PITCHING TO AN AGENT – PART 3 – THE SYNOPSIS & FACE-TO-FACE
THE SYNOPSIS
The synopsis is a breakdown of your story. It’s another form of an outline, but in complete sentences, no bullets. The purpose of the synopsis is to tell your complete story to the agent or publisher. Specifically, you need to outline the main character, the main conflict, and the resolution. Yes, you must tell the ending. The synopsis tells the complete story (I repeat), from beginning to end, in abbreviated form. The key is the length. For the pitch letter at a conference, and for some queries to agents, it should be one page. For some agent queries, it might be two to three pages. From there, where a full manuscript is requested, it could be three to ten pages, depending on the individual requirements of the agency. The key is to follow their instructions explicitly. As a general rule, stick to one page, unless told otherwise. One good thing about sticking to these rigid requirements is that it keeps your writing tight.
THE SYNOPSIS WILL SHOW FLAWS IN YOUR PLOTTING
A synopsis can be extremely hard to write properly. However, it can also be a very good way to reveal how well your story has been put together. It’s a good way to spot any red flags in flow and plot. When you break down your story into a few paragraphs, just to get the key plot elements, you’re going to see right away if it all holds together. If, at the end of your synopsis, you notice that the story doesn’t hold water, you may need to go back and do some rewriting!
BULLETS
One way to develop your synopsis is to start by describing each scene or chapter (if you have a lot) in one bullet sentence. Compile all of these bullets and look them over for the key patterns. If something looks extraneous, maybe it shouldn’t be there. Once you have that down, turn these bullets into sentences and then organized paragraphs so they flow together.
For me, I have the whole story in my head. In my creative process, I only know where I want to start and where I want to end, the middle is a total surprise. Once I get going and write it all down, it becomes locked in my head. As I edit it over and over again, the plot and all the details become locked in so when I sit down to write my synopsis, I already have the big picture going for me. I don’t have to bullet out each chapter. However, I don’t expect all of you out there to write or create the same way I do, so I’m throwing that bullet method out for you.
KEEP CHARACTER NAMES TO A MINIMUM
The key elements are that you introduce the main character and maybe their adversary by name only. Everyone else remains unnamed. They’re just anonymous characters as far as the synopsis is concerned. The first time you name these one or two characters, you put them in italics. From then on, they’re in regular font. Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details such as naming a whole bunch of characters, names or places in the story. Don’t list time lines either, especially on a one-page synopsis! Describe the plot, describe what happens, describe what, where, when, why and how the character gets from point a to point b and what happens at the end. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you’re writing a two, three or more page synopsis, a few sentences per chapter might be appropriate unless you have eighty chapters. Again, if you do this, it should read almost like a short story. It should make sense on its own. If it doesn’t, you need to work on the plot some more before you try pitching it.
DON’T LET IT GO, SIGHT UNSEEN!
The final element to all of this, before you ever even think of turning it in to an agent or publisher: Get someone or several other people to read it first! There’s nothing like second sets of eyes to see what you can’t!
THE FACE TO FACE
LIKE A JOB INTERVIEW
I’ve always considered the pitch session as a job interview. That’s exactly what it is. The difference is that it’s a two way street. Not only will you be working for the agent and/or publisher, they’ll be working for you. When you get right down to it, you’re also interviewing them. The biggie right now though, is that the person you’re about to sit down with is holding all the cards. They have the power, the knowledge, and the abilities to take your hopes and dreams and turn them into a reality. Okay, maybe I’m laying it on a bit thick, but isn’t that why you’re there?
To make this less dramatic, you have a product and you’re looking for a manufacturer to produce, distribute and sell that product. That bland enough? You’re the inventor of said product. It’s your job to try to convince a manufacturer to take your product, refine it and produce it for mass consumption.
I think all of you have seen the movie somewhere where a guy in a business suit nervously tugs at his tie, briefcase in one hand, as he sits outside a boardroom to pitch his idea to a bunch of stuffed shirts. Is this all ringing a bell? Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, let’s lighten things up a bit and get to the reality of pitching to real people at a writer’s conference.
If you’re lucky enough to attend a good conference, you might have a scenario similar to what we have at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. I’m using this conference as an example not only to once again plug it (it takes place 24-26 April), but also because I have intimate knowledge of how this conference works.
