by Joanne Wadsworth | Nov 19, 2012 | Author Blog
So true. š
—-
Every time I even think of writing a synopsis for a completed manuscript, I groan. How on earth does a writer go about condensing their full-length novel into a brisk two to five pages? In some ways itās cruel to even make us do this, but once all is said and done, there is a great reason behind the request.
First, let me detail what a synopsis is.
- Ā Briefly itās an orderly outline condensed chapter by chapter which catalogs the completed book from beginning to end.
- Ā Thatās right, you must chop down your two-hundred-plus pages within your book to a measly two to five pages. Doesnāt that sound like fun? Yeah, sometimes the dreaded synopsis is called a sucknopsis, and I can see why.
- Which reminds me–donāt go leaving the ending out as a lure. An editor needs to see it all in your synopsis. This is a common mistake made, which is why Iām particularly pointing it out.
Ā Okay, now Iāll break down why editors considering your submission require a synopsis.
- The editor will learn very quickly if the story is suitable for their publishing house.
- Itāll also alert the editor to how well you can put together the sequences of your story in a clear and concise manner. If you will, your synopsis is the map they use to judge your skill in weaving a story, for there is a difference between storytelling and writing. Oh boy, thatās a biggy.
- A strong synopsis can also aid the editor in seeing the raw talent behind any possible writing faults. You see, we must all start somewhere, and for all debut published authors, an editor saw the diamond in the rough–and they read the synopsis first.
- Ah-huh, are you sweating yet?
Now, what does the synopsis do for the writer?
- Ā Apart from the headache of writing it, youāll soon see if thereāre any problems with your manuscript. If you struggle to map out your story and show your hero/heroineās journey in a clear way, then perhaps there might be parts of your book that need a little more attention to detail.
Which leads to–whatās the best part of writing a synopsis?
- Ā Ultimately, crafting a synopsis is a great warm-up of whatās to come when you have a contract. There are many working practices within each publishing house, and completing a great synopsis gives the writer a taste of the challenges to come.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post.Ā Donāt forget as I post each week’s blog, I update my current news. You’ll find “News this Week” at the top right of the main page of my website–and if you wish to see what I’m up to at a glance, well it’s all recorded right there.
Iād also like to point out some blog hops Iām participating in–and youāll find those āhop buttonsā pictured on the right-hand side panel of my website. Iām noting them because if you find youāre also publishing a book early in the New Year as I am, then you might like to blog hop yourself for your own bookās promotion. The hops are for readers, reviewers and writers to see what everyoneās up to, and thereāre always great giveaways at each blogās location.
You all have a fabulous week. Weāre rocking great weather Down Under and about to head into summer on December 1st. Does that sound weird to everyone living in the Northern Hemisphere? Summer? Really? Yep, in New Zealand winter is out of the way, right in time for Christmas.
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PROTECTORāBUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Nov 9, 2012 | Author Blog
Obviously this picture is just too cute not to use š
A big shout-out to Jessi Gage who tagged me for āThe Next Big Thing.ā Itās a Q&A about oneās current work in progress.
Jessi and I share an amazing number of firsts. Her debut release, Wishing for a Highlander, is coming out with Lyrical Press, Inc, on the same day as mine–January 7th. Itās going to be so cool to share our release birthday together.
Now, letās have some fun with the Next Big Thingās questions on my current work in progress.
Ā
What is your working title of your book?
Witness Pursuit. (And if you didnāt guess, thereās a witness and some serious pursuit going on.)
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Ahh, I wrote this book over a year ago for the 2nd annual āSo You Think You Can Writeā competition run by Harlequin in 2011. Only there was one problem–they give you a month to write a 60,000 word novel. What? Now I know what youāre thinking–thatās crazy. And I totally agree. Yep, let me tell you, that is not nearly long enough to come up with an idea, write it, and edit, edit, edit.
What genre does your book fall under?
