Hello Ebi! Hello Fam! Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! I hope COVID did not stop you from spreading the love to your family and friends.
Yesterday was equally pleasant and disappointing for me. Just as I was about to get engrossed in another HBO Max series, an email notification popped up on my phone. It was from the agent that requested a partial submission. I was excited and reserved at the same time. It was as if I already knew that the email would not bear good news—and I was right. It was a rejection. But it was one of the nicest rejections I’ve received. The agent still loved my story, but there was one thing in particular that needed work—something that’s not impossible to repair.
Unless you’ve been in the game for a long time, or perhaps you are a professional editor—you may not always know what to look for or, more importantly, know what’s missing from your novel. While I wait for a response to my other queries, I decided to do another beta reading with an individual who should help me flesh out the things that we as writers sometimes miss.
For example:
- Show not tell (this is the one I need to work on in certain areas – be more descriptive about what your character is doing instead of the character telling the reader what they are doing.)
- Grammar/Proofreading (self-explanatory)
- Point of View/Voice – 3rd person, 1st person, etc.
- Character Development – Who is your protagonist, antagonist? What makes them unique/hated or both?
- Genre – Sci/Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Horror?
- Setting – Where is your story located?
- Stakes – What does the protagonist stand to lose?
It seems that Amachi’s Hope still has some things that need to be tweaked. But I also know that not everyone feels the same way, and the agent said as much. In meanwhile, I’m looking forward to hearing the opinion of my newest beta reader! 😊 Have you received any rejections for 2021 yet? Were they filled with helpful advice or did you delete them as quickly as your mouse would allow? I invite you to share!
Ibukun! Blessings!
S-
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