I think I suck at writing synopses (venting)

Sunshine13 · Oct 7, 2008

I could cry right now, especially with my crazy hormones. All week I've spent reading other good synopses, reading How To's, finding a good formula to go by, etc. I'm TRYING, I'm really trying to get this thing down despite my mood of discouragement and utter BLAHness of having to write one. I don't know what my problem is. The stress isn't helping. I just so want this thing to be written so I can start querying and I'm becoming impatient with myself which I know isn't helping any.

I think I got a good start in the synopsis. But then it all just unravels. It isn't that I don't know WHAT to put in there, it's making it enjoyable to read instead of a list of things that happened. Did I just run myself dry? I tried reading others to get my juices flowing again, but it doesn't seem to be making any difference. My brother, who is currently reading my ms, is coming on Saturday and I plan on picking his brain and maybe I'll get some ideas then but I'm still just so bummed right now.

It's times like this I realize I'm not a naturally talented writer. I have to totally work on it. I can easily think of interesting stories on a grand scale from beginning to end, but getting it onto the paper the best way possible just doesn't flow out naturally like it does with some people. Is that a sign? God I hope not. I'm going to be a writer, there is no if and's or but's, it's just want I'm going to do. I've always been able to do anything I put my mind to so I know I can do this, I'm just frustrated, impatient, and just plain mad at myself right now. Blarg.

Thanks for letting me vent

Kaytie · Oct 7, 2008

I know what you mean about getting the stories onto paper! I had a good breakthrough when I finally learned to give myself permission to write horrible first draft material, knowing I could (and would) fix it with later revisions.

And synopses are annoying. Are you looking for suggestions here? Can't tell if you want help or not, so I'm just going to throw this out for you to take or leave as you see fit:

A good way to begin the process of writing a synopsis is to write three or four sentences summarizing each chapter. Cover plot as well as character development in these sentences.

Then when you've finished, start looking for places where you can condense information, combine related information, and pare down word count. Stop when you get a 2-3 page outline and save it, because sometimes agents ask for a longer synopsis.

Now really focus on your main character for the one page synopsis. Even if you have secondary characters who are important in the novel, focus on the one who's in front of the reader the longest.

You could even try writing the synopsis in the present tense, which I think gives energy to a story. Look for places where you can use active verbs. A synopsis is marketing material, not art, so it doesn't have to be written in the same tone as the novel. It should be compelling, as you know, but it doesn't have to sound exactly the same.

Anyway, I hope that helped. I know you were venting above, and I hope you're feeling better now!

sharla · Oct 7, 2008

I keep editing so I don't have to do the synopsis. I'm scared of that whole process! The writing is easier. Wouldn't it be nice if all we had to do is write and someone else would do the business part? Well, I guess that's partially what an agent will do, but we have to do the business of getting one of those!!

I feel ya! I'm going to have to step off in that muck shortly, I'm running out of things to edit.

Calamity_Jones · Oct 7, 2008

I think it's time to take a break if it's getting you that wound up. Then you might go back to it refreshed and full of new ideas. I don't know, everyone works in different ways. But slugging away at something relentlessly when you're getting nowhere won't help. A new perspective might.

I could cry right now, especially with my crazy hormones.
The stress isn't helping.
I'm becoming impatient with myself.
I'm still just so bummed right now.
I'm just frustrated, impatient, and just plain mad at myself right now. Blarg.

That lot doesn't sound very productive, it sounds like it's killing you!

Did I just run myself dry? I think you might have.

My brother, who is currently reading my ms, is coming on Saturday and I plan on picking his brain and maybe I'll get some ideas then.

I would just forget about it until then, relax and see if any ideas just pop into your head. Try reading a copy of your ms yourself, try summarising the story like Kaytie suggested. But don't try to write any more Queries. Give it a break! Try to look forward to doing it on Saturday, plan ahead and set yourself the task of being prepared to get it done on Saturday.

Or something.

qwerty · Oct 7, 2008

Synopses are bummers. I hate em and I'm sympathizing.

But, when it comes down to it, you've written the book and you know what's in it. I was advised to make a list of the important points - like what moves the narrative forward - and not to include minor characters. Take the important events in chronological order and try to show a beginning, a middle and a conclusion.

And write in present tense. It's not about prose, it's about letting someone who knows nothing about your book discover what happens.

You can do it, just try not to beat yourself up about it. And then there's the SYO facility on AW.

Michael Parks · Oct 7, 2008

I recently got a reality check, in the form of this free downloadable book. The first couple of chapters helped me self-appraise my reasons for writing. It also gave me a reasonable expectation of what my success may be, and in what form.

Throw yourself honestly up against that, see what comes back to you.