MILLING ABOUT
You’ll sign in, and for the price of admission, get to pick at least one agent appointment slot, maybe more, depending on the schedule and the number of people adding in names. From personal experience, I’ve never had a problem seeing any agent I’ve wanted to see. These appointments might be the first, second, or third day, first thing in the morning through the end of each day. Because of that, there’s a good chance that during any classes (seminars) you choose, during breaks, and during meals you might find yourself talking face-to-face with the very agent to which you’re going to be pitching your book. These are good times to get to know them, feel them out, find out what are their likes and dislikes. Get to know them as a person. You’re more than likely going to find them great people. Once in a while, you’ll find a total jerk. That’s happened to me a few times. I pitched to them anyway. Most of the jerks actually had me send them something and I got the expected results. One took two years to respond. I’d totally forgot about him, then out of the blue, I got a letter. “Not for me.”
As I alluded to above, the agent you’re pitching to might be teaching one of the classes (seminars) you signed up for. That’s another good way to get to know them and what they stand for, what they like and dislike, and how you might approach them. Meals are a good place to talk shop and hear the latest gossip in the publishing world. You can learn the trends and even find out what’s going on with your genre. That could help you slant your pitch when you sit down with them.
THE SIT DOWN
When it’s finally time for your pitch session, even though you may have met face-to-face before, sit down, shake their hand and introduce yourself. Then, when they ask you to tell them about your book, start out with your slug line. Those are the one or two sentences that introduce your story. From there, if you wrote them well, the agent should ask you to tell them more. That’s when you give them a brief, and I mean brief, synopsis including how the story ends.
Do not, and I mean do not ramble on and get off on tangents! Watch the agents’ body language. If their eyes start to wander or glaze over, you’ve lost them. You have to give them a one-two punch. You have to make them want more. When you sit down, your pitch letter, with the short synopsis on the back, should be slipped over to them first thing. They may glance at it, they may not. They may actually read it as they listen to your pitch. However, the chances are, they won’t actually take it. They’ll have you mail it to them. If that’s the case, make sure you revise the letter at the first paragraph to include that it was really nice to meet and talk with them at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference bla bla bla (or whichever conference you attend). That paragraph is key, so that it puts a time and place on your meeting. Also at the bottom of the letter, make sure to include “I’ve attached … sample chapters and a … page synopsis per your request.”
One more thing, never ever pitch your book in casual conversation. Don’t be pushy. That’s a great way to turn them off. However, if you’re talking at lunch, dinner or wherever, the subject of your writing comes up and the agent says, “Well, tell me about your book,” they’re inviting you in. Otherwise, leave the pitching for your appointment.
From here forward, all I can say is good luck, and happy writing!
WHAT NOT TO DO!
In this first part, we’ll get down to some technical thingies. We’re going to go over what not to do. Then, I’ll show you one that’s worked.
NEGATIVITY
I mentioned never to use negativity, or put yourself down. Here are a few examples. Some are overt, while a few may be a bit more subtle.
I know you get lots of submissions, but before you throw mine in the slush pile, I’d appreciate if you’d give me a chance.
Ding ding ding! Red flag! You’re starting negative right out of the gate! Don’t even bring the subject up! In the first place, you should be starting with your slug line. Second, you’re giving the agent the perfect excuse to do just what you are hoping they won’t do.
I’ve been submitting to lots of agents, but was hoping you’d be the right one for my work.
Do I have to explain this one?
I’m a struggling writer and found your agency on line. I would like to present my character…
A little more subtle, but saying you are a struggling writer is not only a cliché, it’s a given and also a negative. No need to voice it. Scratch the first sentence.
Thank you for considering my work. I may not be the best writer in the world, but I know I’ve come up with a winner here.
You had him or her at the first sentence and blew it with the rest. Hack off that second sentence.
IRRELEVANT MATERIAL & FLUFF
Now for a little biography sample.
I’m an accomplished writer with high grades in English grammar in high school and college. I excelled at all of my term papers and almost had an article published in the alumni newsletter but due to budget constraints, the issue was never printed. I had a short story called The Flag printed in Mystery Journal for Fiberglas Press, 1989.
She’s a mystery writer. The only relevant credit is the last one. The rest of it is pure fluff and irrelevant. Trash it. Inflating a bio with irrelevant material is no way to win friends with an agent. If you only have one credit, so be it. In the good old days, it was okay to throw in the kitchen sink. Nowadays, agents don’t have time to slog through all this crap looking for gems. You’re better off to keep it tight and right. Besides, almosts don’t count.
