K is for Key Characters: Synopsis Critique #17: YA Fantasy #AtoZChallenge

And now, it's time for this week's synopsis critique! The author of EVREN, a YA Fantasy novel, submitted this synopsis. My in-line comments are [blue and in brackets], and I'll include a summary at the end. Feel free to comment below!

If you'd like a primer on how to write a synopsis, see my posts here and here. And if you want your synopsis critiqued on this website, fill out the form here, or email your 1-2 page synopsis to me at operationawesome6@gmail.com. (NOTE: I'll email my critique to the author as soon as I'm done, so the author won't have to wait to see his/her synopsis on the site). Thanks for participating!

Synopsis

Evren Greenwood - a sea-navigator with a love of sweets [1]- dreams of escaping the kingdom of Tarkais and the cursed inland pirates who have been hunting her for years. They tell her they want her eyes.[2] East Yuriel, an elf, has just been promoted to King’s Guard in the capital.

When the infamous pirate Captain Sa’av arrives at the shores of Ionoke [3] looking for a navigator to take him to the impossibly-hidden Sea Queen’s [4] lair, Evren jumps at this opportunity. But there is more to Captain Sa’av than meets the eye: he is the Keeper of the Sages [5] and he is looking for the Water Sage, the one prophesied to be a great healer.

Meanwhile, East is beginning to see the King lose his way, as Ranger of the West [6] comes to the capital with his radical ideas. The sun-fae [7] are being persecuted across the capital and East begins to investigate who is behind it.

Evren thinks Sa’av is unwise to go to the Sea Queen’s lair - and at first doesn’t want to take the job. [8] When the murderous pirates [9] find her at Ionoke and threaten her life the sun goddess, Amataru, steps in and saves Evren. She tells Evren to answer her call when the time comes. Evren realizes this job is her only chance to get enough money for the expensive flight across the seas and accepts the position.

East struggles in his new position. His King is excluding the sun-fae and tightening agreements between the elves of the Near Woods. [10]

Onboard, Evren meets an alcoholic, Red, who becomes her best friend. For the first time in her life, she feels like she belongs. Feelings begin to develop for her Captain [11] and Evren realizes it may not be as simple as receiving her payment and leaving. After fighting a sea serpent from killing Red, Evren meets an elf who tells her she is special and there is a reason Amataru saved her. Evren begins to get nervous, knowing that the forgotten magical memories from her past are beginning to surface. [12]

When Evren and crew arrive in Tarkais, the King asks for an audience with Sa’av and Evren. They find out that this trip has become more pertinent than ever: an epidemic is sweeping Tarkais and the only one who might be able to help is Rusalka. [13] Evren finds out Sa’av is sick and she cannot leave him now, even when Rusalka begins threatening Evren over the wind [14]. East becomes friends with a sun-fae, Tsura, who shares with him she is the Sun Sage.

They finally arrive at Rusalka’s Lair, after many trials. The Battalion is hijacked and Evren and Sa’av continue through the haunted fog. When they arrive at Rusalka’s Lair she laughs in their face, before telling them she will never give them the antidote. The last thing she tells Sa’av is that the Water Sage was murdered ten years ago. They leave, both feeling defeated.

Evren and Sa’av make it back to the capital and she is given her payment. Before she goes to catch the flight, she goes with Red and Sa’av to have a final lunch. The murderous pirates swoop down on them and kill Red. Evren freaks out [15] and the magic that has remained hidden within her for years, bursts forth, destroying the cursed pirates. She is then taken into custody as a prisoner of the castle, for hiding her magical abilities. She misses her flight. [16]

One of Sa’av’s friends breaks Evren out of her jail cell and Evren makes it to the Winter Solstice celebration. Rusalka arrives with her water folk. The celebration doesn’t last. The water folk drag the landwalkers [17] to their death, drawing everyone into a final battle. Rusalka threatens Evren and fights with her. Evren manages to stay alive but Rusalka doesn’t. Ranger - who has been polluting the King’s mind - stabs Rusalka and kills her. His goal is to purge the land of the sun-fae, water folk, and elves, leaving behind only Landwalkers of his choosing. The King dies from the epidemic. East, Evren, and Sa’av agree to work together and reunite the Lost Sages: those responsible for maintaining harmony and protecting Tarkais from people like Ranger.

Notes

[1]: Is the love of sweets relevant to the synopsis? If not, I’d rephrase this as ‘Sea-Navigator Evren Greenwood…’

[2]: Why do the pirates (assuming it’s the pirates you mean here) want her eyes? This doesn’t seem to recur later, so if it’s not an important point in the main plot, I’d cut this sentence.

[3]: What is Ionoke? So far, we’ve heard of Tarkais, which is where Evren and East live. Describe what this new location is.

[4] Who is the Sea Queen? Why does the pirate care about this?

[5] What are the Sages? Is the Sea Queen also the Water Sage? Why does the pirate care about getting the great healer?

[6] Who is Ranger of the West? You’ve got character soup already, and we’re only in the second paragraph. A short synopsis really needs to focus on the 4-5 characters who are most important to the main plot. Any other characters should be described by their relationship to the named characters (Evren’s brother, the King’s nemesis, etc.)

[7]: Who are the sun-fae? Is East a sun-fae? If not, why is he investigating this?

[8]: Earlier, you said Evren jumped at the chance. Make sure this is consistent.

[9]: I thought she was working with the pirates? Add a little detail to explain what’s happening here. Are there bad pirates and good pirates?

