#6 - Imagination, Life Is Your Creation
AKA "i'm tired and the world makes me tired-er so let's talk about things i like"
PROLOGUE
Welcome to the month of July. The world is on fire, so I’ll make this introduction section quick. I’m on a writing break at the moment for mental health reasons, so I’ve actually been reading a lot. I’m currently in the middle of The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew, which comes out on October 18, 2022. Kelly was a friend of a friend until I tricked her into becoming my friend and thus acquired her book ahead of release, and this is already on track to be one of my favorite reads of all time. Get your preorders in and talk to me about Colton and Lane!
As far as media, I’ve just been rewatching comfort films, which for me means horror movies. Yes, I find fictional slashers very comforting, leave me alone, my horror peeps get it. I just did a rewatch of the Scream franchise, which meant rewatching Scream 5. Technically, my favorite film in the franchise is Scream 4, but Scream 5 is so good, and Jenna Ortega is so good, and Melissa Barrera and SISTERS and and. It’s basically the perfect thing to put me in the mind set for future edits of So Let Them Burn (Obligatory reminder to add my book on Goodreads; it comes out in Winter 2024!).
Finally, Beyoncé is back with a new release called “Break My Soul”, which the universe seems to have taken as a challenge. I’m twerking to it, but it’s a sad twerking, you know? My heart’s just not in it. Moving on…
CHAPTER 1: POP CULTURE MOMENT OF THE MONTH
My infrequent boosts of serotonin have come in the form of Margot Robbie’s hot pink live-action Barbie set photos. The film doesn’t come out until 2023, but we’ve gotten to see Margot Robbie in a hot pinked sequined suit and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rollerblading in a highlighter pack nightmare of colors. It’s amazing. I have never seen anything so wonderful. I don’t know what’s better: the set photos or the memes about the set photos.
I actually don’t know what the plot of the live-action Barbie movie is, and at this point I don’t care. That trailer could turn out to be the most low-budget, nonsensical thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It could even commit the crime of not setting itself to a brand new remix of “Barbie Girl” by Aqua that I can add to my Spotify playlists. No matter what, I will still watch this movie sixteen times. At least. For the joy it has already brought me, Barbie deserves all my money.
Keep leaking those set photos, y’all. They are giving me LIFE.
CHAPTER 2: A QUERY LOVER’S CONFESSIONAL
My name is Kamilah Cole, and I love writing query letters. With my agent’s permission, I am sharing my query for So Let Them Burn (2024) with you all, so let’s start with that.
I am seeking representation for my #ownvoices YA fantasy, [TITLE], which is best described as “Jamaican Joan of Arc with dragons.”
Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods, making her unique among the summoners of San Irie. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to help liberate her island from the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight — a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.
When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects to perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister Elara to form an unprecedented bond with a dragon, who chooses her as its second Rider. She doesn’t expect to find out that, since the war, dragons and their Riders have been slowly going feral until they’re trapped in a permanent state of violent rage.
And she doesn’t expect the gods to claim that the only way to break the bond is to kill her sister.
Then another god, long imprisoned, promises to show Faron a different path to breaking the bond if only she’ll set him free. As Elara heads to Langley to train with her dragon, spy for San Irie, and try not to fall in love with her mysterious female co-rider, Faron’s desperation for a cure leads her to agree to this god’s dark bargain.
Even if it means dooming the world she once saved so her sister will live.
Told from dual perspectives and inspired by my Jamaican heritage, [TITLE] is complete at 102K, stands on its own with sequel potential, and is perfect for fans of FURYBORN and FIREBORNE.
This was probably one of the hardest query letters I’ve ever written, because it was my first one, and the one that I knew that agents were going to see. I read a bunch of example query letters. I read a bunch of how-to posts about query letters. I tried to make sure I pulled out what had worked so well in my PitMad pitch. I whined to my best friend. I threatened to quit writing. (I do that a lot.)
But with some distance between me and the moment I first sent this letter out, I’ve actually come to love writing query letters. I write one for every WIP idea I have before I even start brainstorming; it’s how I know there’s enough plot there to make a full book. Query letters are kind of like a Mad Lib for me: who is the main character? What do they want? What’s stopping them from getting it? What must they overcome? And what happens if they fail? Answer all those questions, and you have the basic overview of your book.
Take mine for example. Who is the main character? Faron. What do they want? To move on with her life. What’s stopping them from getting it? National fame and gods-given magic. What must they overcome? Her beloved sister has been chosen by an enemy dragon as its Rider. And what happens if they fail? War. The end of the world. The death of her sister.
If you’re struggling with your query letter, I suggest getting down to those basics.
Who is the main character?
What do they want?
What’s stopping them from getting it?
What must they overcome?
And what happens if they fail?
Once you answer those questions, you have your conflict and personal stakes, and you can build out from there. But, again, this is just how I write them. There are many ways, and many suggested ways, ways that will work for you and ways that won’t. All you can do is your best. ❤️
CHAPTER 3: HAVE A LITTLE PODCAST, AS A TREAT
On the suggestion of my friend Arzu, I’m going to start adding podcast recommendations to my newsletter. I find podcasts (and audio books, but that’s a different story) hard to listen and focus on because my mind tends to wander if people talk AT me for too long. However, I have found a handful of writing podcasts that I really, really love and I’m going to start calling them out.
So, in this issue, I want to recommend The Manuscript Academy. Authors, Editors, and Agents come on to talk about all aspects of the publishing journey. How to pitch. When to leave your agent. Common pitfalls. How to write compelling villains. And so much more. Two of my personal favorite episodes are avoiding the saggy middles and how to handle critique.
CHAPTER 4: SHOUT-OUT SECTION
Grace requested a shout out in this newsletter, so hi Grace! Grace Varley is a friend I met in an author chat, who does sensitivity readings for aro and ace stories, while juggling several amazing WIPs of her own and being Oscar Isaac’s number one fan. So, Oscar, if you’re reading this, say hi to Grace!
CHAPTER 5: LOOK AT MY CAT!!!
As you may know, I adopted a shelter cat in December 2021, who I named Sora Mittens. She likes to sleep beside me, and I caught this really amazing picture of her sleeping. Please enjoy!
EPILOGUE
Thank you for subscribing and/or for sticking around! I hope you like rambles, shenanigans, and nonsense, because that’s truly all this is. I know they’re trying their damndest to, but, in the immortal words of Queen Bey, they won’t break your soul. Until next time!