This is the concept and this is where you can find it ...........From DLHammonds and Elise Fallson ......Our idea is that on Friday, May 31st, we will provide a forum to allow anyone interested a chance to tell the blogosphere about their most recent [W]ork [I]n [P]rogress.
We’ll guide you by providing a few prompts to answer in your own post,
and even give you the opportunity to solicit CP’s (partners who
exchange material for detail critique – usually chapter by chapter) or
Beta Readers (test readers who read entire manuscripts and offer broad
opinions) if you’re looking for that
WIP Title: Legacy Dawning (book 2 in Legacy novella series)
Word Count (projected/actual so far): 30,000 Have written a good chunk of the book, but not yet gone through it, taken it apart, and rewritten most of it LOL
Genre: Young adult supernatural, but not a vampire or werewolf in sight!
How long have you been working on it?: 2 years
Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book):I honestly haven't a clue - obviously need to make this a priority :)
Brief Synopsis (250 words or less):
LEGACY [leg-e-se] something passed through a family, handed down as from an ancestor.
That’s
all very well, but what happens when you don’t want it? Is it possible
to deny your legacy? I don’t know if I can, or even if I should. But I
think I must try. My life is not preordained. Surely I must have some
small degree of control over what does, and does not, happen to me?
Dark family secrets are set to rock seventeen year old Joshua's safe and comfortable life.In the second in the series Joshua is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of the fire and the seemingly supernatural circumstances of his survival. Whilst dealing with this it seems his dreams are getting stronger and refusing to be ignored.
Are you looking for a Beta Reader?: I am lucky enough to have an extremely talented 17 year old that reads it, offers ideas, and corrects where the lead character sounds 50 not 17! The first novella in the series is finished and although I am really happy with it, I think maybe I need to move some of the text around to draw people in. The beginning is a bit weak because that's how Joshua is, but as his life changes the book becomes much stronger (I think anyway!) but if I'm sending it out to publishers they won't get that far! So any help with that would be great :)
Sounds very intriguing with the stuff about dreams, and very refreshing to have a vampire/werewolf free paranormal! Best of luck with this series!
ReplyDeleteHi Nick, thanks! x
DeleteIt's nice to have a young person able to beta read for you especially if you're writing YA. You've got an interesting premise and I like the idea of an unwanted legacy. Good luck with this and thank you for sharing with us today! (:
ReplyDeleteHi Elise, I am lucky, he's a friends very talented, super clever friend! x
DeleteMy protag has an unwanted legacy (amongst other hells) too. :) Great minds and all that. Best of luck on its completion. X
ReplyDeleteShah X
http://bit.ly/115vOR8
Hi Shah, absolutely great minds think alike - shall we ignore the second half of the quote? ;) x
DeleteI like the idea of an unwanted legacy, but I really want to know what it is! When you work on your elevator pitch, consider stating it outright. If you actually meet an agent or editor in an elevator, you don't want to tip-toe around the secret -- especially if it's a really good one! Put it right out there!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dianne, it's like a block in my head. I know it has to be really good so the editor wouldn't yawm, nod in the right places and disappear into the sunset before I've stuttered my 'hello' out! x
DeleteWell I'm not a writer but I have A LOT of craft WIPs!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL JoJo - I have an appalling number of those too! x
DeleteHow awesome is that--having a built in beta reader? Mine are up and coming, but not quite of age. It's great to be able to bounce ideas off my 12 yr old though. Kids are so stinkin' creative!
ReplyDeleteAren't they? And honest too! x
DeleteHa ha good mention no vampires or werewolves. ANd what could be better than a teen beta reader whenever you need it!
ReplyDeleteStory sounds great!
I agree! It's nice to have a fresh, adequate voice!
DeleteThank you ladies :) Always a worry putting it out there - especially with no biters and 4 legged furry things! x
DeleteIt's awesome that your paranormal book doesn't have any of the usual creatures! That'll help it to stand out in a crowded market.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carrie-Anne, I really hope so :) x
DeleteCarrie-Anne makes an excellent point. I've read a LOT of blurbs full of those creatures, so their lack will really be to your advantage. Denying your legacy? Now THAT is a great concept. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
Hi Tina, thanks, everything crossed - of course it would help if I could just focus and finish it! x
DeleteThat so great to have a beta in your target audience range. I haven't given paranormal a try because I don't do vampires and witches, so, your story intrigues me. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sydney :) x
DeleteI too think it's refreshing to not have the vampires or werewolves! There certainly are enough of those to go around right now. ;) Your stories sound intriguing! I'd definitely read 'em.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog as well!
