Chris Scully's Blog, page 3

Delaying the inevitable: the dreaded synopsis

What is it about the humble synopsis that strikes fear in the heart of writers everywhere? After all, it is only a few pages. How hard could it be?

For writers who rely on advanced contracts, a good synopsis is essential. For writers like me, who do it at the end, it’s that cloud hanging over you that you can  no longer put off. So many people hate to write them, and yet the synopsis is one of the most important aspects of writing. It’s far more than just an outline.

Think of the synopsis as your resume. This is the first thing a prospective publisher sees. Because they receive thousands of submissions, it needs to be as concise and perfect as possible in order to get noticed. Just like your resume, it’s not going to contain all the details. The purpose is to sell yourself enough to get to the interview (full manuscript submission) stage. That’s where you unleash your full potential.

For me the challenge is not in the writing of the synopsis itself, but in staying motivated and engaged after I’ve already spent months working with my characters. I’m ready to move on, and the thought of recapping everything is dreadfully boring. In fact, I’m supposed to be writing one right now and instead I am doing this.

For anyone getting started, there is a tonne of information out there. Google is your friend. My approach is simple:

Start by summarizing each chapter in one or two sentences. This is the who, what, where and when. Stick to the crucial details. What is the purpose of that chapter or scene? Why did you include it. This exercise can also help you find flaws in pacing or plot. For example, if you can easily summarize 15 manuscript pages in one sentence, maybe that scene is too long or not necessary. If you are bored reading your own synopsis, chances are the reader will be bored too.
Now we add in the emotional component. This is the “why”. For each of the chapters you summarized, make sure to include a statement about the emotional arc happening at the same time. How is the character feeling? Have they somehow changed? Come to a realization?

After you have completed both steps, if you are over the publisher’s prescribed length, you will need to go back and continue whittling down step one. If you’re fortunate and you are under the prescribed length, you can slowly add some details back in, still always asking yourself why it is important. Above all, a good synopsis includes both the external plot as well as the interior (emotional or romantic) one.

And now that I can’t delay it any longer, I’m off to write mine.

In a place far, far away…

At some point, a writer has to decide where their story will be set; will it be busy mid-town Manhattan, or a sleepy hamlet in the English countryside? The choice of locale can be central to the storyline, or it can mean nothing at all. It occurred to me not too long ago, that in my thirty years of romance reading (from Harlequin to historical to erotica), I could count on one hand the number of books I’ve read that featured a Canadian setting. As my own writing continues to evolve and be influenced by my surroundings, I began to wonder why this was the case? There are plenty of Canadian romance writers out there, so what’s the excuse? The majority of popular fiction is set in the US or UK. Since these two countries make up the bulk of the English-speaking world, that makes some sense. But do publishers think readers don’t want to explore outside their borders? Or that readers won’t be able to relate to settings they’re not familiar with? That doesn’t wash. I know plenty of people who have never visited the UK but still read (and write) stories set there. And as a reader I’m unlikely to boycott a book simply because of its setting. Or is this mysterious exile more self-imposed? Are we Canadian writers suffering from our usual inferiority complex? We think we’re too boring and polite, and nobody could possibly be interested in reading about us? Or are we so used to being joined-at-the-hip with our neighbours to the south, we ignore our own backyard? About a year ago, as I was agonizing over whether to make my Toronto setting front and centre in Nights Like These, I wondered why I was even hesitating. Did other writers debate the merits of their hometown? American and British writers never seem to think twice about basing stories in their countries, so why should I? Why does setting even matter? In romance especially, the focus is on the universal experiences of relationships and falling in love. Love is love, right? Whether it’s set in Australia, or South Africa or even someplace as foreign and strange as Canada. The best thing about writing in this genre is the freedom. Of course if you’re open-minded enough to want to read same-sex love stories, I would expect you to be open-minded enough to explore new territory. Since discovering m/m, I’ve read stories that take place in settings both familiar and foreign. I’ve seen other Canadian writers openly embrace their homeland and it’s given me the courage to do the same. My next novel features a First Nations character (North American Indian to those outside Canada). In that sense it is uniquely Canadian. My challenge was to make it relatable by anyone who has ever been disenfranchised because of their background, and I think I’ve achieved that. I ‘m not out to wave the flag and convert the masses to hockey worshipping, coffee-drinking weather-watchers. I have set stories in other locales and will do so again, but it’s nice to know you can go home again when you want to.

