Andrea J. Johnson - Craft Killer Fiction - ajthenovelist

Killer Courthouse Cozies Guaranteed to Renew Your Faith in Justice

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Cozy Ink Podcast Interview

Photo Courtesy of Leah Bailey

On May 14, 2020, I had the pleasure of sitting down with novelist Leah Bailey to discuss Poetic Justice, the first in the Victoria Justice Mystery series. Ms. Bailey is a cozy mystery enthusiast, and her podcast is dedicated to discovering what makes a compelling whodunit.

During our conversation, she was gracious enough to ask me about the inspiration behind the series and how I began my writing journey. As I told Leah, I chose this area of fiction because…

…a cozy mystery is an opportunity to bond with the audience not only through the head but through the heart. We want our readers to care about both the crime and the characters. And at the end of the story, we want the reader to exclaim, ‘I suspected as much, and now I look forward to returning to that town,’ or gasp and say, ‘I didn’t expect that, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect, so I wonder what they’ll cook up next.’

So if you’re interested in hearing more about my writing philosophy or want early details about Victoria Justice, the town’s kooky characters, and the reason why I chose a rural courthouse as the focal point of the story, tune into this fantastic interview.

Cozy Ink Podcast Courtesy of Leah Bailey at leahbaileyauthor.com

The Fiction Book Proposal

Q&A With AJ: Should fiction writers create a book proposal to attract agents?

The conventional answer is “no” since book proposals are an exercise typically undertaken by nonfiction writers. However, when we consider that the entire point of a book proposal is to explain why your book will sell (above all others), why wouldn’t you want to create one to promote your fiction book? This is not to say that the finished manuscript shouldn’t be your priority when it comes to selling yourself as a professional writer. For heaven’s sake if you’re a novelist, finish your masterpiece before querying an agent or editor.

But with that in mind, the one way to impress those industry professionals during a live pitch or at the end an introductory letter is to offer a Fiction Book Proposal. Why? Because with such information in hand, you are signaling to the agent or editor that you clearly understand your book’s target audience, the benefit readers gain from your work, and the novel’s place in today’s market—all of which translates to an easier sales for both you and the publisher. Win! Win!

The first step in putting together a fiction proposal is to understand what current books act as your competition or comparison works better known as “comp titles.” Examine those books and take notes on the sales records, publishers, publication date, genre appeal, price, length, format, et cetera. Learn how the books are marketed and how visible each are within the current marketplace. Then work to develop a strong idea of where you book fits within a specific niche…but also look for a way to set yourself apart so that you’re not mistaken having written more of the same ho-hum material. Being able to articulate this information is crucial because it lays the foundation for how you’ll direct your marketing to reach readers.

On the other hand, if you’re having trouble finding comp titles, be aware that you may not have solidified a specific genre for your work. Genre is key in commercial fiction because it’s how most writers find their audience. While popular fiction writers are free to straddle genres, there’s always one that prevails over the others to shape the novel so that readers have a satisfactory ending—and for the sake of this proposal, reader satisfaction is the goal since the next step is to identify your audience.

To find your audience, look for organizations, publications, or websites who may be devoted to the type of work you’re writing. A connection by subject is ideal but a linkage through locale, profession, or ideology may work just as well. Your aim is to understand how you can fulfill the audience’s need and to determine how to claim those readers as your target market…or at the very least, how that audience could convey word-of-mouth praise for your work.

Remember, the modern writer cannot afford to claim that her book is a universal text destined to be adored by all because there are too many books released each year (1.68 million self-published books in 2018 alone) for anyone to succeed with such a tactic.

Other logistical components for the Fiction Book Proposal include:

Overview – This is the hook that defines how your book is unique—whether it is subverting typical genre tropes or the use of a unique profession. Be sure to highlight why your book is needed now and how readers will be enticed to buy it. Show that there is a hole in the marketplace that your work will fill.

Author Bio – Do your best to tailor the bio to the book you’re proposing, especially if you write in several genres. Present yourself in a manner that speaks to future success. Include any credentials that place you as the best person to write such a book or find a legitimate way to connect yourself to corresponding experts or authorities. This includes work, education, awards, previous publications, or personal experiences. If you’re a member of an organization that would support your work then highlight that information in the biography to make an explicit correlation between you and that entity.

Target Audience – We’ve already covered this, but now that you’ve made a specific determination this is the place where it should fall in the ordering of your proposal. Do not pitch a book expecting the publisher to supply an audience. In today’s industry, it’s your job to find and cultivate an appropriate readership. Once again, things to think about here: Who and what defines this audience? How large is this group? Consider socioeconomic status, age range, congruent interests, and purchase habits as they may influence how you approach this audience. Researching your audience and having a plan to connect with them maximizes your potential for success.

