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DeepSummary
In this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast, host Savannah Gilbo has a coaching call with Jack, who is currently querying agents for her duology but hasn't received any requests yet. Jack shares her query letter and first five pages with Savannah, who analyzes them and provides feedback, suggesting that Jack's story has a genre identity crisis, being torn between women's fiction and romance.
They discuss the differences between these genres, and Savannah helps Jack identify the core elements of her story, such as Olivia's pursuit of an internship and her relationships with various love interests. As they delve deeper, Jack realizes her story aligns more with the romance genre, even though it doesn't follow a traditional happily-ever-after ending.
By the end of the conversation, Jack decides to merge her two initially planned books into one, focusing on Olivia's journey and her relationships, with the goal of better fitting the romance genre. Savannah also provides advice on how to structure the query letter and opening pages to better reflect the story's genre and hook readers.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Identifying the correct genre for a story is crucial when querying agents and presenting the work to publishers.
- Writers should be open to revising their work to better align with genre conventions, rather than trying to force an existing draft into a genre it doesn't fit.
- Combining or condensing multiple planned books into one can sometimes better serve the core story and make it more marketable.
- The opening pages and query letter should effectively hook readers and accurately represent the story's genre and key elements.
- Working with a book coach or editor can provide valuable perspective and guidance in resolving issues like genre identity crises.
- Writers should follow their instincts and create the story they truly want to tell, while being open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.
- Exploring deeper character growth and complexity within a genre like romance can make a story stand out and appeal to readers seeking more substantial storytelling.
- Mapping out the key plot points, character arcs, and genre conventions can help writers identify areas where their story may need revision or consolidation.
Top Episodes Quotes
“Well, originally, this was all one book, you know, but then I was like, I can't have 160 page book that, you know, that I am invested there. And I was like, all right, split right down the middle. This is the natural middle. And now it's like, you know, going through it where I don't need it to be a duology. Like, it really doesn't. The book I want to write after this actually is a fantasy.“ by Jack
― This quote from Jack illustrates her realization that her initial plan to split the story into a duology may not be necessary, and that consolidating it into a single book could better serve the story she wants to tell.“No, you're right, though. Like, it's at the end of the day. And I hate using the term surface level versus non surface level with romance books because, like, I genuinely love and respect both. Like, I do.“ by Jack
― This quote from Jack highlights her respect for different subgenres and styles within the romance genre, and her desire to write a romance that explores deeper character growth and complexity.
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Episode Information
Fiction Writing Made Easy
Savannah Gilbo
8/13/24
“I think your story has a genre identity crisis. That’s probably why you’re not getting responses from agents.” ← That’s what I told my new friend, Jac Sahlin, about the duology she’s currently querying.
Tune into this episode to hear Jac and I talk through her query letter and first five pages—and to hear my thoughts on why she hasn’t received any requests from agents. Although Jac isn’t technically a client of mine, our conversation will give you a peek behind the scenes into what it’s like working with a book coach!
In the episode, you’ll hear us talk about things like:
- [04:59] Jac’s thoughts about what it was like to get feedback from a book coach—and how it was different than getting feedback when she was taking creative writing courses in college
- [08:32] My process for analyzing Jac’s query and first five pages, including where I start and what literary agents are looking for in a query package
- [15:41] The difference between writing women’s fiction and romance—and why this matters both when writing a draft and querying agents
- [31:25] Jac’s big a-ha moments about which genre she wants her story to fit into (and spoiler alert: she followed her gut and chose romance!
- [01:03] Episode recap and final thoughts
If you want my help with your story, the doors to my Notes to Novel group coaching program are opening soon! Click here to get on the waitlist.
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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
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