When Do You Write Your Synopsis?

Writers talk a lot about the synopsis and how to write it. Most recently we at Chiseled in Rock published The Dreaded Synopsis by Terry Wright and Synopsis: A Perfect Fit by Janet Lane.

I have written seven novels. One was published only in audio. Two were published in hardcover, mass market paperback, and e-book. One manuscript needs a major rewrite and is probably destined to sit on a shelf forever. The other three are in various stages of writing, submission, and/or revision.

I'm a pantser, a binge writer, and I do not edit or revise as I go. Not necessarily desirable, but I've learned to deal with it. It took awhile, but over the years, I developed a synopsis-writing process that works for me. Here 'tis:

Before I begin the real writing of a novel, I use my basic idea to churn out a narrative outline. It's not a chapter outline or even a chapter-by-chapter plan, but I end up with a vague idea of my story line and characters.

Over the next few days (or in one case, years) I write and write and write until I finally have 65,000 to 70,000 words with somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 words to go.

I stop writing and read through the novel from page one, writing a chapter-by-chapter summary as I go.

At that point, I plan the remaining chapters of my novel and include them in the summary. This is where I also jot down notes regarding needed revisions.

Then I write, write, write until I've finished the first draft of the novel.

When I move into the revision stage, I change the chapter summary as I change the novel.

When I finish the book, I also have a completed long, detailed synopsis. Agents and editors don't have a uniform standard for the synopses they request with queries or initial submissions, so it's wise to go ahead and prepare a couple of shorter versions, including a one-page, single-spaced summary. They typically require a lot of rewriting as I pare the story down to its bare bones. I don't want to be caught churning out a variation at the last minute.

So when do I write my synopsis? I begin when I'm about 80% of the way through my novel's first draft and I continue revising it as I revise the manuscript. The shorter versions are crafted from the completed long synopsis.

Now it's your turn. When do you write your synopsis?

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By Patricia Stoltey, who is currently in the process of creating that first draft synopsis from a first draft manuscript that is about 80% complete.

Where Do You Go for a Writers Retreat?

This year for the first time, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is holding a writers’ retreat (Sept. 22-26) immediately following the Colorado Gold Conference (Sept. 20-22). The retreat will be at Table Mountain Inn in Golden, Colorado. Follow the link above for more information (and a lot of information has already been posted). Then watch the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers website as well as this blog for a heads-up when registration opens.

The attendance will be capped at 30 participants, so we thought a great feature for the 2013 Chiseled in Rock would include other locations in Colorado for groups or individuals to hide out for a few days to get that manuscript finished, or polished, or even focus on the always fun synopsis and query letters.

The Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch Wagon Wheel bunkhouse next to the Big Thompson River

Today’s perfect retreat location is Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch near Loveland, Colorado (on CO 34 between Loveland and Estes Park). Owned by David M. Jessup and his sister, Susan, the 3,000 plus acre ranch features a bunkhouse with kitchen and common areas for large groups, and individual cabins for smaller groups or individuals. The ranch is the home of the Northern Colorado Writers retreat for members held each fall.

Sylvan Dale is as beautiful in winter as it is in summer

Group retreats get the advantage of breakfasts and main meals in the dining room (and I can attest to the fact that the food is excellent), while others opt for the bed and breakfast option, or simple cabin rental with a kitchen for preparing their own meals.

Some of the rooms in the bunkhouse have desks and a view of the river

And if you need a break from your writing project, try fly fishing on the river that flows past the bunkhouse, horseback riding, hiking, and more.

 The cabins are charming and quiet, perfect for two or three writers

When available, Sylvan Dale has grass-fed beef for sale. For more information, visit the Sylvan Dale website and blog, as well as the Beef, Books and Boots (ranch stories) blog.

 The main building houses meeting rooms above and the dining room below

One of the most interesting things about Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch? Co-owner David M. Jessup is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and his recently released historical novel, Mariano’s Crossing, won first place for mainstream, character-driven fiction in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Contest. It was also selected as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Contest and the Santa Fe Writers Project. I’ll be reviewing Mariano’s Crossing right here on Chiseled in Rock next Tuesday.

