Stupid Synopsis Part 1

Before we get started, I want to remind you that today is your last chance to enter the Hollow Blog Hop for your chance to win a 30 page critique, a query critique or a synopsis critique. Getting agent feedback before you query is priceless so don't miss this opportunity. Click on the big pumpkin over there. ----->

Now let's talk about the synopsis.

I have to say, that as hateful as these buggers are, they are immeasurably helpful when evaluating a query. A well written query illustrates a writer's ability to plot their story and create a satisfying ending. A synopsis shows you know how to boil down your story to it's core elements.

Source

And if that doesn't sell you on why you need a good one, keep in mind that if you're writing a series, publishers will want to see one for your future books so they can decide if they want to buy more than one. A girl can dream right?

So what is a synopsis? According to Merriam-Webster:

Definition of SYNOPSIS: a condensed statement or outline (as of a narrative or treatise)

Examples of SYNOPSIS: I don't need to know every little plot twist; just give me a synopsis of the movie.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

When writing your synopsis there are a few things to keep in mind:

* Do not start your synopsis with As our story begins, On page one, or At the beginning of the novel. Your novel will need to establish normal before blowing everything up for your main character. All of this normal should be condensed into a single sentence immediately followed by the big hiccup set to change everything.

* Do not name every character in your novel. In fact, you should probably mention less than half of them. The more secondary characters you bring to light the more secondary plot you're including. Bad ideas on both account. Include your main character, a minimum of secondary characters that directly impact the main plot line and the Antagonist.

*  Do not be vague. The line The main character X encounters many set backs on her journey to finding Y may work for back cover copy, but has no place in your synopsis. Clearly identify the main obstacles in the way of the core plot and how your protagonist overcomes them.

* Do give away the end. This feels counter-intuitive, like telling someone the ending of a movie they want to see this weekend. However, this is a key component of the synopsis. Without it, an agent will be left to wonder if you know how to end a book. 

* Do exclude anything not related to the main plot line. This is maybe the hardest rule to follow. You've written a fully fleshed novel with tons of great twists, turns and intricacies. It's natural that you want to let an interested agent know about you brilliance. But don't do this in the synopsis. It's just not possible to fully explain all that's going on in your novel in a 1-2 page synopsis. Any attempt to do so is going to result in a jumbled mess of Huh? Stick to the key conflicts and let your work speak for itself.

Now that you know my "rules" for writing a synopsis, come back on Friday and I'll share my secret tips for how to write your synopsis in five easy steps.

Synopsis Part 2

Why Write with yWriter

A few posts back I mentioned my intent to start plotting my next novel. Being the non-plotter than I am, I devised a somewhat complicated albeit colorful method for figuring out all the 'what happens next' of my manuscript.

Then I got some wonderful comments from all of you. You people are fabulous!

I was reminded to check into Scrivener (something I had looked at previously but dismissed in a wash of pantsing). So I decided to check it out again. One thing can be said for Scrivener...it's pretty. All the fancy buttons and note cards that look like real note cards on the screen. The geek in my cheered. But I couldn't pull the trigger.

Forty dollars is not a crazy price to pay for some software that has the potential to make my writing life vastly improved. I don't have anything against paying for software either. Just like writers, programmers gotta pay the bills, too. But here's my thing. If I buy the software and then don't use it, it will haunt me. Spending money. Fine. Wasting money. The epicest* of all fails.

So then I found this fancy website. www.alternativeto.net.  It's amaze-balls. You can type in any program you're interested in and it tells you where to find free-ware versions. Please note that freeware doesn't mean someone copied the software and is now pirating it. Freeware is legitimate software created by folks who just like to share stuff with people. Think of it as a free ebook. Happy dance!

On this fabulous new website I found yWriter**. This little gem was created by a programmer who is also a novelist. So he gets what is really needed and what's just something flashy that will become a distraction.

I started outlining my next book and so far I love it. I can input scenes with as much or little detail as I want. Then put them into chapters and move them around as I like. I can type the scene right into the software and then easily save to my computer or a thumb drive.

My favorite feature so far is the timeline. I can tell the program how many words the whole project should be and then input the date I expect to complete the first draft (or second, or third, your choice). The system then tells me how many words I need to write every day. If I don't hit that goal, the timeline automatically adjust to spread the extra words across my remaining days.

It also has some other cool features. One I'll need to play with is the synopsis feature. Using the general notes you enter for each scene, the program compiles them into a single document. Obviously, you'd never send this off to an agent as it is. But for those of us who hate writing these, it's a great place to start.

I'll let you know if I continue to use the software as the project continues. For now I'm continuing to plod through the plotting process.

*epicest is not a real word. However, it should be.
**yWriter is only for PCs operating on a Windows or Linux system. The programmer actually recommends you use Scrivener if you have a Mac.