Changing My Mind About Synopses

Like the picture? Okay, now that i have your attention, let's talk about synopses.  LOL. I know, no one wants to think, much less talk about these necessary evils. We only write them because sometimes we can't submit a book without them, we hope no one really reads them, and, most of the time, we write them after the book is finished. At least that has been true for me. But it changed this past week. Two reasons. First, i want to take advantage of an exciting submission opportunity that requires a proposal (a partial, pitch, and synopsis), and, for the first time in my short writing career, the book in question is only a little over a third done, so i have to write the synopsis first. The other reason it all changed is because, when facing a writing challenge, i take a workshop! This past week i went to my favorite workshop source, Savvy Authors, and took a short and informative class from Cindy Carroll. Called, appropriately, Synopsis A Necessary Evil, i suggest you check it out. Cindy told us a lot of basics -- present tense, third person, written in the same "voice" as the book, and above all, it should always , always, are you listening Tara, be written BEFORE the book.

Are you reacting like i did? Wait, i'm mostly a pantser. I have a general story idea when i begin a book, but nothing so formal as an outline. All the good stuff comes in the writing when the characters start talking and telling me the exciting things about the story. Oh, really? His boss is Chinese? No kidding? His mother refuses to admit he's gay and keeps trying to marry him to a woman? I didn't know that.  LOL. Now, Cindy gave us a lot of great ways to create a synopsis -- the heroes journey, Save the Cat -- but i couldn't quite see myself following any of them. Maybe you feel the same way, pantser that you are. Okay, so if you're a pantser, how do you write a synopsis of your story that just happens? The answer is, at least for me, you PANTS it.

That's what i learned by doing (and what veteran writers already know).I had to do it, so I sat down at the computer and, just as if i was writing the book, started writing the story. I thought of it as my "Out of Africa" experience. Do you remember, Karen tells stories to amuse her friends. They suggest a first line premise -- there was a man named Wong Foo and a woman called Shirley --and she takes up the story. That's the way i felt writing the synopsis. New plot points, complications, twists and turns, poured out of my fingers. The style was more upbeat, more exciting than any synopsis i had ever taken from a finished book. And i will now admit the worst of all possible truths that many of you already know and can't believe i don't. It was almost as much fun as writing the book. Why? Because i hadn't already written the book! The unexpected fun of creation got transferred to the synopsis. We still have to see how much having this synopsis helps me write the book. Chances are, i'll barely look at it, since the structure of the story will already have seeped into my unconscious. I'll just write like i always do.

If you're rolling your eyes at me right now and saying "Tara, how much of a newbie are you?", the answer is "pretty new, thanks". But the fun of writing fiction for me is that i learn something new literally every day. That's what i learned this week.

What is your secret to making a synopsis sing? Come on, share. I need the input! LOL  :  )

Creating a Book Trailer for Your Novel

I was fortunate to get to take a wonderful workshop at Savvy Authors from author, Kris Tualla, on How to Create a Book Trailer. This workshop was hugely challenging for me since i'm not very techy and had never even used Powerpoint before. But I DID IT!! The results are shown below in my book trailer for Genetic Attraction which is now available from Loose Id.

This trailer isn't very sophisticated compared to many, but i've gotten great comments on it, plus lots of questions on how to do it. I can't duplicate Kris's workshop here, so i would advise hopping over to Savvy Authors and seeking her out. However, i will outline the steps, so you have an idea.

• Tell your story in about 20 punchy, short  lines. This is the critical step. Everything depends on getting this script right, plus it's great discipline because you should be able to describe your book in an elevator speech. Start with the setting (thank you Kris, for that great tip) and don't get caught up in the details!
• Select pictures and or video to go with your script. You MUST own these pictures, so go to a royalty free stock photo house. I got my great pix from 123RF for less that $1.50 each. It's good to find multiple pictures of one person who looks like your characters. In my trailer, i was lucky to find several photos of the same attractive red-haired woman and the same adorable young man. 
• Put your script and pictures together in Powerpoint. If you know the application, you can use some of the tricky fades and wipes for transitions, but don't get too fancy. the key is the story.
• Find music that fits your story at one of the free music sites. 
• Acquire music editing software like Cakewalk or Goldwave. You'll have to pay for this, but it's not too expensive. I found the music editing step the hardest. The application was difficult for me to understand, but through lots of trial and error, i finally got it to my satisfaction.
• Download free conversion (Powerpoint to video) software and put your music and PP slides together. You'll likely have to adjust timing on your Powerpoint screens to get the music to time just right. Keep at it!
• When you like it, upload it to YouTube and you're in the movies!!

