THE NEXT STEP
Posted 2009-02-19 04:15:51 by writeingredients
Last edited 2009-03-01 09:55:49 by writeingredients
The book is done. The cover letter is written. Now all I need to do is plop the cover letter and sample chapters into the email and press send. Right? Wrong.
Now I have to write the Dreaded Synopsis. And it's called dreaded for a reason. What make synopsis writing so hard. For me it's the lack of consistent definitions and structure guidelines. For example: Should it be single-spaced? Yes. Should it be double-spaced? Yes. Grrr!
How long should it be? As short as you can get it and tell the bare bones of the story. As a rule of thumb, match the length of your synopsis to the book length. Don't send a five-page synopsis for a 30,000 word children's book. It won't be read. For longer works, you can go up to five pages, but try, try to keep it down to three or fewer pages. Be concise.
I'm sure you're wondering, "How the heck am I supposed to tell a 100,000 word story in under three or even five pages?" K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Sweetie. (Yeah, I know it's usually Stupid, but I don't like that word.)
Stick to one plot line, don't include sub-plots. Sift through the story and pull out the skeleton of the main character's tale. Keep names to a minimum and if the character doesn't directly affect the main character, leave them out. I know that elderly neighbor is funny, but she's not the story.
Repeat until you have told the main story in the fewest words possible. Oh, DO give the ending. Nothing yells Amateur as fast as, "If you want to find out if Janie gets her man, read my book."
As far as whether to single or double space, read the guidelines of your recipient. If it's still not clear, choose your preference. I personally prefer to single-space.
The next part is critical: have your critique group review it before you send it. If you don't belong to a critique group, ask around. Choose people familiar with your genre, at least in reading it.
Now it's time for me to get back to re-writing my synopsis for Frognapped, my middle grade fantasy. 
There are no comments yet for this post.
Premium Page Access
Want access to premium pages? Click here for more information!
Mailing List
To sign up for our mailing lists, enter your e-mail address below.
Recent posts