Author Janna Cawrse Esarey

 I’ve written here before about the successful and fascinating memoir by Janna Cawrse Esarey, The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Women’s Search for the Meaning of Wife.

Not only is Janna’s memoir a fascinating story of one very unusual honeymoon sailboat journey from Seattle to Hong Kong, it also delves further than any story I’ve read into the ups and downs of the modern newlywed relationship.

My book club was ecstatic to Skype with her when we read and discussed her book last year. Janna is a generous person, supportive of fellow writers, and her writing style is so comfortable that when you’re done reading, you feel like you’ve known her since high school.

I was also honored to moderate Janna’s informative workshop at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference this summer, Finding Your Thread in Memoir.

I’m writing about her again today because Janna recently agreed to write a blurb for my memoir. [A blurb is a quote from a well-known author that can appear on the book jacket or on a page of “advanced praise”] Writers are busy people (like everyone else) so it’s very kind of her to accept.

If you haven’t yet read The Motion of the Ocean, do check it out, and please “like” her Facebook Page while you’re at it.

Fewer Filters: Success in Self-Publishing

My cousin-in-law, Tricia Duryee, is a very successful journalist for mocoNews.net and writes eMoney at All Things Digital. She has been covering the cutting edge of  technology for over a decade. A month ago, when Tricia sent me a link to this article about 26-year old Amanda Hocking, a paranormal romance writer making millions self-publishing through Amazon’s Kindle, I paid attention.

I’m still pursuing publication of my memoir through traditional routes with an agent and a publishing house, but if that doesn’t pan out in a reasonable time, self-publishing is definitely something I will consider. Ms. Hocking’s success was encouraging to me because it seems that many writers are self-publishing these days, meaning the market is flooding with new, low-priced works, and I wondered if a real person could actually build a financially successful career in self-publishing. When I attended the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference last summer, the general word from agents was that self-publishing only helped you get a traditional book deal if you were very successful at it, and they made it sound like those odds were very steep.

When my copy of Entertainment Weekly (EW) arrived in the mail yesterday, I was surprised to find a mention of Ms. Hocking in the Book Review section. Tricia really is on the cutting edge of information. The EW article says that Ms. Hocking was recently offered a $2 million, four-book deal by St. Martin’s Press because she’s sold a million copies of her eBook in the past year! The EW article went on to list three other self-published fiction authors who are cleaning up.

What I realized is that I’ve been resisting the idea of self-publishing because its new, it’s change, and its future is uncertain. But I can also see that self-publishing might be allowing the public access to quality works they really love that have been held back by the slow filters of traditional publishing. The paper publishing business is slow and cumbersome compared to the new eBook phenomenon, sometimes taking two years to come to fruition. One agent once told me that she receives 15,000 queries a year and she only takes on perhaps two or three of those writers. We know there are plenty of great undiscovered writers out there, but perhaps e-publishing will help a few more of them be heard.

I have at least one writing friend with self-published books available. Please check out Phil Rink’s middle-grade Jimi & Isaac series, about a pair of science-loving middle school boys and their amazing adventures. His books are available in Kindle and paperback and I’ve read them aloud to my own aspiring twin scientists. I call Phil’s books Judy Blume for boys, although his books will appeal to girls as well.

Maybe Phil will be the next Amanda Hocking?

Contests & Synopses

Yeah! I successfully entered my first literary contest, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. I say successfully because I know a lot of people want to and never actually do it. But I couldn’t have done it without the help of my critique group members Emily and Jessica. Together we worked for over six weeks polishing our entries together and I definitely know that my entry is much better because of their insight and thoughtful comments.