[10]: I don’t know what this means or why it’s important. In fantasy, when you’re creating a world unlike our own, assume the reader won’t understand who elves of the Near Woods are, or why it’s important to tighten their agreements.

[11]: Is Red her captain, or is Evren developing feelings for both of them?

[12]: This is the first we’re hearing about these magical memories. If it’s significant, seed it in earlier, probably in your initial description of Evren.

[13]: Who is Rusalka? You need to cut about half of these names, and make sure the names you keep have sufficient description to orient the reader.

[14]: What does it mean that she’s threatening her over the wind?

[15]: The term ‘freak out’ doesn’t seem to fit with the tone of the rest of this synopsis.

[16] Is it a literal flight, like on an airplane? Describe.

[17] Who are the landwalkers?

Summary

You’ve got what sounds like a fun swashbuckling adventure with high stakes, but the synopsis doesn’t quite work as written. First, there are way too many named characters, and that makes it very difficult for the reader to get situated in the story. Cut it down to the 4-5 most significant (key) characters to the main plot. Second, I tried to note everywhere I didn’t have enough detail to understand what was going on. Add some story here so the reader can understand the main throughline of the plot. Third, is this a dual narrative with Evren and East having viewpoint chapters? The beginning of the synopsis indicates this, but by the end, East’s plot is dropped. Make sure you account for what’s going on in East’s story, assuming he’s a viewpoint character. Even if he’s not, if he’s important to the story, we need to know what’s going on with him throughout the book.

Best of luck with this!

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is... 

OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

J is for the character Jillian Styles by Blaise Ramsay in this Debut Author Spotlight #AtoZchallenge

Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) by Blaise Ramsay

J is for character Jillian Styles in Blessing of Luna

1- What got you to start the writing journey?

I’d been working in the conceptual and character design industry and freelancing for fifteen years. Eventually I worked in the Indie gaming industry doing what I thought I loved at the time. The problem was, I started noticing that artwork just wasn’t filling a hole somewhere inside. Everything I designed seemed to be hollow in one way or another. I didn’t understand what it was so I opened up Word on my Mac and started writing short stories. The first one I published on the art site, DeviantARt was given Daily Deviation status. Simply meaning it was given an award. I decided to start writing short stories until I found the work of A.E. Fisher. I fell in love with her biker romance novels and decided to write my own. The first book I wrote had to be set aside. I nearly called it quits. Then I learned of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and decided to participate in it. This event gave birth to Blessing of Luna, my debut title which spawned three other books in the series. It was this book that gave me the passion for writing and got me involved in the book blogger and indie communities. I am glad I decided to start.


2- Reviews or Views: Some people shy away from writing book reviews because they feel others won't share their taste in books. What do you tell them?

I would tell them what I told myself when working on Luna. Fear is a liar. It will stop your passion in its tracks if you let it. I would let them know we all have different tastes and more often than not, the author wants to hear what they have to say even if they don’t want to make it public. They can always email the author and let them know. Not all of us want to publicly say anything. People are going to feel differently. Just as we all don’t share the same tastes in movies or food, so it’s the same with books. If someone says something on an author’s Amazon or Goodreads or where ever the book is posted for review, let the author deal with it. We usually are more kind than most people tend to think. I know, me personally, I like to learn what people did or didn’t like in a book. It lets me know the “air of the market” as it were.


3- How's NaNo camp going?

It is going swell! I’m thoroughly enjoying the story, Eve of Ragnarok because it’s something closer to what I want to write. It’s still a romance but it doesn’t focus primarily on the romantic aspect. The story follows a subject I’ve long held close. Norse Mythology. I like how Camp isn’t as demanding. You can work on what you want to, edit, write short stories, etc. Not the same as regular NaNo where 50K words is your goal and it has to be a novel. I must say i will definitely be returning to both this year and the next.

4- What five words represent your most notable characteristic or values? #In5Words

1. Loyalty
2. Friendly
3. Loving
4. Caring
5. Nurturing

*I’m a mom and a wife. Pretty sure that’s why they are what they are. XD

5- What ignited your passion for writing?

The first nail in the horseshoe was winning the Daily Deviation status. I’d never won it in all of my years of drawing. Second I think it was definitely A.E. Fisher. Reading her books sent me into researching self-publishing where I found Kristen Martin. This lovely lady has had such an impact on me. I can honestly call her my hero. Through her I met Kim Chance and starting reading her blog and watching her youtube videos. The more I learned the more I knew. I’d found my passion. I’d found a supportive and caring community who isn’t competitive like it was in art. No one latched onto their favorites and attacked others. The community has been nothing but supportive. As we call ourselves: “We aren’t a competition. We’re a network.”



6- Would you share a picture with us of you, your book, and your husband?

7- What are some of your short and long term writing goals?

For now, I’m still working on building an author platform, raising awareness to FyreSyde and helping new and upcoming authors in any way I can. In the near future, I will be releasing three other books in the upcoming year. For long term, I want to continue to build FyreSyde as a publishing company and offer the blog as a chance for networking. I also have plans to start a podcast where I will offer tips based on my own journey and what I’ve learned. Short term, it’s to finish Camp NaNo and release another book at the end of this year.

8- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?

Umm, I really have to say that would be the mom of my daughter’s best friend. She about bounced out of her car and wanted to find out how she could get involved with FyreSyde and wanted my book now. Otherwise, I don’t know. XD From what my betas have told me, they have a great affinity for Alexander Kain. The mentor of the main protagonist of Blessing of Luna. Far as I can tell, he has some real fans and anticipators who want his book released.

