ASCENDANCE TRILOGY - Favorite Book Series of 2013

I haven't personally  met Jennifer A. Nielsen, but based on the email dialogue we've had back and forth, she's a class act. She took the time to critique the first of chapter of Howie and The Prince of Greed, book one of my young adult fantasy series: The Lackawanna Prophecies. When I make it, and I will, she's been a great reminder of the kind of person I want to be. So I'm giving a shout out to Jennifer Nielsen, not just because she's a nice person, but because her Ascendance book series, starting with The False Prince, has been my favorite book series of 2013. I can't wait to get my hands on the last book, The Shadow Throne. We've had it pre-ordered for months. Get yours! You won't regret it. She's got some of the best one-liner zingers throughout the series.

Extreme History Project

I've been doing a lot of research on Native American History, especially regarding the Lenape Nation, for my new book series, The Lackawanna Prophecies. So when I came across this project to document Crow oral histories on KickStarter, I had to help out. I'm excited to see that the project was successfully funded. The image depicts Crow Chiefs at Fork Parker, the first Crow Agency, 1871.

New Book Cover - Kimberly Griffiths LIttle

Kimberley Griffiths Little new book cover is out. I've had the opportunity to meet her on several occasions including at a publishing primer workshop she instructed for a small group of aspiring authors. She is both talented and caring, and I wish her the best of luck with her latest book!

FORBIDDEN book trailer by Kimberley Griffiths Little

How to Write a Great Synopsis

 

I read this today and figured Elana wouldn't be too mad with me sharing it. She did, after all, publicly humiliate me in a query writing class she taught. Not to worry, I was a willing participant and deserved the critique I got. And it's good publicity for her.

The word synopsis  brings almost any writer to his or her knees. What does the agent or editor want, exactly? A few simple tips can take the mystery—and the pain—out of writing a synopsis.

It’s really hard to think of your creative work in a business sense—but that’s all a synopsis is. It’s a business summary of your work. That’s the first thing to remember: A synopsis is not a creative endeavor. It’s a straightforward explanation of what happens in your novel (go here to read about the nonfiction  equivalent—book proposals).

With that in mind, just buckle down and write. Some agents don’t specify how long they want a synopsis to be, but the most common lengths are one to three pages. A one-page synopsis should be 500 words; a two-page synopsis, 1,000 words; and a three-page synopsis, 1,500 words.

A synopsis has its own unique format. Follow these guidelines:

§  Put contact information, page numbers, and project title in the header/footer

§  Put the project title in ALL CAPS on the first line

§  Return twice and begin the synopsis

§  Put character names in ALL CAPS on first reference

§  Use block-style paragraphs (in other words, don’t indent)

§  Use a hard return between paragraphs

Here’s an example:

Narrow your focus to two things: character and plot. Then structure your synopsis around the following ten things:

1.    Setup for main character

2.    Inciting event—introduce the main conflict

3.    Main character’s debate—state the consequences

4.    Introduce secondary characters that matter (some don’t!)

5.    End of Act One—turning point

6.    Midpoint moment

7.    Scene that raises the stakes

8.    Villain and hero come face-to-face

9.    Main conflict solved

10.  Resolution

To begin, use those ten elements to write the entire synopsis without worrying about word count. You can always delete things later. Things you think  are important at first might not be; you’re simply trying to tell what happens in the story. Remember: the synopsis should  reveal how the book ends, something that you don’t  do in a query letter.

Below is a sample synopsis:

Synopsis for How to Train Your Dragon, Using the 10 Items Above

This synopsis is 689 words and is less than 1.5 pages.

1. Setup for main character

HICCUP lives in the Viking village of Berk, which is attacked by dragons that steal food and set things on fire. The villagers—who are led by Hiccup’s father, STOICK—fight the dragons off. Hiccup hauls out a bolas-shooting cannon and shoots a dragon out of the night sky.

2. Inciting event—introduce the main conflict (Hiccup can’t make himself kill the dragon)

The dragon lands in the woods near the village, and no one believes that Hiccup hit anything. The next day, Hiccup goes looking for the dragon. It turns out to be a rare and deadly Night Fury, but Hiccup can’t make himself kill it. Instead he releases it, and it spares him before flying off.

