The world we live, or read, in.

I love to get transported to a new world, so when I began on my fantasy, I had great fun creating my character's new environment. Today, I read the post, The Importance of World building Uncreated Conscience and was reminded of several of my favorite "new worlds."

Memoirs of a Geisha, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are all favorites for me. I think we all tend to enjoy escaping our lives for a good read or movie.

JJ says:

...what makes a work of fiction with great worldbuilding stand out is the
implicit understanding the writer creates about the values of the society in
which the novel is set.

I think this is a major part of world building and is a good place to start building. Without consciously thinking about it being a basis of the world, my whole "what if" idea for Moon Tree Brothers is based on a conversation, or argument actually, wherein it was said that we just had a "difference of opinion in child rearing."

From this grew a world of dragon men, dwarfs and fairies, all dedicated to protecting children, and magical electrical energy that we are depleating by our increasing violence. They work to erase the 'Unknown Darkness' that is affecting the world we live in. They would like to do it without violence, but is that possible?

Write what you are passionate about, even if it is not vampires

In my agent compatibility search, I ran across an interesting post. Agent in the Middle's take of the current market is:

it's become increasingly difficult to sell any genre fiction from a male
protagonist's perspective, unless he's really hot. But even if he's a really hot
teen vampire, it's better to tell the story from a female point of view."

I am no expert. While this is not my first manuscript, it will be the first I am actively pursuing and, early on, I fell into the trap of fretting over every single thing I read.

So, am I going to stop pursuing my male viewpoint fantasy story, sans vampire? No!

You have to write what you feel passionate about and I am passionate about this manuscript.

You have to figure that it can take upwards of two years to get your work out into the buying market. While female vampire stories are the current hot topic, two years from now it is going to be brothers living in a tree, or something you cannot even imagine.

Write from your heart and write with passion.

VISTA, Agents and Tense. Hmm, a correlation?

So, here I sit fighting with VISTA, unable to write as I must type to write. I can hand write notes but my hand is unable to keep up with my brain for anything else. If I were on a desert island, I suppose I would get used to it, but really I am supposed to be sewing a quilt for my grandson for Christmas. But, no, I am screwing up the only computer I can work on.

It had two or possibly five versions of VISTA on it so I go online, find out what to do about it, download a program to fix it. Fix it! HAH! I now have nothing on the computer but five versions of VISTA and AOL. No Word, dang! No Jasc! No, nothing.

So, I go online again and decide this is a time to find possible agents. I decided to start by going down Miss Snark's First Victim blog list of blogging agents. And, guess what I found! I found an agent who has my same "Tense problem." AgentObvious

I have a horrible time with tense. The writer's group, in Wyoming, pointed out my tense issues, my daughter catches it and my grandson catches it and I read it and go, "HUH?"

I finally found out that I catch most of my tense problems, if I keep a book (it has examples of tense) open on my lap, as I edit, and look at it every paragraph, and sometimes sentence, to fix my tense. I really felt like such a horrible writer that I could not just automatically know my tense was off.

I am so reassured. Thank you AgentObvious.

The best laid plans!

Yup! I was in the webpage creation home stretch, when my "Got Viggo Mortensen" bit the dust.

That's the name of my last computer. I do not normally name inanimate objects, but my Master's Daughter got me this neat sticker last year at Christmas, and, since I spend the most time with my laptop, I put the "Got Viggo Mortensen" sticker on the lid. We won't go there!

It was a beloved Hewlett Packard, write on swivel screen with styllis, dream machine. Now it is history, and I am stuck with a few pages to correct and create for my web site, and no way to get there.

Our house has many computers in it, from an ancient first generation laptop with no back up way to reinstall anything, to the three that supposedly work. I keep looking for a donation spot and just discovered that Good Will takes them.

I have three printers and three accesible computers. The newest computer is, of course, a VISTA. Drat!! The reason I am now using it is that no one else wants to and I am the resident computer person. So, now it is do or die to make the blasted thing work.

Out of three printers, one finally installed on it. I was able to put Word on it and then the story gets depressing. I could not install Coffee Cup HTML (which I need to fix the pages of my website that are not loading their pictures). I even spent eight hours on dialup, yesterday, uploading it from their website and it's nowhere to be found this morning. It is really difficult to find where things are on VISTA.

Jasc Paint Shop Pro installed just fine. The older desktop that takes all of these programs, is not wanting to view the graphics in PNG, which is what most of mine are. Other than that, this computer has nothing on it. What a sad waste of money and what frustration as I sit here waiting until the 22nd for my new Dell.

Anyone know where I can get another "Got Viggo Mortensen" sticker?

Web Page Update

I am in the home stretch, no really!!

I have completed twenty-six pages with graphics and twenty-two text only pages.

The only pages left to go are for my artwork. I know! I know! you are not supposed to put personal things on your writing web page. However, my artwork is my income and it's gotta stay on. I cannot afford a second page just for art.

The text only pages are so easy to do because I just copy the text off the graphic pages onto a template page. It worked better to finish the graphic pages and then go back and do the text only pages.

Also, learn CSS. I will be working on that before I do a total new site again. I do have it built into this site for constant updates. There are lots of things I have planned to keep the web page active and alive. And, I am forcing myself to do so by having a "last date updated" on each page.

So, keeping in mind that all the ART pages are not done, take a look and let me know what you think. I have to go to the library and run through a check, checking all the links but I think I have found the new major one that was wrong.

My site can be seen at:
S. A. VanVleck - author of the Moon Tree series - Home Page

I already had a domain of "VanVleckStudio.com" and my web server recommended keeping that domain for my art customers who might need something new. I also purchased SAVanVleck.com for my writing. I did not go with my proposed title of "Moon Tree Brothers" because it is a working title and a kind agent or editor might find a better one

IQ, Beans, half a brain and MENSA

Do you remember those IQ tests they used to give when you were like in sixth grade? My brother ranked MENSA. I ranked about three points below MENSA. And, I am living proof that those stupid tests do not mean a hill of beans.

Just exactly what would you do with a “hill of beans” anyway? Oh, my gosh! An idea for PiBoIdMo. Hold on, gotta type it down.

Digression over: After I took the IQ test, I was moved into an “advanced” class. The teacher was wonderful, it was challenging, I did homework until midnight every night, I began falling asleep in class and I was only in sixth grade. And, my grades went from being straight ‘A’s’ to C’s. I did not recover until I went to college, some twenty-five years later.

The reason I say those tests mean nothing though, is that sometimes I can be so stupid.

Take, building my website. (Insert Groucho eyebrows and cigar here.) That’ll be two-forty for the site and do you want me to wrap it? Obviously, I am till sleep deprived.

First: If I would have just taken the time to learn CSS, I could have saved a ton of aggravation. I know just enough to know that my links, which I have to continually go in and change on each and every page, could have been done, all on one page.

Second: My status is: Twenty-four graphic pages down, six graphic pages to go and twelve text only pages done, with twelve text only pages to go and I make the bright decision to go ahead and start putting it up on the web. Then, I discover that I have continually forgotten to do the description and keywords and change the Title. All important for people finding you. Meaning, I am now on my third round of uploading all those corrected pages.

Third: I have just now figured out about the only way I can get my illustrations reduced to manageable size without degrading.

Yes, I am so bright, I did a lot of my own illustrations.

A true renaissance woman, with half a brain and three points from MENSA!!!!

Great resources and a contest on the web

The web site is going pretty well now. If I knew CSS better, I would probably be done by now. I cannot wait to be done, as I have been very neglectful of my blogs, twitter, etc and I am constantly tired, as I am waking up in the middle of the night and spending an hour writing on book two. Hey, it's when I get my ideas.

On the non-website side, I have been internet networking more. I just caught up on ideas on Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) and got a great news flash on We Interrupt Your Ideas for a Special Announcement « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). Those who have 30 ideas by the end of the month, will be in a random drawing for a neat grand prize.

TA DA!!!! Jill Corcoran of Herman Agency - Representing Professional Artists, Authors, & Children's Book Illustrators and Lauren E. MacLeod of The Strothman Agency, LLC Advocates for books that matter. will each take one of the winners and read five of the winner's one sentence fleshed out idea proposals. Cool, huh??

And, on to the second great thing: I have a 1000 words of my YA novel in with Miss Snark's First Victim for some critiquing and was checking up on her site and found out that one of her follower/entrants, Lisa and Laura Write: Spread the Love, Win a Kindle, used the feedback they got on that site to revise their manuscript and score an agent.

Their book A Kate Lowry Mystery: The Haunting of Pemberly Brown (sorry, the link would not work) is now being published. And, they are celebrating by giving away a Lisa and Laura Write: Spread the Love, Win a Kindle KINDLE!!! (same link, so shoot me). But, and this is a cool link about their journey to publish their first book. Lisa and Laura Write: The LiLa Publishing Timeline.

