Pitch or Synopsis Can Be One & The Same

A pitch -- notice it has PITCH -- is in fact a verbal synopsis of your novel, but there is no rule that says a pitch can't be the synopsis and visa versa. A pitch/synopsis can be seen as precisely the copy you'd want to see on the backflap of a hardcover or backside of a paperback. The one with your title and name on it.

The synopsis-pitch is the most important short-short you will ever write - the story of your story and a sales pitch for the book. Not everyone is comfortable with a "bragg" of any sort on their own books, but done professionally and cleanly, it does not have to sound filled with hubris.

Most published works have backflap copy written by a copyeditor who can be more objective and direct and write in the voice of a cheerleader that touches on Who, What, Where, When, How or Why or all six Journalistic requirments. That is main character (whose story is it anyway?). Zero in on precisly WHO is central to the story, who is the fulcrum around which all satelite characters orbit, and then speak of him or her by name and occupation. Follow up with setting, time, what's the main storyline or goal or obstacle or a combination of these - the how and the why of it.

And it needs be about as short as my remarks here, if not shorter. Check out descriptions on ebooks for samples where many have been done by Indie authors and not copy editors, and do the same with paperbacks at the local drugstore. Ingest and own the style of the copyeditor who knows how to say MORE with far LESS than most of us. Finally, get hold of my Dead On Writing for all manner of issues in publishing, about craft, and ebooks as well as paper.



Robert W. Walker
Dead On Writing (Amazon Kindle & Wordclay.com  for POD)

You Have All You Need ... by DL Larson

Last week I was a bit under the weather, overextended from trying to do too much, mourning the loss of my mom, all the while fighting off a raspy throat, allergy thing. I also had a deadline coming up for a skit I had agreed to write.

I had done my research for the skit about the history of an organization very dear to me, the Foods Resource Bank, a grassroots Christian group who takes on agricultural projects in rural areas around the world. I knew what I wanted to write, I had done my research, had asked the right people for details that turn a simple story into a meaningful one. All I had to do was put words to paper, yet I didn't and the deadline crept closer and closer.

One evening I was dozing on the couch, watching a late night inspirational speaker on TV. I was in that state of not really listening, but his words made my eyes pop open. He was staring right at me on our big flat screen as if waiting for me to acknowledge him. His statement was simple yet poignant, "You have all you need to complete your task. God's silence is simply his assurance that you will succeed."

Well, who wants to argue with that kind of statement? I rationalized the message was a general one and held numerous meanings, yet I couldn't shrug off the inspiration it had given me. In essence I had been waiting to give myself permission to complete my task. I still wasn't in much of a mood to write, but then if I waited for that I would never have gotten any significant writing done these last several years. I was a professional and had a job to finish.

I'm glad to say the skit is done and has been passed on to those who need it. The deadline was this morning and I sent the skit off two days ago via e-mail. There may be some tweaking yet to do, but minor changes are easy to fix. I'm glad I was able to complete my task. Who's to say if I would have finished even if I hadn't been listening to Mr. Inspirational Speaker. More importantly it made me aware of the commitment I had made to others. I don't want to be known as the writer who is pretty good ~ when she feels up to. I'd rather be known as the writer who said she could do the work and then did it in a timely fashion.

I like to think my mom would agree.

Til next time ~

DL Larson

My favorite authors by Morgan Mandel

I have lots of favorites, especially those from my writing groups, but my very favorite authors have to be Mary Higgins Clark and the late Sidney Sheldon.

What makes them favorites is their style is easy to read, yet not dummied down. Their plots are compelling, yet not too complicated to understand. Mary usually writes about everyday people, while Sidney's books tend to be about the larger-than-life ones.

Which ones are your favorites, and why?

Composting and Writing

Yes, I said composting and if you're an organic gardner you know what I'm talking about. So, what does this have to do with writing? Well, both endeavors start out with raw materials, go through a sometimes ugly process of decompisition and the end product can be a beautiful and amazing thing compared to how it started.