3. Main character’s debate

Hiccup finds the dragon, which he names TOOTHLESS, holed up in a valley because it’s been injured and can’t fly. He keeps his new dragon a secret, and while sketching it, Hiccup realizes that it’s missing a tail fin. After much trial and error, Hiccup builds and perfects a saddle, a control mechanism for the tail fin, and a safety harness.

4. Introduce secondary characters that matter

Meanwhile, Hiccup’s father has signed him up for dragon training with GOBBER—Hiccup’s blacksmith master—which is very different from the training he’s already doing with Toothless. He must learn to do what all Vikings do: Fight and kill dragons.

At first, he’s the worst student in the class. Since Hiccup has always been an accident-prone klutz, this comes as no surprise to his classmates, especially ASTRID, the girl Hiccup has a crush on.

5. End of Act One (turning point)

Before long, Hiccup is able to use the things he’s learned while working with Toothless to soothe the school’s practice dragons. It turns out dragons are just big softies: they like to be petted, they like to roll in the grass, and they love fish (but hate eels).

6. Midpoint moment

When Stoick returns from a failed search for the fabled nest of the dragons, he’s surprised and thrilled to hear that his son is doing well at dragon training. But Hiccup can’t explain that his success at dragon school came from the most unlikely place—his pet dragon.

7. Stakes-raising scene

When Hiccup subdues a practice dragon, unintentionally earning the privilege of killing it before the entire village, he’s horrified and decides to flee with Toothless. However, Astrid follows him and discovers Toothless. Hiccup takes her flying, and they get caught up in a flock of dragons. The dragons fly inside a mountainous island and drop food into a pit, which turns out to contain a huge, terrifying, and very hungry dragon—they’ve found the nest Hiccup’s father was looking for.

When they get home, Hiccup convinces Astrid not to reveal the location of the dragon nest. Before she goes, she punches him in the arm for kidnapping her. Then she kisses him for everything else that happened.

8. Villain (dragons) and hero (Hiccup) come face-to-face

At the dragon-killing ceremony, Hiccup discards his weapons in an attempt to show the Vikings that dragons only fight to defend themselves, but his father intervenes, and the dragon attacks. Toothless comes to Hiccup’s rescue and is on the verge of killing Stoick when Hiccup calls Toothless off.

9. Main conflict solved

Despite Hiccup’s protests, Stoick resolves to use Toothless to find the nest again. He loads a chained Toothless on his ship, and the Viking fleet sails off with the village warriors, leaving Hiccup behind. He and Astrid and their other classmates mount the practice dragons and fly in pursuit of the fleet.

At the dragons’ island, Stoick releases the giant dragon and realizes that he’s made a mistake. While Stoick and Gobber prepare to sacrifice themselves to distract the dragon, Hiccup arrives to join the battle.

Toothless and Hiccup go after the giant dragon, drawing it up into the clouds and away from the Vikings, where Toothless releases a blast into the giant dragon’s open mouth and it crashes and burns. Hiccup falls, and Toothless catches him.

10. Resolution

Back at home, Hiccup and Toothless go out into the village, which is full of swooping, frolicking dragons; the Vikings now treat them as pets. Astrid greets Hiccup with a kiss. Supplied by Gobber with a new tail fin prosthetic and saddle for Toothless, Hiccup takes flight with Astrid and his friends as he celebrates the new alliance of Vikings and Dragons.

Do This Now

1.    Write one paragraph—or, for a real challenge, only one sentence!—for each of the numbered items above. Just doing that might give you the short two-page synopsis you’re looking for. And if not, cut and trim, trim and cut until you’ve got it down to a manageable size.

2.    Now that you’ve written the synopsis, comb through it. Eliminate everything that isn’t absolutely crucial to the momentum of the story. Don’t be afraid to delete or to combine some things to create a shorter synopsis.

3.    Give your synopsis to your writing partners so they can help you. Best is to ask someone who has not  read your book to edit your synopsis; with an eye for unnecessary details, he or she can help you cut your synopsis down to size.

Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular e-book, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download, as well as a Possession short story, “Resist.” School teacher by day, query ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also cofounded theQueryTracker blog, WriteOnCon, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

Associate Editor Position Available - Deseret Book

Lisa Mangum's Associate Editor position at Deseret Book is now available. She's moved on to another position. It's the kind of job I'd love to tackle if I weren't the sole bread winner in my family. Alas, I'll have to dream--at least until I make it big, right?

