Thursday, February 10, 2011

What I learned this week

A few weeks ago, Elana Johnson generously offered her ebook "From the Query to the Call" for free, so I quickly downloaded it and devoured it last week.

This week I've been trying to implement her advice.

The Hook - got it
The Setup - took me a while, but I think I have it now
The Conflict - I definitely have this one
The Consequence - the what????

For some reason I missed this step. How could I forget the consequence? So that is what I learned this week. Every query letter needs a consequence.

If you haven't read her book, it's awesome. My only regret is not buying it sooner when she was offering a free query critique with each copy.

What did you learn this week?

10 comments:

Laura Pauling said...

The consequence or the stakes. She also has a series of 4 blog posts that cover each of these steps. It's been very helpful.

Lindsay N. Currie said...

Ah, good post! I heard about this book a few weeks ago and think I need to get my hands on it.

Colene Murphy said...

OH! I need that book! Glad you're getting so much out of it.

lotusgirl said...

Great advice. Elana knows her stuff.

Heidi Willis said...

Really great advice! I don't know if I remember anyone saying you need to consequences in a query, but it makes so much sense.

I've learned I can't be very productive with kids at home all week. And that I'm not a big fan of "classic" literature. At least, not of Joseph Conrad.

Katie Ganshert said...

I learned that not having a detailed plot gives me anxiety.

Stina said...

The consequence is definitely the hardest part. I struggle with it everytime. I know what it is, but then I'm afraid I'm giving too mcuh away.

Melissa Amateis said...

What I learned this week: to take a chance. I'm going to embark on a few nonfiction projects and I'm really excited about them!

Susan R. Mills said...

Yes. It's a great book! I'm glad you downloaded. I don't know why, but I thought you already had. Anyway, I learned this week that I can't do everything! :)

Candice said...

Elana gives the best querying advice!