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.