Where would you choose to go for a writers' retreat in your part of the state (or country if you don't live in Colorado)?

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Posted by Patricia Stoltey, author of the Sylvia and Willie mysteries The Prairie Grass Murders and The Desert Hedge Murders (now available for Kindle and Nook), who gets more writing done in one weekend at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch than she does in two weeks at home.

Planning for 2013: Procrastination is Still My Middle Name

I published the first version of this blog post for Chiseled in Rock December 28, 2010. I am a master at pouring  my own good intentions down the drain with the dregs of my morning coffee..

I did complete one first suspense novel draft in 2012 and finished revising the other suspense novel I wrote in 2011, so I'm not a total loser. Overall, however, I wrote blog posts, blog-hopped, blog-challenged, e-mailed, wrote Facebook status updates, tweeted, surfed the Internet, gardened, traveled, and played more than I wrote.

Time management seems like a common sense issue. Doesn't it? Yet, here I am, enjoying another innovative way to procrastinate:

Yes, I take my Katie Cat outside on a harness and leash and she walks me around the yard as she searches for grasshoppers, smells the lavender, and tries to dig up the seedlings in my garden.

Truth is, I have no intention of giving up fun, but I hope to get a lot more writing done over the next five years. My plan is pretty simple, and no different from the one I posted here two years ago:

1. Focus on long-term goals.
2. Set reasonable weekly and daily benchmarks.
3. Keep track.
4. Adjust benchmarks as needed.
5. Don't sweat the small stuff.

In addition to my regular calendar, I have the 2013 writing planner from Northern Colorado Writers (designed by Kerrie Flanagan and illustrated by April J. Moore) dedicated to goals and deadlines for writing new stuff, revising old stuff, queries and submissions, and de-stressing (also known as exercise). Keeping word counts worked for me in the past, so I'm adding that technique back to my plan.

If procrastination is also your middle name, and you need to rethink the way you spend your time, read a few of the articles in the archives at Leo Babauta's zenhabits.

There are several helpful posts at Fuel Your Writing, including 7 Writing Distractions I'm Kissing Goodbye by Suzannah Freeman and After the Break: How to Get Writing Again by Robert Smedley.

Want more? Just Google "writerly procrastination" and you'll find enough articles to keep you reading (instead of writing) for weeks. Or you can knuckle down and set your goals.

What long-term goal is at the top of your list for 2013? Mine is the same as it always is...write 500 words a day, not counting blog posts.

Pat Stoltey

Looking at the Same-Old Same-Old in a Different Way

by Pat Stoltey

Our power of observation, one of the best tools we have available as writers, gets rusty when we grow too accustomed to our surroundings.

Three years ago, when my first grandchild was six-months-old, she gave me a wonderful lesson in looking at common things in a new way. Talia, for instance, was fascinated by anything electronic. The television stayed off most of the time because she wouldn't take her eyes off the screen when it was on. The laptop computer enthralled her the same way, and she thought it was loads of fun to lunge for the keyboard and make exciting things happen. And if she was allowed to get close enough, she even tried to taste it.

A tall pile of magazines was a temptation not to be ignored. She toppled the stack many times...and tasted the covers. She even tasted my sweater when I held her in my lap.

So today I'm looking at the television screen, and the computer, a stack of magazines, even my sweater, and wondering what Talia saw that I don't see. Color? Movement? Texture? Or was everything just a potential teething ring? After all, we did catch her chewing on the coffee table.

There's a lesson here, of course. As writers, we need to stay alert to our surroundings, do things that make us see the same old stuff in a new way. We tend to take the same route to the grocery store, order the same meal at a frequently visited restaurant, wear the same clothes on Sunday, follow an orderly routine first thing in the morning, or before going to bed.

What happens if we change it up a bit? Take the long way around when we drive to the store and pay attention to what we see along the way? Go to that favorite restaurant, but order something we've never ordered before and savor every bite?

