Synopsis - Do you need it?
- Thread starter gjdevlin
- Start date
- Status
Mine, tooFWIW, I actually loved my last synopsis. It made someone say, "Wow!" Twice.
Loved writing it and it hit the spot. Unlike a query letter, which would kill me - but we don't use them down here, I think.
I'm sorry, so your posts are just jokes? I thought you were being serious.
Because you're being disingenuous. You didn't just post an anecdotal story about what worked for you. You've said things like, "they're trying to go down easy street scanning a synopsis," implying that agents are lazy. And, "you don't have to obey the rules," encouraging people new to this that submission guidelines aren't worth following.
So the other people here are concerned that you are spreading bad information and trying to correct it for the benefit of people who are new to this. You, as someone who is also not new to this, could realize that perhaps your experience is not easily reproducible, and perhaps not the best advice for newbies, so it should not be presented as such. It could be a very valuable to AW (because atypical stories have high value, too), just not part of the typical standard of how people get an agent.
your posts are definitely not jokes. ha!
i am sure my experience would probably not be easily reproducible (what a tough word to type) being my experience, like probably all writers, was very difficult to produce from the beginning. and took some time and great care to grow.
this place has an edge. always something i try to find in my own writing. where is the edge. i'm not trying to give the 'best advice' about anything because i have no idea what that is. just yakking with other writers about writing, methods, etc. i know as much about writing as the next writer...not too much. it is an evolving adventure.
i am sure my experience would probably not be easily reproducible (what a tough word to type) being my experience, like probably all writers, was very difficult to produce from the beginning. and took some time and great care to grow.
this place has an edge. always something i try to find in my own writing. where is the edge. i'm not trying to give the 'best advice' about anything because i have no idea what that is. just yakking with other writers about writing, methods, etc. i know as much about writing as the next writer...not too much. it is an evolving adventure.
Last edited:
So just to be clear (because I worry about the newbies) we have one writer saying that not following the guidelines worked once for that writer ten years ago, but is not necessarily reproducible,
If that helps.
and whole lot of current writers and industry professionals saying it's best in general to follow the guidelines.
If that helps.
Last edited:
My advice to anyone submitting anything is to have a synopsis written and ready to go before sending anything out, and to follow submission guidelines to the letter. My friend, Nicola Morgan, has written a guide called Write A Great Synopsis, which I recommend, but other resources are available.
Ancon, I'm not sure what point you're trying to prove here because your writing is unclear and you contradict yourself (see the parts I've bolded above).
You're a writer. You should know that words count.
I think we're done here.
Ancon, I'm not sure what point you're trying to prove here because your writing is unclear and you contradict yourself (see the parts I've bolded above).
You're a writer. You should know that words count.
I think we're done here.
- Status