Story Sensei

 (I originally posted this article on a blog in 2010, but I’m reposting it here.) I wanted to talk about putting together a fiction proposal for your manuscript. Not all proposals are set up the same way, but I’m going to go through the structure of a typical one. Cover page (It can be single or double-spaced, your choice) Your name and contact info in the top left corner (mailing address, phone number, email address) The manuscript’s genre and word count in the top right corner In the center of the page, center justification: Title of Your Novel by Your Name (optional) your agent’s name and contact information in the bottom right corner After the cover page, all the other pages of the proposal should have a header just like a manuscript, with the title, your name, and the page number of the proposal. Story blurb (optional) Start this on a fresh page after your cover page, and single space it. The story blurb is just a paragraph—two to four sentences—abou...

Cynthia asked: I have read articles, but this is unclear...how should scene/sequel progression relate to chapter breaks, or does it at all? Camy here: Good question! I’ve had a few people ask me this question lately so I thought I’d post the answer here. I usually go by page count for my chapter lengths, and whatever— Scene or Sequel or both—fits into the chapter is what I include. My chapters are typically 8-12 double spaced pages long. My Scene/Sequel progression usually depends on: 1)the length of the Scene or Sequel 2)what’s going on in my storyline 3)if the Scene or Sequel ends with a good hook If the Scene or Sequel is long, I might only have the one Scene or one Sequel in my chapter—I look to see if my chapter is between 8-12 pages. If one Scene or one Sequel makes it less than 8 pages (like, say, only 6 pages), then I’ll include the next Scene or Sequel. If adding another Scene or Sequel makes the chapter significantly longer than 12 pages, I might instead inclu...

This is my fifth year coordinating the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest for unpublished writers! We just went live yesterday! Deadline is 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 31st, so get your manuscripts polished so you can enter! Actually, enter by March 15th in case your entry gets lost in cyberspace, so we have time to find it. You must be an ACFW member to enter the contest, but you can join when you submit your entry fee! If you're thinking seriously about being published in Christian fiction, ACFW is a fantastic organization! Here's the website: ACFW Genesis contest