Query writing tips

I've just read a terrific article by Judy Kellem on how to write a great query here. She has written the article specifically for scriptwriters, but everything holds true for novelists as well.

Here's a snippet...

"...When you sit down to write your query, get crystal clear on what the absolute heart of the story is so that it can work as your compass. You can jot down phrases to help yourself wade through the mire, sifting through all the extraneous arcs, themes etc that are in the material to zero in on the bottom line. For example, what is "STAR WARS" really about? A lot of things - good versus evil, imperialism and despots, fathers and sons, first love, to name a few. But at the very core of this movie, one could argue, is LUKE SKYWALKER'S COMING OF AGE. It is his growth from being a boy to being a man that unites all the other story arcs. This is the FOCUS. Hence, in pitching the script one could begin with this umbrella trajectory:

" Born on the planet of Tatooine, young, inexperienced farmer LUKE SKYWALKER has only dreamt of traveling outside his hemisphere. Until now. For when he discovers two foreign robots on his land, which contain the destructive plans for a 'Death Star' weapon capable of destroying entire worlds within seconds, Luke is catapulted out of his boyhood and into an intergalactic struggle between the forces of good and evil."

I love seeing examples to bring an instruction home. Judy's article uses Star Wars the throughout the article which is really helpful as it is familiar.

Colleen