Romantic suspense. The story has action, intrigue and whodunit. It also happens to have a kick-ass hero who canāt tie down his sassy heroine.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Ooo, I love this question.
My hero is a bodyguard who acted as a human shield for my heroine, taking three bullets and almost losing his life. A year on, he has no memory recall of the shooting, but she is back, still running and now emotionally provoking him in ways he doesnāt understand. There are so many secrets, with riveting twists and turns, so for my hero itās got to be Bradley Cooper. I need a man with A-Team experience to handle the firepower thatās going to come at him.
For my heroine Iād choose the young Ashley Greene. Now she stared as a vampire in the Twilight saga, and even though thereāre no vampires in this book, I do need someone with spark and who can run real fast–and as far as Iāve seen, those vampires can certainly do that.
Ā
What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Not all goes to plan when one witness on the run finds her path colliding with the bodyguard who once saved her life.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Iāll be submitting it to an agency once itās completed. Itās a category romance and will suit romance publishers for sure.
How long did it take for you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
So back to last year–I took the one month competition deadline and broke it down, figuring Iād need to write the first draft within three weeks–that meant 3000 words a day. (That was a tough one.) I then spent the last week of the month working the second draft. (An even tougher pull.)
Please note: One cannot write a pristine novel in one month.Ā š Or at least, I certainly cannot.
Now, a year later, Iāve picked up this book again after completing two young adult fantasy romances. Iām working through the third draft of Witness Pursuit, but for me there are usually seven drafts to the full completion of a book. So, in about four to six weeks itāll be shining like a pretty stone.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Any romance books where there is mystery and intrigue, where you canāt wait to turn the next page to see where the story will lead.
Ā
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Gosh, Iād have to go back 4+ years to answer that question. Thatās when I met Alegra Clarke, a local author from New Zealand who won the annual Writerās Digest competition for 2007. From that competition she gained an agent and a contract for her book. I was in awe of what sheād done, but more than that, Alegra told me to enter as many novel writing competitions as I could, that they would push me to work harder at my craft and gain possible feedback from judges, editors, agents, etc.
Even to this day with my debut novel releasing with Lyrical Press, Iām still keen on entering writing competitions provided I meet the criteria and can fit the project in. You never know what could happen with the submission you present.
Ā
What else about your book might pique the readerās interest?
(Oh, let me throw together a blurb to whet your appetite.)
Twenty-one-year-old Lydia Sands calls New Zealand home, only after witnessing a brutal hit-and-run outside her residence, she finds herself in the path of a killer. Her assigned bodyguard takes a direct hit in order to save her life, and following his near death she is thrown into the Program. A year on, her handler chooses to remove her from the killerās reach by having her board a super-yacht traveling the South Pacific with the very man who saved her life the first time.
Bodyguard Tyler Whitehall has recovered from a shooting, but a year on, has no recall from the direct hit. Now he runs security for his familyās shipping firm, only the last thing he expects during a trip on one of their super-yachts in the South Pacific, is to encounter a woman who stirs him on a physical and emotional level he doesnāt understand.
Now Lydia must run from two men, evading a killer and keeping the man whoād die for her safe. Itās a decision which sees her undertaking re-identification, although her bodyguard has only just begun his pursuitā¦and Lydia may have just underestimated the full extent of his abilities.
Okay, now to continue the fun of the chain blog, Iād like to tag the following authors to post their Next Big Things. (Of course, only participate if you wish to.)
Lacey Devlin is a wonderful Australian writer who I met on Twitter during the 2nd annual āSo You Think You Can Writeā competition. Lacey didnāt enter, but was certainly there to cheer on those of us who did.
Odessa Black writes young adult paranormal, her debut self-published novel having released with Smashwords on 26th October 2012. Congratulations to you, Odessa. Youāll find her blog and wicked cover on this link.