BRAGGING, SARCASM
I’m sure you get lots of really “great” stories at your agency, but now get ready for a real treat. XXX will blow you away.
Oh, please! Sarcasm, conceit, bragging, grammar problems, the list goes on.
ONE THAT WORKED
Now I’m going to show you a pitch letter that worked. Below is the letter that I handed to the publisher that gave me the contract for my upcoming novel, Meleena’s Adventures – Treasure Of The Umbrunna. Keep in mind that I handed it to her at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference and pitched to her in person. After I sold her on the idea, she had me send it along with the first 50 pages plus a synopsis, which was on the back of this letter.
I’ve included notes of explanation where appropriate, and left off the headers and dates and a photo, which is something (the photo) you shouldn’t put on a letter you are mailing out! Also, I modified parts of it so as not to give away the actual plot in case anyone wants to read the book.
Re: Meleena’s Adventures – Treasure Of The Umbrunna
Fantasy – 79,500 words
Pen name: Ray Brooks (I have since dumped this idea and will go with my real name).
All she wanted was to get rich, but in the end, will she sacrifice all to help another? If she isn’t careful, people may start to think she’s a decent person. (This is the pitch line, the first thing I said to her after introducing myself.)
Meleena goes through life one picked pocket at a time. With a wild heart, she spends each night with a different man, and often wakes up in a strange place. When she goes after a valuable pearl hidden in a lost city called Slab, she figures this is the way to the easy life. An old magick user named Grel may hold the key to finding this pearl, and he insists she not go alone if she hopes to survive. Despite second thoughts and an aversion to working with others, she gathers a team and heads for the lost city. However, she’s not the only one after the pearl, and Meleena enters into a race to get there first. (This is the body of the text. It should be one paragraph, but I broke a rule and made it two short ones. It worked. They were condensed from the original. The whole point was that the entire letter had to fit on one page, letterhead, spacing, signature, credits, all of it. Keep it brief!)
As she fights her way to the lost city, Meleena discovers she’s out of her element in the wilds. Her companions help her survive, and she learns to trust others. After a hazardous journey, she reaches the pearl first, but is betrayed by one of her friends. After escaping, she learns that Grel has been manipulating her all along, and the pearl is not what it seems. Besides the monetary value, it is the only way to provide a cure for the queen of her kingdom, Grel’s former lover. She’s now faced with making a huge profit or helping the queen. This wasn’t the easy life she envisioned.
I’m a member of the Henderson Writer’s Group in Henderson, Nevada. My short story, The House, appeared in the anthology Between the Pages, 2003. The Walk Home was published in the story collection Writer’s Bloc 2006, The Basement in Writer’s Bloc 2, 2008, and Fun In The Outland in First Voyage, 2008. (Remember, relevant writing credits, which should include a writer’s group, if you’re in one. Though none of these stories are actually fantasy, the chances of the publisher checking, or actually finding those books were pretty slim, so I took the chance. Turns out, many of those books were for sale at the conference! Also, the titles could mean anything, and at least they show I’m a prolific and published writer. Just make sure if you do this, you don’t put something down that is obviously not relevant. Also, note that the info is dated. I’ve since published a few more things that aren’t listed.)
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Fred B. Rayworth
There you go. An example, a visual aid, without giving away too much of the actual story, but hopefully, enticing you to read it. This example also gives you an idea of one way to successfully pitch to an agent.
NOTE: It’s conference time. In support of the Las Vegas Writer’s conference, I’m reposting an updated series of articles I posted last year that might be helpful to those of you considering going to this or any other writer’s conference.
Probably one of the hardest things an author has to write is the pitch letter. I’m reminded of the teen who doesn’t want to finish high school and comes up with the excuse, “Well Axl Rose of Guns N Roses never graduated, and look at him. He’s a big rock star millionaire.” Well, there’s ambition and dumb luck. He could just as easily have failed and never would’ve had anything to back himself up with. Mr. William Rose Jr. (his real name) might be the guy cleaning your pool while you’re making the big bucks because you went on to get a degree. Why I bring this up is that some authors think their story is so hot they won’t need to sell it. Agents will be knocking their door down to buy it from them. A pitch letter, or trying to pitch their story isn’t on their radar. They can skip the hard work because their story is so hot, luck (agents and publishers) will seek them out.
