Quiet Heroes, Hidden Villains

  Writing historical war fiction has challenges that too many writers unknowingly stumble over. Otherwise good writing falls victim to a couple of issues: Writing historically accurate fiction without demonizing today's culture for the brutalities of the past. Creating believable characters without sounding like a 1940s B grade movie.  Check out Noelle Salazar's writing for this one. Though set in WWII, conversations sounded natural and issues felt current and relevant in Salazar's The Flight Girls .  Two other WW2 fiction books made my DNF (Did Not Finish) list in part because the language sounded like an old movie on AMC. Don't get me wrong. I love old movies, but writing a novel today that sounds like it came from my One-Act Plays class in high school has at least two problems: It doesn't resonate with today's reader. Nobody talked that way, anyway. Seriously, did your grandmother once utter, "Cliff, darling, would you be a dear and call the girls for d...

Querying should be more like dating. More accurately, pre-dating. Did you ever know a guy asking for dates indiscriminately. Every girl on campus. I mean, after a while, the queries ---I mean, date requests--- must sound like, "You don't want to go out with me, do you?" Or the girl looking for a prom date. "I don't care who I go with! I just want to go!" If agents have a MSWL (Manuscript Wish List) to spell out what they're seeking, their ideal next client , where their mind is now, then it follows writers need something similar. A DAWL ---Dream Agent Wish List. Because : If agents have an MSWL and writers have a DAWL, then instead of fishing in a big dark ocean, it's more like speed-dating. One two three, do I like you, do I don't?  And, go.  Jennie Dugan's DAWL: Must be interested in historical fiction, and by that I mean, fictionalized history. You won't see Bridgerton from me, but you will see WW2 and its quiet heroes. Must be interes...