Synopsis, easy, or is it?

[2ndchance]

Rightly or wrongly, people consider that if an individual struggles to compile a lucid synopsis that their MS is likely to follow a similar vein.

Personally, I disagree, when I write, I do so with a fully loaded paintbrush, it flows effortlessly. The point is; we the authors live with our protagonist to point of adopting them. They become part of our life, cherished and loved.

So we end up having to scrunch every twist and turn into a page. To compound this we know how it works, we know what comes next. We are like comedians laughing at the joke before the end; we know the punch line.
I would rather pull my fingers nails out with a blunt instrument than leave out a turn or twist. That is it in a nutshell.

I know many have struggled and yet some find it easy. Where is the common ground? Do we think that those agents in their perceived ivory towers can’t see this? Surely, they must be able to see through the scribble that we often refer to as OUR synopsis. Certainly, hopefully, as long as they can see a character that grows, a plot that unfolds, a journey that is unique and a conclusion, good or bad they will read on.

Writing my synopsis has taken me to some ugly places, developing a sub-conscious ability to lose the plot. Instead of remaining faithful to our tales and ourselves, we start to use words we would hide from normally, $5 words. We construct sentences in a way that would never see the light of day in our MS. And for what a tick in the box, when is it that common sense will prevail.

Let me give you a different angle, a famous and much loved song, stairway to heaven. Has anyone heard the five-second version? It is awful...

Views?

 

[Peter Graham]

Let us take your Stairway analogy further. I am a record company plugger. You want to pitch Led Zeppelin IV, an exciting new album by a fresh faced bunch of crotch-wiggling fret botherers, who when not debauching groupies and soiling their loon pants in drunken stupors on transatlantic flights are prancing around a remote Welsh hillside pretending to be Merlin. I have asked you for a sample song, a letter of introduction and a brief rundown of what the album is all about.

Sample song is easy enough. You send me Stairway. You should probably have sent me When The Levee Breaks or The Battle of Evermore, but nevertheless I can gather a fair amount of information from the song. I can tell the style, the level of musical ability, how original or derivative it is and whether it fits the current market. If I know my onions, I should have a fair idea of where the record goes in the shops.

Your letter tells me who is in the group and what experience they have of the business. It also tells me who plays what, how long the band has been together and how much touring they have done. Do they have a local following? Have they released any material off their own bat? I can see from the letter that I am dealing with a professional, no-nonsense outfit who are aware that they want a commercial, business relationship to launch them into the big time of turgid American stadium rock. I'm not dealing with a bunch of prima donnas who are going to refuse to play Knebworth because the roadie hasn't sourced them a brandy glass full of brown smarties.

The rundown lets me see that Stairway is one well-thought out piece of a greater whole. I am not getting an album with one catchy track and one seventy minute long Wakemanesque prog rock noodlefest. The themes of the album - Lord of the Rings, Celtic whimsy and casual shagging - are consistent and help me understand how this band can be packaged and marketed and to whom they can be marketed (fat pub rockers and smelly teenage boys in denim jackets). I know what they are about and who they are speaking to.

You see what I mean? Yes - you are the writer. You have written a piece of creative work. That is your world - creativity. As an agent or publisher, I will try and understand your world and help you to make your product as good as it can be. But if you want to get a toehold in my world - the world of cold, hard, business, then you have to show me the same latitude in return. I need to see that you are someone I can do business with. You have to give me the bullets to fire on your behalf and if you won't - or can't - then why would I be interested in you? I have asked for a synopsis, letter and sample chapters because that is the minimum information I need to see whether I can sell you. I don't expect it to be perfect - I know that the work will need editing to the nth degree - but I want to see a spark. Not just of creativity and originality, but also of potential profit. We are going to have a client/professional relationship and that means give and take on both sides. We both need to understand that.

And that, old chap, is ultimately where the common sense comes in.

Regards,

Peter

 

[2ndchance]

Peter,

Well said, although I like Rick Wakeman and I do not wear a denim jacket.

Joking aside, I see and respect your points. It is essentially no different from my own work place. I am part of a senior management team, who must always be prepared to smell the coffee.

I do understand the ethos of this world, and have tried tirelessly to write a lucid synopsis. Six months on the book, nth months on editing and twenty eight thousand years writing a synopsis, that is light years.

My point is, we as newbie’s, in particular, know how the tale unfolds. So when we write a short, stumpy version, we un-wittingly omit the keys, and let us face it, no key, you’re not coming in, end of.

I do get it, but have been to ‘Ugliesville’ and back and its painful, it hurts and importantly it does not always reflect our ability with the keys, both keys.

Sod it, some people won’t get that: Keys to the agent’s door and the keys on our computer.

Thanks for the time you spent responding. I am getting ever closer; now I am on the far side of Andromeda and just need the short hop to M42... (Next known galaxy, although its side on to us so we know little about it... And there old chap is my point.)

Sincerely Stephen, (he-he keeping it at a business level.)

 

[HBrookhouse]

Good points, both. Personally I'm rapidly coming to the view that writing a successful synopsis is a completely different art to writing a successful novel. I like the analogy, Peter, showing that when you get in touch with an agent, you're looking for a business relationship. Having been in business, that's something I can relate to. Derrrrrr why did brain never get this before?!!

ctg sent me off to an excellent article, covering all your concerns, Steve. Hmm, don't know how to go there, retrieve it and stick in here without losing what I've written, so I'll just direct you to page 3 of Counterpoint ... synopsis.

 

[dustinzgirl]

Moved to workshop because it just seemed workshoppish although it probably should have went into the general aspiring writers secion but whatever, shop away.

Oh, and for the love of all that is good and holy and shiny in the universe do any of you people read forum descriptions???

Just kidding.

(not really).

 

[Boneman]

yeah, I thought that Dusty - but I haven't got your god-like abilities to move and shape the universe...

This may or may not help and I can't find the thread where I posted it before:

www.fictionwriters.com/tips-synopsis.html

 

[Terry Fancourt]

As a fantasy writer, I often come up against this one...

You've created a world that's all your own and the key events in your story revolve round the customs, peoples and geography of that world. So one page isn't a problem, it's the other four pages explaining it all first that create er... difficulties.

I also find it ironic that in order to find an agent, ie, somebody who is red-hot at sales to sell my book, I - who am decidedly not a talented seller - have to be... er... red-hot at sales. In other words, if I'm good enough at sales to get myself an agent, do I actually need one!

I agree with both the initial points and in addition would add - in a slightly off topic way, sorry - that just like applying for any other job, when I'm approaching an agent I always ring first and again when they've said "no" if only to ask if they are prepared to suggest another agent who they think might go for it so I can go to the next lot and say Agent X suggested I try you... if only to establish the beginnings of a connection.

Cheers

Terry Fancourt
(Fantasy Writer... or plain Fantasist... not sure which)