THE REAL WORLD
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen often in the real world. The funny thing is that I actually did see it happen once at the very first writer’s conference I attended in 2005. There was this teenage kid pitching a story he hadn’t even completed. He didn’t have a proper query letter or even any writing samples, as I recall. Yet when he pitched his idea to one of the young adult agents, she signed him on the spot. To this day, I don’t know if anything ever came of that kid or his book (if he ever completed it), but it was one of those magic Axl Rose type moments where lightning strikes. I was there to witness it.
Do you think it’ll happen to you? Fat chance! You, my friend, are going to have to work for it like the rest of us, if the numbers bear out. So, suck it up and start listening (or reading, if you want to get technical).
NUTS AND BOLTS
The pitch letter, or as it’s more widely known, the query letter, is your way of getting the attention of an agent or publisher. It’s a way of tapping them on the shoulder and saying “Hey, I’ve got something to show you.”
Agents and publishers get literally hundreds, if not thousands of these letters per day/week/month. They’re always looking for the next best thing, something they can sell and from which they can make a ton of money. At the same time, they have to slog through all this crap. To get their attention, you need to be brief, to the point, no bull. Or as Jack Webb used to say in Dragnet, “Just the facts, Ma’am.”
TO THE POINT – FAST
It’s critical you keep to the point and be concise in a query letter. You’ve got just a few quick lines to blow their socks off, to pique their interest, to leave them wanting for more. By the time that agent or publisher reaches the end of that letter, they should know the story is a good fit for their agency, they should see that you have the chops to pull it off, and are intrigued by the premise, or pitch line. If you can do those three things, I can almost guarantee they’ll be asking for more.
FICTION VERSUS NON-FICTION
I need to tell you up front that this discussion is tailored to pitching fiction and not non-fiction. When it comes to queries, they’re two different animals. I’ve never pitched non-fiction and don’t have a clue how to do it, so if that’s what you’re after, sorry! They’re called proposals, by the way. However, the basic principles still apply. The only difference is in the format and content of the actual query letter. Everything else I’m telling you is the same.
WHAT NEXT?
Now that you’ve heard the inevitable (you’re going to have to do one), how are you going to go about it? The easy answer is to tell you to go to the bookstore or the wyberry (library, sorry, I like to play with words) and stock up with literally (if that isn’t a metaphor) hundreds of books on writing query letters. Or, I could condense it all down for you and let you know what’s worked for me and what hasn’t. Keep in mind that you can come up with a generic letter, but trust me, you’ll have to modify it for each agent. Not only is it good to personalize each one, but many agents have their own ideas of what a query letter should contain. A generic query letter smacks of impersonalization. That, my friends, is a big red flag with a trash can bulls-eye right in the middle of it.
THREE THINGS
The most successful query/pitch letters contain three things: The slug line (or pitch), what the story is about, and a bit about yourself (what makes you qualified to write the story). Of course, you don’t write those things exactly. Remember, this is a letter to a person, not a machine. The key is that the letter should be brief, to the point and only contain relevant information. On top of that, it must be grammatically correct, contain no typos and something you might not always hear from others, it cannot contain any negatives or sarcasm.
Whatever you do, do not put yourself or others down! Do not use sarcasm! I must step back and say that if the sarcasm is part of the plot or storyline, that’s something else. If it’s about you or other authors, do not use it!
DON’T GET CUTESY-POO
Another thing never to do, well, something that is extremely risky and 99% of the time doesn’t work, is to write the query letter in character. For example, I’m talking about your main character being a hard-bitten detective with a few screws loose upstairs. He or she writes the letter. It’s written on an old typewriter with a cigarette burn in one corner and coffee stains in another. The letter is folded wrong and you sign it with your character’s sloppy signature, typing your real name and address on the envelope. It’s cutesy-poo to-the-max, but most agents and publishers have been there and done that and can’t hit the trash can with it fast enough. Some may even respond with a nasty letter. Or, a romance writer may send their query on frilly stationary soaked in perfume.
Play it straight. No gags, no gimmicks to get yourself noticed. I’ve had more agents tell me they get extremely annoyed by these tactics and put these authors on their ***t lists. Though you’ll hear the anecdotes where this method worked, once done, it’s cliché. Keep that in mind.
REPEAT
I repeat, it’s extremely important the letter have no typos or grammatical errors. When an agent gets hold of it, if they see you can’t even write out a single page without an error, what will a novel or short story look like?
