Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.
This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue. Feel free to swing by their sites and see what they’re up to.
Happy New Year to all of you! May 2019 bring you good health, a generous portion of happiness, and fun adventures on the road, by rail, on the water, in the sky, and with your writing endeavors.
Some of you have been following my book writing process for a couple of years. Yes, that’s how long I have been reporting on this sailing memoir. I actually started even before that. While life, our business, and other projects got in the way during these years, I am now determined and motivated to get this long-term task checked off my mental list. Yes, after being relatively vague and sharing the occasional excerpt, it is time to take action; time for practicalities. And, with that, I could use your help.
Book Progress
As I started going through my memoir again last month, eager to incorporate the suggestions of my beta readers, I stopped cold after a few chapters. It wasn’t because I couldn’t handle it or grew demotivated. On the contrary. I can’t wait to continue this process. But… I came to the realization that, instead of finishing this round of editing and then writing a non-fiction book proposal and then waiting for news from a potential agent, I might as well get the book proposal over with first and receive rejections while I complete the edits. Think about the time saved with that approach!
Memoir work in Ojai, CA last month
So, for the last month, I’ve been composing a book proposal, which is a massive document in order to sell a product. Not unlike the time-intensive business prospectus I put together for our Wirie company a year ago. The idea of a book proposal is to present your book idea (or in my case the almost completed manuscript) in such a way that it attracts the interest of an agent. More about that process in a future post, but suffice it to say that it’s another huge project. This month, I will research potential agents and send my document off. Cross your fingers!
Hard to/at work in San Diego, CA
Memoir Title and Subtitle
Over the years, I have made a list of potential titles and subtitles (these are multiple-word sentences or descriptions to “explain” or enhance what the non-fiction book is about). Would you believe it topped at 200? One day, Mark and I sat down and struck out the ones we didn’t like. Then we did it again. And again. We ended up with a few potentials, but to be honest, none of the main titles does the trick for me. Yet.
For years, my working title was Floating About – A Life Less Ordinary. I never thought this would become the book’s title, but my beta readers loved it. To me, this title induces idleness. The content of the book is not about a relaxing lifestyle. Still, the title has merits.
Then, it became Riding the Waves of Life – One Woman’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure reduced to The Waves of Life – One Woman’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure. It’s fitting for the plot of the book, but the title part might be a tad too long.
Recently, the main title changed to Tested Waters. The subtitle remained the same, but could be adapted to A Nomad’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure to make it more universal.
Yesterday, I settled on Plunge – One Woman’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure. The title Plunge has punch and describes the premise of my story – and one of the themes – in one word.
I would love to hear your input on my potential titles. Please, let me know which one you prefer and feel free to mix and match between main titles and potential subtitles. I’m open to new suggestions as well.
To recap, these are my selected titles:
- Plunge
- Riding the Waves of Life
- The Waves of Life
- Tested Waters
- Floating About
And here are potential subtitles:
- One Woman’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure
- A Nomad’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure
- A Story about Love, Loss, and Living in the Moment
- A Life Less Ordinary
Of course, it would help to know a bit more about this book when picking a title, especially if you don’t know me in person. Please, read on.
Memoir Summary in One Sentence
How do you summarize 400 pages in one paragraph, let alone a logline? The “dreaded” yet so important elevator pitch? You play around with words and hope to end up with one succinct sentence. Here’s the result:
Plunge is a woman’s journey through her thirties, exposing the ups and downs of love, life, and living in the moment aboard a 35ft sailboat in the tropics.
Any input about this logline is more than welcome.
Memoir Summary in One Paragraph
Being able to summarize your book in one paragraph is one of the most important exercises and tools to success. You need it for the book proposal, the query letter, talks to agents or other professionals in the business, promotional purposes, maybe the book jacket, and for anyone asking “What’s your book about?”
Because my memoir touches on many different aspects and it can be approached from ten different directions, I find providing this summary immensely difficult. This is what I have right now, and, as always, I appreciate any insights:
Plunge is a story about love, loss and living in the moment. It’s the unfolding journey of a woman expanding her horizons, first on the road, then on the water, to pursue freedom and happiness. Her adventures bring her from Central America to the Caribbean to the South Pacific as she faces diverse challenges and figures out whether this alternative lifestyle keeps her connected, to herself, to her companion, and to the world.
