Friday, July 31, 2009

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.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

#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.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

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

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

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.