Five Questions with Mark McVeigh

Thanks to you for following The McVeigh Agency blog, I won a fifteen minute Skype chat with literary agent, Mark McVeigh. My chat was Friday morning. I was proud of myself to download Skype all by myself and figure it out. Then I practiced a Skype chat with Sharon Mayhew and prepared myself with my conversation with Mark. Thank you, my blogger buddies, for helping me prepare a list of questions. I had a long list to make sure I used my time wisely, but I didn't ask half of them as the time flew by!

Mark was friendly and so very helpful. I loved talking face to face with the web cam. It makes the conversation much more personal. We talked about query letters, email addresses (no headbanger@irock.com or crazy email addresses; be professional), Blondie, and more!

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH MARK MCVEIGH

1. What kind of books are getting contracts in the last few months?

MM: I've had the most luck with character driven middle grade novels, especially ones that have something unusually compelling about them--but not vampires!

2. Do you think magazine contributions are important when looking at a potential client?

MM: That really depends on the agent or the house. Honestly, unless you've been well published--with strong reviews or sales--the agent or editor isn't going to pay all that much attention to your background: the manuscript is what matters.

3. How important is web presence of a potential client to you?

MM: Web presence is very important. Everyone should start their media platform NOW through blogging, Twitter, and FaceBook. It's important to decide how much of the "real" you you want out on the web and how much is the "public, writer" you. It's a funny line to draw and, for me, it changes all the time. But remember--you are branding yourself for your public. A strong web presence is also great for connecting with other writers.

4. What is the most interesting or unexpected thing you have noticed during a Skype session?

MM: Probably the session in which my cat Ellen felt she needed to be a part of the call and kept walking in front of the screen, or even worse, turning to face me, tail held high, with you know what pointed directly at the webcam. Her editorial taste is impeccable, but she loses points when it comes to author care.
Here's Ellen's good side:



5. What is the last concert you went to and your favorite kind of music?

MM: I was more of a live music person when I was in high school and college, so the last period of my life where I went regularly was in the mid 80s. I loved the Ramones, Blondie, and X back in the day. I went to school in Boston, so we used to go to a place called the Rathskeller to see bands. I don't really like the crowds at arena concerts, so if you can imagine it, the last arena show I saw was The Police with The Go-Go’s as the opener in 1981! When I started clubbing in college I got into dance music, which I still like and used to go to a great alcohol-free club in NYC called Body & Soul. It opened at 2PM Sunday afternoon and closed at midnight, had the best DJs and the coolest crowd. Sadly, they lost their lease and closed. I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes: I like chamber music, Ella Fitzgerald, some opera, but also Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Angie Stone. Actually, Angie Stone was the last concert I went to, two years ago. She was awesome! Living in NYC you see a lot of musicians--I see Debbie Harry on the street in my neighborhood every so often, she lives just down the block. And I see David Bowie in SoHo, which is kind of cool.

Very cool, indeed!

Sharon Mayhew posted a very thorough account of her converation with Mark in two parts: here and here! Mark will be holding another contest in April for more chances to speak with him. I highly recommend following his blog! More information about The McVeigh Agency can be found on their website.

Thanks again to Mark for sharing his time and expertise and for introducing me to Skype!

Also a thank you to Jonathon Arnston . I won a contest on his blog, and he made me this amazing cover of my latest manuscript! Pretty flippin' cool, huh?!

I Lied.

But you knew that. I am actually a terrible liar. I could only do this, because it's online and you can't see my face. Even if I am telling a mistruth to kid someone, I have to say right away, "I'm kidding!" I'd be no good at poker.
Here are my six lies from yesterday's post and my one truth.

Lie #1. The summer before my senior year of college, I was a roller derby girl for the Windy City Rollers until I broke my wrist.
When I was in junior high, I went to the roller rink a lot with my friends. It's not like riding a bike though. I have skated with my own kids, and I'm a hazard to them if I hold their hand! I seriously practice in the beginner's section.

