 The Promises An Author Makes: 5 unspoken promises an author fulfills in a story
Have you ever heard someone say the book didn’t fulfill its promise? Coming from a publishing professional, these can be difficult words to hear. But this feedback can be invaluable in understanding how a manuscript needs to improve in order to be marketable. No author writes “I promise to….” on the back of the book. But in every book the author makes an implicit pact with the reader about the story ahead. It’s as if the author and reader are going on a journey together although the author is present only as the words on the page, like a soul that has traversed this trail previously guiding someone for the first time. Without explicitly using the words “I promise,” the reader knows that the author has made promises about what will happen in the story based on the type of book, premise, and opening pages. But, what are those promises? The author’s promise about new places is: I will take you somewhere you have never been. A new place will be enticing to readers. Readers wonder what it’s really like there, and they want more than a tourist view. In order to make it worth the time and effort of reading a story in a particular setting, the author needs to depict a place that the author believes and can construct fully in the imagination. When the author fulfills the promise of going to new places, readers come away feeling as if they were in a specific place, different from anywhere they’ve been before the story. The author’s promise about new experiences is: I will guide you through experiences you’ve never had. Readers enjoy stories because they imagine facing an obstacle or living through a situation that they haven’t or can’t have. Readers want to know the details of the experience at each step as the tension mounts to the climax, not just the end result of what happened. When an author has fulfilled the promise of new experiences, readers come away with a nuanced understanding of the experience despite going through it vicariously. The author’s promise about familiar places is: I will show you a familiar place so you see it with fresh eyes. If a reader picks up a book set in a place they’ve lived or visited, they want to revisit that place. The author’s depiction of that place allows the reader to recognize it and to remember the good and the bad about being there. But, the author’s promise goes beyond that. No matter how much the reader knows about the place, after reading the story, the reader will know even more details about the flora and fauna, architecture, history, and people. If the author has fulfilled the promise of returning to a familiar place, the reader reframes their own understanding of that place to include this new knowledge and vicarious experience of being there. The author’s promise about familiar experiences is: I will help you relive a familiar experience in a new way. When a reader picks up a book that includes an experience they’ve been through already, they’re looking to relive it all over again and to be in each moment along the way. When readers put themselves in familiar situations, they can face them with 20/20 hindsight (and no risk). After riding a roller coaster, the immediate response is to do it again and relive the thrill. But, after having the same experience a few times, the thrill feels ordinary and the search begins for a roller coaster that is faster, goes higher, falls harder, and spends more time upside down. In a story the outcome might be the same like riding a roller coaster again, but the reader might also find out that story’s the outcome is different than it was in real life which might feel like a more intense roller coaster ride. The author facilitates the reader going through the emotional ups and downs of the experience and helps them to contextualize the experience. The author fulfills the promise of revisiting familiar experiences by allowing the reader to remember past experiences and be prepared to think and act in new and different ways when faced with them again. The author’s promise about the people readers will meet on the page is: I will introduce you to new, intriguing characters, and I will help you understand why they act the way they do. Why do people do what they do? What makes us human? Readers choose books to meet unique characters who enrich a connection to people and the world. Some characters do things exactly the way the reader would and some would face the same challenge in completely unexpected ways. If done well, a character’s culture, heritage, upbringing, environment, and identity all make the reader’s experience of identifying with the character unique. The author fulfills the promise of introducing new characters if the reader comes away from the story having internalized a new understanding or perspective usually from the protagonist and perhaps from the narrator or other characters in the story too. For an author to fulfill the promise of a book, the story must provide an immersive journey for readers emotionally and intellectually. The elements must fit together so that the story belongs to the protagonist in a way that would be different with any other character. And, the story must present something unexpected or fresh and different so that readers reflect about what they’ve read, something that makes the characters, the places, the events, and the voice memorable long after the last page. The author’s overall promise is that the story will take a reader somewhere dark or uncomfortable. But, that’s ok because the corollary to this promise is that the author is the guide who will bring the reader out safely at the end. This promise creates the reader’s trust in the author. by Jennie Dunham  1. What inspired you to put your story on paper in LIFE B?