Forcing ourselves to look at ordinary things in new ways can help us write better descriptions. What do you see when you look at your laptop? What do you think Talia saw when she stared at the television?

Have you tasted a sweater lately? Or a book? Smelled your garden-fresh tomato?

What do you do to sharpen your power of observation?

Three Authors, Three Questions: September 2012

Our guests for September are mystery authors Margaret Coel and Molly MacRae and novelist Stephen Graham Jones.

Welcome to Three Authors, Three Questions

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Margaret Coel is the author of the New York Times bestseller Wind River mystery novels, two suspense novels set in Denver, four non-fiction books, and a collection of short stories. She recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Arts and Humanities. She has also received the Frank Waters Award for her work on the American West, and the High Plains Emeritus Award for a lifetime of outstanding work. Her eighteenth novel, Buffalo Bill's Dead Now, arrives this September.

You can learn more about Margaret and her books at her website. She can also be found on Facebook.


1. Margaret, how do you approach the revision/editing process after you’ve completed the first draft of a manuscript?

Very carefully. This is where the real work is done. I've always maintained that writing is actually rewriting. I begin with a quick overview that tells me what I need to delete. No need rewriting that! I start at the beginning and work my way through the manuscript, checking facts and consistencies, making sure the plot makes sense. Then I do a final rewrite, shaping the sentences and selecting the best words. As Hemingway put it, rewriting is about getting the words right.


2. Of all the novels or short stories you’ve written (published or unpublished), which one is your favorite and why?

That's a bit like asking a mother, Which child is your favorite? Mothers love all their children, but maybe not in the same way. I have a particular fondness for The Lost Bird and Wife of Moon. But my favorite at any moment is always the book in my head--the latest book. At the moment, that is Buffalo Bill's Dead Now.


3. What is the best writing advice you ever received? And the worst?

The best? Write what you love to read. The worst? Write what you know. I prefer, write what interests you and go do the research.


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Stephen Graham Jones is the author of eleven novels and two collections -- most recently Growing Up Dead in Texas and Zombie Bake-Off -- and has two more books out this fall, and one novella. He's also had some hundred and forty stories published, and been an NEA Fellow, a Stoker Award finalist, a Shirley Jackson Award finalist, a Colorado Book Award finalist, and has won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for fiction. He teaches in the MFA program at CU Boulder and the low-res MFA program at UCR Palm Desert.

For more information about Stephen and his novels, visit Demon Theory. He is also on Facebook and Twitter.


1. Stephen, how do you approach the revision/editing process after you’ve completed the first draft of a manuscript?

Just let it sit for four or six weeks, ideally. So I can forget the twists and turns, be surprised at them, see if they work on second read. If they do, then I show it to friends (editors, friends, writers, readers, strangers). Then they mark it up, make this or that suggestion, and I go back in. Am right there with a novel right now.


2. Of all the novels or short stories you’ve written (published or unpublished), which one is your favorite and why?

I really like this one short story I did back in 1995 or 96, "Carbon." It's in my collection Bleed Into Me. Just got kind of lucky with that one, somehow. I mean, I've been lucky since -- the way Ledfeather ends, say, or that Growing Up Dead in Texas came together -- but "Carbon" was the first time.


3. What is the best writing advice you ever received? And the worst?

Worst advice was probably to make every line perfect and shiny. Some lines are just delivering the story from room to room, and don't need to be shiny, but work best just dull, not drawing undue attention. Best advice was to, after I finish a novel, start writing the next immediately. Don't wait for whatever 'license' the eventual reception of that done novel gives you for the next. Just do it whether you have permission or not. Then do it again.


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Molly MacRae writes the Haunted Yarn Shop mysteries for NAL/Obsidian, making its debut with Last Wool and Testament. In a review, the Boston Globe said Molly writes “Murder with a dose of drollery.” Molly’s stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine since 1990. She spent twenty years in upper east Tennessee, the setting for her stories, short and long. She lives in Champaign, Illinois.

You can visit Molly at her website  and at Killer Characters blog. She can also be found at Facebook.


