Tuesday, June 09, 2009

That *&#%$! Synopsis

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...

12 comments:

  1. 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* :)

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  2. "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.

    Good luck with it.

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  3. 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.

    Good luck with yours!

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  4. Good Luck, Melissa :) I hate them too, but they're a great writing exercise.

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  5. I don't know if there's any good advice on writing them that makes it any easier. Best wishes, happy writing!

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  6. Synopsis-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.

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  7. I 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:)

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  8. Good luck! I actually like the synopsis part. :o)

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  9. Synopsis. 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.

    Get a favorite snack and have fun!

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  10. Erica Orloff did a great synopsis boot camp on her blog - check the archives.

    Good luck!

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  11. 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. ;)

    Kristen Nelson just did a post on them, too. Just search her archives for "art of the synop"

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  12. I know how you feel, they're horrible things to write. Best of luck.

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