Lie #2. I have a small cameo in a Motley Crue video.
Sadly this is a lie, because I'd love to be in a Crue video! I do have a small cameo in this Brides of Destruction video though (I'm at 1:56 and 3:35). They do have a Crue connection, because Nikki Sixx, the bassist for Motley Crue, was the original bassist of Brides of Destruction. And in other Sixx news, Nikki has a new nightly radio show called Sixx Sense on select rock stations across the U.S.

Lie #3. I was prom queen in high school, and my boyfriend at the time was prom king.
I was not prom queen, but my sister was! Switch the word from prom to homecoming in that sentence, and it would be true.

Lie #4. My minor in college was mathematics, but I have forgotten half of what I learned.
My minor was sociology. I wish my minor was english, but for some reason I had taken a lot of sociology classes, so I just took more to minor in it. My major was elementary education, so this minor doesn't make too much sense!

Lie #5. I write articles for the National Enquirer under a pen name.
No, but I was published in Us Weekly once (in the reader mail comments section when they had it!). The topic was Matthew McConaughey.

Lie #6. My favorite meal on St. Patrick's Day is corned beef and cabbage.
My favorite meal on St. Patty's Day is a reuben, no saurkraut. But my husband usually makes corned beef and cabbage on that day, and I am forced to choke down a bite of cabbage since I make my kids try it.

Here's the whole truth and nothin' but the truth:

I attended the University of Illinois on scholarship for three of my four years there.
My freshman year I won a couple of small scholarships to help pay tuition at the U of I, but my sophomore - senior year I had an Illinois General Assembly Legislative scholarship that paid my full tuition. My parents were pretty darn happy about that. My p's paid for my room and board, and I paid for my spending money by working in the summers and saving it. I had to maintain a B average to keep my scholarship, and I managed to do that and go out 3-4 nights a week! Ahhhh, college days...

The only one who guessed that was Jonathan! So now I feel extra bad that I dissed cabbage yet again!
Thanks for playing along!

Help!

Yesterday was all monkey business; today I'm getting serious. Because I seriously need help.
I will be speaking (and/or skyping) with two agents soon (thanks to you and Shelli!), and I have started a list of topics I want to talk about and questions I want to ask. I really want to make sure my list is thorough, so I don't end up with five minutes left talking about the weather or about the last concert I went to (well, actually I like talking about concerts to anyone who will listen to me, but I should be using this time more wisely...). Could you please help me brainstorm?
1. What question(s) would you ask?
2. What topic about publishing or querying would you want to know about more?
Thank you for your help with this.

Here are some appropriate tunes for Tuesday by some band you've probably never heard of.
Help! (How'd Ringo get stuck with the umbrella?)


With A Little Help From My Friends


I've added onto today's post, because I've been generously awarded two awards in the last twenty four hours!
Rena Jones, author of A New Job for Dilly and Lemur Troops and Critter Groups, awarded me with the Creative Writer Blogger Award. Thank you, Rena!
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link them.
2. Add the award to your blog.
3. Tell six outrageous lies about yourself and one truth.
4. Nominate six creative liars ... I mean, writers and link them.
5. Let your nominees know they've been nominated.

Here are my five lies and one truth. Guess which one is the truth!

1. The summer before my senior year of college, I was a roller derby girl for the Windy City Rollers until I broke my wrist.

2. I attended the University of Illinois on scholarship for three of my four years there.

3. I have a small cameo in a Motley Crue video.

4. I was prom queen in high school, and my boyfriend at the time was prom king.

5. My minor in college was mathematics, but I have forgotten half of what I learned.

6. I write articles for the National Enquirer under a pen name.

7. My favorite meal on St. Patrick's Day is corned beef and cabbage.

I give this award to these creative people: Jonathan, Heather, Tina, (who all three so creatively created WIBIJ), Anita and Murph (because I want to hear what funny lies they come up with), and Ray at Big Plain V (because I'd like him to post more).

