So...what does this have to do with anything? Well, in truth, not much, except that I've noticed how manga authors jot notes down along a page here or there. They talk about what they like, their stories, their tools, and at times they have nothing to say or don't know what to say. So they talk about that.
That's where I found myself. Wanting to blog, but not really having a topic to blog about. Anyone who knows me knows that I can talk on and on about absolutely nothing of consequence, and that a plethora of useless knowledge sits inside my head. Each informational tidbit just waits for its turn to see the world, because each one knows, that eventually, my mouth is going to open and say something. Anything. Even if it's nothing. Do I have some random, useless tidbit to unleash here...um...no. Not today.
In thinking about writing about nothing, I started to think about something. This pops into my head from time to time, and has been happening with more frequency lately because I know I'm getting to the point where I can't keep putting it off. I need a query letter and a synopsis for my manuscript.
Now...I have one of both already, actually. I've just never been very happy with either, and the former has had many, many incarnations. In fact, one of them even earned me a request for a partial (yay! my heart sang!), but the manuscript was only a few months old at that time and was in no shape to be seen by agent eyes.
But years have passed since then and every single time I read my manuscript, I make changes. I follow agent and author blogs, I've read posts at writing forums, I've done research into the publishing world. Most importantly, I've honed my grammar skills and made my writing better. (Whether or not this blog reveals those skills, I have no idea...maybe not...
Query letter. Synopsis.
Egad, Batman! How can I possibly convey the tone of the story and my writing style in a one page synopsis of a story that follows three main characters? Their lives intertwine, intersect, and crosscut, with each connection making a permanent change somewhere on one (or sometimes more) of their lives. They are the moving force within the story, the device without which the plot cannot operate, and each is different. They form three parts of one story that must ultimately hinge somewhere or else the plot would fall apart. These characters have their own back stories, flaws, strengths, downfalls, and emotions, and they form the foundation for everything that happens - even beyond the external components and the external force that compels the plot to exist in the first place.
I'm certainly not saying that I'm the only author procrastinating or that my story is too complex to summarize. The fault rests with my inability to pick apart what's most important, focus on that, and let the rest fall into place. Sometimes, talking to myself here helps...so that's I'm going to do. Welcome to my blog-brainstorm. No thunder and lightning, I promise.
I have my female lead, a young woman who unknowingly spent her entire life living in a protective bubble who must realize that the world around her has never actually existed as her eyes saw it. She begins the story feeling dreadful and anxious, and yet when more turmoil stirs up her reality, she is calm and at peace. She is mysterious and doesn't experience the emotional upheaval we would expect her to feel.
Then there is the male in the hero role, a man who has strength, power, and a will to protect, but is forced to recognize that he does not always have control and that failure can never be put off forever. Hope and revenge lurk equally in his heart, and as the story progresses, he must decide if he will choose love or hate, and then he must accept the consequences of that decision.
And finally, my villain - or at least, the male in the villain's role, a restless force of violence and lust that has been pursuing the hero for more than a century. These two men share a bond by blood, but for this one, that is not enough, and he has craved to wield his power and status over the hero to force him into submission for a long time. Alas, this one must realize that his power can only reach so far, and that the meekest of lambs can tame the fiercest of lions.
She is a feather, floating on rough and still waters alike, content to just be with her constant companion.
He is the ocean, carrying the feather, but unable to protect it from the world's wrath or stop his forward momentum as he pulled across the Earth's surface by the moon's gravity.
He is the moon, the all seeing guardian of night who controls the tides, and with them, the seasons, the weather, and life in general - no one and nothing can escape his grasp.
And yet, beyond them, there is an ever expanding universe with an agenda of its own. To the Universe, a feather, the ocean, and the moon, and their interactions with each other, no matter how pleasurable or how excruciating they may be, are insignificant. The Universe can change everything in an instant. And that is the way of the external force that drives the plot. There is a bigger picture, and it's not until the very end that it comes into focus.
Sometimes I wish it was as easy as Jack and Jill went up a hill. They had just one purpose - to get a pail of water. Who would have thought doing such a thing would have such dire consequences?
I like my story. That's a good thing, I'm sure. And I'm not the only one who likes it. Incidentally, everyone who has read it has had different things to say, but every single one reached a point where they thought to themselves, "Oh my God, I'm going to kill her!"
Hopefully, when I sit down to rewrite my query letter and get serious about the agent hunt again, I can look back at this post for some inspiration. Thanks for bearing with me. And thank you manga authors for your awesome stories and personal notes! ^_^
