Synopsis Writing *shudder*
<-- (That's what I looked like while I was writing my synopsis)
So, after much angsting on my part (ok, that isn’t a word, but it should be) I’ve decided to enter the "Put Your Heart In A Book" contest through the NJ Romance Writers. The finalists in the category I’m entering are judged by people that I would love LOVE to work with. While it is presumptuous to think I'll even make it that far, I figured now's as good of a time as any to get myself started. So, I decided to dive in.
The only problem with this decision is that I had to write a synopsis.
Ugh.
The mere thought of writing a synopsis has filled me with terror. I’m writing a book that will end up somewhere between 90-100K long. How in the name of all that is good in the world am I going to condense that into a few pages and still make sense?
*shudder*
But, the deadline for the contest is June 15 so I needed to get going on it.
What does one do when they are faced with a task so enormous they don’t feel they can do it on their own? Why, of course! I checked the internet!
Here are a few websites I found useful, for your future synopsis writing needs:
1) http://lirw.org/synopsis.html - This site was by far the most beneficial to me. The author broke down the synopsis writing process into an exercise in answering 10 questions (hey, I can even answer 10 questions). Then, the darling person gave me an example using "Beauty and the Beast." Ten easy questions and an example from a children's movie? That's right! It was as if they were writing right at me! I went through and answered the questions and though it gave me a bare bare bones outline of my story, it was a great beginning.
2) http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml - This site suggested creating an outline first, then instilling the outline with more enthusiastic description. It also contains a list of don’t dos that helped me.
3) http://www.fictionwriters.com/tips-synopsis.html - This site included a checklist that helped me out and some basic guidelines. It was a short article which I found beneficial because I get ADD when I read how-to stuff
After reading through these sites, I had some direction and started plugging away. But, my first draft was, well, boring. Really boring. Then, one of my darling pirate wenches told me that my voice was one of my strengths and I should try to add that in there.
What, my synopsis should reflect me? Revolutionary, I say!
But, it definitely helped, though I think I should check it out again, now that a day has gone by since I read it last.
It has helped that I started writing the thing a week ago. Giving myself some time to leave it and come back a few times has helped me because I keep finding places to revise.
My last suggestion for you all is to check the contest website for any scoresheet/guidelines they give you. I know that sounds self-explanatory but the PYHIAB contest has a part of their scoresheet devoted to the synopsis. Referencing it helped me to focus my synopsis.
Have you written a synopsis? If so, how was the process? Any suggestions you can add to mine? Any websites you found particularly helpful? Did you just read my post and stick your fingers in your ears mumbling, “la la la, I can’t hear you, la la la!!”?
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33 comments:
Marnee, you clearly need a pet scientist!
The essence of scientific method involves stripping away detail to reduce a problem to its bare bones. We are dab hands at this stuff. So much so that journals often impose page limits on articles so that the complete story might look similar your synopsis.
Oh... good luck on the contest :) I assume you are entering the para cat.?
I'm entering historical---obviously :)
YAY to contests. I'm entering Jinan in this one. :)
I will say, for me, synopses have gotten a lot easier over time. It took me about twenty tries with ITN, and about one try then some awesome CPs to help me narrow it down to the specifics.
I don't mind writing them so much now, I still rather not write it, but I can do it now that I've gotten over the first one.
I found no helpful websites. It helps to have a CP who has read the story, so they can correct it and whatnot.
I've never written a synopsis. I eventually will get there:) I appreciate the helpful websites, and am tucking them away for future reference. The pirate that suggested you use your voice more in the synopsis was brilliant. You have a great writing voice, that alone should sell your book.
This post was just the kick I needed. Since I'm a pantser, it's hard to write a synopsis on something I haven't finished---because who the hell knows what's gonna happen, LOL. I've been thinking about entering the NJ contest and just went over the synopsis I wrote for the Celtic Hearts, adding things I hadn't written when I did it originally. Good luck everyone w/ contests and synopses!