We've all been waiting a lifetime for that, Right??? So, go to their site and enter to win a Kindle and read a neat blog. And, check out PiBoldMo, get 30 ideas and have five sentences ready for an Agent's review.

A writer who is not social? Who would a thunk?

I am not a joiner. I am not running off to meetings and volunteering to head committees. While I have no fear of speaking in public, even to very large groups, I have never been one to "socialize." I never coffee klatched.

During my painting career, I loved to do demonstrations and talks, but I hated art receptions. Making small talk, with a glass of wine in hand, was never comfortable. I did it, because that is what you need to do but I did a lot of grumbling before hand.

Sometimes an idea comes along that is just too good to pass up, and, hey, being on an Internet group is not the same as getting in your car and going to schmooze. Still, I was a bit reluctant to join PiBoIdMo. It was a commitment, you know!

I have to say. I am thoroughly enjoying this one. Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) is hosting a Picture Book Idea month, and I just now realize that it is NOT PiBoldMo, which I thought was rather weird, but easier to say (Pie-Bold-Mo) but that the L is actually a capital I.

Gotta get those cataracts fixed soon, I hope. I digress, but I am a wee bit young to have cataracts and am definitely not enjoying them.

What I am enjoying though is all the wonderful ideas for ideas, that are being shared by various children's book writers. My picture book ideas list is up to seven and I have not even tried for two days.

It's all about looking around and thinking. How can I put this to use in a way I might not have before. It's a big "WHAT IF!" for book ideas.

I said it once before, so I will say it again: Give it a try. It's fun and you do not have to dress up and get in your car to join. However, I could use a cup of coffee right now.

What we can learn from Cubist artists.

As writers, we look at relationships between things and ourselves, in an effort to bring our readers into the world we create.

As an artist, I saw those relationships in colors and now visualize them in order to find the most visual way to describe them.

In teaching art, I was often asked to explain cubism. It is when an artist depicts the totality of possible views, from all around an object or person, as if you could see them all at once.

I think this is a good way to think about what you wish to describe in your writing. Close your eyes and see your world, character or setting from every angle. Walk all around it. Fly over it and crawl under it and then find the best view to describe it from.

I am always one step ahead of myself

Right now, with the never ending edit nearing its end, and while working on my web page (which, I am happy to say is finally progressing at a reasonable speed) I am dreaming about marketing. I think this is because I was a Girl Scout.

Not only was I a Girl Scout, but I was the Girl Scout leader's daughter. Which meant that I had darn well behave better than any other girl sitting in that circle and I had better get more badges. Actually, I cannot blame the badges thing on mom. I have this penchant for filling in blanks and that included making sure all the blanks were done in my Girl Scout book.

She swears I also made up school homework for myself. I am definitely NOT admitting to that one. But, all she had to do, to keep me quiet, was give me a book with blanks in it.

So, having Web Site, Synopsis, Query, Bios, all in partial states of readiness, I have turned my attention to Marketing. "BE PREPARED!"

One site, that I have found is not an instructional site, but is David LaRochelle. He is an author and illustrator and was a fourth grade teacher. He does tons of school visits and some teaching yet. He's also an awesome pumpkin carver.

So, if you go to his site, and click on Books, Children's Books, then Teacher's guides, The End: Teaching Guide, you will find some things that he does to go along with his books and his school visits that might encourage you to become more creative with your own work-in-progress marketing plan.

It is never to early to, Be Prepared!

Procrastination.

Procrastination is the name of the game. Either that, or I am ADD. Some days I can focus on the web page for hours. Other days, not so much.

Some days, I alternate and work on the web page for a while and then on the synopsis or query letter. So, since I am trying not to procrastinate by spending hours on blogs and such, I will give you a link to a good site for information about composing a good query letter.

Guide to Literary Agents - "20 Tips on Query Letters," as Told by Agent Janet Reid

Off to procrastinate on something else.

Join PiBoIdMo

A wee bit off my usual genre here, but writing is writing, and given you do your homework and practice, practice, practice, you could turn your brain and fingers to Picture books.

This month PiBoIdMo is Here! « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), has a neat challenge going. She is giving you you an inspirational idea every day, during November. Let your mind, wander, investigage and imagine and come up with an idea for a picture book.

It will get your juices flowing. There will be guest bloggers and give-a-ways. So, get busy, check it out and write.

Native American peace and harmony in Nature

I enjoy research and thought I would share some of the Native American mythology sites I have found in writing the Moon Tree Brothers.

Native American Myths, legends & stories; African-American folklore; French-Canadian folktales;Spanish-American folklore; and...

This is a great site which lists Native American Myths and Legends, as well as African, Cajun, French-Canadian, Dutch, Scandinavian and Spanish-American.


The thing I really like about it is the ease of use. Since I am still on dial-up, I avoid sites where I have to click on each item for even a hint of what it is about. This site lists the title and a sentence that gives you a good idea of what you will find in each story. How else would you know that "Coyote and Wishpoosh" was a story about How the Northwest coastal tribes were formed?


Native American Lore Index is an up and coming site for Native American Indian Lore and has a large listing of stories from many different tribe.

Myths and Legends for American Indian Youth has titles and short descriptions. You can find "Why Fart Man is more Powerful than Caribou Master," which sounds like the next possible super hero movie. My only problem here is that the red print on purple letters is very tough on the eyes.

I would like to finish with the Indian Legends site. Given that Moon Tree Brothers has its basis in the Native culture's message of "peace and harmony with nature," I love this site and would like to leave you with a quote from their index page.

• "While Native American culture has struggled to survive through centuries of displacement and assimilation, the stories and legends passed on from generation to generation refuse to die; this is perhaps due to their common, timeless message of peace and harmony with nature, which is now more relevant with each passing year."

Well said, "Indian Legends." Well said!

The Moon Trees are a microcosm of cultures

Her name was Ellen Pamela Nichols Parker (d/b: 11/23/1852 in Oklahoma) and she was my Great, Great Grandmother. Family rumor had it that she was related to Quanah Parker, the great Chief of the Comanches. Quanah Parker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Somewhere there is a wonderful black and white photo of her in a canoe. She had stereotypical high cheekbones and darker skin, that show where the rumor came from. That, and the fact that, when her son, my Great Grandfather, was off on a tantrum, my Grandmother used to say to him, "That's your Indian blood." From the other stories I have heard of my Great Grandfather, meanness came naturally to him. He did not need any help from stereotypes.

I traveled to Oklahoma to solve the mystery a long time ago. I was not successful in resolving it, but thought it was nice that mom can still have this romantic notion of a connection to the early inhabitants of this country.

She loves reading books about Native culture and watching every movie with Native American culture, she can find. She especially loves movies like A Man Called Horse and Dances with Wolves, but her heart is with the Native American woman. I envision her imagination sometimes lives in a buckskin dress and gathers berries. There is a very good listing of Native American movies here: Native American Movie Listing

I love to paint faces and find that all faces are beautiful and have so many stories to tell. I have been a professional portrait artist for twenty years and have exhibited at Pow Wow’s and painted many Native American faces. The sign on my booth read, “I paint with respect. Please let me know if you do not want me photographing you. I send copies of photos I have taken if you would like to leave your name and an address.”

I was only asked one time not to take a photograph. I have been honored with a white heart bead necklace by a Native Chief out west and I have been asked to keep watch over a treasured Eagle feather headdress. I have been able to do paintings of many beautiful Native faces and even painted the grandfather, father, son and daughter in one family.

Growing up with a love of all things Native and spending nights, in my van, falling asleep to the drums (believe me, it is the best sleep ever), gave me a great resource for the fantasy novel I am working on.

Native American culture is full of a wonderful Mythology, much of which is a bit adult in nature to use in a Middle Grade novel. I began throwing in other cultural references that enrich the world I have created. My personal opinion, that we are all one on this earth, is reflected in that I have a major character who is Celtic, a teacher from Bengali, an African beneficent faerie, and an Apache Mountain Spirit. Student's genealogy is also diverse: Japan, Africa, Native America, an Arabic young man and Caucasian.

My protagonist is an abused boy who, with his brothers, seeks shelter in a world that believes in taking care of the earth and all its inhabitants. I have enjoyed the research I have done for this book and it falls right in with "write about what you know."

The most important paragraph you will ever write!

The most important paragraph you will ever write is probably the second paragraph of your query. This paragraph is your teaser, the paragraph that will take the agent/editor’s feet off his desk as he sits up with delight in his eyes and a deep desire to read the rest of your manuscript.

The following two paragraphs were in my entry for: Mandy Hubbard - Query Day is Here!

Alex is the youngest of a neglected trio of brothers with the will to survive. When the brothers flee their home, they journey to a land ruled by the Thunderer of the Iroquois nation and guarded by a fierce black dragon man. As they strike out on a quest for security and friendship, they find that learning can be full of magic, compassion does exist, friends come in all sizes, and some battles are worth fighting. (You will notice this is very near what I have on this blog side bar. I would not have left that up, had it been successful in the query. You do not want editor's/agents reading the same thing twice.)

