Snoopy

          I love Snoopy, he's a self proclaimed writer, and I happen to have two adorable beagles of my own.
This week I have been going over my second manuscript and touching it up. I think the query and synopsis for 'Drakes Destiny' is going to be much easier to write.
'Southerland Skye' is a family saga, where as my second manuscript has more of a thrilling plot, and is faster paced.

          I'm beginning to think I might have to pitch my second manuscript to agents first, instead of my first one. This is something I did not want to do because Drake has a big part in my first story, which leads him to where he is today, in my second manuscript. (Are you still with me?) But if my second story peaks interest, then that's the route I will go.

Besides writing, I really need to get some laundry done. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Work in progress

                    I took the beagles for a long walk this morning, hoping to tire them out so I could have a little quiet time to myself, and get some writing done without any interruptions. Ha-ha, fat chance!

          I've been working on my synopsis for several days now and thought; "This looks pretty darn good."
 I posted it on a writing website and received some much deserved constructive criticism. I really needed someone else to show me what I was doing wrong.
 I realized my mistakes far too late, I had already sent it to an agent that I wanted to impress. She most likely hit the delete button before finishing my letter.

         I know now that it reads too much like my query, and I am in need of a professional view point.
I have a critique group meeting at the Writers Loft here in Paradise where I live. I  hope to come away with a better understanding of what I need, to write a wowzer of a synopsis.


Today as I browsed through several websites that cater to people who want to get published, I noticed some forums that had some instructions for newbies like me. So far, this is what I've learned:

          Never use the word 'Was' in your first sentence. That will send your manuscript directly into the slush pile. (Slush pile is a term used by agents for the stack of manuscripts piling up that no one wants to read.)
Never give your character green eyes. I didn't think something like that mattered in the literary world, but someone on the forum claimed that all writers want their hero or heroin to have green eyes and readers are sick of it. 

        As I read more of the do's and don'ts, I began to wonder if I should just go back to nursing school, and spend the next six years in college as the oldest student in class.
Everyone has their own opinion and they all differ from each other, which can be very confusing. I'm not going to give up now, there must be an agent that likes green eyed people and the word 'was'.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.