<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Legacy Editorial Consulting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Articles]]></description><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/</link><copyright><![CDATA[Copyright Legacy Editorial Consulting]]></copyright><generator>hds cms</generator><item><title><![CDATA[12 Tips To Release Your Inspiration]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Auburn Rutledge Fox    

Writing has been a beloved pastime of mine for more than a decade. But it is work, and I never remember that more than when I’m lacking for inspiration. Between work and home and school, life sometimes leaves you drained, tired, and absolutely unable to think of a single idea as you sit poised before your keyboard.    

As a veteran of writer’s block, I’m always eager to offer a few of my own ideas on how to overcome those everyday things that make it difficult to do what you love. One of my personal favorites? Repeat the anonymous quotation “Every flower must grow through dirt.” Here are twelve suggestions on releasing
your inspiration:    

  Find Your Muse      

• Read a favorite book. Remember why it was your favorite? Look for ways in which the author captures your attention and your imagination.    
• Watch a film. Find something that sparks your interest—a beautiful or frightening or fascinating scene. Try to describe it.    
• Listen to music. Whether while you or writing or doing any other activity, music is a stimulating experience. With or without words, in can provide images in your mind worth pursuing in your work.    
• Find quotations. So much of my work—from character names to plot points to titles—come from browsing quotations in books and online. When you struggle over a particular piece of your writing, try to find a quotation that expresses what you are trying to say.    

  Relax      

• Lie down. If nothing of substance comes after half an hour at the desk, you might be more tired than anything else. Power naps can be invigorating. (And I’ve even had the occasional dream that gave me a new idea.)    
• Take a run. On the other end of the spectrum, exercise can bring a much-needed boost of energy. Clear your mind and enjoy the endorphins.    
• Get close to nature. Whether you live in the midst of Jack London’s wilderness or the middle of London itself, there is always a way close to nature. It’s an undeniably peaceful way to refocus yourself.    
• Treat yourself. We forget sometimes to have a little fun. It can be little or large, a fancy dessert or a trip. Let go of some of the stress of everyday life.    

  Approach Writing Differently      

• Write by hand. So many of us have taken to the computer for all of our writing, from outlines to drafts to the manuscripts themselves. Do some of your writing by hand in a notebook or on loose sheets, including jotting down ideas and brainstorming.    
• Write backwards. Not quite literally. But if you start from the beginning, try approaching from the other end. Think things through from a non-linear perspective.    
• Be visual. You don’t have to be a visual artist to express yourself visually. Draw sketches of characters or landscapes, doodles of inventions or scientific principles, or just get out any ideas that might be in your head onto paper. It doesn’t have to be beautiful or even functional.    
• Act it out. Whether you sit at the computer and say dialogue or get into full character from lines to movements, you’ll find yourself approaching the story from a newer, better perspective—that of the people you are writing about.    

What are some of your favorite ways to find and release inspiration?

]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:05:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/inspiration/12-tips-to-release-your-inspiration/</link><guid>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/inspiration/12-tips-to-release-your-inspiration/</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Legacy Author Rob Widders&#039; SPITTING ON A SOLDIER&#039;S GRAVE Now Available for Pre-Order!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Congratulations to Rob Widders, whose second book, Spitting on a Soldier's Grave, is now available for pre-order on   Amazon   and through his   website  .    

I first worked with Rob in 2008, when he needed an editor for his first book,   A Few Deeds Short of a Hero  .    
      

  A Few Deeds   chronicles Rob's years spent in all three branches of the British military--and he is the last man alive who can claim that distinction. His second book is a controversial nonfiction account of the men who deserted from the Irish Army to join the British military in the fight against Nazism in World War II. The description below is from Rob's website:    

  The story of the Irishmen who deserted from the Irish Army and joined the Allies in the struggle against fascism and Nazism during the Second World War has been kept secret for over half a century.  These men fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war.  And after the war they were all Court Martialled.     

But hundreds of these men had died long before they were court-martialled.  Joseph Mullally died on D-Day, 6 June 1944, fighting with the British Army on the beaches of Normandy--a year before his court-martial.  And Stephen McManus had already suffered torture and starvation whilst being worked to death in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.      

And it wasn’t just the soldiers who suffered.  In some cases their children were taken from them, condemned in court, and sentenced to a childhood of sickening abuse in the Industrial Schools.     

But throughout the book the courage and decency of the individual shines through.  Gerry O’Neill risked his life with the newly formed Irish Navy, rescuing wounded British soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk.  And Nicholas McNamara volunteered to serve with RAF Bomber Command knowing it meant almost certain death.  This book tells their story.    
  
