Selfish Reasons

I have to admit, part of the reason that I was so eager to help Roger judge the contest entries is that I get to see how other people write and present novels. Basically, as a judge, I'm getting the same view of writing that an agent gets. I receive the first 10 pages and a synopsis. I'm curious to see how Toe the Line's synopsis and first 10 pages might compare.

I read my first entry this morning. With a bit of anticipation I whipped out the manuscript and dived in. Surprisingly, if only because I was hoping for the opposite, the writing was pretty good. The first chapter, very short, dealt with an old farmer in Arkansas, plowing a field. First person POV. He dies. I'm not escpecially interested in paranormal, but hey, I'm a judge, I read on with an open mind. The chapter ends, no conflict, no compelling reason to read on, but decent writing in terms of prose.

Chapter two is equally uncompelling. A woman wakes up in Texas on her ranch, fand for reasons not made clear through the writing, she goes and takes a leak outside. Her dog is far too interested in this action and I find myself screwing up my face in displeasure at the amount of detail the author affords this process. Eventually the lady goes for a long run, the author detailing her spandex running shorts throughout this segment, and eventually runs into of the ranch house guests. The dialogue, the first in the novel, is horrible and strained. It's the dialogue that would force me to drop this book if I had more than 10 pages. It is the last straw.

I read the synopsis. It is the most absurd plot I have ever imagined. Wrestler's training at the ranch, an intervention group hosting a session at the ranch, a guardian angel who helps the main character overcome death by teaching her how to do "ethereal pushups", its complete mush, and worst of all utterly uninteresting.

Were I an agent, I would have been hopeful when I was reading that it would get better, but the lack of conflict and the screw-ball plot would have forced me to pass quickly.