The finalists in each category (genre) will be announced some time in June and each entrant will receive feedback from at least two judges, one of which will include a literary agent or editor. It will be hard not to count the days until June. Finalists in each category receive several honors including a special colored ribbon on your name badge at the summer conference (like the scarlet letter but with an upside), as well as recognition at a dinner at the conference. In addition, the contest entry of finalists (which included a synopsis and my first two chapters of my memoir) is available to all agents and editors that attend the conference in a special quiet room for their review. I’ve never heard anyone say they found an agent or editor this way, but I’m not ruling it out (provided I am fortunate enough to be named a finalist)!

First and second place in each category also receive $500 and $200, respectively, as well. I’m certainly looking forward to the feedback.

I encourage every writer to enter a contest. Don’t wait until you’re completely ready. Instead, identify the contest well in advance and then plan for it. I think having the deadline out there helps push you along. I certainly worked harder on my first two chapters than I would have without it. Plus, those two chapters, now more polished, will improve the quality of my book proposal that I’ll be sending out to another round of agents in a month or two.

As I’ve blogged about recently here, I wrote a synopsis that I love for the contest and I’m sharing it with you now below. Please be aware that this synopsis may or may not be considered “a quality synopsis”, it’s just what I wrote for my contest entry. Thanks for reading.

EGG MAMA: AN EGG DONOR AND HER EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY, a memoir

Synopsis

The desire to be a mother washes over Nina like a slowly rising tide. A neurotic, single twenty-something fresh out of college, she wanders, exploring the sandy beach of life, the sea nowhere in sight. A shiny treasure catches her eye—an adventurous older man. Twinkling like a precious stone, he feeds her aching need for love, for life.

Water rises quickly, almost undetected, as Nina clambers over the now rocky shallows. He already has a child and doesn’t want any more. The waves turn cold against her legs. Should she climb out, into the sun’s indulgence? Or turn away in search of deeper water?

To calm her fear and indecision, Nina donates some of her eggs anonymously, giving another woman the chance to swim. When Nina learns of the fraternal twin girls born from her eggs, a surge rises to her chest. She meets Ruby and Raven at two-years-old, and is no longer afraid. She floats on her back, alive; and now she wants her own baby more than air.

But her man, who wades into the shallows slowly, cannot give her the baby he is now ready to share. They despair. Buoyed by a fertility doctor, they are rescued by a faceless stranger, the Frenchman, who bestows his seed.

Nina tests many different strokes against and with the current: aunt, stepmom, and Egg Mama, all training for the race that is parenthood, as her own twins grow inside her.

Storms blow in: Ruby and Raven’s parents divorce and Nina’s own twin boys arrive too soon. She can barely stay afloat and they all struggle to stay together. But as the storms subside, Nina rolls in the waves of motherhood, riding the natural rhythms. Water becomes her air and soon she cannot live without it. The flood tide crests and Nina no longer cares about the shore.

Elements of a Great Synopsis

I’m entering the memoir category of Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest this year. A new addition to the contest is that each submission must be accompanied by a one page (double-spaced) synopsis. I haven’t written many of those so I got a couple books from the library to help me.

The other dilemma that I’m still trying to work out is that a synopsis usually talks about it’s main character, which in my case is me. But for this contest, the authors name cannot appear anywhere, so I’m either going to have to change from third to first person, or change my main character’s name for this submission. Any suggestions for my new name? Maybe I should just use my stripper name, Streak Illinois? I’m sure I can find something better, but right now it feels like an unnecessary distraction from the real goal: to get this thing polished and submitted by Feb. 18.

Back to the synopsis. The suggestions below are straight from Ch. 18 The Novel Synopsis by Rebecca Vinyard in The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals (Moira Allen Ed.). Somehow, my synopsis is supposed to contain each of the following thirteen elements and cannot exceed one page in length, double-spaced! So the trick is to jam all this information together in such a way that it doesn’t seem crammed, choppy, or rushed. Simple, right? Unfortunately, this book only gives examples of synopses that are several pages long, single-spaced. But I found some shorter examples here compiled by Charlotte Dillon.

1.       Set up

Premise, location, time frame, main characters backgrounds.

