Beat the synopsis stress

September 24, 2009 by Jo Herbert (Editor, Writers' & Artists' Yearbook)
Filed under: Getting Published 

Jo work picEvents at the Kingston University writers’ conference the other weekend went very well. Over 120 writers attended to get the lowdown on how to get published.

My workshop covered the bare bones of what to submit to an agent or a publisher, with particular emphasis on writing a synopsis.

I started by explaining that the function of a synopsis is to show the reader that you’re in control of your work. It also demonstrates that you are a good enough writer to be able to break your work down into its component parts.

I find that some writers feel disconcerted when it comes to writing their synopsis, nervous even. Ring any bells? On delving  a bit deeper, I put this down to one of two reasons.

1) It might be because the author isn’t 100 per cent convinced by their own work. Their book might be unwieldy or unclear; it might have insufficient structure, holes in the argument, or a vague, ill-thought-through ending. If that sounds familiar (you know what’s coming) then, quite simply, you are not yet ready to approach an agent or publisher.

You need to go back to your manuscript and put more work in, fix the problems, until you’re satisfied it’s as solid as it can be, and most importantly that you know it inside out.

2) Or maybe you are sure of your work, but still feel nervous about summarising it? You’re a writer who can write a good book, but is inexperienced in the art of summarising? If this is you, you have no option but to steel yourself and treat the project as a literary exercise, a challenge, an opportunity to show your work in its most basic and essential form.

It might take time, but this is your book, so give it its best possible start in life. And look for help – ask others to give you a hand, look at blurbs on book covers or plot summaries in books like the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

Writing your proposal can really be a difficult task – perhaps even harder than writing the manuscript (moot). As tempting as it is to scribble a quick covering letter and synopsis, pop them in an envelope and hope that your three sample chapters will speak for themselves – don’t. This is what many other writers are doing and getting absolutely nowhere.

No pain, no gain.

Warm wishes, Jo

If you fancy hearing more, I’ll be talking about submissions in my next workshop at Cheltenham Literature Festival on 16 October 2009.

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Comments

11 Comments on Beat the synopsis stress

  1. Marsh on Sep 24, 2009 at 12:31pm

    2. On 24 July 2009 I wrote that I had written a book: Social Kissing, Gifts & Bribes – how to get on with people worldwide ISBN: 9781906710897 which has been published and launched at Waterstone’s Putney Exchange. I asked for the following information: Has anyone found a respectable / UK eBook publisher? -There was not a single response.
    I have now found Schiel & Denver Publishing Ltd to be an excellent eBook publisher who have been most supportive. My book in eBook format will have the same title but its eBook ISBN will be: 9781849030199.
    I have also taken part in hospital broadcasts to publicise my book.

  2. Claire Fogg (Publisher, Yearbooks) on Sep 24, 2009 at 12:48pm

    3. Hi Marsh,

    Sorry to hear that you didn’t get a response. Perhaps our users hadn’t had any luck themselves with finding reputable eBook publishers. I’m sure they’ll benefit from knowing who you’ve found good and supportive. Here at Writers & Artists, we don’t endorse individual publishers. Rather we list a whole range of reputable ones in our listings, both online at this site and in the printed book.

    Good luck with your book. I am often at a loss with the etiquette of social kissing!

    Claire

  3. Caridad Pineiro on Sep 24, 2009 at 12:56pm

    4. I used to find writing the book easier than doing a synopis – the Dreaded Synopsis – as many writers think of it. It took a great deal of time to realize that once I identified the basic character conflicts and main points of the plot that built those conflicts to the climax, writing the synopis was easier. Not only that, it really helped with the road map for the novel. Now, I am often able to show just the synopsis to my editors and/or agent in order to get the go ahead for the book. Thanks for sharing your observations on writing the Dreaded Synopsis.

