Getting someone else to write your synopsis.

[Colbey Frost]

Smart or lazy?

Like a loved one...

 

[Hex]

Useful, if you can persuade them to, because they get it all wrong and then you have to re-write it and say what it's supposed to say - but a helpful place to start (in my opinion)

Edited to answer the question: smart AND lazy

 

[Toby Frost]

It's probably a good idea to ask someone else what your book is actually about - main themes rather than plot details - although this is something you ought to know as well. It may help having someone else's view, as they may be able to point out that you've written a coming of age story or whatnot when you didn't realise it.

But I'd write it yourself. After all, your writing is probably better then theirs.

 

[Colbey Frost]

It's probably a good idea to ask someone else what your book is actually about - main themes rather than plot details - although this is something you ought to know as well. It may help having someone else's view, as they may be able to point out that you've written a coming of age story or whatnot when you didn't realise it.

But I'd write it yourself. After all, your writing is probably better then theirs.

I can write one, and do know what its about BUT its hard to not include certain bits... like, i dont know, just feels wrong.

Letting someone else do it might open up more points and feelings you didnt mean to convey etc... also at the same time you could ask for feedback on story also... hmmm "just highlight in red your ideas, or changes that would help the story."

EDIT: and when they have written it then you can re wright it?....

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

If you ask a friend to write the synopsis, what makes you think they could do a better job of it than you can -- and if they can, why not simply ask them to explain what they know that you don't? There are people you can hire to write your synopsis for you, but everyone I know who has dealt with them has been dissatisfied with the result.

You can hire a freelance editor (such as ... ahem, me, for instance) to help you write the synopsis. The advantage of that is that you get professional help but take part in the process yourself, are therefore more likely to be happy with the result, and learn things that you would not have learned by having someone do it for you (ideally you should have learned enough from the experience that you'll be able to write the synopsis for your next book unassisted).

Be aware, though, if you decide to work with a professional on this that a lot of "professionals" are actually scammers -- which explains, I think, the high level of dissatisfaction with the result. Whether it is someone who writes it for you or someone who helps you write it, check their credentials because scammers always inflate theirs.

And either way, it's not going to be cheap, because whoever does this is going to have to read your entire book if they are going to be able to give you more guidance than you can get here for free. And there are many, many articles online that will explain how to write a synopsis, and I would advise asking for help only if you are struggling after reading several of those.

As for asking for feedback on your story from someone who has only read the synopsis (if I am reading you correctly)? A bad idea, in my opinion.

 

[The Judge]

Like a loved one...

That rather presupposes that said loved one is actually capable of writing a proper professional synopsis. If he/she is, then yes, it's an excellent idea to get help in that way -- though in that event it's odd you should ask our opinion on the matter since a person who can do that is presumably already helping with all other aspects of the book. If he/she isn't capable of doing that, then all you're doing is substituting one possible car crash for another -- the loved one may indeed come up with things you've omitted, but will they be valid points or complete irrelevancies which need to be ignored?

If you're part of a writing group, then definitely seek help from the other members, but my suggestion would be to write a first draft yourself and ask the others to critique it before writing versions themselves if they are willing to do so (and always assuming they have read the whole thing -- if they haven't then, as Hex says, they will invariably get things wrong). That way you learn what you are meant to be doing as they synopsis evolves.

 

[Jake Reynolds]

Totally with Teresa and the Judge on this. Personally, I find writing synopses to be the most difficult thing to do. I generally splurge onto the screen and then cut and tighten like twisiting wire, squeezing out all the irrelevant words. Still very difficult to sound unique whilst also appealing. I always wonder though; if I'm finding it that hard and I wrote the thing, how can I expect anyone else to do it justice?

 

[Boneman]

My best synopsis came after I wrote it, tweaked it, threw it away, started it again, rewrote it, and then took it to my writing group and rewrote it again. It was definitely much better for the input of others, and especially writers...

 

[Freelancer]

First I thought I would do better if someone else would write it. But than I realized, it's my story, so the best person for this job is humble me. Since that time I learned how to write a synopsis, how to write a logline (Yes, I still hate them.). So my opinion is; do it by yourself, otherwise you're never going to learn it. If you want to be a good writer, totally independent from anyone, you must learn this part of the job too.

