I just found out I won one of the raffles at the SCBWI conference. An author I really like offered a ten-page critique with a ten minute Skype session afterwards. I put a ticket in for it and won.
Now - the hard part. When I met with the Peeps yesterday, we all looked at my first ten pages, trying to figure out if I should make changes to it, or just rely on the hook.
As noted in yesterdays posting, the author who critiqued 'Blue' at the conference hadn't a clue as to what the book was about from the first ten pages.
In my own defense, this is a fantasy tale. I have to lay the ground work for the 'lands' and the people and the green sky and purple grass. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. As I said, perhaps if I sent the hook...
HOOK: The world has been turned topsy-turvy by wizards. The sky is green. The grass is purple. Streams are pale pink. An abused, fourteen-year old princess must save her world and change it back. However, she cannot do it as a girl, but as a boy. Even with a dragon's help, will she triumph?
Great hook! Couldn't you simply include the hook as part of the email sending the document?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! If I were sending this out to a 'house,' I'd put the hook in the cover letter.
ReplyDelete