When I began writing Pursuit of the Golden Lily, a veteran of the publishing world counseled me to write an Executive Summary. Knowing nothing of such things I trolled the internet for examples and set to work diligently following a set of helpful guidelines I found. Initially, it felt laborious - more in line with writing a grant proposal (a task familiar to my career path). However, the guidance I found was perfect for me.
1. Overview
2. About the Author
3. Competing Books
4. List of Chapters & Summaries
Obviously the 'Overview' was helpful - 'Competing Books' too, as it offered me a glimpse of what was available along similar lines (no pun intended). However, the clincher for me was the 'List of Chapters & Summaries. Wham! Right there, I had to map out the entire plot, which for me, was brilliant. Firstly, aside from a few crumbs of ideas, I really had no clue how my storyline was going to unfold. As I began to simultaneously research and navigate the adventure, it was truly amazing to watch how it all unfolded. As I've said before... the book writes itself. It did. Like a co-pilot, I observed and commented, jumping in here and there to tweak and polish.
Naturally, the Executive Summary is not for everyone, but if you have a complicated plot, as I did, it certainly helps iron out the creases, uncover missteps and catch omissions.
If you enjoy a good mystery, check out Pursuit of the Golden Lily
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