Not This Year

Photo by Jorge Salvador on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/vVINLKZtGOI)

I am not mentoring Pitch Wars this year. I’m not burned out on it; I didn’t apply and get rejected. I still owe the entire Pitch Wars experience a huge debt of gratitude going all the way back to 2015. For the record, I love mentoring! It’s one of my favorite things to do! But this year, I’ve got some health issues to deal with and was expecting to be scheduled for surgery right in the middle of the submission period. So I opted not to apply.

This week, I learned that due to COVID’s reemergence, all such surgeries are on hold. Which is fine, because I’d much rather not be exposed to any virus at all in the hospital (and yes, I’m fully vaccinated and have been since the moment I was eligible). They’re assessing the situation week by week and will let me know once it’s safe again.

So I’m not having surgery right now and I’m not mentoring right now. What am I doing? WRITING. If you don’t follow my other social media, you may not be aware that this summer, I signed with Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. I’m delighted to be working with her. Her revision notes for my manuscript were stellar, and I’m looking forward to a long and fruitful working relationship.

I realize that this blog has been sorely neglected. Most days, I believe that blogging is a lost art form and definitely a thing of the past. But while my 2020 Pitch Wars wishlist has been getting steady attention, I haven’t added much in the way of new content. Time to remedy that!

This might be of interest to those of you writing romance and women’s fiction: All The Kissing was dissolved last month. But never fear! Due to the love for our #FridayKiss weekly twitter event, a subset of the admin group is still active. We’ve got a lovely group over on Facebook imaginatively called Friday Kiss. Come on over and join us! Our charter is to focus on the craft of writing romance and women’s fiction. There are plenty of other groups available for those interested in different aspects of writing as a career. We share tips and tricks, help with pitches / query letters / synopses / chapters, help people find beta readers and critique partners, and in general believe that paying it forward is the best thing we can do. If that sounds like your cup of tea or coffee, come join us. Our goal is to be a positive and helpful place for those at all stages of their romance/wf-writing careers.

My 2020 Pitch Wars Wish List, GIF-style

I am so excited to be back mentoring in the Adult category for Pitch Wars this year! Welcome to my 2020 wish list.

In case you don’t know, Pitch Wars is a mentoring program for unagented writers. Agented/published authors or industry interns spend three months working with one author to get their manuscript in the best shape they can, ahead of an agent showcase. All the information you need can be found right here.

Click here if you prefer a text-only version of this wishlist.

🎶🎶🎶

 

Tom Petty: “The waiting is the hardest part”

You’ve been following along on the hashtag, checked out the forums, communed with other writers. Maybe you’ve even started your own list of potential mentors. Waiting is hard, y’all! But wait no longer: the mentor blog hop is finally here, so you can see what we’re all looking for. Read along with me from top to bottom, bottom up, sideways, or whichever way suits your fancy. You can always follow The Ramones to the links that’ll lead you right to whichever part rocks your socks. You’ll be able to navigate to all the 2020 adult mentor wishlists at the bottom of this post.

Line art of The Ramones: “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!”

About Me • I Want… • I Don’t Want… • My Ideal Mentee • How I Work • Got Questions?

🎶🎶🎶

 

Please allow me to introduce myself…

I’m a man of wealth and…oh, wait, that’s Mick Jagger. I’m Gwynne.

From The Simpsons. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to Homer: “How would you like to join us onstage?”

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been creating worlds and characters to inhabit them. If you’ve run across All The Kissing (ATK), a community by and for romance writers, you’ve probably seen me there ( I’m one of the co-founders). I’m also the one to thank, blame, or cheer for the #FridayKiss prompts on Twitter.

After failing to make the cut in 2015, I was chosen as a Pitch Wars mentee in 2016 (I might have danced in celebration).  In 2018 I was a Golden Heart® finalist in contemporary romance. Last year was my first year mentoring Pitch Wars. I loved it so much, I’m back for Round Two.

I’m a USA west coast person, in case you’re concerned about time zones. If you want to know even more about me, feel free to check out last year’s wish list or my Pitch Wars mentor page. Or just nose around my blog. There’s a fairly eclectic assortment of things to read. And if you’re curious about what I mentored last year, here it is!

You can also find me on Pitch Wars Live on YouTube on September 18, and on the #askmentor Twitter chats on September 12 and September 16. You can find the full schedule right here.

In case you haven’t yet figured it out…

 I want YOU to want ME!

Robin Zander (Cheap Trick): “I want you to want me.”

🎶🎶🎶

 

Bring it on home to me

What do I want? World peace, harmony, an end to hunger and disease, a better environment, to start with. For Pitch Wars, though, you should understand that first and foremost, I believe that love is love is love. I’m LGBTQ+, #ownvoices, and diversity-friendly.

I am only accepting manuscripts in the Adult category. Like last year, I am open to a lot! I adore ghosts. If you have one in your story and it fits one of my requested genres, send it to me! I also really love magical realism and elements of the fantastic, in any genre.

Sam Cooke onstage

Because I’m a rebel (nothing less would make sense with a name like #TeamRebelCats), the genres I’m accepting this year are listed in reverse alphabetical order: Please know that I am equally open to all of these genres.

🎶

WOMEN’S FICTION

Heads up, women’s fic writers! Do you have a story that doesn’t read like an autobiography and that overflows with an undercurrent of strong emotion? Please send it to me. I love women’s fiction that’s cathartic, strong, with a defined plot and character arc. If I can understand your main character and her motivation—if you make me want to root for her success, no matter how flawed she might be—that’s the book for me. My favorite main characters in this genre can be anything from insecure to strong, quirky to traditional, but there has to be a viable emotional character arc. I need to see your characters grow. My preference is for deep single POV, and while the ending doesn’t have to be party-all-the-time, I’d like something on the more optimistic side. I am less likely to go for family saga WF than a story focused more on the individual or on a featured relationship, whether it’s friendship, siblings, or romantic entanglement.

