So, whilst working on some things yesterday I found a contest on a blog that involves one of my choices for an agent. I have to submit a three sentence (max) summary of my book and if I win first I get a full manuscript critique; second is a partial manuscript critique; and third prize is a review of my query letter. I am planning on entering but a problem arises that has been plaguing me for quite a while now: condensing a 300 page book into 3 sentences. I was struggling with a paragraph summary, now I have to do it in a few mere phrases and clauses. Unfortunately the contest ends tonight at midnight so if anyone has any ideas (it does help if you've read the book but I'm not picky) I would greatly appreciate them.
In other writing news, book two is remaining at a stand-still. With the camping trip and working on stuff for my first book, the second one in the series has not exactly progressed. I may have a plot, but now I'm not so sure it will work and my other idea needs to wait for the third book. Mom gave me some help, but unlike with the last one (ogres on motorcycles, gotta love it) the advice hasn't inspired an entire novel yet. So now I am sitting on a second book, a main character in mind, and a new minor character whose role I am still working the kinks out of but who might prove the key to fixing my pitiful story.
Outside writing, our camping trip this week was a blast. Well, aside from the sunburns that are now plaguing us. We went hiking and I got some awesome pictures on the last trip of some butterflies and the door to Narnia! The lake was already warm so we went swimming and kayaking around Groushaven lake, which, by the way, doesn't work so well when it's half deflated unless you plan on just going around in circles and getting wet. But it was enough for our purpose of talking and just enjoying each others company and the view. Now we all want to do it again in the fall but for a longer period of time so we can do more!
I think I must be the only one who didn't really get bitten or sunburned. I had a tinge of pain when I scratched my shoulders, but that went away quickly. Still, 'twas a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteSo did you manage to write a summary? I have such a hard time with summarizing anything, especially stories.
Good luck with working the plot knots out of Book 2!
~Amber
Haha, you're the lucky one then! I had bites on my feet everywhere, but my sunburn was only on my shoulders. And yes, it was a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteI did manage to write the summary actually, not great but I hope it was enough. Yeah, summarizing is most certainly not my strong point, it took me 300 pages to write what i wanted to and now they want me to condense it into a paragraph or a few mere sentences!