Tori and I had to take a long drive (well, long for this island) and as we did we were talking, first about Bones and where I need to go with it, then generally about YA fiction.
I was complaining – you might even say whining – that editors and agents seem to want action out the wazoo, right from the start. They don't appear to want you to take time developing a character, I complained, no matter what the story is actually about. She agreed, and also pointed out that they want them to have magic or the supernatural, regardless of the story. Nothing gets a YA book published like a witch or monster.
But if that's how it is and if you want to get published, you have to take that into consideration, she said, practically. She asked me to come up with an opening that would meet both rules. Easy, I said. The first sentence is:
"Pirates!" shouted the vampire!
I'd buy it!
ReplyDelete