As i say, this project was hard for me but completing it was oh so satisfying. I'm happy with the outcome and looking forward to making my next trailer for The Scientist and the Supermodel coming out in May from Loose Id. See what you think of my results:

Tweetaholic? More on Book Promotion

I promised last week that I would write this week about Twitter, so I’m doing it even though I really want to tell you about my new DOG!!!! Well, I’ll tell you a little because she is sitting on my lap right now. She is a papillon, butterfly in French, and has the giant butterfly ears to prove it. She is A-dorable. No name selected yet, but we’re considering Jolie which means pretty in French or Poppy.

Okay, on to social media. As I said last week, I’m not a social media expert. I’m just sharing my personal experience, both as an author and a PR person. Last week we talked about Facebook and said it is a very personal platform. Twitter is a different animal. I am a Tweetaholic and use Twitter more than Facebook (although I appreciate Facebook more all the time). Twitter is far more a “broadcast” medium.  Much of the world’s news – earthquakes, fires, floods, divorces-- appears first on Twitter. On Twitter, you have “followers” and you want to have a lot of them because every one is a potential reader or friend of a reader. Start by following other writers – there are tons of them on Twitter. Not only do writers read a lot, they also have people who read them who might also want to read you. Yes, you only have 140 characters, but you get used to packing a lot into that short form, plus a link to something like your blog, your book buy link, a YouTube video, etc. (This post, for example, will be tweeted several times today.) 

Unlike Facebook, Twitter is ephemeral. You Tweet, it goes out, maybe it gets “retweeted” if people are interested, and it goes away. So you can come back later and tweet about the same thing. But, like on Facebook, you can’t be too pushy. People will unfollow you if you try to sell all the time. Only about a third of your tweets should be salesy. The rest should offer useful information, be retweets of other people, and comments on their tweets. While not as personal as Facebook, Twitter is still social, and the way you treat people matters.

People freak out over Twitter wondering how on earth they can read all those tweets, especially when you get over 1,000 followers. The answer is “you can’t”. You get an organizational tool like TweetDeck or Seesmic and use it to organize your tweets. You soon start to get a sense of who you want to follow most closely. When you come onto Twitter, you read the tweets you see and maybe comment on some. That might develop a new friend from somewhere in the world. One day I saw a tweet about a movie someone liked. I asked where she saw it. She said “the city”. I said Los Angeles? She said, no, Vienna!  A very international  platform.

Mostly, on Twitter, you comment on the people who have mentioned you. It sounds hard, but you’ll get the hang of it. There are regular events like Follow Friday when you can recognize people and they may recognize you and perhaps follow you in return. Regularly, you should follow people who interest you (Twitter will make suggestions or you can look at the lists of people you follow) and they may follow you back. Some people hate the relentless nature of Twitter. But it’s a fabulous place to promote your blog, your book, your book tour. You’ll find new people that you may want to friend on Facebook or Goodreads. It’s a must for self promotion by an author. Set aside a few minutes a couple or three times a day to participate. Just always remember that book promotion is more about the book than the promotion.  Which one do you like better?  Twitter or Facebook?  Why?

Also, if you pop over to my Book BLOG and follow and/or leave a comment, you may WIN a copy of Genetic Attraction, my M/M/F menage now available from Loose Id. 

Book Promotion: Facebook Fanatic?

Have you noticed that people tend to be huge fans of either Twitter or Facebook and will use one a lot and the other very little or not at all? Actually, while you may prefer one, you have to do both because they are very different in the way they reach people and even the people they reach. I started out trying to cover both in one discussion and was heading toward a 900 word post. I figured that would try your patience, so this week I’ll talk about Facebook which I think is the easiest to grasp. Next week we’ll cover Twitter (my personal fave). Please note, I’m not a social media expert. This is my experience over the last six months introducing myself and my first novel, Genetic Attraction, plus some of my PR training.

