Writing a Synopsis

I've learned quite a lot about writing synopses over the last several weeks. Mostly from my failures. I'm still not sure I have everything together, yet, but I thought I should at least share what I have learned.

The summary has to cover the major plot points and address the protagonist's journey. Efficient, but inclusive, the writing must give spoilers, completing the picture of the concept. Vague writing has no place in this type of proposal. And while concise, the synopsis should still interest and enthuse. After all, it's the first impression that an agent or editor will have of a writer. Geared to hook the reader with an overview, a writer's entry will go a long way to achieving success when the reader comes to the end and is excited to keep going.

Yeah, well, that's the plan anyway.

I started my synopsis going through my protagonist's arc. Her regular life and goals started my essay. Then I explained how my inciting incident thwarted her progress. That much was easy, but I write mysteries and suspense. As I tried to describe the plot and all of it's twist, my writing became hopelessly confused. Even I was confused and I wrote the thing!

So I started over. This time I thought I had a handle on it! I explained my protagonist's arc from her point of view, then I added a major plot point from the hero's point of view. From there, I set up the antagonist's point of view, describing the details of the plot that way and finishing it up with general paragraphs that tied all the strings together.

It was better. Less distracting. But boring. Thank heaven for my critique partners. Lynne Gentry, Janice Olson, and Kellie Coates Gilbert took me by the hand and walked me through a new process. With their help, and some blogs that I found on the subject, I finally think I have a well-rounded read that hits the high points without becoming confusing or bogging down into details.

Let me tell you how I did it.

First, I used Beth Anderson's suggestion of breaking down my story data into single sentences. Doing that, I could easily see what were actual plot points and what subplots got in the way. This became the skeleton for my synopsis.

From there, I used Vivian Beck's suggestion of beginning with a back cover hook. She also suggested  an introduction to my characters. I sort of weaved that into the starting place of the story that I'd already figured out. I added the Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts like she suggested too. I'd learned a lot about that from Susan May Warren's book on the writing craft From the Inside Out.

After that, I went back to my plot points and added each as a couple of sentences. Making sure I used the Action, Reaction, and Decision that Vivian Beck suggested. (And she gives a great example of it!) I'd also learned that before, from a couple of the craft books I'd read. Just hadn't thought of using it in a synopsis! Bravo!

From there, I added my ending that I'd penned in my skeleton with some muscle and skin on it. But I wasn't done yet.

As a final section, per Kellie Gilbert's advice, I nutshelled the protagonist's arc and a broad theme of the book culminating in the spiritual lesson that my protagonist learned. (I do write Christian fiction!) It easily fits on a single page, reads smoothly, and covers the most important pieces of my story without getting knotted in the myriad of details.

As with any writing, but especially in this first impression piece, avoid to be verbs (passive), unnecessary adverbs or descriptions, and be careful of grammar rules. Oh, and synopsis writing should always be in present tense.

Do you have any tips for synopsis writing?

Writer's Tip: Polishing

I don't do it often, but once in a while, I treat myself to a manicure or a pedicure. Just the sight of my elegant fingernails or sassy toenails makes me beam. It's ridiculously inconsequential when taking in the broad scope of life, but it makes me feel so much better.
Adequate. More equipped to meet the task I must face and conquer that puppy.

You better believe I'll be sporting a new mani/pedi before ACFW conference next fall and homeschool prom this spring! Oh yeah!

It's the same thing with my manuscript. I know I've mentioned some of these tips before, but they are a timely reminder for me! This isn't the revision part of my project - the rewriting that takes my draft and puts it in a completed story form. I've finished major rewrites, but now I'm on a word hunt for any extra faux pas that I can fix.

First, I look for verb choices. I do a FIND action in Word and look for all of my wases and weres. Some of them need to stay, but I go through all of them to see if an alternative is better. I do the same thing with could, should, and would.

Next, a search for my pet words comes up. Mine are at least, and just. But I'm also guilty of repeating great words too quickly. It's not that they're pets. They got into my head and got used again to close to where they had been used before. That's a hard one because I don't know what word they are. It and that are search subjects, too. If I can eliminate them entirely, I do.

I don't stop with that polish, though. Checking out the beginnings of my paragraphs and my sentences to look for too much repetition is essential.

Finally, I check the endings of my sentences and especially my paragraphs to make sure I ended on strong words. Ideally, the strongest of the sentence.