When good isn’t good enough

Last fall I decided to try something new and submitted my latest novel to a new publisher. In this genre, there���s not a lot of difference in terms of contracts, but I wanted to explore other avenues and see what else was out there, and if the experience differed at all. It���s also not uncommon for authors to write for more than one publisher.

Editing is about more than grammar and punctuation; a good editor is brave enough to tell you where and how you can improve. It���s easy when you���re writing to become enamoured with your own words. But it���s heart wrenching when you realize too late what you could have done differently.

The relationship between an editor and author is a bit like dating. You need to feel each other out. There is give and take on both sides. Like any good relationship they are there to help you grow. And like a relationship, it���s important to find ���the one��� for you.

I felt very good about this novel���I think it���s one of the best things I���ve written���so needless to say I was a bit taken aback when, after a long four month���s wait, I received a revise and resubmit letter. My previous efforts have all been accepted with no major revisions, so this was a first for me, and a direct challenge to my assertions that I welcome editorial feedback.

The editors took the time to prepare a detailed summary of the issues they felt existed in the manuscript, and after I climbed down off my high horse, I realized nothing in their list surprised me. They were all things I had thought myself at one time or another. I realized I was more upset by the delay in getting this novel to market than by the comments themselves.

I took a week to think about how to incorporate the changes. I was already at work on another story, and so I needed to disengage from that one and get back into this. I spent another three weeks making the revisions (I have a full-time job so I have to work in the evenings and weekends). My approach to feedback and critiques is always that if I can���t justify something as essential to the story or character then the change likely needs to be made. Of all their changes, the only one I truly disagreed with was their desire to see an ���I love you��� at the end. This is a matter of personal preference and rarely do my characters exchange ���I love you���s���; at the same time, I did appreciate that my characters��� feelings were obviously not coming across clearly, so I focused on strengthening that.

The revised manuscript is now back to the publisher. Will they like my changes enough to offer a contract? That remains to be seen. I am still open to further revisions, but I would prefer them to be under contract. What I do know, is that this experience has definitely helped tighten up this novel so that whenever it does make it to print, it will be as good as I know it can be.

Silence is golden

The best advice I ever received from another author was to keep my mouth shut. Got a bad review? Don���t bitch about it. Complaining about poor sales? Don���t whine. And never, ever attack a reader. You know what? He was so right. Why this should seem so revolutionary to me, I don���t know. In real life I would never start up a discussion with a total stranger on hot topics like politics or religion. I don���t vent to my co-workers unless I know them really well. I would never go up to someone reading Fifty Shades of Grey on the bus and publicly deride them. So why would it be okay to do this on the internet?

I have opinions. I have lots of opinions, actually. I am quick-tempered, impatient and easy to piss off, but most people don���t know that about me, because for the most part, I keep it all to myself. I wish more people would follow this advice.

You might have noticed that I���m not very active on social media. There are a couple of reasons for that, but the big one is that I���m terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. A simple mistake can turn into all-out war. The same applies to my real life, only in real life you���re likely to only affect a handful of people, and it���s much easier for them to see you���re joking, or sarcastic, or apologetic.

While I���ve fortunately never been the victim of ���trolls��� or ���bullies���, since I joined Facebook last year, I���ve seen (and heard) a number of authors behaving badly���and not just in my genre. The latest occurred only recently, when an author on FB not only trashed Fifty Shades of Grey but proceeded to bash those who did nothing more than reasonably defend their choice in comments. Now, did I like the book? God, no. Have I privately mocked those who do? Yes. But I would never publicly attack someone for it, or shame them for reading it. Reading is good. Period. People in glass houses and all that… The fact this came from an author who regularly claims to be the victim of bully campaigns really upset me. I���m totally on board with standing up for yourself, but it shouldn���t be at the expense of others.

In the corporate world, everything you say or do can come back to bite you on the ass. You develop a reputation as a good worker or bad worker, a people-person or a complainer; and believe me, that gets around and can be impossible to shake. The same applies everywhere else in life. I don���t understand why we can���t grasp that in the web-o-sphere���is it because we think we���re protected by a fake name?

Fellow authors, every person out there is a potential reader and a gateway to many other potential readers. Above all else, remember that. They are human beings. They are entitled to their opinions, just as you are entitled to yours. In fact, that applies to life in general. I don���t know about you, but I want to be known for my writing, not how many people I can offend or upset. Disagreements and differences of opinion are fine, but if we all can���t do it in a mature and rational way, take the high road and keep quiet. Venting may make us feel good for a few minutes, but make sure those few minutes don���t hurt anyone else, or worse, stay with you forever.