Serena Akeroyd is a fledgling romance writer with amazing talent. Serena entered the same SYTYCW competition with me, and we struck up a fabulous friendship. (PS: the people you meet are also another great reason for entering these competitions.)
Susan Buchanan wrote The Dating Game, a self-published novel which launched on 2nd November 2012. Itās her second book and we got to know each other during the promotion of her first novelās release earlier this year.
Serenity Woods is not only a fellow Lyrical Press author, but a Kiwi girl too. Serenity has over a dozen published books and is a true inspiration.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Nov 4, 2012 | Author Blog
WEATHERING ROCK
Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?
Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting Americaās Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Calebās mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He canāt deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.
Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets–some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.
Finding a decent guy who’ll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?
Hey everyone. Please join me in welcoming Mae Clair, author ofĀ Weathering RockĀ to my blog.
Joanne:Ā Mae,Ā please tell us a little about your debut novel.
Mae: Thanks so much for inviting me to be here, Joanne. Itās a pleasure to be a guest on your blog!Ā WEATHERING ROCK is a paranormal romance with time travel. ! My hero is Caleb DeCardian, a former colonel for the Union Army during Americaās Civil War. Heās a man whoās used to being in charge and having others respond to his orders without question.
Shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, heās transported to the 21st Century by a freak shower of ball lightning. When the novel opens, heās already been living in the present for three years, hunting for the man who doomed him to life as a werewolf. Seth Reilly is his former friend, now a bitter rival, and the man responsible for cursing him with lycanthropy.
For someone who thrives on being in control, Caleb finds himself at the whim of a curse heās powerless to resist, while facing the challenges of a new and confusing century. He has a highly defined sense of right and wrong; is noble at heart, but conflicted by what heās become.
Then he meets Arianna Hart, my heroine, and suddenly heās battling a different set of feelings. Romantic feelings. The path to true love and an HEA is never smooth, but these two have enormous odds stacked against them!
Joanne: How long have you been writing, and what drew you to the genre youāve chosen?
Mae: Ā Iāve been writing stories since I was six years old. Spinning tales just always came naturally for me.Ā My dad dabbled in writing (he as an artist) and both of my parents were avid readers. From the time I was a kid, they encouraged that gift in me. As for my genre, over the years Iāve written everything from fantasy, sci-fi and horror to romance, inspirational and urban fantasy. I love to read across genres and enjoy writing across them too, but for now Iām content creating romantic stories. I love an HEA and given itās now acceptable to add other elements (fantasy, myth, etc.) it feels like a perfect blend.
Joanne: Whatās your biggest tip in the submission process that helped you land your contract?
Mae: Ā Honestly, I just went out on a limb and submitted. I was fortunate enough to get a contract the first time out, but I like to think Iād learned my craft through years of study, critiques and growth. Iād reached the point where I knew I was ready and it was time to get off my duff and start submitting. Without doing that, I would have stagnated and that wasnāt acceptable. I felt like a bird being pushed out of the nest. It was time to see if I could fly š
Ā
Joanne: When you got your contract, and you realized your book had been accepted, what was your first thought?
Mae: Ā Um . . . is it real?
I remember speed-reading through the email because it seemed like an acceptance and I couldnāt believe it had happened. Then I went back and read it more slowly, savoring the words. The first thing I did was send my husband a text. I was at work (my day job) and wanted to bounce off the walls but had to wait until I got home. I think I walked around with a silly grin on my face for the rest of that day.
Ā
Joanne: With the contract for Weathering Rock in your hands, how long was it until your book was released?
Mae: Ā I signed the contract with Lyrical Press on March 5, 2012. The official release date for WEATHERING ROCK was October 8th, 2012, although it showed up on Amazon, B&N and most other sites about a week early.
Ā
Joanne: Whatās your next book or books?
Mae:Ā Thanks so much for asking! I have another release with Lyrical Press, called TWELFTH SUN, scheduled for August 2013.