So I'm putting on the final clear coats and giving Cat's Eyes a quick buff before placing it on my shelf. No, I'm not done with it. This one's good. It will be on a real shelf some day. But now it needs a brother or a sister to join it! :)

What are some of the key ways you polish?

Writer's Tip: Continuity

Continuity is imperative!

A television show that I used to love to watch was MASH. (Have no time to watch anymore!) I can’t really recommend it due to language and topics, but it makes me laugh. Still, it had SUCH

Writer Tip: Avoiding Insults

I turned on a detective movie from the 30's last weekend to give me some noise while I worked through my research. I swear the movie-goers of the 30's must have been ignorant. Or at least the people in Hollywood THOUGHT they were ignorant. (Which is doubtless the truth.)

What I'm talking about is treating the reader, or in this case the viewer, as though they are incapable of logical thought.

In one scene, a man is tying his shoe. Picks up his

Writing with Research

My students have been doing some non-fiction essays and I’m gonna tattle. One of my writers didn’t research their topic and ended up spouting data that just simple wasn’t true. Oops. 

Yeah, I didn’t let it slide. And it made me think of the importance and the correct methods of gathering research. Since this semester, we’ll be creating research papers, (Well, they’ll be creating research papers, I’ll be watching.) I thought a

refresher course on giving credit might be in order.

The point of research is to have the facts about a topic. Unless a topic is intensely personal, a writer will not likely have all the information that they need to fill up an entire term paper or even a five-paragraph essay. Research is the gathering of enough facts to support the statement made about the topic – thesis statement.

When collecting the data, it’s important to make a note somewhere about the origin of the data. If it is from a book, the author, title, publisher, location of publishing, and publication date should be listed along with the page numbers where the data is found. The same general information should be taken for any other source. A researcher wants to have a trail that leads back to the original source, regardless of what that source is. That way if something needs to be checked it can be found. In the same way, a reader can learn more about the topic by following the citation trail back to the original sources.

The other thing about research is that one source isn’t enough. If only one source is used, then the researcher is basically only duplicating someone else’s work – plagiarism. When several sources are used and cited, the researcher is creating his own work, basing it on the opinions and work that others have done before him. That’s the core of a correctly written research paper.

Do you research when you write or blog? What research have you done recently?

Writing Tip: Ellipses

This week’s writing tip is about ellipses, the dot-dot-dots that are often added to writing. To me, the ellipsis is a mood-maker for the sentence. It stutters showing confusion or intense emotion. It can also drift into silence, indicating a wandering mind or distracted situation.

The correct way to write an ellipsis is to space at the end of the word that precedes the mark, then add the three periods, and follow them

with another space before the next word. *** Okay, I'd been corrected this summer by an author who knows her stuff, but I've learned that according to Chicago Manual of Style that spaces are correct between the periods. Looking like this . . . thanks David!*** If there is no next word because the conversation ebbs in the middle of a sentence, the final period is all that is necessary.

Here are examples of the two situations described:

“What do you mean he isn’t there? Where could he . . .  I mean, are you sure?”

 “Like a cloud, dancing across the water. That’s what I feel like. So very sleepy. I could just
      drift off without . . . ”

Another use of an ellipsis is in the case of an interruption. Sometimes the topic never comes back around as in this example.

“Whatever the noise was it was awfully loud. I thought the sky was about . . . ”
“Did you hear that?” Chris’s outburst filled the room as he ran in, his muddy boots spraying
       clumps of dirt all over Ma’s rug.

Sometimes the interruption, like part of an argument, has a finish to it.

“All I know is I sat here calmly reading and you . . . ”
“I didn’t do anything except walk into the room.”
“. . . you demanded my attention with every stomp and sigh. Okay, what do you want?”

In that case, as you can see, the ellipsis ends the first section of the interruption and begins the second half of that sentence. It wouldn’t work if more than just the interruption itself was stuck into the section. At that point, the first part should be entirely restated and then finished.

I double checked my data with my new copy of the Chicago Manual of Style! (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE getting presents!) And with some of you guys looking over my shoulder, I know we're gonna make sure the information is right!

Do you have any other examples of ellipsis use?

Blessings!

Writer Tip - Those Pesky Little Details

My romantic suspense is starting to take a better shape. I really love the way the revision process tightens up my story. By the time I got to the end of the draft, the beginning needed considerable changes. I've made it halfway through chapter five and the beginning is finally matching the ending.