IWSG Twitter Pitch Party
Last but not least, once a year the IWSG organizes a pitch party on Twitter. January 15th is D-Day. Agents and publishers will browse the categories they are interested in for projects that stand out. It’s important to get their attention with an extremely attractive “pitch” for your finished manuscript. This has to be done in 280 characters, including spaces, genre, age, and hashtag. It’s a bit similar to the one-sentence book summary.
I will keep working on this, as I’m allowed to submit several pitches that day. For now, this is what I’ve got. Feel free to let me know in the comments which pitch you like best: #1, #2, or #3. I can always incorporate the logline as well.
Tweet #1:
Follow a nomad’s journey to love, loss, freedom, and adventure as she pulls you into a decade of her life less ordinary with her guy: 24/7 together, 2 dogs, an 8-year sailing journey, a business at sea, ups, downs & life-altering twists. Will they survive together?
Tweet #2:
Falling in love with “the guy next door” on an RV adventure with her partner, Liesbet has 2 choices: continue her passion of traveling or stay with her new lover. Her decision sends her on a roller coaster journey of love, loss, freedom, and adventure… at sea.
Tweet #3:
When a free-spirited woman jumps on a sailboat with her guy, she must overcome more than seasickness. As they co-exist 24/7 and rarely plan, they face risks, personal storms, and unexpected challenges. Will they be able to navigate the world and their relationship?
Thank you so much for following along in this process and for all your help, encouragement, and support! The publication of this memoir is going to happen in 2019!
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January 2, 2019 at 17:02
Hi, Liesbet – Congratulations on all of your work on this. I like all of your titles and subtitles. My favourites are: Plunge or Riding the Waves. A Nomad’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure. Good Luck!
January 2, 2019 at 18:38
Thanks for the input and the well wishes, Donna!
January 2, 2019 at 18:23
Good luck with the Twitter pitch!
I like Plunge: A Life Less Ordinary. It’s simple and unique.
January 2, 2019 at 18:39
Thanks, Alex. I appreciate your take on this!
January 2, 2019 at 19:05
Oh boy, tough assignment for you (and us!). It’s really hard for me to discern what the most important themes are in a book I haven’t fully read and, as a result, what key words are best to use in the various pieces of a proposal. From purely my ear’s standpoint (how things sound makes a big impact on me) and my quest for clear ideas, the following would be my two cents’ worth:
* I like Plunge as the title. As you say, it is peppy and direct. I like the dual ideas of a plunge into water and into a less ordinary life.
* I like a shortened subtitle, like One Woman’s Journey to Love and Adventure. A Nomads’ Journey … is also OK to start, and Love and Freedom works in the second half, too, but all three of those pursuits sound like too much of a list to me, even though I imagine they are all important themes for you. I guess I feel Freedom is subsumed in Adventure to some extent. I also like the “life less ordinary” idea and keep thinking of Plunge: One Woman’s Leap into a Life Less Ordinary.
* I don’t feel qualified to comment on the logline or the memoir summary even though I have a vague idea of the book’s arc. However, I’m not crazy about “love, life, and living in the moment” because the vague, abstract words (and maybe even the alliteration) sound a little boring and trite to me. (Sorry!)
* I like tweet #2. It just sounds more exciting and interesting to find out whom she chooses and what that decision will mean for her life. (And here’s that word “freedom” again … is this a touchstone concept in the book? Because I have not read it, I can’t tell if this is critically important. I guess I find this word vague and too “large” also.)
Well, there’s the old writing professor in me coming out! Hope this is helpful and not highly insulting or annoying! Happy New Year to you and Mark!
January 3, 2019 at 17:39
Hi Lexie! Thank you for leaving such a detailed comment and expert advice. I really appreciate your input. Interested in becoming a beta reader if I ever need another one? 🙂
Seriously, this is the constructive feedback I crave for. I love how you totally “get” the title “Plunge”. I hear you about the “list” feel in the subtitle and I agree “Adventure” pretty much covers “Freedom”. As far as the “One Woman’s Leap into a Life Less Ordinary” suggestion, before the start of this book, I was already traveling full-time and had years of backpacking under my belt as well. So, this book didn’t “start” the life less ordinary. Between you and me (and anyone else doing the effort to read all the comments :-)), I’d like to write a series one day, which I would call “A Life Less Ordinary” with this memoir being the first book. 🙂
Point taken in regards to the logline and summary. And the word “freedom”. That concept is important to me (as I’ve always chosen my personal freedom over everything else in life), but then again, if replaced with “adventure” that would describe the same priority.