Next time, we break things down even further.
Happy writing!
HOW TO LOSE YOUR READER
Narrative. The backbone of every story. Without it, a novel would be nothing but dialogue.
Narrative provides action, background, story movement and more, or it should. When the narrative bogs down, the mind drifts.
Case in point, a novel I’m currently reading. It’s a fascinating story, to a point. The author either knows his stuff about quantum mechanics (and other scientific theories I can’t even describe), or he has a flair for bull unparalleled in literature. I suspect the latter.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
My issue is that from the beginning of this story, he’s tended toward long passages of narrative (as told in dialogue, but to me, it’s still narrative) about scientific principles that are way above my head. I don’t profess to be a complete dummy, but my eyes glazed over for a good third of the book. What’s worse, the protagonist becomes a prisoner. After being tortured, he finds out what kind of prison he’s in during protracted conversations with other prisoners. You guessed it: they rattle off one scientific principal after another. Eyes glaze over again.
I don’t mind reading or even learning something new in my fiction, but geez, don’t overwhelm me with stuff way beyond-beyond, even if it’s not that far from reality. If this guy thought it up, I’m sure he did the research. That means he based it on science fact so he wouldn’t get called on it. Unfortunately, that leaves the average reader in the dust.
Do you enjoy reading through page after page of scientific gobblety gook?
I’ve reached a point where the action is finally overwhelming the jargon. That jargon is used extensively in the tech tools employed by the bad guys, so I see the author’s point. I’m enjoying this story, but I had to slog through a lot of techno-babble to get to that enjoyment. I shouldn’t have to do that. If the author had parsed his science babble out a little less, the read would be faster and less frustrating.
LEARN TO SENSE LIMITS
We, as authors have to keep that in mind. I’ve mentioned agendas and fluff and knowing when to cut before. If this author has already done that, I can only imagine what the original manuscript looked like!
The way he’s interconnected the science babble into things, I wonder how thick this book would’ve be with another edit. I’d hate to have him dummy down the story, but I’m sure he could’ve cut out a lot of fluff so minds wouldn’t drift. In fact, I was mentally doing just that as I read.
TRIMMING APPLIES TO ANY GENRE
This principle applies to any subject matter, not just scientific. If your novel takes place in the 1800s and you go off on a tangent about a trapper and tanning specifics, you could lose your reader, especially if the story is about a chase through the wilds. What does tanning have to do with a chase?
You’re writing a romance and you go off on a detailed explanation on cooking a special dish that lasts an entire chapter. What’s that got to do with two star-crossed lovers?
In a murder mystery, the protagonists car breaks down on the way to looking for the suspect, so you go into a detailed scene of him fixing the car. It takes up one or two chapters. Why?
These are more simplistic examples, where in my case, the scientific principles are ingrained into the whole story. But what if in that 1800’s novel, the subject of tanning comes up in every chapter, in detail? Or that special dish gets described with more detail in every chapter between love scenes? Or, after the car breaks down in the mystery, you keep revisiting it with sidebars until the end of the story?
You don’t need to tell the readers more than they need to know, even if you think they’re neat details. That’s your agenda coming through instead of the needs of the story.
If it has a good use, go for it. If it’s just stuff you just think is neat, trash it, unless you can make it a key part of the story!
Happy writing.
STRUCTURING CHAPTERS AND SCENES
Back in 2011, I first touched on this subject but have gained more perspective, experience and insight so thought I’d revisit the very important topic all writers should have as a top priority.
TECHNICALITIES
What is the purpose of a story?
To convey information.
Technically put, this is your goal in a nutshell. You, the writer, are trying to convey information to your reader. If it’s a fictional piece, the whole idea is to convey pleasurable information. Which emotion that involves is entirely up to you, but unless the story is one of those fifty-word shorts (or something like that), it’s going to be long enough to require some sort of structure beyond the basics all stories require: A beginning, a middle and an end.
To get from point A to point B, there has to be structure, a pattern that makes it easier for the reader to digest. Therefore, to simplify your story, to organize it and make it more palatable for your readers, you go beyond the basic sentences and paragraphs to organize it into chapters and scenes.
ALWAYS SOMEONE TO BREAK THE RULES
The most extreme example I can think of is a book I heard about when I was living in Spain. A Spanish author wrote a two-hundred plus page book and it was one sentence! The only punctuation was one period at the very end. That had to be one seriously tedious story. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a best seller, even in Spain.