Except for the little details that I added without thinking. Eye color, tablecloths or pictures. Even "walk-on" characters have changed from the beginning to the ending.

• First and worst are all of those minor characters. I think my heroine's best friend had two first names and three last ones. The florist had two, one male and one female. While my hero's parents kept their

News and Update for ROW 80 - Special Words

THE END

Typing never felt so good! Getting into the last third of my novel stuck spurs in me an inch deep. I barely made myself stop when I dozed over my keyboard. 

Sleep is highly overrated!

My intensity made my schedule imperative. There's a lot more to my life than writing in any given day! (Teaching, homeschooling–no, not always the same thing–house decorating, meal planning, not to mention

Writer Tip - 3 Ways to Use Dashes

LAST WEEK, I talked about sentences that go on and on. Like the energizer bunny, these guys can make a reader tired, confused, and ready to run screaming into the night.

Too melodramatic? You're probably right. And it's only 10:15, so I can't go claiming sleepiness as the blame for my random jaunts. I think I'll blame my dog. :) For more about the hound, see my article from YESTERDAY.

Run-on sentences, especially the comma-splice kind, are such easy ruts

ROW 80 Update - Putting Those Fears to Rest

After a week of talking about fears, the silly type like in the blogs for Sunday and Monday, and the Godly type as in my Tuesday blog, I thought it was time to do some wrap up. Dealing with fears of all types is just

Writer Tips - What are You Shooting For?

When I thought up the title for this post, my mind drifted immediately to my sweet hubby's hunting days. We were first engaged almost 27 years ago while still in college. He, a farm boy to my way of thinking, lived in a rural town on an acre of land. Hunting season was playtime in that part of East Texas and I'll never forget the weekend that Bubba (yep, I've always called my brother Bubba - no lie!) took sweet hubby out to shoot some dove.

The birds sat on the phone lines as they drove out to the land where they'd gained permission to shoot.

Cackles erupted up and down the wires as the would-be murderers approached the promised land.

Those were the only dove they saw the entire day. Not a flicker of a wing caught their attention. I think they would've unloaded on a Mockingbird (oh, horrors) if they'd been given half a chance, but none of them showed up either.

Finally, they trekked back to the car (My hubby was the farm boy, but suburban Bubba did the driving.) and Bubba opened the trunk to put away his gun.

The loud blasts of Sweet Hubby's rifle made Bubba bump his head on the lid and bolt around the car where Sweet Hubby reloaded.

Bubba scanned the skies and the ground, seeing nothing. "What in the world are you shooting at?"

"Skunk." Sweet Hubby pointed to a fence post some distance away where black and white fur blew in the light breeze. Bubba smiled and grabbed his weapon and the two of them unloaded like Black Ops on a mission into that poor fluffy carcass. That is, until the light breeze carried the legacy of the skunk close enough to bring out the tears.

I think Bubba sold that car the next week.

There is a point to this story, honest. I read a brief article by Jody Hedlund to encourage writers. She talked about how she encourages her kids to believe that they can do great works.

I do the same thing. I've taught my kids: "It's better to shoot for the stars and hit the moon than to shoot for a mud puddle and make it every time."

Let that sink in.

The fact is, if we only attempt things we know we'll be able to do, we have no challenge, no risk, and ultimately, no delight in the accomplishment. That mud puddle is within easy reach.

But when we attempt something beyond ourselves (and as a Christian, that should be a daily goal) where the chances of accomplishment are slim and none, then a huge victory is scored with the success. And even without the success, there is victory in the trying.

I'll admit, I felt a little sick several months back when I read that I had a better chance of being shot by terrorists than being published. Daunted even more because an expert in the field mentioned it. Yikes. I don't have a chance. Pack it up, there's no use wasting my precious time.

I felt the same way last night when I heard for the first time, "Start over." Praise the Lord it was just on a minor issue and not on my whole story, but it still tore a chunk out of my armor.

Then Sweet Hubby came to the rescue - my real-life hero - and reminded me that I hadn't chosen this path. God had laid such a love for writing and deep desire to make a difference for Him that I dare not ignore His call. He also suggested that no one ever said publishing was the end of my path. Everything I'm doing, everything I'm learning will be to His glory and for His purposes. I just don't know what those plans are yet.

