Synopses - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T11:26:30Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:8731?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A9083&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Lisa. You're only the seco…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-22:537324:Comment:106702007-03-22T23:34:14.363ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
Hi Lisa. You're only the second person I've ever met who actually enjoys writing synopses, LOL. I guess we should all embrace them, though, since they seem to be a fact of life.
Hi Lisa. You're only the second person I've ever met who actually enjoys writing synopses, LOL. I guess we should all embrace them, though, since they seem to be a fact of life. Hi Jools! Welcome to the Syno…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:91082007-03-20T13:02:55.639ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
Hi Jools! Welcome to the Synopsis Haters International Talkfest. :)
Hi Jools! Welcome to the Synopsis Haters International Talkfest. :) Jochem: Yep. It's always a go…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90852007-03-20T12:27:10.516ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
Jochem: Yep. It's always a good to have an idea of beginning-middle-end and some basic themes before you get started. Nothing set in stone, but just an idea.
Jochem: Yep. It's always a good to have an idea of beginning-middle-end and some basic themes before you get started. Nothing set in stone, but just an idea. That also sounds reasonable,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90832007-03-20T12:22:01.823ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
That also sounds reasonable, Joy. Thanks! <br />
<br />
I've heard, too, that the marketing department sometimes uses parts of the synopsis for jacket blurb ideas.
That also sounds reasonable, Joy. Thanks! <br />
<br />
I've heard, too, that the marketing department sometimes uses parts of the synopsis for jacket blurb ideas. Crap! You mean I'm going to h…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90812007-03-20T12:15:13.505ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
Crap! You mean I'm going to have to rewrite that whole extra-terrestrial deux ex machina bit at the end? That's the best part! <br />
<br />
Seriously, that sounds reasonable. Thanks, Toni!
Crap! You mean I'm going to have to rewrite that whole extra-terrestrial deux ex machina bit at the end? That's the best part! <br />
<br />
Seriously, that sounds reasonable. Thanks, Toni! I hate a synopsis! How to cra…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90522007-03-20T09:01:43.314ZJochem van der Steenhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/jvdsteen
I hate a synopsis! How to cram all your literary greatness in just a few pages ;-)<br />
<br />
I try to chop up the book in a few pieces and tell what every piece is about.<br />
I know the publisher needs to know how the story ends in the synopsis but<br />
still I want to sucker them into feeling excited about reading the manuscript<br />
so the trick is leaving out litte bits.<br />
<br />
To make creating the synopsis easier these days I try to write a short synopsis<br />
before I write the novel. Not so much outlining as…
I hate a synopsis! How to cram all your literary greatness in just a few pages ;-) <br />
<br />
I try to chop up the book in a few pieces and tell what every piece is about. <br />
I know the publisher needs to know how the story ends in the synopsis but <br />
still I want to sucker them into feeling excited about reading the manuscript <br />
so the trick is leaving out litte bits. <br />
<br />
To make creating the synopsis easier these days I try to write a short synopsis <br />
before I write the novel. Not so much outlining as writing down the basics of the <br />
seperate parts. Thanks, everyone. I hope it h…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90512007-03-20T08:20:12.510ZToni McGee Causeyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ecouteuse
Thanks, everyone. I hope it helps. All I can say is my previous attempts were so bad as to be mind-blowingly horrific. A friend who'd sold with synopses before was trying to teach me and nothing was working -- every single draft got worse, and that was getting kinda scary, the depths of bad I could plumb. I finally had to set aside what she was teaching me and look at it completely differently, and it worked -- I wrote the book 1 synopsis in one sitting. When the agent asked if it was going to…
Thanks, everyone. I hope it helps. All I can say is my previous attempts were so bad as to be mind-blowingly horrific. A friend who'd sold with synopses before was trying to teach me and nothing was working -- every single draft got worse, and that was getting kinda scary, the depths of bad I could plumb. I finally had to set aside what she was teaching me and look at it completely differently, and it worked -- I wrote the book 1 synopsis in one sitting. When the agent asked if it was going to be a series and I said yes (insanely), I had two days to write the synopses for the next two. I'm sure this isn't full-proof, but at least it was a different way into the problem. Jude, I asked my agent that o…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90502007-03-20T08:16:49.037ZToni McGee Causeyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ecouteuse
Jude, I asked my agent that once and she (only half-jokingly) said that it was to make sure aliens didn't land somewhere in the last act and save the day, solve the problem, or get the girl. (Unless, of course, that's the set up.) So probably just to make sure that there's some sane story logic going on before they put in hour of their time reading something that derails badly at the end, which would have shown up in a synopsis.
Jude, I asked my agent that once and she (only half-jokingly) said that it was to make sure aliens didn't land somewhere in the last act and save the day, solve the problem, or get the girl. (Unless, of course, that's the set up.) So probably just to make sure that there's some sane story logic going on before they put in hour of their time reading something that derails badly at the end, which would have shown up in a synopsis. My name is Jools and I hate w…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90472007-03-20T08:08:08.230ZJulie Morriganhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Julielew
My name is Jools and I hate writing synopses. Right, that's that out of the way. <br />
<br />
Toni, that sounds like a great technique and since it clearly works (many congratulations on your success) I'm going to give it a go next time I need to do one. As it is, I have files for one of my efforts named 'Synopsis', 'Short Synopsis' and 'Very Short Synopsis'. All of them read as very sterile documents. I need to get some life into them and I reckon the patent TMC approach ought to do the trick. <br />
<br />
Thanks!
My name is Jools and I hate writing synopses. Right, that's that out of the way. <br />
<br />
Toni, that sounds like a great technique and since it clearly works (many congratulations on your success) I'm going to give it a go next time I need to do one. As it is, I have files for one of my efforts named 'Synopsis', 'Short Synopsis' and 'Very Short Synopsis'. All of them read as very sterile documents. I need to get some life into them and I reckon the patent TMC approach ought to do the trick. <br />
<br />
Thanks! You got me, Jude. Convention,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-03-20:537324:Comment:90392007-03-20T05:53:45.524ZJoy Calderwoodhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Dragonlily
You got me, Jude. Convention, I suppose. Conventions don't always stay useful.<br/><br/>The other thing is that a lot of readers have favorite plots that they like to reread with different embellishments. If the synopsis shows a plot that is "in" at the time, it is more likely to sell.
You got me, Jude. Convention, I suppose. Conventions don't always stay useful.<br/><br/>The other thing is that a lot of readers have favorite plots that they like to reread with different embellishments. If the synopsis shows a plot that is "in" at the time, it is more likely to sell.