The pay range should be somewhere around 30-35k a year.

The Window Builder - Coming Oct 9th!

This is the moment every aspiring author, including me, dreams of. Their first published novel. I couldn't be happier than to see it happen to Kelly Hoose Johnson. She has been a member of my writing group for two years now, and she has serious talent. 

A number of months ago, Marilyn Bunderson (another published member of our writing group) informed us of a short story writing contest by Cedar Fort. Kelly entered and while her story wasn't chosen to be included in an anthology of short Christmas stories, something even better happened. Cedar Fort decided to publish it as a stand-alone short story. Her book is now available on Amazon.com for pre-order. I've ordered mine--have you?

The Window Builder has all the trappings of a Hallmark holiday movie special. You won't be disappointed. Congratulations Kelly! And I have to say . . . I LOVE the cover. 

You Are Going To Die

* * * HERE IS A SMALL FACT * * *

You are going to die.

This is one of the opening quotes in The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak). The personification of death makes the book worth reading on its own. I am especially intrigued with this book because death is a central theme in the young adult novel I am writing, The Lackawanna Prophecies--Howie and The Prince of Greed.

I read an article about the life of Walter Breuning, interviewed at the ripe age of 114, and not to long before he died. This is my favorite quote from him: "We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you're born to die."

Perhaps easier said than done, but at 114 years of age or those suffering great mortal pain, death comes as a relief. I experienced this in a personal way during the worst part of my recovery from a severe concussion. I was trapped in my own mind because any form of communication made me sick. For several days I couldn't watch TV, talk to my wife or kids, or even listen to music. It was just me in the dark--sunglasses-on-shades-drawn-lights-out kind of dark. I even had ear protectors to block out as much sound as possible. If that condition had been months and years instead of a couple of weeks, I would have welcomed death if and when it came.

I hope kids who read my novel will think differently about death, that it doesn't have to be this scary or horrible thing, especially in the natural course of life. Death can be beautiful and merciful. Billions and billions of people have experienced it, and some have lived to tell the tale. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of the unknown, but death is not the evil monster society and media often portray it to be. That classification belongs entirely to people who perpetuate it's untimely role.

So . . . getting back to my book, a possible hook might go something like this:

In a world where no one can escape death, some are chosen to experience it again and again.

* * * DON'T BE AFRAID * * *

Dusting Off The Cobwebs

Life interrupted. That's how I've felt over the past six months. Last November I suffered a serious concussion playing basketball. The referee didn't even call a foul. Where's the justice? The body blow to my head sloshed my brain enough to make it near impossible for me to function on a cognitive level. It was like someone had kicked up all the dirty scum from the bottom of the pond and it sort of hung around for months, clearing up just enough every once in a while for me to think I was getting back to normal.

Man down.

Yes, that's how it was. Locked in the tower of my home for 2 weeks before I could even handle something as basic as a quiet and brief conversation. Phone, TV, my children . . . it was all more than I could handle. Everything made me sick. It was almost three months before I even dared venture back to the office for work. My brain got saturated so fast, that I couldn't handle anything that required serious thought for more than a few minutes at a time.

Don't make me cry.

Okay, I finally get it. Women don't have to have a reason to cry. Cry all you want. I did. The first four months of my recovery were filled with random moments of pure emotion that spilled out my eyes, sometimes for no reason at all. I was starting to wonder if someone had slipped me a heavy dose of estrogen during one of my hospital visits. Thankfully, order seems to have been restored in that department.

Will I ever be normal again?

Who knows. What's normal? I'm working 40 hours a week now and have been for two months, but I'm only in the office 3-4 days a week. I'm trying to bump that up to 4-5 days a week. I still get dizzy every day and nausea seems to be my new best friend. I've been wearing sea band bracelets, but I have no idea if they're really helping. I've also been wearing a Halter monitor for two weeks to figure out why my heart's skipping beats every time my pulse goes up--as in walk-up-a-flight-of-stairs up. My energy/strength levels have only recovered to about 70-80%, sometimes a little less depending on the day. And the brain drains are still happening. Doesn't that sound like fun? It's a weird way to describe it, but that's what it feels like when it happens: like my brain is draining out the back of my head. When that happens, I get sick pretty fast. I was in the ER three times two weeks ago when it first started happening. The whole unknown thing can be kind of scary. All tests revealed nothing. Hey, I guess I'm normal.