🎶

URBAN FANTASY

You know what I love best about urban fantasy? When it blends the commonplace with the magical in a seamless way. My favorites are books where the worlds are provided as-is, without apology and often without much explanation. I’m good with sprites, fae, dream characters, elves, spectres, shifters, warlocks and witches, mages—you name it. As long as the world-building and magic are rock solid, I’ll happily read it. As with all my other requests, I definitely want to see emotional growth for your character(s).

🎶

SCIENCE FICTION

I’m only interested in soft science fiction. I want to be more (or at least equally) swept away by the story than by the science in it. I don’t necessarily need to know the whys and hows, only that the technology works and makes sense within the scope of the story. I’m a big Star Trek fan and have been all my life, so things on that level, where the focus is less on the precise temperature required to sustain the warp core and more on “seek out new life, new civilizations, boldly go”  will appeal to me. Don’t get me wrong–I love it when people geek out about science! I do it myself all the time. But when it gets too technical, I lose interest. I’m also a big fan of fun and light-hearted science fiction where the reader can go along for a fast-paced ride. So…less doom-and-gloom apocalypse, more “Yeah, Mr. White! Yeah, science!”

🎶

ROMANCE

There are rules to romance novels. I know because I’ve tried and failed to break them. If you’re writing romance, your story needs to follow the romance arc, and the romance must be the central plotline of the book. If it doesn’t end in either a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now), it’s not a romance. Please don’t break my heart by misrepresenting the genre.

In general with romance novels, I do not love the alpha male archetype. You would be better served bringing your Navy SEALs, motorcycle club leaders, and all those other bad boys to a different mentor. However, I do want all your strong, opinionated, flawed, sassy female characters! I love almost all the tropes, but am especially fond of enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers. I’m good with any heat level from sweet to steamy, but I’m not the right mentor for inspirational romance or erotica.

I’m only accepting these romance sub-genres:

• Contemporary Romance. I love contemporary romance. It’s my comfort food. As long as your characters are believable within their tropes (I know, how is a sexy single lonely kind-hearted non-cutthroat billionaire believable?), there isn’t much I want to exclude from this category. However, I’m a former stage manager and roadie so if you’re writing about rock musicians or the music industry, you’d better know what you’re talking about and your storyline needs to be extremely unique. I do adore contemporaries set in unusual places. If you’ve got a rarely-used highly atmospheric setting, I am all for it. Haunted houses, anyone?
• SciFi Romance. Send me your space pirates, your post-apocalyptic frenemies, your androids, your unusual scientists. As long as the romance is the main crux of the story, I like just about any near-future or futuristic setting. I prefer soft science in my science fiction. I don’t need to know the quark count or a detailed explanation of why transporting matter works. I only need to be able to accept that it does.
• Fantasy Romance. The same world-building rules apply for me here as they do for SciFi romance. If the romantic arc is highlighted against a backdrop of a unique world, and I don’t need a glossary to understand your fantasy terminology or a family tree to follow the lineage, send it on!
• Historical Romance. I love a good historical, and am a stickler for details in this sub-genre. Unless it’s steampunk, I prefer that my historicals aren’t filled with anachronisms. Historical romance goes beyond Regency for me, although I love a good ballroom- and intrigue-filled tale. Witty banter is a must! I am not accepting Highlander or Viking romance, or historicals written in dialect.
• Western Romance. Bring on the cowboys and cowgirls. Cowdogs, cowcats, modern-day quirky western characters, especially the ones stuck somehow in or on the past. My favorite western romances have settings as important as the characters—I want to feel immersed in the wide-open western space.
• New Adult. In this sub-genre, I prefer characters with high stakes and a lot to learn—and a plot and arc that shows their growth. Lots of sex is fine as long as that’s not all there is, and that it furthers the plot. I may ask that you age the characters up to adult, if that makes sense given the plot.

🎶

RETELLINGS

Got a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that takes place at an American Idol-like singing competition? A version of Beauty and the Beast where Belle is the beast? Or maybe one where Cinderella is an actress and the stepsisters are rivals from another studio? My favorite thing about a retelling is when it’s so well disguised that I don’t recognize its source story right away. Like Romeo & Juliet in a zombie apocalypse, I adore smart and unexpected retellings and reimaginings of classic tales. Not just Western, but from all over the world. 

🎶

LITERARY

I love, love, love literary fiction, especially the kind that tackles life’s bigger questions: who am I, why are we here, what is the meaning of life, of love, of death? Beautiful writing is my catnip in literary fiction, along with characters I either love to love or love to hate. The plot definitely needs to have a defined arc since I’m not a fan of literary novels where mostly only internalization happens (unless you’re James Joyce in which case HELLO), and the characters need to draw me in so much that I can’t stop thinking about them.

🎶

GOTHIC

In gothic I’m looking for a story on the emotional/scare level of the Coven season of American Horror Story. Something on the edge, something campy, something not without humor (although there was plenty not to laugh about in AHS Coven). I prefer gothic that’s over the top and isn’t afraid to flaunt it, with a cast of characters that’s both quirky and relatable. P.S. Ghosts.

🎶

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

This year, I’m only looking for light-hearted or amusing contemporary fiction. Your story doesn’t have to be laugh-out-loud hilarious, but I’ll be tickled if it is! With this type of novel, voice is key. I’d love something that’s engaging, hard to put down, and with well-rounded characters. While I’m not sure I’m ready for pandemic stories…if you’ve got one that’s suitably forward-looking, has a sense of humor, and doesn’t end in tragedy, I’m game.