  4. Marsh on Sep 24, 2009 at 14:51pm

    5. Dear Claire
    In your 2008 Yearbook page 608 you listed a number of E-Publishers. Perhaps as a result of my experience you might try to expand that list.
    The 2008 Yearbook feature articles were excellent, but many of your ‘listings’ need to be improved, in particular your TV & radio addresses. I suggest you look at the “Media Directory – TV & Radio Programmes” where they make a point of highlighting the “contact point” for all TV + Radio stations. Just giving website addresses or email “info@xx , as the Yearbook does is absolutely useless for trying to identify the ‘programme planner, etc”.
    I am not impressed by the 30+ pages of “societies, prizes & festivals”. The Yearbook has only identified one organisation that is open to ’self-publishing authors’; it has not identified any organisation offering prizes to ‘old’ authors’ and ‘old 1st time authors’ – do you have a research department? Is it possible that the W & A Yearbook getting stale?
    Your’s provocatively – Marsh

  5. Jo Herbert (Editor, Writers' & Artists' Yearbook) on Sep 24, 2009 at 15:43pm

    6. Hello Caridad, that’s what it’s all about … getting to grips with your manuscript until you know it inside out. And it provides a timely opportunity to find any holes or inconsistencies in your work. It’s tough but it’s got to be done. Sounds like you have it licked! All best, Jo

  6. Laura K on Sep 24, 2009 at 17:33pm

    7. I have recently completed my synopsis, but found it to be a really positive and useful excercise as it happens! It really helped me to clarify the stages and development of my story, the twists and turns etc and also helped me to improve one chapter I was a bit niggled by. I now feel confident that it has been properly structured, which I may not have realised until I put the synopsis down on paper. I have a two page version and a one page version as it seems agents want one or the other!

  7. Jo Herbert (Editor, Writers' & Artists' Yearbook) on Sep 24, 2009 at 17:48pm

    8. Hi Laura, oh that’s brilliant! Thank you so much for posting your experience of synopsis writing. Someone out there who’s struggling with theirs might read it and be encouraged. Well done you. All best Jo

  8. alexriley on Sep 24, 2009 at 19:03pm

    9. Writing a synopsis is a great way of exposing flaws in a plot. I suppose how difficult writing a synopsis is depends on how well the plot is planned and how familiar the author is with it. I often forget in my attempt to get my synopsis over and done with as quickly as possible that it should contain and convey the excitement (or whatever) of the actual manuscript.

  9. Laura K on Sep 24, 2009 at 23:59pm

    10. Thanks Jo! I would go so far as to say that personally I would now write a synopsis at various stages within my story, near the start when I think I have the plot well mapped, in the middle and near the end – regardless of whether it is for the purpose of recruiting an agent or not. Because you need to summarise succinctly and pin-point key features of the plot, it’s surprising how much tighter the storyline either needs to become or seems than before, when you’re holding much of it in your head. And writing a few as an exercise with no pressure has got to be good preparation for the real thing, which by then should be a piece of p….erfection!!

  10. James Halliwell on Sep 29, 2009 at 14:57pm

    11. I was struggling with my synopsis. I read this article and it just clicked.

    Now it’s done. So thank you Jo, and I would recommend the advice in this article to anyone else who was in my position, it rocks.

  11. ravibedi on Sep 29, 2009 at 17:22pm

    12. In my twenty-six years of service in the Air Force, I never feared approaching even the most dreaded Air Marshals, who could drill a hole in your head by just looking at you — not even when I did something terribly wrong that could jeopardize the safety of the nation. But after going through the haughty pictures you present of the literary agents (read Gods), and all the dos and don’ts, I am already shivering (we have a better word for it in the services) in my pants.

    This reminds me of my physics professor back in the college, who kept telling me repeatedly that I would never pass his class. I hated the bloody man whose eyes looked larger than that of a horse through his thick glasses. However, I did manage to clear his class with some external help. Thankfully, the literary agents I searched for on the internet turned out to be far more glamorous than I could have ever imagined, and less scholarly, if you know what I mean.

    My confidence is a bit shaken, even though I know I have a unique story (believe me), full of intrigue and suspense that should entertain a reader tucked into a blanket in front of a fireplace on a cold winter night. Now, after toiling hard for over two years to put together a formidable story in ninety-thousand words, I have to work on a half-page query letter to tickle the tastes of a goddess sitting there with a sword to discard the damn thing into her slush pile. Nevertheless, I will give it a try and see if I end up into the trashcan, or in print, preferably the latter.

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