Any suggestions are appreciated...

[gilesth]

Alright, it's kinda early, it was a long weekend, and I'm tired, so please bear with me a moment... I need help with my synopsis, and it seems like everywhere I turn, all I get is a list of reasons why I should give up, or a bunch of OTHER things that I should be working on before I even consider writing my synopsis. But I've already polished my query letter (in fact, I have a partial out with Marsal and Lyon Literary Agency :D ). Obviously, the manuscript is complete, I'm just struggling with the synopsis. Aside from Absolute Write, does anyone know where I can go for help? The folks on Absolute Write haven't offered any advice, and I'm not sure where else to go.

Thank you so much for your help. :)

[Matthew MacNish]

Nathan has a great post about this: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/08 ... opsis.html, but I find it really difficult as well. The only thing I would add is that for me it is really hard to keep in mind that a synopsis is simply a condensed summary of the plot, i.e. this happens then that happens then... all the way up to and including the conclusion. It will sound dry, it will sound dull, but that's fine. It doesn't have to incorporate the voice or draw the reader in or even sell someone on the concept (like a query).

Anyway that's my two cents, hope it helps.

EDIT: Okay, I just realized I contradicted Nathan's post. Not smart even if I hadn't linked to it. Don't make it so simple and dry that it actually ends up being: this happens then that happens, but don't worry about making it super exciting. It's just a summary anyway.

[gilesth]

Nathan has a great post about this: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/08 ... opsis.html, but I find it really difficult as well. The only thing I would add is that for me it is really hard to keep in mind that a synopsis is simply a condensed summary of the plot, i.e. this happens then that happens then... all the way up to and including the conclusion. It will sound dry, it will sound dull, but that's fine. It doesn't have to incorporate the voice or draw the reader in or even sell someone on the concept (like a query).

Anyway that's my two cents, hope it helps.

It definitely helps. So does Nathan's post. But do you know of any places I can get feedback on my synopsis? That's what I'm really missing, at the moment. I need some feedback :)

[Matthew MacNish]

Not off the top of my head, but I would post it here, under all things feedback. Just post the whole thing and ask people what they think.

[Matthew MacNish]

BTW you should fix your sig. Right now the link points to bloTspot.com and I'm pretty sure you mean bloGspot.com

[gilesth]

BTW you should fix your sig. Right now the link points to bloTspot.com and I'm pretty sure you mean bloGspot.com

lol...thanks :)

[polymath]

A synopsis is Stage II of a novel's marketing package. It's an expanded pitch, similar in purpose to the pitch part of a query letter, Stage I. Like any pitch, the purpose of a synopsis is pitching a product to a consumer, who's at least already favorably inclined to invest in reading a synopsis because of a query pitch's enticements. A synopsis is also a condensed version of a novel's plot that demonstrates mastery of structure, voice, and craft, with emphasis on structure.

Focal areas for a synopsis include beginning, middle, and ending. A beginning establishes rapport between a work's creative vision and an audience's creative vision through resonance and tension from caring about a viewpoint character's insuperable dilemma artfully depicted in an inciting crisis' reversal, twist, or turn. A middle builds tension through rising action setbacks driving hard toward a climax crisis' reversal, twist, or turn. Rising action (setback scenes; reversals, twists, or turns) comes from doubt about an outcome increasing. An ending doesn't let up on tension while depicting falling action driving toward a resolving crisis and a satisfying resolution. Falling action (letdown scenes; reversals, twists, or turns) comes from doubt about an outcome decreasing until a resolving crisis' reversal, twist, or turn.

For example, three characteristics distinguish a climax crisis, the outcome is most in doubt, the greatest efforts of forces in opposition are directly interacting, and all salient information necessary to resolve a central dilemma is revealed, discovered, known.

A first principle of a synopsis, similar to a query pitch, identical to a novel plot, is keep a central outcome in doubt until a bitter end. Spoiling a plot universally turns off audiences.

What is meant by action is plot movement. The three axes of plot movement are causation, tension, and antagonism. Causation is the linear movement of a plot over time. Causation pushes and pulls a plot down a track. Its counterparts are cause and effect. A novel's plot movement in an opening and a synopsis opening begins with a First Cause upsetting the emotional equilibrium of a viewpoint character's everyday routines. A Final Cause is a resolving crisis' reversal, twist, or turn that re-establishes emotional equilibrium for a satisfying resolution.

Tension is the vertical movement of plot, the emotional component of plot movement from rapport, resonance and empathy, with a viewpoint character's insuperable dilemma and suspense from a central question artfully posed by depicting a central dilemma. Tension pushes and pulls emotional plot movement vertically.

Antagonism is the opposition of forces pulling a viewpoint character apart, pushing and pulling tension and causation in opposing perpendicular directions. Purpose and problem are the counterparts of antagonism: desires and complications, needs and obstacles, values and temptations, etc. In other words a central conflict with a diametric opposition of possible outcomes, like life or death, rags or riches, acceptance or rejection, etc.

A chapter-by-chapter synopsis depicts the central action of each chapter. In other words, again, a condensed version of a novel.

[mmcdonald64]

I stink at synopsis. I'm not even sure I can spell it right. Since you're asking for any suggestions, I'll suggest buying the Cinnamon Melt Muffins from Tastefully Simple. They are so freaking good, they should be illegal. Eat two as you do your synopsis. Sorry, it's the best I've got. ;-)