C. Lee McKenzie, author of Sliding on the Edge, also awarded me The Sunshine Award! Thanks so much, Lee! I award it to anyone that reads this, because you took the time in your busy life to read my blog today. Thank you!

Gettin' Funny Part One

Many of you know that my husband and I are taking a class titled, "Get Funny," from our community college (speaking of, does anyone else watch the TV show, "Community," with Joel McHale and Chevy Chase? Yes, it's funny.).

On the first day, we were the only two students in the online class. There is a discussion online area where students were to introduce themselves. Mine was pretty straightforward as I figured I'd tell my instructor basics about myself. Though I did add that the cute guy in class was my husband who thinks he is funny.
Without reading my intro, my husband wrote that he joined the class, because his wife told him he wasn't funny or popular enough, and he wanted to improve his use of bathroom humor at the dinner table. The instructor replied that she'd help him increase his Poopularity.
Over the weekend three more students joined and introduced themselves, one told my husband and I to get a room.
I knew this class would be a hoot...

Our lessons include readings, quizzes, discussions in the online discussion area, and assignments. Before we started the class, my husband and I took a pretest. He scored 58%, I scored 83%.
Apparently, we need this class even more than we thought.

Lesson One chronicled the history of comedy. The instructor hypothesized about caveman humor, discussed silent movie comedies and the comedic writings of Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde.

Lesson Two covered "It's funny, because it's true!" comedy. Seinfeld and Steven Wright are examples of this type of hilarity.
One of our assignments in our second lesson is to have an observation notebook to make accurate, detailed observations in everyday situations: use macro/micro observations - magnify the object or situation, or study the minute parts of it.

These observation notes can easily be used for inspiration to write scenes and stories. They are little gems of ordinary happenings that are familiar to readers. When you are cognisant of your observations, you start to see so much more, and that unlocks your imagination. I intend to save and continuously add to this observation notebook for future manuscripts.

Here is the last sentence in our reading for the second lesson:
"If you listen to what people say, and you really hear. or you watch what people do and really see. or you use your senses, process what they tell you and make careful notes, then you're halfway to becoming that really cool kind of person every group adores: the 'funny one.' "

Here's some Steven Wright if you have time for a giggle.

New Agent Blog and New Award!

I'll make this post short and sweet.

The McVeigh Agency is offering a free 15 minute skype or phone chat to anyone who enlists ten followers to their blog. Unbelievable, isn't it?! Unbelievably awesome!

Am I being greedy due to my windfall yesterday to ask you to follow due to my urging? Then you can tell ten friends and so on and so on. Seriously, go follow in the name of the smiling gal on the right, then have ten friends follow for you! We can all get our fifteen minutes with Mark McVeigh! Please let me know if you did follow so I can keep track and email. I'll edit this if it gets to ten so others can follow for other people and get their fab fifteen. THANK YOU!!!!!

EDITED: Hurray! Hurray! Yippee-yi-yay! Mark has commented on his blog that I have already earned my fifteen minutes, so THANK YOU for following his new blog! No need to mention my name if you follow him, go ahead and post his link on your blog to get people to follow for you so you can get a call too. First, head to Sherrie's blog and follow in her name or someone else in need of the ten! Thanks again for your help.

You are all like this guy- AAWWWWESOME!

Also, a big thank you to Sharon Mayhew for this information. I followed the McVeigh blog in her name after reading her helpful blog! Not only did she give me the heads up on this, but she also gave me a super-dee-duper award, The Sweet Friend Award! Here are things that make me happy! Thanks again, Sharon!

Can we brainstorm what we would ask an agent if we were fortunate enough to talk with him or her? What would you talk about?

All this talk of following in the name of totally reminds me of this Rage Against the Machine song...except we are following in the name of instead of killing, thank goodness... (This song is on Guitar Hero 2, btw).

