Questions in Silence

(The Mailbag)

Hi Sitting in Silence fans, this is my quick-hitter post where I briefly cover reader questions. Many of these questions were set forth in the Substack chat app. It’s been a minute, so I’m picking some of the top ones from the past few months. I may blow up some of these answers into full-sized posts. As always, feel free to send me any writing or life questions. I may answer them here. Tomorrow’s post is an interview with my wonderful “twin,” the poet Karisma Price. It’s also the release of her debut poetry collection, I’m Always So Serious.

Charlotte Dune asks if I used any beta readers and any advice I may have for that?

Hi Charlotte,

Beta readers are essential and, to my knowledge, virtually all authors use them. Writers like Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan were in writing groups. Vladimir Nabokov and Stephen King had the good fortune of their brilliant wives, Vera and Tabitha, as first readers. Almost everything I’ve published or sold from my earliest short stories to my second novel have benefited from the eyes and kindness of good readers. How do you get them? Any way you can. Writing programs and groups provide a good body of potential readers. Some authors have willing partners (romantic or otherwise). I think the only requirement is that the reader be someone whose opinion you respect.

Laura Steadham Smith asks, “How do you approach characterization? Plotting? Building tension?”

Hi Laura,

Whew! Basically, you’re asking how do I write any fictional work. LOL. A great question, of course. To be frank, I try to take the pressure off myself because the stories aren’t about me. I think of the most insistent voice in my head and ask it to talk to me. Not the loudest voice, but the one who wants to be heard most. The subtle, undeniable voice has experience and wisdom to convey. Then I embody that voice: where are they? What habits do they have? What do they sound like? Who is most important in their life? Plotting and tension is worked out by considering what that voice’s number one problem is and what stands in the way of resolving that problem. I think it’s really important that the author not be afraid to place the character in danger (physical or mental) because this is the source of all stories.

I’ve gotten several questions about query letters, such as: How do we make them and what is required to make them well?

If you’re sending in a query letter to an agent because you’re selling a book, consider the following. First, you’re selling your book so you need to be comfortable with going into saleswoman mode. What does the agent need to know? And what would it take to make them want to read what you wrote? On the most basic level, you will need to convey the title, word count, and a brief synopsis of the plot. I recommend looking online at the ad copy of successful published books for inspiration. Amazon is a good place for examples. Zhuzh up your pitch as much as you can. Second, however, you need to get your book in order in your own mind. If you find your book almost impossible to describe, you probably have some work to do on the project itself.