27
Aug
It just occurred to me that I’ve officially been blogging for one year. Wow. I can’t believe an entire year has gone by!
Looking back, I can honestly say I haven’t posted nearly as often as I had intended. But I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of things, so I hope to be more productive this year. (Disclaimer: Life has a way of changing my plans. Often. So “productive” is sort of relative…) 
To those of you faithful who check in from time to time, thanks for hanging in there with me and sending me the occasional email message (though, really, it’s okay to post comments, too! I promise!).
And to those of you just now stopping in, thanks for dropping by–I hope you’ll come back often and share my journey!
All the best,
Maura
13
Aug
Now that I’m actively shopping Red, I’ve begun developing Book 2 in the series. For me, the first step in beginning any new project is fleshing out my characters. I spend a lot of time mulling over not just each character’s personal appearance (which, honestly, could change anyway) but also his/her personality traits, quirks, nervous habits, taste in clothes and music, favorite movies, and so on–even if none of these things will even come into play in the novel.
Unfortunately, even after all the time I spend developing my characters before I start writing, I sometimes end up in the middle of the manuscript and realize I need to add more depth. In such cases, it’s nice to have a few resources on hand to help generate some ideas.
One book I’ve come across that’s been a great reference for character development is Writer’s Guide to Character Traits, by Linda N. Edelstein, PhD.
Topics covered include personality traits, psychological disorders, criminal types, career traits, and communication styles just to name a few. Need to figure out which character traits correspond to a particular virtue? Covered in Chapter 2. Trying to determine which variety of stalker is preying on your protagonist? Chapter 5.
Bottom line–if you’re trying to come up with believable characters who pop off the page, Writer’s Guide to Character Traits could definitely give you some pointers.
Give it a try!
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
7
Aug
To say that the days leading up to the Midwest Writers Workshop were filled with drama would be an understatement. I ended up missing the events that first evening as a result of a family emergency. But after making sure my family was safe and sound, I was once more on the road again by Friday morning and heading to what I hoped would be a fantastic experience.
Fortunately, I was not disappointed. The workshop was wonderful! I had the chance to listen to some incredible presentations by several successful authors, including Marcus Sakey and John Gilstrap–two incredibly talented writers who were not only knowledgeable and helpful but also freaking hilarious! The session they did together had me in stitches.
In addition, several agents were there and gave attendees insight into the DO’s and DONT’s of dealing with those in their industry. Definitely a plus! Meeting a few agents in person also helped to demystify them a bit. I think we all tend to see these folks as titans who hold our entire writing future in their hands, but they’re really not as unapproachable as you might think. I certainly feel a lot more comfortable about the querying process now.
Which is a good thing because it’s time to hit the querying hard on behalf of Red. I’ve put together my list of agents I want to approach in this first round and will be sending out query letters to five or six individuals next week. I’ll keep you posted!
In the meantime, I have some very exciting new to report already! If you’ve read my previous few posts, you’ll recall that I was scheduled to make my first face-to-face pitch to an agent at the Workshop. I was nervous as hell about it, but the pitch went great! The agent loved my pitch and requested a partial of the manuscript. I sent that to her a couple of days later and was then asked to submit the full manuscript for consideration! “Elated” doesn’t even cover it.
This was my first ever request for a full, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I remember driving up to the Workshop that Friday morning, my chest aching from bronchitis, my head pounding from a sinus infection, my nerves on edge with worry for my family, and wondering if I should just pack it in and head back home. But, as the great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” And, man, am I ever glad I took this shot.
It could be a couple of months before I hear back from the agent — hey, these things take time (and really, do you want an agent rushing through your manuscript? I certainly don’t!) — and she could still pass on it, but at least she asked to see the full in the first place. And, regardless of the outcome, my friends, that’s wicked cool.