Have a wonderful, fantastic weekend, everyone!

Three Things for Thursday: Critter is going to...

1. California! And I'm going with! (Okay, I wish). MG Higgins will be hosting the next leg of Critter's voyage. Thanks to everyone for your comments and offering to take him next. Please keep following Critter on his adventures. MG Higgins will be having a contest at some point to move him along again, so you have some more chances to be buddies with him! Thanks, MG! I know Critter will be well taken care of.

2. Thank you to the Wild About Writing authors at Wild About Nature blog. I won Kimberly Hutmacher's book, Paws, Claws, Hands and Feet, at their latest contest. Thank you, ladies! Wild About Nature features different nonfiction children's books about nature each week. Check it out!

3. I start a new online class today at the community college. The class is called "Get Funny." Now, don't laugh. (Actually, do laugh. That's the whole point of the class...)

Here's the summary of the class: "Humor enhances everything you do, no matter whether you're looking to deliver better presentations, increase your marketability as a writer, deliver more hits to a Web site, or simply become friendlier and more outgoing. Whether you're naturally funny or want to be, this hilarious course will help you sharpen your wit."


I enrolled in the class, because I want to be friendlier.
Alright people, I obviously took it to help with my writing. My husband is taking it along with me for fun. We are going to see who gets the better grade to prove who is funnier. We are competitive like that. It'll be a hoot and a holler I am sure.
Can a class really make you funnier? Let me know if my next month of blog posts make you chuckle more or less...or at all!
I'll close with a favorite kid friendly joke:
Why don't lobsters share?
Because they're shellfish!

But I won't be shellfish, I'll let you all know any great tips I learn on how to strengthen writing with humor! Does anyone else have a good joke to share?

Edited to be four things on a Thursday because I am so darn excited... I just won a critique on my query letter or a chapter plus a 30 minute phone call with Marietta Zacker from Nancy Gallt Literary Agency! And it's all because of Shelli at Market My Words! She has had daily prizes and a grand prize so go check out her very informative blog, there's still chances to win! I'm so excited and nervous and delighted! Thanks, Shelli!

Adventures with Critter CONTEST!

Critter had quite an eventful weekend here in Illinois. He experienced a good ole Midwestern snowstorm (he kept warm in a snuggie). Then he enjoyed watching the Olympics opening ceremony (Go USA!). On Saturday Critter watched me scurry my seven year old out to the emergency room to get stitches (she's fine, five stitches on the chin). Then Sunday he dove into his Valentine's bag of goodies. His favorite was the Reese's peanut butter heart. Mmmmm.

We even headed to the big city of Chicago to The Field Museum for some culture. Except his forgetful host family left him at home.
When we came home, we hugged Critter and said how sorry we were. After hearing about the dinosaurs,

giant spiders,


and mummies, he forgave us and said he was glad to have a restful day to watch his soaps instead. After our discussion about The Young and The Restless, we took him on a sledding adventure!
Wheeeee!


Critter has had much fun with the Polarks, but he's ready for his next destination. Would you like to host Critter next? Critter has already traveled blogland to North Carolina, Texas, South Korea, and Massachusetts! Where will he end up next?!

If you would like to take Critter next, you also need to agree to do the following:

1. Post pictures of Critter's shenanigans on your blog. Christy at Christy's Creative Space started Critter on his adventures, so it would be wonderful if you linked to her, too.

2. Host a contest on your blog for Critter's next destination and be willing to pay postage to send him to the next exciting place.


So, who's game? If you are, state that you would like to take Critter next in the comments and what adventures you will take him on. This contest closes on Thursday morning at 8am central time. I will announce the winner that same day!

And speaking of contests, don't forget to check out Elana Johnson's fabulous contest with critiques and her book as prizes! Shelli at Market My Words is cohosting this contest with amazing prizes of her own including books, critiques, marketing package! She has daily prizes too. Holy wow!