rillajaggia.bsky.social
I write YA and MG fantasy and contemporary mainly influenced by my South Asian background. I'm also an artist.
Read my Substack at: https://rillajaggia.substack.com
58 posts
35 followers
43 following
Regular Contributor
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We saw Cirque du Soleil on ice in their production of Crystal! Awesome. 😍
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Very sneaky 🤓😂
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#RevPitTeaser #RevPitTeasers
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Where in SoCal are you? Anywhere near Redlands?
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Congratulations! From another SoCal author.
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Sorry, I'm late to the party, but I have a Huion tablet too and I love it!
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Id Mubarak to you! ❤️❤️
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Babbel to the rescue!
Destination wedding in Istanbul!
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To decide where to start the story--so. freaking. hard.--consider: What everyday conflict does it make sense that your MC would be dealing with riiiiight before they encounter that spark? Start there.
#RevPit #10Queries
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A more metaphorical way to think about it:
What's the very first tiny spark
that lights the match
that will set their world on fire?
We need to see that in the first 5-10 pages.
#RevPit #10Queries
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Taking that a step further--
What is the first small thing that changes in your MC's world that makes them put one foot on the path that will eventually lead them to the first *big* change (aka the inciting event)? That first small change is the hook.
#RevPit #10Queries
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IN GENERAL (yes, there are some exceptions) we shouldn't be trying to get the MC embroiled in the main conflict of the plot on pg 1.
Instead, focus on an everyday conflict in the MC's life. We all deal with dozens of conflicts each day. What's one for your MC?
#RevPit #10Queries
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Opening scenes are hard. Like really freaking hard. You have to get a lot of info into a small space AND hook the reader AND get them oriented without TOO MUCH info, and it can feel impossible. PLUS even when you get an agent and a pub, you might have to change it. Again. #RevPit #10Queries
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Learning Turkish! It's tough but loads of fun.
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Ah! OK. I see. Thanks for answering all my nosy questions 👃🏼😁
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Thank you! Is it OK to ask how many manuscripts you've received? I would try to count the number of rows on your image....but, I do need to retain some eyesight for revisions 🤪
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Wow! That's a LOT of reading! Just curious what your column titles are. On what bases are you sorting? Any Slytherins?
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Music! Can't function without it. I have an instrumental-only global chill playlist for writing. 🎵🎧
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Thanks, Raquel! Using comps specific to this aspect of the story makes so much sense.
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Also, my YA fantasy is very loosely based on the story of a historical queen and is a fantastical effort to give her story a happy ending. But I worry that mentioning this in my query might automatically turn off all the many people not interested in historical fiction even though it really isn’t?
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Hi Raquel! Thanks so much for putting so much time and effort into providing writers with this opportunity.
I was wondering about the biggest problems you have found that writers face in creating worlds that are non-European for American readers?
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Fabulous! Thanks for taking this time to answer a veritable tsunami of questions 🙏🏽
Soooo many hours of my life have gone into those games, not to mention sacrificing my thumbs to severe arthritis 😱 but can’t wait for the next Zelda or Ori, nevertheless 🤓
Happy gaming, oh and of course, reading!
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LOVE Legend of Zelda, and Studio Ghibli, (and Hollow Knight and Ori) but what's your take on stories with strong female protagonists set in lush south Asian fantasy-scapes?
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I've had an equal number of readers, professional and critique, want the beginning to jump directly into major action versus something slower where the reader discovers more about the character and what makes her tick before jumping into more. What is your take?
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Thanks! Sorry. I'm having trouble seeing the threads and other people's questions. I'm not sure why. And I'm sorry, that was supposed to be what "excites" you most about a manuscript! Not past tense 😱
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Hi Allison! Thank you for offering to be an editor for #revpit. This is the first time I've taken part! So, I was wondering Q: What does your selection process look like? What excited you most about a manuscript?
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Really appreciate your putting all this thought and time into answering questions. ❤️
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Just one more! I've had an equal number of readers, professional and critique, want the beginning to jump directly into major action versus something slower where the reader discovers more about the character and what makes her tick before jumping into more. What is your take?
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It is definitely an area in which I could use outside editing expertise!
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Thanks! I have been struggling with that as my novel is set in a non-Western fantasy-scape, which makes the world building more wordy with descriptions/explanations of unfamiliar ideas from the perspective of an American audience.
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And for anyone who's curious, here's my breakdown from all your submissions:
(P.S. I'm thrilled with how many of you submitted to me and I can't wait to look through your submissions soon.)
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Thanks! Good to know. Sounds super useful.