It started with an idea for a personal essay – and when that essay, published on Elle.com, went viral-ish and I heard from scores of readers about their struggles with treatment-resistant depression, I knew that my story might help some other people. Those readers are the ones who inspired me to write my memoir. 2. What is your creative process/What does your creative process look like? The hard truth: Writers write. For many years, I wanted to call myself a writer. . . but I wasn’t putting in the work. My life and my process changed when I committed to a daily writing practice. For me, in the past decade, that’s meant writing morning pages first thing (if you’re not familiar with “morning pages,” see Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way”), then writing for 3-4 hours, depending on deadlines and meetings. I always get those hours in, even if it means I have to set aside time in the afternoon. However, like many of my fellow writers, my best creative work happens in the morning. And with coffee. 3. What do you think draws readers to your work? I’ve done many different kinds of work over the years, including blog posts for myself, blogs for other people and institutions, book reviews, author profiles, book-industry reporting, designed books for National Geographic, an anthology, a broadcast author-interview show, designing launch publications, more. . . and the thing that ties all of that together with my creative work (essays and memoir and more in the future, I hope) is my commitment to authenticity and connection. I truly want to engage with writers, authors, creatives, and anyone else who is interested in my work. I’m not in it just for myself and I hope I say that with intentionality and humility. 4. How do you organize your research? The answer would be I’m working on this! All the time. I know some writers loved Scrivener, for example, to organize projects and manuscripts. I haven’t gotten on that train yet. Something that works really well for me is using specific subject lines for emails and other messages, and specific file names for various stages of a project, whether in drafts or first-pass pages. I try to maintain paper files for financial documents and all I can say about that is I’m glad I have a spouse who is detail oriented. 5. Outside of writing, what do you like to do? (personal life outside of writing) I started life as someone enchanted by stories (thanks, Mom, again and always!) and continue to be the most avid of readers – as well as someone with remarkably broad and deep reading taste. I do not judge forms or genres that people love. We all read what we need to read, and thank goodness for librarians, who help many many people , children and others, discover the books that unlock a lifetime of reading. But I do have a life outside of books! I’m long married to my best friend and (at this point) lifelong love; he and I have two grown daughters and we love to spend time with them. The surprise is that they love to spend time with us! We’re all very happy on trail walks (the three of them hike; I’m a little less intrepid), trying every kind of cuisine, visiting museums, you name it. We have a miniature schnauzer who walks with us at home. I love to swim, anywhere, anytime, the colder the water the better, and have swum in an Adirondack lake in late September, the Baltic in May, and at the Cape Cod National Seashore in October. Speaking of museums, I just returned from Los Angeles and took my first visit to The Getty Museum. Its location, grounds, and gardens were stunning. I’ve made a few dozen trips, now, to The Cloisters in Manhattan. I studied medieval literature in grad school and will maintain my Metropolitan Museum of Art membership forever just so I can sit in those cloister walks whenever I’m able to visit. 6. How did you initially get into writing? Like so many of my friends and colleagues in the literary world, I’ve always considered myself a writer. Are you born a writer? I don’t know. But it wasn’t until I’d had quite a few life experiences that I was able to write consistently. My way in was through book reviews, since I’d done so much reading. 7. What is a cause you care about? I care deeply about removing the stigma around mental illness and in improving mental health awareness, so one organization I support is the National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). I believe strongly in reproductive rights for all and have supported Planned Parenthood and NARAL since college. While we have freedom to write and publish in the United States (as of yet), that’s not true in all parts of the world. PEN America and PEN International support the rights of creatives everywhere and keep watch over changing social and political conditions. 8. Could you tell us about authors who have inspired you? And now this questionnaire becomes a manuscript. . . Joking! I’m joking. But I *am* known as The Book Maven for a reason, and that’s because so many different books and authors inspire my work and creativity. There are two books from 2021 that I am still talking about in 2023 and will probably still be talking about in 2029, so I’ll start with them, because they’re so different. The first is THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DUBOIS by Honorée Fannone Jeffers, an important poet. Her debut novel tells an alternate history of the United States, by which I mean a different history. The contemporary narrator, Ailey Pearl Garfield, delves into her family’s history to learn how to cope with what DuBois called “double consciousness” for Black Americans. It’s fiction – but it’s based on fact, based on the people whose lives were ignored, suppressed, eliminated, by the Western European patriarchal structure that came to power. It’s long (816 pages) and rich and thoughtful and sweeping and necessary. The second is ALL THE FREQUENT TROUBLES OF OUR DAYS by Rebecca R. R. Donner, the biography of her aunt Mildred Harnack that challenges the strictures of the biography genre and pushes it almost into memoir territory – to magnificent effect. Harnack was the only American woman involved in the German resistance movement during World War II. She was executed in 1943 by direct order from Adolf Hitler. Many surprises await the reader, but what makes the book stunning are the surprises that awaited the author during her research. 