Whimpering

Sulking in a corner was out of the question.

If I’m to be honest, I’ve thought about it.

Could I get away with sobbing?

How about weeping?

I don’t really have time to be pathetic

and, well,

ugly.

 

I completed the manuscript for the first book in the series almost three weeks ago.

It’s time to keep the ball moving.

The synopsis and the query needed to be written,

starting with a 75-word synopsis.

Really?

Why?!

 

Brevity’s my gift.

My Master’s thesis AND my Doctoral dissertation were much shorter than most,

because I like to go in, get to the point, and get out.

No point in wasting anyone’s time,

not mine

and not anyone else’s.

 

Well, apparently, the tables turned

with writing fiction.

I needed to incorporate more,

much more.

The reader needs more

to get a glimpse of what I’m picturing

in my mind.

Made sense.

It was easier said than done.

Some time in 2015, I think, I started writing this fiction series.

I had a steep learning curve.

It wasn’t until September of last year that I quit scraping by on my own.

At that time, my manuscript was at 57,000 words. It was oscillating between a novella and a book.

In less than a year’s time — working, editing, writing, and following my writing mentor, Nancy Rue’s guidance — my manuscript grew to 84,500 words. Nancy is an amazing mentor (for writing and for life) and writer, as well as an intelligent, creative, wise, wonderful woman, by the way.

My point is, I’ve spent nearly a year expanding on my book.

And, now I’m at the juncture where I have to be, once again, concise and to the point. Squeeze everything I’ve taken great lengths of Grand Canyon proportions to create into an itty-bitty space?

What if I can’t?

This is where every word choice is life (or death) and everything little turn of phrase counts.

I’m going the traditional publishing route. So, the magic HAS to happen in the synopsis and in the query.

I couldn’t, however, just weep,

because there are impressionable kiddos that watch my every move

and, in the end, no one else will get that work done

but me.

***

After much consternation and toiling,

I finally got that 75-word synopsis

and query

written.

I’m signing off, for now.

I’d like to just sit and do nothing,

but I have grading to do.

Keeping that other, paying job is important.

Maybe,

just maybe, I can get my internal protests

to descrescendo to pianissimo grumblings.