Comp Titles – This is another area previously covered, but it is essential to list three to five titles in this proposal along with the correlations to your work as you see it. While I would also recommend listing one or two of these titles in your query letter to spark interest, this is where you will provide the reasoning behind your choices. Include title, author, publisher, date released (stay within four years), price, page count, and a compare/contrast paragraph.

Marketing Potential – Be specific and honest about the promotional efforts you are willing to undertake. Attach numbers where possible. For example, instead of saying, “I have a large social media following,” make statements that speak to your genre and/or salability. Prove the power of your platform. In other words, a better response would be, “I have 6,000 followers on Goodreads, which is twelve times more than fellow knitting-focused cozy mystery writer Maggie Sefton.” This shows publishers that you have a built-in market for your work. Even if you don’t have that kind of support behind your writing just yet, there are several areas to explore.

For example, what is your access to traditional media like local radio or television? Do you have a website or blog? Are you active on other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? Do you have a mailing list? Do you teach and, if so, can you translate that into potential speaking engagements? Are there any professional organizations or groups who may be interested in your work? Answer all of these questions to the best of your ability and include links, numbers, and names where possible.

Statistics – These include genre, length (in words), possibility for celebrity introduction or endorsement (cover blurbs), and potential sequel titles with short summary and/or hook. All things that you should have briefly included in the cover letter that precedes such a proposal, but it is essential to include them here as well and to go into more depth if possible.

Synopsis – A compelling novel synopsis should encompass all the major beats of the story from beginning to end. And yes, you must reveal the conclusion. Format the information in the present tense with a complete narrative arc. Name and define your major characters, but keep this section brief. This should be no more than two to five pages for the purposes of this proposal since the overall document will be double-spaced. Although if asked to submit a synopsis separate from the proposal, the format is always single-spaced and should take up no more than two pages unless specified otherwise.

Sample Chapters – Depending upon the agent or editor’s request, you may need to submit this information in a separate document. However, this should always be consecutive chapters, and be sure to proofread the work.

Now much of this may feel like a marketing proposal—and in many ways it is—so if it makes you feel more comfortable to think of it that way, that’s fine. But unlike a marketing proposal, this format is designed to be presented to others, so it is important that you are as specific as possible with the responses to each category.

Put it all together in a double-spaced document topped with a coversheet that includes the title of your manuscript, your name, and contact information centered on the page. The second page should be a table of contents listing each section: Overview (i.e. Hook), Author Bio, Target Audience, Comp Titles, Marketing Potential, Statistics, Synopsis, and Sample Chapters.

Be advised, that each proposal you write will vary in content, length, and approach, but these are the main elements that will pique an agent or editor’s interest because they answer the questions a professional would ask upon reading the manuscript. While I think a book proposal is an excellent idea for fiction writers, I should caution you about sending the proposal in lieu of a query letter or manuscript. Please follow submission guidelines outlined by an agent or editor. Be professional and send a letter first asking if they would be interested in learning more about your work through sample chapters (and the book proposal) and be sure to have a complete manuscript ready in case they’d like more from you. Remember, a “complete” manuscript means one that is revised and edited.

Having a plan in hand will set you apart from the competition. And in today’s market, that may make the difference between publication and oblivion.

Have questions about how to create a book proposal?

Still not convinced it’s worth the time? Leave a comment below.

Manuscript Services Now Available

Unsure where to start with revisions?

Want a second opinion before submitting to an agent or publisher?

Self-publishing and need an editor?

Sound writing advice is difficult to find. Consider me a trusted and dedicated partner in helping you create the best novel possible. My goal with these services is to save you time and frustration by providing new insight into your manuscript and helping you decide where it fits in today’s market. Anyone can achieve a great manuscript with proper discipline and coaching.

My areas of expertise are mystery and contemporary romance. This includes traditional/cozy mysteries, crime/detection, legal thrillers and suspense, romantic suspense, erotic romance, sweet romance, and women’s fiction; however, I am open to working with any of the popular fiction genres.

Writers may choose from my manuscript critique services, query and synopsis critique options, and copyediting solutions.