9. What advice for do you have for aspiring authors? I just tweeted about this! The Serenity Prayer. I don’t do the 12 Steps, but The Serenity Prayer is for us all. I’m not joking. If we really think about what we can’t change, what we can change, and the difference between them, we can take the next right steps on our journeys. Along with that, if you truly want to be an author? Either get a ghostwriter – or become a writer. And the latter choice will take the time it takes. We can’t change that! What we can change, as aspiring authors, is how much we learn about the process of moving from manuscript to finished book. Education is something no one can take away from you. 10. What does your working space look like? What do you need in order to be productive? People who speak to me via videoconference see a serene (if varied) set of bookshelves filled with galleys, ARCs, finished books, paperbacks, hardcovers. Sometimes they also see a lovely vintage writing desk and a chaise longue (which is where I do a lot of reading). What they don’t see is my “working” (writing) desk, which is not a mess, but does have a great deal of stuff on it, from my favorite Uniball pens to a photo of my family to colored pencils to a giant pinboard covered with things that include one daughter’s nursery-school art, an Electric Lit “Read More Women” postcard, and notes from my favorite book publicists. 11. Talk to us about music. What are your favorite songs for writing? How do you switch it up? Do you have a theme song for yourself as a writing professional? I’m currently writing up a Largehearted Boy playlist for “Life B” so this is a question very much on my mind. I write in silence a great deal of the time because my brain pings around a lot when there’s music playing. When I do listen to music it’s often Baroque/classical, the kind that encourages productivity and stability, to keep me going as I finish the day’s word count. When I do need something more energizing, I listen to a lot of African pop, from Nigeria and Ghana specifically. My spouse is a huge blues/soul/R&B aficionado and we share a longtime love of Fela Kuti’s music, which is what has led me to learn about Amadou, Davido, Femi Kuti, so many more! And the women!!! Fatoumata Diawara from Mali is one of my new favorites. Speaking of world beats, have you listened to ADG7, the Korean shamanic pop group that plays on traditional instruments? Holy shit are they great. Now back to my usual nerd content: I love, love, love Early Music. Medieval and Renaissance. Said spouse, who does NOT love it the way I do, takes me to several Folger Consort performances each year (we are so fortunate to have that group associated with DC’s Folger Shakespeare Library). I’ll talk to anyone about Early Music, plainsong, Monteverdi, any time. 12. What has it been like working with Dunham Literary? Seamless. Jennie Dunham is a true professional and a lovely person whose ability to keep an author calm in any crisis cannot be praised highly enough. I’m looking forward to our next projects! 13. How do you celebrate a book release? Eeeeeek. I had the best party for my first all-me book in 2011 for “An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy,” sponsored by National Geographic Books and catered by a local restaurant owned by a former French Embassy chef, held at One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia. It was truly special. For the anthology I edited, “The Books That Changed My Life,” I had a launch at Book Court in Brooklyn. . . that was, sadly, the wonderful bookstore’s very last event! This time around my launch will be at Politics & Prose in Washington, DC, in conversation with Alexandra Zapruder, and I’m still trying to decide (at the eleventh hour) what kind of celebration will take place. There WILL be cake and Champagne. Add anything else that might be interesting or fun: 1. I lived in Berlin for 3.5 years and will talk to you any time about that city, especially as it was my first “home” after college, my first home after marriage, etc. I don’t return as often as I should and might have to make the trek soon. If anyone is heading there in 2023 do not miss the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, even if you think you’re not into modern/experimental art. There’s a lot to take in as you explore the “tracks” galleries. It also holds one of the most wonderful Viennese restaurants outside of Vienna. 2. Another thing I’ll talk about any time: Writing groups. Get into one. Stick with it, but also pay attention to when you might need to find a new one, whether because your goals have changed or your writing has. Getting regular supportive and constructive feedback is great, but even greater: PROVIDING supportive and constructive feedback. It’s how we grow as writers. 3. I created the #FridayReads hashtag/meme in 2009, when Twitter was still an exciting new phenomenon, and all these years later to see it still being used, and being used by individuals, libraries, bookstores, institutions of different kinds. . . is amazing. One thing I do like to share: for a few years we tracked the #FridayReads metrics, and even when we had as many as 10,000 people sharing their current books, only a handful would ever be reading the same book. We don’t all have to read the same things in order to connect through stories.  Every once in a while, special circumstances bring a group together for an unusual creative project. ADDISON MIZNER, Visionary Architect came about in just this way. The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach wanted an authoritative text to use in their Heritage Education Program as well as when talking about the history of the town to visitors and school groups. They could have made a brochure, but they realized that they needed more than this. Despite it being a much bigger undertaking, they decided to create a book that would be historically accurate but also engaging for readers of all ages. Robert Forbes was a natural choice for the text because he was already a published author who lives in Palm Beach, not to mention that he’s a member of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. He suggested Barbara McClintock for the elegance and whimsy that her illustrations could bring to the book. The result is remarkable. Filled with photographs alongside Barbara McClintock’s art, the book offers both a captivating story and a plethora of facts that invite the reader to take a deep dive into the man who created the look of Palm Beach. Below are some questions and responses that each of them gave about the book and the process of creating it.  