🎶🎶🎶

 

I know you’ll be a star in somebody else’s sky

Eddie Vedder swinging on the rafters at a Pearl Jam concert

I try to keep my “do not want” list small, but there are a few things I respectfully request you don’t send me:

• Please don’t send me stories with rape, abuse, incest, torture, gratuitous sexism, or nonconsensual or violent acts, even if those things happen off-screen. Likewise, don’t send me stories that are racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-anybody.
• No 9/11 stories, tragic pandemic stories, or stories that are politically-based.
• Stories written in second person POV are almost never my preference.
• In general, my interest in stories about bakeries, vineyards, chefs, and cruise ships is low—unless they’re in a spectacularly new setting or set of circumstances. For example: struggling bakery? No. Struggling haunted bakery in a dilapidated mansion? Yes. A chef who yells at contestants on reality TV? No. But a passionate chef possessed by the spirit of Julia Child? You get the picture.
• I’m not the right mentor for stories about religion, traditional angels or demons, or Biblical retellings.
• If I’ve worked with you on your Pitch Wars manuscript before and you haven’t drastically revised it since, please submit to a different mentor.
• If your genre isn’t specifically listed on my wish list, that means I’m not the right mentor for it. When in doubt, ask!

🎶🎶🎶

You know how to use what you got

Are you my ideal mentee? 

Joan Jett smiling — ’nuff said.

You’ve written your book. Worked hard at making it as polished as it can be. You’ve had a critique partner and beta readers look it over, but you know it needs something more. Now you’re entering this manuscript into Pitch Wars to get that final shine and polish. That’s more than half the battle–congratulations! What you’re applying for are a few frantic months of rework, editing, rewriting, learning writing tips and tricks (some of which you’ll undoubtedly hate, but others that might give you that “aha!” moment), lack of sleep, laser focus on revision revision revision, and lots of support. Be prepared to jump feet first into the fire!

If you’re willing to put in all the work required, are open to feedback, want to learn, laugh, and grow together, and won’t get tired of being cheered on, you’re the kind of person I want to work with. A keen sense of humor is a must, and will serve you well not just during Pitch Wars but throughout your publishing career.

🎶🎶🎶

 

Hello, I’ve waited here for you

Do you know what a Pitch Wars mentor really is? Someone who loves your story and has ideas on how to make it even better. We’re all volunteers who love to help other writers and have a strong desire to pay it forward. 

If you’re looking for a mentor who can teach you how to make your words and story glow, look no further! You’ve found me. Welcome to #TeamRebelCats. 

Dave Grohl waving hello

If we work together, you’ll get to take advantage of my years of experience as a professional copy editor, technical editor, and proofreader. Together, we’ll polish your grammar to a shine, pay attention to story flow and internal and external arcs, and to your pacing. My biggest strength is in helping you to hone your author voice, your characters, and your characterization. We might have differences of opinion, and that’s okay. From start to end, this is your story, not mine. I don’t need you to love all of my suggestions. I only ask that you give them due consideration.

I’ll provide my mentee with an edit letter up front and a thorough read of your manuscript at least twice during the course of Pitch Wars. If we decide to work together, we’ll figure out the best communication method, whether it be email, video chat, phone calls, or something else. I’ll give you a schedule with major milestones so you can stay on track. I’m good at brainstorming plot points and characterization suggestions, if that’s something you need. 

I will never slam your work outright. My concrit always comes with suggestions on how to fix the problem. Warning: there will be homework! By the time we’re finished, we’ll have done our best to start the story at the right point, made sure the pacing stays on track, and turned your characters from words on the page into people who seem real. I’m a non-stop cheerleader, so you can expect an abundance of manuscript love coming your way. We’ll also work on your query and showcase pitch, along with your synopsis if time allows.

If you’re looking for a low-drama-high-compliment mentor who can help you kick ass and get sh*t done, here I am. Let’s work together.

🎶🎶🎶

 

But what I really want to know is

Lenny Kravitz wailing away on a Flying V guitar

If you have any questions about what I’m looking for or whether your story is right to submit to me, please ask.. You can hit me up on Twitter at @gwynnejackson (my DMs are open there until the submission window ends) or at my AMA on the Pitch Wars forum. Please don’t email me directly with Pitch Wars questions unless you can’t use either of the other contact methods. Thanks!

The Beatles, bowing in unison

Pitch Wars 2020 Adult Mentors’ Wish Lists

1. Mia P. Manansala and Kellye Garrett (Accepts NA)
2. Rochelle Karina (Accepts NA)
3. Ren Hutchings (Accepts NA)
4. Mary Ann Marlowe
5. Rachel Lynn Solomon
6. Anna Kaling
7. Gwynne Jackson (Accepts NA)
8. Kristen Lepionka and Ernie Chiara
9. Rachel Howzell Hall
10. Lyn Liao Butler
11. Michael Mammay and AR Lucas
12. Paris Wynters (Accepts NA)
13. K A Black (Accepts NA)
14. Heather Van Fleet and Jessica Calla (Accepts NA)
15. Hudson Lin (Accepts NA)
16. Sonia Hartl and Annette Christie (Accepts NA)
17. Taj McCoy (Accepts NA)
18. Ian Barnes (Accepts NA)
19. Keena Roberts (Accepts NA)
20. N.E. Davenport (Accepts NA)
21. Elizabeth Little
22. Anne Raven and Janet Walden-West (Accepts NA)
23. Charish Reid and Denise Williams
24. Kalyn Josephson and Kat Enright (Accepts NA)
25. Gladys Qin (Accepts NA)
26. Tanen Jones (Accepts NA)
27. Clay Harmon (Accepts NA)
28. Jake Nicholls (Accepts NA)
29. Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton
30. Denny S. Bryce and L. Penelope
31. Roselle Lim and Farah Heron (Accepts NA)
32. Morgan Rogers (Accepts NA)
33. Samantha Rajaram
34. Rob Hart
35. Damyanti Biswas (Accepts NA)
36. Maria Heater
37. Cynthia Pelayo (Accepts NA)
38. Gia de Cadenet
39. Nicole Glover (Accepts NA)
40. Rosie Danan and Ruby Barrett (Accepts NA)
41. Cole Nagamatsu and Sequoia Nagamatsu
42. Carly Bloom and Sam Tschida
43. P.J. Vernon and Kelly J. Ford (Accepts NA)
44. Matthew Quinn Martin (Accepts NA)
45. Stephen Morgan (Accepts NA)
46. Alex Segura and M. J. Soni
47. Roma Panganiban (Accepts NA)
48. Tricia Lynne (Accepts NA)