So, let’s discuss Facebook, the most popular social media tool and subject of the film, The Social Network (great movie, by the way.) I am active on Facebook, but don’t begin to use all its tools. I don’t have a fan page and don’t think I’ll need one for a long while (fan pages are great when you want to exceed your 5000 friend limit. I should be so fortunate! LOL). So, for beginning purposes, here are some things to remember.

Your Facebook page is a part of your persona as a writer. Whether you write under your own name or not, do NOT mix your personal friends and chats with them with your professional friends. Create two different Facebook accounts and keep them separate. But, with that said, remember Facebook is a personal medium. This means you communicate with the people on Facebook as you would a friend. You share semi-personal information, things about your life, something fun you see on YouTube or television. You chat and, above all, you comment on other people’s posts, share their triumphs and mourn their losses. On Facebook, you may post an announcement about your blog or your new release once. But it stays, so you can’t push it. Facebook is not a pushy platform and people get really mad if you try to sell them. Fecebook is about friends. Be friendly! My friend, Sloan Parker is, IMO, the master of Facebook interaction, and if you want to know how to use it well, watch her.

Who do you follow? I’d start with other writers, publishers, agents, people whose information you really want to know. As you grow your list, Facebook will suggest other friends like the ones you have. You can see your friends’ lists and perhaps ask to friend some of those people. Because of the nature of Facebook, most people (even your number one author idol!) will agree to be friends with you. It’s a kick! You can have real conversations on Facebook, but mostly you want to “be a friend” to the people who you follow. Do that, and when you ask for support, like for a blog tour or book advice, chances are they will give it. And it gives your growing number of fans a place to find you and interact with you personally. I have people who like my books who see me online and come and chat.

Like all social media, Facebook can be addictive. Resist. You need time to write. But it is a marvelous way to meet people and cement relationships. If you’re not using it, go over and sign up. It’s easy. If you have an account but don’t use it, start looking for friends and vow to visit the page once a day to comment on their posts. You’ll be delighted with the results.

What is your favorite social media tool? Why do you like it best?

Book Promotion: Start Before You Need To

I have a dear friend who is a NYT best-selling author who retired recently, partly due to the need to promote her own books. Back in the glory days, publishers did most all the promotion, and authors just had to show up. Not so today. Even the best are expected to promote themselves.

I’m new to fiction writing, so I don’t know any better. Plus, I differ from many authors in that I have a background in public relations, so I take to the promotion stuff pretty easily. I don’t yet know how my promotional activities will pay off in sales, if at all. After all, I’m brand new. But I have had writer friends ask me to talk about what I do for promotion. So over the next few posts, if people want, I’ll talk about various aspects of book promotion from my very newbie viewpoint.

First, start before you need to. I put up my author blog, http://taralain.blogspot.com, back last June before I had even submitted my books to Loose Id. I created the blog to support what I wanted my “brand identity” to be. (Please forgive these over used words. You get the idea.) I wrote about other people’s books in my genre. I did special reports on kissing, on androgyny, and lots of pictures of beautiful men. I developed a small following, and have continued to post to the blog about twice a week. I monitor it daily on Google Analytics to see how it falls off between posts, and which posts are most popular. Most important, the blog helped make some people aware of me. I promote the blog continuously on Twitter and Facebook, and developed more awareness there. (The use of Twitter and FB are subjects for another post.)

After my first book was accepted for publication, I took Christy Lockhart’s suggestion and started posting on craft topics – where the ideas come from, writing your passion, etc I still did racy and funny videos and pictures to keep up the image. These posts built my following further.

Also upon acceptance of the novel, I developed my website. I figured people would now start to check it out, and I needed an authoritative platform to show I was a serious author. Please note, I developed both my blog and my website myself. I have very limited technical skills, and they don’t look very slick or professional, but I know how to change them myself without relying on a webmaster. Updating your site is the key to ongoing traffic building, so, for now, I’m trading the look for the ease-of-use – and the low cost.