Barbara McClintock: Q: What made you interested in the project in the first place? A: I’m fascinated by stories about creative people. Both my parents were artistic - my mother was a textile and design major in college; she was skilled in sewing intricately tailored clothing, and created her own patterns from which she made most of her own clothing ( and most of the dresses for my sister and me ). My father was a professional portrait photographer; later in his career he switched to architectural photography. He loved talking about the special lenses he used to mitigated the extreme perspective lines that are problematic when photographing tall buildings. His interest in texture, lighting, pattern, detail, and historical constructs of buildings led me to a deep interest in drawing buildings in my illustration career. My partner is an editorial illustrator. Many of my friends are artists, graphic designers, writers, musicians and people involved in movement through dance, qigong and martial arts. Nothing gives me joy as much as being part of a creative community, and celebrating the gifts that beauty brings to us all. Q: What is your favorite fact about Addison Mizner? A: That he had a life-long love of spider monkeys. Q: What was your biggest challenge in creating the book? A: There’s so much to say and show about Addison’s life! I wish I could make a book just about the scrapbooks of drawings and photos of the buildings, materials and influences he loved! He had such a far-ranging imagination and an ever-curious eye. And he was quite a character! He deserves a book the size of the Gutenberg Bible, but I must say Bob Forbes did a splendid job of reducing Addison’s amazing life into a handy-sized book! Q: What was the most joyful part of creating the book? A: Being part of Team Mizner - our crew who made this book possible. I miss our regular emails and meetings brainstorming about creating our marvelous book. Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book? A: As Frank Lloyd Write said about Addison; “Many architects had imagination but only Addison Mizner had the courage to let it out of the cage.” I hope our book inspires readers to do just that. Q: Is there anything else you want to add or comment on? A: I hope anyone holding this book in their hands knows all the love, inspiration, imagination and hard work that went into it’s creation. I’ve been privileged to work with the author Bob Forbes, designer Bob Kosturko, my every generous agent Jennie Dunham, Marie Penny and all the folks at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. It’s been a blast!  Bob Forbes: Q: What made you interested in the project in the first place? A; A friend of mine, Pauline Pitt, knew I was a children’s author and asked me if I would be interested in writing a biography of Addison Mizner. She was the former Board Chair of The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, and the book would be used for their popular 4th Grade Heritage Education Program with its emphasis on architecture. I was intrigued by the idea of writing a non-fiction book and I knew there was plenty of material on Mizner available, especially in Palm Beach, his hometown. I said yes, but it wasn’t until I started reading books on this multi-faceted man, visiting collections, and making copious notes, that I realized he was a big subject in more ways than one. From my earlier writing I felt I had the right voice for the intended readers, but I soon found I was including too much material. After a few drafts and with help from an editor I’ve worked with in the past, the project began to come together nicely. I learned I had to make tough choices on what to include and what just wouldn’t fit. Q: What is your favorite fact about Addison Mizner? A: That for all the disappointments and hurdles life kept throwing at him, his growing passion for architecture never diminished. The vision of how he wanted to incorporate building styles he had seen in his travels burst forth when he met Paris Singer and moved to Palm Beach to build what became the Everglades Club, one of his greatest masterpieces. What he created was very much his own brand of architecture, and it took the world by storm. Q: What was your biggest challenge in creating the book? A: I came to realize that writing non-fiction was for me a whole lot harder than writing fiction. But the challenge was made easier by the extraordinary character I was writing about. Q: What was the most joyful part of creating the book? A: By far the most joyful part was when Barbara McClintock said yes to doing the illustrations! I knew then the book would be a lovely adventure for its readers. Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book? A: I hope they come away understanding that, like it was for Addison, life isn’t a straight path, but that by believing in yourself and working hard, you may just find your way; and like Addison, you need to keep going forward! Also, that readers come away aware of how Addison’s famous Mediterranean Revival style evolved and how he applied it so effectively for each client. In all his wanderings, he had accumulated vast hands-on knowledge that allowed him to make almost everything he needed to do every job, from roof tiles and ironwork details to furnishings to laying out the landscaping and gardens and always situating houses perfectly on the client’s property. I hope too that readers find the book a lively welcome into the world of a truly visionary architect. Q: Is there anything else you want to add or comment on? A: There is a fun story of Addison from his early travels where he ends up in Australia and finds himself in a boxing ring face-to-face with “The Pride of Australia.” It was a big match he was very much expected to lose. I won’t say any more; you’ll simply have to read the book to find out what happens!  