The HEA Cafe

Premise: According to Webster’s–a previous statement or assertion that serves as the basis for an argument

Now I don’t want you arguing with an editor! But I use the term premise but someone else might use, blurb. Either way it includes: the basic components: hero, heroine, setting–internal, external, romantic conflicts–and ends with story question(s)

When you choose a book in a store, you look at the cover, turn it over and read the back cover blurb and then open the book and read the first paragraph. But the editor you’ve submitted to doesn’t have cover art or back cover blurb, so they go right to the first page ABSOLUTELY COLD—no direction, no idea of what type of story or where it might be heading.

So it’s inadvisable to include your own cover art, but including two paragraphs on the basics of the story to orient the editor is a good idea.

Here’s the first page of my synopsis for DANGEROUS SEASON, out April 2007
 

Harbor Intrigue Series
Synopsis of Book One, Dangerous Season
By Lyn Cote
Bible Verse:  “Be angry and sin not…” Ephesians 4:26
“Speak the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15
Premise:
Keir Harding, at thirty-five, finally achieves his lifelong goal.  Last fall, he’d been narrowly elected county sheriff in his hometown of Winfield, WI.  After his “wild” teen years, Keir has spent the last eighteen years working his way up the ladder from rookie, to deputy sheriff and now sheriff.  Then a rash of mean-spirited booby traps endangers the community and its tourist trade.  One man still doubts Keir was the man for the job and will use these crimes try to sway others against Keir. 
Audra Blair, a twenty-six-year old single mother, launches her own cafe, her first step toward financial independence for her and her six-year-old daughter, Evie.  As Winfield deals with the increasingly expensive and dangerous vandalism, Audra and Keir find themselves drawn more and more together.  But self-doubt and old grudges work to push them apart.  Can Keir with Audra’s help discover who is damaging property and endangering lives before someone they both love gets maimed or killed?
 

FINAL EXERCISE:Go through the excerpt above and mark the setting, the hero and heroine and their descriptions, the internal and external conflicts and the story question. Then write your own theme and premise or blurb for your manuscript—2 paragraphs ONLY. Again, post yours and ask for comments. I’ll skim and choose one.

Today is the last day of this class. But since it’s a long holiday weekend, I will stop back by on Tuesday and tie things up. Drop by Tuesday and perhaps you could win a copy of Dangerous Season and that copy of A NOVEL APPROACH. 

Also I have an egroup for readers and writers. Drop by my website and  join it. I send out monthly messages with material for both readers and writers. Happy Writing!
 

Suggested Resources:
 

Dwight Swain’s TECHNIQUES OF A SELLING WRITER

Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY

James Scott Bell’s PLOT AND STRUCTURE

Tami Cowden’s HERO AND HEROINE ARCHETYPES

Online Workshops by Margie Lawson, PhD—Empowering Character Emotion, EDITS revision system

Kathy Jacobsen’s A NOVEL APPROACH (Conflict Grid, etc.)

www.kathyjacobsen.com $25 for PDF file (220 pages) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HEA (Happily Ever After) Café for archived lessons on query, synopsis and beginnings and more!  www.rwaonlinechapter.org/pubbedauthors

Lyn Cote

www.LynCote.net