As an avid reader, I’ve seen all varieties of structure. Some authors don’t use chapters at all. Their stories are all scenes. Then there are those like James Patterson, who make every scene a chapter. Lately, I tend toward this approach. Then there are those that use a timeline instead of chapters, or they have parts with independent chapters within these parts instead of consecutive chapters starting with one at the beginning of the book and so on.
It doesn’t matter which form you take because it still boils down to organization.
ORGANIZATION
Chapters and scenes organize your story into logical, palatable bite-sized chunks, something the reader can grab onto. This is the same as TV scenes between commercial breaks. The movies do it also, except instead of commercials, they break to a different part of the story, to take a breather, or reveal something.
Organization. Small sections lay out your story so that the reader can help put the story together in their mind as they follow along. They can watch it develop as you tell it.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHAPTERS AND SCENES?
Is there really a difference between chapters and scenes? To many authors, not much.
One way to look at it is that a chapter is more of the big picture, where scenes are little chunks within the chapter. What does that mean?
A chapter is a major clause, section, or part of the story. It’s a chunk of action that takes place. A scene is the same thing but on a smaller scale. Because of this rather vague and arbitrary definition, there are no set rules and many different methods authors use to organize their stories.
OLD SCHOOL
Not too long ago, the standard was that books were organized into chapters and each chapter should have no more than three or four scenes. More than that was considered taboo and excessive. Bad voodoo.
I happen to agree with that if you choose to use standard chapters. More than three or four scenes per, fragments the chapters and becomes annoying. That isn’t to say published authors don’t break that rule and get away with it, but to me, it makes for a disorganized story and takes away from the impact.
REGARDLESS, THEY’RE ALL STRUCTURED THE SAME
Whether it’s a chapter or a scene, they should be written the same. They both follow a basic structure similar to the big picture of your overall story. They should have a beginning, a middle and an end. The only thing missing will be the plot resolution.
LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL SHORT STORY
You should treat each scene and chapter like a short story because that’s what they are. Each chapter and/or scene is a co-dependent short story that when assembled, coalesces to create the completed whole novel (or short bigger story).
Each one of these intricate parts completes the whole.
Every scene or chapter must be treated the same. The structure should be as follows, regardless of length:
- BEGINNING: Some kind of introduction to set the scene, to let the reader know what, where, why, when and how. It could be a paragraph, a sentence, or even a single word.
- MIDDLE: The meat of the matter. This is where you do what you have to do. Get out the information, whatever it is.
- END: This can be the most critical part. The end is not only to finish up the chapter or scene, this is also where you sell your reader, where you compel them to go on to the next scene, where you entice them to want to continue reading. There’s nothing worse than to end the section leaving them flat. If they have no reason to move on, why bother? You’ve just lost your reader. The only scene that won’t compel them to want to read more will be the end. Even then, if you do a really good job, they’ll either want a sequel or can’t wait for your next book to come out.
DON’T FORGET TO DUMP THE FLUFF
One of the most critical things about any chapter or scene, which I’ve preached in many of my other articles, is that any chapter or scene has to be relevant! It has to move the plot along and not be extraneous material. There’s nothing that brings a plot to a screeching halt faster than fluff.
SUMMARY
Whether you choose to use chapters and no scenes like I do, use nothing but scenes, or something in-between, remember the key is that each bite-sized chunk of your short story, novel or novelette must be a short story within. Each little bit must have a beginning, middle and an end. If you have those key elements and pay special attention to each ending, your readers will stay with you right until the end.
Happy writing!
ARE FLASHBACKS KILLING YOUR STORY?
Recently our writer’s group discussed flashbacks on Facebook. That inspired me to go into them again. I wrote a piece called Flashbacks back in 2011 but thought it would be good to revisit it again in more detail. While the seed of this most recent discussion came from an author who suggested that all flashbacks were bad, the general consensus from our group leaned toward using them in moderation. I agree with moderation.
WHAT IS A FLASHBACK?
Simply put, a flashback is delving into a characters past to give the reader (hopefully) useful background to further the story. Where things go awry is when this information isn’t so useful.
THE PROLOGUE
Most of the time, the prologue is actually back story. They’re almost the standard fare for any adventure/thriller. Prologues usually start sometime in the far-distant past, decades to centuries, setting the scene for the present story. A few may start only months before the active story begins. Once in a while, they’ll start in the future and the rest of the story takes place in the past.
