So, blogging. Yeah. I'm not even sure what to say. I used to be the most awesome blogger, I swear. I could link you to posts of mine that would bust your gut, and others that might burst your heart. But lately ... I'll have more to say about it soon, I promise.
For now, I've got Mary's query. I know, I didn't have to write it that way, but I couldn't help myself. Sometimes a rhyme is the perfect pill for the mind.
So, back to somewhat responsible blogging, Mary Holm has a blog at Tales From the Darkling Forest (ever heard a better blog title?). So go visit it, follow that sucka, and come on back.
Now, before I implode into a dark, anti-matter molecule of suck, here is something that makes sense:
Dear Awesome Agent,
Seventeen-year-old Taela does what she has to survive, but she doesn’t think of herself as a murderer. When the sister she idolizes is executed for treason, Taela vows to avenge her death--even if it means killing the kingdom’s only hope for salvation. Some believe renegade leader Hawke is destined to save their land from an ancient evil. To Taela, the drunken ass who charmed her sister and left her to die is no hero.
With the element of surprise on her side, Taela sets out after the seasoned warrior, determined to thrust her dagger into his heart. The road to revenge leads her to the mysterious Darkling Forest where, lost among shape-shifting trees, Taela has disturbing prophetic visions. When a soldier with no soul attacks, she learns innocent men are being turned into drone soldiers for the king’s army. She puts her vendetta aside to make a truce with Hawke. Their fragile alliance will be put to the test when Taela discovers the truth about her sister’s death, and it forever ties Taela’s destiny to the very man she wants to destroy.
DARKLING is a YA Fantasy novel, with series potential, complete at 72,000 words. It will appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore or Leigh Bardugo.
I'm an active member of SCBWI and blog about writing at Tales from the Darkling Forest, http://darklingforest.blogspot.com.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Mary Holm
That's it.
I'm a mess, I know. I'm doing everything I can to maintain, but I'm hoping that you all will stick by me, or, at least the seven commenters who still manage to come here when I post.
Otherwise, please thank Mary for her courage, and save your feedback for tomorrow.
15 comments:
LOL, aw you poor soul. I hear ya! We need to figure out a way to get the spark back!
congrats, Mary! Off to check you out!
Short and to the point!
Do what you need to recharge. Don't want you to burn out.
Followed. This query already looks pretty good, and though I will try to come back tomorrow to offer some feedback, I must say this just in case I can't make it back: This "Darkling" doesn't sound like it has any relation whatsoever to Leigh Bardugo's character "The Darkling", and hers isn't the only book that has a "Darkling" (in Elizabeth Richards's soon-to-be-released Black City, the Darklings are an entire species), but if you're going to mention Leigh in your query, it's instantly going to make the agent think of the similarity (they might even if you didn't mention her, really, because her book is pretty high profile). I'm sure you're aware of that if you're citing Leigh's book as one of your comps (and I think it's a good comp!), but you want to stand out as being as original as possible, you know?
And, Matt: hang in there. You're human. You're a great blogger. Taking a break isn't a bad thing. At all.
Hang in there, Matt. You know we're hanging with you.
I really like fantasy. Thanks for sharing this Mary.
And Matt, of course we're hanging in there with you. We're you're friends. But don't judge what you're saying by the comments. It's summer and lots of people just aren't reading as much. At least that's what I'm finding in general since July.
I am intrigued! Can't wait to see what you have to say about this one. :)
*hugs*
Let me know if you need anything, Matt`
You and me both. Cheers.
Love the salutation. Certain to get some attention.
Life is more important than writing, which is infinitely more important than blogging. Or so I have been repeating to myself over and over and over lately to try and alleviate the guilt, ha.
But really Matt, you are a world of awesome - suckage doesn't even enter the picture. We all get it and we'll all still be here when you get back. :) Take care of you!
(Also - I want to read this book.)
Thanks, Mary~looks like a great read to me. And no worries, Matt. I'm pretty sure I've taken my fair share of blogging breaks this year already because I've found that I needed time to recharge or attend to other things in my life ("other things??? You mean we have other things going on besides blogging??" :))
Oh Matt, I'm sorry it's been so rough. It's hard to write & keep up on the blogging at the same time, especially when summer has everyone scattered to the four winds. And you've been a little under the weather to boot. It's no wonder. But things will bounce back & so will you. At least the query's in pretty good shape. Thanks for sharing, Mary. We love you, Matthew. See ya tomorrow!
Gearing your blog down to a reasonable amount of posts is what seems to be happening on a lot of blogs. Looking forward to what you have to say.
The query crits you offer help other bloggers, so don't feel bad. We're still hanging around, so do what you have to do. C'est la vie.
Matt, you're beyond awesome. Sometimes you just need a break. When it feels like too much, step away from the blog.
Thanks for your support and for your kind words about my blog. Guess I'd better start writing a few posts of my own. (gulp)
I don't think it's possible for you to be an anti-matter molecule of suck since you came up with a term as cool as anti-matter molecule of suck. Anyways, I think I probably take the cake for inconsistent blogging. So chin up, because we all know you're awesome.
And, I know I'm not supposed to comment on the query yet, but I dig it! Good luck.
Thinking of you, Matt, and hoping that you're ok. Don't worry about scaling back on the blog. We're your friends and understand. Hang in there and do what you have to do to take care of yourself.
Suzie
Post a Comment