Nights Like These Blog Tour

My Blog Tour kicks off January 25, 2015 with an appearance on the Dreamspinner Press Blog. I’ll be giving some background info on the novel, and there will be�� a giveaway and also a promo code for use in the DSP store.

Stop by any of these participating blogs to read about my other works in progress and enter for another chance to win a copy of Nights Like These

26-Jan Rainbow Gold Reviews
26-Jan Hearts on Fire
27-Jan Molly Lolly
27-Jan Prism Book Alliance
28-Jan Bayou Book Junkie
29-Jan Parker Williams
29-Jan Inked Rainbow Reads
30-Jan Love Bytes
2-Feb Amanda C. Stone
2-Feb Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
3-Feb Cate Ashwood
4-Feb Decadent Delights
5-Feb EE Montgomery
6-Feb My Fiction Nook
6-Feb MM Good Book Reviews

Available January 26 in ebook or paperback

To read an excerpt or pre-order go to Dreamspinner Press.

Coming Soon

Nights Like These

Check out the complete cover reveal tour, exclusive excerpt and giveaway at: http://pride-promotions.com/wordpress/blog/

Nights Like These cover

Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job��� and then he didn���t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.

Miles doesn���t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn���t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there���s more to life than a high paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what���s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted��� as long as he makes it through the night.

Available for pre-order from Dreamspinner Press:

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5935

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5936

My Year in 176,000 Words

It’s been almost a year now since I packed up my things and left my cubicle for the last time, the victim (or parolee) of a major corporate restructuring. Unlike many of my colleagues, I wasn’t upset; in fact I was eager to begin a new chapter in my life—as full-time writer.

Since the moment I first learned about the layoff, I had been planning my novel, Nights Like These. I’m a firm believer (or at least I used to be) that everything happens for a reason, and the universe seemed to be telling me this was my chance. I would use my year of severance and do what I’d always wanted. I started writing on my second day of liberation, and I haven’t stopped since.

Over the past year, I’ve completed two romance novels (the first will be out in early 2015, and the second I’m still shopping around), started a third and self-published a critically reviewed short novella. For me this is a huge output, but in my genre it’s not uncommon for authors to put out four books a year. I can’t hope to compete with that—and don’t intend to. I’ve matured as a writer, but while technically each work improves on the last, I’ve had to face a hard reality–being a good writer is not always enough to achieve success, especially in a niche genre.

So what have I l learned?

Listen to authors who tell you that you won’t get rich writing. Those lucky few who hit it big are the exception, not the rule. So be prepared. As a single person, it is nearly impossible to support yourself as an author, especially if you’re just starting out and don’t have a back catalogue. Fortunately I had the luxury of a severance to draw on—there is no way I would have been able to do this without it. Six-figure advances are only for the big guns, my friends. Can you afford to wait until your work is published to earn money? It will be nearly a year from the time I finished writing my first novel to the time it will be released by the publisher, and I won’t actually see royalties from it for another few months after that. And that’s if all goes well. Some are able to gain a big following immediately; for others it takes time to build your brand. As authors we spend hundreds of hours crafting our stories, plus the additional time to edit and then promote our work. Are you prepared if sales don’t go as expected?
Pay even more attention to lesson #1 if you’re focused on critical success over commercial. It’s very difficult to be genuinely creative as an author, especially in the independent market. It’s a cold, hard fact that certain things sell better than others, and unless you are willing to conform, you might never achieve high sales. What is more important to you? I learned quickly that I can’t force myself to do this. Not because of any creative principles, but because I literally can’t sit down and write something I’m not into.
Find a support system. Being a writer can be incredibly lonely and isolating, especially if you don’t have the distractions of a family around you. This, for me, was by far the biggest shock. I am an introvert, so I thought I would have no problem adjusting to being home alone. But surprise! I miss going to an office and being part of a team. I actually need some people around, not only for my mental health, but also because that’s where I often get my inspiration. You may think “Oh isn’t she lucky to have no one interrupting”, but it’s not healthy to be so consumed by anything. In fact, it can be downright scary. Writing can suck so much from you, that you need a break now and again just to restore your sanity.

Looking back, the entire year has been a bit bittersweet, but I don’t have any regrets. I got to try living my dream. I am incredibly proud of what I’ve written and I stand behind it as some of my best material. What does the future hold? It’s clear to me I am not ready to be a full-time writer—financially or emotionally—but writing will always be a part of my life. I still have so many ideas and stories to explore. It may just have to be on a part-time basis for a while. Hopefully 2015 will be the year my labours bear fruit. Stay tuned. :)

 

Ups and Downs

I don’t know if it’s the uncertain state of my life these days or if I’m just an overemotional personal, but as a writer my mood is up and down like a yo-yo. There are days when I’m super-confident and full of hope. Then there are the days when I want to give up and walk away. Sometimes it doesn’t even take much to bring me crashing down to earth.

