Tag Archives: The Editor

Gillian Holmes, (aka The Editor) Responded to Frost’s Request for Help Writing a Synopsis

Posted on by

Synopsis: A brief summary of the plot of a novel, motion picture, play etc. by Gillian Holmes

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

 

A very talented friend of mine sent me the synopsis of the novel she was writing for her Creative Writing MA. Her tutor had sent her away with a flea in her ear, and she came to me with no real idea of what she’d done wrong.
As a veteran of synopses of nearly twenty years standing, I saw immediately that she had made a very common error. Namely, she’d forgotten what a synopsis is. She thought she needed to show her thinking behind the book, and give the reader a flavour of what was to come. Consequently, she had managed to give far too much information, while also giving too little.

How is that possible?

 

  1. She wrote a lot about her main character, while neglecting the plot.
  2. She had included lines from the book, but with no context, they were irrelevant.
  3. She had tried to illustrated the themes in the book, but neglected the plot.
  4. She had tried to illustrate the humour in the book by describing the occasional amusing scene. But she’d neglected the plot…

 

Do you see where I’m going here? So when you sit down to write your synopsis, always remember that  this is not a creative work, so don’t try to be too clever. Clarity is everything.

 

So what do agents and editors want from a synopsis?

 

  1. They want 1500 words or fewer.
  2. They want an elevator pitch – a couple of lines that outlines the concept. The concept is a very strong consideration for all agents and editors, so make it snappy and memorable. For example, let’s take a recent bestseller – The Husband’s Secret. A happily married woman with three children discovers that her husband murdered a young girl when he was a teenager.
  3. A brief summary of the plot, key moments, key events, and main characters so they can see the arc of the story and judge whether the structure seems sound – leave out complicated sub plots, it will only bog you down in unnecessary detail.
  4. The end – and that means the end. Don’t hold anything back, this is not a cover blurb.

 

And that’s it. Easy peasy.
If you’re wondering about my friend, I sent her back to rewrite her synopsis several times. But it was worth it. She got an A for it in the end.

Gillian has been an editor for mainstream publishers for twenty years. Now she runs her own editorial agency.
To contact Gillian:  gilliansholmes@hotmail.com

 

 

Early Chapters by Gillian Holmes of The Editor | Get Published

Posted on by

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Frost is delighted to have an editor of Gillian’s calibre to help aspiring authors. It’s particularly apt, because the fundraising Independent Author Book Award, run by www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk is open for entries until 6th March 2016.

 

Last year’s winner, Jane Cable, is now represented by the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency as a direct result of the competition. Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency is judging this year’s Award.

 

So over to Gillian:

 

Early Chapters

 

It’s tough being a writer, and we editors appreciate that. I have never written a book – if you don’t count the half-written romance with a Daniel-Craig-as-Bond-type hero, but the least said about that the better. So all writers who have the tenacity and commitment to complete a novel have already earned my full admiration.

 

However, on the other side of the coin, having worked as an acquiring editor, a reader for literary agents, and a reader for competitions, you can appreciate, I’ve probably read more than my fair share of opening chapters and synopses. And sometimes I stop within half a page. It sounds brutal, but when you have a lot of manuscripts to read, you simply don’t have the time or the inclination to read on to see if it improves.

 

So here are ten tips to help you catch the eye of the judges.

 

First the Don’ts:

 

  1. Please do not, and really I mean this, open with a dream. Ask any editor/agent/reader. There is nothing more irritating than to be pulled into some action, only to find it’s not real. Can I add here, do not ever use dreams as a way to move the plot forward. Please.
  2. Do not open your book with backstory… if we don’t know the characters, how can we be interested in their backstory?
  3. Do not start the book with a minor character. No matter how good the writing, as soon as the reader realises that the character they have been reading about disappears by chapter 2, they will give up.
  4. Do not open with your character doing mundane stuff – getting ready for work, having breakfast, unstacking the dishwasher, going out the door – because although you may think it’s a great contrast with the explosive action that comes later, the reader may never know that. They’ll have given up just as your character is locking their front door.
  5. Do not mince your words. Starting any book with exposition and/or long descriptions of the character or location can be mind-numbing for the reader. Dive in, all will reveal itself as the book unfolds. Speaking of long descriptions: watch out for flowery language and too many adjectives. Having to wade through paragraphs of wordy prose before you even get to the story is frustrating and time-wasting.