Click here to view all Pitch Wars 2020 Mentors’ Wish Lists

My 2020 Pitch Wars Wishlist

I am so excited to be back mentoring in the Adult category for Pitch Wars this year! Welcome to my 2020 wish list.

In case you don’t know, Pitch Wars is a mentoring program for unagented writers. Agented/published authors or industry interns spend three months working with one author to get their manuscript in the best shape they can, ahead of an agent showcase. All the information you need can be found right here.

Click here if you prefer a text-only version of this wishlist.

And here’s a version with gifs.

Tom Petty – The Waiting is the Hardest Part

You’ve been following along on the hashtag, checked out the forums, communed with other writers. Maybe you’ve even started your own list of potential mentors. Waiting is hard, y’all! But wait no longer: the mentor blog hop is finally here, so you can see what we’re all looking for. Read along with me from top to bottom, bottom up, sideways, or whichever way suits your fancy. You can always follow The Ramones to the links that’ll lead you right to whichever part rocks your socks. You’ll be able to navigate to all the 2020 adult mentor wishlists at the bottom of this post.

The Ramones lined up against a brick wall

About Me • I Want… • I Don’t Want… • My Ideal Mentee • How I Work • Got Questions?

🎶🎶🎶

 

Please allow me to introduce myself…

I’m a man of wealth and…oh, wait, that’s Mick Jagger. I’m Gwynne.

Keith Richards and Mick Jagger onstage, from The Simpsons

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been creating worlds and characters to inhabit them. If you’ve run across All The Kissing (ATK), a community by and for romance writers, you’ve probably seen me there ( I’m one of the co-founders). I’m also the one to thank, blame, or cheer for the #FridayKiss prompts on Twitter.

After failing to make the cut in 2015, I was chosen as a Pitch Wars mentee in 2016 (I might have danced in celebration).  In 2018 I was a Golden Heart® finalist in contemporary romance. Last year was my first year mentoring Pitch Wars. I loved it so much, I’m back for Round Two.

I’m a USA west coast person, in case you’re concerned about time zones. If you want to know even more about me, feel free to check out last year’s wish list or my Pitch Wars mentor page. Or just nose around my blog. There’s a fairly eclectic assortment of things to read. And if you’re curious about what I mentored last year, here it is!

You can also find me on Pitch Wars Live on YouTube on September 18, and on the #askmentor Twitter chats on September 12 and September 16. You can find the full schedule right here.

In case you haven’t yet figured it out…

 I want YOU to want ME!

Robin Zander from Cheap Trick

🎶🎶🎶

 

Bring it on home to me

What do I want? World peace, harmony, an end to hunger and disease, a better environment, to start with. For Pitch Wars, though, you should understand that first and foremost, I believe that love is love is love. I’m LGBTQ+, #ownvoices, and diversity-friendly.

I am only accepting manuscripts in the Adult category. Like last year, I am open to a lot! I adore ghosts. If you have one in your story and it fits one of my requested genres, send it to me! I also really love magical realism and elements of the fantastic, in any genre.

Sam Cooke onstage

Because I’m a rebel (nothing less would make sense with a name like #TeamRebelCats), the genres I’m accepting this year are listed in reverse alphabetical order: Please know that I am equally open to all of these genres.

🎶

WOMEN’S FICTION

Heads up, women’s fic writers! Do you have a story that doesn’t read like an autobiography and that overflows with an undercurrent of strong emotion? Please send it to me. I love women’s fiction that’s cathartic, strong, with a defined plot and character arc. If I can understand your main character and her motivation—if you make me want to root for her success, no matter how flawed she might be—that’s the book for me. My favorite main characters in this genre can be anything from insecure to strong, quirky to traditional, but there has to be a viable emotional character arc. I need to see your characters grow. My preference is for deep single POV, and while the ending doesn’t have to be party-all-the-time, I’d like something on the more optimistic side. I am less likely to go for family saga WF than a story focused more on the individual or on a featured relationship, whether it’s friendship, siblings, or romantic entanglement.

🎶

URBAN FANTASY

You know what I love best about urban fantasy? When it blends the commonplace with the magical in a seamless way. My favorites are books where the worlds are provided as-is, without apology and often without much explanation. I’m good with sprites, fae, dream characters, elves, spectres, shifters, warlocks and witches, mages—you name it. As long as the world-building and magic are rock solid, I’ll happily read it. As with all my other requests, I definitely want to see emotional growth for your character(s).

🎶

SCIENCE FICTION

I’m only interested in soft science fiction. I want to be more (or at least equally) swept away by the story than by the science in it. I don’t necessarily need to know the whys and hows, only that the technology works and makes sense within the scope of the story. I’m a big Star Trek fan and have been all my life, so things on that level, where the focus is less on the precise temperature required to sustain the warp core and more on “seek out new life, new civilizations, boldly go”  will appeal to me. Don’t get me wrong–I love it when people geek out about science! I do it myself all the time. But when it gets too technical, I lose interest. I’m also a big fan of fun and light-hearted science fiction where the reader can go along for a fast-paced ride. So…less doom-and-gloom apocalypse, more “Yeah, Mr. White! Yeah, science!”

