Today I wrote Isabelle’s book synopsis.  A synopsis is different from a query letter in some way or other, but I think mostly because it’s more of a summary, and is longer than a query.  The weird thing is that a synopsis can be from 1-12 pages, depending on what the agent/editor asks for.  So writing one synopsis doesn’t mean I’m done with synopses.

Do I just query and do the synopsis to the page length they want when they ask for it?  Or should I do the long version and pare it down when they want something shorter?  And do I do an outline now or later?

And what the heck is an “intro letter”?  There’s this one agent who requires an “intro letter” as opposed to a query letter.  I certainly hope it isn’t just a letter of writer credentials, because I don’t have any yet.

Ack.

They say people are afraid of success because they fear change. At least, I think I heard that on TV once.

I’m more worried about the pressure that comes with success. Of course, do I want to succeed? Sure, of course. Life-long dream and all. Do I want to fail? Maybe a little. But it’s mostly because I’m afraid of stress. When I think about potential stress, I get stressed.

My brother says I need to take it one book at a time. My husband ordered me to stop worrying. And I keep trying to remind myself “You wanted this. If you don’t try, you won’t fail, but you also won’t put your mean creative arts teachers from high school in their place.” (Note that these aren’t my English teachers. My English teachers were awesome.)

But really, what do I want? I want to be published. How bad to I want it? Very badly. So what is holding me back? Am I an idiot?

The jury (and my cat) say yes.

Oh, I’m going to do it, don’t worry. If anything, just to make the cat shut up. I’m just a little freaked at the moment. I worked hard to get here and now that I am I wonder if here is good enough or if I should take another year obsessing over this book. But no, I need to move on and get this baby out of the womb (i.e., my USB drive).

I’ll deal with the diaper-changing and late night crying jags when they get here.

Yay!  *too sleepy to move*

In the Isabelle story, the first novel I’ll be querying to agents/publishers, I finally got through the final battle edits. It’s much better.

Now I have a few end-story things to add/change because the new final battle requires it. Then I’ll be cooking that pot of chicken n’ dumplings for my Bible study group, because I’ll be DONE!

YAAAAAY!

I did a lot of work on the Isabelle story, including a new scene and some thinking in the way of that final battle. I think I came up with something good for it. ^_^ Finally.