Agent Arielle Datz from Dunow, Carlson & Lerner on What Works When Writing, & What Doesn’t

by Lisa Gail Green

Arielle Datz is looking for fiction (adult, YA, or middle-grade), both realistic or fantasy/sci-fi. In nonfiction, she is looking for essays, unconventional memoir, pop culture, and sociology.

Arielle grew up in Southern California, and then attended the University of Chicago, where she majored in English. She lived in Paris her junior year of college, and then spent two years in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after graduation, before venturing to New York.

She started as an intern at Dunow, Carlson, & Lerner in 2011, and then worked in the foreign rights department at WME, followed by 2 years at the Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency. She have now returned to DCLA full-time, and absolutely loves it there.

1.What are some of your favorite authors/books and why do you love them?

In YA:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart: I love Frankie’s voice and her way with words.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I love all of Rainbow Rowell’s work, particularly how well she writes girls and women. In Fangirl, the way she talks about fandom, and its relationship to writing and reading in general, is inspiring.
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: This book lit me up. The writing was just so, so beautiful.

In adult: I love Salman Rushdie, Italo Calvino, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Atwood, to name a few. Recently I adored Station Eleven, Glen Duncan’s werewolf trilogy, The Bone Clocks, and Tigerman.

2. What are some things you love to see in a query?

I love to see confidence in the book, and that the author has done their research – they are a reader of the genre in which they wish to be published, they know what they could be compared to in both books and other media, and they know why their book needs to exist.

3. What are some of the worst things you’ve seen in a query?

I’ve contributed a few gripes to the #querytip thread on Twitter (and I recommend reading those), but here’s a few things. I can tell when a writer hasn’t done their research – both on me and my agency, or on the market they wish to enter. Moreover, I can tell when a writer isn’t a reader, and that breaks my heart.

4. Are you an editorial agent?

I’m still figuring out what kind of agent I am, but I think so – I like to work closely on revisions before submission. After a book has sold to a publisher, it’s case-by-case; I am happy to help an author work through revisions, and I am also happy taking a hands-off approach, if I feel like the author/editor relationship is solid and I’m not needed.

5. Character, world, or plot?

All are important. If one is conspicuously lacking, the others don’t click for me. This is not to say that all three are required – there are excellent books where nothing happens, or where the world doesn’t play a huge role – but those take impeccable writing.

6. Can you define voice for us?

I’m not sure I can! Here’s my attempt: in YA, the voice is the narration, and must be authentically the character’s. It must also feel real, and fully-defined. If the voice feels inauthentic, or I can feel the writer’s voice permeating their character, it can derail me as a reader.

7. What do you like to do for fun?

I sing in a semi-professional classical vocal ensemble. I watch far too much television; reading is not my only source of escapism. I consume stories. I also like taking walks.

8. What genres are you drawn to most?

I think I am most drawn to realism, or speculative fiction that is very subtle – where one element is unusual, but very believable. I like fantasy and sci-fi, but they have to be executed flawlessly. Total immersion in a purely fantastical world does not come easily for me.

9. Which is more crucial: emotional connection or current marketability?

The optimist in me wants to say emotional connection, because if that’s there and I get it in front of the right editor, hopefully it will take off. However, publishing is a business, and if I don’t think I’ll be able to sell it, I won’t take it on. I’m looking for that sweet spot: manuscripts that electrify me and that I think will electrify others.

Lisa Gail Green

Lisa Gail Green lives with her husband the rocket scientist and their three junior mad scientists in Southern California. She writes books so she can have an excuse to live in the fantasy world in her head. She likes to share these with readers. She has a parrot but would most definitely get a werewolf for a pet if she weren't allergic.

Post © Lisa Gail Green and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Apr 30, 2015

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Literary Agents | What Agents Want

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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