9- What's your favorite flavor and way to have your coffee?

Oo, reaching for achilles heel huh? ;D Well I have a saying, I tend to like candy rather than coffee. During the year I usually prefer the more nutty flavors like Hazelnut, Toffee Nut, etc. If I’m feeling more laid back, I’ll settle for the old cream and sugar. This is especially good at good old mom and pop shops. Sometimes I visit my bank instead of using the atm just to nab their coffee. Otherwise, it’s mostly homebrewed Maxwell House with Hazelnut creamer. That is until Pumpkin spice season, then it’s binging Pumpkin spice iced coffee with tons of cream.

10- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?

I want to immerse the reader into the scene. Almost like they were there. I want to invoke emotions based upon what the characters are feeling. In Blessing of Luna, I did what I could to make the world feel as real as possible. It’s something I try to do with all of my writing. If the character is in pain, I want the reader to feel that. If they are happy, I want to the reader to feel happy. I want them to wonder, anticipate, ask questions and in some cruel instances, leave cliff-hangars. One scene in Luna that truly touched me was when Damien loses his childhood friend. It’s a dark scene with great emotion that leads him into a deep sense of doubt that Kain has to get him out of. Then there’s the death of the main villain. Damien doesn’t react with a sense of victory, rather a sense of sadness and defeat.

11- What is your favorite book (by someone else), and what do you love most about that book?

Wolf & Hunter by A.E. Fisher and Keeper by Kim Chance are my absolute favorite reads right now. I’ve been through Hunter and Wolf at least five times a piece and Keeper once (with plans to binge it again as soon as I can). These are all stunning books I would recommend to anyone.


12- What most helped you to improve your writing craft?

Reading and writing. Those are my two main weapons of choice. Even if it’s not a laptop or computer, I carry a journal or a book with me everywhere I go. I was once told that I needed to avoid reading to avoid taking and let me tell you, from what I’ve learned that’s so far from the truth. Pablo Picasso once stated “Steal like an artist”. What does this mean? It means everyone who has a craft, has a mentor. Even if they don’t know the person, personally. The more I read, the more I learn and evolve my own writing. Stephen King has been known to state, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or tools) to write. Simple as that”. We learn from each other. It’s what makes us better.

13- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?

To begin, what separates Blessing of Luna from another “werewolf” novel, in my opinion is the simple fact I separated the term “werewolf” from the actual “lycanthrope”. Extensive research was done to find a differentiation between the two. A werewolf is actually much different from a lycanthrope. For the character Jillian Styles in Blessing of Luna, it is the fact she is an immortal lycanthrope. She can’t die no matter how much silver is pumped into her veins. She also has silver nails which severely hurts the vampires of the novel’s world. For Damien, it is the fact that he is what is known as a Purifier. A paladin sent to keep the peace as it were. For Kain, it’s the mysterious gashes and slashes all over his body. The reason for these is not known in Blessing of Luna but does become more understood in Bane of Tenebris.

14- How did you come up with the name FyreSyde?

There are a couple of things that served as inspiration for the name FyreSyde. First, it was Christmas time and my kids were watching Charlie Brown and the song playing had the lyrics “Yuletide by the fireside”. This got me thinking, “What do I enjoy? I enjoy being wrapped in a blanket on a cold winter night with a coffee and a good book.” From this, the name FireSide came to mind but then i got thinking again. “How can I make this more, Blaise? Oh, I know, I’ll replace the ‘i’ with ‘y’. Then, FyreSyde Publishing was born.

15- The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? https://diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Well, with this one I’m going to be honest. I won’t ever make literature a reason to become political, period. In Blessing of Luna, Damien has PTSD and Detachment Disorder from a sexually abusive mother. It’s something I wanted to raise awareness to because both are close to me. They’re serious afflictions and too often, I think they get swept under the rug or written off.

“We’ve switched from a culture that was interested in manufacturing, economics, politics – trying to play a serious part in the world – to a culture that’s really entertainment-based”. -Stephen King

16- Which character has your favorite Personality Contradiction?

I think this would be Damien. At times he can appear really shy, timid and maybe weak compared to Jillian but therein lies the great internal conflict. He is suffering from Detachment Disorder. He feels numb to everyone around him until Jillian really chisels into the rock. Then he opens up and becomes a much stronger character. Throughout the series, the reader will find that Damien becomes the epicenter of the neighboring packs. He and Kain become the leaders everyone looks to. Even the last prince of the royal line has to seek their guidance. It’s a wonderful little trick screenwriters and author’s love to call “Shift”.

17- Does your book hold a mirror up to society, and in what way?

Nope. I write fiction to escape reality. XD

18- Can you think of any small change in the world you could make to benefit hundreds of other authors or readers potentially?

In a way I think I already am. I get contacted via email, social media and at the live events from authors who want to know how they can move from being hobbyists to professionals. Leaving the laptop and going out, meeting people and connecting is a small change that can have a big impact.

19- As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

The cover plays a key role in my first choice of books. Then as any prospect would, I flip the sucker over (if it’s a physical copy of course) and read the synopsis. If it’s an eBook and the cover and synopsis appeal to me, I’ll often get a free sample and read the chapters offered. If I find it interesting, I’ll go ahead and buy it. No matter what though, I’ll always leave a review to the author. It’s the least I can do.