It revolves around a treasure hunt for a valuable marine artifact. My heroine, Reagan Cassidy, has been asked by her uncle to work with a friend whoās a renowned authority in the field of marine archeology. She agrees, thinking heās going to be a stodgy old man, close to her uncleās age. Instead, she gets Dr. Elijah Cross, a quirky twenty-five year old who looks like a grunge musician and who has held a Ph.D. for several years. Reagan is an āolderā woman at thirty-five, but once they start working together, the sparks and attraction fly.
Iām also working on the sequel to WEATHERING ROCK and a romantic mystery with inspirational undertones.
Ā
Joanne: Iām going to have a fun rapid fire question round.
Tea or coffee?Ā Thatās a tough one, LOL! Right now Iāll say coffee because Iām addicted to my Kuerig, but I also love tea.
Have you ever traveled to New Zealand? No, but I would love to. The scenery is beautiful. Can you bottle some and send it my way? š
Dog or cat?Ā Cat. Theyāre a weakness of mine.
Beach or skiing?Ā Definitely beach!
Chocolate, or vanilla, or rocky road ice-cream? Rocky Road. Although if that hadnāt been an option, I would have chosen vanilla.
Lemons or lemonade? Lemonade. Iāve always been a glass half-full person.
Do you write on holiday? You mean like a vacation? I generally donāt write, but itās a great time to gather ideas and be inspired. I always have a tablet with me and take lots of notes.
Do you brainstorm during your sleep? Constantly!
Favorite food? Maine lobster tails.
What three things would you take to a desert island? My hubby, my Kindle Fire and a cat.
Ā
Joanne– Where can readers find you, and your book?
Maeā
Iām Ā at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Facebook Author Page
Lyrical Press Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Book Blogs
Buy WEATHERING ROCK at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Lyrical Press
iBooks
View Book Trailer for WEATHERING ROCK
Ā
Joanne– Thanks for stopping by, Mae, and huge congratulations to you on your debut release. (Which I’m currently reading, and thoroughly enjoying.)
Mae– Ā Thank you for having me, Joanne. It was such a delight to be here. You were one of the first authors I connected with when I ventured online and itās been a true pleasure to get to know you. Iām flattered to be able to share a little of myself and my book with your readers!
EXCERPT–
āStop it!ā Arianna shook off Wynās grip, pivoting to face him. āAre you crazy?ā
Before he could answer, something slammed against the door. Caleb screamed. The sound knifed through her like the violent jolt of an electrical wire.
āCaleb!ā She launched herself at the door, panicked and terrified by the thought of the man she loved in horrific pain.
āDonāt!ā Wyn stiff-armed her aside and grabbed the knob, forcibly holding it in place. āGet a chair. Something, anything! Weāve got to keep him locked inside.ā
āWhat are you talking about?ā
āArianna, get a fricking chair. Now!ā
There was another crash, and then a bang as something heaved against the door, making it shudder from top to bottom. Arianna heard a snarl that turned her blood to ice. The door rattled in its frame, weakening as something battered against it. Something inhuman locked in the room with Caleb.
A cold fist clamped over her stomach.
āWyn, whatās going on?ā
āChair!ā he spat. āGet me a damn chair.ā
The raw urgency of his voice plowed through her confusion. She darted into the dining room, snagged a chair, and dragged it into the hallway. The thing in the parlor was still hammering away, heaving itself against the door in an attempt to burst through. Wynās face was white with strain as he struggled to hold the door shut with both hands. He rammed the top of the chair beneath the knob, wedging it securely into place. A blood-thirsty howl exploded from the other side, kicking Ariannaās heartbeat into overdrive.
āMy God, Wyn, whatās going on?ā She lurched for the door.
āDonāt. You donāt know what youāre doing.ā Wyn caught her around the waist and swung her up against the wall.
She tried to squirm free. āI know Calebās trapped in there. We have to help him! Thereās something in the room. Canāt you hear it?ā
He held her wrists, pinning her arms to the wall. āListen to me!ā His eyes were wild, his face inches from hers. With a single frenetic skip of her heart, she realized he was as terrified as she was.