Moon Tree Brothers is an fantasy novel told through the eyes of the youngest brother, Alex, age eleven. Alex’s battle, in this the first in the series, is to make life safe for the sisters they left behind, complete the education he has not been given at home, and stay out of trouble when he is used to being alone and out in the night.

Mandy Hubbard's critique:
So, I’m having a hard time with this one. You’re telling us a lot. But you’re not showing us much. All I know about Alex is he’s a neglected 11 year old. I think you spend too much of your query trying to summarize the themes of your novel instead of setting it up and trying to hook us. Don’t tell us what they’ll learn: show us what their challenge is in the beginning of the book.

Try something closer to:

“Alex LASTNAME is eleven years old when he leaves the only home he’s ever known in favor of a long journey to FOREIGNPLACE. But he, along with his two brothers, are determined to succeed in order to find a safe haven for their sisters.

"But the journey is complicated by X factor and Y event, and Alex begins to wonder if he’s made a mistake. Can he really make it all the way to FOREIGN PLACE?

"Hmm, see, I can’t even write the query for you because I truly have no idea what your story is about. You’ve got a 5 paragraph query and of it, only about three sentences pertain to the events of the book, and a few more are listing out the lessons we’re going to learn along the way. (NEVER preach the lesson’s we’ll learn, let us discover them ourselves!)."

I am now working on another version of my query. I want to make sure any editor/agent I submit to cannot wait to get my manuscript. And, do not forget that you want to tailor your query to each agent/editor individually.

I believe the lesson here is: write your query as well as you write your manuscript. How many years did you work on your book?

STUPID QUERY ERRORS 101

I knew there were things wrong with the query I was working on. And, thanks to Mandy Hubbard - Query Day is Here!. My query is the sixth or seventh down in the list and, while query day is over, you can learn a ton by reading these queries and what she has to say.

We are told by "they." You know that great "they say, that..."? I subscribe to their blogs and web advice and then can get really confused at times. So, the first "they say," is that you should have the first paragraph personalized to the agent/editor you are sending it too.

One of my favorite agents states he wants to see everything. He is a nice person too, in helping people, even a total newbie to the world of blogs when I just could not get my comment posted for a test he was having. Okay, it's Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent: The 3rd Sort-of-Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge.

I had read to personalize the query but then not to try to be funny. Do I listen? No! And, yet I knew in my gut that I was trying too hard. You judge:

Dear (agent’s name)(personalized to agent)
I am writing to you because you seem to have boundless energy and enthusiasm. Why else would you put yourself through judging so many on-line contests? Okay, perhaps you are a bit masochistic too. You always say that, even if the book is not perfect for your list, “Send it to me first.” I try to follow orders.

There are TWO MAJOR ERRORS here.

1. Just being way too personal and maybe even offensive by saying he is masochistic. (There is a reason I do not work as a comic.)
2. Even though he does say, "Send it to me first." My Middle Grade Fantasy is NOT on his list. Now, that doesn't mean he would not accept it, but should I really tell the agent I would like to have represent me that my work does not fit???

Okay, dumb moments of an author, post one, is done for the day. Next post, the most important paragraph you will ever write, and getting it right!

What happened to the Antagonist

Golden books were popular when my girls were little. You could pick them up at the grocery story even. In a brilliant marketing move, grocery store owners put these little revolving book-stands in the mid-section of the store. You hit them just about the time your child was thoroughly bored with shopping, tired of shaking the cereal box and had not reached the produce section yet.

Being a book person, my two daughters had quite a collection of little Golden books. However, the ones I remember are the ones my mother picked up for them.

Mom is a ‘white bread’ person. She wants her onions and potatoes diced to within an inch of their life, no lumps in either the gravy or mashed potatoes and white bread with a light crust. Yes, please do not laugh if you see me, at the grocery store, pulling out loaves of white bread to check for the lightest crust delivered that day. That means I am shopping with mom.
Me, I like my food spicy, chunky and alive. Mom likes everything in the world to be ‘pretty.’ That includes stories also.

So, every Golden book my mother bought for my girls were well edited. If there was a character named Melissa, that name was blacked out with marker, and the appropriate girl’s name was written in. The big bad wolf became the misunderstood canine and never a tooth was bared. Little Red Riding Hood never got lost in the woods but was merely out picking flowers. My oldest daughter still has some of those Golden books and they looked like the CIA got hold of a state secret document.

Mom still fights the fact that life is not always ‘pretty.’ I just think that ‘pretty’ can be awfully boring and a book is never good without a really nasty Antagonist.

A blog beginning with "I"

I have not been reading much lately but am enjoying the edit I am doing. It is simply, checking tense and cutting deadwood. It is relaxing and I can focus. I do it in between working on my web page. (YES, I am still working on that, eternally.)

I was in the library recently and happened by a poster of the Newbery winners. When the boys were little, I used to check out Caldecott winners, etc all the time. We spent a great deal of time reading together. And, here, on the poster were two books by Lois Lowry on the top row. How could I resist?

I do not know how I have missed Lois Lowry before. I checked-out Number the Stars from the library. I read it through and I am awed by the story, characters, and beauty of the book, and I realized how much I have missed lately, with my head buried in my own book. One part of the beauty of this books is that it is based on one of the true stories of people saving lives during the Holocaust.

I have a weak spot for anything to do with the holocaust. The horrors of the Nuremberg trial were one of the first things I remember watching on television. My boys are used to me talking about those years, when they come home with history assignments, with tears streaming down my face. It is the unspeakable.

I think next time an adult says to me, “Oh, I don’t have time to read.” I will tell them to go to the middle grade section and find a little treasure there.

Networking, Stupid questions and Line Edits

In the beginning, I really did not see the benefit from so many social sites on the net; especially for a 'loner' writer. But, it is all coming clear.

At first it takes a long time to set up and get familiar with the various sites: Twitter, FaceBook, etc, but soon it is all clear and before you know it, you get the point. And, I am probably just talking to the older population here. If you are under ? what 40? you already know this stuff.

I was able to figure out and join my first Twitter Chat: (see it at Read Write Believe: Transcript of the Twitter Chat Between Me and My Editor, Cheryl Klein) the other day. It was between editor Cheryl Klein and Sara Lewis Holmes, the author of Operation Yes, Amazon.com: Operation Yes (9780545107952): Sara Lewis Holmes: Books an awesome sounding Middle Grade Novel. I can't wait to read it.

So, the benefits of things like Twitter are that you get to ask your favorite editor a really stupid question. However, since I have always told my students, "There are no stupid questions. Asking is how you learn." I just plunged in and asked: "What is a line edit?"

Ms Klein's answer: @sadairvanvleck Yes, line-by-line review saying "I don't understand this," "right word?" "cut this, redundant," "Love this," etc. #YESchat

So, now I know, and you do too.

It takes less time and you can learn a ton by just charging in and doing it. Loner or no loner.

Time Management

What do you do when life and all the obligations of writing intrude?

Yes, I would definitely rather be creating a new world or editing the new world I have created than, say: paying bills, doing dishes, shopping, driving, just about anything, but the world has demands too.

Right now, we have one decent car and one old rattle-trap. Husband is driving people around. EMT, the middle boy, is the only one of the three with a driver's license. The oldest boy, Gaffer, has never had any interest in driving. I think he is a city boy, but he is learning now because he is back home and his job is around thirty miles away. JRock, the youngest, does not have a permit yet and has gigs to go to and music lessons. His girlfriend has a license so she takes care of the dates.

My jobs, are at home, dishes, bills, etc. You never dawdle over bills and dirty dishes, but I do spend extra time on the internet and that was a bit of the discussion on Read Write Believe: Transcript of the Twitter Chat Between Me and My Editor, Cheryl Klein.

Right now, I am stuck revamping my website. It is currently, if you have never read my considerable complaining about the web site, an artists website, with broken links to sell my artwork. Some of which is already sold and not marked. I am turning it into a web site for promotion of my book.

Big dreams started with doing something with tons of graphics and games for kids. Which I am now realizing is so far above my abilities, or my software, that this, my sixth or more version, is now a quiet, informative version. Not to play games on, just to educate about the world I have lived in for some time ow. The designing is going much faster now and an end is in sight.

That end may be another week away and a library visit to upload it all, but it is in sight. So, my time management is to just spend one hour in the morning on email, Twitter, Facebook and one of my blogs, then get off line. I already am in the habit of getting up, feeding the dog and doing the dishes. Today I need to pay bills for the month and make a grocery list. But, I promise, right after that, I am back to the website.

I am on page eight, twenty-three page to go. Hoping I can do the guestbook. I have code and am saving it for the end. One good thing, now that I have my design with links set in stone, I can just use that as a springboard for all the other pages.

My webpage week

This is the umpteenth version of this webpage and I like the look but, what torture putting it together.