 

Now the Dos

 

  1. Give the reader a snappy opening line that immediately intrigues.
  2. The submitted chapters should be the very best they can be, so I would suggest you hire an editor/copy editor. It can be an expensive business, but do it for just these three chapters in the first instance. It makes a huge difference to the reader, and could give you some useful advice for the rest of the book.
  3. Keep the pace moving and don’t get bogged down in irrelevant detail.
  4. Introduce us to your characters – the reader needs to be invested in them from the start.
  5. If you’re sending a prologue as part of your first three chapters, make sure it’s relevant and interesting, not just a convenient way to give backstory.

Soon I will be giving you some hints on writing the synopsis.

 

 

gilliansholmes@hotmail.com

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk

 

 

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret Graham

Posted on by

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Gillian Holmes – aka The Editor – has been working in publishing for nearly twenty years. She started out at Quarto, working on craft books and worked with many publishers, and finally

Arrow Books where she edited many bestselling authors, such as Katie Flynn, Dorothy Koomson, Amy Silver (aka Paula Hawkins), Cathy Woodman, Margaret Graham, Lisa Lynch, and many others.
Gillian now has her own editorial agency, The Editor, and over the following two weeks, she will be giving advice on the first three chapters, and the synopsis. This might well prove useful for any of you who are thinking of entering the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award. Last year’s winner is now represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. Felicity is this year’s judge. (more details www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk)

Frost asked Gillian more about herself.

What are your passions?

 

My main passion is reading. My parents moved around the world a lot and because I went to boarding school, I didn’t have many friends at home. So books stopped me feeling lonely. Well, that and my musical box (no music as all tapes warped due to the tropical climate) which I would play while I pretended to be a ballerina. Quite sad considering I have never had a ballet lesson in my life.

 

I also love to swim. An early morning swim will usually set the day up perfectly. I find solutions to all sorts of problems in the water – including problems with the book I’m working on at the time. Oh, and I am a massive QPR fan; this affliction has taught me forbearance and patience.

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret GrahamQPR2

What do you read?

 

I read widely and according to my mood. I usually have several books on the go. I read women’s fiction when I want to be engrossed in someone else’s life. For those days when I’m tired, I read romance – contemporary or historical. It’s comforting and always cheers me up. I also really enjoy real-life tales of derring-do like Agent Zig Zag. Also, Samuel Pepys’s diary is a big comfort read for me; he always makes me laugh. I like crime for when I’m bored, I particularly like books with a long-running characters, so Jo Nesbo and Lee Child are great favourites. Recently I’ve discovered a new character to follow in Tony Parsons’ Max Wolfe: tortured single father, boxer and policeman. What’s not to love? And finally, I adore historical novels. I used to raid my mother’s collection of Georgette Heyers and Jean Plaidys, but my absolute tip top favourite was Katherine by Anya Seton. Last year, my aunt researched our family history and, thrillingly, she discovered Katherine is our grandmother (great great etc). I was in actual heaven! Personally, I think this is the most interesting fact about me. If my friends had ever heard of her, I’m sure they’d agree.

 

What do you love about what you do?
I have never managed to write a book, so I admire and respect authors enormously. Books have been my constant companion throughout my life, so to read one in the rough, and help an author shape it to be the very best it can be, is enormously satisfying. Editing is very subjective, so as an editor I must never lose sight of the fact that this is not my book, so I need to set my ego aside. Just because I’d do it differently, doesn’t mean I should advise the author to do it my way. An editor has to be a different person for every book they edit and work within the parameters of the author’s style and vision. I like that challenge, and if an author seems genuinely happy with my suggestions and work, I’m thrilled. I love knowing that I have helped create something without actually having to do all the work. I’m a bit lazy, you see.

 

The first three chapters or so are important in drawing in the reader. 

What would be your first piece of advice?
Firstly, your first line needs to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone of the book. Don’t save your best line for half way through the first chapter, or even half way through the book. Get it out straight away so the reader wants to keep going. Then the challenge is to follow through on that promise. Try not to fill the first chapters with backstory and description. Always remember you’ve got another 70,000 words plus to fit that in. Just keep it moving. Hook us in and don’t let us go.

