cj Sez: I’ve been toiling on the dreaded synopsis for an
unnamed work-in-progress.
What is a synopsis, you may ask. The very successful
publishing consultant Jane Friedman defines the synopsis this way:
“The synopsis conveys the narrative arc of your novel; it shows what happens and who changes, from beginning to end.” (“Back to Basics: Writing a Novel Synopsis” )
Basically, the
starting sentence of my synopsis is my elevator pitch . . . twenty-five or so words that might
pique the curiosity of an agent in the few seconds I have if we’re caught on an
elevator together.
The synopsis also reflects
the same voice/tone as the manuscript. The document will be chronological in
terms of where things happen in the manuscript and to whom. All the story
threads will be neatly tied up, but it will include only major characters and
major scenes. Beginning, middle, and end which means even if it’s a mystery, it
will (must) reveal the ending. This is, after all, going to an agent or
publisher.
When I’m finished
with the whole thing, I’ll ask another writer if s/he can make sense of what
the story is about and if are there questions that need answering. Of course, that means I’ll need to get into edit cycle four, five, et al.
Normally, I wait until
the manuscript is complete to do a synopsis, but a friend of mine suggested
doing a synopsis for each chapter as it’s
completed. That does sound easier since everything is really fresh in my
mind.
The interesting
thing for me about writing the synopsis is that it helps me identify plot holes; hopefully, all of them.
Three questions:
Ques 1: When do you write your synopsis…when the manuscript is complete or when each chapter is complete?
Ans: . . . .
Ques 2: We’re about a month out from the first day of summer
so I’m asking…why are we seeing hellacious heat and humidity on the Gulf Coast
already?
Ans: Okay, I know the answer to that one. It’s because Mother
Nature doesn’t pay attention to humankind’s calendar.
Ques 3: Next week is Memorial Day weekend…anyone care to
guess how high the national average for gas prices will be? They’re already on
the way up.
Ans: And your guess is. . . .
That’s it for this post. You-all guys keep on keeping on,
and I’ll try to do the same.
cj
A review of Deadly Star from Rebecca Barrett, author of Trouble
in Paradise: "cj petterson has crafted a tale of murder, espionage,
and romance which builds to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. With a gift
for well-written dialogue and a deft touch at creating suspense, Ms. petterson
delivers a must-read story in Deadly Star."
Simon&Schuster
Author Page = https://bit.ly/2uo1M0Z
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