Very helpful indeed, Lexie, and not insulting or annoying at all! I’ve never had a writing professor, so this is good!
January 3, 2019 at 18:46
I do get the strong feeling that personal freedom is of paramount importance to you; I wonder how you can get that across just right? It’s tough! Especially when it’s nestled into all the other aspects of your life adventure (love, loss, change, etc.). It’s great to collect others’ feedback, and their yays or nays can both be super helpful, but ultimately, it’s your life and your book, and you’ll know best what words capture where you are headed with this! Now I also totally get why A Life Less Ordinary is more overarching than just this book’s topic … makes sense. And why not write a few more?! 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 18:50
You make me smile, Lexie. Thanks for being such a supportive and good (virtual) friend. Maybe 2019 will turn this friendship “real life”. 🙂
January 4, 2019 at 10:59
Ooh, the possibility of a prequal and a sequal. More to come, I like that!
January 5, 2019 at 11:00
It’ll be the constant debate for me: writing stories or living them. 🙂 I’m so passionate about travel and writing that I need two lifetimes.
January 2, 2019 at 19:42
Hi Liesbet
Happy New Year.
I like your idea about getting your proposal out into the universe, then going back to edit your memoir. Smart move.
My favorite title: Plunge: A Woman’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure. Secondly, I like Riding the Waves: A Woman’s Journey… I think using the word Woman instead of Nomad would be more appealing to women readers.Seems more inspirational. Just a thought, what if you put the word love last. A Woman’s Journey to Freedom, Adventure and Love.
I like Tweet #2. Then #3.
I look forward to watching your process as you progress through 2019
Good luck
Laura
January 3, 2019 at 17:44
Thanks for the input and the well wishes, Laura! Deciding on the “Woman” or “Nomad” means the difference between aiming for a female audience or a male and female one. That being said, I agree that “Woman” is more inspirational and to the point, as I do cover a few typical female topics. 🙂 So, I’ll most likely keep the “Woman”.
January 2, 2019 at 23:05
I still like Floating About – A Life Lead Ordinary the best. And I like Tweet 3 the best.
January 3, 2019 at 17:48
Ha! Old titles don’t die. 🙂 It does sound good, doesn’t it? But, I feel it is a bit too broad and I would love to see “A Life Less Ordinary” turned into a series. Yes, I have played with the concept before: book #1 “Floating About”, book #2 “Sitting About”, book #3 “Vanning About”, and I can go on with all our travel plans and adventures. It would blend in nicely with the name of this blog as well. Decisions, decisions…
January 4, 2019 at 21:22
Why not consider reversing the title, especially as “A Life Less Ordinary” may begin a series? “A Life Less Ordinary: Floating About.” More below! Hi from Beth
January 5, 2019 at 11:23
Hello Beth! My series idea is mostly just a thought, as I would need to find a traditional publisher before I would pursue that idea. Not sure whether I’m willing to give up all my travels to sit behind a desk for more years. 🙂 If I knew now that this memoir is the first one of a series, I totally stand behind your idea! And, I already have titles for the prequel and sequels! Thanks for this. The thought of a series does excite me.
January 2, 2019 at 23:38
Plunge works for me Liesbet, I think it’s the most dynamic and intriguing of a good bunch.
A Nomad’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure would be my preferred subtitle. I think a nomad is more enticing that a woman (for a book title).
Tweet #2 grabbed my attention more than the others, apart from “RV” which may need explaining, and “new lover” which suggests he was at the end of a long line (perhaps he was?)!
Best wishes with this project this year Liesbet!
January 3, 2019 at 17:50
Thanks for the wishes and the input, Denzil. You have good points, especially about improving the tweet.
January 4, 2019 at 21:25
Just another note: I love using Nomad instead of Woman because the word nomad seems to tie into that whole theme of letting go of the everyday to challenge yourself to try new ways of exploring the world. So few of us (men or women) have the courage to simply create a very different way of living. Yes, you may write from a woman’s perspective, and, yes, have unique insights to share, but men readers (I believe) would be interested as well. Yes? Hi from Beth (more below)
January 5, 2019 at 11:25
Hi again Beth. Yes! That logic about using “nomad” makes a whole lot of sense. I think I’ll go with that in the book proposal. Do you think “One Nomad’s Journey…” or “A Nomad’s Journey…” would be more appropriate? Thank you!!
January 3, 2019 at 00:02
I like Plunge best. Because it’s dynamic, intriguing and grabs the attention.