Phaeal · Oct 7, 2008

Great advice from Kaytie! I'm going to use it for my latest synopsis. I already have the brief chapter synopses, so I'm ahead of the game, muhahahaha.

jannawrites · Oct 7, 2008

Calamity_Jones said:
I think it's time to take a break if it's getting you that wound up. <snip>

I agree! It sounds like you're too close to your work right now, and you need to let it rest awhile. I know that probably sounds like the last thing you want to do, but sometimes separation is the best idea. You'll appreciate it much better later on, and be able to put thoughts to paper with a greater outcome - after a respite.

Definitely get your bro's thoughts, and make notes, but don't rush yourself to do it "perfectly" NOW, just so you can move on to querying. You want to mind all your P's and Q's in the process, so give yourself permission to take a break.

Good luck!

Madison · Oct 7, 2008

Don't bash your writing talent just because you feel like you can't write a synopsis. Synopsis-writing is a completely different art that novel-writing. It's all about concision and summary &etc, and novel-writing isn't.

So take a deep breath and allow yourself to suck at synopsis-writing. It's very, very hard. Even if you pounded out your novel in two weeks, it might take you months to write a synopsis. Just be patient. Work on it slowly - a sentence or two a day. And right now, I'd suggest taking a break. Don't even think about that S word for a week or so.

Then buy Elizabeth Lyons' 'The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit'. She has several brilliant chapters on how to write a (relatively) painless synopsis. Also: go back to the beginning, i.e. try to recall that spark that first drove you to write your novel. Capture that spark and don't forget it, even when the synopsis is making you want to rip out your hair in chunks.

MagicMan · Oct 7, 2008

Try this. Write a query for your novel. In my experience, when a writer first creates the query, they end up with a synopsis.

Smiles
Bob

jannawrites · Oct 7, 2008

Just a thought, Christa... Someone once mentioned it may help to write two summarizing sentences for each chapter of your novel, then blend it all together into the synopsis. Maybe that'd be a good starting place?

Danalynn · Oct 7, 2008

sharla said:
I keep editing so I don't have to do the synopsis. I'm scared of that whole process! The writing is easier. Wouldn't it be nice if all we had to do is write and someone else would do the business part? Well, I guess that's partially what an agent will do, but we have to do the business of getting one of those!!

I feel ya! I'm going to have to step off in that muck shortly, I'm running out of things to edit.

This describes me to a T!!!!!!!

:e2writer:

TLHines · Oct 7, 2008

You're not the first to be struck by synopsitis, Christa. Frankly, I don't think I know anyone who actually enjoys doing them.

I'll tell you my feelings and thoughts, with the caveat that my advice goes against what most people say. But I can also tell you I'm not the only person who feels this way:

Don't send synopses.

I know many agents say something to the effect of "First Three Chapters and a Synopsis" in their guidelines. But you know what? I'd just send the three chapters. That's what I did when I was querying, and I don't think I ever had an agent say, "Hey, I asked for a synopsis, idiot."

At some point, of course, you'll have to do a synopsis...but probably not until your second or third book, when you'll sell books based on a synopsis. What's going to sell your first book? Your manuscript.

That said, you just may run into an agent who absolutely wants a synopsis. I'm sure there are some out there. In that case, especially if you're writing a synopsis for a fantasy novel, my main advice is: conservation of character. Don't introduce every character, and every plot strand, in the synopsis. This is the place where you concentrate on your one main character and his/her journey; the only other characters who should get mentioned in your synopsis are the characters who present major obstacles for the main character.

Sunshine13 · Oct 7, 2008

Some really great advice you guys.

Magic Man- I've already got a draft version of my query. It has helped but I'm still stuck.

I like the summarizing each chapter idea, I think I'll take a two day break and get back to it Thursday. I'd love to wait until Saturday but Thursday I have 4 hours of no kid so . . . gotta use it to my advantage.

After reading what you guys have said I DO feel better. I am way too hard on myself, always have been, and I'll just have to learn to live with it. I do want to use to SYW forum but I'm the type that waits until it's just the best it can be before posting it. I may break that rule with this depending on how far I get

Sunshine13 · Oct 7, 2008

TLHines- we posted at the same time. I agree with you, and it isn't narrowing down the plot and main character issues that's my problem. It's all about the wording. I know WHAT I want to put in the synopsis, it's getting it to be intriguing, etc that I'm having the problem with.

RJK · Oct 7, 2008

Christa,
First, take a break. You are definitely too stressed out. My second novel has been finished for about 3 weeks and I haven't started the synopsis yet. Why> Because it's a PITA.

I approached my last synopsis from two directions. The detailed approach, and the short synopsis.

In the detailed approach, I look at each scene and try to summarize it in one to three sentences. If it takes more than that, so be it. After I've gone through the entire novel, I edit the synopsis just like I did the original. I am told that a synopsis should be told in present tense and read like a story about your story. I cut out the slow parts. I embelished some of the more exciting parts. When finished, I had my detailed synopsis.