A few years ago, agents were adverse to prologues. I don’t remember why exactly, but they were on a bent that the story should start with chapter one and that’s it. The prologue should come in… ahem… flashbacks, or be weaved in later, discovered by the characters as they go along.
The point is that there’s a difference between back story and flashbacks. Back stories involve multiple characters or incidents, where flashbacks involve individuals.
INTERNAL THOUGHTS
This works for either first or third-person. These are told through italics in third-person and must be kept short or they can be very annoying. I know I can’t stand to read page after page of italics. In first-person, there’s usually no need for italics because the character is the narrator. However to make it stand out as a flashback, sometimes writers change these thoughts to italics, though it should be obvious from the story telling that the italics shouldn’t be needed.
LIFE STORY TOLD TO ANOTHER CHARACTER
These interludes have the most potential for the story to go awry. Regardless of point of view, this is where the author can drag the story to a screeching halt. Depending on how long and dragged out the details become, the back story… uh sorry, flashback can last for a few paragraphs to several chapters. The best are the shortest.
KEY TO ANY FLASHBACK IS STORY FLOW AND NECESSITY
As much as you want to add a flashback, the key elements you have to consider are: 1. How important is that information… really? 2. How much is it going to slow down the flow of the story?
If you can satisfy those two questions and come away happy, go for it. However, especially with the second one, temper that flashback length accordingly.
NOTE: Don’t let an agenda get in the way!
I’m in the middle of a thriller. The hero is at a party where his wife gets shot. He goes after the killers, but has no clue where to start. He has a meeting with a friend who gives him a three-chapter flashback of her life. A three-chapter flashback of her life. Story flow comes to a screeching halt. He finds out one bit of info in the last sentence of that three-chapter interlude. Sounds bad, right? The saving grace of this example came between chapters two and three. The story swings to a second arc for some action, then returns to finish up her life story for the actual clue. In a way, the author broke up the rather tedious flashback with some action. It was still too much, but at least he broke it up. The key is the word tedious. For those that love character development, they’ll probably eat this stuff right up. For me, and for those that like the thriller genre, it almost brought the action to a screeching halt, despite the little interlude.
If it were me, I would’ve made those three chapters one and been done with it, but that’s just me. Time will tell if all that extra flab will be important.
Happy writing!
HAVE YOU EVER FELT OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE?
Almost sounds like a dumb question, but let’s think about this a moment. How did you get started in this passion? The best way for me to express this is from my own example. It’s certainly not the only way it’s been done, but I believe my experience is not unique.
When the muse hit me and I decided I wanted to write, I just did. No second thoughts. No worries about publishing, editing, marketing, critiquing. I wrote for the joy and just assumed I one day might be on the best seller lists. That was never my prime motivation, but I’ll admit it was a factor to want my stories to be out there for others to read. Back then, it never dawned on me that my writing might suck. Not until the second novel.
When I started The Greenhouse, I’d made contact with not only my lifetime mentor, Carol Davis Luce, but Elizabeth Forrest (Rhondi Vilott). Both experienced authors, they took me under their wings and guided me with my work, gave me pointers and even dared to read some of my stuff. What I got most from the early days, was to edit and re-edit, cut waste, and work on my passivity. Even under those primitive conditions, my chops improved immensely and I realized I wasn’t such a hot writer, not yet at least. That really hit home when I looked back at my first novel, The Cave. ‘Nuff said.
MILD SHOCK SETS IN
By the time we moved to Indiana, I was well into my third novel, Lusitania Gold and several icky bug short stories. It was those short stories I presented to the Highland Writer’s Group, the very first writers I’d ever been exposed to, face-to-face. I was in for a big shock. Not only were some of these people great writers, they knew how to critique. They were able to show me how bad (gently, of course) my writing was, and how I could improve it. I listened as they read their work. Some of it blew me away while I noticed I was at a higher level than about half the group. At least all my effort started to show some payoff.
At the same time, after writing two-plus novels and multiple short stories, I realized I didn’t know squat! In front of these people, especially the better writers, I felt like a third grader reading a valentine poem! It was a horrible and overwhelming feeling. The key to salvation came from how gentle and giving this group turned out. I’ve preached so many times about seeking out a good writer’s group, and this one fit the bill.