1. Molly, how do you approach the revision/editing process after you’ve completed the first draft of a manuscript?

I’m a back-and-fill writer – I revise as I go, editing the previous day’s output before moving on – so my first draft is close to being a finished draft. But then I go back and hack and polish from start to finish – cutting extra and over-used words, abbreviating lines of dialogue, paring down self-indulgent description, clarifying situations with specifics, adding better descriptions of characters. After finishing Last Wool and Testament, I performed a Total Characterectomy – slicing a whole character right out of the story. I also have some great critique partners who tell me where I leave holes, what doesn’t make sense, and where the; punctuation? needs, help! And then, when I’m smug and think I’m finished, the Penguin editor steps in.


2. Of all the novels or short stories you’ve written (published or unpublished), which one is your favorite and why?

I have a soft spot in my heart for “My Trouble,” the first story Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine published way back in 1990, but I really don’t have a favorite story or novel. I think, though, if I asked the characters from my stories and novels to vote who amongst them is their favorite, everyone but Bitsy would vote for the ghost in the Haunted Yarn Shop mysteries.


3. What is the best writing advice you ever received? And the worst?

The best – from one of my high school English teachers: Revision is the key to success. The worst: Wait until you feel the muse.

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Mini-interviews were conducted via e-mail and compiled by Pat Stoltey. Chiseled in Rock thanks Margaret Coel, Stephen Graham Jones, and Molly MacRae for graciously agreeing to participate in the Three Authors, Three Questions series.

Creating Fictional Characters

By Pat Stoltey

This post is adapted from an article I published on my own blog in May 2009.

As I reread my second Sylvia and Willie mystery The Desert Hedge Murders to check the e-book formatting before I publish for Kindle and Nook, I’m reminded how much fun I had creating and writing about The Florida Flippers, a travel club of elderly ladies. One of the ladies, Kristina Grisseljon, is the mother of my protagonists, Sylvia Thorn and Willie Grisseljon. Kristina is a spirited gal who loves to read mysteries (primarily police procedurals), travel, and meddle in her children's affairs. The travel club was formed years ago when all of the ladies lived in the same retirement community and all were enthusiastic fans of the Miami Dolphins.

I needed models for my characters to make it easier to establish individual personalities. Luckily, I just happened to have a few cousins and a much-loved sister-in-law who could provide all of the idiosyncrasies I needed. And just for fun, I used their first names for their characters.

Linda Swayble, for example, was named after my sister-in-law. I added about fifteen years to her age, exaggerated a couple of her most endearing personality traits, and then expanded her bio, description, and speech mannerisms. Then I dumped her into the story to see what she would do. She was full of surprises. Linda of the mystery novel was a first-class worrier and way more timid than I expected. The real Linda, however, was one of the bravest women I've ever known. This is what happens when I give my characters too much freedom.

Three cousins were the models for Marianne, Gail, and Diane. In real life, they're sisters. In my book, they're not related. I've assured the cousins I will let everyone know my Flippers are drawn completely from my imagination and not from real life. For instance, my red-haired cowgirl wannabe Marianne, who line dances with the sexy cowboys at a country bar in Davie, Florida, and plays Blackjack in Laughlin, Nevada, is actually a lovely white-haired grandmother and first-grade schoolteacher in Oklahoma.

Similarly, the real Gail would never kick anyone with her orthopedic boots, unless he truly deserved it, and Diane did not really win the lottery and does not live in The Sanctuary in Boca Raton, Florida.

Using real people to create characters in a novel has certain risks, of course. For instance, did I have someone in mind for the killer(s) and victim(s) in the Sylvia and Willie mysteries? No, definitely not. Really. Although someone who knew me in high school thought I was very tough on old boyfriends in The Prairie Grass Murders, which was set in central Illinois where we grew up. But those were Sylvia Thorn's old boyfriends, not mine. Honest.

The Prairie Grass Murders is already available for Kindle and Nook, and The Desert Hedge Murders is coming soon.