Clients may count on my fifteen years of editing experience and my copyediting certification from UC San Diego. I also have an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, so I am familiar with the trends and audience expectations involved in the current marketplace. Please see the reservation procedures and pricing page for more information about my services or consider some of my free advice on the different aspects of fiction publishing:

How to Write a Compelling Novel Synopsis

Ten Habits Every Writer Should Avoid

Steps to Research Success: Tips for Fiction Writers

Critique Partners: Four Steps to Finding That Special Someone

Crafting Cozy Mysteries in Three Killer Steps

Hunting Down the Perfect Comp is More Important Than You Think

Tackling the Issue of Consent in Fiction

Defining Upmarket Fiction and the Role It Plays in Today’s Market

Five Cutthroat Tips for Writing Killer Action

Five Steps to Creating Characters of Color

Multitask Your Writing Using M&M’s

multi-tasking, timesaver

If you’re like me, as the release of your book gets closer, you may start to panic that you don’t have enough time to do everything. Even with the most organized schedule, doing all the things needed to launch a new endeavor—formatting layouts and covers, implementing marketing strategies, updating the blog, and checking social media—can get overwhelming. And to make matters worse, worrying about all of those thing can make it difficult to write when you finally do have time to sit down and put pen to paper. That’s why I’ve created a few strategies that use M&M’s, or should I say Mindless Moments, to multitask writing with the daily aspects of life.

While the candy may also prove helpful in soothing an author’s frayed nerves, Mindless Moments are helpful to a writer because they are portions of the day that are inevitable. In other words, Mindless Moments are fantastic times for building a daily writing habit because it is down time reserved for things that we have to do every day anyway. If you need to find ways to expand your writing time because the only “perfect” time you have (i.e. the kids are away, the house is quiet) is 15 minutes a day, consider using your Mindless Moments to write more pages. Or at the very least, consider using Mindless Moments as a springboard into your daily writing session so that you hit the ground running instead of wasting time staring at the computer screen while you get back into “the zone.”

Drive-Time Success

We’ve all rolled our eyes at stories of writers who’ve written their masterpieces on the train to work. That’s great if you live in a major city with an efficient public transportation system, but what about those of us who live in the ‘burbs or, heaven forbid, L.A.?!? Have no fear. The secret is in your phone. Use the voice recorder to narrate your way into becoming the next Peter V. Brett (eyes rolled or not Brett’s rise into the spotlight is pretty inspiring and worth googling). Talking through your story will not only help you get some of the kinks out of the plot, but it will also get you used to writing without editing yourself (i.e. writing faster) and help to create truly conversational/realistic dialogue for your characters. Use your voice to add color and movement to your writing just as you would with a lively debate or lecture. Remember, writing doesn’t have to be static, and you don’t need to be sitting at a desk to create a powerful narrative. After all, Philip Roth wrote standing up because he found that pacing the room helped him think. Pull out your digital device and apply the same principle to your drive-time commute (many new vehicles have Apple’s CarPlay which will allow you to use your voice recorder through the car’s stereo system).

Exercise Your Brian

I have to admit I haven’t mastered the art of creating without simultaneously self-editing. More often than not, I’ll draft 700 words in a matter of minutes and then waste the rest of my writing hour reading and rehashing what I’ve written in an effort to achieve word placement perfection. I’ve tried to break the habit, but it is one that is going to stick with me for a while. So instead of fighting it, I’ve learned to work with it by promising myself that I’ll do my rehashing while I exercise. Nowadays, the thirty minutes that I spend on the treadmill doing my cardio are the same 30 minutes I use to reread or rehash what I wrote the day before. Thirty minutes. That’s it. No more. Even if I don’t actually do any rewriting during that 30 minutes, reading through the previous day’s material gets me in the mood to write so that when I step off the treadmill, I am ready to work. Multitasking my exercise with the inevitable editing portion of my writing process, preserves the fullness of my writing hour and maximizes the overall time I spend on my stories each day.

Must-See TV

Obviously, instead of wasting time watching television shows when they air, a good writer stores her favorite shows on the DVR for future viewing or makes sure to get her writing finished before becoming a couch potato. But if you are one of the many people who are addicted to Shondaland Thursday and must watch your favorite TV shows live, you can still use that time to work on your writing career. I use those moments to flip through magazines and weed through my favorite social media sites to get ideas for blog posts. I also use TV time to organize the background information for my stories. For example, since I am writing a series, there is a lot of information that must remain consistent from book to book. TV time is when I catalog this information—location names, character names, pets, timelines, family trees, birthdays, plot twists—into specially coded files on my computer. These Mindless Moment filing times are also helpful when I need to run through my promotional campaign checklist or when I want to configure a database of experts contacted for each book. A lot of that writing, campaigning, and researching doesn’t involve a lot of creative brain power, and it is just a matter of putting facts on paper for future use; therefore, TV time and the commercials in between are great Mindless Moments where you can work on smaller writing elements without adding an extra block of time to the day’s agenda.