January 3, 2019 at 17:51
Great! Noted. Thanks for voting. 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 02:43
Happy New Year Liesbet! I like the energy of ‘Plunge!’ and from what little I know of the content of your memoir it seems a good fit. The main thing is, that it feels right for you. Feel free to make the sub-title more specific, say something from the heart: what does this plunge mean to you? 🙂💖 xxx
January 3, 2019 at 17:53
Thanks for the suggestion, Xenia. I’ll have to think hard and deep how to make the subtitle more specific. I’ll get back to you on that. My brain is getting a tad fried. 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 05:01
I like Plunge the best, Liesbet. For the subtitle, I picked A Nomad’s Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure. As for the Tweet, #3 definitely piqued my interest the most. Ugh…loglines are the worst! Good luck with your queries! Happy New Year!
January 3, 2019 at 17:55
Thank you for the votes, Jill. I have tallied your choices. It seems like “Plunge” is quite popular.
January 3, 2019 at 05:06
Wat mij betreft is “a life less ordinary ” sterk (zou zelfs als titel kunnen dienen) en in 2de instantie ondertitel 1 “a woman’s….).
Als titel prefereer ik “the waves of life”.
Groetjes,
Wim
January 3, 2019 at 18:01
Hey hey, de Wim! Bedankt voor je commentaar en je voorkeur. “The Waves of Life – A Story about a Woman’s Life Less Ordinary” 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 05:52
I really like Plunge! As for the sub-title, I’m not sure. I like the use of “loss” in #3. That really drew me in and flags up the fact that your journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. But I also like the use of “journey” in the other subtitle options.
As for the tweets, there’s probably people better equipped to offer advice who have pitched before on Twitter. Having said that I like #1, especially the question about whether they’ll survive together.
All the best in the search for an agent!
January 3, 2019 at 18:06
Great thoughts, Ellen. Thank you. As writers, there are so many ways to express ourselves, or to describe one thing. Pretty tough business, and overthinking it all too much is not necessarily a good idea. But, I have to consider every possibility… How about this title to tick all your boxes: “Plunge – A Woman’s Journey to Love, Loss, and Adventure”? 🙂
January 5, 2019 at 09:11
Maybe drop the “Woman’s Journey” part? I’m not sure how trad publishing works, but if you go that route, does the publisher end up deciding what the title will be? Do you have to nail it 100% at this time?
January 5, 2019 at 11:51
I think the publisher gets the last word, but I hope to present them (if there is ever to be a “them”) with a mighty good option. 🙂 I know that Janna managed to keep her suggested title “The Motion of the Ocean”, but her subtitle changed upon publication. I guess it depends on the publisher… So, you are right, I don’t have to nail it 100% at this time. But, what do you do if you strive to nail everything 100%? 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 08:06
Happy New Year, Liesbet! I like Riding the Waves, A Life Less Ordinary. Good luck with your queries.
January 3, 2019 at 18:06
Thanks for the input, Natalie! And for the well wishes.
January 3, 2019 at 08:28
Congrats on accomplishing everything to this point. What a challenge and I’m sure you’re proud of yourself. Personally, I like “The Waves of Life” and #3 as the sub. Tweet #2 and I really like your summary paragraph. Best wishes for the new year and fingers crossed you find an agent/publisher.
January 3, 2019 at 18:10
Not quite proud, Ingrid, but thank you for the congrats and encouragement. I’m one of those people who can’t be fulfilled (or even happy) until the entire project is done and over with. 🙂 And yes, this is a pretty long-term and challenging conquest. I appreciate your help providing your preferences! Noted.
January 3, 2019 at 08:55
Hi Liesbet,
I like Plunge…but am unsure of the subtitles as each appeal to me in different ways. But I LOVE the summary your wrote for Plunge, it hits all the right notes and makes me want to read more about your journey.
January 3, 2019 at 18:11
Hello Nancy! Thank you for the feedback, and the compliment about the summary. I guess I can’t go wrong with my subtitle, huh? 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 11:23
First let me tell you, Liesbet, this is ALL superb and well thought out. You truly understand the importance of this book proposal. Bravo! Plunge does sound like a one-word encapsulation of your adventure. The logline is great! As for the subtitle, I like #2. I like the “nomad’s” journey.
For the twitter pitch, I choose #3. It sets up that the journey is on water and ends with a truly intriguing question. Go for it, Liesbet! Keep us posted!