I spent Monday starting the page, all the search words, title, etc, the background and the banner up and centered. Then, moved onto the line of links that will be next.

I wanted to draw them myself and not use anything borrowed from a free site on the web. Geez, I painted portraits for a living for fifteen years, I should be able to do a colorful enough drawing to pass. Ya think????

I started a new sketchbook for this book and have pages of sketches I have started and discarded. That is nothing new. I have a reasonable set of sketches for the links, used Jasc Paint Shop to eliminate the background and put them up and guess what, the background showed. Did it again two more times and finally gave up and just blacked out the background.

I tried a little CSS again, went back to HTML. I tried using a template from HTML Editor, Flash & Web Design Software CoffeeCup Software, which I own, and have gone to using a table with two rows. I know there has to be a better way. I have always put the link list down the left hand side. My last version of Coffee Cup had a whole bunch of templates too, but I had to reformat and lost it all and, while I have upgraded, I have yet to find the long list of templates.

So, now I have a background, a banner, and a row of hand drawn icons to dress up the link buttons. As in all things with this webpage, it is all trial and error. Right now the buttons do not link. So, that is next.

In the meantime, I have entered the first 1,000 words of my novel in Miss Snark's First Victim critique. I could not find the complete rules, so here is hoping I did it right.

Down to webpage basics

While, I have designed webpages for years (mostly for my artwork), I wanted to make the new webpage do several things: be entertaining to children, be a place agents and editors can go to for information, throw in some of my art and comply with accessibility guidelines.

Hopefully, I am doing the accessibility guidelines properly. That was the easiest part to do. I did it first and now will redo some pages as I have totally revamped my idea. I am back to basics.

I am not a programmer. I know a smattering of html and can use HTML Editor, Flash & Web Design Software CoffeeCup Software. I am not going to try to learn CSS, but utilize CoffeeCup to the best of my ability. I have given up dreams of curling pages, swinging beads and items that move when you click them. That is programming a specialist can do when the book is a success (power of positive thinking!!!!).

Right now, I want a presence on the web that showcases my books in a simple direct manner. I have found a sample design I like, with nothing jumping, swinging or moving. It is all about information. And, isn't that what people come to the internet for?

I am still doing my own graphics, for the most part, but the only way to actually get this done is to simplify. So, I have diagrammed the pages I want, I have a layout for the pages and I am off to put it together, on this rainy Sunday. Wish me luck!

My webpage redesign. Send help!

I have started getting some interesting feedback and so must set aside the synopsis (The teacher in me keeps typing syllibus. ) and get to work on my Web presence.

Redesigning the webpage is something I have struggled with for several years now; a century in internet age. I am torn. I love the images I see that come out of Avalon Arts Studio of Graphic Arts and Web Design. They put texture on the internet. I love it.

However, I am going for fun right now (note to self, stop obssessing). I come from a line of Obsessive Compulsives and fight any hint that I am following in those footsteps.

In analyzing what is best for web design, I came across this great site. Actually, they found me from my Twitter. Thank you guys at The Pro Designer (theprodesigner) on Twitter. I have done webdesign for years, but you never stop learning, so I am off to redesign my webpage to make it bright and fun, easy to navigate and non-irritating. I come from dial-up and I do know irritating.

If you do not see me in seven days, send help!!!

My Logline is finished! Hooray!

After a week and a half solid spent rewording my logline, not counting all the odds and ends of hours I spent in the past, I finally had a logline. Sent this one to my Master's daughter and five minutes later she sent me back a logline I like a lot better.

Diplomatically, she suggested I was too close to it and that I am working too hard to follow all the rules I read on the net. I think she is right about the second one. I want to have everything just right and ready when I send it out and am spinning in circles from it.

As far as being too close, that might be correct also, but I think I am just not looking at it from the right angle.

So, here is my new logline, my original edition, with major revisions from daughter and with revisions from myself:

A neglected trio of brothers with the will to survive, journey to a land ruled by the Thunderer of the Iroquois nation and guarded by a fierce black dragon man. As they strike out on a quest for security and friendship, they find that learning can be full of magic, compassion does exist, friends come in all sizes, and some battles are worth fighting.

So, now you all know what my Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy Novel is all about, and I may move onto the various synopsis, bios, marketing plan, query letter, writing experience and education; oh, and I am doing the WebSite NOW. You just have to bite the bullet and do it.

Final Step before sending out Synopsis - #5

READ THE SYNOPSIS OUT LOUD, FROM A HARD COPY PRIOR TO SENDING IT OUT!

I could leave it at that but I do not wish to be hung.

Another option is you can check its plausibility by having someone, who has not read your manuscript, read the synopsis, then tell the story back to you. Even better, have them tell it to a third party who then tells it to you and a fourth party.

What you are checking is things like:
Have you mentioned too many names for people to keep straight?
Is it clear where the climax is and what is at stake for the protagonist?

QUESTIONS TO CHECK BY YOUR READING IT ALOUD:

1. Is my synopsis in the present tense and the third person, regardless of the tense and voice of the book itself?
2. Does the opening on my synopsis read too much like the book? Don’t forget, the same person is reading the first thirty pages of your book in the same sitting.
3. Does my synopsis read too much like a list of events? It should be like a story. Hey, it is a story! It should build suspense and give you quiet moments to recover inbetween.
4. If the reader had no information about my book other than the synopsis, would the story or argument make sense? Here is where those reading friends come in handy.
5. Does the synopsis make the book sound compelling? You definitely want that editor/agent eager to read your manuscript.
6. Does my synopsis present actual scenes from the book in glowing detail, or does it merely summarize the plot?
7. Is it clear who the protagonist is?
8. Is it clear what is at stake for the protagonist?
9. Is it clear what my protagonist wants and what is at stake for him/her.
10. Is it clear what obstacles stand in my protagonist way?
11. Does my protagonist come across as interesting, unusual person-involved in an interesting, unusual situation?
12. Have I mentioned too many characters in the synopsis? Are they each memorable?
13. Is it clear where the climax is and what is at stake for the protagonist? Or does it merely list all of the events in the book in the order they appear?
14. Does my synopsis make the book sound just like other books currently on the market, or does it come across as original?

Plausibility issues:

1. Does my synopsis make the story I’m telling seem plausible?
2. Is there an indelible image that the reader can take away? You definitely want it memorable (in a good way).
3. Is the synopsis absolutely free of errors of any kind?
4. Does my synopsis support the image of the book I want the agent or editor to see?
5. Do I need to modify it slightly in order to match the interests of the agent/editor, while retaining the truthfulness of my book?

Okay, I'm a dork!!

Today, the mailman confirmed I am a dork!

I have often envied bloggers who chose neat names for their blogs: Crazy Aunt Purl, The flap copy challenge, Jacket Whys, Judge a Book by Its Cover « Adventures in Reading, Mishaps and Adventures. You get it! They are neat and descriptive of who you are.

I started my blogs, Savanvleck’s Weblog, and the one you are reading, because I read that writer's need blogs. I am not certain whether I have fulfilled the needed purpose or not. I do digress easily and recently I have gotten so caught up in the excitement of finishing the book and working on all the stuff I need to have ready for submission that I have sadly neglected my blogs, and Facebook, and Twitter and really MySpace. Are there ever enough hours in the day?

But, today I am one step closer. I am not certain why I feel this way. I paid for this and there is no test involved; but I am so excited. I have my scbwi membership. I belong to the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.

I have no idea why it makes me feel so excited but, there, you have it. I'm a dork!

Fantasy land and a chart to fill out - Synopsis Part #4

I am writing an Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy and due to the fact that it is written in a non-standard world, we Fantasy writers are allowed a bit of leeway, in the synopsis, to:

o Show your world building and plot
o Description must keep interest level up
o Needs to be germane to the plot
o Involving protagonist in description keeps it interesting

That said! I am finding it helpful to fill out the answers to these points to help clarify what to include in the synopsis, as a whole.

1. What is the prime conflict for your protagonist? Show prime motivation and resolution of all conflicts
2. What are the Plot points? – summarize between them to connect. Show the primary conflicts and what is at stake for your protagonist.
3. Where are the red herrings?
4. What is main character’s good moments?
5. What is the main character's big crisis?
6. What is the story's climax? Must show ending
7. What's the hook?
8. What's the tone of the story?
9. Show Conflict: Identify the motivations of, and conflicts between, the main characters.
10. Show Plot: Move the story forward along its main thrust, showing the protagonist as active while also noting other driving forces
11. Show Resolution: show the resolution of all conflicts and sub-plots--no loose ends, no cliff-hangers
12. Tell Ending: Tell the resolution. Never leave the editor guessing.
13. Bring back to full circle, as your book should, echoing an element from the beginning in the ending.

Books are about Characters so it is extremely important to tell them WHY your characters do what they do and how they react.

