In other news...

Those pesky writing resolutions...

are just not forthcoming this year. In my hazy memory those resolutions just came really easily last year, whereas this year I'm all kind of ooo, aahh, mmm...


So should I do them? I think I should, because they are motivational and it'll be nice in 2013 to say that I achieved them, but I just don't seem as pumped up as last year. 

I think I know why.


The dreaded synopsis

I've never written one before. I've never written one before because although I've started millions* of first drafts, I've only finished two and I've only revised one and now I'm at that stage where I suppose I have to do the dreaded synopsis, followed by the even more dreaded query letter.

Now, while I've done some research on the query letter and can recommend Kidlit and Help! I need a publisher as two sites that can help you get over that obstacle, I've not been paying much attention to the synopsis and more to the point what I've come to realise is that 'I don't get it'. I can write, I'm fairly sure I can. I can even turn out quite a good story if I say so myself (oh yeah, I am saying so myself), but this synopsis thing just gets me. What is it meant to be?


With that in mind I did a search and found many sites, some that I even remember reading before. While each site has its own take, the advice is pretty similar: single spaced unless it's more than a page, simple present, give the tone and voice of your WIP, give everything away. But I still don't get it. 


Having recently made the best god damn chocolate cake I've ever made in my whole life (with a lot of help from the frog), I realised what I needed was a recipe. 


I have found a site that I think might just work. I'm only on step 1 and this time next week I might be tearing my hair out and swearing, but here it is, I hereby present:

How to write a synopsis of your novel

in 7 easy stages, or not. I have yet to find out. I'll let you know how I get on.


Oh Bo*!/£ks I seem to be breaking the one resolution I've made!


Well I haven't broken it yet, but I'm considering it. Caroline Smailes over at In search of me has posted a challenge:

• Are you a writer?

• Would you like to be a writer?

• Do you write flash fiction?

• Do you fancy seeing your work published?

I can whole heartedly answer YES to all four questions, so I'm wondering. If you would like to consider too, then please click on the link below. The deadline is the 11th January. The flash fiction piece is to be no more than a 100 words and should be inspired by a youtube music clip. 

A challenge and the chance to see your story in print

Right, that's enough news now. I better go and do some writing. 

Coming up on the blog:

Interview with author of The house on the corner Andrew Leon

*That might be a slight over exaggeration. 

New Year's Writing Resolutions

Following on from the round of applause, here is what I hope to achieve this year. I'm going to try and be realistic, because if all goes well, this year is also going to be the year where me, the Frog and the bubba have some pretty important projects too (gutting and redecorating an apartment).  Lia Keyes, the administrator of Scribblerati, made up a list of suggestions, which I loosely used:

Definitely...

1. I will finish the revision of A twist in the Tail.
2. I will find, beg, ask someone to read the whole draft and critique it (any offers will be gratefully received and obviously I would love to critique an MS in return.)
3. I will endeavour to go to all the critique group meetings, even if it means organising babysitting. 
4. I will start work on something new, either The Sands of Time or The Trelawney Funerals. 
5. I will not abandon the blog, even if at some point in 2011, I won't strictly be living in Paris anymore, and I haven't done any exciting wandering for a few years.  

Maybe...

1. Apply for the SCBWI work in progress grant. I'm still totally uhmming and ahhing here.
2. Go to some kind of SCBWI event, this is in my list of maybe's because of the fact that I tend to get some kind of 'itis' just before any SCBWI event I've ever signed up for and therefore have NEVER been. 
3. Start on the final revision of A Twist in the Tail, but that will be towards the end of the year.

So, I'll just leave you with this last message:

New Year’s Resolutions

I made some this year. Last year I grouched and grumbled about how much I hated the New Year and that resolutions were crap and that you broke them anyway and you may as well make them any time during the year; like March for instance. But the truth of the matter is that I, not New Years was in a pretty bad place last year*. This year I made them and I’m probably going to break them, but hey ho...

The Ancient Babylonians celebrated New Year over 4000 years ago (probably not by getting pissed and slurry humming to the tune of Auld Lang Syne). They began the year by resolving to return things they had borrowed... Mmm that means I need to find that Ska CD I borrowed off Jane ages ago and I still haven’t read Claire’s books and maybe I should return her screwdrivers...

The Romans seeked forgiveness from enemies ... Well I don’t have any enemies as such, just people who I have little or no respect for and I think tootling up and saying: “Excuse me, could you forgive me for having no respect for you,” might cause more problems.

The Chinese clean their houses, maybe that’s why Mum always spent New Year’s Eve in a frenzy with Mr. Sheen. Anyway, I can put a big fat CHECK by that one. I didn’t start until six last night, but I did finally dust, hoover, change sheets, scrub and just generally tidy up the wee abode. Now I’ve just got to keep it up. I did also consider getting a cleaner, but then I realised the benefit of starting in the evening is that all the cleaning was accompanied by large glasses of vino.

Nowadays health related resolutions are numero uno on the list. Now I do have a gym related one on my list and I was reading some article in the Guardian (during the HOURS I had sitting at the airport) about how the gym membership is the biggest waste of money ever. On this occasion I do actually think that joining in January is nuts, I joined last April and first of all I went three times a week, then I didn’t go for two months because I was on holiday and moving and since September I have gone once a week. Not bad I think, although my new year’s resolution is to go TWICE a week. Realistic I think, although when Lise called last night I told her that resolution was starting on Saturday (well I had the cleaning to do first).

My last two resolutions are the difficult ones. It’s easy to write everyday when I am on holiday, but then work kicks in and it becomes so easy to come home and veg out in front of the telly watching rubbish. Anyway, even if it’s fifty words a day I’ve got to do it.

The last one... mmm, well I’ll let you guess, it’s a pretty obvious one.

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* Having said that I really do dislike New Year’s Eve; that pressure to go out and enjoy yourself when actually the most enjoyable New Years have been quiet ones indoors with friends; although having said that, I also enjoyed strutting my stuff like a teenager at ‘The Tower’ in Carlow this year because the band were pretty good (actually they were very good) and it was different.