🎶

ROMANCE

There are rules to romance novels. I know because I’ve tried and failed to break them. If you’re writing romance, your story needs to follow the romance arc, and the romance must be the central plotline of the book. If it doesn’t end in either a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now), it’s not a romance. Please don’t break my heart by misrepresenting the genre.

In general with romance novels, I do not love the alpha male archetype. You would be better served bringing your Navy SEALs, motorcycle club leaders, and all those other bad boys to a different mentor. However, I do want all your strong, opinionated, flawed, sassy female characters! I love almost all the tropes, but am especially fond of enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers. I’m good with any heat level from sweet to steamy, but I’m not the right mentor for inspirational romance or erotica.

I’m only accepting these romance sub-genres:

• Contemporary Romance. I love contemporary romance. It’s my comfort food. As long as your characters are believable within their tropes (I know, how is a sexy single lonely kind-hearted non-cutthroat billionaire believable?), there isn’t much I want to exclude from this category. However, I’m a former stage manager and roadie so if you’re writing about rock musicians or the music industry, you’d better know what you’re talking about and your storyline needs to be extremely unique. I do adore contemporaries set in unusual places. If you’ve got a rarely-used highly atmospheric setting, I am all for it. Haunted houses, anyone?
• SciFi Romance. Send me your space pirates, your post-apocalyptic frenemies, your androids, your unusual scientists. As long as the romance is the main crux of the story, I like just about any near-future or futuristic setting. I prefer soft science in my science fiction. I don’t need to know the quark count or a detailed explanation of why transporting matter works. I only need to be able to accept that it does.
• Fantasy Romance. The same world-building rules apply for me here as they do for SciFi romance. If the romantic arc is highlighted against a backdrop of a unique world, and I don’t need a glossary to understand your fantasy terminology or a family tree to follow the lineage, send it on!
• Historical Romance. I love a good historical, and am a stickler for details in this sub-genre. Unless it’s steampunk, I prefer that my historicals aren’t filled with anachronisms. Historical romance goes beyond Regency for me, although I love a good ballroom- and intrigue-filled tale. Witty banter is a must! I am not accepting Highlander or Viking romance, or historicals written in dialect.
• Western Romance. Bring on the cowboys and cowgirls. Cowdogs, cowcats, modern-day quirky western characters, especially the ones stuck somehow in or on the past. My favorite western romances have settings as important as the characters—I want to feel immersed in the wide-open western space.
• New Adult. In this sub-genre, I prefer characters with high stakes and a lot to learn—and a plot and arc that shows their growth. Lots of sex is fine as long as that’s not all there is, and that it furthers the plot. I may ask that you age the characters up to adult, if that makes sense given the plot.

🎶

RETELLINGS

Got a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that takes place at an American Idol-like singing competition? A version of Beauty and the Beast where Belle is the beast? Or maybe one where Cinderella is an actress and the stepsisters are rivals from another studio? My favorite thing about a retelling is when it’s so well disguised that I don’t recognize its source story right away. Like Romeo & Juliet in a zombie apocalypse, I adore smart and unexpected retellings and reimaginings of classic tales. Not just Western, but from all over the world. 

🎶

LITERARY

I love, love, love literary fiction, especially the kind that tackles life’s bigger questions: who am I, why are we here, what is the meaning of life, of love, of death? Beautiful writing is my catnip in literary fiction, along with characters I either love to love or love to hate. The plot definitely needs to have a defined arc since I’m not a fan of literary novels where mostly only internalization happens (unless you’re James Joyce in which case HELLO), and the characters need to draw me in so much that I can’t stop thinking about them.

🎶

GOTHIC

In gothic I’m looking for a story on the emotional/scare level of the Coven season of American Horror Story. Something on the edge, something campy, something not without humor (although there was plenty not to laugh about in AHS Coven). I prefer gothic that’s over the top and isn’t afraid to flaunt it, with a cast of characters that’s both quirky and relatable. P.S. Ghosts.

🎶

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

This year, I’m only looking for light-hearted or amusing contemporary fiction. Your story doesn’t have to be laugh-out-loud hilarious, but I’ll be tickled if it is! With this type of novel, voice is key. I’d love something that’s engaging, hard to put down, and with well-rounded characters. While I’m not sure I’m ready for pandemic stories…if you’ve got one that’s suitably forward-looking, has a sense of humor, and doesn’t end in tragedy, I’m game.

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Eddie Vedder mid-air

I try to keep my “do not want” list small, but there are a few things I respectfully request you don’t send me:

• Please don’t send me stories with rape, abuse, incest, torture, gratuitous sexism, or nonconsensual or violent acts, even if those things happen off-screen. Likewise, don’t send me stories that are racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-anybody.
• No 9/11 stories, tragic pandemic stories, or stories that are politically-based.
• Stories written in second person POV are almost never my preference.
• In general, my interest in stories about bakeries, vineyards, chefs, and cruise ships is low—unless they’re in a spectacularly new setting or set of circumstances. For example: struggling bakery? No. Struggling haunted bakery in a dilapidated mansion? Yes. A chef who yells at contestants on reality TV? No. But a passionate chef possessed by the spirit of Julia Child? You get the picture.
• I’m not the right mentor for stories about religion, traditional angels or demons, or Biblical retellings.
• If I’ve worked with you on your Pitch Wars manuscript before and you haven’t drastically revised it since, please submit to a different mentor.
• If your genre isn’t specifically listed on my wish list, that means I’m not the right mentor for it. When in doubt, ask!

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You know how to use what you got

Are you my ideal mentee? 

