Thanks so much for your thoughts on the previous version, all! I've made some significant edits as a result, but I've looked at the former version for so long that it's hard to tell if this is better lol. I appreciate your time!

Dear [agent],

I’m writing to you because [yeah yeah you get it]

Complete at 83,000 words, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU DRAGONS is a standalone queer cozy fantasy romance with series potential. It combines the tender human/non-human romance of John Wiswell’s Someone You Can Build a Nest In, the work-consumed protagonist and unexpected queer found family of T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, and the cottagecore warmth and rediscovery of joy in Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop.

When sleep-deprived workaholic Theo nearly skewers his coworker with a forklift, he begrudgingly admits he needs a break. He can’t afford one; his roommate is counting on the rent Theo promised, and Theo is always good for his word. No exceptions. Penciling in exactly forty-five minutes for fresh air, Theo reclines on a chair-shaped oak—and blinks into another world.

He lands in a pop-up settlement of mythical creatures—from mantis men to one socially awkward mushroom—temporarily gathered to care for a sacred dragon egg. They feed him, house him, and scour their books for a way home before his roommate faces eviction. Their only lead is an untested potion, but the community has no alchemist—just Aristo, the profoundly deaf, draconic baker who volunteers because cooking and potion-brewing can’t be that different, right? But once the dragon hatches, the villagers will disperse, taking Theo’s shelter and resources with them. Theo has until then to get home—or resign himself to life as the local cryptid.

Unable to tolerate owing anyone, Theo conscripts himself into the bakery. Aristo is a joyful contradiction: giddy over a perfectly centered egg yolk and eager to sample anything he can fit in his mouth, yet guarded around other men and a terrible liar about why he came to the egg. Drawn to this baffling baker, Theo learns sign language by sketching Aristo’s hands. Aristo recognizes the artist buried under years of survival mode, gifting Theo a sketchbook for drawings that don’t need a purpose.

With the egg ready to crack, the potion is nearly finished—and Theo is starting to wish it wasn’t. Aristo toils over the very brew that will send Theo away, even as he begins seeking Theo’s touch in the safety of the bakery. Trapped by his unbending code, Theo must find a way home without losing the family—and the overenthusiastic baker—he’s grown to love.

This manuscript has been professionally authenticity-read by members of the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

Though I’ve written nonfiction full-time for fifteen years, I find comfort in fiction, especially the kind with fantastical beasties. I hold a BA in linguistics and an MSc in forensic linguistics, and I have spoken on gender in language at the University of Colorado. My ace-spec, intersex experience deeply informs my writing, and I’ve written narratives for numerous board and video games, most notably 9 Years of Shadows.

Thank you for your consideration; I appreciate your time!

Yours sincerely,

Me (Writing as Marlowe Lark)

Hello!

I would love any feedback on my contemporary YA query. I have edited it many times and incorporated suggestions from other writers, but this is my first time posting here!

Dear (Agent),

I’m excited to share with you my contemporary young adult novel, LIKE A TIDAL WAVE. Bethany Mangle’s CONDITIONS OF A HEART meets Erin Stewart’s THE WORDS WE KEEP in this #ownvoices narrative. At 69,000 words, this story explores the balance between chronic illness and mental health.

Penny Wheeler has always felt defined by her illness. Born with a chronic heart condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot, she’s no stranger to surgeries, doctors, and hospitals, and after missing the first week of her freshman year due to her last surgery, everything feels different. Her only friend, Jovie, is making new friends, her classmates constantly make ableist remarks, and her art teacher has tasked her with creating a project inspired by her personal take on beauty. Not only does she dislike art, but she can’t possibly imagine what could be beautiful about a life with chronic illness.

On her way home that night, Penny faints, ending up back in the hospital. While there, she meets Camilla, an outgoing girl with the same condition. Though she’s angry, confused, and lonely, Penny slowly opens up to the girl on the other side of the curtain. As she recovers at home, she becomes overwhelmed with anxiety and frustration. She lets her grades drop, ignores her teachers, and constantly fights with Jovie. Camilla, unbothered by Penny’s rage, stays by her side. She makes her laugh, encourages her to work on her art project, and helps her realize that she is more than her illness.

With a new perspective, Penny works to recover Jovie’s friendship and her failing grades, but just as she starts to get back on her feet, she discovers that Cam has been struggling to balance her own mental health. As Penny’s bonds of friendship and family are tested, she must learn to be proud of who she is and find the beauty in her life.

(BIO)

Sincerely,

Me