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[MichaelNeff]

Just a note re a unique and cool cozy.

Author Salon, its agent-editors, and AEI Films and Books, worked closely with Wendy Eckel to secure her recent contract with Thomas Dunne for KILLER ON THE WALL.

This is significant in the cozy arena because we believe this particular cozy will effectively use social media in the development of the plot, and in a manner that is unique. An amateur sleuth sets out to solve a local murder using Facebook, assisted by a techie who is deathly afraid of Mark Zuckerberg, and a group of problem solvers known as the WHAT IFS.

More info at Author Salon.

Editors in the field will tell you that cozy writers need to think outside the box in an effort to come up with high-concept stories and unique settings. There are so many thousands of competitors out there. You need something special to stand out. Can't hurt.

Btw, here is something of utility for the members.

Wendy's manuscript was critiqued and covered using the following categories noted elsewhere on this board. This is a good starting point for self-editing of a manuscript, regardless of genre:

MARKET VALUE:

• Originality, freshness, high concept
• Clear target readership
• Hook
 
STRUCTURE:   

• Act Zero backstory development
• Concise, effective setup with inciting incident
• Plot line arc, and subplots (if appropriate)
• Well designed reversals (major and minor)
• Pinch points (at least two)
• Catalytic situation driven
• Conflict, tension, rising action,
• Every scene relevant (i.e., to driving plot forward)
• Effective, believable climax
• Resolution
 
CHARACTERS:

• Antagonistic force
• Consistent opposition
• Protagonist’s goals
• Sympathetic protagonist
• Protagonist’s arc
• Supporting characters

NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT:

• Scene length and structure
• Effective transitions
• Clarity of spatial set
• Comprehensible prose narrative
• Tension on the page
• Dialogue mastery
• Exposition delivery
• Narrative composition (quality of set, tension, cinema, character interactions)
• Cinematic imagery (static and dynamic)
• Proper point-of-view
• Wise use of craft technique
• Interior Monologue and rumination

_______________________________

FYI, more articles on advanced craft here.