At the risk of sounding like the chick lit heroine agents and editors abhor, "Omigod, I didn't pack enough clothes."

Business casual and a pushup bra only go so far. By dinnertime on Friday, I was ready to ditch all forms of support, including shoes. And, the only ones I had left were fuzzy -- referring only to shoes.

I fear remembering the 2005 RWA® National Conference more for fuzzy evening sandals than for the sample pages that received positive feedback during the "On the Spot Critique" workshop. It requires more than a few good pages and great shoes to get a request, but I take my affirmations where I can. (Thanks to Kristin Gabriel and the others for
their time.)

The pages I was so proud of didn't make the final round of the workshop version of American Idol, meaning they were not read aloud. For those that were chosen, the criticisms were painful, but I gleaned some knowledge from the carnage.

Lessons learned:

• A tease is not the same as a twist.
• Repetition can sound like the author is talking down to the reader and slow the pace.
• Getting into the protagonist's head helps the editor care about her.
• Filter in back-story
• Shock value isn't enough to make the editor care.
• Action without some dialogue or subtext doesn't work.
• Cliché kills voice.
• Filter in back-story.
• A heroine can be desperate, but she must fight back.
• Don't try to trick the reader by opening with the wrong tone, humor if the book is suspense or sensual if the book is a
  comedy.
• Know your reader. Know what the editor wants.

Use my final tip with caution: Fuzzy evening sandals are only appropriate where money is exchanged.

Think about it.

Karen Heidrich Karen is a high flying flight attendant with her feet firmly on the ground — until she gets behind her keyboard and her characters take over.

Copyright © 2005 Karen Heidrich. All rights reserved. Used with permission.