This is getting to be a major issue for me. Heck, it is THE major issue in my writing career at the moment. My editor is a synopsis lover, and I am synopsis deficient. Truly, I am missing the syno gene.
Today I got the rejection for If You Say So. The comments were fantastic - in showing me what was missing from the synopsis. Too bad the issues aren't in the book as well.
When I write a syno, I fall on the plot crutch. What happens, and then what happens next. But that seems to leave large holes in the parts that matter - the conflict, backstory, motivations. I've tried so many methods to syno - GMC, point summary, chapter outlines - but it is not sinking in. I need a worksheet to fill out. What is your black moment? Your hero's motivation? Major conflicts? My synos tend to be all external motivation, making my stories seem surface in syno.
5 comments:
I agree Jenna. Synopsis suck! I was always good at writing book reports in school, but a synopsis throws me off because the editors don't want you to be secretive. They don't want the "Will they be able to get past their differences and throw themselves into true love?" stuff, they want it all. The highlights and the ending. It urks me to think about writing a synopsis. Why can't we just write, you're gonna love it and voila we are published?? :)
me too! me too! After writing a first draft of a sucknopsis, I'll go back and do a count of how many "then"s I have and it's rediculous. This happens, then this, then this, then that. Which is NOT a synopsis. Although it may be proper to call it a sucknopsis :-)
Good luck!
I'm forever perplexed by the synopsis. In theory, they seem to logical. In my head, I come up with good stuff to put in the synopsis. But when the time comes to actually write it, it ends up sounding so lame. Why why why?
I think you've struck a nerve in the heart of many writers. I don't like writing them either. I like the term "sucknopsis" cos that's how I feel after I write one. So so hard to get it all in there.
Sorry about the R, Jenna. Those are never fun...
I don't really have trouble with synopses, as least after I've written the book. ;-) I think your last paragraph is spot-on; for romance it needs to focus on the emotional journey rather than the plot points. I don't tend to include plot points at all unless they're also major emotional turning points, and I tend to follow the formula "This is what happens--this is the major emotional reaction to it."
Then again what the hell do I know. I haven't given my editor a synopsis for about three books now. I suspect I'll need to write one for my next book with Headline, before I've even started the book, and I'm starting to get cold sweats.
Sorry about the R. That sucks.
Are you feeling better?
Post a Comment