Hi Trisha, thanks for saying you'd read it - gives me a real boost! I sometimes worry it's so poor and people are shaking their head, whilst simultaneously telling me it's great LOL x
DeleteI admire people who can write novellas (they aren't especially my thing since I want to get more into the story). Best of luck with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tiana. I didn't actually start out writing it as a novella, but as a 'normal' sized novel. Somewhere along the way it mutated and ended up as a novella - but now I'm glad it is as I think the series will work in that format - hoping anyway! x
DeleteHow awesome that you've managed to write paranormal without falling onto the traditional monsters. Good luck with your projects!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate :) x
DeleteA supernatural story without vampires or werewolves? Sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI loved your synopsis.
Hi! Thanks for the positive words about the synopsis :) You wouldn't believe how long that took to write...... or maybe you would? :) x
DeleteOoh, what's the dark secret? Those are always interesting. You should share some more specifics to help entice readers. Like many others, I like that there's no vampires or werewolves :)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for stopping by :) I was torn between telling just enough to grab attention, but not too much to spoil the story - hard fine line to meet! x
DeleteExcellent reading I wish I didn't remember my dreams as they involve what is happening in my life.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great.
Yvonne.
Hi Yvonne! I think dreams are so powerful and sometimes so important, I think that's why I've laced them into my storyline x
DeleteI use my 13 year old son as my Beta Reader also! Thank you for sharing your WIP with us today! Good luck with it. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are useful aren't they LOL!And very truthful - sometimes painfully so LOL! x
DeleteYou're lucky to have someone in the family to read your work. Since I've written about my family, they can read it when it comes out! Ha! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHi, he is so, so useful! Thanks for visiting and the good wishes! x
DeleteInteresting premise, not sure if it's at all possible to deny your legacy, but hey, we can try, right? Good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteHi, the MC can try - insider knowledge tells me he's going to have a hard time denying it though LOL! x
DeleteNo vampires or werewolves? You have my attention!
ReplyDeleteI'll keep an eye out for this one.
Tim
The Other Side
Hi Timothy, thanks for visiting and the support! Was a gamble not to include biters and hairy monsters when they are so 'in' at the moment! x
DeleteI haven't been seeing a lot of YA today, so you and me must be rare! It sounds like an intriguing story and I'm wondering what the supernatural element to it is.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, I noticed that too Cathy :) x
DeleteVery intriguing...you definitely piqued my interest!
ReplyDeleteI am YA as well...I bounce mine off a 19 year old. ;o)
Hi Courtney, another YA, YAY! Teens are handy aren't they :) Glad the synopsis grabbed you :) x
DeleteI am intrigued, no vampires and werewolves!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your offer to be a beta for my work. I would like to help you out too, and am happy to look over your beginning and see if I can give you any advice.
My email address is: c.m.brown.books@gmail.com
Hi Carolyn, fab :) Will email you tomorrow once youngest is back at school and I have my life back! LOL! x
DeleteNo vampires/werewolves? Excellent!
ReplyDeleteHi Milo, thanks for visiting - I hope readers/editors/publishers etc etc etc LOL agree with you :) x
DeleteOooh the story sounds very interesting! Will this be in the magical realism genre? I've read a couple of books lately in that genre and I loved them! I get along better with that genre than I do with the straight-up paranormal.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, it keeps evolving! I thought I knew in my head exactly what the paranormal would be, but it seems to change as I write more - so not sure yet! x
DeleteHi, Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of paranormal stuff but I got admit I'm interested in what you'll do without the vampires and such.
Hi, thanks for visiting :) Hopefully you'll like the end result! x
DeleteI love your unusual premise and think the mc sounds great. Congrats on such a good beta - an actual teen beta is harder to find than a sasquatch, so go you!! :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL Totally agree about the beta - I had so many people offer, but I needed someone that not only is super good with literature and language, but also would be honest! Thanks for the compliment about the MC, he feels more human and real every time I write some more :) x
DeleteI like the synopsis where the MC speaks. People want to identify with him even when they are reading the back cover.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for visiting :) That's what I was hoping for, because it starts a bit slow (which I need to work on) I wanted people to 'hear' him to have some idea of how he is going to develop - does that make any sense? x
DeleteI enjoyed the synopsis for the same reason Dobson did!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be a critique partner. Your premise sounds great!
Lyre @ Lyre's Musings
Hi Amy! Thanks for visiting. Today I have finally got around to trying to update it - so will contact you when it's ready if that's okay x
DeleteGreat sharing your story with us, I'm a little intrigued to see where this goes.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for visiting - I'm wondering where it's going myself! Every time I pick it up it evolves in a way I wasn't expecting :) x
DeleteStories where characters struggle with seemingly overwhelming choices are always interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi Deniz, thanks for stopping by! And I hope you're right :) x
Delete