Three Tips to Inject Life into Your Story Settings by Debbie Burke

When Elmore Leonard advised leaving out the parts that readers skip, he was probably referring to long, boring location descriptions that bring the story to a screeching halt.

But a rich setting is necessary to ground the reader in the story world. Readers want to feel immersed in the fictional universe, experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations the characters do.

So how do you write setting descriptions that people won’t skip?

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Is There a Best Time to Pitch a Book? Five Strategies for Success

We’ve all heard stories about successful authors who could literally wallpaper their offices with rejection letters. We’ve also heard about first-time authors whose manuscript was snapped up on their very first attempt at querying. Querying an agent or acquiring editor at a publishing house can be a complicated, lengthy, and frustrating experience. But are there proven strategies for giving your manuscript the very best chance of acceptance? Turns out there are.

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