2.       Why?

Explain everything, if your character is angry, explain why.

3.       Characterization

Describe your character, not their looks, but their background, personality, occupation. Only primary characters in synopsis.

4.       Plot points

The major decision faced by your character or something unexpected and outside the experience of the character. Stick with the main theme, mention all major plot points. Leave out subplots.

5.       Conflict

The obstacles the main characters must overcome in order to achieve their goals.

6.       Emotion

Include it whenever possible to keep it from being a dull summary.

7.       Action

In the story, this is very important. But in a synopsis, only include it if there are significant consequences.

8.       Dialogue

A few lines of significant dialogue at the most, if any.

9.       Black Moment

A moment of reckoning, when it appears that your hero will never reach their goals and all is lost.

10.   Climax

The moment when your hero succeeds or the bad guy fails. Your character reaches their goal.

11.   Resolution

In a synopsis, don’t be coy, give away the ending. Tie up loose ends.

12.   Basics

Use present tense, avoid passive voice, and focus on flow and forward motion.

13.   Formatting

Double spaced is usually preferred but check Writers Guidelines for each submission. For general synopses, include contact information and word count on the upper left corner of the first page. Subsequent pages should include title, your last name, and page number in your header. But beware, in this literary contest, no author names should appear anywhere to reduce bias.

I’ll post my polished synopsis on this blog in a week or two for your generous feedback.

“Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg (Part 1)

Whenever I talk to another writer about my current plans, they inevitably recommend that I read Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. I’ve had the book on my shelf for months and finally was in the mood.

The great thing about this book is that each chapter has a self-contained message. So, I have scribbling down her underlying message and I’ll share them with you here.

Goldberg’s recommendations:

1. Set up your writing system, whether its the right pen and notebook, or coffee shop and laptop. The goal is choose the method that least slows you down so those words can flow.

2. Turn off your critic on your first draft. (This also happens to be advice given by Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird–the shitty first draft). Her advice seems to say we should NaNoWriMo all year long.

3. Practice writing every day, be in the moment with your thoughts, don’t try to control them. If you let go of control, your voice will come all on it’s own.

4. Compost! Let your ideas and thoughts spin and churn. Eventually, you’ll get fertile soil.

5. Trust the writing process, stick with it, and you will improve.

6. Keep a running list of writing topics so that you’ll never feel blocked. You’ll always have a place to turn for a quick start.

7. Write. Don’t argue with yourself about when you’re going to do it, or why you’re not. Just do it. Use rewards, deadlines, a buddy, whatever it takes to just get writing.

8. Learn to hear and recognize your inner editor so you can more efficiently ignore it. (my inner editor just asked me whether I should change this to “recognize and hear” instead–I just told the bitch to shut up. :))

9. Write about what’s in front of you and expand thereafter.

10. Don’t read about writing as a way to learn to write. Just write (no, I didn’t stop reading the book right there, but I did put it down to re-work on a chapter).

Goldberg’s approach is simple and I like that. This is a fast, informative read. It’s interesting that she uses a lot of examples from her life to color these themes, including Buddhist teachings, quotes, and a variety of poetry.

I’m a third of the way through, so there will be a Part 2 (at least) in the next couple weeks.

I will be working it in around my plans to enter my first writing contest since 5th grade (which I won!). By Feb. 18 I will enter the first 27 pages of my memoir, along with an amazing synopsis, in the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contest.  I have  a couple friends who were finalists in the contest last year and they very much recommend the experience, which includes feedback from at least two people, one of which might be a literary agent.

This week I’ll be learning what qualities make a good synopsis. Will let you know what I find out.

Lorraine

Dichotomy

Last week I had a new success and this morning a new rejection.

I wrote an article about the parenting implications of toy guns and sent it to a large number of parenting publications across the country. It took me three weeks to wrap up because it was a difficult subject to reconcile in my own house. I was delighted when just 12 hours after sending it out, a publisher in the midwest, Adams Street Publishing, requested to publish it in three parenting publications: Ann Arbor Family News, Toledo Area Parent News, and Findlay Family News. I’ll receive a small compensation for each. Yeh for me!