It's all in my head.

Yes, that is what I'm coming to believe. I'm pretty sure I've been having some serious anxiety attacks--classic post concussion syndrome stuff.The muddy waters are still settling. I think I'm still cognitively bumping into logs or rocks as I swim through the foggy haze of my brain. The good news is that most of my life activities have returned to a new normal. I'm working. I'm writing. I'm throwing ball with my boys. I even started a major remodeling job on my home. I know,  probably not the smartest thing, but there's no going back on that one--not after sawing through two walls and ripping out two door frames.

Dusting off the cobwebs

So alas, here we are again, not that anyone is reading because I've been gone for months. Hey, I know, you can only wait around so long. But I'm back. And I've resumed the re-write of my novel, The Lackawanna Prophecies--Howie and The Prince of Greed. I'm working on chapter 18 with about ten more chapters to go. I was supposed to be done in January. Perhaps I will be--next January. I'm just grateful to be writing. I hope you are too.

The "Right" Word

Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightening and a lightning bug."

When you're stuck, how do you find that right word? I often find myself checking MS Word's synonym checker, but those only go so far. What other resources does your inner "word freak" tap into? I'd love to know!

One right word that struck home for me the other day was in The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. How often do we read about being short of breath in scary or threatening situations?  She put a unique twist on it for me that struck home in a powerful way:

" . . . my breath slipped out of me . . ."

Simple, effective and memorable, it was the right word in the right context. Lightning.

Inspiration

As much as I love writing, sometimes I just need to be inspired. Spending last week at Lake Powell with my wife and friends did that for me.

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural bridge in the world. There's something magical about the awe and grandeur of nature. Getting away, and especially to a place like this, rejuvenates me in a way that nothing else can. I felt twenty again (don't I look it?).

The creative juices are flowing again.What gets you going when you're fingers are plodding instead of flying across the keyboard?

LIE versus LAY

Okay, I'll admit. I just havn't been into the blogging thing lately. I've been too engrossed in working on my manuscript. But it's good to stick my head out from under the covers every once in a while. Here's a helpful grammar tip from Annette Lyon. Hope your enjoying the summer!

LIE versus LAY

1. PAST TENSE: Sometimes memorization is just best

• She lay down on her sofa to read.
• She laid the book on the table, I swear.
• She was lying on the carpet when it happened.

 2. PRESENT TENSE: Remember that the gerund form (WAS –ING) uses present tense.

•  She was laying down on her sofa to take a nap when the house exploded.
•  She was lying on the carpet when it happened.

 TIP: Use an irregular verb like EAT/ATE to figure out which tense you need.

• She was ating on the floor (no, so it couldn't be laying)
• She was eating on the floor (yes, so she was lying on the floor)

Thirteen Reasons Why

My eight year old nephew and namesake passed away, and I spent this past weekend in Boston for the funeral. It's only the fourth funeral that I've attended, and the first one that I've been asked to speak at.

While Benjamin died peacefully in his sleep, his body tired from the wearing handicaps he had been born with, it was still a stark reminder of the fragility of life.

I did not purposefully time the reading of Jay's first novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, with the events of this past weekend, but I'm glad it worked out that way. Jay's haunting story ends with hope and a desire to be the type of person who would be celebrated rather than grieved at their passing. Life is a gift, and Benjamin's short life was a blessing to many--more than 500 people who showed up to say, "Thank you." 

This is a book I will ask my kids to read before they start high school, to realize how everything we do impacts someone, even if only ourselves. But most likely--always--there are others that we don't know about. Aren't we lucky that we get to choose how?

Story Structure

I attended a fantastic presentation by Dan Wells, at a writers conference back in February on story structure.

If you 're great at characterization, but struggle at weaving a compelling storyline together, this should be helpful. He refers to it as The Seven Point System. Before you start putting this structure together, you at least need to know who the main characters are, what the setting is, and what the major conflict is. Once you have those, start plugging in the rest as follows:

1. Hook

2. Plot Turn 1

3. Pinch 1

4. Midpoint

5. Pinch 2

6. Plot Turn 2

7. Resolution

Of course there can be several more pinches added, or even plot turns, but this is the basic structure--and it works. Sometimes it helps to start backwards.

