Fundamentals of Publishing

Knowing When You're Finished

Several of you have asked me how to know when you're finished and ready to send your work out, so here's a brief summary of some of the things we discussed in workshop last night:

• Write your way to the end, and don't get hung up on details.


• Give yourself a deadline and tell a few of your friends. That way, you might even embarrass yourself into finishing.


• Rewrite until you make yourself blind.


• Then put the piece away for awhile (Joyce Carol Oates says one year) and work on other projects; let the fat congeal and the dead dialogue start to smell.


• Pick the manuscript up again with a cold eye and a merciless pen.


• Fix everything.


• Give the piece to reader(s) you trust to tell you the truth.


• Forget about your ego and listen to what your reader(s) tell you.
  
• Suspend your certainty that you're right.


• Use what's suggested as a new way of seeing things and building a better manuscript.


• Then proofread the piece like crazy, or get someone with a great eye to do it for you before you send it out. A single typo can result in a speedy rejection.

Remember, writing is tough but comes from a fragile place. That's why we bleed so easily when we're criticized. But we're also brave enough to put the words on the page. So use that bravery to examine the choices you make in order to put your best work out there.

Writing a Novel Synopsis

Here are some tips on writing a good synopsis. These days, most agents/editors don't want to see a chapter-by-chapter description of your book, but often that's a good place to start.

• Write a one-paragraph summary of each chapter.


• Notice recurring themes.


• Start with your main character and her crisis.
  
• Don't include dialogue unless it's absolutey necessary.


• Do include a few strong quotes from your main character and make them short.


• Keep events in the same order they happen.


• Have a synopsis beginning, middle, end.
  
• Tell how the novel ends.


• Don't exceed two pages.

Here are ten synopsis dos and don'ts.

A Reading on Point of View

Thanks to Jeff for providing the link to a detailed discussion of point of view.

Some Reminders

• Please send me the 3-sentence synopsis you wrote last night in class at your earliest convenience.


• Your revisions of assignment 1 (300-500 words) are due on Friday, Feb. 26 at 10PM. We will NOT be doing group work on these revisions, so you only need to send one copy of your file to me. We will resume group work in sessions 5 and 6.


• For those of you turning in your ONE long piece (10 pages maximum) this week, the due date is Feb. 26 at 10PM. I'll return your manuscripts later next week.


• Don't forget to bring to class next week the name of one journal, magazine, or press you might submit your work to. Also include the name of the editor and your reasons for your selection. Be prepared to discuss your choice in class.

This Week's Challenge

A novel begins as follows:

Every summer, my family rented the same small house on the same mosquito-covered lake in the same small town in Canada. The idea was to drive all the way in one day, packing the station wagon the night before so that we could leave at 4:00 A.M.

What's the next sentence?

Have a great week.

Characters

It's a snowy day and a good time to think about your writing. Last night, we discussed some ways to develop characters. The biographical sketch is a useful tool to get you started. Once you know your character, you can be more specific and unique. I'm going to give you a chance to use this biography to rework the beginnings you wrote last week, since several of you have asked for the opportunity to do so. But more on that next Monday.

For now, character ...

Here's some food for thought as you develop your biography:

• What does your character look like?
• What does she do for a living?
• What kind of family does she come from?
• Is she married?
• Does she have children?
• How does she spend her spare time?

And ask yourself, what are his strengths and flaws; what is his political affiliation; what are his goals; what are his moral and ethical beliefs; what are his religious beliefs?

Once you've answered the questions that apply, ask yourself why you want to write about this character. Why are you so interested in him? What draws you to her?

Don't forget about body language.

• Facial expression
• Eye contact
• Posture
• Handshake
• Hand and Arm Gestures
• Position of the Head

How your character responds to a typical situation shows the reader a great deal about who she is. A single gesture can be worth a thousand words.

Now you're ready to sit down and tackle a 300-500 word sketch due in my mailbox by Friday, Feb 12 at 10PM. I know it's late, but I AM checking.

A NOTE ON THE EXCHANGE OF FILES

Since Word 03 cannot read .docx files without a special conversion utility, please save your work in the .doc (Word 97-03 option on the pull-down menu for "Save As") format. That way, everyone in your group will be able to open your files without getting a lot of gobbledigook.

A REMINDER

If you haven't done so already, don't forget to email me a brief description of what aspects of your writing you want to focus on in here.

A QUICK READ TO PASS AN ENJOYABLE FEW MINUTES

Here's one person's pick of the 10 Most Harmful Novels ever written.

FINALLY--THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

(Click on "comments" below. Fill in your name, and then have fun!)

What kind of character would observe the following?

Funny how falling feels like flying, for a little while.

See you next Monday.

Thoughts on our First class

Writers!


Energetic class last night, even considering how late in the day it was. I particularly enjoyed listening to how you see yourselves as writers. You're working in different genres. Some of you already have books in the trunk, while others have tons of ideas stashed in journals. But we've all experienced roadblocks: difficulty in getting started because writing is just so darned hard, fear that other people won't like or understand what we've written, worry that we're somehow doing it all wrong (as if there's one right way). These anxieties keep us from doing what our hearts and minds tell us we want to do, namely write.


By bringing your work into the daylight and letting others in the class respond to it, you'll gain more insight into what you are actually doing and what you WANT to do. Remember that you have the authority to decide which suggestions to use or discard. So listen carefully. Even if something sounds off-the-wall, you may come up with a third way somewhere between your original impulse and the crazy idea that works better. That's happened to me a lot and often with surprising and wonderful results.


DON'T FORGET to email me a brief description of what you most want to improve on as a writer at your earliest convenience.


A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BEGINNINGS:


Here are some suggestions for those of you who are using chapters/stories you've already written:

1. Plunge right in by showing your protagonist on screen and in focus. Get readers into her/his head. Don't stop to give a guided tour. You can do that later with flashbacks.


2. Establish your protagonist in context. Is she/he a hexagonal peg in a square hole?


3. Offer a scene that mirrors the overall conflict (but go lightly here). Ask a question, though not necessarily literally. Why am I hopelessly in love? Why did my father leave? How did my best friend end up in a pool of blood on the floor?


4. Portray an evocative situation, a signature scene where the protagonist has something at stake. But if you're going to use action, remember that readers don't yet know who your protagonist is, so choose wisely. Stay simple.


5. If you're in the realm of fantasy, science fiction, or history, for example, show how your world works starting with the most familiar elements first as a guide to readers.

THANKS TO ANNE FOR THIS SUGGESTION:

Here's the memory fragment I read in class. We ran out of time before each of you had an opportunity to take a stab at the beginning. Now's your chance. Please DO share your first sentences with the rest of the class by posting them on the blog.

One day when I was around five years old, I walked over to the train tracks that were not too far from my backyard. I could always see the trains go by from my bedroom window. When I got close, I noticed a small stick on the ground. It gave me an idea, and a wicked one it was.

I reached down, picked up the twig, and headed toward the tracks. I thought that if I put the stick on the tracks, the train would derail and crash. What a cool sight that would have been! I didn't think about anyone getting hurt, as I never did see anyone on a train before.

A COUPLE MORE THINGS:

• Here are links to two lists of rules for writing. They're fun, so read them and come to class prepared to talk about them--by Vonnegut and Orwell.


• Don't forget to email your first assignment to me by Friday, Feb. 5th at 10PM.

Have a great week.