Amanda Skier, President & CEO and Marie Penny, Director of Archives - The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Q: What made you interested in the project in the first place? A: The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach introduced its Heritage Education Program in 1987 to teach about the history of the region through the medium of local architecture. When I was in the role of Director of Education several years ago, I dreamed of creating a children’s book about Addison Mizner. There has been so much written about him, but nothing targeted towards young readers. Our new publication Addison Mizner, Visionary Architect allows for students from all over Palm Beach County to learn about the development of the Mediterranean Revival style. -AS Q: What is your favorite fact about Addison Mizner? A: That he was an artisan in addition to being an architect. He didn’t just design his buildings, but he fabricated many of the materials and created spaces with strong historical precedents. -MP Q: What was your biggest challenge in creating the book? A; Addison seemed to have lived many lives. Fitting it all in to the book, while focusing on his trajectory as an architect was a challenge. However, we believe including all of Addison’s trials adds to the richness of the story. -MP Q: What was the most joyful part of creating the book? A:Robert Forbes creative vision steered this project, he introduced illustrator Barbara McClintock and graphic designer Robert Kosturko who brought his narrative to life. Watching this all unfold from my original concept was incredibly rewarding! -AS Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book? A: Students will relate to the story of Addison, who has his own hero’s journey throughout his many travels and adventures. His story of overcoming hurdles such as his leg injury and finding a way to pursue his dreams is timeless. In addition, readers will learn about architecture as seen through the eyes of Addison, especially his early exposure to Mayan and Spanish Colonial architecture in Guatemala. -MP  The book is not currently available in bookstores. Here’s a link below to purchase the book online from The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach: https://www.shoppalmbeachpreservation.org/products/addison-mizner-visionary-architect
Illustrations copyright © 2023 by Barbara McClintock Even when you’ve accepted the oft-repeated truth that publishing is a slow process, it can be excruciating to wait for all the pieces to come together. Writing a manuscript can take significant time, but because that is active, you may find the stages between writing and publication surprisingly challenging.
Obviously, a good deal of patience is required in this career, but there are things you can do while you wait. Use the list below as a springboard for coming up with ways to be active in the in-between times. What to Do While You’re Waiting to Be Published: 1. Start a new project. When the revisions for your contracted manuscript are in, and you’ve handed your story off to the industry professionals who will run the next leg of the race for you, it’s time to get started on something new. Think both strategically and creatively! Is there a follow-up project that would be perfect for capturing the audience you are targeting with your current book? Or maybe your brain will turn to mush if you keep thinking about that topic and you need to do something completely different to reset your inspiration? Time writing is never wasted time. So keep up that writing habit while you wait for publication! 2. Research/find your target audience. Even though you will likely have some marketing support when you publish traditionally, you will always be the best person to talk about (and sell) your book. Do you know how to find the readers who will listen? Where are they hanging out? And what else are they reading? Get to know your target audience so that you can interact with them. It will make you a better writer to engage with the reading community and pay attention to how reader expectations change in your genre over time. 3. Grow your relationships. This one piggy-backs on the last suggestion. Part of your purpose in finding your audience is sales-related market research. But another big part is growing genuine relationships. The writing and reading community is wonderful to participate in actively – book people are good people! Do you have writer friends inside and outside of your genre that are cheering you on? Are you encouraging others? Participating in book clubs, writing groups, and social media can all be positive ways to grow relationships while you wait. 4. Create an Author Site Many authors think that they should wait to create an author website because they don’t think it’s important to have one pre-publication or don't know what to put on it. While that's understandable, there's a lot you can do to start thinking about your brand and create a home base online for yourself. Think of it as a calling card. It's a great tool for helping agents, editors, and eventually readers to get a sense of who you are and for you to show us that you are ready to be professionally engaged online. 5. Study Your Craft While you are waiting to find the perfect agent, or waiting for your agent to find the perfect editor, or waiting for the editor to bring your book into the world... keep learning! Pick up a book on worldbuilding, dialogue, non-fiction research, or even marketing. Think of this "down time" as "in between time" and use it wisely to become an even better writer! We have a long list of suggested books and resources right here on our website! 6. Take Deep Breaths The tough reality is that it can take two years from receiving an offer from a publisher to holding your book in your hands. There are teams of people invested in your work, and they all have jobs that take a certain amount of time. They are also coordinating with each other to make sure everything is in place to maximize the chances of your book reaching its audience and selling well. Authors are busy team members for certain parts of this process and will feel sidelined for others. Take some deep breaths and remember that you will be busy again soon. You know what they say about good things and waiting. by Anjanette Barr A writer is rarely at a loss for words which makes writer’s block the bane of the writing life. At any time in the writing process, a writer can be derailed by not knowing what comes next. A blank page at the start of a new project can make a writer stumble for how to begin. A complicated middle can make an author freeze without a clear path to the climax. And figuring out how to nail a story’s ending can stymie a writer.
