by
Snippy Snuffalupakins
Queries are fun.
Synopsises are neat.
(I'm lying.
Both make me want to chew my own feet.)
Showing posts with label synopsis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label synopsis. Show all posts
And they lived happily ever after - The Synopsis
Or maybe "... and they didn't speak to each other for the rest of their lives." How about, "... then his nemesis died a long and fiery death."
I'm working on ILYU's synopsis. You actually get to explain what happens in the entire novel with a synopsis, including the ending (yay!), which I've found is much easier than writing a query. Especially compared to the email/shortest version of query. Can you imagine if agents required us to text, or worse yet, tweet our queries? Oh the stress us writers would be put through! (If for some odd reason this small blog is ever seen by an agent, please, I repeat, please do not even ponder for a second the possibility of that idea!)
I think each writer has a different opinion about a query vs. a synopsis. The main reason I love it the latter is because you're allowed words. WORDS! More than a mere few hundred of them to explain this thing, this chunk of your life that has consumed more thoughts than you ever imagined were possible to come up with. I'm a big fan of words, and tend to go far beyond what I plan to write, even when blogging. Summarizing 70,ooo-some pages is hard. I love to throw in the "good" details. So being able to explain the entire plot, for me, is a wonderful thing.
Some agents request a synopsis. Others don't. My next batch of agents to query require that I send both. Now this could be my naiveness talking, but being able to send the synopsis along with a query actually gives me a little comfort. It's my opportunity to share more about ILYU, to highlight the conflict and make it shine. (We'll see if I still feel that way in a few days, when I'm closer to finishing.)
Here's a description of a synopsis, according to an article I found on this website- A successful synopsis is not a short story version of your book nor or a piece of creative writing. It is a business document.
The article goes on to summarize the key points to writing a synopsis. I liked how it was broken down, and thought I'd share it with you.
1) Characters: Some People Count, Some Don't.
This list must be kept to the bare essentials. So and so's brother's wife's old neighbor's ex-husband isn't necessary to mention, unless he plays a major part in the story.
2) Plot: Just the Facts, Ma'am.
Think of this as the key ingredients to your story. Descriptions of feelings and how people look don't go here. The only thing necessary is just what this title says, the plot. Keep the story moving, keep the agents reading.
3) Conflict: Show how the Characters Suffer
Ah. The most exciting part to write. Actions, reactions. What did that particular event make the character/s do? Did anyone learn anything from that event? Did it make them better, or worse, in the long run?
4) Description: The Devil is in the Details
The best line in this advice in this paragraph is "... search the synopsis for adjectives and adverbs and then cut almost all of them." Yeah. This will be my weakness.
5) Show and Tell
I'm reminded of what I blogged about a while back, when I was having a hard time writing the beginning of ILYU. My MC was supposed to be telling what happened, and I had to stop and look at it from the point of view of being the listener, sitting somewhere as Hallie told her story. That's exactly what you're supposed to do. Tell what went down, simply. Hold back on a bunch of descriptions.
For more information on synopsis do's and don'ts, check out these links:
Rebecca Knight: Writer in Progress (I had no clue she posted about this yesterday until I had already written this post. Great minds think alike!)
There are many more sites with great info. Do a quick search. Google can be your best friend.
Well it happened.
I knew it was going to eventually, and with everything going on around here, I just didn't make the time I should have to prepare myself better.
A couple of days ago, Lovemuffin and I were hanging out with a friend of his - having a normal conversation about nothing in particular, and then...
He asked what my book was about.
To which I said, and I quote - "Uh, er...it's about, well, this girl...well without giving too much away...uh...and then..."
DUH. *insert my head between a rock and a hard place here*
Luckily this guy was a super-nice one, and he had the decency to tell me - "Well let me know when it comes out..." (which, as all writers know, is such a remote possibility right now anyway - but I am trying my hardest to keep the dream alive!). That was so nice, right?
But that question got me thinking. As writers, we're so busy writing and working on queries, researching books and articles online (and of course trying to figure out the perfect synopsis to write up), that sometimes the part of the "book" which actually involves the reader (the very most important part, might I add - and part of the reason for my dream at least - to share my story with others) gets pushed aside for other pressing matters.
Now obviously I know what I'll Love You Until is about - I've been writing for months and have thousands upon thousands of words on the computer and on paper. But I'm wondering how other writers do it. How much do you all share (without giving the entire plot away - or does that matter to you?). How long did it take to write/figure out your own personal summary to use when asked this same question? (And while I'm asking questions, do you prefer a nice sweet white mocha...or something a little more plain, like caramel or simply just plain ol' coffee?)
Later that day while talking to Lovemuffin, I laughed at having drawn such a blank, and mentioned that maybe I should just print out the very vague synopsis which has been posted on my blog ( http://coffeelvnmom.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-name-is-jessica.html ) and memorize it. (He thought that was a great idea.)
But I'm still curious to know what everyone else does. Anyone care to share?
Always sharing my love of life, writing and coffee -
coffeelvnmom (Jessica)
PS - If you haven’t taken a stroll over to the **Bookstore Poll** here on my blog, please do - the poll ends in a few days and I could use as many opinions as possible! =)
My Name is Jessica...