CHARACTERIZATION: For each action/reaction of hero make sure you tell WHY

1. Who are the main characters? Briefly identify each and answer the questions for each.
2. What he wants
3. What is in his way
4. What is at stake if he does not attain his goal?
5. What are the main characters' blackest moments?
6. What are their motivations?

Next and final post on Synopsis (maybe): A final check before sending out your synopsis

Synopsis should retell your story - part #3

I have already mentioned and want to remind you that you are sending out a packet to submit your manuscript for publication. This is highly serious stuff. You have very few words with which to capture their attention, so do not waste words by repeating them.

Presuming you are sending the first fifty pages of your manuscript with your synopsis, remember that they are, hopefully, going to be reading at least the first few sentences of each.
Do you really want those first few sentences, that will make or break your chances, to be identical? That cuts, by half, the well crafted words you have written that they read.

OPEN YOUR SYNOPSIS WITH:

o Set up context of story
o Who is main character
o How old is main character, in the case of writing for youth,
o The setting
o The Events or circumstances that open your story
o Include actual scenes in glowing detail, not just a summary
o Connect the dots with your own summarizing

YOUR WRITING:
o Include indelible image in first couple of paragraphs to WOW them
o Use vivid, sensual images
o Portray, actual scenes in glowing detail, not just summary
o Surprising juxtaposition of words
o Fresh emotional element
o Make it compelling
o You may gloss over the premise, since the editor/agent will be reading those first fifty pages (which includes premise and introduces protagonist), but be very sure to make it very clear how it all fits into the overall arc of the book

YOUR GOAL:
o to convince agent or editor that the rest of your manuscript is every bit as interesting and action-packed as first fifty pages
o To summarize the entire book and show conclusion
o To make work come alive and show it is unique and interesting

SHOW:
o you have vision and tenacity to take compelling characters through first chapter to satisfying conclusion
o Point of view ie first-person/third-person omniscient/etc
o Build suspense, relieve it

THIS IS A retelling of your story, in your voice, showing conflicts and challenges of your characters.

Next post: A list of questions to answer to get your synopsis started in the right direction.

Tweet may be amazing BUT ---

As my Master's Daughter pointed out, that last logline is just too generic to really let you see who my character is. Back to the keyboard.

Tweet your Logline

Having trouble with your logline?

Tweet it. It is amazing, when you search for things you can delete, just how many of those precious words you can lose.

I am down to:

An uneducated teen’s quest for safety leads him to the Moon Trees, where he battles to save his new home from the evil that is pursuing him

The Mechanics of your Synopsis - part 2

Hey, you are a writer. You should know that everything needs to be formatted properly and that you need to be professional. BE PROFESSIONAL! Avoid the gimmicks, folks! No, pink flowery paper or eye popping graphics, or humongous boxes.

Editors and Agents read thousands of words every day. They are looking for the next “great” whatever manuscript. They are professionals. It is not the time to be entertaining.

I am amazed at some of the things the editors/agents have written they receive. I mean, would you show up for a job interview in a clown suit, well, I guess if you were applying to Ringling Brothers, but you get my point. Proper attire for your manuscript is a necessity. And, that includes your synopsis. It needs to be formatted properly and here are my notes on formatting: (again from many sources)

AND, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check the submission requirements of the agent/editor where are submitting, and fulfill those requirements.

1. Double spaced, standard margins, submit s 2 to 3 page synopsis unless otherwise requested.
2. Header with TITLE/YOUR LAST NAME/(word)SYNOPSIS and to right Page numbering. I have read varying on this, but only in that your last name should go first and then the title. Otherwise they all agree on the header.
3. Write in present tense (walks/rides/is), use active voice and few adverbs or adjectives
4. The synopsis should reflect the tone and voice of your manuscript. Mine is serious with a little humor so I am working on doing the synopsis in the same way. Can you imagine Terry Pratchett’s synopsis???
5. Do not include dialogue and avoid the words: AND, THEN
6. And, MOST IMPORTANT = DO NOT use the opening of the book as the opening of the synopsis. They will be reading the first 50 pages of the manuscript, hopefully, with the synopsis, so you do not want any repetition in the packet you send. You want to give them as large a sample, as you can, of your writing.
7. IN ADDITION: Write as though you are genuinely excited about this book and eager to market it. I am presuming here, that you are.
8. Include Action Scenes and Development Scenes that are important to the plot.
9. Include illuminating setting information, characterization, and theme and leaving out almost everything that does not serve this end. If it is not plot, really THINK why you are including it.
10. Everything must be shown. You should NOT say someone “found a surprise” or “has psychic power.” You must show this and tell what the surprise is, etc.
11. And, again, OCCASIONALLY, you will alter the synopsis to suit the agent’s interests you are submitting to.

Next post: Point by point details to include in your Synopsis.

The dreaded SYNOPSIS!!! OH NO!!!

This is from a compilation of sites I have found and use regularly for help. They include some of my favorite sites, and I am including a link to a few of them but this is by no way an inclusive list of where I have gotten help.

Brooklyn Arden:
Editorial Anonymous:
Author! Author!

And, just about every other list on my links list.

I put the following together from my list of things to do right when compiling the dreaded synopsis.

First, I know that you need several variations.
There is the logline (1 or 2 lines, as you would read in TV Guide)
A paragraph to include in your query letter, which may be altered depending on the agent you send it to.
Then there is the standard one to two page Synopsis that will probably be requested.
And, the perhaps four to eight page synopsis that you may be requested to provide.

I started on the long synopsis, thinking it would be easy to go to the short one, but I am now thinking that it may be easier to work from the logline up. I am not sure yet.

MY CHECK LIST FOR SYNOPSIS: (from a lot of sources)

THIS IS FROM FAQ (the members of the Del Rey Digital Writing Workshop's first synopsis focus group (August-September '01).
Start: With a one/two-sentence summary encapsulating "what the story is about"
Then: establish the setting and identify the main characters.
Conflict: Identify the motivations of, and conflicts between, the main characters.
Plot: Move the story forward along its main thrust, showing the protagonist as active while also noting other driving forces
Resolution: show the resolution of all conflicts and sub-plots--no loose ends, no cliff-hangers
Ending: give it away. Never leave the editor guessing.

That is as concise as I have seen and what do you leave out?

Start by leaving out almost everything not mentioned above, except you must not forget that the point of the synopsis is to entice an editor/agent into requesting your full manuscript. Your synopsis should be able to stand alone. Look at it as if you were writing a short story or telling a child a five to ten minute bedtime story.

Avoid including any character unless they are absolutely essential to the plot. Too many names can be confusing and you want everything clear. You want them to see where you are going with this clever plot you have created.

You also want your world to come alive, so you need to drop bits about that, especially if it is fantasy.

While you want the synopsis to WOW them, REMEMBER, they are reading for content and not really savoring your style. So, write for clarity so that they can see where your plot is going.

Next post, proper synopsis formatting and excitement!

Everyone has their own method of working

I would never get a book done if I hand wrote it, but everyone works in different ways. Everything about my book is on the computer: research, notes, manuscript, everything. My brain is jumping around so much that my 100+wpm typing can barely keep up. I love Word and the fact that it has a neat comments feature that allows me to share what I have written with my oldest daughter, who adds extremely invaluable comments.

All Middle Grade/Young Adult writers should have a teacher mentor. My daughter teaches math and science to sixth grade advanced students. She is also a writer and loves to read. Sorry, she is all mine. I cannot share my mentor.

The second thing you should have is a folder for Writing It and for Writing After. That is what I have labeled my two invaluable files of information. The first, Writing it, is articles and information to help me with plotting and all aspects of writing. The second, Writing After, is for all the things I need to do right, to successfully submit. my manuscript.

I do not wait until I am ready to write the synopsis or a query letter and then go searching for ‘how best to’ articles. I read and save information, I feel will be helpful for me in the future, when I need a break and am trolling writer’s sites, etc on the Internet.

And, the future is now!!! I have finished my outlines and am onto my synopsis.

I have kept a chart of what I felt were the things I needed to track for each chapter as I did my final twenty-something edits. In going through the “how to outline” folder though, I have found out that I saved a lot of stuff I did not need. So, first, I redid my chart.


I used a two column chart in MS Word. Above it, I have the chapter #, chapter title and the pages it covers. I.e. Chapter 3 – The Tunnel – pp. 17 to 25. Each chapter has its own chart so that I can print them out without breaks in a chart.

The first line of the chart gives the date it takes place and the conditions, or information about place. Since my fantasy has a lot of nature and outdoor locations, I put weather conditions in here, phases of the moon, etc.

Line two is titled Action, and it contains what happens in that chapter

Line three is Protagonist Development and details what is he anxious/fearful, etc about.

Line four is the characters that are in, or mentioned in, that chapter.

Line five is for key lines.

Line six is specifically for Foreshadowing. Since I am working on book one of a series, some foreshadowing is for future books and will say “Book 4” at end to remind me what book they will foreshadow. Some foreshadowing is for this book and I go back and run a line through it when I have completed the items foreshadowed.