Just checking in to say got some crazy stuff to do here so I haven't read this yet. However, I will rectify that as soon as I can. Give me a couple hours. *g* I'm sure it's fantabulous!
I've tried to write a synopsis before. Gah, since I'm a complete pansters and hadn't even started DV yet, it was a nightmare. I don't look forward to synopsis writing.
Great blog Marn! Good luck in the contest! You're gonna do great!
Q - I certainly do need a pet scientist! Do they come in the non-shedding variety? I already have enough shedding animals in my crazy abode. But, I have to admit that the process of writing this was a great exercise in reining in my creative side.
Tiff - I was actually thinking to enter in the historical category as well!! You know how it is with mixed genres. And I agree that having CPs and readers that are willing to tell me what is wrong with it has helped. I think I'm in draft 100 or something now. LOL!! Good luck with the contest too! Jinan sounds so interesting.
Lis - All my beloved pirates are brilliant. :) Thank you for the compliment. And I hope these help when you are ready.
Ter - Did you hear Lis call you brilliant? LOL!
Mags - I'm glad I could help! I think the NJ contest sounds great. Their scoresheets should give some good feedback and their final judges are great. I think it's a good one.
Marnee, after reading your blog, I can't help but feel thankful that I'm not having to write a synopsis. Sounds difficult. But I know that yours will have that "eye-catching" appeal.
Good luck to all who are entering the contest. My fingers are crossed for you. :-)
Sin - I think once you get around to writing a synopsis, you'll rock it like you do everything else. :)
MistyJo - It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's taken a lot of revising over the past two weeks, but it wasn't as horrible as I was expecting. Honestly. :) IF I can do it, anyone can. Thank you for the good luck!
I hate outlining. I hate anything that has to do with it. I dread that day you're talking about. Maybe I'll pay someone to write it for me. LOL
I *love* the B&B synopsis site! Anna Campbell turned me to this one as well: http://www.annegracie.com/writing/synopses.htm. I read it over lunch and was cracking up at the story. I mean, a synopsis is supposed to be boring, right? But this one really made me want to read the book! Annie said there were a couple "no-no"s and some flaws in it, but she included it all in its flawed glory as an example.
Best of all: she's organic. A pantser. And she said the story changed some from what they synopsis says...so it just goes to show, just because you're commmitting it to paper, doesn't mean you're committed to it. Things happen. Brilliant ideas occur!
Also, Marnee, I think your synopsis rocks: after all, it mentions the chicken. I think you're going to sell just for that scene alone.
Hellion - thanks for the additional site! That's a great one too. And I haven't finished my story yet either. It'll work out, I say. :)
And thanks, I hope it gets some attention too!
How about that. I'm the brilliant one today! That never happens. LOL!
I had to write a synopsis for my short story and I wrote a summary for Aunty Cindy so she could use it to crit my story. I say summary because I'm sure it looks nothing like a synopsis. When I started researching them and saw you need to get all of your character's main goals and motivations, I shut down. LOL! I swear the word "motivation" is going to be the death of me.
Congrats on entering the contest (and to everyone else entering!). I just know you're going to do great. And I'm with Hellion - I LOVE that chicken scene. Now THAT is brilliant. ;)
Now I'm off to collect these links for later use...
Chicken scene? I'm intrigued. :-)
This blog post couldn't have come at a better time for me, wenches. Thanks ever so much! I'm writing a synopsis right now. Wrote over 3 pages yesterday. Of course, it was easy because I'd already written that part of the book or thought that far ahead. Now, though I know where I want to go, I'm going to have fun taunting my character the best way I can. Huahuahuahua!
Oddly, with this book, I'm finding that I'm more the panster. It's one of those miracles where the words and storyline are coming out of the cosmos and onto the page. I'm ecstatic!
Thanks for the website links. I'm going to check them out!
Good luck entering the contests, Marn and Tiffany!
I'm off to cheerleading camp today. I'll check back in with you guys next week. Until then, partay wenches!