Here are six ways to get back on track. #1 Go outside – refresh with a change of scenery and getting active If you are truly stuck with your writing project, staring at a blank screen is not going to get you unstuck. Writing is solitary and sedentary which itself doesn’t lead to generating actions and events in the story. Both the change of scenery and getting active will renew your creativity. The feeling of fresh air on your face will translate to a breath of fresh air on the page. #2 Change format – take a break from prose Sometimes sentences just don’t seem to flow. Try a sideways approach to getting back on track by writing part of a scene in a very different mode. Write a scene only with dialog. Or, replace the prose with a poem. Don’t get stuck on rhyme because poetry is more than that. Maybe alliteration or a rhythm could be the change in texture that helps you get on track. Afterwards, you can replace these sections with prose that’s consistent with the rest of your story. Sometimes, getting your brain to work with words in a different way does the trick so you can find your way back to your story. #3 Brainstorm again – switch to generating ideas Bring fast energy to your scratch pad by writing ideas without stopping. You’ll switch from storytelling mode to brainstorming. Try giving yourself topics related to your characters or events happening in the story and brainstorm various possibilities. You could try ordering some of the ideas into lists, and then switch them in unusual ways to see if that jogs your storytelling brain. You can throw out the crazy and wacky ideas, but often they help you find an unexpected answer for what comes next. #4 Research your audience – find out what your readers crave If you dive into your audience’s experience of reading, you’ll find what keeps them coming back to read more of the type of book you’re writing. Consider what you can do to amp up that experience for them. Can you add something that was missing before? All books have readers turning pages to find out what comes next or what information the author has to share, but categories and genres do this in different ways. When writer’s block stops you, go back to the reason readers will pick up your book; you’ll be able to dive in again to add what readers will enjoy most about your story. #5 Switch to a different project – shifting gears can recharge your creativity It’s always easier to pick up where you left off with a project than to start a new one. Have you ever cheated on one writing project with another? If you’re like most writers, you’ve got a stash of ideas and half-finished projects waiting for you to get inspired to continue working on them. Sometimes getting into a groove with a different project that is in process can jog your brain into productivity on the one that is your main focus. #6 Take a shower – the Hail Mary This is the writer’s version of Murphy’s Law: you’ll get your best ideas when you're wet because you can’t get to a pen (or computer). There is something about immersing oneself in water that helps with going back to the well of creativity. Just try it. When writer’s block challenges you, try sideways tactics to get the flow of words going again. Give yourself permission to get a draft that’s in rough shape; don’t expect your most amazing prose to come with the first sentences you get on the page. The main concern is to beat the block by getting back to writing. by Jennie Dunham If you're among the majority of writers who loathe writing their manuscript synopsis, I hope I can impart some encouragement and motivation with today's post. It's true that the condensed writing required for a synopsis uses very different skills than writing longform. But, I promise that you have what it takes. In fact, YOU are the BEST person to write your synopsis because you have the fullest vision of your work's purpose. Before I get into my advice for making peace with the synopsis process, let's go over why a synopsis is so important:
But what is an author to do when they feel that their copywriting chops are just not up to the task of paring their 200 page manuscript down into a back cover blurb, query letter, or even one page synopsis? Here are some tips:
Don't forget that a true synopsis reveals the ending. Obviously a shortened version, like a back cover blurb, will be vague, but just like your story, your synopsis needs a strong finish. You might, like some authors I know and admire, even decide to begin with the synopsis when your next manuscript inspiration hits. A synopsis can be used in lieu of an outline if you are more of a "pantser" and don't mind modifying it as you go along. When you embrace the synopsis as a healthy part of the creative process, I hope you'll find that the outcome is so rewarding that you dread it less the next time you have to do it, and that you'll come to see the synopsis as more friend than foe. by Anjanette Barr Some writing shortcuts are gimmicks, and generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Nothing allows a writer to bypass the work involved in writing a book. One of the best and most well-known supports is to work with a mentor or teacher who is already an established writer. Getting in-person critiques can make a big difference to writer of any age who’s starting out. But, not everyone has access to an established writer willing to help, and editorial services can be costly.