January 3, 2019 at 18:16
Hi Victoria! I really appreciate your input as a fellow memoir writer. It appears that quite a few people prefer the “nomad” to the “woman” approach, so I will have to really (re)consider this… That last tweet certainly captures the essence of the book, as my relationship “battle” is the strongest theme. Pffff, you know how hard all this is. But, the more choices I’m weighing, the harder the decision becomes as well.
January 4, 2019 at 10:55
I think “Nomad” is currently overused. Seems like I see it everywhere! At this current time I think “Woman” is more powerful and compelling.
January 5, 2019 at 10:59
Good input! There is definitely a division about the “nomad” and “woman” focus. I’m still on the fence which one to pick. We’ll see what happens! 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 11:48
okay, so I got this far… I reckons Riding the Waves of Life – A Story about Love, Loss, and Living in the Moment. I also reckon tweet two, that is if there is a guy you leave behind…
January 3, 2019 at 18:18
Thanks, Claire. I did choose one of the two guys. Heartbreaking as it might have been, it was all for the best. Or was it? 🙂
January 4, 2019 at 12:19
don don der…
January 5, 2019 at 11:01
🙂
January 3, 2019 at 13:43
The Waves of Life is a great title with the One Woman subtitle. I’m bad at blurbs and tweets so I’m passing there. Fingers crossed on the whole process/
January 3, 2019 at 18:19
Thanks for the preference and the encouragement, Roland! I appreciate all the help from my fellow IWSGers.
January 3, 2019 at 14:58
Don’t feel qualified to comment on the writing questions so I’ll just wish you and Mark a very happy new year, and also good luck with your pitch!
January 3, 2019 at 18:19
Thank you the same, Anabel! I’m glad you’re there at the sidelines. 🙂
January 3, 2019 at 15:48
The good news, you can use all three tweets for the IWSG pitch party. Also, how cool that you’re ready to pitch at all. I agree you should send out queries now rather than wait. Your manuscript is already pretty tight and I’d bet you could easily get it super clean if someone wanted to see it. I wish you the best of luck and I can’t wait to read the completed work.
January 3, 2019 at 18:24
Hi Ryan! I’m glad you’re still on this journey with me. That cleaning up project has been put on the back burner again until this proposal is finished and ready to go. It sure is taking longer than I anticipated. Then again, I recently read an article where the author wrote it took him upward of a year to get the proposal for his travel adventure memoir up to snuff. Argh! I’m looking forward to more editing, but there still seems to be the daunting task of cutting another 20K words or so once this round is finished… Not sure how easy that will be. 🙂
January 4, 2019 at 08:24
I think “Plunge “is your title. I don’t like “One Woman’s Journey….” – it has been used before. I do like “A Life Less Ordinary” but that is also a title of a movie – and I don’t think “Less Ordinary” really cuts it – maybe “Far Less Ordinary.”
Your books sounds a bit like it is about self discovery. I think you should emphasize what makes your journey different than anyone else’s and the special challenges that come along with a boat journey. Is your life just less ordinary or is it exciting, risky, daring? I always thought of our boating life as very tenuous – swinging on a chain that could snap or break free at any time and we’d be swept away.
I like your third tweet the best – it has more tension – “risk”, “storm”, “seasickness.” I like the idea that this life caused you physical illness – yet that wasn’t the worse of it – you faced even bigger challenges, personal challenges but still it was all worth it in the end. I also find the idea of uncertainty to be very compelling – “rarely plan.” I am dealing with a lot of that in my life now and have decided that I really want to know all the answers before I set out – but the uncertainty is probably what make the adventure most exiting to other people.
I hope all goes well with your proposals and your pitches. I am looking forward to reading your book some day.
January 4, 2019 at 08:56
Good points, Duwan. And I like the “far less ordinary” approach. You’re right about the self-Discovery part. I now wish that my book used that as a main theme. But, there is so much that has been touched on in the memoir. Probably too much. I hope I don’t need a rewrite!
You sure gotta trust that anchor! I remember being nervous about that the first few weeks of cruising.
Your third paragraph totally summed up my book! Well detected! I might have to steal some of those phrases to put in my overview for the book proposal. Thanks for the detailed input, well wishes, and encouragement.
January 4, 2019 at 10:52
Plunge for sure! Otherwise your writing is so much better than mine that all your suggestions sound good to me. Good luck with your pitches. Can’t wait to see your book in print (and Kindle)!
January 5, 2019 at 10:57
Thanks, Leslie!!
