More Synopsis Pondering

Darcy's post yesterday really got me thinking some more about synopsises (synopses? what is the plural of that word?!) I'll admit it: I've only written two synopses in my life. The first was for my first romance and I actually found the process quite easy at the time. The book was a very action centric plot -- lots of kidnapping and miscommunication and storming out and (gasp!) maybe even a secret baby? So I just followed the trail of the narrative. I'm quite doubtful that I ever delved into the emotions of the characters, of their arc and growth. It was just the facts, ma'am and then moving on.

It wasn't until after I'd finished writing my second novel and sat down to write the synopsis that I realized I'd made a critical plot mistake. Darcy's post yesterday made me think about that experience -- sitting down to boil down the story only to realize that the story was, irrevocably, broken. She's totally right -- the synopsis can really clarify those sorts of things for you! I didn't even bother writing the whole synopsis -- the first paragraph was all I needed to make me realize it was time to move on.

So that leaves The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Per usual, I left the synopsis to the very end. This time I included character arcs, started with a blurb of text from the book that I thought set up the world nicely, and tried to make sure I didn't dump in a whole bunch of backstory. I remember stressing over it, trying to winnow it down to a reasonable length.

But here's the thing I've been thinking about after Darcy's post -- so often we stress and dread the synopsis, but really, in the grand scheme of things, how important is it? I know I'll probably engender some lively debate by saying this (and I'm sure some will point out my propensity to stress over the most minute detail of anything, ahem), but in the end, the synopsis is nothing more than a sales tool. And here's what I've been thinking: if the gist of the synopsis is a story that fits together, and the sample pages are well written, who cares how well written or poorly written the synopsis is?

Of course, there are some caveats -- you still have to have some sort of flow to the thing. But in the end, the synopsis is your way of convincing the agent or editor that the brilliant beginning they have in front of them in the form of sample pages has a logical arc and comes to a solid end. It's your way of saying that you have a plot that holds water and can carry a book. Editors and agents just want to make sure you don't have aliens landing in chapter five, or that your sweet paranormal doesn't turn into a rampaging orgy. They want to make sure they like where your story is going.

I recall a contest I judged a while back that included synopses in the submission. It was amazing to see these from the other side -- not as a critique partner already involved in the story, but as a complete stranger. There was one entry in particular that had a really neat premise but the synopsis got so incredibly bogged down in the details that my mind was spinning in the end. It was too much! It was all plot and no character, no emotion, no arcs.

Now, when I think about writing synopsis it's not about just retelling the novel in a few pages, it's getting that gist across. It's about telling the agent or editor that yes you have a plot and yes it works and yes the characters grow. Think about it from the other side, think about what you would need to know to ask for more, to invest in reading the entire manuscript. That's what we should all be focused on. And if you have the chance to read/critique/judge synopses I highly recommend taking it -- you'll always learn something new!!

Also: Don't forget the 2008 Maven Valentine CYOA starts Feb 1. Vote for the story time period on the left, and get ready to choose your own adventure!

As always, the Manuscript Mavens would like to thank CYOA for graciously letting us borrow the "Choose Your Own Adventure" name. Choose Your Own Adventure is a trademark of Chooseco LLC, Waitsfield, VT. Check them out at cyoa.com. The trademark has been used by permission herein. Thanks, CYOA!