I’ve finally gotten to the point in my new venture to where I feel I can share this with all of you.
Some of you may think it’s odd that I didn’t share this sooner - but I was in my world of Hallie - and didn’t want anything to change my perception or view of anything until I was done. (And of course I was nervous as well, let’s face it - everyone is scared of rejection and pessimism - I was giving a large enough dose of that to myself and didn’t think I could handle it from anyone else.)
A couple of weeks into May (and before summer vacation began) I had this spark go off in my brain. I was lying in bed one night, trying to get to sleep - my mind racing 100 miles an hour as always - and for some reason I just saw a scene in my mind.
The scene wasn’t like my dreams - where I don’t see anyone’s faces but I know who they are regardless - this was different.
In this scenario everything was crystal clear - faces were obvious and motives made sense and the setting, the background, the voices - everything was in detail.
I fell asleep seeing this - these characters & the emotions across their faces - feeling the way they felt, and even knowing what they wanted.
It wasn’t too far into the following day before I headed downtown to the store and bought myself a journal.
Writing my vision became a major part of my every day life - I was being me, dealing with my children, talking to my friends, going to work, doing the whole chaotic last weeks of school thing, and writing.
I carried my journal wherever I went - to J’s softball practices, to work, in the car - writing down anything and everything that entered my mind.
Lovemuffin was the only person I told (not that it wasn’t obvious after the first few days of coming home to me writing or typing constantly) - and I swore him to absolute secrecy. I think at the beginning he thought I had lost it. (I had, of course, just read the Twilight Series for the second time - and I think he figured I was just excited and trying to do something like that. But I wasn’t.)
But the more I read my ideas to him, the more he got into my story as well. (I think - though he may just have been being the wonderful husband that he is and was just saying whatever he thought would make me happy. It had to be confusing for him, since I wrote everything out of order. The poor guy knew the main event before the beginning, ect. But back to the story...)
Before I knew it, I had characters and ideas and conversations - and the pivotal part of the story line figured out. And for the next month I wrote, and wrote, and wrote.
When I had arrived at about 35,000 words or so, I decided it was time for some input.
For those of you who don’t know my mom, she was a secretary for many years, and is a better editor than I am - I inherited my writing skills from her! (And for those of you who know me well, you know exactly what I mean by that. Grammar has always been the one thing I know well. Math- whole different story.) So it was only logical to ask my mom to go over it. (My mother was also sworn to secrecy.)
Fast forward to now. I have finally finished writing, for the most part. The book is now at approximately 60,000 words, but by the time I have finished with editing and whatnot I figure it will be closer to 75,000.
I have been researching publishers, agents, and everything else involved in taking the next step in this dream I have to eventually see my book/s on the shelves in a bookstore. It takes a lot of time and effort. And reading.
I’m learning more about the business day by day, and most of it is positive information - but of course being a writer is like being a needle in a haystack. You want to be “found” but you have to find the right people - and then once you find them you have to submit your info to them and basically throw your hands up into the air and wait. And hope they are interested in your work. (Let me just say that I am not naive. I understand the percentages. I know how small of a chance I have to get this past where it is right now. But I am going to try my hardest anyway - to get my info into the right hands and see what happens. Because this is my dream, and I am going to try my hardest to achieve it.)
Finding the right people is my task at the moment. I’m presently trying to write my query for agents - and dealing with the task of writing the synopsis of my book - a few short paragraphs, or hook; which describes the story line and *hopefully* gets someone interested in representing me.
If you’re still reading this boring blog, I’m sure you have a few questions. Questions about what in the world I am writing (or perhaps what in the world I am thinking).
As I am barely at the beginning of this entire process, I don’t want to give too much away; but then again, if you are still reading this, you deserve a little information for staying with me so long, right?
So. Here you go. My first entry into the world regarding this book (aside from a quote I snuck in a few days ago on my fb - the status update which said to turn to page 56 on the book closest to you & write the 5th sentence - hee hee I’m sneaky). It’s only little bit of info - my generic synopsis, if you will.
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Main Character: Hallie Barnes
Synopsis: Hallie Barnes has been followed by a black cloud throughout her adult life. Though by now she is used to the constant disasters that seem to follow her wherever she goes, none of them have prepared her for what is about to happen.
I’ll Love You Until is about Hallie’s relationship with Brenden, her husband of ten years - and takes you through a time in her life as she deals with unexpected and even catastrophic events shoved her way - including the sudden, startling arrival of someone from her past, and involuntarily being forced into an unforeseen future.
And there you go. Yes, it’s vague, I know - but it has to be. I can’t very well tell you the entire story line, now can I?
Now this “secret” is finally off my chest. I can move on and tackle my work knowing that it’s out there and everyone knows it. Hopefully it sparked some interest. Or questions.
I already have the next book in mind (the second in a series of 3, hopefully *crosses fingers*) so I would love to hear from everyone about what makes you interested and keeps you reading. Obviously that would be very beneficial to me.
Until next time, my readers-
My name is Jessica...and I am writer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