It feels great to set a goal and then accomplish it. I used the high to start a new article that I’ll send out later this week.

This morning I got a very nice rejection e-mail from a wonderful woman that runs a small publishing house. When I think of her, the word spitfire comes to mind. We met at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference this summer. It was very kind of her to send me personal feedback. I’ll continue to follow her irreverant blog for insights into the mind of an editor and publisher. You should too. Her blog is in my blog roll. Do check it out. Below is her rejection e-mail. Pretty nice as rejections go.

Hi Lorraine,

Thank you for allowing me to read your first chapters. As I said at the conference, I love the idea of your book. Your writing is quite lovely, and you have established a nice conversational pace and flow to your story. While I like it, I don’t love it. I know that sounds lame, but I have to feel passion for every project we sign. When I don’t have that sense of “I gotta have it,” then I know it’s a sign that it’s meant for someone else who will love it far more and take better care of it. I hope to read about you in Publisher’s Marketplace very soon. In the meantime, best of luck to you finding the perfect home for your book. It was great to have met you.

Lynn 

Lynn Price

Editorial Director

Behler Publications

800-830-2913

lynn@behlerpublications.com

www.behlerpublications.com

“““““““““““

Jan’s Story: never forgetting what we once had and lost. ~ Katie Couric

Nothing Short of Joy: a magical world of joy. ~Wayne Dyer

Charting the Unknown: A journey of the heart. ~Suzanna Clarke – A House in Fez,

Slowing Down

I received a rejection just a few minutes ago from one of the two agents I most wanted to work with. I have to admit I’m a little sad. It seems harder to roll with rejection from someone I let myself get excited about.

Elizabeth Wales was a long shot for me. She’s been in the business for years, happens to be in Seattle, and represents some bigger names. But she got my hopes up when I met her at the Pacific Northwest Writer’s conference because she was the only agent that was also interested in my background as an environmental scientist. Ms. Wales represents several scientists and engineers who write non-fiction books, an area I dream about breaking into someday. Her form rejection e-mail is posted below.

Lynn Price of Behler Publications blogs regularly that writers are too often in a hurry to be found and get their work published. She reasons that this rush compromises quality. I am definitely feeling in a hurry sometimes. I know what I want and I want it to happen now, not two years from now. I’m impatient about lots of things, so why not this? But I have reasons for wanting to make things happen sooner rather than later. How long can I learn about writing and plug along without actually earning a living at it? Most people don’t have the “luxury” that I have at the moment. My impatience is spurred by the fact that I don’t know how long I have the luxury either.

So, I’ll try not to be in such a damn hurry. If I don’t end up with an agent after this round (I’m only waiting to hear from a couple), then I’ll be patient and finish the manuscript and submit to another group of carefully selected individuals. Maybe in February.

In the meantime, I’ll expand my platform (writing resume) by publishing some more articles in magazines, and maybe branching out into public speaking.

I’m still planning to participate in my custom version of NaNoWriMo. Please let me know if you are going to join me in this adventure.

Ahhh, the rejection:

Dear Lorraine,

I enjoyed meeting you at the PNWA conference this year.

After reading Egg Mama, my agency must pass on offering you representation. Because of the amount of client work in our office, we try to make quick decisions on all possible new clients and projects. Our process is ultimately subjective and we do the best we can.

We wish only to encourage you even though we can’t pursue working with you at this time. Thank you for sharing your work with us.  We wish you the very best with your writing. 

All the best, 

Elizabeth Wales

Wales Literary Agency, Inc.

PO Box 9426

Seattle, Washington 98109

waleslit@waleslit.com

www.waleslit.com

twitter.com/waleslit

Tel.. 206 284 7114