the others, so I am just going to go on and begin the querying process. I figure if i get rejection after rejection after rejection-and so on- then i will repost the query and hope that even though it will be in an older topic, that people will help me out. Tomorrow begins the journey down query lane and we shall see where it leads...

The Infamous Query

So, this is my first ever blog post, not even really sure I get the point of blogging, but I am going for it. Don't really know what to say. I guess since it is my first post I will tell a little about myself.

I am a mother of two, I do not go to an actual job and clock in, but I work pretty much 17 hours a day. I take care of the kiddos, all errands for my family(parents and sister included in that, not just my kids), all grocery shopping, sometimes pick up and/or drop off my niece and nephew, all cooking, and cleaning is split-not always evenly- but still split.

When I am not doing the above I am a writer. I have always loved to write poetry-I started in 1995 with my poetry. One day about a year ago I decided I love to write poetry, I have written some short stories, why not try out writing a book. I did not actually sit down and begin writing the book until earlier this year, but I got it done and am now working on getting it out there. I have been working on my query, but it is a hard process, i do believe I would rather write another book than have to write a query. That does not matter though, I have to do it. So, this brings me around a bit to why I decided today would be the day I start my blog.

THE INFAMOUS QUERY LETTER: