My Greatest Enemy...

If there's one thing I struggle with when it comes to writing its Word counts. I always go over them. By hundreds, sometimes thousands of words!

Last year I entered the Emerald award. The cut-off was 130 000 words. My novel was 170 000. You should have seen my face. I didn't know if I could do it, but to be honest, it wasn't that hard to accomplish. Through refining and rewriting my manuscript, I accomplished it. It was weeks of hardwork but I did it.

Then came the next word count.

Most publishers don't accept contemporary romances over 100 000 words. It's not a massive issue for there are publishers out there that will accept my novel at its current length. But everyone needs to optimise their chances of being published. So I guess that will be my next project. It won't be easy and I always feel like I'm losing something, but I guess its a matter of prioritising.

Last year, I also intended to enter the Little Gems competition. I had a great story planned and I began writing. I was going well until I got to the 3000 word limit and realized the first 3000 words were just the beginning, that what I was actually writing a novel! So there you have it, a future work. A historical I can't wait to write.

I'm also currently working on another peice of writing. Four linked narratives, four different female perspectives. My limit: 8000 words. I haven't finished them as its a slow progess, but already I can see the redline that marks the wordcount behind me.

Then there's my Synopsis I require for 'What Happens In Ireland...', my Val Parv entry.
1000 words is the limit and I was over 1300 words to begin with. And let me tell you, its hard to summaries a 130 000 word novel into just 1300 words. What's hard is to do it in 1000. I spent all morning on this and when I reached 1040 words, I was ready to throw in the towel. But almost half an hour later, I got there. 998 words.

So now that I've shared my tale, you might understand exactly how much I hate wordcounts. They are my greatest enemy as a writer. Perhaps one day, I shall conquer them. :)

Have you ever had a battle with a wordcount?

Whitney K-E

My Battle with the Synopsis

As some of you may know, the Valerie Parv competition opens for entries at the end of this month. As a newbie writer, I aim to enter at least one competition a month for the value of the feedback. Of course, it's great when you get a place and even better when you're No.1, but when you sitting a little lower on the ranks, that feedback is your gold star. I've had some great feedback and truly, sometimes it's what keeps you going.
Anyway, to enter the Val Parv Award I need a synopsis that will be judged. I've never done a synopsis and I tell you what, now thati have i can say its easier writing a novel!
Thankfully, I was a little prepared. I'd done my research. I searched a few sites and I took their best points and used them. The week before my editor requested a summary of my novel and so the job was more or less, half done.
Now, to write the 1k word synopsis for the 130k word novel...
It wasn't easy. It was hard. Very. I had so much to write and yet I couldn't fit it in. I need to say this and I need to say that, but I just couldn't get those words to form the way I wanted them to. I felt like I wasn't giving my plot justice.
And then, my computer crashed. BLACK went the screen and GONE was my synopsis. I wasn't happy.
So, I rebooted my evil, demise-plotting computer back up and I searched, hunted that synopsis down. I found it eventually - after the panic attack and the mental break-down, of course - but I still had to finish it.
1215 words later and I was finished. A first draft of course as I need to cull some words, but hey! it's a start.

So a few tips to help you when you write your synopsis:
- Summarise Your Chapters - That way you'll know where you're going. It's harder to ride a bike blind is it not?
- Highlight the Highs and Lows - These points are the bones of your synopsis. Use them.
- Brainstorm Some One Line Hook - If my research is correct, start your sysnopsis with an opening hook. It'll draw in the reader and you'll get a gold star for it. And if you can, maintain that exciting persona, maintain that voice.
- Present Tense - Always write in present-tense, no matter what tense your novel is in.
- Update Your Computer - Don't let what happened to me  happen to you.

And remember, your synopsis is NOT a blurb, is an evocative re-telling of what happens in your novel.
I hope this has help someone and I hope whoever you are that you don't experience any of the technical difficulties I did.
Happy reading/writing everybody!

Whitney
Aspiring Romance Writer and owner of an Evil, conspiring computer