The reason I settled on this is that it covers the items agents/editors want to see in a synopsis: Character, Motivation, Key Scenes, Character's blackest moments, resolution.

Next, I went from this chart outline to a chapter outline, where those notes are now in word form. i.e. “The brothers escape into a tunnel with Fergus MacDonald etc…” It is a dry outline and not for submitting to anyone. It is purely a “this is what happened.” From that dry outline, with its seven lines or less per chapter, I have created a two page short outline.

This outline is also not for submitting but is for following the Plot and Subplots to their conclusion. I have worded it a bit closer to what I would show an agent or editor but it still needs a lot of work to become a synopsis, but that is where I am heading right now. See you in a day or two.

And, if you are having trouble, keep trying until you find your own way.

And, that's not all

I have folders for all kinds of hints and things to do in documents in Word. Since I am now going through outlining, synopsis, query, etc, it is time to go through all those notes and see what the experts tell me to do, to succeed.

After drawing up my list of items needed before I sent my manuscript off, I used that outline, including the numbering and I created files with the most important notes in them and the beginnings of what I had done as an outline, or synopsis, etc.

This was necessary as I found out I had about five starts on a synopsis and three outlines, etc. So, now I have a file entitled DOCUMENTS FOR SUBMITTING and within it I have folders titled: "2 a Outline - book long" "2 b Outline - book short" "2 c Outline - Moon Tree Series" and then: "3 a Synopsis Long 8 pg" "3 b Synopsis Long 5 to 3 pg."

I am working my way down this TO DO YET list from the top down, and yet, I have some started in almost every file. These starts will likely not be retained, but I'm off to work, yet again on my 2 a Book outline Long. Hopefully, the short one will be a bit more swift.

Constant Confusion - now Organization

I live with confusion. My manuscript is written and edited and edited and edited. I figure about a hundred and five times at the beginning and at least fifteen edits towards the end. I have had two other people read it and I read it aloud. THAT (reading it aloud) was an invaluable edit. Never skip that. I have two more people who are in the process of reading it and while they are doing that, I started preparing my accompanying documents.

I started off with the log line. It is the TV Guide version of your story and it needs to be gripping and sexy and tantalyzing. I spent days on this and endless versions. That was when I decided I was going about this, yet again, wrong.

So, I went back through all my notes and made a list of exactly what documents I need to have to submit. Now, some of these are not needed to submit but, when that agent calls up and says, "Hey, love your manuscript. I need a one page bio by tomorrow." or "I need an eight page synopsis and your marketing plan." You better be ready.

Realizing that I need several various versions of several things, I decided it was easier for me to start with the longest version of synopsis, bio, outline, whatever, and get that exciting and vivid and then use it to edit a shorter version. I think that will work best for me rather than starting with a short version and going back to a longer version.

I have a list, note, I have hints on each line, but that's not all:

1. TO DO YET:
   1. Know where your book would sit on the shelf & Read each of these from PAPER OUT LOUD
2. Outline
   a. Moon Tree Brothers Book Long
   b. Moon Tree Brothers Book Short
   c. Moon Tree Series
3. Synopsis: See 12 things a synopsis should do
   a. Long – 8 pages – for Manuscript Submission
   b. Long – 3 to 5 pages – for Manuscript Submission
   c. Short – 2 pages – for Manuscript
   d. Short – 1 page – for Manuscript
   e. Query Synopsis
   f. Flap Synopsis
   g. Log Line
4. Query letter that honestly represents your book
5. Bio: Third person, not first – Times New Roman - 12 point – 1” margins with heading above centered (Sheryl Adair VanVleck and next line centered Author bio) You are interesting
   a. Web page longer for Web
   b. Web page 2/3 to 1 page – double spaced page for the Web Page and book/agents without photo
   c. 1/3 to ½ single spaced if author’s photo included - page for Book and Agents (200-250 words)
   d. 50 word for Amazon and Blogs
   e. Short bio blurb for book jacket
   f. My Education
   g. My Writing Credits
6. Marketing Points
7. Build Web Site - Conform all: Web page/blogs/myspace/facebook/twitter
8. Send: As much of manuscript as requested, ONLY IF RQUESTED

Now, some of these things, like flap copy, I am not responsible for, but I think it is a good exercise for me and also, I may use it on my web site. Yes, I know exactly how long I have been working on that website. I decided the wording I was struggling with for the web site were the same things I need for these documents, so why not just do these first and take the wording from there.

Told you I am a slow learner! Toon in again, for what I did next. "and that's not all."

You really MUST read it aloud

As many times as I thought I had just one more edit, I do believe, this last edit was the last edit. It was the "read it aloud" edit and I am here to tell you that it is the one edit you must not skip. Nothing compares to you reading it outloud. You cannot do it while reading it to another person either. Do it alone. You will find all kinds of things, like places where the word "began" is better than the word "started", or where you should have a comma where a period should be or vice versa.

Husband was gone for three days picking up oldest son, Gaffer, from Duluth, Minnesota, where he was stranded after a three month futile job search. The second boy, EMT, was working each day and the youngest, JRock, was in school, so I took those three days to read my book. It was highly productive.

I had recently printed it out and had husband and EMT do their read throughs, marking comments. Now, it is Gaffer's and daughter's turn. I will take all the help I can get.

So, after having a month of power outages, a tornado and a large limb on my roof, and a computer melt-down, I am off to work on all those pesky things I need to submit. First up, is my log line and, while I have written about that before, I have found some new help, think I have a good one written and will write about that next post; providing I have power. It went on and off twice so far this morning.

Critiquing the manuscript

The rain has stopped in Indiana, if only for a day and a half, and the sun has dried the ground enough that the phone lines are fairly good. Although, I have been kicked off twice in trying to post this and this morning, I had a party line. Thank you sooooo much AT&T, for this service.

I printed my complete manuscript and started passing it around. The first person who read it (son, age 20) marked corrections/concerns and returned it to me. I just corrected a few pages, reprinted those and passed it on to person #2 (husband, 47 going on 80).

No, I am not being mean, the poor man has had COPD for twenty years and is often seated with my mother, in restaurants, instead of with me. He is one of those people who you do not want to watch certain movies with as he will sit there and pick out something he feels is not logical and drive you nuts talking about it. Hence, he is good to have edit. Mostly, his contribution was to extend the final scene and it is now greatly improved and two chapters instead of one, and also reprinted.

Actually, my Master’s Daughter is the second editor, but is very busy and has not gotten all of it back to me. My very first editor was one of her sixth grade students. A wiz kid, with an attitude, who I found adorable. He’s ultra smart. I am trying to have as many people as possible read it and critique as you get a different ideas and comments from all ages and people.

I am now reading the book on the computer, to make a final list of all the foreshadowing for the future books in the series and also reading it off of paper to younger son, and am amazed that I can still find things like extra punctuation marks, etc. Does this never end? I am anxious for oldest son to get home at the end of August, with his fiancé, and have them read it. Hopefully, by then, I will have all the related documents ready to go, my website up and can get on with submitting.

#2 on the list of things to have ready for submission

This is like fingernails on a chalkboard and I really have no idea why. It is a synopsis and, as near as I can tell, you need to be ready with two of them and an outline.

The first is one page, single spaced or double spaced.
The second is more in depth, two to three pages
and the outline can be a paragraph for each chapter.

Anyone who knows different, please correct me, because this is what I am working on.

As in everything you submit, be it logline, synopsis or query, or ANYTHING, you need to make it alluring, intriguing and make the agent or editor sit up and say, "I WANT TO READ THIS."

So, do not think this is going to be a quick thing to write. Sure, you can do the old school thing of Sally went to the store and ran into Tom. Then, they did this and then she stabbed him because he suggested she should write a synopsis, but that will not cut the mustard here, folks.

Nope, we are talking serious revision and exciting verbs and I will post my most helpful finds for a Synopsis in the days to come. Right now, I need to go clear my head of debri, and keep working on my synopsis, synopses, synopsi.

Working on my log line

As I said, I FINISHED MY BOOK.

Actually, I find it rather anti-climatic. I am very much enjoying this world and it was sad to leave it.

Now, I am onto the large list of things you need before you send it off to an agent or editor. #1 is your log line.

This is like a TV Guide blurb to get you to watch a movie/show; only it is a blurb to entice someone to purchase your book. Either, on the big scale, and then hopefully at the bookstore or on the Kindle or one of its equivalent.

I found a lot of sites to help but was still really not getting it until I found this site: Article of The Month by Alicia Rasley. She shows you how to write a sexy, enthralling log line.

And, what do you do with this log line, you ask?

It is your pitch, your premise, your marketing line. You use it to pitch to editors and agents at conferences. You memorize it for cocktail parties; when someone says, "What is your book about?" You can use it in the opening paragraph to query agents and editors. It is your new best friend and you keep it by your side.

