Question for #literaryagents If you have rejected three manuscripts from an author over the years, are you more or less likely to view their fourth manuscript objectively? How many authors have you signed after rejecting earlier work? Thank you. #amquerying #writingcommunity
Tell me you barked. TELL ME YOU BARKED!
My wife said, "At times, I forgot you wrote it." Is there a better compliment???
I'm querying a thriller based on the premise that since Y2K and 9/11 were only 20 months apart, what if there were a connection? I'm not concerned that the aggression of this weekend will render the novel untouchable to literary agents, but that I now have to move it to non-fiction.
I challenged myself to write a "And Then There Were None" trope mystery a la Agatha Christie in under six weeks. Her masterpiece was 66,000 words. I finished it last month in 4 weeks, 5 days at 67,300 words. My normal is 95,000 words. It is now just "sitting in a drawer". Waiting.
I love 60k. That's usually when the Milk Duds come out.
PAIN AND SUFFERING - What begins as a locked-door mystery festers for thirty years until an embattled pair of divorced-detectives' investigations collide to expose corruption, collusion, and a government cover-up that would rewrite history.
What if Y2K and 9/11 were connected?
#unhingedPit #T #Q
SAID THE SPIDER TO THE FLY -
7 friends reunite twenty-five years after graduation.
6 survive until midnight.
5 watch another die.
4 make a plan.
3 no longer trust each other.
2 talk it out.
1 left to tell the tale.
Trust can be fleeting.
Nostalgia can be deadly.
#unhingedpit #M #W
PAIN AND SUFFERING
What if...solving a thirty-year-old child abduction cold case revealed the money trail leading to 9/11?
What if...a down-and-out private investigator could prove it?
What if...his ex-wife is working for the other side?
What if...everyone wants them dead?
#unhingedpit #T #Q
Hello Friends! Welcome to #MSWL Day 2026! 🎉
This is our second ever #MSWL Day on Bluesky. We’re happy you’re here!
You can, as of TODAY, search Bluesky and ManuscriptWishList.com posts at once: manuscriptwishlist.com/smart-search. All posts are verified by a human who works in publishing. ☕
I retain the film rights.
Getting ready!! 👀👀
#kidlitchat For those who haven't heard, there will be an official #MSWL day on Thursday this week. If you're currently in the query trenches or will be soon, it's a great resource and may put some wonderful agents on your radar based on what they're looking for.
I'm glad you think so.
With My Little Eye - My second thriller has a cover! I expect a late April / early May publication date. I can't wait to introduce you to Becky Delisle, a true-crime obsessed widow, and the case she should have left alone.
Deep condolences for your loss. 🙏
Excited to have another #MSWL Day! I'll definitely be participating
Believe me, the author felt the same way while writing it.
I normally outline about 75% of it, but on my current one, I had just a basic idea. When I landed on a great first line, it flew out. 45,000 words in three weeks. All because of that first line.
Hello Writing Community! We are delighted to announce our Second Official Bluesky *** #MSWL Day *** February 26, 2026. 🎉🎉🎉
Agents + editors can post what they ✨wish✨ they had in their inboxes; writers can find their next best fit for querying.
Learn more: manuscriptwishlist.com/2025/01/the-...
4000 words at a critical beat of a mystery thriller. Currently at 42,000 words.
Pain And Suffering - PI James Payne is handed a cold-case, only to find his ex-wife is working for the other side. When their investigations collide, they must dodge dirty money and Pentagon spies to bring justice to a grieving mother before they kill each other.
#questpit #Q #T
"Said The Spider To The Fly"
Seven high school friends reunite 25 years after graduation in a secluded, luxury property rental.
No cellphones allowed.
Resentment replaces nostalgia.
And one of them is a serial killer.
But that isn't even the biggest secret.
#questpit #W #T
"Pain and Suffering"
A 30 year missing child case is handed to a down-on-his-luck P I who stumbles upon an old flame and a shady investment firm funding an international government conspiracy.
But his rival ex-wife is working it for the other side.
Cooperation's a killer.
#questpit #Q #T
Pain And Suffering - A thirty-year cold case is exhumed by a grieving mother, leading to a shady investment firm, Pentagon mole, and government cover-up. But for James Payne, the involvement of his ex-wife is the biggest challenge. Solve together or die trying.
#questpit #Q #T
My thriller is based on a missing child from Y2K, Dec 31, 1999. Thirty years later, the search is resumed with shocking revelations, harrowing escapes, and a twist no one saw coming. "Pain and Suffering". #questpit
I'd like to report a murder....hahahahaha.
Next up...Limit the panel of yappers on pre-game and half-time shows to two. And the first time they breathlessly utter the obvious, they are out. Five guys shouting over each other to register the next hot take? So over it. Shut up!
Of course, you don't want to hear this but once you wade through those and find your new client, I'm on the leading edge of the next tsunami of queries. It just never ends, huh?
I was at a conference where another famous author talked about the trials he inflicts on his characters. Then he said, "Unlike Jack Reacher. I never fear for Jack Reacher. I fear for whoever he is after."