So when all of the best efforts come up short as we writers take the next step into this world of publishing, may the Father encourage us. And when we get tired of attempting greatness only to have critique partners (lovingly and patiently) rip our creations to shreds, may we be thankful for wise counsel to avoid painful Amazon reviews. (Yes, I love every stinkin' one of you gals!!!)

And when we get tempted to unload on a skunk because our real goal has flown the coop, may the Lord protect that darn rodent by showing His new path.

What are you shooting at, both long-term and short-term?

Writing Tip - Pre-Writing

I've been reading a lot about outlining this week. First, in an email course I got, and then from a question I had from a student.

I've said it before, I'm not a "pantser", a seat-of-the-pants writer who is so stinking creative that everything just flows out in perfect order. I know some of them, am in awe of their abilities (and their memories), but I could never hope to be one.

Because I have a lousy memory and because the

Great READING!

Usually I read over the weekends. With last weeks suggestions I had plenty of fodder for my reviews, but the time got past me.

No, that's not entirely true.

I've been grazing on amazing insight from Award Winning Author, Susan May Warren. I LOVE her books! Not a book this time, but pages of chats and invaluable notes from her My Book Therapy sessions. I investigated suspense, sifted through characterizations and settings, and even dallied with a little romance.

With sparkling eyes and dimpled cheeks, I told my

More Comma Love

I used to think commas were a gift from the Netherworld. After all, the inconsistency of the little bugs more than annoyed. They gave nightmares to trusting youngsters, offered weapons of belittlement to the all-knowing instructors who acted upon them with the smack of a ruler, and twisted the insides of every college student with a paper due.

Which is all of them and a lot of Pepto-Bismol.

All this writing I've been doing has succeeded in

giving me more comma clarity. I started blogging about commas last week and you can find that article HERE.

Here's what else I learned:

• With more than one adjectives in front of a noun, use a comma between them only if you would use the word and to separate them. Like if you said: The arrogant, stubborn captain of the Enterprise never listened to advice. In this case, an and can go correctly between arrogant and stubborn. On the other hand, I wouldn't need a comma in: The arrogant Enterprise captain never listened to advice.

• Of course, everyone knows to separate a city and state or a city and country with a comma. Just like when writing an address, this would be correct. Picard grew up near Paris, France. When the sentence continues after the country, another comma is needed, so that the country or state is set aside as extra information. Picard grew up near Paris, France, but didn't stay near home. The only time this wouldn't be the case is if the country is in a possessive form. Picard's boyhood home was near Paris, France's famous wine country.

So come on in!
(The sign actually begs for a semi-colon or period.)

• While you must always set off quotations with commas, be careful not to make them comma-spliced sentences. "Whatever you do," Han Solo said, "don't touch that button."
"I see the button," Luke responded. "Why do you have to be so bossy?" In the first sentence, the identifier breaks one sentence into two parts. In the second, It separates two different sentences. If a comma was used in place of the period, it would create a run-on sentence.

• Negatives, or contrast words, need a comma. Han, not Luke, had the recklessness to come through in a pinch. He became dependable, if not honorable. 

• Finally, use a comma to avoid confusion in your sentence. OR Finally use a comma to avoid confusion in your sentence. 

Hope this continued list has been helpful and informative. I found information at several sources, including my Precious Redhead's English book, Grammar and Writing by Bob Jones University Press, this website (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas_big.htm#4), and that one (http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp).

What grammar rule gives you the most grief when you're writing?

Writing Tip ... Comma, Comma, Comma, Commaandgo!

LAST DAY! Don't forget to follow my blog at the link to be entered in the drawing for Elizabeth Goddard's latest book, Freezing Point.



This just makes me laugh! I found it posted on Facebook, shared by Nancy Sullivan.

Commas have got to be one of the most confusing little jots around. They're like jewelry to our sentences, but it's hard to know when they're actually necessary.

So I did a little research. Unfortunately, this isn't an all-encompassing list - mostly because commas fall more in the usage area than in the grammar rules area.

Break Out the Pom Poms!

Done.

Oh that word - like sweet melodies or cascading water whispering peace against anxiety.

After four months of writing and five months of rewriting, I actually called it out and sent away the final copies of my novel to a group of beta readers.

Breathe.

It's like the time when I watched my handsome boy sing his first solo. Glad, anxious,