I started on mine yesterday. Actually, I have worked on it for a log time, on and off, but since finding this article, I am seriously getting it down. Than you Alicia Rasley

About Time!

Remember me? I'm the long lost blogger of this blog. I have a good excuse for my absence this time. I have finished my book. Let me say that again, as it has been a long time coming.

I have finished my book.

Well, the first in a series. I have zipped off the final edition, after a bazillion edits to my Master's Daughter and there is a hard copy floating around the house as the boys were anxious to read it.

So, now I must:

1. Finish my web site revision
2. write an outline of the series
3. write a short synopsis
4. write a long synopsis
5. write a short bio
6. write a long bio
7. write a blurb
8. write marketing points.

You know what? I think I better go through my files a make a definite list of everything I have to have ready to send it out. I will share that list with you in a day or two, as well as the new title and header that I will be using on my web site.

Whatever I have to do now, I'm anxious to get onto outlining book two. But, that's a ways down the road.

What I did on my summer vacation

What have I done lately, to put off writing?

1. Gardening - always a demanding chore. Those pesky weeds will not stop growing. On June 11th, I was doing a no-no and bending over to pull up weeds instead of using my foam kneeling pad. I stood up and said, "Oh, that didn't feel too good." But, I continued weeding and then went in and on the computer for a good half hour. At which point, I needed to use the facilities (bathroom - water pills you know). Only, I found out I could not get up without intense pain. It was like the Rocky Horror Picture Show (to definitely date my age.) I "moved to the right," "moved to the left," one arm over leg, one leg over leg, the mixtures are endless.
2. I did finally get up, and went to the ER. Something about a swelling pressing on a nerve. I opted for Ibuprofen, rather than steroids, and Hydrocodone. Four days later, all I wanted to do was throw up, but my back hurt too much to move. I went to my G.P. Turns out that sixteen ibuprofen a day can do that to your stomach. I was sent home with steroids (could have done that to begin with) , a leg x-ray (he felt I was favoring one leg and hurting my back), and an appointment to see a stomach doctor and a bone doctor
3. Took mom to the ER on the 23rd. She has congestive heart failure and this is her third trip this year.
4. 29th, had my stomach scoped and now am on the worse pills in the world. Fourteen days of H-Pylori medicine: four amoxicillin capsules, two clarithromycin tables and two prevacid a day. It's a great diet; if you don't mind being nauseous.
5. Then there was the fourth of July. I was to take mom to a parade, a festival, a picnic and the fireworks. South Central Indiana had its own plans - RAIN! The parade must have consisted of six guys on motorcycles, but we didn't see it. All the rest was rained out and we drove to Indy and she found three recliners she has been wanting to buy.

If anyone wants to know how my book is coming, that explains the slow final edit.

However, in my never-ending quest of what works and what doesn't, I have found that listening to it is great. I write in Word, so I am highlighting portions and listening to the "convert text to speech." I would much rather hear Jim Dale read my book but guess I will have to wait until it is published. In the meantime, it is amazing how much you can catch with a computer voice reading your work.

Trials and Tribulations

And, just what does it tell you about my blogging, when I take a month off from posts and I gain a follower? Curiouser and curiouser! Forever, I have had one loyal follower, who has followed me through my "here is how to do your XYZ, on your website building or in your book, and then, Opps! I found a better way" postings.

I do thank you A LIFE IN THE DAY OF ME for being a loyal follower. Perhaps she is just too lazy to cut herself off from being a follower, or doesn't want to hurt my feelings, but thanks for whatever the reason is. And, thank you SHANI for joining our party.

I am still working on both the web site and the book.

I am downsizing the work involved in the website. It was taking too much time from my writing, when I am finding time at a premium. There will be nothing fancy, just get it up and done. I am tired of people telling me about all the broken links on my old one and I just want it all fixed.

I am up to chapter nine in the editing with Master's Daughter and her ideas have been invaluable so please do find a writing partner who can read your work and provide valuable insight. Master's Daughter is not for hire. She is actually working at Notre Dame this summer on some new fancy microscope. So, she is all mine, when I can get her.

The lack of posts. Could I just be lazy? I don't know but we have had a spate (gosh that's an old fashioned word) of illness. Mom was in the hospital again for her Congestive Heart Failure. I threw my back out, went to the ER, opted not for Steroids but to take Ibuprophen. Three days later my stomach was in such a mess I could not eat. So, now I have to have a stomach scope. More than you wanted to know, right?

Anyway, I lay here, propped with pillows, taking an occasional Hydrocodone for my back, and a something or other for my stomach and trying to focus on my book.

I do think it is time for an isolated writer's retreat. I'm off to do research on finding one. Hope you are all well. And WELCOME, new follower.

Colons and commas and Semi-Colons, OH MY!!!!

It has been a long time since I was in school and found it essential to have good grammar and punctuation skills. Hence, I have pulled out my trusty copy of Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference. http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Reference-Diana-Hacker/dp/031202455X/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1243211518&sr=11-1

I have re-learned/re-freshed my skills with colons and semi-colons and commas; colons being those pesky things which I use way too often.

Okay, was that right? Is that second half of "equal grammatical rank?"

My real lesson with this book though, has been tense.

About a year ago, I entered one of agent, Nathan Bransford's contests. Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent. Occasionally, this masochistic man will offer to read a bazillion entries of the first "x" number of words of any novel you are working on. I was not one of the winners but I did take another reader's offer of critiquing them and the first thing he said, is that I had two tenses going on.

I thought I had gone in and corrected this, but I knew I had not been thorough enough, so after my character charts were over, I started from word one and began reading the book, sentence by sentence. My first page or so was in present tense, then I slipped (with no good reason, if there ever is one) to past tense.

For some reason, if I can keep my Writer's Reference, right beside my laptop, to keep glancing at, page 39, it becomes clear to my foggy brain.

Now, if I can just do something about run-on sentences, in my blog!!!

Yipee Ki Yi Aye! Character charts done!!

Character Charts are all redone. Like everything, it was a bigger job than I thought. As I went through each character chart, it was much easier to visualize these characters, now that I have lived with them for a while.

Several of the characters had their parts, in the book, fleshed out in the book as well.

Today, I was able to spend some time with Master's Daughter in person. I had to bring my spanking new Character notebook, complete with colored index tabs to separate teachers from students, from others. Her response?

"Okay! Now I know where I got the 'must have it alphabetized, organized, and in a folder' phobia from."

In all fairness, to moa', I believe it originated with my mother and goes hand in hand with the office supply mania we all have.

Now, if I could just learn to spell in Cowboy, my title might make sense

On To: Text to Speech

I have spent a couple of weeks polishing up my character charts. People change and grow and so had some of my characters. I have them all printed out and put in a binder and can now refer to them as I go through the book again. I will be looking for inconsistencies, this time around. However, I also made changes in the book as I was redoing my character charts.

When I found out something about my character, that I thought was important to change or add in the book, as I redid their chart, I did a Word find for their name and made corrections and/or additions in some of the spots where that character appears.

I use the find feature in Word, or find and replace, constantly. One way I use it is with asterisks. Since my book does not have asterisks in it, it is a character that I can use to mark a spot I want to go back to. And, since I now have my whole book in one Word document, it has been a real timesaver way to mark these spots and also where I left off last and wanted to return to.

Today, I started, what I hope will get me nearer to sending the book out. I am listening to the book, using my “Text to speech” feature. I highlight blocks of text and then listen to it without really looking at the text. My mind can concentrate on how it sounds and it also picks out mistakes.

One of the simple mistakes, that I had not caught in umpteen readings, was:

“In between his own yells hear he could hear Joseph yelling.”

I have to wonder how I could have read that and missed it, but our eyes/minds see what we expect to see, and I apparently knew the word "hear" should not be there. An Editor or Agent is not going to see what they expect. They do not have expectations on what is happening next (Well, we hope they do not, as you want to surprise them) so they will read it and read that extra “hear” and it will slow them down. Too many of these spots and you will lose them.

If you do not have text to speech on your computer, you can always set your book aside for a couple of weeks and then read it aloud. Having someone else read it aloud is good too.

Seven days and counting, to make my book alive

Character charts are still in progress. This has grown to become a bigger job than I thought it would.

I have it down to three types of charts. I am trying to simplify my life as well as my work. I have completed two out of the three charts and am seeing a big improvement already.

With many of the redone character charts, I have gained a new perspective of my characters and found wonderful things to make the writing more alive.

So, when I am done with a character chart, when they are completely fleshed out and alive, I go back to the book. I am writing in Word and I use my Find to find each instance of that characters name to make sure their actions are consistant. This also allows for adding touches that are unique to their true character.

People do not reveal themselves right away. How often do you meet a person and think they are one type. Then, as the layers peel away and you find a whole other person. So, why should these characters, who you have created, show themselves to you on your first meeting?

