Fitting a Swimming Pool in a Coffee Mug

It can't be done, right? Physics simply won't allow it. And yet, the synopsis requires that you do just that. Your novel (the swimming pool) has to be condensed to 1-2 pages: in fact, the lowest synopsis amount I've seen on an agent submission page is 3 paragraphs: which can often feel even less like a mug and more like an eye dropper.

So how do you accomplish fitting your entire, brilliant masterpiece into such a tiny space?

First, forget about subplot. Have an interesting father-daughter scene that unfolds under the main current of the novel's plot? Great! Don't include it in the synopsis. Tangents don't show you're a good writer, they show you don't know how to edit.

Second, limit your characters. Does your protagonist's brother perpetuate her loneliness by socially isolating her at school? Awesome! Don't name him in the synopsis. Providing every character's proper name from the novel doesn't provide depth, it confuses the reader because instead of focusing on one or two names, the reader has to remember six or seven who may only be mentioned once or twice.

Finally, remember cadence. As a rule of thumb, keep sentences short and to the point. Don't try and show off in your synopsis. It is less a showcase of writing talent (though you do want to put time into writing it well) and more of a showcase to agents that you know how to plot and you know where you're going with this story before they read the whole thing. Need help? For your first draft keep all sentences 10 words and shorter. Then, later, combine sentence for clarity and cadence.

Still intimidated by the synopsis? Try this technique---

Boil your novel's plot down to ten sentences. I repeat, TEN. No more. Only include what's important because you can't add more space - just like your one page synopsis. Then, expand upon these ten sentences enough so your plot has causality and makes sense, but not enough so it's cluttered.

Think you're up for the challenge? I think you are. If you keep in mind that simplicity is best, you will do infinitely better.

Editing and Queries and Synopses, Oh My!

With my latest revision of my YA novel done and the manuscript looking the best it ever has, my mind has turned from editing to the query and synopsis. Both daunting tasks.


To help you out in your future research, here are a few of the best sites I've found to help you with queries (and next week we'll tackle the fear-inducing synopsis).


Want the agent's perspective to queries? Check out the Nelson Agency blog: nelsonagency.com/pubrants   here, agent Kristin Nelson shares her current music tunes, publishing advice, and (if you follow the queries label) successful queries that won her heart.


If you want another agent perspective without the niceties of a Midwestern childhood, drive into the chum bucket at Janet Reed's hit blog Query Shark. queryshark.blogspot.com. View the archives, read mistakes and triumphs by other writers and even submit your own query for critique by the shark herself.


Finally, for great query advice, look no farther than Writer's Digest. writersdigest.com. Their bloggers and article writers write often about how to create successful queries, but what sets them apart is their "Successful Queries" series. So, check out the website and get your subscription - it will aid your craft.

Let Go or Be Dragged

In American culture we're so used to beating ourselves up over the smallest things. You know, when you sneak a few M&M's from the work shared candy bowl and then have to write it in your food journal to forever document your self loathing?

Writing - and really any artistic venture - is no exception. You pulled extra hours at work, went to the kids' soccer game, had to scrounge something up for dinner, and then passed out to do it all over again tomorrow - without writing a word. Even when we make just one sentence happen in a day, we feel like failures.

Really, if we accept life and its challenges, we'd be freer to write when the time presented itself. Gone would be the self loathing and the hate of our inability to function as writers. Instead, our minds would be clear and our inspiration running high - ready to rush in whenever we're ready to accept it.

So free the muse and the worry of yet another part of life. Be free to write again.

And now I leave you this hectic week in my own life, with an inspirational picture from Pinterest:

From http://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098061537069/

Writing Prompt

Has the muse been escaping you lately? Can't get the inspiration muscle into line?

Would a writing prompt help?

How about this: What's closest to your left hand at this moment? Study it. Understand it. Now, write a scene or short story (or novel, hazzah!) where this object is a main focus. Whether it be metaphysical, literal, or as an antagonist, the object closest to your left hand must play an important role in your piece.

Don't stress about it, just write - uninhibited - and see what happens. The muse may come rushing in when you least expect it.

