Wednesday 29 August 2012

Which came first - the query or the book?

Cute. This is before the little fella tried to figure out which way round was best.
 I've done it both ways - book then pitch, and pitch then book (although I'm yet to complete that second way - at the moment I have two pitches written that are bookless).

Here's what I found: When I wrote my first pitch there was anguish and rending of garments and so on. I'd written the book (it was a bit rubbish) and there was no way I could make the story fit into the Query Shark formula (side note: some people can break the rules and get results with queries. I'm not one of those people, so I follow the formula). My book just didn't want to be constrained that way because it was just too...

It was just too rubbish is what it was. It took a long time to write a decent query for that book because the book itself didn't have great stakes.

Book 2's query took a similarly long time, but for different reasons. Namely these: I'd spent so long writing my book, it had so many great things in it that NEEDED to be in that query and there was no way 250 words was enough. (It can be hard to see the core of the story - especially if you've pantsed it in the first place.)

In short, despite the fact that my query for Book 2 worked, it was DIFFICULT to write.

Here's the good bit: More recently, Ive been writing the pitch first. And it's been a complete revelation.


Mind. Blown.

One advantage of doing it this way round is that you don't get bogged down with uneccessary detail or tempted to make mention of that incredible sub plot you have going on. The idea comes out pure. And although it might need a little flavour injecting into it later on when you've nailed down the characters and the setting, you'll have the core plot ready made.

I'm also hoping it will keep me on track when I come to actually write the book. I know what the main thrust of the plot is, so I can (theoretically) make sure I'm always writing towards it (and bypassing that scene at the sewage plant that seemed like a good idea at the time in favour of something that matters and isn't gross).

Plus I know that the plot is big enough, that the stakes are high, and that the choices these charatcers are going to have to make are WHOA (this is a technical writerly term I'm sure you're all familiar with). 

Not convinced? How about this: Do it this way round and you won't waste any time writing a book that isn't going to fly. You won't feel pressure to do your wonderful book justice and gnash your teeth over the pitch, because you haven't written said wonderful book yet. Stress-free query writing!

Yes, I googled 'book coming out of an egg'. Not sure what I was expecting.

So what do you think? Have you tried this? Did it work for you?

22 comments:

  1. Hmm. I might try the reverse idea. So far, I haven't been able to write a query first. But then, really, a query isn't really that much different from the little blurby I write when I get an idea for a book. So I might try that. But not at the moment because I've just started a new project and if I try to pull back and overview it, I'll muddle it. Next time, as soon as I get an idea, I'll just format it as a query.

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    1. Pitch/query/blurb, whatever you want to call it, it sounds like you're already doing it! In fact it might be less daunting to think of it as a little blurby rather than a query anyway. And I suppose what I'm doing now isn't strictly a query since I already have an agent. Semantics, eh? : )

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  2. I tend to write a log line, and I have written a query first before, but the story ends up changing so much, I can never used the query.

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  3. Agreed! As a pantser, I've always steamrolled into the writing without a second thought. This has left me with many a stalled book around the 20k mark.

    Two weeks ago, I had an idea and decided to blurb it. That turned into more of a query following the queryshark formula. I was ecstatic. For the first time ever I had a very clear trajectory for my story, the stakes were set but not knowing exactly how it would all work out still satisfied my pantsing soul. I started writing and I'm still going strong at 25k words :) This is definitely the way I'll be approaching new novels in the future!

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    1. Great! Glad it's working. I have to finish my current project before I can start on a story to match one of my pitches. Hope it works like I think it will - I'm very excited about this pitch!

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    2. Just a different form of outlining, very minimal.

      Lauren
      Lauren-ritz.blogspot.com

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  4. Check out "Save the Cat" by Blake Synder. It is written for screenplays, but it basically lays an entire method for doing this: starting with the logline, pitch, then beats to make sure you have something you can sell before you start writing.

    I wish I'd done my current WIP progress that way and will certainly try it with my next.

    I do wonder whether in doing the query then book, you'll end up with sell-able and good but you're never going to produce something great.

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    1. Thanks Eric, that sounds interesting.

      Do you mean having a query will stifle the creative stuff? I don't know, I hope not. I wrote the book I got signed with without really knowing where it was going, and it's meant an awful lot of editing to get to the parts of it that are great. With this new idea I have - which I've already written the pitch for - I have that great core idea right from the start, but I can still tell the story however I like. I think it leaves enough of the story I don't know already for me to still be excited about it and to let me add whatever I like in the way of sub-plot.

      I suppose only time will tell on this : )

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  5. My problem is, I have to hug my ideas close to my chest initially, because if I share them with anyone the impulse to write seems to just evaporate. It's as if I've communicated the essence, so there's no reason to do any more work on it. But I can see the point of what you say.

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  6. Queries are bad news which ever way I look at them, but your logic makes sense. I'll definitely give it a go when I'm ready to begin writing my next book. If that day ever comes. :-)

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    1. That day WILL come :) And when it does, your query will be fun to write. Fun, I tell you!

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  7. Huh, I've heard you mention doing this..think I must now try it out:-)

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  8. I also recently read Save the Cat. I had a project that stalled at 20K so I went back and worked through the logline/pitch using Snyder's method. It was so much harder than just coming up with a snazzy one-liner, but completely worth the time. Now my project is back on track and much stronger. Plus, now I know the full query letter will be at least easier than previous projects.

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  9. I thought it was a crazy idea until I tried it. It really does work!

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  10. what a fantastic idea! god knows how much i dread doing those damn things, why NOT do it at the beginning? think i'll try it with my latest WIP.

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    1. Let me know what you think after you've tried it!

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  11. I've been very tempted to try this for my next MS. You might have just convinced me... Have a great weekend Ruth!

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  12. My WIP is something I wrote the pitch for first and you know what - it is so much more focused as a result! I think I'm always going to do it this way from now on!

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    1. Yep, I'm completely converted so far too : )

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  13. Every time I've tried an outline (of any kind) the book has flopped. When I just write, it comes together.

    What you mention here is a mini outline, and my brain says why write the book if I already know the ending?

    Lauren
    Lauren-ritz.blogspot.com

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  14. I'm going to give this a try! I struggled with the query writing with my first book as well, and I think this will be a great way to lay out the stakes. I may write a synopsis first too, although that will probably end up changing slightly.

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