Welcome to my FRED Talk

by Fredrick Soukup

In October of 2018 I received an email offering me my first book deal—something I’d dreamt about for a decade. But after rereading the email a dozen times, I was confused. Having, at that point in my career, received, give or take, a billion rejection letters, I thought, “Wow, that’s the strangest rejection letter I’ve ever received. It almost sounds like a yes.”

Needless to say, the road to publication is a long one. Now on the eve of the release of my second novel, Blood Up North (Vine Leaves Press), I’m aware I have much to learn about writing and publishing novels. Though, I’ve also learned much (I think). So at the risk of repeating suggestions you may have learned from more qualified instructors or compiled yourself, I’d like to impart the lessons I’ve learned. Fingers crossed, they can be of some service to you in your career.

Forget the butterfly.

At the beginning, a story isn’t a story. It’s a premise, a character, a situation, a setting, etc… A cocoon, at best. That’s fine. No, it’s better than fine—it’s a miracle! Someday that butterfly may land in your hands and spread its wings, and the two of you will marvel at its modest genesis. (A serviceable, if corny, metaphor: you see, the butterfly is a book!) But it’s important to remember—and I often have to remind myself of this—that the initial stage of writing a book is precarious. Writers tend to dream; that’s what makes them writers. But there’s a fine line between articulating in detail a path to that butterfly and merely falling in love with its ideal. Since nothing exists but what’s on the page, you may find yourself, in the latter case, exasperated when your repeated cracks at that opening chapter fail to capture all the glorious charisma of the literary classic you have in mind.

Forget the butterfly! It doesn’t exist and it never will. If it did, there would exist as many breathtakingly powerful novels as there have been breathtakingly powerful moments experienced by literate and ambitious individuals. What Austen had in mind when she first started Pride & Prejudice was probably just as brilliant as the finished product, but I sincerely doubt it was Pride & Prejudice.

Even she had to grind. Even she had doubts. Even she had to…

Rewrite (edit)

Or maybe she didn’t, I don’t know. Regardless, in my opinion, a draft is a draft is a draft. Writing one is super GD hard, and you should feel super GD proud of it. Keep in mind, however, that your work has most likely only just begun. For real. In my experience, the only thing more dismaying than looking back at an old draft and immediately noticing your mistakes—or having those mistakes pointed out to you by a peer reader to whom you sent your draft prematurely—is realizing that you’ve sent your project to agents and editors before it was ready. Maybe the ending is sloppy, the side characters are flat. Maybe the pacing in half a dozen chapters lags. Whatever it is, it’ll be difficult to spot in the days and weeks after you’ve finished that first run-through. Take time off (read other books, organize the miscellaneous drawer in your kitchen, rob a bank, whatever…), then get back to it.

While we’re on the subject of shame…

Embrace embarrassment

This story, regrettably, is true. Back in high school, I spent a summer emceeing lumberjack shows in northern Minnesota. In flannel, boots, and jeans, I pumped up the crowds (a hundred or so, mostly families), then provided commentary for two burly lumberjacks competing in axe-throwing, logrolling, handsawing, chainsawing, and pole-climbing. One day, the older lumberjack’s sore back prevented him from climbing the pole and the competitors tied 2-2. After huddling up, they informed me that the competition would be decided by one more toss of the axe. I then turned to the stands—again, mostly families—and, trusting in my quick-feet, said, “You folks are in for a real treat today. The lumberjacks are all knotted up, so it looks like we’re gonna have ourselves a good old-fashioned j*ck-off!”

I have never been more embarrassed. Or, I should say, I had never been more embarrassed. Little did I know that the day would arrive when I’d email an agent my latest masterpiece, mistakenly addressing my query to “Mr. Ann Smith” (I changed the name here, but you get the drift). Nor did my embarrassment abate when over the following months she and her mercurial cohort responded to my project with silence.

