A typical agent in New York gets 400 query letters a month. Of those, they might ask to read 3-4 manuscripts, and of those, they might ask to represent 1.
Above all, a query letter is a sales pitch and it is the single most important page an unpublished writer will ever write. It's the first impression and will either open the door or close it. It's that important, so don't mess it up. Mine took 17 drafts and two weeks to write.
All characters come from people I know, but after the initial inspiration, I tend to modify the characters so they fit with the story.
As for getting the right publisher, many times, you don't end up with much choice in the matter.
As for writing the second novel, the pressure was immense, but hey, what's life without a little challenge? I just sat down and forced myself to write and in the end, it sold as many copies as the first novel did.
Because publishing is becoming more business-oriented each day with more examination of the bottom line, it's harder to break out than ever.
By reading a lot of novels in a variety of genres, and asking questions, it's possible to learn how things are done - the mechanics of writing, so to speak - and which genres and authors excel in various areas.
Crazy things sometimes happen. Do you get my drift? I can't say that everything in the story is completely and a hundred percent Christian. But these are human characters.
Focus in on the genre you want to write, and read books in that genre. A LOT of books by a variety of authors. And read with questions in your mind.
Having the book sell out of stores is far and away the most difficult step of all. Walk into a bookstore these days and scan the shelves. Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of books, are competing with yours and the front of the store is dominated by brand-name authors.
Hurricanes are part of southern history, remembered for the damage they caused.
I do not use profanity in my novels. My characters all go to church.
I don't know that love changes. People change. Circumstances change.
I don't write fantasy, I write reality. Also, my novels have roots to Greek tragedies and as such, there has to be tragedy.
I fully understand the Catch-22 with getting an agent: Agents want someone who's published before, but how can a person get published without an agent? As hard as it is, it happens all the time. All successful writers were once in the same boat you are, but they found a way to do it.
I had a very special girlfriend when I was younger - she is one of my wife's best friends now.
I have certain moral parameters that I do not cross in writing; I don't write about adultery or kids having premarital sex.
I have seldom been described as shy.
I read over a hundred books a year and have done so since I was fifteen years old, and every book I've read has taught me something.
I still live in a small town, my wife and children keep me grounded.
I suppose I'm most influenced by any good, commercial writer. I learn from everyone.
I suppose more than anything, it's the way of life in this part of the country that influences my writing. In Eastern North Carolina, with the exception of Wilmington, most people live in small towns.
I think that enduring, committed love between a married couple, along with raising children, is the most noble act anyone can aspire to. It is not written about very much.
I think that men know how to romance a woman and most do it well, at least for a time, otherwise women wouldn't marry them. The problem is that most of them begin to rest on their laurels.
I very seldom, very seldom, even know what my characters look like. I keep it vague.
I write 2,000 words a day when I write. It sometimes takes three hours, it sometimes takes five hours.
I wrote the first five pages last because I knew those would take a lot of time and had to be perfect to get the attention of an agent right away.
I'll admit that it's not easy to get an agent, but becoming successful in anything requires perseverance.
I'm writing a new love story, set in eastern North Carolina. Surprise, surprise, huh?
I've made numerous speeches for Alzheimers associations around the country for eight years now.
If I wasn't doing this, I have no idea what I'd be doing.
In all love stories the theme is love and tragedy, so by writing these types of stories, I have to include tragedy.
It's always exciting to sell a project to Hollywood, but it's scary at the same time because I give up all creative control.
Loving once and only once is possible - anything is possible.
Movies are fun, movies are an honor, but it's not something I dwell upon.
My wife, my family, my friends - they've all taught me things about love and what that emotion really means. In a nutshell, loving someone is about giving, not receiving.
Nine years ago, my mother died and my father wore black for a year and a half.
None of my characters are rich or famous, and the situations they find themselves in could happen to anyone.
Over time, quality work will lead to an audience for your work.
Publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars.
Rekindled love is generally short-term.
Romance is thinking about your significant other, when you are supposed to be thinking about something else.
Single motherhood is a reality for a lot of women in my age group and the time difficulties in their lives are universal.
Spreading the news is your duty as a Christian, and there are many ways to do this.
The best part of having a movie adapted is knowing that more people will become familiar with my work.
The first thing I did when I sold my book was buy a new wedding ring for my wife and asked her to marry me all over again.
There's always pressure, a great deal of pressure, when writing, since my first books were so successful.
To be quite honest, I've been very blessed when I've worked with Hollywood. The studios that have purchased my work to be adapted to film have really liked the work and wanted to stay as close as they could to what the book was.
What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do and have no plans to change that.
Writing is communication above all, and I've made the choice to communicate with a large audience, which again is very hard to do.
Writing the last page of the first draft is the most enjoyable moment in writing. It's one of the most enjoyable moments in life, period.
You hope for the success, you dream about it, but you never expect it.
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