Instead of working with a mentor, consider using a mentor text. This means foregoing a coach who guides you by prompting you to write or who responds to what you've written. A mentor text itself acts as your guide. What is a mentor text? A mentor text is a book that is already published which you use as a blueprint for the book you're writing. This means that it's not a book about writing which is essentially a self-help book with advice for writers. It's an already-published book that you choose and use in your own process as a successful example of what you’re trying to do. Think of a mentor text as blueprint. It can be especially helpful as a guide for the plot, the tone, the characters, character arcs, and themes. There are so many different elements in a story that even a veteran writer can benefit looking at their current project with a different lens. When looking for a mentor text, think about what you need most from the book that will serve as your guide. Do you struggle with plot? Do you want to keep the tone consistent? Would it help you to look deeply at defining characters and depicting their thoughts and emotions? Do you get caught up in the plot and forget what’s going on with the various characters’ arcs? If plot is your main reason for using a mentor text, likely, you're going to want a book in the same genre. If you're writing a mystery or a romance, the plots will have similar "beats" in the three-act structure. Even a character-driven story needs a narrative backbone. This means you'll head to a particular bookshelf for that genre to find a mentor text. Start at the bookshelves that have the type of book you’re writing. If keeping a consistent tone in your story is your reason for finding a mentor text, think about what tone you want. Are you writing a white-knuckled survival? An edge-of-your-seat thriller? A hysterical rom-com? You’re keying in to how the reader feels, so consider reaching out to friends and asking for recommendations. You may need to do more research to find the right mentor text, but a personal recommendation is a good start. Characters are essential in every story. As a writer you need to know your characters and describe them internally and externally and all of their actions so that the reader understands them. It’s a challenge to write a protagonist so that the reader relates to them. Since virtually every story has characters, it can be harder to find a mentor text because there are so many choices. Hone in on the right text by thinking about attributes of your character that may be unusual or challenges the character may face. See if there are similar stories you can find based on these aspects of your character. Character arcs are important because stories show characters over time interacting with other characters and overcoming obstacles. By mapping out each character’s arc in the story, a writer looks at the rise in tension towards the climax as characters’ motivations, mistakes, and mishaps propel them to the climax. If you want to find a mentor text to look closely at character arcs, try to find a book in which characters have similar relationships to the ones in your book. Look for buddies, siblings, co-workers, parents and children? While it's easy to focus on the protagonist, don’t forget the antagonist and key supporting characters. An online search for books with these types of relationships can be fruitful. You don't want your book to be an exact copy of your mentor text. Your book needs to be your own and to stand as a "fresh and new" story. If you've done it right, nobody who reads your book will know which book you used for a mentor text. Once you’ve chosen a mentor text, read it several times. First and foremost, a book should be enjoyable, so start out doing just that when you read a book for the first time. The plot twists will surprise you, and you’ll feel all the highs and lows of the emotions the protagonist feels. During a second read, you can look more closely to see what you missed the first time. With later reads, you already know the plot which makes the emotions less intense because you know what to expect. You can focus in on the mechanics of how the author crafted the various elements to make an engaging story. That’s when you can use it as a guide. Mentor texts can be especially helpful because of how long it takes to write a book. Somewhere along the line, you might get derailed in terms of where the story is going or change the tone of your book. Referring back to your mentor text can help you connect with the elements of your story that are challenging for you. A mentor text can be helpful at any stage in the writing process. If you’re just starting out writing, or if you have a solid draft, consider using a book that’s already published to help make yours ready for a wide audience and everything you want it to be.  'Tis the season for curling up with a book! Whether you're looking for your next novel to binge on audiobook or hoping for a recommendation to share with family by the fire, we have you covered! Here are some of Anjanette's very favorite reads for the cozy season. Anjanette's Favorite Cozy ReadsChildren's Picture Books: When I think about picture books that are begging to be read while snuggled on the couch or around the table while sipping cocoa, a few authors immediately come to mind. In our home, there's a good chance that every other book you grab from our shelves will be by Patricia Polacco, Tomie dePaola, or Jan Brett. All three of these author/illustrators marry perfectly-paced storytelling with evocative illustrations that children and adults love equally. You can't go wrong with these masters! Already read everything by the above authors? Try: Joyce Sidman Kenard Pak Paul Zelinsky Barbara Coony Ezra Jack Keats Barbara McClintock Jane Yolen Jon Klassen Children's Chapter Books: Fall and Winter are the perfect time to slip into new magical worlds. Here are some of my favorites:
YA and Adult For me, this contemplative time of year gets me thinking about all of the beautiful literature that has influenced us in times gone by. I always pick up at least a few classics. Some of my favorites that are perfect for this time of year are, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and Shakespeare's Macbeth. If you are thinking that those all trend toward spooky and suspenseful, you're right! Nothing like a bit of a chill to make me want to burrow in my blankets! Not a huge fan of older works or just looking for something new? Try The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey or Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.  Describe your creative process?