 

[Boneman]

Didn't want to hijack Alchemist's thread but the dreaded synopsis was rearing its ugly head again... I didn't have time to mention this earlier, but the best exercise I was ever set, (when I did a one-day course in 'editing your own book') regarding synopses, was this:

1. Write a one-sentence synopsis.

2. Write a one paragraph synopsis

3. Write a one-page synopsis

Do it in that order and that order alone. That helps you to see what is important and must be put in a synopsis and what is unimportant and can be left out of the synopsis. It was suggested that you start with work that isn't your own, but you know really well. As an example, you could try it with Stars Wars episode four, A New Hope... This is just off the top of my head...


1. A young man overcomes the might of an evil emporer's forces, and destroys a death star, making the Universe a safer place.

2. The plans for an evil death star, capable of destroying whole planets, fall into the hands of a young man, who is guided by a Jedi knight to rescue the princess who had sent them. They enlist the help of a smuggler to get the plans to the rebels who are fighting against the evil emporer, and the young man manages to destroy the death star, because of an increased awareness he's been trained in, by the Jedi.

3. Princess Leia is pursued across space by Emporer Palatine's star troopers, and before she's captured, she manages to send two robot droids to the surface of a nearby planet. The droids come into the hands of a young man named Luke, who is startled to see part of a message, where she is pleading for help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. He takes the robots to Ben Kenobi, who reveals himself to be a Jedi Knight, part of an old order that upheld truth and justice, and reveals that Luke's father had been a Jedi Knight. Luke decides to go with Obi-Wan, when his guardians are killed by the Emporer's forces who are searching for the robots.

They enlist the help of a smuggler Captain Solo, who promises to take them to the Leia's home planet. On the journey, Obi-Wan begins to teach Luke about 'The Force' - a mysterious energy that can be called upon by those trained in it. They arrive they find the death star has been activated, but manage to rescue Leia from the death star itself. Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to ensure the others get away, by engaging Darth Vader, a former Jedi knight, who had been seduced by the dark side of the force, in single combat. Vader was Obi-Wan's former pupil, but now does the Emporer's bidding, aiming to stamp out a fledgling rebel alliance. Luke and Solo manage to get to the rebel planet, but the Death Star is close behind.

Luke is disappointed that Solo chooses to leave, as there is a bounty on his head, and he needs to pay it. The rebels attack the death star as it prepares to destroy the Alliance planet. Just as it looks as though it will fail and Vader will destroy Luke, Solo returns and saves him. Luke manages to destroy the death star by trusting in the force, rather than the technology of his space-craft. The heroes are reunited.

That's possily shorter than one page, but you get the idea. The only important people in the story are Luke, Obi-Wan, Vader, Solo and Leia (sorry chewbacca...!), all the others are ancilliary to the plot, and can be left out. It's not important who Luke's living with, what his aspirations are; it's important that his father was a Jedi, and that he goes with Obi-wan and destroys the death star because of the force. Love interest with Luke/Leia/Solo triangle? Not necessary in a short synopsis - it's also unimportant as it doesn't drive the plot one little bit.

Try this with your own work - it focuses the mind really well. And then you can go onto a 1500 word synopsis... where you do bring in the love interest and the fabulous aliens we encounter in the story...

 

[Hex]

I think I got halfway through that exercise and gave up in tears (*). I should go back and do it with grim determination until I get something down on paper.

One problem I have when writing synopses is how acceptable it is to deviate from the detailed truth of what actually happens in order to tell the 'spirit' of the story. I don't mean I want to put in every single detail (although that's true too) but that sometimes by leaving out details, what actually happens makes no sense. So do I tell a good story, even if it's not absolutely what happens, or do I stick to the absolute truth and risk clunkiness?

(*) not real ones, tears-for-dramatic-effect ones, but I think my lip wobbled.

 

[The Judge]

My feeling is you have to tell the exact truth, no porkies at all. If what happens reads clunky, your job is to de-clunkify it -- no need to add all the details, but just enough to make it clear. If you're worried, though, Hex, you can always try it out in Critiques, giving a blow by blow of what happens and then the fibbing spirit/good story, and we can see if we can marry truth and elegance in a few short sentences (with apologies to Jane Austen).