Unless you’re really lucky, it’s bound to happen at some point. Maybe you got a bad review that hit you hard. Maybe your writing has hit a roadblock. Maybe the project you slaved over tanked. Maybe this quarter’s royalty check is barely enough to buy a coffee and muffin at Starbucks.

How do you deal with it? These are a couple of tips that have helped me get through the tough times.

Remind yourself why you are doing this? (hopefully it’s not to get rich and famous)

I started writing because there are stories in my head that need to get out onto paper. I tell myself even if no one buys them, those stories, those characters, would still be there so it’s not like I’m doing something I wouldn’t normally be doing anyway. I have always considered myself a writer, even when I wasn’t writing. I write because I love the act of writing. I love words. I love challenging myself and developing as a writer. I won’t lie to you—it would be nice to have major sales and be ranked #1, but would I change what I write in order to be more popular? Probably not—because that wouldn’t be me. Making up stories is an escape for me and right now I need that escape, but at some point I will have to decide if the return is worth the investment; you can only be dumped so many times before you have to admit the problem might be you. For the immediate future though, I will keep going. I have at least one more story that needs to be written.

Recognize it’s okay to feel jealous, angry, undervalued, disappointed etc.

These are real and legitimate emotions and you’re not a bad person for feeling them. What matters is how you act on them. Be a professional. I’m a firm believer in treating others as you would want to be treated. You can have the feelings but then let them go—divorce the feeling from the person. I can be jealous of someone’s success and still be happy for them, or appreciate all the hard work they’ve put in to get there. It doesn’t mean I don’t like them. Some writers can actually be quite vindictive; one hears stories of sabotage and urging others to write bad reviews. That’s just plain immature and petty. Don’t be that person. Some people will tell you writers shouldn’t be in competition with each other, but I disagree. There’s nothing wrong with friendly competition. We all measure ourselves against other people on a regular basis. It’s normal. It’s what makes us strive to be our best. But again, just because I see someone as the ‘competition’ doesn’t mean I also can’t like them, or root for them, or want to help them out if I can. Rather I use the situation as a learning experience. What are they doing to achieve their success?

Re-read some of your accolades

If along the way you have gotten some good reviews or readers have written you personally, pull those out every so often for a little ego boost. You touched someone, and they took the time to tell you that. Be proud.

Take a break to decompress

I have spent the past year writing full-time and it’s far more exhausting than I expected. While I write, I am 110% invested in those characters—I can’t multi-task. When I’m done, I crash. It’s like coming off a high. I have to take a break in between projects to clear out one batch of characters for the next. The same holds true for when you start to feel down or cynical; maybe it’s time to take that little break and do something else for a while.

Don’t take it personally

This is easier said than done, I know. I still struggle with it. Of course we want everyone to love us—writers are very needy. But I wasn’t the popular kid in school, so I doubt I will ever be a ‘popular’ author as much as that is hard to admit. A bad review, even though sometimes it seems like a personal attack, really isn’t. They don’t know you. When no one buys your book, it’s not because of you. Try not to stress over what you can’t control; did you write to the best of your ability? Did you put your book where people will find it? Did you promote as much as possible? That’s truly all you can do. Everything else is out of your control.

Repeat steps 1-5 as often as needed.

Stay positive. In the end recognize that some of the best writers are the ones who have struggled. Writing is a journey, and the path isn’t straight or smooth. I like to think that the things we achieve through hard work are the things we value the most.

 

New Release and Giveaway

To celebrate my first foray into erotic (and I do mean erotic) romance and self-publishing, I am giving away 2 copies of my forthcoming short ebook, Touch Me (exclusively on Amazon) in PDF or MOBI format. To enter, simply leave a comment below and your name will be entered into a draw. Deadline is 9pm ET September 23, 2014.

Massage therapist Erik Morgan offers a very special after-hours service to a handful of select clients. From a young man anxious to explore his sexuality, to a stroke patient who fears he’ll never be a man again, Erik touches them all. But no one touches him.

Faced with a very personal tragedy, Erik loses himself in helping others. Until one brave client turns the tables and gets under his skin, and Erik finds himself touched in unexpected ways.

Warning! This gay erotic romance novella is intended for an adult audience. It contains explicit scenes of erotic massage, edging, rimming, m/m sex and a vibrator or two.