January 4, 2019 at 15:30
Good luck on your queries, and have a great 2019!
http://www.ficklemillennial.blogspot.com
January 5, 2019 at 11:05
Thanks, Gina! For your visit and your comment.
January 4, 2019 at 17:33
My input: Riding the Waves of Life – A life less ordinary; I really like the summary that you have shared; Tweet #3; You have obviously written an inspirational, compelling memoir, Liesbet, and I can’t wait to read it!
January 5, 2019 at 11:06
Thanks for the compliment and the input, Erica. I can’t wait to finish it! 🙂
January 4, 2019 at 18:05
Hi, Liesbet!
You’ve accomplished a lot toward completing and promoting your memoir, and you gave me some good ideas about things I need to do as I continue to write mine. I’m happy to share my preferences among the choices you listed, but they’re just my preferences. You must follow your heart and go with the ones that speak to you. And, of course, I haven’t read the book, so I’m trying to think of what might pull me in as a reader of the book.
I definitely like “Plunge” as a title. To me it speaks of adventure, tension, and the unknown. As for subtitle, I like “A Life Less Ordinary.” That adds up to: “Plunge: A Life Less Ordinary.” It’s short, signals something out of the ordinary, and doesn’t take up in a lot of space on a cover. Too long a subtitle makes me think of academic tomes. I can see working in the other concepts in a jacket blurb on the back.
As for the elevator pitch, I might shorten it a bit: Plunge is a woman’s journey through her thirties, exposing the ups and downs of life in the moment aboard a 35ft sailboat in the tropics.
Then if the elevator ride has a few more floors “…tropics: her adventures and the challenges of loss and love.” Something like that.
I remember once when the superintendent of my school district sprung a surprise “speech” on me with about thirty seconds warning. I never forgot his advice: “Make it short, make it pithy.”
Wishing you good luck! I’m sure you will find what rings true for you!
All the best in 2019
January 5, 2019 at 11:17
Hello Louise! Thanks for your detailed reply, well wishes and insights. They always say that a writer needs to put herself in the shoes of her reader, so asking for the preferences of my blog readers seems to be a good way to do this, since – as you know – my eyes are getting blurred over at this stage about what works and what doesn’t and I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore as I’ve been at it for so long. Fresh perspectives, that’s what I need! So, I totally appreciate your thoughts.
You make a good point about the subtitle not being too long. Noted!
Thanks for the elevator pitch suggestion, and I will keep the advice of your superintendent in mind. 🙂 I’m glad mine never pulled a surprise speech on me!
January 4, 2019 at 21:52
Dear Liesbet, what a wonderful amount of work you’ve done. Your analysis may lead to indecision at first but promises greater insight into theme, story, and audience as you refine that title, pitch, and blurb.
Re the TITLE: I really do like somehow using the word ‘nomad’ to widen the appeal to a broader audience. Using ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ as a series starter also seems strategic. If you go with a traditional publisher, I wouldn’t get too attached to any one title, as they may have further suggestions.
Re the MEMOIR SUMMARY: This one-liner sounds perfect. Consider using ‘one woman’s’ rather ‘a woman’s’ because this is a very specific story. Also, I like the positive spin of ‘love, life, and living in the moment,’ although this wording changes in the PARAGRAPH SUMMARY. Some editing suggestions to consider for the paragraph (((add?))) [[[delete?]]]: The following is messy, but I hope you consider the suggestions helpful OR please, just toss them!
Plunge is a story about love, [[[why not life? instead of loss. Note that ‘real life’ does bring loss, but may turn readers away if this is a primary theme]]] (((comma)) and living in the moment. /// Try always to delete ‘it is’ sentence starters. Maybe [[[It’s the]]] (((This))) [[[unfolding ]]] NOTE: the story covers a specific period of time so it would be unfolding. Lovely word, but maybe not needed here? So maybe:
This woman (((Maybe OK to just use Liesbet?))) seeks to expand [[[expanding = ing=passive voice]]] her horizons, first on the road, (((and))) then on the water, to pursue freedom and happiness. Her adventures bring her from Central America to the Caribbean to the South Pacific as she faces diverse challenges and figures out [[[whether]]] (((how?))) this alternative lifestyle keeps her connected, to herself, to her companion, and to the world./// Not sure about that last sentence. Is it too general? MAYBE: how this alternative lifestyle keeps her connected to the one she loves and her dreams.