The Resolution. Everything in your story should be leading up to this moment. What is your protagonist trying to overcome? Is it an external thing, force, etc, an internal thing, perhaps a combination of both?

The Hook. What is the hook that will grab your readers on page 1 or at the very least in chapter one and keep them turning the pages? Sometimes you have to use the ice-monster approach (think Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back where the movie begins with Luke being attacked by an ice-monster). Starting your novel with a lot of boring background / back story information is a big no, no - - especially if you're trying to get published for the first time. Dive right into the story and sink a hook into their reader that they can't escape from.

The midpoint is that magical place in your story where your protagonist finally begins to move from a reactionary state to one of action and determination (think Lord of the Rings and the Council of Elrond - when they finally decide what to do with the ring). It doesn't mean conflict and turmoil is over, it just means they're finally starting that journey towards resolution.

Plot Turn 1, is what moves you from the beginning to the midpoint. Major conflict is introduced, the protagonist’s world changes, etc. (think about Luke coming back and finding his Uncle dead or Harry Potter learning that a world of magic exists and he's a part of it)

Plot Turn 2, (can you guess?) moves the story from midpoint to resolution--where your protagonist receives that final thing needed to make it happen (think Neo, "The Power is in you!" or Dorothy in Wizard of Oz when she realizes all she has to do is click her heels or Luke: "Use the force Luke!")

Pinch 1, is where conflict is introduced--and the pressure is applied to your protagonist. Could be a bad guy attacks, a sickness, a death, etc--something that forces your character to action (think Harry Potter - when they discover a troll in the bathroom and no adults are around to help).

Pinch 2, apply more pressure until the situation feels hopeless--like there is no way to escape, at least until you get to plot turn 2-- starting to make sense? (think about when Gandalf appears to have been killed by the fiery demon from hell)

This structure can be used for the Hero's journey, romance, tragedy, etc. - - don't feel constrained by genre. As you work through this, make sure your protagonist goes through the try/fail cycles (at least twice). This can be done through multiple pinches where it doesn't always work out in the protagonist's favor. Victory should always be earned - - keep building the overall tension to the resolution with a few small victories along the way. Spread out the action to keep good pacing (your beta readers can help you with that).

Last of all, remember, this is a structure and is not a replacement for good writing. It helps if you take this and break down an existing book/movie as an example. Give it a try with Avatar and see what you come up with. The format works on just about any well written novel/script.

Imagine My Fear

As a writer, I often find myself drawing upon life’s experiences, even in a fictional world. Today, I'm sharing with you one such example that bristles the hairs on my arms when contemplating what could have been.
----------------------------------

My wife had major reconstructive surgery on her abdominal wall this past week. When we passed the three day mark, she expressed a desire to take a shower before having to go back to see the doctor.

Mistake #1: not taking the recliner into the master bath.
When we unzipped/took off her compression garment, from her knees up to her chest, the pressure change caused her to be light of head. I quickly helped her sit down on the edge of the bath tub. That was when she passed out in my arms and started convulsing. It was not violent, just a lot of involuntary body twitching that scared the hell out of me.

Mistake #2: locking the bathroom door so the kids could not come in.
I didn't dare try and move my wife for fear of hurting her. She has drainage tubes coming out of her lower abdomen and sutured stitches spanning hip to hip. I yelled to her mother to come help--only she couldn't get in because the door was locked. Imagine my fear. I couldn't lay her down. I couldn't stand her up. Her face is ashen white and she won't respond. My mother-in-law is trying to bust the doors open, and I'm trying to revive the love of my life. My lips lock over hers, but her mouth won’t open. I call her name over and over again, but she doesn't answer. Her limp arms hang at my side. I wonder for a brief moment if this is it—if this is how it ends—and then everything inside me screams no! I slap her face with my free hand, desperate to wake her up. The bathroom door explodes open as her mother hurls herself through the double doors with the aid of my younger son. She grabs my wife’s shoulders and sinks her cold fingernails into her skin. Joy speaks. After almost two minutes of eternal silence my wife speaks, even if dazed and confused. I squeeze her tight and never want to let go.