At Salt Lake Comic Con FanX this past weekend, I attended a panel made up of editors and literary agents from across the U.S. The panel allowed them each a chance to discuss what they look for in a query or submission, what they dread seeing, and how much they read before tossing it aside.

How much time do you have to hook an agent/editor?

In terms of how much time these editors and agents gave to a specific piece of work, the general consensus was very little. Some said they give one paragraph to get hooked, others said that was generous and that they only give one sentence. One editor said they give it a full paragraph unless the writing is so bad that they can’t stand to read further. Only one person said they read more than a few paragraphs.

What are agents/editors looking for?

Here’s a few of the comments agents/editors mentioned in regards to what they’re looking for in a piece of writing:

• A really strong voice
• A powerful opening sentence / paragraph
• A likable character doing something interesting
• An ending that surprises yet still fits perfectly with the story. Nailing the endings was a big concern for several on the panel. It sounded like they had passed on work they loved because the ending was such a letdown.
• Is the character involved in making decisions in the story or are they just being acted upon by external forces?

What are some things agents/editors loathe?

Along with what they are looking for, there were some mentions of things these agents/editors despise:

• An author that does not understand their genre
• An opening paragraph that tries to gross-out the reader for shock value
• Someone waking up, looking in the mirror, describing themselves, talking about their thoughts as they wander around a room

What do agents/editors do when they receive your query?

These agents/editors also talked about some of the first things they check on when they receive your query:

• Check your social media presence. Do you have followers? Are you active on social media? Do you understand how to use social media or are you just spamming links to your books?
• How prolific are you? Is this your first book or have you published other short stories, novels, comics, screenplays?
• Is your cover letter easy to read or filled with long, dense paragraphs?

A couple of other comments were mentioned in regards to what makes a good query letter:

• Get to the point as fast as possible.
• Don’t put in your hopes and dreams. They don’t care about this. It isn’t relevant and wastes time.
• Only include relevant credits such as literary awards or contests you’ve won. Leave out the other stuff.

It was great to hear from these gatekeepers and get a sense for what level the writing needs to be at to submit. Whether you are self-publishing or going the traditional route, making sure your work meets and exceeds these expectations is a must.

Back when I started working on Shutter (a horror comic book series), I started getting questions from friends and acquaintances, wondering why I was writing a horror story. If you’re a horror fan, then this question probably seems odd and confusing. But if you’re like (what seems like) the vast majority, horror is a scary thing you avoid and in most cases don’t understand (or want to).

What is Horror Anyway?

The first question to ask is what is horror? There are so many categories within the horror genre. Here’s a quick list of a few of the most common:

• Slasher – some creepy guy with a weapon chases after a group of young people. (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween)
• Haunted house – ghosts and spirits scare a family or vulnerable person. (Poltergeist, The Changeling)
• Sci-Fi – Alien or other-worldly force attacks an unsuspecting humanity. (Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
• Creatures – Zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc. A strange creature attacks. (Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon)
• Torture – Primarily focused on the pain of victims inflicted by a maniac or backwoods inbreed (Hostel, Saw)
• Psychological – Deals with the fear in the mind from what’s not shown (or shown only very quickly) (Hitchcock films like Psycho, Shutter Island)

This is only a short list, there are many others but it doesn’t begin to include all the aspects of horror. Just because a book or a film is not specifically cataloged in the horror genre, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have aspects of horror. There are a lot of action, science fiction, fantasy, dramas and even comedies that have really scary moments. That’s because horror isn’t a genre, its a feeling.

Struggle to Articulate

But when people have asked me why I would write horror, why focus on something so terrible and nasty, why bring more negativity into the world (as they perceive it), I’ve had trouble articulating a succinct answer. I love being scared. It’s fun. I love stories with characters that are in near hopeless situations and seeing how they get out of it. I love supernatural stories, exploring the unknown, what could be possible.

Many people think they don’t like horror but these same people have watched countless other movies and read several books that had horror elements. A lot of the Twilight Zone’s episodes were straight-up horror but it isn’t traditionally classified as a horror show for instance.

The Deeper the Horror, the Greater the Redemption

Horror writer Michaelbrent Collings made a statement in a panel at LTUE 2014 that really helped me articulate why I love horror. Here’s a paraphrase of what Michaelbrent said:

Horror is the only genre that allows a writer to bring a character to their absolute deepest, darkest, lowest point. And because the character can be brought so low, the final redemption of the character is more powerful than any other genre.

A good example of this is the account of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Whether or not you believe in the story, one of the reasons it still resonates so strongly with people around the world is that Jesus was brought lower than imaginable through his trial, whipping, and crucifixion. It is true horror. So his subsequent resurrection and ascendance into heaven is that much more satisfying and wondrous.

It’s a better way of describing it than any I had heard before. There are other reasons of course, but the main thing about horror for me is that the character arc can be bigger, more impactful, more satisfying than any other genre. That’s why even my non-horror stories many times have horror elements to them.

Five Characters in Search of an Exit is my second favorite Twilight Zone episode of all time. When I saw this in reruns as a kid, I was speechless at the twist ending. My young mind had been so wrapped up in the character’s plight to figure out who they were and where they were that I could hardly comprehend the brilliance of the ending reveal.

Every time I watch this episode, I wish I had been clever enough to write it. Seriously, I aspire to one-day write something this brilliant. A true teleplay masterpiece.

Synopsis

An army major awakens in a small room with no idea of who he is or how he got there. He finds four other people in the same room, and they all begin to question how they each arrived there, and more importantly, how to escape.

Why this Episode is Great

 The clown
Murray Matheson plays the clown, a strange, riddling jester who turns the idea of the clown as a buffoon on its head. He’s both creepy (as would be expected in an episode written by Rod Serling) and insightful. He provides much of the existential puzzling that elevates this episode to the stratosphere.

Rod Serling’s Twist Ending
Serling is notorious for fabulous twist endings. He was a master of using audience expectations against them and this episode is a prime example. He uses a great deal of cunning to make that last scene so heartbreaking and jaw-dropping. At any point, the whole premise could have fallen apart but he walks the perfect tightrope in getting us to the mind blowing ending.

The acting
All the characters put in spectacular work here (with the exception of the bag piper who seems a bit wooden but honestly, he wasn’t given much to do anyway). Particular standouts are the Army Major played by William Windom and the ballerina played by Susan Harrison. As was typical of that era, over-acting was common and Windom’s performance is sometimes over-the-top and yet it works so well here.

The script
Rod Serling’s teleplay is actually a riff on a 1921 Italian play called: Six Characters in Search of an Author. What’s interesting though is how Serling used the updated setting and characters to make a point about existence, identity, friendship, and belonging. It works as both a great, mystery-driven story and an analysis of the human journey.

Opening Narration

Clown, hobo, ballet dancer, bagpiper, and an Army major – a collection of question marks. Five improbable entities stuck together into a pit of darkness. No logic, no reason, no explanation; just a prolonged nightmare in which fear, loneliness, and the unexplainable walk hand in hand through the shadows. In a moment, we’ll start collecting clues as to the whys, the whats, and the wheres. We will not end the nightmare, we’ll only explain it – because this is the Twilight Zone.

You can watch the full episode on YouTube here: Five Characters in Search of an Exit

Other posts in this series:

Best Twilight Zone Episodes – Third from the Sun

Best Twilight Zone Episodes – The Hitch-hiker