Open call: a winning proposal
Filed under Tips & Tools on June 28, 2004
Tagged: Maiden of Pain, open calls, proposals
It’s been a while since I was asked about what made my Maiden of Pain proposal the winning entry. With this new open call for Eberron, though, the subject has come up once again.
In truth, I can only give half an answer to the question. I never got any feedback from Phil Athans on the proposal, nor have I asked. This is what I believe got me the contract, though.
“Stories must grow organically from this setting.”
This was the central guideline from the open call that I followed. I could easily show you the handful of plot hooks I pulled directly from setting source material to generate my synopsis. My years of DMing really came in handy as I visualized possible outcomes of each suggested adventure scenario.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t come up with an “original” story (I think I did). You just need to make sure that it is tightly woven into the fabric of the setting, its themes, and current events.
A succinct synopsis
It’s hard to cram a 90k novel into one page. Hit your major plot points only. Don’t forget to throw in a little of how the events affect your main character, but be sure to keep the synopsis focused on action.
Solid writing
You’d think this was a given, but I read a few of the MoP entries that would have embarrassed me if I had sent them in. Both the synopsis and the excerpt need to be a reflection of your best writing.
Draw them in with the excerpt
I would recommend using the opening of your novel for the excerpt, rather than the middle or end, but go with something that sucks the reader in and holds their interest. Use a scene with action, mystery, or tension over heavy dialogue. You also want to make sure you introduce your main character, and not with just a description. Throw them into a situation and show how they react.
That just about covers it. I’d be interested in hearing from James what he thinks made his proposal for Bloodwalk the winning choice. Good luck to everyone who sends in a proposal.
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