I urge you, as I urge myself: embrace embarrassment! Laugh it off, learn from it, let it harden you, explore your emotions and see if they can help you with the next story. Whatever works for you.

But no matter what…

Don’t stop ‘til you get enough (also, don’t ever get enough)

If you’re like me, a tad on the self-demanding side, please remember to give yourself credit for your achievements, however small: a kind review, the completion of another draft, even a nice rejection letter. For instance, did you see what I did there with my initials? Pretty clever.

Be kind to yourself. Disheartened writers write disheartening books about disheartening characters. If you aren’t careful, you may fall into the same vortex of despair in which I’ve spent much of the past twelve years. If you see me there, feel free to wave, but please do keep it down—I’m working.

Fredrick Soukup is the author of Bliss (Regal House Publishing, 2020) and Blood Up North (Vine Leaves Press, 2022)

The Saturday Slash

Don't be afraid to ask for help with the most critical first step of your writing journey - the query.

I’ve been blogging since 2011 and have critiqued over 200 queries here on the blog using my Hatchet of Death. This is how I edit myself, it is how I edit others. If you think you want to play with me and my hatchet, shoot me an email.

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If you’re ready to take the next step, I also offer editing services.

My thoughts are in blue, words to delete are in red, suggested rephrasing is in orange.

Elli’s classmates go missing! Should this be "are going" since it's an ongoing situation? One on Monday, One on Tuesday then Two on Wednesday. Because of the numbers, this made me wonder if it was a counting book - and why they weren't escalating with the days of the week By Thursday Elli’s worry turns into curiosity and she is forced to either finish all of her classroom chores on her own since those that were assigned to help are not there or investigate the world around her to solve the mystery of the missing classmates. This is a long and awkward sentence - but also, it makes it seem like the incentive for her to find her classmates is so that she doesn't have to do all the chores on her own, which isn't exactly the most considerate angle.

A curly-haired, fashion-forward, brown-skinned 7 year old girl, Elli is no ordinary 2nd grader. Unbeknownst to her classmates, she’s a brilliant Health Educator I'm not sure what it means to be a Health Educator... as a child? who can see and talk to germs. Oh, man! This needs to be your hook! Move this all up! While adjusting her rainbow colored glasses something bright red catches her eye and her Germoscopic lens begins flashing to alert her that the bright red be careful you're not using the same phrases twice (bright red) thing is a germ! With the help of her Big Rainbow Germ book, Elli realizes that she just stumbled upon the most common classroom germ which that is singlehandedly keeping her classmates home sick! Elli aspires to discover the truth about all the germs in her classroom and teach her classmates how to protect themselves.

I SEE GERMS IN COLOR WITH ELLI THE EDUCATOR is a non-fiction Children’s Picture book complete at 604 words, with series potential. It celebrates curiosity like ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST and has a literal yet memorable teaching hook like DOC MCSTUFFINS.

I am an active member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. By integrating my experience as a Registered Nurse & a Nurse Educator, I’ve developed this Picture Book to teach children health-related concepts in an imaginatively fun way. In a recent Teacher & Principal School Report, results revealed an increase in their desire for books that serve as mirrors where children can see themselves while learning. I've accepted the responsibility to hold the mirror for brown children all over the world because when brown children SEE themselves, they BELIEVE in themselves and set out to ACHIEVE great things that will have a lasting impact on others!

This is a fantastic bio!

Overall, I think you need to get the idea of the germs and her being able to see them to the forefront, since that's the focus and it's non-fic. Otherwise this opens up reading more like a mystery and fiction. Something like, "A curly-haired, fashion-forward... who can see and talk to germs. When one of Elli's classmates fails to show up to school - and attendance drops as the week continues - Elli suspects that germs are at the root of thep problem..." Tie these two paras together in that way (or a simliar manner).

I should add that I'm not a picture book author and by no means am I the most adept at critiquing a picture book query, and it would be smart to seek other opinions as well!