Getting started on the next Raine books -- what's next
Yesterday I began the first step in writing synposes for the next two Raine books to get another book contract -- reading through the nearly 300 pages (mostly single-spaced) of notes that I've accumulated over the years. What I'm doing now is reading, deleting stuff that I used in Bewitched & Betrayed, and if a scene strikes my fancy, I make notes to myself as to why I like that particular scene or how I see it being used.
As I read through it this week, the bits and pieces that I really like will start to come together to form a loose plot. (At least that's the plan.) Once that happens, I'll open two new Word documents -- one entitled Book 5 and the other Book 6 (I don't have any titles yet) -- and I'll copy and paste the ideas/scenes/dialogue that I think I'll use into each file.
This is Step 1 and it'll take me the rest of this week and probably into next week. Though I already know how Book 5 starts and have most of the scene in my head. Since getting that first chapter started can be the tough -- and you can't write the rest of the book until you have a beginning -- it's a relief to me that the beginning of Book 5 has come to me before I even have a full plot for the thing. Though I do have an idea as to what happens in Book 5 and 6 and how both end, also a nice thing to have.
Once I have those two Word documents filled with ideas/scenes/dialogue for each book, I'll start writing the two plot synopses. Once I've gotten those written as tightly as possible and I know it's as good as I can get it, I'll send it off to Kristin my agent for her feedback. Then I'll make any necessary alterations and send it back to Kristin. Once the two synops are polished to our satisfaction, Kristin will send them to Anne, my editor at Ace Books. Then the acquisition/offer/negotiation process begins.
My goal is to have the two synops finished and to Kristin by the end of July, sooner if possible. That gives me one month to plot Raine & Company's lives for the next two adventures.
Wish me luck -- that's a tight schedule.
That being said, all of that will get pushed to the back burner once Anne and Kristin get their feedback to me on edits needed to Bewitched & Betrayed. I'll have to stop what I'm doing with Books 5 & 6 and concentrate on getting those edits done.
BTW -- I've selected the winners of the CafePress t-shirt contest, and I'll be posting the winners within the next few days. And Derek is having the horseback riding on the beach photos developed today, so I'll be posting those soon.
Have a great one!
Lisa
As I read through it this week, the bits and pieces that I really like will start to come together to form a loose plot. (At least that's the plan.) Once that happens, I'll open two new Word documents -- one entitled Book 5 and the other Book 6 (I don't have any titles yet) -- and I'll copy and paste the ideas/scenes/dialogue that I think I'll use into each file.
This is Step 1 and it'll take me the rest of this week and probably into next week. Though I already know how Book 5 starts and have most of the scene in my head. Since getting that first chapter started can be the tough -- and you can't write the rest of the book until you have a beginning -- it's a relief to me that the beginning of Book 5 has come to me before I even have a full plot for the thing. Though I do have an idea as to what happens in Book 5 and 6 and how both end, also a nice thing to have.
Once I have those two Word documents filled with ideas/scenes/dialogue for each book, I'll start writing the two plot synopses. Once I've gotten those written as tightly as possible and I know it's as good as I can get it, I'll send it off to Kristin my agent for her feedback. Then I'll make any necessary alterations and send it back to Kristin. Once the two synops are polished to our satisfaction, Kristin will send them to Anne, my editor at Ace Books. Then the acquisition/offer/negotiation process begins.
My goal is to have the two synops finished and to Kristin by the end of July, sooner if possible. That gives me one month to plot Raine & Company's lives for the next two adventures.
Wish me luck -- that's a tight schedule.
That being said, all of that will get pushed to the back burner once Anne and Kristin get their feedback to me on edits needed to Bewitched & Betrayed. I'll have to stop what I'm doing with Books 5 & 6 and concentrate on getting those edits done.
BTW -- I've selected the winners of the CafePress t-shirt contest, and I'll be posting the winners within the next few days. And Derek is having the horseback riding on the beach photos developed today, so I'll be posting those soon.
Have a great one!
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:42 AM
8 Comments:
Hi :)
Thank you for sharing a little on your process as a writer.
And thanks for writing more in the series!
:)
Love From Canada
xoxo
Wow, you weren't kidding when you said `tight schedule.' Hope everything goes well for you. I can't wait for the next book.
The mention of the untitled state of the books made me want to ask -have you ever considered a blog post on how you come up with such terrific titles? (My favorite of your titles is `Armed and Magical' and I'm not at all prejudiced by the fact that so far it's my favorite book in the series. :))
Thank you, Chicory!
I'll see if I can blog on how I came up with my titles tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing. That sounds complex enough, I'm quite impressed. {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
I have never tried writing a synopsis. It sounds like a lot of work. I guess I never really thought it was that important. But reading this...it looks like a synopsis is much more important than I gave it credit for.
Cookies for the tight deadline!
I love reading about your process :) Good luck on getting it all done!
Thank you, Rose!
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