20- How will you measure your publishing performance?

I don’t. I’m not an author who runs off and checks sales and reviews everyday. Nowadays, it’s great to have a best-seller! However, authors who attend live events who don’t get the same number of reviews or feedback because sometimes life just gets busy and folks forget but still get sales who bond with their readers are still best sellers. I will always tell anyone and this is from personal experience - Numbers do NOT matter. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have on Instagram, Twitter, etc. What matters is who sees your work and when they see it. It is why I am an advocate for offline marketing. With the black hole that is social media, it is easy to get lost and let’s face it. No one goes to your store while browsing through twitter. Most of the time they’re not in a position to. If I have one fan who comes back time and again, I’ve succeeded. That being said, authors love book sales, who doesn’t? But how much work you put into marketing your book with often reflect itself.

21- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

I decided to self-publish because I had a really bad experience with traditional publishing. I also like to keep control of the process and the revenue. It gives me the feel of putting in more input than a traditional publisher. True it is a ton of work but in the end I think I’ve benefited more. As a mom of two young children, I feel it gives them an example to see me doing my own work. It proves that hard work is what makes success. If this experience has done anything, I would want it to show a good model of “leading forward”.

22- What's the best book marketing strategy you've come across?

Live events. I have seen more growth in my email list, getting interviews, exposure, etc just from the few events I’ve experienced this year. I’ve networked with some amazing people and learned more from other authors than I feel I could online. It’s what pushed me into a movement of “Budgeting Social Media; Invest in Live Events”. Our readers are not behind a laptop, they’re out there working at Cracker Barrel, attending All-con, going to Book Festivals and asking questions at libraries. Don’t get me wrong. Social media is amazing for keeping in contact but it should never be used as a primary marketing tool. Reaching out and touching, even in email is worth more than just posting Amazon links on Facebook.

23- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

I don’t really have any one question in particular. They’re welcome to ask or comment on what they want. I love to get quizzed. Heck I’m a pretty open book and look forward to any question. Ask me please!

24- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

I would like to express my thanks to you for interviewing me and asking the questions you did. They were all important in my own personal growth as an author.

Bio:

FyreSyde Publishing owner and founder Blaise Ramsay worked over fifteen years in the graphic design industry, with some experience in indie gaming. Recently she shifted her attention to the world of literature with her debut paranormal romance series, Wolf gods.The debut title, Blessing of Luna is set to release in 2018. She currently lives in North Texas with her two children, her husband and pets. A UTD graduate with a Bachelor's in History with an intention on teaching, Blaise decided that the world of teaching just wasn't for her. A stay at home mother of two, business owner and self-publisher, Blaise loves to meet new people and encourage others to follow their dreams through weekly posts to her instagram, twitter, facebook and blog. Feel free to contact Blaise for an author interview, guest blog opportunities and book reviews. Visit our affiliates' page for a chance to see how you can get a hold on some of the books we have reviewed.

Links:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram

Blessing of Luna on Amazon

Blessing of Luna Sample Chapters on Wattpad

Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) by Blaise Ramsay

a-to-zchallenge.com

I is for Inspiration #AtoZChallenge

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is... 

OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

I is for inspiration! The very first "writing inspiration" quote that I ever wrote down is from Pearl S. Buck:

"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work."

At the time I discovered this quote, I was having a hard time finding the desire to write, and these words helped me move past that and make myself write even when I didn't want to. That's changed my life as a writer.

Operation Awesome has some inspiration resources under our Resources for Writers tab. Check them out here!

What are your favorite sources of writing inspiration? Share in the comments!

H is for Having Goals #AtoZChallenge

It's been more than a month since I wrote my first post for Operation Awesome!

This is important to note simply because that first post was about my writing goal for the year: to garner 100 rejections in 2018.

At the time, I had received three (3) rejections.

As of today, I've received four (4).

This is not, as one may be inclined to hopefully assume, because everything I've submitted has been accepted. Ha! I really wish. I've also only gotten about four acceptances for articles and one poem.

The reason my rejection rate is so low is simple: I haven't been submitting. I haven't been pitching. I for sure haven't been querying! No one has had any reason to reject me, therefore, I have not been rejected.

This is not a win, my friends. I know that for me at least there can be this idea that if I'm not being rejected, that's a win, but the truth is, in this industry? It goes nothing < rejection < acceptance.

In other words, if you're not getting rejected it means you're not trying. [And by "rejection," yes, I know so often publishers and editors don't send actual rejections, so 100 percent, if someone ignores you, that's a rejection and it counts.]

There's a lot of reasons for why I haven't been writing, pitching, and getting rejected as much as I'd wanted to. For one, there's the fact that life never turns out the way I plan it in my calendar. Every night, I go ahead and schedule "to-dos" for the next day, giving myself 30-minute blocks of time to work on a task, and then 10 minutes in-between tasks. On paper, I can be super productive. In reality, I sleep in, spend too much time on Twitter, don't feel like completing a certain task, watching "Friends" instead... I am human, and I cannot be productive 100 percent of the time.

I'm learning that that's okay! So I've scheduled in break times! Ha, yes, I literally put "watch Friends" or "watch YouTube videos" on my schedule. It makes me feel good.

Of course, the biggest reason ties into my post last week: I've had a bad year for mental health. It's been insanely rough. I haven't sat down to draft my novel in almost two months. I've barely written a word of an essay. It's all I can do to manage these weekly posts. Which, I'm super glad I have to do, because writing is how I survive.