Well in advance of publication, I also started blogging at Savvy Authors and collecting friends on Goodreads. Some of LI’s authors were kind enough to invite me to participate in their Yahoo chats. The bottom line is that before my book came out, there were people waiting for it and people who knew my name. Now, whether they bought it, THAT’S another story I won’t know for weeks and months to come. LOL!!

What do you do well in advance of a release to “prime the pump”? : )

Genetic Attraction is NOW AVAILABLE: http://www.loose-id.com/Genetic-Attraction.aspx

Want to see some of my promotional activities? I'll discuss different tools in future posts:

E-mail: tara@taralain.com

Website: http://www.taralain.com

Author blog: http://taralain.blogspot.com

Book blog: http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain

Savvy Authors: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/member.php?2398-Tara-Lain

Twitter: http://twitter.com/taralain

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686

My POV on POV

When I first submitted my manuscript for Genetic Attraction to Loose Id, I got a revise and resubmit letter that suggested that I needed to work on point-of-view.  Now, I’m new to fiction writing (although I’ve been a non-fiction writer for a lifetime), but I thought I knew about POV. I looked at my manuscript closely. I wasn’t head-hopping (jumping from one character’s point-of-view to another’s  a number of times in a scene). I always clearly indicated switches in POV.  What was the matter? I expressed my frustration to my editor who tried to help, but I just wasn’t getting it.

After weeks of bad trial and error, my editor sent me a document from a workshop that talked about deep point-of-view. (DPOV). I read it and the lights came on. It was the “wa-wa” experience (remember in the Miracle Worker when Helen finally connects the feel of water on her hand to the symbol for water Annie was making?) Suddenly, I understood the difference between skating lightly on a character’s viewpoint, and being locked into his or her thoughts and feelings, and that understanding literally transformed my writing on the spot. I got the difference between:

Omniscient POV- -It was a dark and stormy night.

Shallow POV --John saw it was a dark and stormy night.

Deep POV – John pushed against the door, fighting the intense wind that tried to slam it on him. He held up his hand in front of his face, but his eyes just couldn’t adjust to the darkness. Crap, he didn’t know it could get this dark. He hated the blackness. He couldn’t stand the sense of isolation. 

I understood that point-of-view wasn’t a thing that made writing good, it was in many ways, everything. It is the key to the reader’s emotional involvement and satisfaction. A reader doesn’t know necessarily why they feel unconnected with a book or scene in a novel, but, chances are, it’s because the writer has missed deep POV. Some pretty famous authors who are notorious for head-hopping likely get away with it because, while they are in a character’s head, they are in DPOV.

Since that first moment of understanding, I’ve gone on to workshops and readings in an effort to make my point-of-view expression deeper and more natural. While I went through my first two books line by line to edit the POV, I find that today I more automatically write in DPOV, and when I don’t, I catch myself more quickly.  I’m still a newbie and have much to learn, but I’ll be forever grateful to my editors for that guidance. Now, if they could just improve my commas! 

That very novel, Genetic Attraction, is available TODAY from Loose Id. When i saw it on the home page a few minutes ago, i cried. It was a journey of learning during which i changed my POV. 

See it here at Loose Id:  http://www.loose-id.com/Genetic-Attraction.aspx

Here's the delicious blurb:

At a conservative Long Island University, renowned researcher, Dr. Emmaline Silvay, has two great loves – her life-saving work, and her younger research partner, Jake Martin. The romantic love is impossible. She’s his boss and he lives with his girlfriend. The the “girlfriend” is actually a boyfriend, the beautiful and infamous supermodel, Roan Black.

Resigned to a platonic relationship, Em accepts a weekend invitation to their home, but the men have a menage on their minds. She can’t resist, doesn’t even want to. But their intentions go far beyond passion. They want her to “be a part of them”. Their three-way love defies propriety and the standards of the University that funds their work. The supermodel’s fame makes secrecy impossible. Their ménage threatens to crumble all she’s worked for. What will give way to make room for genetic attraction?

Want to say hi:  tara@taralain.com
http://www.taralain.com
http://taralain.blogspot.com
http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com