Joan Jett, Original Badass

You’ve written your book. Worked hard at making it as polished as it can be. You’ve had a critique partner and beta readers look it over, but you know it needs something more. Now you’re entering this manuscript into Pitch Wars to get that final shine and polish. That’s more than half the battle–congratulations! What you’re applying for are a few frantic months of rework, editing, rewriting, learning writing tips and tricks (some of which you’ll undoubtedly hate, but others that might give you that “aha!” moment), lack of sleep, laser focus on revision revision revision, and lots of support. Be prepared to jump feet first into the fire!

If you’re willing to put in all the work required, are open to feedback, want to learn, laugh, and grow together, and won’t get tired of being cheered on, you’re the kind of person I want to work with. A keen sense of humor is a must, and will serve you well not just during Pitch Wars but throughout your publishing career.

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Hello, I’ve waited here for you

Do you know what a Pitch Wars mentor really is? Someone who loves your story and has ideas on how to make it even better. We’re all volunteers who love to help other writers and have a strong desire to pay it forward. 

If you’re looking for a mentor who can teach you how to make your words and story glow, look no further! You’ve found me. Welcome to #TeamRebelCats. 

Dave Grohl waving hello

If we work together, you’ll get to take advantage of my years of experience as a professional copy editor, technical editor, and proofreader. Together, we’ll polish your grammar to a shine, pay attention to story flow and internal and external arcs, and to your pacing. My biggest strength is in helping you to hone your author voice, your characters, and your characterization. We might have differences of opinion, and that’s okay. From start to end, this is your story, not mine. I don’t need you to love all of my suggestions. I only ask that you give them due consideration.

I’ll provide my mentee with an edit letter up front and a thorough read of your manuscript at least twice during the course of Pitch Wars. If we decide to work together, we’ll figure out the best communication method, whether it be email, video chat, phone calls, or something else. I’ll give you a schedule with major milestones so you can stay on track. I’m good at brainstorming plot points and characterization suggestions, if that’s something you need. 

I will never slam your work outright. My concrit always comes with suggestions on how to fix the problem. Warning: there will be homework! By the time we’re finished, we’ll have done our best to start the story at the right point, made sure the pacing stays on track, and turned your characters from words on the page into people who seem real. I’m a non-stop cheerleader, so you can expect an abundance of manuscript love coming your way. We’ll also work on your query and showcase pitch, along with your synopsis if time allows.

If you’re looking for a low-drama-high-compliment mentor who can help you kick ass and get sh*t done, here I am. Let’s work together.

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But what I really want to know is

Lenny Kravitz playing guitar

If you have any questions about what I’m looking for or whether your story is right to submit to me, please ask.. You can hit me up on Twitter at @gwynnejackson (my DMs are open there until the submission window ends) or at my AMA on the Pitch Wars forum. Please don’t email me directly with Pitch Wars questions unless you can’t use either of the other contact methods. Thanks!

The Beatles, bowing in unison

Pitch Wars 2020 Adult Mentors’ Wish Lists

1. Mia P. Manansala and Kellye Garrett (Accepts NA)
2. Rochelle Karina (Accepts NA)
3. Ren Hutchings (Accepts NA)
4. Mary Ann Marlowe
5. Rachel Lynn Solomon
6. Anna Kaling
7. Gwynne Jackson (Accepts NA)
8. Kristen Lepionka and Ernie Chiara
9. Rachel Howzell Hall
10. Lyn Liao Butler
11. Michael Mammay and AR Lucas
12. Paris Wynters (Accepts NA)
13. K A Black (Accepts NA)
14. Heather Van Fleet and Jessica Calla (Accepts NA)
15. Hudson Lin (Accepts NA)
16. Sonia Hartl and Annette Christie (Accepts NA)
17. Taj McCoy (Accepts NA)
18. Ian Barnes (Accepts NA)
19. Keena Roberts (Accepts NA)
20. N.E. Davenport (Accepts NA)
21. Elizabeth Little
22. Anne Raven and Janet Walden-West (Accepts NA)
23. Charish Reid and Denise Williams
24. Kalyn Josephson and Kat Enright (Accepts NA)
25. Gladys Qin (Accepts NA)
26. Tanen Jones (Accepts NA)
27. Clay Harmon (Accepts NA)
28. Jake Nicholls (Accepts NA)
29. Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton
30. Denny S. Bryce and L. Penelope
31. Roselle Lim and Farah Heron (Accepts NA)
32. Morgan Rogers (Accepts NA)
33. Samantha Rajaram
34. Rob Hart
35. Damyanti Biswas (Accepts NA)
36. Maria Heater
37. Cynthia Pelayo (Accepts NA)
38. Gia de Cadenet
39. Nicole Glover (Accepts NA)
40. Rosie Danan and Ruby Barrett (Accepts NA)
41. Cole Nagamatsu and Sequoia Nagamatsu
42. Carly Bloom and Sam Tschida
43. P.J. Vernon and Kelly J. Ford (Accepts NA)
44. Matthew Quinn Martin (Accepts NA)
45. Stephen Morgan (Accepts NA)
46. Alex Segura and M. J. Soni
47. Roma Panganiban (Accepts NA)
48. Tricia Lynne (Accepts NA)

Click here to view all Pitch Wars 2020 Mentors’ Wish Lists

Love Now More Than Ever

Photo by @judebeck on Unsplash

The world is a frightening place these days. I’ve been alternately watching the news and occupying my time focusing on other things. Creativity hasn’t been a problem; I can find plenty of creative things to do. Most of them haven’t been writing this winter. Like a lot of people, my motivation has been low. Mine was pegged on a couple of hopeful things that didn’t pan out, but between being caregiver for my injured partner and the sole driver in this house, keeping everything going, making sure we’ve had enough supplies, taking care of the cats, and watching the eternal Seattle winterscape change slowly from gray to blue, my days have been pretty full. I’ve had a regular weekly Zoom writing date with a fellow writer, and during my burrowing in have finally finished a revision pass on an older book.