I have a goal. Having a goal is the first step! I'm halfway there. It's just that the step from "having" a goal to "acting upon" said goal and then finally "achieving" your goal is yawningly wide.

I'm hoping that being open and public about what I want and how I'm struggling to achieve it will help. You know, public accountability and all that.

Hopefully by this time next week, I'll have a new rejection to chat about, or at least will be able to rave about all the work I got done. <3

G is for German Boarding School: An Interview with OA Blogger Karis Rogerson #AtoZChallenge

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is...OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

Hey y'all, I'm Karis! I'm a writer and blogger with a passion for touching on topics like mental health, relationships, and of course, books! I'm the newest Operation Awesome blogger and I'm going to be focusing on writing through mental illness. BUT, I got chosen for the "G" day because I did high school at a boarding school in Germany — more on that later. Hope you enjoy this short interview :)


1- What's your passion in life?

Ha! Honestly? My passion is writing. Not just the act of sharing words and telling stories, but the writing itself. Something about it is so soothing to me, and it is the way I process the world. It's also, in a weird way, an outlet for me to externally process things. See, I'm a pretty extreme extrovert, and one of the ways that manifests is by processing things with others. I can't always think well if I'm talking aloud, so I process by writing...and then I immediately share that writing with others! It starts by sending it to a few friends, whom I trust not just with my emotions but with my writing, who will tell me whether it's something worth publishing.

I also write because I have this deep-seated need to be known. I want to be a part of the world, full-fledged, fully committed, ride-or-die with the rest of humanity. Writing is how I do that.


2- Would you share a picture with us of your German boarding school adventures?

Alright, I just went on a deep-dive exploration mission through my old Facebook photo albums and...now I'm so nostalgic. There is no ONE photo that encapsulates those three years. So I chose two! Ha!

This is the view from my dorm during a winter snowstorm. The school was located in the Black Forest, and my dorm was in a small town called Marzell, the furthest from the central school and the one highest up the mountain.







And this is just a pretty accurate representation of the person I was in high school, ha!


Yeah.


I don't even know.


3- What are three of your short-term goals?

1. Finish the rewrite of ALLIE MAE DOESN'T GET THE GUY. It's my fourth novel and I have a feeling it could be the agent-getting one, especially thanks to the incredible work of my critique partners (shout-out to Jaime!) 
2. Write an essay and get it published at a new website. My dream sites are Catapult.com, Buzzfeed.com and Narratively.com. 
3. Get caught up on my reading! I read and write profiles of YA authors, and I am a solid month behind on my ARCs (advance review/reading copies) of books! Ack! 

4- What tip can you share to improve someone's writing craft?


Oh gosh this is hard! Honestly? Have the courage to have it read. Not by the world, but at least by a trusted friend who knows good writing. Their advice will be invaluable.


5- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

I would absolutely love to know what is the coolest place you've visited, AND where is your dream location for a writing retreat!


— Karis Rogerson is a 20-something writer, reader and TV-binge-watcher who belongs in New York City. She's sure of this, now to convince everyone else... She's American, Canadian, pseudo-Italian, slightly German, auburn, and obsessed with all things Olivia Benson and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Someday, she hopes you'll read her contemporary YA novels about teen girls in New York City, falling in and out of love and making a mess of things. You can find her online! Follow her on social or check out her blog:


Facebook: Karis Rogerson

Twitter: @KarisRogerson

Instagram: @karisselizabeth

Website: www.karisrogerson.com

Portfolio: Contently

Newsletter: Kaleidoscope by Karis

F is for First: #QueryFriday #AtoZchallenge

Friday is here again, and that means you have the opportunity to win a query critique! But we'll be shaking it up today: To correlate with F for the A to Z challenge, the FIRST person to comment on this post will be the winner (don't forget to also comment on another post from this week). Also, please note, that if you do not leave your email address in your comment, do not have it listed on your Blogger profile (or somewhere that I can find it easily on your own blog), I will then pick someone else as the winner. The rest of the rules can be found here.

Good luck, and have a great weekend!

E is for Essentials: Dear OAbby: Are Non-Fiction Credentials Relevant in a Fiction Query? #AtoZChallenge

Dear OAbby is a new feature on Operation Awesome where we answer your questions! It's an advice column by writers, for writers, chock-full of information about writing, querying, the publication process, etc. If you have a question you'd like answered, just send it to operationawesome6@gmail.com. All questions may be edited for clarity and/or space, and will be posted anonymously, with no identifying information.

Dear OAbby,

I've written two nonfiction books (both traditionally published), with a third on the way. If I'm querying a novel now, how helpful is it to include in the bio paragraph that I'm a soon-to-be three-time published author in an unrelated field?

Sincerely,
The Bio Blues


Dear Bio Blues,

Certainly, your non-fiction publishing background can be used to show a potential agent or editor that you've got writing chops. If you're including a bio paragraph, it's not a bad idea to include this information. If those books are (as you say) in an unrelated field, then it's not necessary to go into detail. Just say you've traditionally published three non-fiction books, and leave it at that. Of course, if your non-fiction books are related to your novel, then you can explain that in a little more detail (for example, if you're a professor of archaeology and your novel features an archaeologist).

Remember, though, the query needs to focus on the essentials. This means explaining what your book is about, and including basic information such as the title, the genre, the word count, and, if you're writing for children, the age group. To the extent including a bio distracts from this essential information about your novel, feel free to leave it out. An agent wants to know what your book is about, first and foremost.  

