Synopsis...ick

[Chacha]

So, I'm at the point where I'm writing a synopsis for my book. I've chosen to do this step last, even though I've read many do it first.

Anyhow, here's my problem - The thought of even condensing a 170,000 page novel into a very short version of what happens...I won't like, it made me balk at the thought. And as I'm writing it, I find it's much harder than anything I've written thus far. This is the main problem I'm having -- I read the parts of the synopsis I've already written, and it just sounds...not near as exciting as the book itself. I mean it's not terribly boring, like watching pain dry, but it just doesn't invoke the same excitement as I'm used to reading. Is it supposed to?

Maybe I'm just used to writing in detail, and covering everything that happens in my novel. I'm just finding it hard to keep it condesned, yet interesting.

Anyhow, any tips on this would be very much apprecieated.

Many thanks

 

[Pyan]

What do you need the synopsis for, Chacha?

 

[dwndrgn]

Think of it as a commercial - you've got 30 seconds to get the reader to purchase the book. Keep it simple, basics - no details - and hit the salient points. If you need help, try doing novels you've read. What would be a synopsis of one of your favorite novels? Practice on those. Or, consider what you would tell a friend about a book you think they'd like to try and get them to read it. Take those few sentences and make them pretty and that is your synopsis. Or, if that isn't working, you could try it as a newspaper article. Who, what, why, when, where and how. Break it down until it is very bare, and then add some color.

Of course, these are just suggestions. I hope it helps in some way.

 

[Commonmind]

The synopsis is the classic elevator pitch. Despite which parts of your novel might be important to you (the character finally falling in love with the base-born scullery maid) you have to sell the idea to an individual who has heard it all before, seen it done dozens of different ways, and has to decide between your book and the five more sitting on her pile given to her by agents, friends, or were recommended by family members who want to have a personal hand in getting the next Tolkien, Jordan, Martin, Williams, Gemmell or Salvatore published. Imagine you're about to die, and that you have two minutes to write out the gist of your idea on a single sheet of paper, so that another writer might be then inspired and be able, in some small way, to carry on your legacy. In other words, your synopsis has to sell the idea, be unique enough that it begs attention, but also embodies your story in such a way that it leaves the reader with a sense of what your world, story and characters are all about. I've written a book of 190,000 word length; another I wrote (almost to completion) has an impressive 200,000 words under its belt; I'm in the midst of finishing a children's book which is about as large as the first Harry Potter/Spiderwick/Edge Chronicles, and I have probably several hundred thousand words devoted to back-story, history, culture, theology, etc. etc. I can tell you first hand, that no matter how much I've written, or how much my skill improves, the synopsis is the most difficult, most tedious part of writing a book. I have tried and tried to a fault to come up with a good synopsis for all of my works, but ironically (although I can tell you what your synopsis should say) I have not written one that begins to do justice to any of my work. In other words, Good Luck (and pray to whichever god you choose).

 

[j d worthington]

You might want to take a look at this thread, especially the link given on it:

http://www.chronicles-network.com/forum/35481-help-with-synopsis-very-short-for-initial-email.html

 

[Chacha]

What do you need the synopsis for, Chacha?

I'm sending the first 10 pages, plus a synopsis into an agency. Speaking of which, I called them and asked them how long the synopsis was to be. (I had heard different lengths everywhere) They told me it was to be 1-2 pages.

Oddly enough, that made it easier. Before I thought it had to be something like 10 pages, which made it more difficult (I had to fill in 10 pages with very important stuff, but I wanted to explain things too much). But it didn't make it much easier.

And, commonmind - Yea, that's the problem - I cannot write one that justifies the book. My words usually flow easily to the page, except in this case. I'm actually finding myself struggling on what to say, what to include, etc. It's never really happened to me before, so it's quite different.

Thanks for the link, J.D. I'll take a look at that.

 

[Pyan]

I'm sending the first 10 pages, plus a synopsis into an agency. Speaking of which, I called them and asked them how long the synopsis was to be. (I had heard different lengths everywhere) They told me it was to be 1-2 pages.

Ahh.. if they say "1-2 pages", I wouldn't send 10. Where I used to work, applicants were always told not to send CVs, because we had our own application forms. In spite of this, at least 25% did, and they were always first on the "sorry, but..." pile.

 

[goddess_of_hades]

I use something called the Snowflake method, except it's usually used as a prewriting technique. I've found it works just as well backwards.

1. Write a single sentence that describes the protagonists, antagonists, and main conflict.
Tip: Don't use character names, but a quick description such as "a young elf maiden" or "a powerful sorceror."
Tip: If you can't think of anything, try using the following format or something similar: [protagonist] struggles to [protagonist's goal] despite [antagonist).
2. Expand the sentence into a single paragraph. (Four or five sentences.)
3. Expand each sentence of the paragraph into a single paragraph of its own.
4. Expand each paragraph into a single page.
5. Expand the page into however many pages the specific place you are writing it for requires, most usually somewhere around 1-3.

Since your place said 1-2, you might want to consider stopping at step four. Hope this helps you!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

You don't have to sell the book with the synopsis, you just have to make them want to read the sample chapters.

Between the two, you should be able to convince them that they want to read the entire manuscript. Then it's up to the manuscript to sell itself.

Once you have a track record, then you can sell a book solely on the basis of the proposal. But by then you'll know how to do it.

In the meantime, trying to do too much is as bad as doing too little. And give the agents and editors some credit: they know they're not going to get the entire experience in a couple of pages.