Queries: Head Spinning Out of Control

Well, yesterday I felt like I finally had it. Yes, I had it! I had the ultimate plot synopsis that was witty, funny and telling for my query letter. So, I posted it on AQ, my handy, dandy, trusting critique source for all things writing related.

Ack. Good feedback, but I have no hook! Can you believe it? After all that hook work and I don’t have a ‘real’ hook in the plot synopsis. Plus, they felt that I had left one of the most intriguing parts of the story as a minor incident and several suggested I make that the hook. Problem is, that means I will have to rewrite the whole thing.

And that means my head is spinning around and around and around…

Hooks

I’m getting to the point where I am just about ready to again, start querying for an agent. I’ve learned a lot and have improved my writing considerably since I last sent out queries about five months ago. I’m hopeful for the next round. I’ve even read Noah Lukeman’s book on how to write a good query. I’m going to be armed and dangerous this time, so watch out!

As part of preparing for querying, I have been working on my hook. I thought my hook before was pretty good, but it was bulky and didn’t say as much as it could have. The hook, if you are unfamiliar with the term, is a one sentence blurb about your story that contains the most important element of your story and should catch your reader’s interest and make them want to read more. It’s harder than it seems. Well, that’s not always true. For one or two of my stories it has been simple. But with the story I want to shop around, I’ve been so immersed in it that I have all the different themes and plots and subplots floating around in my head that it took me awhile to step back, look at it and say, ‘ah, there it is’. Now I think I have it.

Want to read the rough version of the latest hook? Here goes:

A lonely, trusting astrophysicist has what appears to be a picture perfect life, but under the surface her career and love life are slowly spiralling into a pit of humiliation, leaving her on the brink of desperation.

The $50,000 question (besides being is there such thing as a pit of humiliation?)is: is this hook actually interesting and going to intrigue anyone?