Kitchens are the Heart of the Home & Your Story

I’m lucky enough to not have kids, so I can pick up a meal on the run to save time during my day. However, many writers have families to feed and spend several hours cooking and cleaning. Take heart. These are great Mindless Moments a writer can use to her advantage. I call it the “let the sauce simmer” principle. Look at your notes, outline, or draft and decide where you want the story to go for the day. Then let those ideas simmer on the back burner of your mind while you begin to cook dinner. Before you know it, creative concepts are flowing and hilarious dialogue is at the tip of your tongue. It is a known fact that a writer’s best ideas occur when she’s too preoccupied to capture that brilliance onto paper. Always keep a pen and pad handy to jot down ideas as you do mindless housework or use the voice memo function on your cell phone as previously mentioned. You can even have your computer set up in the corner of the kitchen so that you can type a memo while you test the toughness of your tortellini. The point is that any time can be a great writing time if you are committed.

The Wrap Up

Stay committed to your writing. Use simple technology and the free time that’s afforded to you to get more done. Don’t have a lot of free time? Then make some. If you watch too much TV or spend hours on social media, that’s the time of day best sacrificed if the above strategies don’t work for you. Limit yourself to an hour a day of TV, texting, and Twitter combined so that you have more time to work on your craft. Then once you do have the computer keys clicking with your powerful prose, use cheap programs such as Freedom, Anti-Social, LeechBlock, and RescueTime to avoid distractions and to stay on task (or free innovations like disabling your Wi-Fi, applying the “Do Not Disturb” function on your iPhone, and installing WriteRoom, Dark Room, or Cold Turkey onto your computer for distraction-free writing).

Turn your M&M’s into a MASTERPIECE!

Can you think of any other Mindless Moments that we can use to maximizing our daily writing time? Share your M&M’s in the comments below so that we can all benefit.

What Clerks II Taught Me About Writing

Like most people who followed the indie film movement in the early ‘90’s, I’ve seen Clerks. It came out the year I graduated high school and was an anthem for me and my peers. It spoke to my generation and reflected who we thought we were at the time. I was in awe of Randal Grave’s cavalier attitude even though I was much more of a worrier like Dante Hicks. Unfortunately, my fascination with Clerks was soon eclipsed by other gems of the era—the Beastie Boys’ Ill Communication album, Pulp Fiction, and Keanu Reeves’s “What are you going to do?” line from Speed.

But a couple of weeks ago, I plopped down in front of the television to eat dinner and discovered something I didn’t know existed, Clerks II. I caught the film in the middle; nevertheless, I was immediately captivated by what I saw. Then not only did I watch the movie until the end, I went to Showtime Anytime and watched the whole thing again from the beginning. This led to an overall fascination with the world of Clerks, or as director Kevin Smith calls it the View Askewniverse. So much so, I went on to watch Chasing Amy the next night and tracked down a copy of the documentary Back to the Well: Clerks II on YouTube. Oddly, in doing all of this, I learned five huge things about writing and what it means to craft a story.

Know Where You’re Going

In the documentary Back to the Well: Clerks II, writer/director Kevin Smith talks about the start of his writing process:

 “There were certain things I knew were going to happen in the movie. It was going to open with the store being on fire, and it was going to be a catalyst for the story. Like, the thing that kind of made them face the future was watching their past kind of burn. I wanted the Talking Heads Song ‘Nothing but Flowers’ to open the movie. I knew there was going to be a big dance sequence. And I knew the last shot would pull back from them and go from color to black and white. And I knew at the end of the movie, they [Randal and Dante] would own the Quick Stop. Like, they would be back in the store. The journey would take them from the store to the store. I basically knew the beginning and the end, and I just needed to fill in everything in between.”

I find inspiration in this statement. You don’t need a grand idea to start writing. You just need to know where you are going. Then each day work to connect the dots to create the overall journey. The sign posts and cool concepts you’ve set up along the way will keep you motivated to continue writing when the path from Point A to Point B seems impossible.

