Query Tracker: How long have you been writing?

Mary Lindsey: I started writing thirteen months ago.



QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

ML: There wasn't a day that I didn't have a twinge of doubt. In fact, there wasn't a day that I didn't wonder, "What the (insert swear word of your choosing) am I thinking?" The odds are terrible. But someone has to make it, so I kept on plugging. My amazing husband and kids kept me on course. They endured dirty laundry and a messy house and a grumpy hag of a mom. My unbelievable group of beta readers were my best cheerleaders.

QT: Is this your first book?

ML: No. I've written three novels in these thirteen months. CATALYST is the second manuscript I have queried. The first one reeked, and I'm putting that kindly, but it was a great learning tool. It was a 170,000-word masterpiece in what not to do. When I received agent responses on CATALYST, I knew I was on the right track because the feedback was so different from the first project I queried. Live and learn and learn some more.

QT: How long have you been working on CATALYST?

ML: I wrote CATALYST in three weeks. I revised for seven weeks.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

ML: I majored in English Literature in college, but up until a year ago, I had only written literary analysis.

QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

ML: I treat it like a job. I write ten to twelve hours a day until the first draft is finished. A few times I've written in excess of eighteen hours because things were moving along so well. I reduce the hours to four or five when I am revising because I get burned out faster. I edit in hour-long chunks so that I can stay focused. Additionally, I need to catch up on the things I neglected during the writing phase--like husband, kids, pets... all trivial, I know, when compared to the manuscript, but they tend to stick around if you pay attention to them, and I've gotten sort of attached.

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your novel?

ML: In order to save CATALYST from the fate of my first project, I sent a couple of chapters out to a reputable critique service after my first edit. It was affordable and one of the best things I've done to further my writing career. The critiquer noticed trends and tendencies in my writing that either slowed down the action or were distracting. Once we spotted a pattern, I went through the rest of the manuscript and made adjustments. Even though she only critiqued the first few chapters, it helped me pinpoint my weaknesses and made me a better self-editor. If you visit my website, www.marylindsey.com, her contact information is on my "links" page. I edited CATALYST five times. I spent almost the same number of hours editing as I did writing the manuscript.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your novel?

ML: Yes. I teach acting to teens and pre-teens, so I'm up to my elbows in avid readers of YA fiction. Having readers in this age range is particularly helpful with speech patterns, current trends and slang of teens. They were oh so quick to point out the things that didn't sound right to them. For example, I learned that having my characters use ABC texting as opposed to T9 texting showed my age. T9 it was! I would recommend having people that don't know you read your manuscript. It is unlikely your spouse, kids or friends will tell you your manuscript stinks. Not only are they biased, they have too much at stake. I know. I had a stinky first manuscript and no one pulled out the Febreze.

QT: Did you outline your novel, or do you write from the hip?

ML: CATALYST was written without an outline. I had a story in my head and it happened easily. I began by writing a key piece of dialogue from Chapter 4, then I went back and wrote it from beginning to end. Starting with dialogue helped me nail the characters before I began writing the story. I outlined the sequel, however, in case an agent wanted to see it during the query process. Sequels are tricky because you have to be sure you don't contradict anything in your first book. Having an outline has helped with VENDETTA so far.

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

ML: I queried CATALYST just under 90 days. I sent a tiny batch at first--only three, so that I could test the query letter. I waited for them to return before I sent out the next batch so that I could make adjustments to the letter based on the agents' reactions. Three out of three responses were requests for more material, so I knew the letter was okay.

QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

ML: QueryTracker really made it easy on me. I wish I had known about it when I queried my first project. I could go on and on about how useful and amazing QueryTracker is, but anyone reading this has accessed the site and already knows. I verified which genres the agent represented to be sure she represented both genres I write (and honestly, any I might want to write in the future). I found out what kinds of books the agent had published recently. Even though an agent's profile says she represents YA, she may not like paranormal YA, so recent books were a clue to her preferences. If the agent had a blog, I checked it out because I learned a lot about her personality, which is what drew me to my agent. Elizabeth Jote has a fantastic blog. It is informative and shows off her fabulous sense of humor. http://elizabethjote.wordpress.com/

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

ML: I only tailored the query if it was relevant and not just gratuitous suck-up.

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

ML: If you want to be a writer, write. Keep writing every day. Go to workshops; get in a critique group; do your research on this business, which is almost ritualistic in some respects; and don't give up.

Oh, yeah...and use QueryTracker: It will keep you sane!



QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

QT: Thank you Mary, and we all wish you luck with CATALYST and other books to come.