Rob's book is meticulously researched and narrated in strong, energetic prose. Congratulations again to him for its publication, and I highly recommend picking it up!
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:12:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/legacy-news/legacy-author-rob-widders-spitting-on-a-soldiers-grave-now-available-for-preorder/</link><guid>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/legacy-news/legacy-author-rob-widders-spitting-on-a-soldiers-grave-now-available-for-preorder/</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Essentials of a Synopsis]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Auburn Rutledge Fox    

One of the most crucial elements of preparing a book for a query, submission, or potential publication is to have a polished synopsis readily available. But opinions differ on what exactly constitutes a synopsis, and what agents, editors, and publishers are looking for in one. What I want to present you with are the essentials of a synopsis—basic guidelines that can be applied to any story.    

To begin with: a synopsis is a summary. Nothing more, nothing less. It gives you the fundamentals of
your piece in a short, easily readable format, typically no more than about 2-3 pages (double-spaced), depending on the complexity of your story.    

What this means is your synopsis only has room for the main plot; i.e. what the story is about. This is the who, what, when, where, and why/how. Note that you do not need to include every twist and turn, every important detail. It should have the important elements that make up the beginning, middle, and end (don’t be cutesy and give us a cliffhanger or end it with a question—we need to know what happens).    

WHO: Your main characters: protagonist(s), antagonist(s), supporting characters. You don't need to list every Tom, Dick
and Harry--just the characters who have a significant impact on the story you are trying to tell.    

WHAT: What happens? How does the story progress? This includes inciting incidents, high points, major
twists or turning points, and climaxes.    

WHEN: Does the story take place now? The past? The future? (A mixture of all three?) What period of time is it covering?    

WHERE: What are the major locales (a specific city, another planet?) and what is their impact on the plot
and/or the characters?    

WHY/HOW: Often rolled into WHAT, but here you’re digging a little deeper. What lies behind the laundry list
of plot points? Include symbolism, metaphors, themes.    

It's inevitable that anyone reading the synopsis will be looking for signs of how you write, so don’t make it overly long, complicated, or dull. It’s a summary, yes, but it needs to include the heart of the book, what makes it unique or different. Let your natural voice come through. This is essentially a sales pitch, so make your story stand out!    

Once you’ve written a first draft, set it aside for a week and then come back to it. Re-read. Check for anything confusing or ambiguous. Trim, rewrite, re-arrange as necessary. Then let others read it, and consider their comments and what they’d change. Take the suggestions with the most merit, and edit
again. A third draft or so should get you the finesse you’re looking for.    

It’s always important to check any submissions guidelines that an individual agent or company has before preparing your materials, and requirements can (and will) vary. But before you even begin the process, you should already have a synopsis written. Most can then be easily adapted to fit specific guidelines.

]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:10:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/selling-your-book/the-essentials-of-a-synopsis/</link><guid>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/selling-your-book/the-essentials-of-a-synopsis/</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Author Websites: Holly Black]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Auburn Rutledge Fox    

This is the first in a series of posts exploring examples of great author websites (and what makes them great), based off my earlier post,   Author Websites in the Age of Social Media  . How do these websites stand out? What’s interesting and unique about them? What makes them work? What could stand to be improved?      

We’ll begin with the website of fantasy writer   Holly Black  , best known as the author of   The Spiderwick Chronicles   and the   Modern Tale of Faerie   series, including   Tithe  ,   Valiant  , and   Ironside  . The layout is simple: white space unified by her name in an animated coffee cop and a top navigation bar. It’s uncluttered and easy-to-navigate, not particularly exciting but refreshingly straightforward with its monochromatic color scheme and clear-cut links.      

Immediately visible are her newest books, and clicking on one will take you directly to its dedicated page, with all the essential information (synopsis, ISBN, excerpt, reviews, and ‘Buy’ links). It’s extremely important that your books are easily discoverable on your website, and Holly’s are clearly the focus of hers.     

I like the use of the dropdown menus on her navigation bar: quick, easy, simple. Always there so you never get lost on her site. The sections within her navigation bar are fairly standard. Her "About Holly" section contains the typical information—her bio, contact information, FAQ, interviews. "Writing" is divided up broadly by genre (young adult, short fiction, graphic novels, etc.). "Appearances" gives her list of upcoming and past appearances.     

She links to her blog via "Journal", which is a very simple layout hosted in a Livejournal account. Updated fairly frequently, it’s nothing special in terms of design (it uses a standard, undecorated template), but shows her to be an active online presence. Choosing to have a separate blog is certainly an acceptable route to take, though I tend to advocate hosting your blog within your site if it is at all practical to do so. It also helps to further unify your design scheme and branding if you have control over your blog’s layout.     

