Hi, Dianne, oh, so sorry about the geometry thing! All I meant was that I’m writing an essay about a romantic triangle I was involved in in high school (the boy I “loved” kept going back and forth between me and another girl), and I’m using a geometric triangle as a metaphor to show the love triangle. (Since we'd been talking about metaphors....) But enough said! Sorry about that.

Okay, advice to someone who wants to be published. Well, I have to admit it’s difficult to choose just one element, which would be the most important, since so many parts go into this. But how about if I say what I think are the TWO most important elements! One would be the writing itself, that each sentence is clear, dynamic, engaging. I also think you need a very powerful beginning (first sentence, first paragraph, first page) that immediately gets to the heart of the story, that immediately draws the reader in. Since agents and editors get so many manuscripts to read, I think it's crucial to get their attention immediately!

Is this the kind of thing you mean? Sue