Chiseled Author Patricia Stoltey is Interviewed!

We’ve been asked, so today we’re offering answers to questions such as: Chiseled Staff? Are they really that chiseled? Are they completely off their Rockers? And what do they do behind that closed door?!

Over the next few months you’ll see interviews with our own Chiseled Staff, and today we’re talking to Patricia Stoltey.

Pat’s first Sylvia and Willie mystery, The Prairie Grass Murders, was released by Five Star/Gage in 2007. Books in Motion released the audiobook on CD and MP3 download in 2008, and Harlequin published a mass market paperback book club edition in 2010. The Desert Hedge Murders was released in 2009 from Five Star and 2011 from Harlequin Worldwide. The ebook is coming soon. The Prairie Grass Murders is available now for Kindle and Nook.

CIR: Welcome, Pat! How do you describe yourself (the top three things that come to mind)?

Pat: Calm, cool, and collected. What would you expect from a person who drinks as much Tension Tamer and Sleepytime tea as I do?

CIR: Please describe the path of your writing career.

Pat: It was kind of weird. My brother and I wrote a really bad action/adventure novel about truckers and unions back in the 80s, and it actually made it to audio book in 2000. The company who published it stocked rental carousels in large truck stops, and I guess truckers rented audiotapes for those long hauls. I just hope that novel never put any truckers to sleep while they were on the road. After that, however, I was hooked on writing. My first mystery was picked up by Five Star after I met Deni Dietz at the 2005 Colorado Gold Conference.

CIR: What are your current writing goals and challenges? (What are you working on?)

Pat: I’m working to complete my NaNoWriMo novel. Another suspense manuscript is almost ready to submit to agents, but I need to ditch the current first chapter and fix a couple more little things. And I have a historical fiction that I asked an editor to review. Wouldn’t you know it? She suggested a new first chapter. There seems to be a pattern here.

CIR: What are the two toughest things about writing?

Pat: First chapters, for sure. I guess the second thing is knowing when to stop so we don’t revise the life out of a manuscript.

CIR: Do you prefer igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?

Pat: Metamorphic. Change is good.

CIR: How has RMFW helped you advance your career?

Pat: RMFW puts on a great annual conference to educate writers and give them a chance to network with authors, agents and editors (and in my case, find a publisher). I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in a couple of the monthly programs, so that’s a bonus.

CIR: As we know, RMFW is an all-volunteer organization. Have you or do you volunteer elsewhere in the organization?

Pat: I try to volunteer at the conference in some way each year. Lately I’ve worked at Registration, but in the past I’ve also moderated conference sessions as timekeeper, hall monitor, and introducing the speaker(s).

CIR: What writers inspire you?

Pat: All of our RMFW authors who work so hard and write so well. Sandra Dallas for wonderful story-telling and public-speaking skills. Stephen King because he “just does it.” Oh, my, this list could go on forever.

CIR: What genres do you read?

Pat: All genres of fiction and tons of non-fiction as well. I probably read 50-60% crime fiction, and the bulk of the non-fiction I read is history, political science, and books about writing and the writing life.

CIR: Do you ever get writer’s rock, er… block? If so how do you break through?

Pat: I don’t suffer from writer’s block, thank goodness. However, I do suffer from blank page anxiety. Also severe procrastination. Taking on more tasks than I can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. Chocolate binges. Addiction to prime time television. This list could go on and on.

CIR: What do you feel your stories are born of?

Pat: An overactive imagination which results in a lot of dreams and nightmares, fear of vampires and werewolves (which is why there are none in my stories), and the goofy need to see another book with my name on it. That’s such a kick.

CIR: What one piece of advice would you offer to new writers?

Pat: Write down everything that comes into your head and keep it forever.

CIR: What’s your favorite rock and roll song?

Pat: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” sung by Cyndi Lauper. Is that rock and roll? I mean, I can go way back to the 50s and 60s if you insist. I had this little metal record player for my 45s and bought stuff like “April Love” ( Pat Boone) and “Maybelline” (Chuck Berry).