Re the TWEETS, I love all three, especially the intimacy with the writer that using Liesbet’s name brings. So I hope you do try all three — and report back how they were received. Track responses, etc?
I didn’t mean to write so much and hope you find some of my comments helpful. What a wonderful project, dear virtual friend. I wish you every success and can’t wait to read your memoir (as many have attested). Beth
January 5, 2019 at 11:43
Hello Beth! You have no idea how much your insights and detailed comments mean to me. I so appreciate you taking the time to improve my writing and send me on the right path. You’re right about the publisher having the last word about a title, of course. I seem to be on the “perfectionist’s roller coaster” these days. But I do like to find something now that resonates with me and my readers. I’m processing your suggestions about the “nomad” and the series idea and have changed the one liner to “one woman’s…”. Good stuff.
I appreciate the help with the paragraph as well. And, I managed to decipher what you suggest. Using “love, life, and living in the moment” instead of the word “loss”, which has a negative connotation, makes total sense. Noted as well! Although some women have told me that the word “loss” attracts them to the premise and makes them want to find out what that is about.
The new paragraph sounds better after making the edits. I like your pointing out the passive voice and, yes, some of the words are too vague, like the last part “and the world.” I have one more question here, if you end up reading this reply… It’s about the world “unfolding” in “This is the unfolding journey…” What I mean with “unfolding” is that the story is written in the present tense and the reader finds out, together with the protagonist, what happens next as it’s happening. So, the story unfolds while reading (instead of in the past tense), if you know what I mean. “Unfolding” was the best word I could come up with to describe that process of life appears as it happens. Any better word suggestion for this?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience, Beth. This is very helpful indeed.
January 5, 2019 at 11:56
I really like A Life Less Ordinary.
January 5, 2019 at 12:11
Thanks, Patricia!
January 5, 2019 at 13:04
You have set yourself a great goal and done a brave thing crowdsourcing your title and more. Bravo!
Here goes my 2 cents….Plunge has pizazz but the rest is too much. I loved lexklein’s suggestion “Plunge: One Woman’s Leap into a Life Less Ordinary.” Leap is more active and impulsive, more along the lines of plunge than journey. That would capture my attention and make me reach for the book on the shelf. But I might substitute woman with nomad. “Plunge: One Nomad’s Leap into a Life Less Ordinary.”
As to your elevator speech and description, I want to feel more tension. I’m not getting the peril of the plunge or what kind of turmoil the resultant twists and turns might have created. Or even what surprises you found along the way. It’s more like floating along than plunging.
You’ve made great progress. This is the hardest part!
January 8, 2019 at 13:38
Hi Daria!
Thanks for swinging by here and leaving your input. I appreciate it! I’ll have to rework the summaries a bit, adding tension. Thanks for the tip. I’m pretty sure I’ll go with “Plunge” and “Nomad’s…” in the title.
As far as “A Life Less Ordinary”, I do like it a lot and it’s the tagline for this blog, but I think it’s too broad for my memoir. I’d love for a series to be called this, as I’ve been living a less ordinary life since adulthood, so also the years before and the years after the memoir period.
I truly like the “leap” reference, but it is similar to “plunge”. If I ever find a publisher, I’ll be sure to offer my favorites! I’m now considering “Plunge – A Nomad’s Journey into Unknown Waters”. Or, “One Nomad’s Leap into Unknown Waters” 🙂
January 8, 2019 at 21:25
Happy New Year!
Definitely Tweet #3. You want to get that part about living on a sailboat right up front, because it’s what makes your story unique and interesting. The same advice goes for any summaries.
As for titles, I like Plunge or maybe “Taking the Plunge” and “One Woman’s Journey…” You don’t need to worry about making it universal, because most of your readers are guaranteed to be women. Also “Riding the Waves” (getting rid of the “of life”) and keeping the same subtitle.
The summaries: for the one sentence, I’d suggest getting the part about the sailboat up higher. Same for the longer summary, while ditching the word “whether.” I’d use “how” instead, because people love to read memoirs written by those who have learned something. Whether makes it sound like maybe you have, maybe you haven’t.
Hope this helps!
January 10, 2019 at 08:18
Hi JH! Thanks for your comments and thoughts. It helps to learn from the pros. 🙂 I like “Riding the Waves” as a title as well. If I ever find a publisher, I will surely have a few titles ready to pick from. You’re right about the sailboat part. For me, it was just normal, just a lifestyle, but for the reader and agent, that part would stand out. I appreciate the help!
