October 22, 2008

Writing Synopses

Lynn Viehl, over at Paperback Writer, has a great post on writing synopses - and it includes links to other sources of information, as well. One of those links, for example, is to Charlotte Dillon's collection of over 50 links dealing with writing synopses (includes examples, runs the gamut really).

What's a synopsis?

It's a chapter-by-chapter summary of your novel, written so your editor doesn't have to read your book in its entirety. Should end up between 2 - 15 pages, depending upon the size of your manuscript.

Lynn Viehl recommends you write your synopsis BEFORE you write the novel itself, one of her hints for NANOWRIMO ....

October 3, 2008

Lydia the Tattooed Lady

I caught part of Dick Cavett's famous interview of Groucho Marx the other day, and was thrilled to hear Groucho singing Lydia, The Tattooed Lady ... which you'll remember, was also sung by Tracey Lord's little sister in The Philidephia Story ....

I'm putting the lyrics here because it's my blog and I want to ... and for your listening pleasure, here are the links to listen to both Groucho Marx sing this little ditty as well as Virginia Weidler from the movie:

At the Circus
The Philidelphia Story

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,and a torso even more so.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is The Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it, The Wreck of the Hesperus too.
And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.La-la-la...la-la-la.

When her robe is unfurled she will show you the world,i
f you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree,or Washington crossing
The Delaware.

La-la-la...la-la-la.La-la-la...la-la-la.

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
When her muscles start relaxin',up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of them all.
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
with a view of Niagara that nobody has.And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.La-la-la...la-la-la.

Come along and see Buffalo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva, but with her pajamas on.

La-la-la...la-la-la.La-la-la...la-la-la.

Here is Grover Whelan unveilin' The Trilon.
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Isle-on.
Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.

La-la-la...la-la-la.La-la-la...la-la-la.

Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Champ of them all.

She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
for he went and married Lydia!
I said Lydia...
(He said Lydia...)
They said Lydia...
We said Lydia, la, la!