You know when someone plays a trick on you and then shouts out "Fooled you!"
That's what I just did to myself. My subconscious is pointing and laughing at me. This would be because I only *thought* I finished my manuscript. But doing this synopsis thing has only made me realize what I knew all along but was hoping it wasn't true (my writing and the story flows much better 1/4 of the way into the book . . . not sure if it's the fact I finally got warmed up or what, but eh): I don't need the first few chapters.
They're great (to me, I especially love the first one) but, my story would be stronger without them probably (and not as long!).
So I'm back to the revision stage. Gracious, I didn't want to be going backwards! But it's for the best, I know. The problem now is working on the chapter I've chosen to start at, because though it's a decent chapter, it isn't Chapter 1 material. I was soooo happy to be done with revisions too. Go figure!
Tuesday is new Chapter 1 day. Hopefully I can finish it. Thursday, well, I have an OB appointment, but I'm hoping I can get some writing in. I'll be back to working on my synopsis. I have a crazy busy weekend, Pumpkin Patch and Six Flags, so I won't get much writing done. I was going to start teaching at my daughters preschool (only 1 1/2 hours on Tuesday's and Thursdays -- music and spanish) but even though it just requires me to be there at 12:30, those are my dedicated writing days and now that I'm not through with my book (again) I'm considering seeing if they can wait until November.
I hate pregnancy hormones. I'm extra stressed, because they like to amplify everything. The thing that really bugs me is that I'm sooo close. So close to having this all wrapped up so I can find me a magnificent agent, and start working on my next project.
Which, by the way, I'm considering MG fantasy. I also have a screenplay I need to polish up and send out. And then another fiction, though I'm not sure of what genre it might be. Main stream? It's based off my own experience with father figures, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm considering (assuming I'm querying my current ms by then) participating in NanoWriMo to get my MG draft partially written, and then using December to multi-task that and revising my screenplay. Knowing life, I doubt I'll get all that done cause it likes to throw monkey wrenches at me, but I sure as heck can try!
Totally with you on this. I'm trying to follow a formula to do this freakin synopsis, and I'm finding now that the best part and where it really starts to breathe is at about chapter four. Like yours, that chapter isn't beginning material, and the first three chapters have alot of necessary info. Rrrrr...not happy about this!!
ReplyDeleteI've totally been where you are. Synopses suck and then they tell you you haven't started in the right place, and you're trying to figure out the place, etc... Suffice it to say I feel your pain. Checked out the blog because I saw you on Absolute Write with Mom/Writer under your name, and you sound like me!
ReplyDeleteThe hard part with my novel was I had two main characters, one of whom was carrying the backstory, and the other of which was carrying the main conflict - but I didn't know which was which. Turned out I picked the wrong one initially, and I still have to rewrite the front with that in mind.
But it should be fun to find the "real story"...
Good luck to you!
Juliette