Comments on: Blogging Again (with Rant) http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/ Weblog of National Bestselling, Award-Winning Novelist Sylvia Day Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:12:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Sidonie http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-339 Sidonie Thu, 14 Oct 2004 23:00:20 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-339 Synopses don't faze me because early in my writing "career", back when I was a novice, I wrote really long, detailed ones for past manuscripts before I actually wrote the book because I was afraid of messing up the story. :lol: From a crit friend, they heard at Dallas from Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz at a workshop; the synopsis: "no more than one page, two at the very max….tell a bit about what the story is about and make the rest read like a back cover." I agree with HelenKay about the unpublished author and the synopsis. It's probably because alot of RWA contests require 5-10 page ones. But I also agree with Cece; master it and use the techniques for when you are published. But the fun thing about writing is that there are really no "written in stone" rules. You go with what works for you. Me, I write my synopses and query letters in the first person from my heroine's voice(chick-lit though *g*). Synopses don’t faze me because early in my writing “career”, back when I was a novice, I wrote really long, detailed ones for past manuscripts before I actually wrote the book because I was afraid of messing up the story. :lol:

From a crit friend, they heard at Dallas from Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz at a workshop; the synopsis: “no more than one page, two at the very max….tell a bit about what the story is about and make the rest read like a back cover.”

I agree with HelenKay about the unpublished author and the synopsis. It’s probably because alot of RWA contests require 5-10 page ones. But I also agree with Cece; master it and use the techniques for when you are published.

But the fun thing about writing is that there are really no “written in stone” rules. You go with what works for you. Me, I write my synopses and query letters in the first person from my heroine’s voice(chick-lit though *g*).

]]> By: Jordan http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-338 Jordan Thu, 14 Oct 2004 21:48:24 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-338 I'm horrible at writing synopses. I recently baffled my agent with a synopsis for one of my single titles. He said he barely recognized the work when he read my synopsis after reading my manuscript. LOL! I know it's really not funny. Sad really. Sigh. I either list (and then this happens, and then this happens) or I don't make sense at all.:oops: Kate is pretty cool about the whole synopsis thing. She just wants something that can be used for creating the blurb. I tend to send her a synopsis that not only includes what happens in the story, but reads like a blurb. (I'm much better at writing blurbs.:wink:) I’m horrible at writing synopses. I recently baffled my agent with a synopsis for one of my single titles. He said he barely recognized the work when he read my synopsis after reading my manuscript. LOL! I know it’s really not funny. Sad really. Sigh. I either list (and then this happens, and then this happens) or I don’t make sense at all.:oops:

Kate is pretty cool about the whole synopsis thing. She just wants something that can be used for creating the blurb. I tend to send her a synopsis that not only includes what happens in the story, but reads like a blurb. (I’m much better at writing blurbs.:wink:)

]]> By: Sylvia http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-337 Sylvia Thu, 14 Oct 2004 15:51:05 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-337 HelenKay, LOL @ Stalking!!! The Brava novella is long gone... :grin: I wish us all luck, as I will be devastated if Kate doesn't like it. I did run it through the critique wringer though, so if it doesn't get picked up by Brava I can say with certainity that it was the best it could be when it left me. (That doesn't mean I won't cry for days. :cry: ) And you're right about the emphasis placed on the synopsis. As I admitted, I often deliberately leave it out and doing so has not affected solicitations so far. Even when I've included one, it didn't affect anything and they're <em>terrible</em>! But this is for a contest and it is required. Cece, I understand. I've read in quite a few places that you should write the synopsis and then write the book, but I can't do that. My characters let me start the story and then they run away with it, taking turns and making decisions without consulting me at all! HelenKay,
LOL @ Stalking!!!

The Brava novella is long gone… :grin: I wish us all luck, as I will be devastated if Kate doesn’t like it. I did run it through the critique wringer though, so if it doesn’t get picked up by Brava I can say with certainity that it was the best it could be when it left me. (That doesn’t mean I won’t cry for days. :cry: )

And you’re right about the emphasis placed on the synopsis. As I admitted, I often deliberately leave it out and doing so has not affected solicitations so far. Even when I’ve included one, it didn’t affect anything and they’re terrible! But this is for a contest and it is required.

Cece,
I understand. I’ve read in quite a few places that you should write the synopsis and then write the book, but I can’t do that. My characters let me start the story and then they run away with it, taking turns and making decisions without consulting me at all!

]]> By: cece http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-336 cece Thu, 14 Oct 2004 15:45:17 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-336 I feel like a nag, but one of the best synopsis lectures i've used/gone over is Lisa Gardner's. I do agree w/Kathy (unless you're writing chicklit then I think it's all about how it affects your protagonist). It's all about the big picture. It took me writing a synopsis for ECGTB to finally get it (because I had to string three story arcs together). And even still I love small details (just ask Sasha LOL). I remember Gena Shoewalter posting on her blog that she sells on proposal (synop and 2 chapters) then throws it out. Because, once you sell, you DO sell on synopsis it's something we've got to learn to get a handle on. At the same time I'm such an intutitive writer it's hard for me to think far enough ahead to write something to sell on. Did I confuse you? LOL I feel like a nag, but one of the best synopsis lectures i’ve used/gone over is Lisa Gardner’s. I do agree w/Kathy (unless you’re writing chicklit then I think it’s all about how it affects your protagonist).

