Sunday, November 16, 2008

Haven't I met you before?

I am updating my synopsis right now. It sucks. There is a reason they call it the 'dreaded' synopsis. For me I think part of the problem is that I just want to move on. I don't want to do it. I want to stamp my foot. Throw a tantrum. As I am a mature adult I will not do either, although it is tempting.

Instead, I am going to push on. I will make myself do it. This is because for me this is part of being a writer. I have to pretend that an editor is tapping their fingers against their desk waiting for my synopsis. That the synopsis is clear and concise and tells them everything they need to know about my story. It sounds simple, but it isn't. How do you condense a 100,000 word manuscript into 5 pages (sometimes they only want 2) and have it give them everything they need? They want it to reflect your voice, it must include the romantic journey as well as the main plot. It must show the turning points in the story. Including the first meeting, the first kiss, the love scene, the black moment and of course the resolution. Don't forget to cover each main characters goal, motivation and conflict. starting to get the picture? It must be in present tense, you should not name minor characters... the list goes on.

It sounds like hell and it is, but there is a good reason for all this mental torture. It is a selling tool. An agent or editor do not want to have to wade through 400 pages of manuscript before deciding whether or not they like the over all story line. They are busy people (aren't we all!) and so a short overview of your story is what they want and if that sounds interesting enough they will want to see more and that is what the writer wants. Okay, that is what I want.

However, one must first write the damn thing. So, I'm back to it. Wish me luck.

May all your words be good ones.

1 comment:

Maggie said...

Hi Cas,

Lovely to see you in the land of blog. I'd like to add that a synopsis isn't just a tool for editors, it can also help a writer spot holes in their story.