My nifty new award, my book tailer and REMEMBER to read your manuscript aloud

Wow! Now that I have this nifty writers blog award, and from a site that is right up my fantasy alley, I better get blogging.

I have been doing a little of it on my personal blog, but as far as writing, I have just successfully edited out about 6,000 words in my Middle Grade book. It is with an editor, who is focusing on grammar and mostly punctuation, but I am still amazed to see the stupid mistakes she is catching in it: Redundancies (ie saying the same thing twice in a sentence),  other odd things such as that.

I was so excited when she offered her services that I did not do the final 'out loud' read through on the revised manuscript. Always a mistake.  You have to read it out loud to really hear it.

My book trailer is up on YouTube. I created it by creating several drawings and then using words in between. The thing that really sets it off though, is the music. I have a credit for the composer at the end. The piece I found just fits so perfectly. It has a low native sounding drum building up, for this book that has a lot of elements of the First People in it.  You can find it at by searching YouTube for Moon Tree Brothers. My videos are at http://www.youtube.com/user/SAVanVleck  and include my grandson's Country music, as well as odds and ends.

In amongst this, I seem to have a heart attack epidemic in my family. Mom ended up in the ER with a heart attack and has taken days to recover. Hospice is now coming out to her apartment and that is a comfort. The other family member is mom's little Chihuahua. I have to make sure she eats before she gets her heart medicine and some days she just does not want to eat. The vet doesn't have a lot of hope for length of her life. 

So, your blog award was a bright spot in my day. Thanks, so much Storybook World. Click on my award for a link to their site. http://astorybookworld.blogspot.com

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.

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

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!

My Long Absence

Wow! This has to be the longest time between posts yet. But, trust me, my reader. It will all soon be worth it. I am so close to the place where I can begin submitting my novel to agents.

That is very exciting to me. Everything clicked and my Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy Novel (could that get any longer?) is down to the "wrap up" chapter. One day, the big scene just fell in place.

Actually, I reached that point in my millionth edit and just kept going this time. Master's Daughter and I are up to chapter seven in our joint edit.It is amazing to me, that she picks up on the exact same spots where I have thought, "This isn't right. This isn't necessary. The wording is off." Thus, showing me that I need to trust my instincts more and that everyone needs a partner editor.

The edit is picking up words mostly, or where a scene is confusing. It is nice to have a second pair of eyes, or should I say, a second brain, to help me find the right word.In the evening, when my brain is a bit tired, I do a few more things on my web site.

The website is coming along well. I have my graphics ready and I am working on my text only pages, knowing that the wording for those, will go into the graphic version, so I am killing two birds with one stone.I have worked out how much I can say without giving too much away and making the web site interesting enough to get people to return.

I look forward to the day when I can post a request here for help in critiquing it. Nothing really humorous to write, just that Master's Daughter found my pile of leaves confusing. And, if you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the book.