Take Your Novel Up a Notch: Research

Think historical fiction writers are the only ones who need to do research? Think again.

All writers need to research - though it may be in different ways. For writers in the sci-fi, fantasy, YA, Middle Grade, literary, romance, or commercial fields, research will take a different avenue than those who write historical fiction or westerns.

How? Well, instead of hours spent in the back of the library bent over a thick tome on boiler combustion until your sciatica aches - like the historical junkie - other writers are sitting on the floor in the YA section or dodging Dr Who cardboard cutouts in the fantasy/sci-fi room. Their research is less about knowing facts about a certain historical item, and more about knowing the conventions of the genre. What's been done? What's been overdone? Is this a good plot? A good voice? Good prose? If it's a popular title - why? Is it the character development, tension, or the romance that really ensnares the reader?

I once heard a good rule of thumb is to read 1,000 books in your genre for every 1,000 words you write. Does this seem impossible? Maybe - at the very least it's a daunting prospect. Most of us don't have the time to write a few sentences per day let alone read so many novels.

But you know what? It really does help you. You'll not only stay up to date on genre trends, publishers, and agents, but you'll also have a better feel for what you're writing. If you know nothing of boiler combustion and try to write a story where this is the main antagonist or a major part of the protagonist's life, it's going to be wrong for readers - especially those who know about boiler combustion.  But if you do your research, every detail you add will be like a little piece of candy for your reader to find rather than a gaping hole in your story.

And who doesn't love candy?

Happy Reading (and subsequently, Writing)!

Publication

It feels like months I've been holding this news back - waiting for it to be officially okay to tell everyone. But the day has finally come!

Drum roll, please.......................................

My short story The First Summer Funeral has been published in the Winter/Spring 2014 issue.

You can find it here: http://www.snreview.org/0414Nedbal.html

And check out the other great stories in this issue on the homepage of the magazine here: http://www.snreview.org/


Print and Kindle editions of the magazine will be released shortly. I'll keep you posted.

So What's This All About?

You've been writing every day - even if it's just one sentence or one sentence fragment. You've developed carpal tunnel and have acquired two braces to prove this. (Okay, maybe that's me, but I can't be the only one.) You have a draft, and may have even been through a few revisions.

How do you know it's good enough to stop revising? How do you know when it's FINISHED?

Your first step - after perfecting basic craft - is to find your theme. Theme is the container you put the gumbo of your story in. The gumbo - setting, characterization, plot, detail - is what you've worked so hard to achieve. You've slaved over the hot stove of writing for months or years. Now, you need to contain that story, or all your work is for naught.

Theme keeps your story readable. Once you find your theme, you can be sure which details are needed, which exposition is necessary, and you will better understand the pacing in relation to the overall story.

But, Alyssa, you're no doubt saying, how do I find my theme?

Sometimes writers start writing a story with a theme in mind. Inspirational writing often starts with this goal (to show the wonder/mercy/power of a god) so does a lot of children's writing (though it shouldn't - when writers want to show a theme of sharing, self reliance, or honesty). Writers who begin with a set theme in mind rarely accomplish the story they set out to write.

So, start writing because you need to tell the story of your characters. Start writing because a specific setting is screaming to break free. Then, once your story is ready, find the perfect container to place it in.

Have a story and don't know what the theme could possibly be? Well, let's take a look at some famous stories to illustrate theme.

The Great Gatsby - Theme: The collapse of the American Dream and the hollow qualities of material objects.

The Swimmer (by John Cheever) - Theme: The inevitable passage of time.

Harry Potter series - Theme: The pain and emptiness of war and its effects on children and orphans.

Often times, finding a theme is simpler than you think. What is your protagonist's mission? What do your setting and scenes say to a reader? Why did you write this story to begin with?

A theme can be as simple as faith or trust or death. However, whether it's a sentence or a word, your theme should be simple. Remember, it's the container that holds the gumbo - but the gumbo should still be the star.

Theme can be the difference between another form rejection and your first submission acceptance. Present your story with relevant details, fantastically mastered scenes, and great language. Wrap it up in a beautiful theme that says you know what you're writing and what you're trying to convey, and your story will jump from good to great.