January 9, 2019 at 15:51
Liesbet, I just finished reading a great article by Matt Bird in Writer’s Yearbook 2019, titled “Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch.” He talks about developing a logline that is uniquely appealing, that identifies an ironic contradiction in the story concept, and that pitches a story that people can personally identity with (but on a larger, higher stakes canvas).
From this perspective, some of your word choices, such as, “a woman’s journey,” and “love, freedom, and adventure” seem too vague and cliched. Your life on the sailboat was anything but cliched and conformist! I prefer more specific nouns and verbs, like “nomad, seasick,” and “navigate.”
“Plunge” is short and captures the suddenness of your decision, but I don’t like it because it makes me think of a toilet plunger, which is not an appealing idea.
What about “Nomad at Sea” as the main title? I like “A Life Less Ordinary,” although it sounds slightly un-English, but I think that adds to its charm. But I can understand that you want to save it in case you do a series. I’m also thinking of “Navigates Green Waves and an Untested Relationship.” That’s not quite right, but maybe something along that line. I also like “Untested Waters” as a possible main title.
Anyways, food for thought. I prefer tweets #2 and #3, as they hint at the conflict in the story.
I am getting close to thinking about pitching my own book, so it was very interesting to read about your process.
Jude
January 10, 2019 at 08:30
Hi Jude!
First, if you’re almost ready to pitch your own novel, that is awesome news! You’ve made heaps of progress then over the last six months. Well done. The strategy for fiction is a little bit different than non-fiction, although I also read that pitching a memoir is similar to pitching fiction – the work has to be completed before attracting an agent/publisher. For fiction, the author platform is less important. Lucky you! I’m hoping to write more about this book proposal project next month.
And of course, thank you for your insights (and Matt Bird’s) about the elevator pitch and the titles. It’s interesting you bring up “Untested Waters” as I’ve been playing around with the phrase “Unknown Waters”. Although un-words also seem un-English to me. 🙂 Using the word “navigating” somewhere is strategic I think, so I will certainly put that in one of the summaries.
Thanks again for the comment and good luck with your own novel, the beta readers and the pitching!
January 11, 2019 at 04:36
WOW – you are really coming along. I think writing up the proposal and synopsis is the most difficult (and least fun) aspect of writing and publishing a book, whether fiction or no-fiction. I read through all your choices (excellent) and came up with my own version (below).. Good luck on the 15th!
Plunging into Untested Waters: A Woman’s Nomadic Sea Journey to Love, Freedom, and Adventure
January 11, 2019 at 14:07
Hi Pam! You know how to combine all good things in one tight package! Thanks for the insights and the wishes for the Twitter Party. You are right that these summaries are pretty hard and not much fun. Same with the book proposal overview and the cover letter. I’m hoping to be done with all that soon, so I can focus on the “real” book again. 🙂
January 11, 2019 at 16:21
I am late to the party but I love Plunge as the first word. Definitley grabs my attention. I choose tweet #2. Now for the second part of the title, a tough one. Going with 2 or 4. What a process this has been for you Liesbet. I can’t tell you much I admire your determination. I cant wait to hear what the next chapter i nthe process brings.
January 14, 2019 at 08:51
This is an ongoing party here at Roaming About, Sue. You are never to late. 🙂 I appreciate your “votes”. I think at this point, I’m pretty much set with the title “Plunge”. The subtitle battle remains tight between “A Nomad’s Journey…” or “A Life Less Ordinary”. I hope if I find an agent and publisher, that they can make a decision. I was playing with “A Nomad’s Journey into a Life Less Ordinary”, but I think both “nomad” and “life less ordinary” mean the same. I gotta move on. “Pick one!” Mark says, so that’s what I will do once I’m ready to click the send button on the book proposal document. 🙂
January 31, 2019 at 14:28
You have a growing (and engaged) group of followers here. Oh, how I struggled with title and subtitle. Now I’m grappling with book cover concepts.
My opinion: Must PLUNGE. This word/metaphor has both mental and physical implications. Pam’s subtitle is a good choice. As for the tweet: I’d use something with numbers. That way you can say a lot in few characters. The choice, in the end, is YOURS, though. 🙂
February 2, 2019 at 15:12
How’s the book cover coming along on your memoir, Marian? I’m curious about the end result, having an artist by your side. 🙂 Thanks for your thoughts on my title, subtitle, and tweet. Right now, everything is kind of a done deal and we will see if and when I find a publisher what they have to say.