There’s was a saying from my military flying buddies that they only needed two pieces of information before they took off:  First, where they were on the globe’s surface, and secondly, where they were going.  Those two piece of information got punched into the plane’s nav system, and the rest took care of itself.

When writing, we ususally know where we are, don’t we?  We’re sitting in front of that blank computer screen!  But, do we really, really, really know where we are going?  I sometimes find it useful to write out my synopsis first, almost as if the book was completed and ready (LOL!!!) for someone to start on the screenplay.  Why not do the same for your next project?

Sit down and write the the few sentences or couple of paragraphs that portray the overall storyline of your book.  Write it as if you are turning the script over to that guy with that great voice who does those movie trailers at the local theater.  See if you can say, in about 250-350 words, just exactly what your book is about, in a way that someone would say (just as they say about the movie trailer)…”Wow…I have to read that!”

Not only will you have a great “elevator speech” to say to someone when they next ask you what you are working on.  But, you will also have a very broad template to work against as you begin your writing. You know, there’s another saying that Michaelangelo had it very easy when working on his statues.  He simply chipped away everything that wasn’t part of his finished work.  Well, with a concise “template” of what your book is about, you’ll have something to measure your words against, and you’ll be able to leave those words behind that don’t conform to your template.

Give it a try, and I think you’ll find that writing your story becomes much easier.

Write On!!

Jack Riston

www.jackriston.com

www.forallthemarbles.net