#75 - I Did What I Never Thought I Could Do

I never would have thought I could write a synopsis for a book I hadn't written yet, in addition to the first 10 pages of the book, in less than 2 days.

I'd like a raise of hands from anyone who thinks they could do that, no sweat. :)

I do have to confess that I didn't start just totally from scratch. When I was going through my hard drive recently (see Confession #74), I came across a little story idea I'd written up. I had a premise written down, and a 2 1/2 - page prologue.

Another added challenge - I've never written a synopsis before. That's something you do /after/ you write a book. Right? And I've never finished a book. So, there you go.

So, I'm going along with life, thinking I'm doing pretty well. I have a meeting with an editor in a month and I'm supposed to send her the first 10 pages and a synopsis. Time goes by and I think I just need to do some polishing because I'm going to send her this fairy tale I wrote years ago that has been revised so many times, I don't think a single sentence is the same as it was in the beginning. So, in other words, it's ready. And there's no need for a synopsis because it's only 9 pages long.

But, I thought I should email the event coordinator and ask if I need to send something in place of the synopsis and she emails me back and tells me the editor doesn't do picture books.

*crickets can be heard chirping for several minutes*

I have lots of books I'm working on. All of them are farther along than the one I chose. But I chose it because this particular editor does sci-fi / fantasy, and this is the only book I even had a concept of that fits in that category. (Or so I thought at the time. See below...)

So . . . I did it. I wrote the synopsis with some help from a couple seasoned sci-fi / fantasy writing friends of mine. And I wrote the first 7 pages of Chapter One. In a day and a half.

I had time to read it all over a couple times, and then I had to hit 'send.'

Cross all your fingers and toes and eyeballs, and anything else that can be crossed, for me. Or, rather, say a little prayer. With your arms crossed. :)

The hardest part for me was writing the synopsis. In order to write it, I had to figure out how to get my character in a big mess, and then OUT of it. That's part of why I don't finish the books I start. Because I don't know what's supposed to HAPPEN.

Maybe I need to write synopses for all the books I'm working on. :)

So, for all you interested fans out there, here is a list of the books I'm currently writing:

- LDS Women's Fiction
Approx. 62,000 words

- Fantasy
Approx. 13,500 words

- Historical Fiction
Approx. 3,400 words

- Humorous Contemporary
Approx. 1,000 words

- Women's Fiction
Approx. 14,000 words

- Futuristic Sci-Fi
Approx. 2,600 words

My daughter told someone a couple days ago that she's writing two books. Then she said, "My mom's writing six books. I don't think I would want to write six books at once. I think I'd get confused." She's very wise.

Some of you may have noticed I have a fantasy I've been working on that's over 13,000 words. This editor does fantasy, so I could have sent that to the editor. I could have. Really. If I'd thought about it. Like I said, my daughter is very wise.

But I console myself with the fact that I'm really bored with that story right now and I'm really excited about the new one I just wrote this week.

So, am I completely insane???

(Don't answer that question.) :)

#74 - How Could I Have Forgotten You?

Have you ever gone through your hard drive and found a 45-page, 14,000+ word manuscript that you wrote 3 years ago that you'd completely forgotten about? Okay, that's a rhetorical question, because I'm pretty sure none of the rest of you are that out of it.

I made a discovery today, and I'm not really sure what it says about me. I started a book a few years ago and got 45 pages into it. And I'm in the middle of reading it to find out what happens. Seriously. I can't remember. I just read the most awesome scene. I love it. There is the most awesome old lady ever. And there's also this really cute guy. And the most awesome scene with a little girl stuck in a car, and the hunk saves her . . . Really, it rocks.

I'm kind of stunned because I kind-of sort-of remember writing this, but I did not remember any details, at all. Like, the scene with the old lady. Whose name happens to be Violet. (But that name totally fits her. No way could she pull "Vi" off.)

But if you do want to read a rockin' story about a girl named Vi, go read my friend Elana's story and write a review telling Amazon how seriously awesome it is. She's a quarter finalist for the "Amazon Breakthrough Novel" Award. Go Elana! :)

Sorry for the aside. My point is that I don't remember writing about Violet. It's like I put this book on the back-burner and then I got cooking some other stuff and set it to the side of the stove and then all my dishes piled up and I didn't even see it back there for the last few years. I don't know; I'm still trying to figure it out.

I've been searching on my hard drive today to find something I want to take to the LDS Storymaker's Conference for their annual "Boot Camp." You get to sit at a table with authors and other writers and read over pieces of your work to have them critiqued, etc. I'm so bored with all my current projects and they've all been recently critiqued and hashed over. So I thought I'd snoop around my files and see if I could come up with something to take. I found two story ideas that I've written the first 2 pages on, each. Both really cool concepts, if I do say so myself (and I just did.) And then this 45-page one . . .

What are your thoughts? Maybe I'm just the "absentminded professor" type? Maybe I just don't know how to focus and finish anything, so I've started too many projects to keep track of? And what does it say about me that I'm thinking, "this story is so great! I can't wait to see what happens next!" about my own book?

That concludes this episode of The Twilight Zone . . . . :D

#73 - I have a desire to create

My friend Stephanie shared a video on her blog that really touched me. I remember when Elder Uchtdorf gave this talk and I loved the message. Basically, he tells us that the desire to create something that didn't exist before is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.

It doesn't just apply to painting a picture or writing a song or penning a poem. It can be as simple as creating a loving atmosphere in the home. Creating a feeling of happiness in someone's heart.

This is the video that was put together based on his talk:



One of the reasons this resonated with me is that I do have the desire to create a book. A painting. A poem. I love the feeling of finishing a project and seeing what I've made. Of knowing that someone else might see it and be touched and be better for it.

So, Stephanie issued a challenge on her blog and I'm going to respond and offer the same thing to all of you.

The first five people to respond to this post will get something from me!
My choice. For you. Handmade.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It'll be done this year.

4- You have no clue what it's going to be (nor do I at this point).

The catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they want to receive a homemade gift from me will indeed receive one.
And be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!!