Available for pre-order now in all Amazon stores September 23, 2014. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBJCPE6

EXCERPT:

THE KID was nervous.

Terrified, might have been a more appropriate description given how his chocolate-brown eyes darted wildly over Erik and then into the shadows behind him as they shook hands. His palm was cold but clammy. His lips quirked as he realized it too. “Ah, sorry about that.” He wiped both palms on the front of his thighs, leaving dark streaks on his faded jeans. “I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Erik said with a comforting grin as he ushered the kid in the back door and out of the cold dusk. He always instructed his extra-curricular clients to use this entrance. It’s not that he was worried about anonymity—his office assistant and the other massage therapists he shared the practice with were gone for the day, and he’d already given the kid this address and his first name, but he preferred to be discrete. He supposed discretion must seem very old-fashioned these days when everything got posted to Facebook or Instagram, when a good sex tape launched celebrity careers and privacy was nothing but a fond memory. Then again, Erik considered himself to be a bit old-fashioned, despite his current, distinctly non-old-fashioned activities.

Erik led the way down the narrow, carpeted corridor and past two other small rooms before he came to the one he wanted. He was relieved to see the young man’s tenseness easing with each passing second as he surveyed the dimly-lit but immaculate room with the professional massage table in the center. Erik knew exactly what he was thinking. “I bet you thought you’d be in some guy’s dingy basement, right?”

“Yeah.” The kid shucked his down-filled coat, hugged it awkwardly in front of him for protection. He was tall—the same height as Erik—but without all the extra layers Erik saw that he was on the lean side, and gawky, as if his body hadn’t quite caught up to the rest of him yet. Erik took the coat and hung it up on the coat rack behind the door. The cold radiated off the waterproof fabric. The calendar may have said March, but the weather apparently hadn’t flipped the page yet.

Erik turned back to the kid just in time to see his eyes widen as they landed on the array of dildos and vibrators displayed next to the massage oils on the nearby shelves. He looked away, and then back. Good, Erik thought, he was curious. His body tingled in anticipation of a enjoyable session. The more open his clients, the better the experience. For all of them.

Pick My Next Project

This is my building year; an opportunity to write full time while I job hunt. I am just wrapping up work on my second novel and since I hate downtime, it’s time to start thinking about my next project. I have so many ideas, but it’s tough to decide what to tackle next. This is where I need your help.

Below are my leading two story ideas. Cast your vote and help me select my next project.

HAPPY

Peter Georgiou is a dutiful Greek son. It may be the twenty-first century, but the old rules still apply. In his early thirties, he still lives at home, dates who his parents want him to date, and fills in at the family restaurant. And he’s miserable. After three failed engagements, he’s earned the nickname “Picky Pete” and people in the neighborhood are starting to talk. Now his mother has lined up yet another would-be wife. But Peter has a secret—one he’s not sure he can keep much longer—and the repercussions could change his life. The only person who knows what he is going through is greekboi84, an online crush he’s never met.

When Constantine Demetrios returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. Worse, she’s only doing it to keep their parents happy. Even worse, Con thinks he may still have feelings for the man. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in and a chemistry even Peter can’t ignore. But after being deceived by his in-the-closet ex, Con is afraid to trust his heart, not even when he discovers that Peter is his online flirtation, Adonis82.

Can Peter and Con step out from the shadows of their online facades and be happy? Or will Peter sacrifice everything for family duty?

———————–

I-95

PhD candidate Kyle Cho needs to get to Florida fast before he loses another girlfriend to some muscle-bound hunk and breaks his mother’s heart. With his head forever buried in his books or his beakers, Kyle isn’t the most attentive boyfriend, but when his mom shows him pictures of Amy getting cozy with another guy over Spring Break he knows he’s supposed to do something. But he’s strapped for cash. The ad for a shared driver seems perfect. He can be there in less than three days and win Amy back, even if he’s not really sure he wants her.

After a bitter divorce from his husband of five years, Mike Conrad is depressed and desperate to escape the gloomy Canadian winter. A visit with his elderly dad down in sunny Florida is just the ticket. But it’s a long, lonely drive down I-95 so he posts an ad for someone to share the drive and the gas. The young man who responds is brainy, serious and adorably cute. He ignites a spark Mike thought long gone

The miles fly by until a routine rest stop puts their lives in danger and turns their drive into a life-altering race to stay alive. Pursued down the interstate, Kyle and Mike become the most unlikely of partners and along the way discover that this trip may be the start of something more. If they can just make it to Florida alive.

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