Chapter 6: Planning the Book Speedy Gonzales, mousey nemesis of Sylvester the Cat, takes us back to his cartoon world to demonstrate the necessary elements in a successful story. They include developing a plot, defining the characters, identifying the best point of view for any particular story, and then building a story arc that meets the expectations of your readers. Chapter 7: Doing Your Homework Yes, dear would-be writer, your new guide is Despereaux, a little mouse who dreamed of becoming someone’s knight in shining armor. He is ready to show you the tricks of learning the facts before you start writing the story. He’ll lead you through clarifying your timeline and questioning those details that “everyone knows.” He’ll also teach you a few things about exploring archives, reading old newspapers, and prowling in cemeteries. Chapter 8: Writing and Re-Writing Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse” sets the melancholy mood for this chapter that takes you back to English class. We’ll look at errors that destroy your story line, and then turn to the nitty-gritty of grammar errors – dangling modifiers, passive voice, weak vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. It’s all called editing, and you must learn to do it. The Second Mouse Goes Digital: Self-Publishing Comes of Age Author Carolyn Schriber takes a closer look at recent self-publishing innovations that have opened the gates to mainstream book publication. Pre-Orders available now, with Kindle release date: Wednesday, November 15. |
