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The art of not giving up, giving in, or refusing to go under can be traced back to cavemen time. Consider if the task of fire-building had been abandoned. We’d all still be stuck in the ice age, wearing crudely tanned fur coats (animal activists would be passé), and surviving on Sushi and salads. No breads, no soups, no cake. Brrr . . . it’s too teeth-chattering to contemplate. Instead our hairy forefathers, or more likely our tired-of-the-same-old-dinner-routine foremothers, kept twirling the sticks until they generated friction. And as all romance writers know, friction equals building tension, which will eventually produce fire. Thanks to our ancestors fire fortitude, we now only eat Sushi by choice.
As cavemen tenacity changed the course of future generations, so too, can your personal persistence or Pro-Sistence alter your future. By adhering to the never-give-up philosophy and following these steps, your publishing possibilities increase dramatically.
Begin by writing your synopsis. You know that pesky little outline is a required evil for the publishing business. Whether you utilize a computer, pen and pad, or charcoal on your cave wall, it’s time to write your synopsis. Carve out the external plot points of your manuscript. Etch in the internal (emotional) turning points for your characters. Imprint necessary details and your synopsis can contain lasting quality like any pre-historic cave rendering.
Next, finish your book. Are you halfway done and stuck in the sagging middle? Use the fast-draft technique; employee book in a week methodology; give yourself a REAL deadline: before the kids get out of school, before National conference, before the end of the month; then write to the end. If you hope to find your way out of the proverbial cave and into your non ice age future, then a completed manuscript is vital. Keep in mind that some agents/editors require finished manuscripts on queries, which leads to the final step of Pro-Sistence.
Finally consider that agents/editors, ‘Can’t buy what you aren’t selling.’ That’s right. Agents can’t negotiate representation, editors can’t make contract offers, if you’re not submitting. The dreaded rejection letter is enough to paralyze the most brave-hearted author. Truth be told, chances are high you’ll be rejected--at least once. But to turn the odds in your favor, you must submit. Again, and again, and again. Just as an agent or editor won’t spear you with a pointed lance for querying your work, they can’t offer you an ancient writing tool and ask you to make your mark on a contract, unless your submit. There is no path to the publishing hall of fame without the ultimate step of submission.
Fumbling in cave darkness is for the unwilling-to-be-published. Come out of the stone age and light your own fire of Pro-Sistence by writing your synopsis, finishing your manuscript and submitting. Your publishing potential will be forever illuminated through your persistent efforts.
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Copyright 2006
Sandra Ferguson -- all rights reserved, please
obtain written permission before use.
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