āThereās nothing in the room. Only Caleb. Do you hear me, Arianna? Itās Caleb.ā
āNo!ā She shook her head, unwilling to believe what he told her, but another ear-splitting snarl fanned her fear higher. Nothing made sense. Not the stark fear in Wynās eyes, the sweat-slickened grip of his palms crushing her wrists or the chillingly inhuman sounds coming from the parlor. The man she loved could never sound so guttural or barbarous.
āI donāt care!ā She ripped free of his hold. āI donāt care if heās by himself or in there with something else. You have to help him!ā
She lunged for the door, but Wyn grappled her around the waist, holding fast. They were still struggling when the sound of shattering glass rang through the narrow center hall of Weathering Rock.
BIO–
Mae Clair knew from the time she entered grade school that she wanted to be a writer. She credits her parents with instilling in her an insatiable love of reading through weekly trips to the library when she was a child. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create characters and make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Inspired by folktales, legends and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, she loves to blend the fantastical with the ordinary. Her heroes are known to be flawed and complex, her heroines capable, independent and sexy.
Throughout the years she has been actively involved in various writing and critique groups and is a past President of the Central Pennsylvania Writersā Organization.Ā She lives in Pennsylvania and is married to her high school sweetheart (a.k.a. the Love of Her Life). In her downtime she enjoys reading, digital scrapbooking and unwinding with her husband by the pool when the fickle PA weather permits. Ā A self-admitted idealist, Mae is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 28, 2012 | Author Blog
Before I jump into answering the headerās question, stay tuned, for at the end of this post, Iāll be announcing the winner of last weekās critique offer.
So, let’s jump intoĀ this week’s post. A fabulous blog followerĀ posed this question to me–can one finish their novel without help? Sheād tried groups, classes and other writersā books. All great ideas, but was still unsure of her execution.
I considered her question for all of one-second, because my answer is a resounding āyes, you can.ā
In fact this year Iāve met a dozen new authors whose debut novels are releasing with publishers, as well as an equal number whose debut novels are being self-published–and all due to their own hard work. Yes, no one elseās, but their own. At the moment, thereās nothing a writer canāt do. In fact, this is the most amazing time for us. Thereās a revolution underway and the digital opportunities are opening up.
So, letās delve deeper into that question–ācan you finish your novel without help?ā–and I’ll offer a touch of adviceĀ for what you need to do from the very beginning, because you’ll most likely be doing this, I imagine. Here are myĀ answers in bulleted points for ease of reading.
- Read, read, read. Take note of punctuation, chapter formats and storyline structure. Even now, no matter how busy I am with my writing, I still set aside thirty minutes to an hour at the end of each day to read. A writer must read.
- Do your research by checking out websites belonging to publishers and agents who are open for submissions in your genre. See what they’re asking for.
- All I’mĀ saying is, more than anything, do your research. Know what your targets are when you first start out.
Okay, so letās move on and cover oneās execution of their work.
- Be unique and find your own writerās voice. I heard this advice over and over–and I have to say, it took me two years to nail that. Itās not an easy task. To begin with my writing followed the voices of my favorite authors with my sentence structure. Then there was a sudden change. It came about when I allowed my writing to flow as if I spoke. Now, letās not forget Iām from New Zealand, and since thereāre only four million of us in my tiny country, I really should have been able to nail this uniqueness sooner.
- On the writing front though, remember to embrace the five senses: sight, smell, taste, feel, speak. Bring the reader into the written world youāve created using all the senses available. When youāre doing your daily reading–make sure youāre researching. I never read a book without a pad and pen on hand. Seriously. Try it, if youāre not already.
- Utilize dialogue, action, emotion and thought, ensuring you give you a good blend of each within the pages you write.