What stood out to me the most about Holly’s otherwise very straightforward and prototypical website is her "Resources" page. The "Writing Resources" page, written in a Q&A format, answers some very common questions that a new fiction author might encounter as s/he is writing (naming characters, critique groups, reviews, etc). With each answer, Holly includes one or more relevant links. Taken all together, it’s a rich resource, coming first-hand from a successful author. Though overall her resources (including the reading list, resources, and art library) do tend toward suggestions for fantasy and young adult writers, this is a reflection of Holly giving advice based on what she knows, and for the audience that visits her website, this is the perfect route to take. She has found a way to engage her audience and encourage fellow writers, as well as providing some in-depth knowledge about her experiences as a published author. For those interesting in delving deeper into the worlds of her books, she’s provided a plethora of research and inspiration.      

For the Resources section, Holly Black’s website is first on my list of great author websites. What attracts or turns you off about this site? What are some of your favorites?
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:35:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/author-website-series/author-websites-holly-black/</link><guid>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/author-website-series/author-websites-holly-black/</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Secret History: A Book Review]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Auburn Rutledge Fox    

I can best describe Donna Tart’s   The Secret History   as a fragile but ultimately radiant marriage of the genre and literary novel.     

The story begins with protagonist and narrator Richard Papen, a former student of Hampden College in Vermont, vaguely describing the murder of fellow student Edmund "Bunny" Corcoran. Thus we are immediately swept into a murder-mystery that plays out slowly in reverse: why did Richard and his fellow students—a small, eccentric group of Classics majors—kill one of their own?    

  

The novel deftly explores the literary themes of Art and Beauty, though its study (inevitably, as Tartt would seem to suggest) leads to tragic consequences. The group of students with whom Richard becomes involved are odd, obsessive creatures: the twins Charles and Camilla, whose relationship with each other is much darker than it seems; the frenetic and homosexual Francis; the cheerful odd-man-out Bunny; and their leader, enigmatic Henry. They all become obsessed with the more mysterious aspects of Classics culture—the   bacchanals  , a madness that leaves men and women in a frenzied state of   id  . One might find these young students almost too eccentric to be real, as their study under the tutelage of Classics teacher Julian has left them unable to properly function in the modern world. I found myself more than once becoming skeptical at Henry’s ignorance of the modern day, including his apparent surprise that men had landed on the moon.     

Throughout the students’ explorations of the odd and dangerous   bacchanal   rite, Richard watches almost entirely from the fringes. Though he, too, is under the tutelage of Julian, it is clear from the outset that he lacks a certain   je ne sais quoi   which would fully ingratiate him into his group of peers. But Richard is by no means normal; in many ways, I found him almost sadly pathetic, inclined to consider himself an intellectual but generally only putting on airs. That he falls so quickly in with the Classics group is understandable, but his blatant inability to understand what is going on around him becomes tiring as the novel at times drags on. This trait is reflected upon Bunny, the murder victim, as well. He seems so unlike his fellow students that we wonder why he is a part of the group at all. And throughout the story, Professor Julian—the epitome of a Romantic Classicist—encourages with an odd naivete his students’ obsessions.     

I felt that, at 500 pages long, the novel could easily have lost 100 pages. While Tartt is deft at offering teasing hints as to the what and why of the murder and the psychological consequences that await its perpetrators, we are saddled with the ineptitudes of our protagonist Richard, who spends much of the novel drifting about from one situation to the next and generally being manipulated by Henry (a character written more like a fanciful idea than a realistic concept). But the intrigue of the murder itself, as well as the fraying relationships between the Classics students, is more than enough to counteract the effects of unnecessary prose (mostly Richard’s overly poetic descriptions of ordinary situations). Many scenes are breathtakingly beautiful, and a few of the passages either have a morbid humor that made me laugh out loud, or are written with such obvious passion and luster that you are forced to re-read them to further appreciate what Tartt is suggesting.     

Perhaps the most brilliant—and frightening—of Tartt’s techniques is to involve us as readers so deeply in the motivations of Bunny’s murder that it begins to seem almost reasonable to us. Like Richard, we are sympathetic and in awe of Henry, Charles, Camilla and Francis, and want to see this group remain together despite the brutal circumstances surrounding them. Bunny’s martyrdom seems only logical. But after the murder happens, roughly in the middle of the book, we realize just how heinous the crime is. And this is where the literary and genre elements of the novel converge, such that we, too, are questioning Art and Beauty versus reality, which is the more preferable, and if they can ever truly coexist.     

The novel is certainly a brilliant debut work, and though it suffers at times from trying to make its characters more poetic than necessary, Tartt nevertheless manages to create a beautiful literary work both diabolical and sensual, while simultaneously crafting a new and darker version of the coming-of-age story.
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:21:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/book-reviews/the-secret-history-a-book-review/</link><guid>http://www.legacyeditorialconsulting.com/blog/book-reviews/the-secret-history-a-book-review/</guid></item></channel></rss>