Ter - You're brilliant more often than just today. You just got the kudos today, that's all. :)
Call it what you like, summary, synopsis, same difference. And motivation.... maybe we need a new word for that too.... How about a character's reasons? Or the incentives for their actions? Maybe stimulation. Hey, I like that. Sounds dirty, probably fits on the boat with the lot of us. Any of these tootin' your horn?
Stimulation. *snort* A little stimulation would certainly be motivating...LOL!
{{Marnee Jo Says:
Q - I certainly do need a pet scientist! Do they come in the non-shedding variety? I already have enough shedding animals in my crazy abode.}}
Afraid most suffer from hair loss....all the brain activity does it I believe.
Ah well, can't win em all!
Q - no hair is better than too much hair, I say. LOL!!
But the one I have for LAYLOM, I absolutely hate! I included everything in there, single-spaced, and hate it.
I hate synopsis. Hate them. I want to just write a synopsis where it states: Hero meets Heroine. A lot of shit happens. They live HEA.
I think that synopsis is golden, and I did write a semi-version of that for LAYLOM. LOL
Ely, don't worry. The current one I have for GOGU is everything in there, and it sounds completely boring. I don't remember my story being THIS boring. I hope eventually I can get to a version that sounds like something someone would want to read!
Hi Kathy! (I had to de-spam your comment again! Argh! What is up with this ship! Geez!) You're pantsing your way through this novel? *grins* Welcome to the dark side! Glad you're enjoying it!
Kathy - Hi! Glad you're enjoying your writing. I've heard it's supposed to be fun. LOL!! And glad I could help you out with the sites. Spread the info around, I say.
Ely - My first draft was like that. It was like, well, that's what happens but I swear it's not so boring. I wanted to write a disclaimer at the top: "caution, novel not as boring as this would lead you to believe." Decided I should revise instead. LOL!
Checking in one last time.
If it's not bad enough you have to write a synopsis in present tense and make it sound interesting, you also have to give the editor/agent/judge a sampling of voice. Huh? Someone please tell me how one does that without making it sound like... A + B = C. :-)
Hi All!
Don't tell Terrio, but that summary she sent me is a synopsis. SHHH!
I've come to the conclusion that NO author likes to write them (some will LIE and say they do, but come on!) and nobody does a particularly great job of writing them. Marnee is right, condensing 90+k words down into 4 or 5 pages is torture! That's why my CPs and I have designated them POSS (piece of sh*te synopsis) because mostly that's what they are.
A torture device developed by editors, agents, and contest coordinators -- it's a conspiracy, I tell ya!
LOL! Hi Cindy!
I agree! It's a torture device, designed to sway us from submitting I tell you! I'm not having it though! We will persevere!
*Setting down my rally microphone and waiting for the responding cheers signifying a hyped up crowd. Crickets chirp.*
*sigh*
YEAH! Aunt Cindy! Have you seen the Crow's Nest announcing your grand arrival on Friday the 13th!? I can't wait to hear you blog with us...I know you're going to be a riot!
Marnee, I love you...your cheerleader performances on a ship of uncoordinated, cynical pirates really must be commended.
Thanks, Aunty. Your check is in the mail!
I'm happy to say AC and I have conducted her interview and you guys are in for such a treat. She's a font I tell you!
Marn - you're so cute. LOL! You just have to remember to throw that Huzzah! at the end. That's what wakes us up.
Thanx a bunch, All!
HUZZAH!
Aunty is polishing up the crop just for the wenches!
Hellion, as you know, I will only be a riot if the other Banditas follow and stage a raid (a distinct possibility).
And what Terrio doesn't add is that yes, I am a font, but mostly of useless info. :-P
AC
I LOVED that first site--thanks for the link.
What did you do to inject your voice in your synopsis? Did you take a drier version (as if you could ever write a dry version ;) ) and "write it over" or did you start from scratch once you'd compressed the story down to 1-2p?
Oh why oh why oh why did I not find this blog yesterday? I strained and whinged and really had a a terrible time, and now I find those links and man wouldn't it have been great to have those??? ah well, I've bookmarked them now. Thanks for the links, I'm using them for the rest of eternity.
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