Despite the very positive experience, that was my first lesson in developing a thick skin.
DEEPER SHOCK AS THE REJECTIONS ROLL IN
After several years and a big move, along with the writer’s group from hell, which I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I found my comrades in arms, the Henderson Writer’s Group. As my skin thickened, so did my pile of rejections. On top of that, I’d bring in what I thought was a killer chapter, read it to the group and get a bunch of flack. They’d tear it up! Aaagh! All my hopes and dreams shattered! Ha ha. Add another dent to the old ego, which I don’t really have, but you know what I mean?
Then, along comes someone who just started writing. Guess what? They presented a story that blew everyone away. The writing was superb and the story was wow! Talk about depressing! I’d struggled and worked my butt off for years and along came someone that just started.
I mustn’t forget that teen that showed up at the very first writers’ conference I attended. This kid didn’t even have a full story finished, yet he half-assed pitched an idea to an agent. The agent went crazy and signed the kid on the spot! Sight unseen! Can you believe that? I still don’t know if that deal ever succeeded, but if you want to talk about frustration, there were a bunch of people there that wanted to tear up their manuscripts and walk out the door.
The world takes all kinds, and if I let that stuff get me down, I should just quit and find something else to do. Through all this, I knew it didn’t matter. I love writing too much.
YOU CAN’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO EVERYONE ELSE
To me, this isn’t a competition. That’s an ugly word. This is a passion, an art. A lot of people may disagree with me because sure, it’s also a business if you wish to make money. However, the money won’t be there without the art, the inspiration and the passion. That always comes first. You have to want to do this, regardless. If you think you’re a rank amateur, you will be. If you know you’re a rank amateur, build your skills but don’t let that get in the way of your muse, your drive and your passion. You’ll overcome that one day.
Happy writing.
WHY DO WE WRITE FICTION?
I have to speak to you from the perspective of a writer who loves this pursuit. Writing to us is a passion, it’s something we’re compelled, we have to do. We love it and it’s not work. At least that’s usually what motivates us. At least I hope so! That being said, what I want to talk about applies to those of us that write fiction, so for those of you that focus on non-fiction, this won’t apply. However, you still might want to read on, because your focus may change one day.
PURSUIT OF A DAYDREAM
We don’t have control of our dreams when we’re sleeping, at least we don’t most of the time. We also don’t usually remember them when we wake. However, when we’re conscious and may be sitting around, performing rote tasks, or even concentrating (yeah, multitasking), we fantasize. As writers, as often as not, this stuff becomes the seed for a novel.
AGENDAS
Though this is usually assigned to the non-fiction crowd, there is nothing so far out that precludes fiction writers from pursuing their dream through an agenda. Whether it be political, environmental or religious (the most common I can think of), nothing motivates or inspires some writers more than an agenda. Their stories tend to be either thinly veiled, or out-and-out blatant attempts to sway their audience toward their way of thinking. This is usually bad, especially when it comes off as preaching or propaganda, unless your audience is built-in. I talked about that last week.
INSPIRATIONAL
No, I’m not talking religious fiction. That fits under the category above, agendas. Being inspired to write can come from anything around us. It can be as simple as going on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland and wanting to write a ghost story. Or, it could be reading a great detective story and wanting to do your own, even better. Or, you watched a movie at the theater. It inspired you to write a story that had nothing to do with the movie, yet it gave you the seed of your plot. It kick-started your idea while being something entirely different.
WHAT I HOPE
My hope is that whatever your inspiration and motivation is, it isn’t about making money. I don’t say that to mean you shouldn’t pursue that angle once you’ve completed your tome. However, that should never be your main or sole reason for writing. If it is, it will show. You have to love what you do, or what you write will suck.
Writing fiction should be an adventure. Creating your made-up world should be a pleasure, not torture. You’re creating a world of your own, something unique in the universe. This is the ultimate adventure and it should be pleasure not pain. Learning the ropes and getting your chops together does take some work, but if you are really interested in becoming a writer, it’s like learning to do anything else. If you don’t like falling off a bike to learn, don’t ride a bike. Ever. Quit and find another pursuit!
If you don’t write fiction because you love to, I think you should quit right now or at least re-evaluate why you’re not enjoying it. Maybe you aren’t cut out to be a writer.
For the rest of us, party on!
That’s why we write fiction.
(It should always be) Happy writing.
The Worlds Of Fred Rayworth 