It’s all about the big picture. It took me writing a synopsis for ECGTB to finally get it (because I had to string three story arcs together). And even still I love small details (just ask Sasha LOL).

I remember Gena Shoewalter posting on her blog that she sells on proposal (synop and 2 chapters) then throws it out. Because, once you sell, you DO sell on synopsis it’s something we’ve got to learn to get a handle on. At the same time I’m such an intutitive writer it’s hard for me to think far enough ahead to write something to sell on.

Did I confuse you? LOL

]]> By: HelenKay http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-334 HelenKay Thu, 14 Oct 2004 15:28:36 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-334 My sense is that unpublished authors put much more emphasis on the synopsis than everyone else in the entire universe :smile: I sent out a query to Wanda Ottewell at H/S at the beginning of the year - didn't include a synopsis. Then managed to send her 3 chapters and forget the synopsis. She requested the full and didn't seem to notice or care that I forgot a synposis. Of course, since I have no luck other than bad, Flipside then went under so the whole process was moot in some ways, but you get my point. Also, Kate Duffy gave a little speech at the query workshop I went to (yes, I am stalking the poor woman until she buys SOMETHING from me) and she said something along the lines of: I've never read a synposis and thought "wow, what a great synopsis, I have to buy that book" She said it's a tool and not a very effective one for her. She prefers to see the entire novella and go from there. So...get that novella out the door! My sense is that unpublished authors put much more emphasis on the synopsis than everyone else in the entire universe :smile: I sent out a query to Wanda Ottewell at H/S at the beginning of the year - didn’t include a synopsis. Then managed to send her 3 chapters and forget the synopsis. She requested the full and didn’t seem to notice or care that I forgot a synposis. Of course, since I have no luck other than bad, Flipside then went under so the whole process was moot in some ways, but you get my point. Also, Kate Duffy gave a little speech at the query workshop I went to (yes, I am stalking the poor woman until she buys SOMETHING from me) and she said something along the lines of: I’ve never read a synposis and thought “wow, what a great synopsis, I have to buy that book” She said it’s a tool and not a very effective one for her. She prefers to see the entire novella and go from there. So…get that novella out the door!

]]> By: Sylvia http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-333 Sylvia Thu, 14 Oct 2004 14:43:07 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-333 I astonished with the Google number too. *scratching head* LOL @ novella! Here's to wishing for all of us :!: I'm tackling this synopsis business as best I can, reading articles and viewing different examples. The really sad thing is, the information is so conflicting! :sad: I'm fairly certain I'm going with Kathy on this one. Plot and secondary characters really mess up the flow, so I'm mentioning them only as needed to show the progression of the love story. This is really much harder than writing the story. :roll: I astonished with the Google number too. *scratching head*

LOL @ novella! Here’s to wishing for all of us :!:

I’m tackling this synopsis business as best I can, reading articles and viewing different examples. The really sad thing is, the information is so conflicting! :sad: I’m fairly certain I’m going with Kathy on this one. Plot and secondary characters really mess up the flow, so I’m mentioning them only as needed to show the progression of the love story. This is really much harder than writing the story. :roll:

]]> By: Ellen Fisher http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-332 Ellen Fisher Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:16:52 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2004/10/13/130/#comment-332 I agree with you about the Google ads. I can't stand ads on professional sites (and that goes even for someone who hasn't been published yet-- if you want to look professional, ads don't add to that perception, IMHO). But that's just my opinion, and I am pathologically phobic about commercials-- I watch TV with the mute button ready at all times! And it astounds me that anyone actually clicks on those ads, but I read the other day that about 75% of Google's revenue comes from those ads. Go figure. I'm terrible at writing synopses, personally. And I've found getting an agent to be really difficult. I hear the easiest time to find an agent is when you actually have an offer in hand... like when Kate Duffy makes you an offer on your Brava novella :wink:. I agree with you about the Google ads. I can’t stand ads on professional sites (and that goes even for someone who hasn’t been published yet– if you want to look professional, ads don’t add to that perception, IMHO). But that’s just my opinion, and I am pathologically phobic about commercials– I watch TV with the mute button ready at all times! And it astounds me that anyone actually clicks on those ads, but I read the other day that about 75% of Google’s revenue comes from those ads. Go figure.

I’m terrible at writing synopses, personally. And I’ve found getting an agent to be really difficult. I hear the easiest time to find an agent is when you actually have an offer in hand… like when Kate Duffy makes you an offer on your Brava novella :wink:.

]]>