From this synopsis, I summarized each chapter into one or two sentences for my short synopsis. I was able to keep it to one page, but two pages would be fine too.

You may already have a system. If you do, then ignore this. If not, you may want to try it. It worked for me, and took a lot of the stress out of the process. (The short synopsis got me two requests for partials. Unfortunately, one was a rejection and I havent heard back from the other in over 60 days).

Mumut · Oct 7, 2008

You are a really good writer, CristaCarol13, so that's one up for a start. You deserve to be published. Why not post your synopsis here for evaluation and help?

Branwyn · Oct 7, 2008

Gosh Christa, you sound just like me. Exactly. Hormones and all.

Relax, the synopsis is just to give the agent the highlights. It's the Readers Digest version of your book. Use the SYW forum! I received soooo much help there. The folks are fabulous and so willing to help you.
I thought the same way you did at first. This should be as fantastic a read as the novel. No, it doesn't. It's like you're dehydrating the book, what's left is your synopsis. The guts of it.

I hope you feel better. I know what it's like.

Sunshine13 · Oct 8, 2008

Mum, Branwyn, thank you very much for the encouragement

Wish me luck. I've taken a two day break of not even looking, let alone thinking, of my synopsis. I rented a book that touches on synopsis at the library and am dedicating 3 hours tomorrow morning at the coffee shop to get a good draft down. *crosses fingers*

And I'll definitely be trying some of the methods mentioned in here

C.bronco · Oct 8, 2008

My synopsis took 6 rewrites before it was decent.

jclarkdawe · Oct 8, 2008

My experience is that developing the query first is the best way of approaching the synopsis. The reason is that you use the query to develop what your message is. Until you know what you want to sell, it's hard to decide what to focus on in your synopsis.

Andrew Jameson has a thread in the QLH forum on synopsis writing. A good way to spend some time.

One thing to remember is what is a synopsis supposed to show. Voice is not especially important but clearly showing the plot is. A synopsis will not sell a book (although a bad synopsis can kill the deal).

If you use and follow an outline in writing, that's a good basis for a synopsis. If you don't have an outline, preparing one can be a good technique. Another approach is two to three sentences per chapter (depending on length of synopsis desired).

A decent synopsis will take some serious time to accomplish. I wouldn't figure on doing one in less than a month.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Clarec · Oct 8, 2008

Oh man, it really is a massive PITA, I agree. I think I cried too. And threw things.

I seem to think I just hammered it out best I could and then edited the hell out of it. I got it down to 4 pages and sometimes feel I took all the good stuff out. I feel the same about my query, do you? It's like I've taken my 100,000 words and brought them down to "I wrote a good book. Pls read. Ta."

You've just got to tackle it, I'm afraid. Then you've got to break it down. You'll find plenty of guidance what a synopsis has to have in it so once it's written and you're sure it's got the key ingrediants and major events, just tinker with the rest until you're happy.

Good luck, you'll get there!

clare

sharla · Oct 10, 2008

Clarec said:
It's like I've taken my 100,000 words and brought them down to "I wrote a good book. Pls read. Ta."

Oh, this made me laugh myself silly. I'm so in this place right now, and it's nerve wracking!! I've Googled everything I can find on doing synopses and trying to pull the best advice together and now I've done chapter summaries so I can see at a glance what's what.

Then I did a one sentence summary.
Now I'm having a heart attack over the rest.

Why is this so stressful? Really? I mean, you cough up over 100,000 words worth of your life's blood and yet coming up with a couple of pages turns you into a lunatic.

I guess because it counts!!!!! No one is going to read your life's blood if your puny little 2-3 pages is crap!!

I feel ya, Christa! I'm gonna go read yours and stop thinking about mine.

2Wheels · Oct 10, 2008

Get a voice recorder of some kind, grab a cup of tea or coffee, lie on the sofa, stare at the ceiling. Envisage "someone" up there, who has asked you to tell them about your book. Check your watch. Give yourself a time limit, say 10 minutes. Hit "record".

It's going to be very rough, but it could give you a start.

sharla · Oct 13, 2008

Okay, all this synopsis mess is doing is giving me heartburn. I'm seeing that as I break down my story, the required elements don't seem to be falling into their respectful little places. Looks like the meat really starts around Chapters 4-5, and yet the first three have vital info and alot of things I love. The good stuff that has the drama is later.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

I so don't want to re-invent the wheel, but it appears that if I were a REAL writer, I would restructure these chapters to make it do what it's supposed to do.

Just when I thought I was finally going to be able to start my next project, which is now taking up 80% of my brain space, trying desperately to make itself heard. Now I have to ignore those characters some more and go back to telling these same damn worn out people to rearrange themselves.

I know one thing for sure...this next one (if I ever get to start it) I'm going to do a general synopsis first and then write. Then let it expand and branch out how it wants...but at least I won't be hitting this brick wall.

I think I suck at writing synopses (venting)

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