First, thanks to everyone who liked, shared, or made comments about my last post, \”The Temptation to Become a Facebook Warrior.\” Your comments about my writing sent me into orbit, and I was happy to discover that I had given expression to what some of you have been feeling.
I have been really busy this week with my Elance work, editing my e-book on writing, and getting my novel ready to submit to Harper Collins, so this is going to be a shorter, more informal post answering a question some of you have asked about my latest fiction project, Caleb\’s Glow.
A few of you have asked me what the new novel is about, and last weekend I experienced an episode of brain freeze when I tried to explain it to friends.
I have explained it better in the synopsis I sent to Harper Collins who has announced that for a short time they will be considering manuscripts of fantasy or science fiction novels from authors who do not have agents.
This is, by the way, a big deal. Many non-writers do not know that you cannot simply send your manuscript to publishers anymore and expect them to read it. Publishers receive hundreds of novels and do not have enough staff to consider every submission. The stack of unread manuscripts is called \”the slush pile,\” In general, if you do not have an agent, your submission will not be read.
I have submitted my novel to Harper Collins in the hope that my novel will be one of the dozen they will select to publish as an e-book. However, it is a long shot; Harper Collins will likely be swamped with thousands of submissions, so I need to have a backup plan.
However, the synopsis I wrote will clarify what my novel is about. Here is is:
Synopsis:
My novel is about Caleb, a confused, introverted 11 year old boy who, shaken by the death of his younger brother, begins to see strange things – lights in odd places and fleeting glimpses of mysterious creatures. After a strange episode at school, in which he passes out, he is taken to a doctor and discovers that cancer has invaded his brain.
Despite this shocking diagnosis, which suggests he has been hallucinating, disturbing evidence begins to mount that what he has been seeing is real – culminating in a terrifying, otherworldly attempt on his life.
Desperate for answers, he soon encounters a new \”vision\” – a monster he remembers from toddler-hood nightmares – only this time the monster is playing a different role; he begs Caleb to help him fight an ancient menace, who is threatening to destroy his world – a place where dreams take physical form.
This dangerous enemy is called The Scavenger, who “eats” unwanted memories of suffering people – for a terrible price.
Caleb is reluctant, and unsure if he can trust a creature from old nightmares – but the monster makes an irresistible promise; he suggests that in his world, there are ghosts of people who have passed away in this one, and if Caleb will help him, the monster will let Caleb meet his brother again.
The monster also confirms that the murder attempt against Caleb is a result of the turmoil in the other world.
Caleb agrees to the mission. The monster leads him to discover a portal in his house, which opens into the new world. His journey through this world with a monster as his guide forces Caleb to confront the dangers of this foreign world – and finally, the most perilous landscape of all: the secrets that lie, deeply hidden, within himself.
I have tried not to give away to many details, but that is the gist of my novel. I will know within three months whether Harper Collins has accepted it, or whether I will need to explore other avenues for publication. In either case, I am excited.