Conquer the Synopsis Summit

synopsis |səˈnäpsis|noun ( pl. synopses |-ˌsēz| )-A brief summary or general survey of something: a synopsis of the accident.-An outline of the plot of a book, play, movie, or episode of a television show.

Like the query, a synopsis can be intimidating. Thankfully there's plenty of great advice out there for conquering the Synopsis Summit.

If you visit Elizabeth Craig's "Writer's Knowledge Base" and type "Synopsis" into the search bar, you'll find a treasure trove of resources. Here are some of my favorites:

How to Write a One-Page Synopsis, by Susan Dennard

(This is TOTALLY AWESOME!)

The Sum of the Parts: Writing a Synopsis, by Janice Hardy
(As always, her advice is spot on)

Back to Basics: Writing a Novel Synopsis, by Jane Friedman

(Nuts and bolts of a synopsis)

Five Tips to Make Your Synopsis Stronger, at the Writer's Alley

(Cool tips for making a good synopsis stronger)

The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis, by Roni Loren

(Get it and get out, and don't lose your voice)

How to Write a Synopsis, by Nathan Bransford

(Cover the major plot points)

This time around, I tried something new. On a fresh sheet of paper, I wrote down each of Dan Wells' 7 plot points. Then, next to each plot point, I wrote one sentence summarizing that plot point in my book. Then I fleshed out each of these points.

My synopsis is still in its infancy, and there's a lot of smoothing, tweaking, trimming, and refreshing that I'll be tackling. But this system gave me a place to start. 

Do you have any tips you can share with us about writing a synopsis? Please share in the comments!

photo credit

NaNoWriMo -- Wicked Trick or Awesome Treat?

Fifty thousand words in thirty days. Writers all over the world are preparing to step up to the challenge that is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Are you one of them?

Last year was my first time, and I fell in love. It's crazy and exciting. It can also be intimidating, so my approach is to do what I can. If I win the challenge, great. If not, well, there's no down side for me.

I love the whole togetherness of it all. Thousands of us burning up our keyboards with the same goal, pushing and encouraging each other.

If you haven't seen these yet, here are some great links for getting prepped:

• How to grab them on page one by James Scott Bell
• NaNoWriMo: quick preparation tips and resources from Write it Sideways
• NaNoWriMo Boot Camp: Goals and Obstacles by Nathan Bransford

I'm a planner by nature, so I've plotted and written a loose outline. My index cards are filled out, stacked, and ready to go.

Are you in? If you want to buddy me, I'm at Julie Musil. I hope to see you there, and good luck in November!

Greener Grass

The grass is always greener on the other side, even in the writing world. We look at other writers and think, I wish I was there already.

Those working on their first drafts wish their wips were polished.

Those with polished manuscripts wish their queries were perfect.

The unagented wish they had agents.

The agented wish they had a book deal.

The published wish they had higher sales.

Best-selling authors wish they had a movie deal.

Round and round it goes.

With the right attitude, this can work in our favor. It gives us something to strive for while we're pecking away on the keyboard. Without the proper perspective, this could bring us down, making us feel as if we don't measure up.

I read somewhere that goals are dreams with deadlines. I think it's okay to look past where we are and work our tails off to get to the other side. As long as we understand there are weeds in that greener grass, because there are. In case you missed it, Nathan Bransford wrote an interesting post about When Dreams Become Expectations.

Am I where I want to be with my writing career? No. But even though the grass I'm standing on has a few weeds here and there, it feels pretty good under my feet. How about you?

photo credit: flickr

Glitter, Butts, and Rejection

I wish I could remember which author said it, but I once read, “nobody farts glitter.” I love that! Did you get a visual? Me too. The glitter is blue.

I’m devouring information about the craft of writing, and my simple brain has divided the process into four steps:

1. Write the manuscript
2. Make the manuscript great
3. Send the manuscript out
4. Begin a new manuscript

Or, as Nathan Bransford reminded us in last week’s post, Jane Yolen so eloquently calls it BIC (butt in chair).

One way to guarantee I’ll never get published? Not sending out my work. So, I’m sending out my best stuff. What’s the worst that will happen? Rejection? In the grand scheme of things, I think that’s a pretty small consequence. Does it feel good? Heck no. Rejections sting.

It’s been a looooooong time since I’ve dated, thank goodness. But I loved this hilarious “just not that into you” post by Shelli. She compares rejection letters to dating. How clever is that?