It’s a romance. Reworking it makes me happy right now. Rereading it makes me happy right now. Thinking about people being happy makes me happy right now. In these contentious times, it’s my firm belief that we need love more than ever.

I write more than romance. The last romance novel I finished was a year ago in December. I’m sure I have more of them in me, but I also have other genres I’m having fun exploring. Everything I write has love in it, though. Why? Because it’s a fundamental part of the human condition, something we recognize. Whether it’s love for a parent or a child or a partner or a pet, we’ve all experienced it to some degree, and we’ve also experienced its loss. Love is relatable. Maybe fairytale romance love less so, but we can all appreciate the pattern of it.

So I will keep on writing, and keep pouring romance into my work. Every time we send love out into the world these days, that’s a good thing. We could all stand to have more of it.

Attention Romance Writers!

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

2019 Pitch Wars managing director Sarah Nicolas has organized a fairly massive romance writing critique giveaway for queries and/or pages over on Twitter. I’m signal boosting here, not just because I’m offering critiques but because giving back to the romance writing community is one of my favorite things to do.

You can find all the info on Sarah’s Twitter. Be sure to read the whole thread. Lots of Pitch Wars mentors are offering critiques. Best of luck if you decide to enter!

 

#KissPitch 2020

Are you a romance or women’s fiction writer?

Are you currently querying or ready to query your polished, completed manuscript?

If so, join the All The Kissing family on Twitter this Friday, February 14 for our annual agent-editor pitch event, #KissPitch. All the rules and information are right here on All The Kissing. See you there!

Review: Kind of Famous by Mary Ann Marlowe

What would you do if you had the opportunity to meet the rock stars of your dream but for very good reasons decided they could never know you ran a huge online fansite for them? That’s the dilemma met by midwesterner Layla Beckett when she moves to New York City to work for the industry darling Rock Paper. Starting on day one she comes face to face with fame, and must decide how to deal with it.

Layla’s journey is both exhilarating and one she has to think about every step of the way, especially after she meets–and falls for–drummer Shane. He’s not with the band for which she’s a superfan, but he’s close enough, sexy enough, witty enough, and kind-hearted enough. The two fall for each other hard, and things move a little too quickly for Layla’s comfort. When Shane’s jealousy and lack of faith in himself kick in, the fragile web they’ve started to build fractures.

Deeper than it seems on the surface, Kind of Famous explores the treacherous natures of fandom, friendship, and love–and the explosions that can result when those three things collide. Author Mary Ann Marlowe‘s book is a sweet coda of a love song to the rocker universe she created in Some Kind of Magic and developed further in A Crazy Kind of Love. If you loved those books, you’ll cherish this one as well.

Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Writing Romance & the RWA (my thoughts on it all)

RWA (Romance Writers of America) is a mess right now. It’s hard to take a turn without hearing more about what a shambles the organization is in. So naturally, I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

I’m not here to rehash the scandal. You can Google it, or read any syndicated newsletter, or check out Twitter. But there are a few things, personally, I want to say.

• The RWA needs transparency. So much of its operation is carried out behind closed doors. No, I don’t want to watch a live stream of board meetings, but I do think it’s important that members are kept informed about what happens. As a voting member, I don’t want the redacted version. I don’t want the recap.
• The RWA needs accountability. The “explanations” they’ve sent out have largely pointed fingers at other members, accusing them of acting inappropriately. Excuse the fuck out of me, but why should any organization that won’t take responsibility for their own actions be listened to when they chastise their members?
• The RWA needs a total overhaul at the top. There’s a lot being said about current president Damon Suede. I only met him once and he might be a really nice guy or he might not. What I do know is that he’s the one at the top. That means he’s the one who needs to speak on behalf of all RWA and he needs to do it well and eloquently. So far, he’s done neither. Dude, you’re a writer. Take a note from Hamilton and write your way out if you must. But please note that we are also writers, and we’re onto all the tricks. Sometimes, for the greater good, a person has to let go of their own power position. Yes, I did sign the recall petition.
• Romance writers don’t need to belong to RWA to write, read, or become published. RWA is a professional organization currently acting in a wholly unprofessional manner. As a result, I’ve decided that I don’t need them. I don’t need their annual conference. I don’t need to renew my membership to keep writing my stories. I don’t need their half-assed attempts at explaining their poor behavior. I don’t need their promises to work on stopping the long-standing racist nature of the organization. I don’t need to stand behind them any longer. What I do need is for them to effect change immediately. A new charter, a new board, a new openness.

I realize that not everyone will agree with me here, and that’s fine. But when those accused of harmful behavior decide it’s better to do some tone policing than to admit their faults or complicity, I say the time is up. Would I love to see RWA reinvent itself? You bet your ass I would. But I can no longer support or be part of an organization whose leadership tells us one thing and does the opposite.

On Giving and Receiving Feedback

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

When I read manuscripts for people, I always offer feedback. I also always hesitate before doing so, because I never know how it’s going to be accepted (or whether it’ll be accepted).

From me, feedback on writing isn’t a declaration or proclamation. Sometimes, it’s the start of a dialog. This is a really good thing—the feedback I give as a reader is just one person’s response to to the words. It should help the writer understand how their story is being seen, at least by one reader. This is a little fraught with peril, because as writers we know exactly what we’re trying to get across. To hear that it didn’t work, or that it only worked in part, can sting. A lot. But I decided a long time ago that as much as it hurts to find out that I didn’t get my point across, or didn’t do it well, or left a completely different impression from the one I intended, or that someone didn’t understand my character or plot point or whatever, the critique will always make me a better writer.

I’m much more accepting of concrit now than I used to be. I still look on my characters and stories as my babies, and to me they are perfect. But I’ve also learned to look on my writing as a skill, and all skills have room for improvement. I’m not perfect by any means. I don’t write a perfect first draft that leaves readers reeling in wonder and excitement. That comes in the revision phase, if it comes at all, and for that, I need reader feedback.