Focus on the essentials, and happy querying!

Thanks for sharing,
Dear OAbby

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is... 

OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

D is for Dawn Davies in this Debut Author Spotlight #AtoZchallenge

Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces by Dawn Davies

1- The Pushcart Prize, the most honored literary project in America, gave you a Special Mention. That's amazing! Were you aware you were nominated?

I did not know that I had been nominated for a Pushcart Special Mention! Someone on social media told me by taking a photo of the special mention section in the book and posting it. Sometimes editors of journals, who are the ones to nominate works for the prize, will tell you that they nominate you, and sometimes they don’t. I don’t recall knowing if Brain, Child Magazine nominated me (they may have!). I’ve gotten several nominations, and although I am extremely grateful for them, I don’t hold my breath. It was a surprise when I found out, which I think made it more fun!

2- What five words represent your most notable characteristic or values? #In5Words

Introspective, loyal, intuitive, nesty, funny

3- What ignited your passion for writing?

I was a serious, early reader, and reading has always been one of my favorite things to do. I’m talking tote bags of books from the local library as a kid. I ate my way through the library. I started thinking about the decisions writers made when I was in high school, though I am certain I was not aware that I was thinking of “craft.” I just started copying the writers I liked, to see if I could capture some element of these writers’ styles that others would notice. I would turn in papers in “the style of Kurt Vonnegut,” or “the style of Douglas Adams.” Thinking this way helped me to “prime the pump” so to speak, and from that point, I continued thinking about craft until I started to explore what my own style would be, probably around age 19 or 20. That’s when I started writing a lot of really bad stuff.

4- How did you come up with the title "Mothers of Sparta"?

I like history, especially war/battle history, though not in a romantic way. I think war is atrocious, but I am fascinated by war psychology, the regular guy who goes to fight, and military logistics. I really like logistics. I became fascinated with the Battle of Thermopylae as a kid. The ridiculous odds, the fact that they ferociously fought anyway, defending their land while knowing that they were going to perish. That battle is a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds, and the feeling I get when I think about it is how I felt when I was writing “Mothers of Sparta” the essay, which is the title piece of my book. The essay is about parenting a special needs child without any real help from schools, doctors, or the community. It feels like a battle that I am not sure I will ever win, though I refuse to stop fighting.

5- When you're "growing your hair and chopping it off," do you ever donate it charity (such as Locks of Love)?

I wish I did! My friend has a hair factory on top of her head and she seems to do it every year. I am so fickle with my hair that I usually end up buzzing it with clippers, then growing it for two years, but since my hair is very curly, I always wear it layered and I can’t ever seem to get 10” that they need. They also don’t like my henna conditioner that I use, as it lightly dyes my hair a red you can’t color over.

6- Would you share a picture with us of your book in popular Florida place?


Hollywood Beach

7- What are some of your short and long term writing goals?

Short-term goals: finishing a few final edits of my first novel so my agent can sell my next book!
Long-term goals: finishing my three-book detective series about a single mother of three kids who falls into private investigation. Also, to finish my second collection of essays, which is about half done, but essays need to simmer. I can’t just bang those out. They give themselves to me when they are ready, so they take longer than fiction to write.

8- What are your favorite books by Julie Marie Wade and John Dufresne, and what do you love most about those books?

I love all Julie Marie Wade’s and John Dufresne’s books, so picking a favorite is difficult. I think Wishbone and When I Was Straight are beautiful and I hope everyone who reads this will read those. Julie is a remarkable, unique writer. Her lens is like no one else’s, and she is also so lyrical and lovely with her language.
I read John’s Love Warps the Mind a Little when I was a teen and I sobbed at the end and wasn’t the same after. John makes you forget you are you when you read, and it’s rare to get that kind of escape. It might be one of the first books that made me want to be a writer, too. John made me feel so much, and I wanted to do that for readers, too.



9- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?

I don’t know about fans, but I have a good reader, Pamela Klinger-Horn, who read an ARC of Mothers of Sparta, and became my Twitter champion and sung the praises of my book to anyone who would listen. She is influential in the independent bookstore world, which was wonderful, because people listened. Her kindness came during a time when I had no confidence in how my book would be received, so it was touching. I’ll never forget that she did that for me, and we have since become friends. She is a lovely person. I think what she likes is that my book is relatable and she could identify with it.

10- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?

I’m all about the bittersweet. I think life is both lovely and horrifying, thrilling and mind-numbing, hilarious and heartbreaking. When I think of how life works, I can see and feel both, so I like to capture that. It’s why I write humor essays about excruciatingly painful events, like kidney stones. It’s why I write about a failing marriage, which is incredibly sad and tragic, with more than just melodrama and pathos. It’s why I write about the pain of kids growing up and leaving their parents (a success story, really, though sad to leave that life behind when it is over) with as much humor as I can stand. Because the essays are stand-alone pieces, I hope there is something in each of them that resonates with readers.

11- What most helped you to improve your writing craft?

I should say grad school, because that helped, but I think if I hadn’t read so many books and copied my favorite writers using little writing exercises I gave myself, I would have been far behind where I started out in grad school. I am a believer in re-reading. I would read a writer’s entire works chronologically, then start over and read them again, seeing if I could identify what gave them their unique fingerprint, to speak, and how they developed as writers. I recall doing this with John Irving, Evelyn Waugh, Barbara Kingsolver, Richard Ford, and many others. Identifying these elements allowed me to think of writing craft for many years before I started writing myself, so by the time I did it seriously in adulthood, I think I had a bit of a head start.

12- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?

Since Mothers of Sparta is a memoir, real people had to become characters, which is weird. The character of the narrator (myself) needed to become a persona before I could put her out into the world. I think the narrator’s insight, which is quirky and often unexpected, is what readers respond to. I deliberately do not mention many visual characteristics of characters in my book.

13- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? https://diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

The characters in my book (my family) are “diverse” in the way that any group of people can be diverse. Not all of us are heterosexual, not all are white, some of us have disabilities, at least one of us has OCD (me!) and chronic medical issues (me again). I don’t write about anyone in this book using a label, except for my son who has autism, as the autism is part of the subject of the essay, so I used it.

14- Does your book hold a mirror up to society, and in what way?

I think my book holds a mirror up to society. As a memoir, it is largely a story by a regular person about regular people. I hope my feelings, insights, and actions are not different than anyone else who might be reading the book. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I have success. Sometimes I’m afraid. Sometimes I misunderstand things. I have regrets, I have simple joys. I’m no different than my readers, I like to think.

15- Can you think of any small change in the world you could make to benefit hundreds of other authors or readers potentially?

I like to do things for others. I am actually planning a series of YouTube videos on creative writing, with topics of interest to people who are trying to get their first publications. Stay tuned for that!

16- As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

I am not the must vigorous consumer of new work, unfortunately, as I tend to go down the author rabbit hole by reading the writers that writers I like read. Sometimes these lists include new work, and sometimes it contains list of previously published writers I have not yet gotten to. I get a lot of my reading material from biographies and interviews, actually. I am also not a picky reader, so I tend to read whatever falls into my hands. Sometimes it’s Dostoyevsky. Sometimes it’s a detective pulp.

17- How will you measure your publishing performance?

This is going to sound bad, but I plan on measuring my publishing performance in three ways: if publishers will publish my future work, if I make any award lists, and if readers end up happy that they spent their time reading me. Making my readers happy is the most important thing to me. I don’t write for myself. I write because I have been moved by reading, and I want to do for people what other writers have done for me.

18- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

I told myself I would “try” traditional publishing, but as an unknown memoirist with no public platform, I doubted that it would happen. Fortunately, I got an agent quickly and she sold my manuscript quickly, so traditional publishing became my path for this book. I respect both small presses and self-published states of matter, though. I can see doing either (or both!) at some point.

19- What's the best book marketing strategy you've come across?

I learned that the author needs to contribute to the marketing process, even if s/he has a traditional publisher and a publicist. Authors don’t always get book tours, and it’s the nature of the beast for the publisher to sort of let you flutter to the ground after launch, as they have a publishing schedule with more new releases coming down the pike and you won’t always be the flavor of the month. I don’t know anything about marketing, but I care about my readers, and I care about connecting with them. I can tell when an author doesn’t care about me, but instead simply wants me to buy their book. It always feels a little forced and I don’t like that. I hope to always put my relationship with my readers before the sales of my book.

20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Blurb: “Mothers of Sparta is a superbly written book, at times gently poetic, at times devastating. I was spellbound from start to finish.” Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried.

Blurb 2: “I don’t remember crying that hard since I watched Bridges of Madison County.” Megyn Kelly, on Megyn Kelly Today.

Bio: Dawn Davies is the author of Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces. Mothers of Sparta has been an Indies Introduces Title, and was an Indies Next List in February, 2018. Her essays and stories have been Pushcart Special Mentions, and finalists for The Best American Essays. Her work can be found in The Missouri Review, Arts & Letters, Fourth Genre, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere, as well as various anthologies. She has also appeared on Megyn Kelly Today

Social:
twitter: @dawnlandia
Instagram: @dawnlandia
Website: https://dawndaviesbooks.com
Facebook author page: facebook.com/writerdawndavies



Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces by Dawn Davies

a-to-zchallenge.com

C is for Camp NaNoWriMo #AtoZChallenge

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is... 

OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

C is for Camp NaNoWriMo, a writing event I look forward to twice a year! While I love regular NaNoWriMo, it's actually quite difficult to serve as a Municipal Liaison and write 50K words in a month. But during Camp NaNo, I get to sit back, set my own goals, and stretch myself a little. It happens every April and July, and there's still time to sign up this month if you want to join! I highly recommend it.

My goal this month is to finish the first draft of my WIP and begin revising it. I'm so close! I think the added push of Camp will help me devote more time to this book. My husband is defending his master's thesis this month, and I'm helping put on a major fundraiser for my kids' school. It would be easy to take this month off from writing. With Camp NaNo's help, I'm hoping to keep my head in the writing game.

Are you doing Camp NaNo this month? What are your writing goals?

B is for Besting Bipolar Blues #AtoZChallenge

Oy, what a weekend.

Hey, y'all, and welcome to April! It's snowing here in New York. What a world we live in. Because it's April, here at OA we're participating in the #AtoZChallenge, where each day we post on a theme relating to a certain letter of the alphabet!

Now that the intro is out of the way, I'm here to talk about, you guessed it, mental illness and writing. The title is about "besting" the blues of bipolar disorder, which it's a good possibility I have but no doctor has ever fully diagnosed me and stuck with it (long story), but really this post is an exploration of how to do that.