CIR: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Pat: About the time I stopped attending mystery conventions as a fan and started checking the “author” box instead. That was 2006. I remember it well.

CIR: Do you also have a “day” job? Other interests or hobbies?

Pat: I’m a retired accounting/accounts payable manager. We traveled a lot at first, but now I’m into all things writerly. I’d like to get back to music, so I have a keyboard I play about twice a year. I crochet stuff. And I just bought a new camera so I can recapture my love of photography…if I can figure out how to use it. I need more time, lots more time.

CIR: What books have most influenced you?

Pat: In writing books, I think I’d say The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass because it gave me some great ideas how to put more zing in my suspense novels. In fiction, I’d say mystery author Sophie Littlefield. She does a brilliant job of fitting her narrative writing to the character and story.

CIR: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Pat: A high school English teacher liked a poem I wrote. I now have several folders of truly horrible poetry, and quite a few bad short stories as well. Nevertheless, I liked the idea of writing enough to learn how to do it properly. I’m still learning, but I’m having fun in the process.

CIR: Do you like rocking chairs?

Pat: Yeah, the old fashioned wood rockers that creak and groan. The one I remember had a seat worn to a velvety patina by the butts of those who used it over the years. I sat in that chair and rocked my colicky firstborn while singing Petula Clark’s “Downtown” (When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown). If you’ve ever had a kid with colic, you’ll understand why this song and the rocking chair were such a comfort.

CIR: If you could time travel, when and where would you go?

Pat: I’d like to pop back to Frontier Illinois about 1834 and see if it’s anything like I’ve described it in my novel.

CIR: What do you predict for the future of the publishing industry and where you fit into that?

Pat: My crystal ball tells me there will be continuing and rapid change and we better scramble to keep up. Anyone who doesn’t keep up is in trouble.

CIR: And lastly, what did you dream of doing when you were twelve years old?

Pat: I was still holding onto my dream of becoming a ballerina, even though I already had bad knees, had flunked out of tap dance class in one year, and was way too short (and clumsy too). In my mind, I was thin and agile and gorgeous. The birth of a fiction writer?

CIR: Pat, thank you so much for joining us today! You can learn more about Pat and her writing on her website or blog, follow her on Twitter @PStoltey, or friend her on Facebook.

By Janet Fogg

Planning Ahead for Social Media Opportunities

by Pat Stoltey

If we all made plans and stuck to them, we'd not only read and write more, but we'd get more exposure for our blogs and books. Here are a few ideas for 2012.

The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2012


Not just for writers, this blog challenge has grown into a huge project in just three years. The brainchild of Arlee Bird who blogs at tossing it out, the A to Z Challenge now has its very own blog. If you stop by, you'll find posts from past participants describing the new online friends they've made and the new blog followers they've attracted with their A to Z April posts.

I plan to complete the challenge again in 2012, although I scheduled guest bloggers in April and now need to figure out a way to make their guest post titles conform to the demands of the challenge. I may need to get creative this year.

Sign-up for this challenge opens on January 30th, so mark your calendar. I know you won't regret it.


Chiseled in Rock's Author Features


For RMFW, we have a monthly announcement of new releases called What's New From Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers? Don't be left out. Make sure I know about your books. If you go to my personal blog, you'll find a link to my e-mail address in my Blogger Profile.

A new monthly feature called Three Authors, Three Questions is another opportunity for you. Membership in RMFW is not required to participate in this one, but I do hope to feature at least one RMFW member in each group of three.


Guest Blogging on Writerly Blogs


If you have a book coming out in 2012, you might want to pay attention to the RMFW members who have blogs and are open to featuring guest bloggers. On my own blog, I present a guest author every Thursday, and I'll also schedule Monday and Friday guests when necessary, especially for writers doing blog book tours.

I'm not the only RMFW author/blogger, so check out the blogroll in the Chiseled in Rock sidebar and see who hosts guest writers from time to time.

And if you're a book blogger who's open to guest authors, support RMFW by spreading the word. We invite you to post your blog's link below in the comments section.