 

I find a synopsis difficult. Will you be helping Frost readers with this? If so, in a nutshell, what should a synopsis do?
Yes, absolutely, because having worked as an acquiring editor, an agent’s reader and a reader for competitions, I know how important a good synopsis is. Firstly, remember why you’ve been asked for it and who you’re writing it for. Usually it’s for a competition or a submission to an agent/publisher. They want the synopsis because, if they like the first three chapters, they want to see how you’ve developed the rest of the book. It will give them a clear overview of the concept and structure, and often determine whether they will want to see the rest. They don’t want irrelevant detail and descriptions, and they don’t need dialogue. And most importantly, they DO NOT want you to leave a cliffhanger. Finally, keep it short – 1500 words or fewer.

pic 3 books

Will you ever write a novel?
I’m not sure. I have a butterfly mind and I tend to get bored quite quickly. Writing a whole book would entail me concentrating on one thing for far too long. Having said that, I did write half a book once – it was a romance inspired by my crush on Daniel Craig (I know, I know, I’m a sad cliché). The heroine (who wasn’t at all based on me, not at all) rescued him from some dastardly kidnappers. I got so involved with my characters (well one in particular) that I expected him to email me to let me know what happened next. Sadly, he never did, which I know he regrets.

 

pic 5 daniel craig

 

Or a short story?
Short story writing is a very particular skill and not at all easy to do. I might try it one day, though. The great thing about short stories is they can be just as satisfying as a good novel, but they don’t take as long to read.

 

Your favourite book as a child?
I had two. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield – I wanted to be Posy so badly, that when I had my daughter I (briefly!) considered it as a name. And A Little Princess. I went to boarding school when I was very young, so I related. Which is a little dramatic of me, as I was treated perfectly well by the school and, disappointingly, I never did discover that I owned some diamond mines.

 

What question would you like to be asked?
How does your husband Daniel feel about the fact that your career as a prima ballerina keeps you away from home so much?

To contact Gillian. gilliansholmes@hotmail.com
To find out more about The Independent Author Book Award: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
Words for the Wounded are also holding a LitFest on April 16. www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

 

 

Meet Gillian Holmes – Literary Editor

Posted on by

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Gillian Holmes

 

Frost is delighted that Gillian Holmes of the editing house, The Editor, will, over the next few weeks, advise Frost’s readers on writing successful first chapters, and that tricky beast the synopsis.

 

The timing is particularly apt because the charity Words for the Wounded (sponsored by Frost Magazine) has launched its 2016 Independent Author Book Award  for self published books – fiction or non fiction/e-book or physical.  which is due to close on 6th March. Last year’s competition was won by Jane Cable, who as a result is now represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Grahamfelicitydrew2 Felicity Trew

 

It is Felicity who is judging the Words for the Wounded competition this year, so flex those fingers, sharpen your imaginations and let Frost, and Gillian, help you along the way.

 

Gillian Holmes  has been working in publishing for nearly twenty years. She started out at Quarto, working on craft books – applique and decoupage was very popular at the time and she’s endeavoured to forget everything she learned about those skills over the years.

 

She quickly moved on from that nightmare to work at Simon & Schuster where she worked with authors such as Jackie Collins, Ben Elton and Sean Hughes. As well as doing quite a lot of football, the X Files and books about UFOs.

 

Then on to Carlton, working on illustrated non-fiction and TV tie-in novelisations – the Coronation Street novel is a particularly proud moment. The entire 40 years in a novel.

 

But with three children, life in-house became difficult, so she worked as a freelance editor, copy editor and proofreader for various clients, before moving back in-house to Arrow Books six years ago, where she edited many bestselling authors, such as Katie Flynn, Dorothy Koomson, Amy Silver (aka Paula Hawkins), Cathy Woodman, Lisa Lynch and Margaret Graham, and many others.
Gillian is really looking forward, over the next few weeks, to helping those of you who are working on a novel, or perhaps to inspire those who are not, to do so.

For more information about the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award, and the charity which raises funds to help in the recovery of wounded service personnel, go to www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

Gillian has now set up her own concern, The Editor: gilliansholmes@hotmail.com