I wake up, read the paper, hang out with my dog Coda, practice guitar and then go upstairs to my office and write until lunch. I am most creative in the morning. What do you think draws readers to your work? The chance to learn through stories. For example, I interviewed Claudette Colvin extensively so that my book about her would offer more than just the information that there was a bus protestor before Rosa Parks. It also conveyed how it felt to try to make changes in a racially divided city. With DUET I read somewhere that scientists had proved through experiments that mockingbirds could identify individual humans one from another. This was a terrifically important finding, but a pretty dry story. So I found and interviewed Cristine Stracey, a scientist whose work was central to the project. She turned out to be both a fine biologist and a good storyteller. And she sharpened the story a good bit! Outside of writing, what do you like to do? I love to learn about birds. I spend a lot of time behind binoculars. I practice guitar and harmonica. I love to hike. I travel a lot. How did you initially get into writing? I was encouraged by my high school English teacher, Grace Hine. “Do you think I’ll be a writer?" I once asked her. “Only if you need to,” she said. I guess I needed to. What is a cause you care about? So many causes. I support groups that use books—children’s literature—to welcome immigrant children. I support groups that protect plants, animals and ecosystems. I support Planned Parenthood. Who are some authors who have inspired you? Tom Wolfe, Munro Leaf, John R. Tunis, Harper Lee, Rachel Carson Do you have advice for future and aspiring authors? Write a lot, and show your work to others. Join or start a writer’s club at school. It’s scary to share your writing, but that’s the way to get better. What does your working space look like? What do you need in order to be productive? My office walls are lined with bookshelves overflowing with books and papers. A yellow paper-mache dragon is suspended over my head. Posters of my books are pinned to the walls. I can see a sliver of the ocean through my window. Talk to us about music. What are your favorite songs for writing? How do you switch it up? Do you have a theme song for yourself as a writing professional? I am like a mockingbird. I write songs, and learn to play by other musicians. In the late afternoon my wife and I sing harmonies to songs we call up on Alexa. We agree with the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who said, “without music life would be a mistake.” How did the idea for this new book come to you? A magazine editor hired me to write a piece about mockingbirds. I had always loved their song but didn’t really know much about them. After the article was published I wrote a proposal for a book about mockers. The research was fascinating. I was totally surprised by the power of their connection with humans. Now that I’m tuned into mockingbirds I hear them just about everywhere I go. What was your biggest challenge in writing this book? Waiting for the book to be published. I wanted to share this story with everyone the instant I was finished writing. What about the Mockingbird do you find most interesting or inspiring? Trying to interpret the components of the mockingbird’s song. The song is like a quilt stitched together with song fragments. I know the songs of many birds, and I’m always asking myself, “was that a chipping sparrow?” or “that one was a cardinal’s song, wasn’t it?” The song is fascinating. What are your favorite facts and quotes from the book? “I think of the mockingbird as our native jazz musician…No other area of the world, as far as I know, has a bird so devoted to improvisation.” --Earl Vickers What has it been like working with Dunham Literary? Exciting. We move at a rapid clip and exchange ideas liberally. And we get results! .Do you have a great idea for a book?
Fantastic! You need to figure out your next steps. A book takes a long time to write, and it's a lot of work. Perhaps your first thought might be to find a publisher who will buy the book before you start writing. Why invest lots of time without the guarantee that a publisher will be interested? Or, you may wonder if you would be better off finding someone else to write it for you. Here's the tough news. Every book starts with a great idea. Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Agents and editors are eager for them, but agents can't sell (and editors can't buy) books without a proposal for nonfiction or a full manuscript for fiction. It's the execution of the great idea into a well-written book that really gets publishing professionals excited. If you've heard real estate agents say that the most important aspect of a house when going to sell it is "location, location, location," then the book equivalent is "execution, execution, execution." A good idea might pique the interest of an agent or editor, but the request to read actual pages will follow quickly. If you don't have the pages to send soon after receiving the request, agents and editors will move on to the next project. Not that they aren't interested, but in their eyes, you aren't ready with what they need to move forward. This means that you need more than a good idea before you send a query. You might be better off with someone else writing it if you are an expert in an area and don’t have time because you have a busy career already. This only works well, however, in a few scenarios. One is if you are willing to pay a ghost writer up front to complete a full manuscript before submitting. That's risky since there's no guarantee of publication. Another is if your book can be sold on proposal to a publisher for enough money to make it worth a writer's investment of time and effort before the whole book is written. These types of arrangements are viable almost exclusively for practical nonfiction (how-to, self-help books). For fiction, a good idea usually isn't enough to get a professional writer interested in joining your team. Another aspect of understanding that a great idea alone is not enough is that no two people will tell a story the same way. Retellings of familiar stories can be fresh and exciting even when the reader knows the basics because a writer's individual interpretation provides new insight to the characters, situations, and challenges. The plot might differ in each version in important but nuanced ways. The setting in a different time or place will influence how the characters act. And of course, each writer's voice is distinct. The artistic rendering is what elevates a great idea to a brilliant story. If the idea behind your story is the same or substantially similar to other books already published, then yours will be distinct because of all the parts of the story beyond the basic idea. The central idea gives the gist of what will happen in the story, but the parts that make it special can’t be conveyed in the idea. Since a writer's individual voice and presentation of characters and narrative arc are what make it unique, the idea alone cannot adequately convey a writer's individual artistry. Once you have a great idea, your next step might involve asking yourself some questions. What makes your story different from others? Is this idea fresh enough to stand out from other books already available? A great idea is the seed for every book, but alone it’s not enough to get a book deal. You’ll need to take the idea and craft it into your own, individual story. If you've got a great idea, then it's time to start writing! |
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