So, dear reader, I planned to talk about synopsis writing today; describe the making of the practical summary composed by authors for agents and editors to determine a story doesn’t have major plot flaws and get a sense of the work as a whole. I’m working on mine right now, and, quite frankly, it sucks more than a vacuum cleaner after a glitter party.
Given my reluctance to work on the synopsis, my mind wanders off like my son in a store full of shiny, breakable, Star Wars objects. Any tweet, Facebook post, email advertising an online sale, and even my overflowing baskets of laundry tempt me away from this chore. You know it’s bad when I consider folding laundry rather than complete the summary.
So where do my idle thoughts journey to? Like little magpies collecting bits of tinsel and soda can tabs, my thoughts pick up ideas as they wander the meandering paths of my consciousness: ideas for new books, short stories, recipes, characters, funny phrases, awkward situations, and mysterious events. They pop up like crocuses through the damp Spring earth, reaching for light and life. Some get snow dumped on them, buried, and made to struggle, only to emerge fully formed and ready to grow. Others emerge bright and strong, already promising. Some never make it (trust me, it’s better for everyone).
When a strong idea survives, I type it in my Idea Word doc to play with at a later date. I have pages of random topics, paragraphs describing a character I fancy, or a theme I want to explore. But why do these thoughts occur? Where do they come from?
Everywhere. Inspiration is a funny thing. I’ve found inspiration in dreams, a location (I will write a book set in the Redwoods – if only for an excuse to go back there), an absurd character trait, or even a smell. These little nuggets will then sit until I find a home for them. Perhaps they will remain orphans forever, or launch a magical adventure.
This past few weeks, I’ve been visiting these little muse darlings to see if any have roots. It is time to begin book #2. I want something in the same genre (women’s fiction – which is a dumb term – but that’s another post), but not so similar. For example, I have a sequel idea for The Cake Effect, but there is no point if I never sell the first one. I want something still fun, that allows for a lot of humor, but also a lot of heart. But more importantly, I want to get writing. I need to escape into another world, unravel plot problems, feel that thrill of a great idea then scurry to write it all down, and hear the mesmerizing clickety-clack of productive typing.
So, dear reader, Book 2 begins. What does that mean here? It means we’ll be tracking two projects to see where they are. I’ll let you know of any successes or failures on Book 1, and update you on the progress of Book 2.
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