I have two large compost bins in my back yard and this past weekend when my neighbors grandson was mowing my lawn that had been covered with leaves, I had him empty the mulched remains into one of the compost bins. He also turns the contents of the bins for me once a week. Mostly, he sees the decaying material mixed with bugs and wonders what the heck I'm up to with this project. He often complains about the smell but won't wear the face mask I gave him.

I had to mix some of the material from one bin that was still breaking down into the other bin where the process was almost complete. I took the time to show him where all his hard work was heading. I scooped the organic soil from the bottom and held it up so he could smell it and he was surprised how clean and fresh it did smell. Explaining the entire process to him, I saw his eyes light up because now he understood.

Well, writing is - in many ways - the same. A lot of hard work that's sometimes 'smelly' but when you see and experience the final product you can't help but be proud of yourself.

Autumn is here.... by June Sproat

It’s Autumn. I know, but not because it’s September and not because the Autumnal Equinox has passed, but because I have a cold. A yucky sinus head cold that I always get at the beginning of fall that will come and go until next spring. If I’m lucky. That the cold will go away, I mean.

One would think that since I know this, I should have bought stock in decongestants and tissue. I would be a very rich girl, but alas, I did not. So I will do my best to pass the time reading my favorite authors and writing, of course only when I am not in a cold medicine induced state. (Or maybe I should write then, who knows what I would come up with!)

Regardless, I must return to my WIP. I have left the heroine’s brother unconscious in the hero’s carriage. Of course our heroine does not know why or how he came to be in the hero’s carriage, but I don’t think she is very pleased and I do believe she may jump to some incorrect assumptions. Or maybe… ah well, back to work!

Have a healthy week!

Best,
June

www.junesproat.com

Cleaning House

My hubby and I spent the majority of our day cleaning in our basement yesterday. We're having some work done down there and needed to get things organized and sorted. As we sifted through the things we've accumulated over the years, we made several piles: trash, recycling, and give away. We accomplished a lot and in the end wound up with three giant bags of trash and an overflowing garbage can, an overflowing recycling bin, and a huge pile for charity.

Looking at the piles lead me to the inevitable writing comparison. Editing is a lot like cleaning the basement.

There's the trash: These are things I get rid of completely from my manuscript. They may be grammatic or spelling errors, plot points that don't make sense, or simply eliminating adverbs or "extra" words to make the writing cleaner.


Then there's the recycling: These are things that don't work where they're at in the story, but can be moved to another place or tweaked a bit to use later.


Finally, there's the give aways: These are things that don't work for this particular story, buy may work in another. Too good for the trash pile, but not quite the right fit for the current plot.


So whatever you may be doing today...cleaning the basement or editing...I wish you a happy and productive day.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Authors Challenge Themselves

'WHAT kinds of challenges have you set for yourself in your writing? Share it here in the comments section.

But first, Do you like to challenge yourself in your writing and do you admire it in books you read when it is obvious the author has done so? I am the same way - whatever is my WIP is my biggest challenge but there are subjects and issues that become enormous hurdles. For instance - had to think like a pedophile in City of the Absent as Alastair Ransom interrogates one of these lowlifes and in order to get confession he has to "like the guy" or rather pretend to and to "understand" his sick needs. I pulled it off but it took a lot of effort and deep, dark staring into the abyss of the human condition. I have also had to BACK off the more horrendous stuff in my Instinct and Edge titles at times to write something lighter, again too long staring into the wickedness that is the dark side of mankind - a truly sinister aspect in our shared psyche and collective gene pool (how far are we truly from our predatory ancestors?).

But now take Children of Salem, whoa...talk about having to stop and start - try like thirty years off and on (witch hunt, hang thy neighbor, pitchforks and torches stuff). Now with Titanic 2012 I do it to myself again - I go out of my way to challenge myself; this time doing two time periods alternating chapter by chapter, set a hundred years apart. Nothing challenging about that....generational horror science fiction suspense thriller - whew!

Hoping to have Titanic out in time for Halloween now as we've had set backs  and challenges. But tell us here now in the comnnents section WHAT has been some big challenges you have set for yourself in your writing?

Rob

www.robertwalkerbooks.com
first chapter free stuff here