Have Faith in Your Premise

One of the things that Back to the Well: Clerks II spends a lot of time discussing is the fact that many people didn’t think it was a great idea for Kevin Smith to make the movie. Many thought the idea was based on a premise (slacker white guys) that had expired with the ‘90’s and, hence, didn’t provide enough material for another chapter. Others like Jeff Anderson (Randal), couldn’t quite fathom the idea of seeing these character in an older iteration. But Smith had a vision and plowed forward because he was positive he had an interesting tale to tell. I would posit that any idea can make an interesting story as long as you have emotional appeal and saddle your characters with the 3D’s—a powerful want (desire), strong motives (drive), and gripping discord (disasters). Do the homework of turning an idea into a story, and you can’t go wrong. Keep the faith. Kevin Smith had faith, and it turned out that Clerks II, screened out of competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, received an eight-minute standing ovation from the midnight crowd.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Your Climax

As writers we tend to obsess over the opening of our book because that first sentence can make or break whether or not someone pays for your product. But we must remember that endings are equally important. A good finale can redeem a lackluster story. A great finale inspires the reader to buy your next book. To put it plainly, a book’s ending is the last impression readers will have of your novel, so it is important to make our conclusions as powerful as possible.

To further this point, let’s return to Clerks II. In the process of filming, Kevin Smith and his star, Jeff Anderson (Randal), felt that it was more powerful to have the idea for the two heroes to purchase the Quick Stop derive from Randal’s frustration over losing his friend and his desire for the two buddies to make something great together, rather than the purchase being an idea born from a deus ex machina or some character unrelated to our heroes’ journey. The subtle shift turned the decidedly comedic film into one that is also rife with emotion—New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott says, “Clerks II has a dirty mind, but its heart is pure.” So even though the shooting script was complete, Smith was brave and smart enough to see that there was room to make changes that would allow the story to become stronger.

The lesson here is that it’s never too late to make revisions. A story always has room to grow, and that growth might start with looking at the end instead of obsessively mulling over the beginning.

Never Go Where the Audience Expects

You may have heard this more aptly put by those in the comedy world as “don’t let the audience beat you to the joke.” In other words, be two steps ahead of your reader and make the footpath as twisty as possible. The moment a reader says to themselves, “I knew that was going to happen,” they’ve taken themselves out of the story and may stop reading because the text is too predictable. It is important to give audiences the unexpected. Just when they think you’re going left, veer right. Obviously, you don’t want to throw logic and proper motivation out the window when you do this but keeping stories unpredictable forces readers to turn the page.

Kevin Smith’s producing partner, Scott Mosier, talked about this in Back to the Well: Clerks II. He mentions that the pair talked about making sure that the clerks’ journey was different from what the audience expected. Unlike many of the View Askewniverse films, Silent Bob didn’t provide the magical answer for our heroes. The filmmakers’ deliberate deviation from the norm is an important note for those of us writing books in a series. While we may want to give our readers the well-rounded world they are used to from book to book, we also need to infuse the text with something they’ve never seen before. It’s this subtle balance of old and new that will allow your audience to enjoy the trip and return again for the next adventure.

Disasters Sell the Story

Let’s deviate from Clerks II for a moment to talk about Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy. Despite being a romantic comedy (of sorts), the film is a great example of how disasters can make a story more riveting by getting the audience emotionally involved. For example, the try and fail efforts of Holden (Ben Affleck) to win Alyssa’s (Joey Adams) heart are a heart wrenching roller coaster ride because each scene ends in his defeat—even those where he seems to win as with Holden’s declaration of love. It’s what Jack M. Bickham refers to as the “no,” “yes, but” or “no, and furthermore” cycle in his book Scene and Sequel. Each scene, except the resolution and wrap-up scenes, should end with one of the aforementioned disaster types. That is to say, at the end of each scene the protagonist or point of view character for the scene should find himself facing one of the following:

  • He is unable to accomplish his intended goal OR
  • He achieves his goal but must now undertake an even larger goal and face a new obstacle of great difficulty OR
  • He is denied his goal and faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

Even though the stakes between Holden and Alyssa aren’t life and death, you can clearly see this pattern reflected in Chasing Amy. Holden finds his dream girl only to find out she’s gay, she’s more sexually adventurous than him, she’s been lying about her past, et cetera—all of which makes their story darker and more alluring than the average rom com.

Now it’s your turn to tell me about a TV show or movie that taught you a thing or two about the craft of writing. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cover Reveal Via Bolo Books

cover reveal

On Monday, April 6, 2020, Kristopher Zgorski at Bolo Books did a cover reveal for Poetic Justice, the first in the Victoria Justice Mystery series of killer courthouse cozies. In the process of giving my book its first public debut, he highlighted the important role independent publishers like Polis Books, and its new crime imprint Agora Books, play in today’s literary market. Please follow the links to read more!