I've been avoiding the synopsis for a month now.
It's not that I have no idea how to write it. I've written two others before, and my career as a freelance cover copy (read: book jacket) writer has certainly helped me condense an entire novel into a few paragraphs.
But boy, am I dreading it. Dreading it so much that, well, I haven't even thought about it. Whenever it does happen to cross my brain, I quickly discard it and say, "I'm not ready for it yet."
Like many other things, I believe the fear of writing the synopsis is worse than actually writing it.
Guess there's nothing to do but, well, do it.
Off I go...
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Living in the Land of "I Don't Wanna"
I'm currently at war with myself. The "you should be..." committee is fighting with the "I don't wanna" committ...
You can DO it! (If you need an extra set of eyeballs, holler at me. I'll help keep you accountable.) *putting on pointy cowboy boots* :)
ReplyDelete"I believe the fear of writing the synopsis is worse than actually writing it." Hmm. I'm not sure *anything* is worse than actually writing it. I loathe the things.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it.
Oh, good, I'm glad it's not just me! I'm stuck on my synopsis, but I actually don't know what to put in it. I've done a couple (long) versions of it and they just don't cut it. Like you, I need to just stop fearing it and DO IT, then edit it from there. Cuz the novel ain't going out the door until I have the synopsis ready.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with yours!
Good Luck, Melissa :) I hate them too, but they're a great writing exercise.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if there's any good advice on writing them that makes it any easier. Best wishes, happy writing!
ReplyDeleteSynopsis-writing is easily the most wretched task of the novelist. Just gotta dive in and start wrestling with it. I've found that if I accept that the first three versions (at a minimum) will be crap, I have more patience to stick it through.
ReplyDeleteI have that same fear--I dread it and I know in a few months I will be where you are too. Just sit down and do it! At least the rough draft and go from there:)
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I actually like the synopsis part. :o)
ReplyDeleteSynopsis. Blech. Now I write mine before I write the book. Then I go back when the book is completely revised and I compare. It's fun to see how close or far off I veered from my original vision.
ReplyDeleteGet a favorite snack and have fun!
Erica Orloff did a great synopsis boot camp on her blog - check the archives.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Ugh - I'm sorry - I just spent some time on the dreaded synop, too. I did find there's something kind of freeing about taking my mind out of "creating" mode and putting it into a more technical/editor mode. And there are less pages to carry around. ;)
ReplyDeleteKristen Nelson just did a post on them, too. Just search her archives for "art of the synop"
I know how you feel, they're horrible things to write. Best of luck.
ReplyDelete