So when I send out feedback to people (especially those I don’t know well), I always hold my breath a little and hope they’ll take the feedback in the spirit it was intended. Not as criticism but as suggestion, ways I think their work can be improved. It’s all just suggestion! It’s all subjective! What I like, another reader might not. What I can’t stand, another reader might love. We can’t please everyone, but we can at least learn to please ourselves with our writing.

I’ve been sending out lots of feedback lately. I love when I get impassioned responses to it on a point-by-point basis, especially when the author disagrees. Why? Because if the author feels strongly enough to debate my concrit, it means I have them thinking about their approach to the story, character, or scene. That’s the kind of thing that for me as a writer, I think about for days and days until I either decide the feedback-giver was absolutely right or absolutely wrong. More often than not, I realize they were right, and then my brain can start solving the puzzle of how to fix that piece.

Yesterday I got a response from someone who (I’m paraphrasing) said they were thankful because the feedback I gave not only fit with what other people had been telling them, but that it made something click and they figured out how best to revise. That made me so happy. Because so often when I send feedback I have my fingers crossed and hope the author will understand where I’m coming from, and so often I never hear a peep. Did they get it? Do they hate me now? Was I at least a little bit helpful?

Hearing back like that made me smile. So for everyone who’s ever bothered to read my work and send feedback, a giant thank you. And for everyone who’s read my feedback and had even a tiny “aha” moment, another giant thank you for taking my thoughts into consideration. No writer could possibly be where they are without their readers and critique partners.

Choosing is HARD, y’all.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

In 2015 I entered my novel in a little contest called Pitch Wars, hoping to be mentored. I didn’t make it. There’s something absolutely devastating about seeing that list go up, scanning for your name, and not finding it listed. I was hurt, but I got some good feedback, let it settle, and kept on writing.

In 2016, I tried again. This time, my name was on the list of mentees, even though through careful denial and self-preservation instincts, I’d told myself it wouldn’t be there. I was much happier. Little did I know exactly how busy I was about to be.

Pitch Wars went by. I made it to the agent showcase. I got requests. All around me, mentees were excitedly sharing the offers they’d had. I didn’t get one.

A year went by. I still didn’t have an offer. What I did have were some fantastic critique partners, one of whom asked a simple question about one of the secondary characters in my Pitch Wars manuscript. I don’t think she knew at the time that she was going to spawn a dynasty, I mean, a four-book series, but that’s exactly what happened. I wrote the second book, had it edited (yay!), entered it in the Golden Heart contest, and entered it into #KissPitch and the March edition of #PitMad.

I started getting requests.

At the end of March 2018, more than a year and a half after the agent showcase, that Pitch Wars sequel was named a Golden Heart finalist, and I received a number of offers of representation. Also in 2018, I applied to be a Pitch Wars mentor.

I wasn’t accepted.

Rejection in all its forms never really gets easier, but I figured it was not meant to be. I kept writing. I wrote the other two books in my series (just a note for those of you thinking of doing the same: I am all for following our passion when it comes to writing. However, wisdom states that we probably shouldn’t go about trying to write sequels when the first book hasn’t sold. Fair warning, that’s probably right, as I sit here with three years’ worth of unsold series, although your mileage may certainly vary).

In 2019, I initially waffled about applying as a Pitch Wars mentor. Like I said, rejection never gets easier. But finally I shook off the self-doubt and imposter syndrome that follows me around like a bad shadow regardless of the weather, took the plunge, and applied again. This time, I was accepted.

Just like before, when I was a mentee, I had no idea how much work was ahead of me and how busy I’d get. I thought, well, I’m a first-time mentor. I’ll be lucky if I get a few submissions.

Holy cow, y’all. I got snowed under with submissions. It was a veritable avalanche of subs. But I’m nothing if not persistent, so I dug out from under and read them all. I explained my process on Twitter, if you’re interested in reading it.

I didn’t talk numbers there, because my mama and papa always taught me talking numbers was rude. But here, I’ll be confessional. I got 250 submissions. Out of those, I requested 23 manuscripts, either full or partial. I read 8 complete manuscripts, did not quite finish 6 other complete manuscripts, and read the partials on 9 more. That was a lot of reading.

Imagine going trick-or-treating. You come home with 250 unique pieces of candy you like, but you only get to keep ONE. There are so many favorites, so you sort them. You agonize over your favorites. You go back and forth–this one! No, THIS one! No, this–until you just can’t think any more. Yet people are waiting for you to choose, and each of those candies has feelings that you will hurt by not picking it.

That’s what it’s like, being a Pitch Wars mentor and having to choose one manuscript/one mentee out of the whole submission field. It’s daunting. It’s damned near impossible.

All in all, I got a blend of everything I asked for–and more. Here’s the breakdown by numbers, purely in alphabetical order:

Contemporary Fiction – 17
Contemporary Romance – 49
Cyberpunk – 1
Fantasy – 9
Fantasy Romance – 6
Gothic – 4
Historical Fiction – 7
Historical Romance – 12
Horror – 1
Literary Fiction – 15
Mystery – 1
New Adult Contemporary – 5
New Adult Fantasy – 4
New Adult Fantasy Romance – 2
Paranormal – 6
Romantic Comedy – 6
Romantic Suspense – 1
Science Fiction – 8
SciFi Romance – 5
Thriller – 1
Urban Fantasy – 9
Women’s Fiction – 81

Those of you who are mathematically inclined can figure out the percentages! Make sweet pie charts! Color code it!

Once again, thank you ALL for submitting your work to me. It’s been an honor having the opportunity to read, agonizing having to choose, and an all-around wonderful experience.