Creative Manuscript Services is giving a Structural Analysis Report to one lucky writer!
This report normally costs $550.00.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is:
- intrigue us with your best one-sentence summary, premise, logline, elevator pitch (or whatever else you want to call it). Yes, just one sentence. Anything longer will be disqualified. Here’s a post on how to do that well.
- subscribe to receive email updates to this blog by entering your email address in any subscribe box on this site
- allow us to use the report as an example to promote Creative Manuscript Services (we’ll be happy to remove anything that would identify you)
- provide a detailed outline if you win.
That’s it.
If your one-liner is strong enough to grab our attention and we choose your story to receive the free report, you’ll need to provide a complete outline or synopsis within seven days (so get started early if you don’t already have one).
Pretty simple, huh?
The outline should be as detailed as possible, including all the main:
- plot points
- sub-stories
- emotional arcs
- character arcs, etc.
For structural purposes, you’ll also need to identify where the Beginning (obvious, but put it in anyway), Middle and End start.
Just remember that your outline is a tool for writing, not necessarily a sales pitch, and needs to reflect the novel in detail from beginning to end. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve written the story or not.
Just in case you don’t have an outline prepared, we’re giving you plenty of time to complete one (a useful exercise regardless of whether you win the report or not).
Your outline should be at least a few pages long using a standard 12 point font, but up to 20 pages is fine. If you send the entire novel or anything longer than 20 pages (unless there’s tonnes of white space and you query first) we’ll file it in the round file and award the report to someone else.
The same goes for incomplete outlines. It’s a full report, not a partial.
If your story is several books long, add a one-sentence summary to your outline for each sequel (optional).
And that’s it.
Enter your one-liner below along with your name and email address so we can contact you if you win (and confirm whether you’ve subscribed). Once you’ve done that, start working on your outline. Easy.
The winner will be announced here in early May. Only one entry per person is allowed.
*All one-liners will be treated confidentially. Nobody else will see yours without your permission.
Find out more about Creative Manuscript Services on our Testimonials Page.
This is a great idea and, if I had an outline or something resembling one, I would be doing this in a heartbeat!
In that case Jen, I’d better write a new post: “The Cheat’s guide to Outlining”!
I think I may be starting to doing outlines for all of my writing. I think it will keep me on track to what I want to write and get my point across much better…
I do like the idea of the cheats guide to outlining though! Bring it on!
Perhaps I could do a guest blog on the subject for you?
That would be awesome! I could put it on wordpress!
On it’s way now Jen!