Author Archives: Melissa Caruso

Write Like the Terminator

You want to get published? Here’s how: be like the Terminator. The more time I spend immersed in the writing community, the clearer it becomes that a writer’s cardinal virtue is persistence. Many other talents, skills, and qualities will help you on your road, but it’s persistence that will get you there. Anecdotally, it’s veryContinue reading “Write Like the Terminator”

Questions to Ask During Outlining (or Revision)

I’m working on a new outline now for my restart of my WIP. For every scene I add to my outline, I’m asking myself these questions: What changes in the scene? – If nothing is really different at the end of the scene than it was at the start, I probably need to cut theContinue reading “Questions to Ask During Outlining (or Revision)”

Contests: What to Do When You Don’t Make the Cut

So you didn’t get into a contest you entered. It’s a tough feeling, no matter how much the hosts tell you they had to pass up entries they loved. What do you do now? Before I got my agent, I entered my share of contests. Some I got into, some I didn’t, but each oneContinue reading “Contests: What to Do When You Don’t Make the Cut”

Query Tips, in Convenient Bullet Point Form

Writing queries was never my favorite part of being a writer, and I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I did learn some things during my time in the querying trenches. Here are some of them: There are three things your query must clearly convey: character, conflict, stakes. Focus on those. They’re so importantContinue reading “Query Tips, in Convenient Bullet Point Form”

The 15K Rewrite

First drafts are such a wonderful, magical thing, full of infinite possibility and the intoxication of the blank page. They are also, usually, crap. There’s a good reason for this. We’re just getting to know the characters, find their voices, establish the story. Here’s an example of what the first several chapters of one ofContinue reading “The 15K Rewrite”

Slow Progress Beats No Progress

I’ve been working on a new book lately, but the going has been slow because of pressing day job deadlines and other Real Life things. However, I have been trying to squeeze in at least a few hundred words a day. And I have been amazed at what a difference in my sense of creativeContinue reading “Slow Progress Beats No Progress”

Creating a Multi-POV Outline

I recently finished a rough outline for my new multi-POV YA novel, and it was tons of fun! I’ve never written a truly multi-POV book before, and I was new to the challenges of outlining one. I had to consider not only what order events should unfold in, and how they should lead into eachContinue reading “Creating a Multi-POV Outline”

Contest Giveaway: 35 Word Pitch Feedback

Two great pitch contests are coming up that use a 35 world pitch: PitchSlam and NestPitch. I have a particular soft spot in my heart for PitchSlam, since I had the great pleasure of participating (go Team Spyder!) last year, and was amazed at the time and care the hosts took in giving feedback to eachContinue reading “Contest Giveaway: 35 Word Pitch Feedback”