- Always āshowā instead of ātell.ā (For further clarification on this, I have several posts with this āshow, donāt tellā header.) Itās an important point to note, for publishers want authors to āshowā within their written word and not to tell a reader whatās happening.
- Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. There are so many drafts before a writer completes their book it isnāt funny. Truly it isnāt. Stop laughing. The number of rewrites shocked me to begin with, so much so that I lost count of how many I did. Luckily, this is something that becomes easier as time moves on, and most writers will say it takes around seven drafts to complete a book. Just be prepared for the long haul when you first start out.
- So don’t forget youĀ can finish your novel without help, and be assured many do. Just remember the key word: RESEARCH.
Okay,Ā now it’s timeĀ to get down to the serious business of the offer I made last week. For those who left a comment asking for a critique, they had their name put into a hat. What could they win? Yours truly will be their second set of eyes to go over the first four pages (or 1200 words thereabouts) of their novel. Thatās the first four pages. Not four pages from the middle of the book, but the first four pages. Okay, so for this fabulous critique, the winner is:
*** Amy Kennedy ***
Hey, congratulations, Amy. Please email me the first four pages of your novel as a word document attachment so I can insert āreview bubblesā for personalized editing advice. My email address is located under the āContact tabā on my website, or of course itās joannewadsworth007@gmail.com
Iāll be making this offer again in the near future as I had a great response–and Iām all for authors supporting authors. You guys rock with the way you support me on my website.
Also on my website, as I post each week’s blog, I update my current news. You’ll find “News this Week” at the top right of the main page–and if you wish to see what I’m up to at a glance, well it’s all recorded right there.
Iād also like to point out some blog hops Iām participating in early next year–and youāll find those āhop buttonsā pictured on the right-hand side of my blog page. If you find youāre also publishing early in the New Year as I am, then check out what Iām up to, as you might find youād like to join me in my blog hopping adventures with your own bookās promotion. The more the merrier.
You all have theĀ bestĀ week.
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PROTECTORāBUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 25, 2012 | Author Blog
Hey, everyone.
Me and my current WIP have been chummy this week. Iāve slogged through the final proofing of Warrior, a young adult/fantasy/romance, and itās now complete. Phew. Yay, Woo-hoo.
My first baby book titled Protector has a follow-up, and that makes me sigh with delight.
So, I whipped up a synopsis and a blurb and now Warrior has been submitted to my publisher.
Now the wait. *fingers twiddling*
Will it get accepted? *fingers still twiddling*
Iāll be sure to keep you all posted. *twiddle your fingers with me*
In the meantime, I have a wonderful offer for you all. More than anything, Iāve learnt how important it is to have a second set of eyes go over those first few pages of oneās manuscript. For me, thatās my sister. Sheās not a writer, but sheās an avid reader with a discerning eye.
As writers we read our work a thousand times and we know our story inside-out. Which means we occasionally miss something which becomes glaringly obvious once pointed out by another. Hate that, but also love and appreciate it. (Thanks, little sis.)
So, to my offer–everyone who leaves a comment asking for a critique will have their name put into a hat. What do you win? Yours truly shall be your second set of eyes to go over the first four pages (or 1200 words thereabouts) of your novel. Thatās the first four pages. Not four pages from the middle of the book, but the first four pages. Okay, so if youāve been catching my blogs, youāll know my skills are in the editing department–which means it will be a fabulous critique. Youāll love it.
Iāll pick a winner and post the name next week on my blog, so keep your eye out for who that is. (Particularly the winner, because youāll need to get in contact with me via email.)
Now, Iām off to hit the promotion trail for Protector which releases on 7th January 2013 with Lyrical Press, NY. Ā Ā PS: We writers truly are the busiest people in the world. *nod if you agree*
Also on my website, as I post each week’s blog, I update my current news. You’ll find “News this Week” at the top right of the main page–and if you wish to see what I’m up to at a glance, well it’s all recorded right there.