Because I'll be honest with y'all: I haven't done such a great job at besting bipolar blues lately. I've sunk into and embraced them. I have barely written, except to work on two pieces related to THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER, which is a moving book about grief that's tearing me apart.

As for my novel, or poems, or the essays I'm trying to submit for my 100 Rejection Challenge? Nah, brah. Haven't touched them in ages.

It's 100 percent because I've sunk into a terrible depressive episode. So bad, that this weekend I walked around midtown Manhattan in such a funk I didn't even have the energy to pick my feet up. I literally dragged them after me. I won't go into all the gory details of my state, but rest assured, it isn't great.

And I've had a hard time beating it back in order to be productive. Which sucks, because one of the things I was going to write about for OA was how to write with depression. And here I am, abjectly failing at writing through depression.

Except.

Except maybe I need to reevaluate failure. See, all this time I've thought of failure as any inability to produce. I've thought success was being active, productive, and seeing results from my work.

But maybe failure isn't as all-consuming and omnipresent as I've thought all these years. I'm so quick to jump on anything as a "failure," but maybe the only failure is the absence of existence.

Let's put it more bluntly: maybe I'm not failing at being a writer with depression as long as I'm breathing. I may not be writing every day; may not have cracked open my WIP in more than a month; may not have an agent, or an editor, or a book deal; but I am still alive, and therefore I am still dreaming. I am still plotting. I am still aching.

And I'm still writing something. This blog post is a thing. The article I have coming out tomorrow is a written thing. The ones I'm writing about THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER, as depressing and morbid as they may be, are written things.

People always say success looks differently than you expect. But maybe failure does, too.

Maybe the only way to fail is to fully give up. And I haven't done that yet. So, in a way...I am besting my bipolar blues.

A is for A to Z Challenge Co-host: An Interview with OA Blogger J Lenni Dorner #AtoZChallenge

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is... 

OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

Thanks for interviewing me, Jaime!

Hello, readers. I'm speculative fiction and reference author, J Lenni Dorner. Here at Operation Awesome, I'm the Debut Author Interviewer. I'm also a co-host and the team captain over at the Blogging from A to Z Challenge - which is how I tie myself to the letter A.



1- What's your passion in life?

Writing is my biggest passion in life. That's how I connect with the world. I'm also passionate about the environment, especially the forests. As a Native American, I was raised to have love and respect for nature, to be at one with it. That's harder, but not impossible, in today's modern world. (It is also how I got the nickname, "Daryl Dixon.") The Lenni-Lenape tribe I grew up with taught me about gender equality, which is why the #HeForShe movement is another passion of mine. (Where people of every gender identity and expression acknowledge the ways that we all benefit from equality.) I also support We Need Diverse Books.

2- Would you share a picture with us of your latest book?

There's my book, Fractions of Existence, outside in a tree. In honor of the A to Z Challenge, the Kindle version is on sale right now for a limited time. (Amazon link)

3- What are three of your short-term goals?

• Leave comments on 300 of the blogs taking part in the A to Z Challenge 2018.
• Vote in every round over at WRiTECLUB. #WRiTECLUBDFW 
• Find more Debut Authors to interview.

4- What tip can you share to improve someone's writing craft?

Did you know that you can often cut that from a sentence without changing the meaning of that sentence?
You can cut a sentence without changing the meaning.

Other words to seek out are begin and began (meaning start). Watch the progression in this example:

• I begin to eat an apple.  
• I eat an apple. 
• I bite through the vibrant green flesh of a Granny Smith apple. The tart juice sprays over my lips and into my nose. I can't even eat a piece of fruit without needing a napkin! Joel was right, I am hopeless as a human being.

• I began to eat an apple.
• As I lifted the Honeycrisp apple to my lips, Godzilla busted through my kitchen wall, knocking the apple to the floor.

When we talk about editing word by word and line by line, this is what we mean. The Grammarly extension is fantastic for finding errors, but the job of strengthening sentences with valuable descriptions still belongs to the writer. Beginning or starting to do an action offers nothing to the reader. As the Nike slogan says, "Just Do It." Or, if your character is beginning an action that isn't going to be completed, quickly segway into why.

5- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

Stephen Hawking's final paper is on the theory of the multiverse. (A theory which suggests different versions of our universe existing in parallel with each other, yet each one different in some way. A version of Earth without environmental trouble, for example.)

Do you believe it's possible that parallel universes, the multiverse (or Omniverse), exists? And why or why not?

( 😉 By the way: According to the theory, there's a multiverse version of you with an opposing point of view. 😄 )

While embracing the ancient tribal traditions, J Lenni Dorner learned a legend originated by The Grandfathers. (The Existence book series is based on it.) In May 2016, J became a member of the Operation Awesome Team, running the Debut Author Spotlight on Wednesdays. Blogging from A to Z #AtoZchallenge co-host as of 2017. J weaves fantasy with lore to unhinge your mind. This speculative fiction and reference author is happily married and living in Pennsylvania (USA) on the original lands of the Lenni-Lenape people. When not reading or writing, J enjoys video games, funny cat videos, finding drawings of dragons on Pinterest, and watching movies.

Website: what-are-they.com
Blog: jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
Twitter: @JLenniDorner
Facebook: facebook.com/WhatAreThey
Pinterest: pinterest.com/jlennidorner
Instagram: instagram.com/jlennidorner
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/j-lenni-dorner
Goodreads: goodreads.com/J_Lenni_Dorner