Let them interact with each other and their new environment and then revisit them down the road to see who they actually are. It will make your book so much more alive.

Three days, and counting, on Character Charts

I started off with a story idea and then I had about three versions of character charts to combine and fill out for my characters. And, you know what?

After writing for years on this book and being nearly done, these guys are not all who I thought they were. Frankly, I think there is some identity crisis' going on here. Some of these guys are not even the same race any more.

So, I have spent maybe four days, my head is buzzing and I do not even remember anymore, redoing character charts. I hope to finish up today (the best laid plans, she reminded herself).

I am not sure anyone would recommend my thoroughly backward way of writing a book, but it's me. I do not outline, I write. I decide who I want in there and I write. They tell me they are not who I thought they were and I write.

It's exciting, really!

Instincts and names

I am currently revisiting the names of my characters. Some of these folks just have their own mind and do not want to be who I thought they were and, as their true colors come through, they need better names.

Daughter and I debated her feeling that she would rather discover who these people are than have a name hint at it. This debate was never resolved, with both of us seeing both sides to the issue, and me being of a mind that my eleven year old reader may well not even know what the name "means" the first time they read it anyway.

I have also tended to use names by the fact that I have never met a "Butch" who wasn't rather a bully. The first Butch I knew, beat my brother up every other day. He was around twelve at the time and my brother was under nine. So, think bully, I think Butch. This site Bad Baby Names put a new definition for "Butch" in the mix. One I had not thought of.

Then, there was AOL's article Does Your Name Spell Success? - Careers Articles. A real quick simplification of it is that if your name starts with an A or a B, you sit to the front of the class and your grades live up to your initials. Those whose names start with D and F however, tend to get those grades. There is a lot more to it, so you might want to read it, but it is something to think about. Also, read the numerous comments underneath that totally disprove their theory.

My last name put me at the end of the row of students and often at the back of the room; which was not real successful with my poor eyesight. I got eyeglasses and A's. So, I think our lesson here is to read the available information and take it all with a grain of salt. If it works for your character, it is right. If you change his/her name five times, try out the first name you thought of for the character. It may have been the right one all along. Trust your instincts.

Life goes on and so does editing

As much as I would like to hibernate in a room and just write, life keeps on moving around me and requiring my attention. So, this week, I took the dog to the vet for some unexpected surgery and then was up all night with her, was at the ER till 1:00am with my EMT boy the next day (he keeps passing out), and the next day I took my mom to the ER for her Congestive Heart Failure. It's like a central Indiana ER tour, without sleep.

My body is still trying to recharge, so I spent the day surfing, the internet, not the waves. There are not a lot of waves in Indiana, and I found an interesting blog at BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: How Long to Query.

BookEnds, and I hope they will forgive me for quoting, but BookEnds states: "Hands down one of the biggest mistakes I see authors making is spending all their time and energy revising, rewriting and reworking that first book. I know from experience that over time you can do more damage than good with all of that revising."

This is something I have wondered about as far as the book I am writing. I am actually working on my third book, none published though, so I tend to worry about everything a bit. But, I found one way to resolve that issue.

Never, ever, ever throw out or delete anything. I have printed this book out twice in full and I have CD backups for over three years now. I back up a minimum of once a month, and I do a flashdrive backup every night. And, I will say, that any time I thought to myself that I was not improving the book, I have been able to go back and so far the improvements have been improvements. That said, I will add that for my picture book, I still favor my original version and am very glad I kept a copy of it.

I did, however, reach a point with this book where I felt I had gone as far as I could and that is when I called in my Super-Hero .....Master's Daughter, to the rescue. Originally, it was for grammar and punctuation but it turned into so much more.

Master's Daughter is a sixth grade teacher, a writer, a worker with electron microscopes and now for her summer will be working with an Atomic Force Microscope. Her heros are Einstein and Yoda. She is bright and funny, knows today's kids, and we work so well together.

My book has been a family project: inspired by grandsons/sons, ideas from them and husband and now a massive tweaking with daughter. Her ideas have really added that touch I was searching for. And, no matter how much I wanted to get it out to agents and editors by June, the extra months will be worth it.

So, the lesson is, always keep backups at every step and try to stay out of the ER.

Characters, names, stupidity and Cultural Diversity

I’m going along just fine. Going over the end of the book for an edit and then along comes Master’s Daughter with a question. Well, a comment really. She’s my eyes and ears on the youth and little things that just seem to go right over my head, like a character with the name of Dama Gazelle.

Okay, it’s a fantasy, just accept the name. But, Master’s Daughter points out to me that the children are going to be calling her, “Damn a Gazelle.” Gee, duh, I never thought of that. Therein leads to days, the last three at least, of going over the names I have.

And, as long as I am doing that, I have some cultural diversity but not as much as I would like. One thing leads to another and, I have to admit, it just makes the book that much better. Of course, at this rate, I may be seventy by the time I am done.

Too busy writing to blog? Yeah, Right!

Unlike The Swivet [Colleen Lindsay]: "I don't know what we're doing for May, but I hope it involves Nerf weapons." I am not procrastinating on writing my book, nor am I looking forward to a Nerf war.

I am working eight or more hours a day on my book. I am now three chapters ahead of Master’s Daughter, who is helping me with the final line edit. What is my projected date for sending it out now; perhaps June? I hope!

I should add that I am working eight or more hours a day, given days when no one is ill, including me. The flues this year have been a real drag, and my mother is still battling one. So, when I take her groceries today, I am sure I will find myself bringing home some pesky germs to again spread the flu to our home.

What else am I doing? Well, it certainly is not blogging here, as you can all--all two of you--attest to. I do blog a bit more on my WordPress account: http://savanvleck.wordpress.com. Other than that:
1. I cooked Easter Dinner.
2. I am still weight lifting and doing aerobics.
3. I have cared for Irritating Little Chihuaha for several days; both before and after surgery.
4. I just bought groceries and will be baking cookies, to send to Army Guy grandson and his buddies.
5. I actually did work on the web site for several days but it was because I have some interest in my paintings from a friend in California.
6. I also have worked a small bit on my website for writing.
7. I watched Two and a Half Men last night and two episodes of Monk yesterday.
8. Watched son, JRock perform as a nasty prison guard and a Bobby/Policeman in a production of “Oliver” at the high school.

And, that is my life and why I am just tooooo busy to post here. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I do not want to tell too much about my book and I have no other interesting life and nothing to say. Honest!

Wednesday with the Aspiring Writer's Journal

I have been extremely busy trying to figure out to get the visitor from -- well maybe an escapee from somewhere, out of my house. You finally have to lock the dog safely in her pen, hide the jewelry and say, "Hey, you gotta go home. Preferably, your own home." Actually, her mother's home would work. But, I don't care, as long as it is not my home.

She was supposed to be around a lot but by the fourth day I realized that a lot had turned into not leaving and she was living with us. It is now day fifteen and she's on her way out. New house rule, NO ONE STAYS OVERNIGHT.

Okay, got that out of my system, and so I promised myself to open The Aspiring Writer's Journal, Susie Morgenstern, Book - Barnes & Noble and pick the first page I opened. I actually took the second page: April 22nd. "How would you define "clean"? The directions state: "Spend your day giving your room a good spring cleaning." Gheeesh!!

Forget that. It's spring. Why would I want to stay inside all day and clean? That's for fall, when it is getting cold outside, and you know you will be spending more time in the house for winter.

I first time I read it, for some reason, I thought it said, "Define your idea of clean." I like that one better.

Clean is the way the air smells when a breeze blows in the window of my not so clean house.

Clean is how my work surface should look inbetween projects.

Clean is how it feels to have a hot shower after you have spent the day canoeing and getting dumped. (In water, not necessarily by a boyfriend, but I bet that would feel clean too.)

Clean is how it feels to have a cool shower after standing on hot asphalt, under the August sun all day at a city street art fair.

Clean is snuggling a freshly bathed baby.

Have a clean day!

Two days of research equals a page this time.

Sorry, yet again, for the long absence, but the book has to take precedence over the blog at this point. It is one of those things you can taste; the joy of when you are actually ready to send your book out into the world, to survive on its own

Master’s Daughter is really busy right now, so I think she may have a plot to slow me down. She keeps finding neat things I need to do with the book.

As a sixth grade teacher, who is writing a teacher’s companion for my book, she has been a great source of inspiration. This time, it was all about the phases of the moon. I did not really think about children having a problem with this concept. Apparently, younger children seem to view the phases of the moon as if the moon could change its shape.

The world in my book is greatly influenced by nature. They do not live in little square wooden boxes, as we tend to do and so they must learn to live and survive in nature. This means they need to understand the natural world and so I have again spent two days researching a way to say something in one page. That amount of research generally results in one sentence. Good thing I love research.

So, now I shall pay Master’s Daughter back and shoot my new page off to her for more corrections. This is a discussion of the phases of the moon. I am afraid it might be too long or unclear, but she will let me know.