Has anybody tried to write one and how did they find it?
I'm trying at the moment but I never seem to be happy with it. so much to say and so little space to say it.
I'm getting ready to submit and I was wondering what the rest of the community have to offer in terms of 'getting it right' (if there is such a thing)
:) Gosh I didnt half grumble when I started mine. But then something weird happened.
I started to really enjoy it.
And the plotting of my second book as changed for the better.
Sorry Renee but avoiding telling the story is terrible advice! That's precisely what you want to do. Condense your book into a short story; par away all those subplots (though certainly allude to them), minor charas ect ect until you have an elegant telling of your plot- set up, conflict, resolution, via your emotional protag, showcasing your style and USP.
I must say that I'm still a bit uncertain regarding mine. A lot of advice says not to talk about structure/themes ect. Themes I get, an agent is going to have the intelligence to deconstruct after all! But my structure, whilst very trad in some aspects, is unique in others. This is lost with the paring down. Think I'm going to add a wee para in my future subs...
Anyone else had similar issues?
If you have not done so already, the article, 'Writing a Synopsis' at p122 of the WAYB2014 may be useful. Good luck,
I wrote my synopsis and then the chapter breakdowns. I wasn't happy at all with the synopsis because it wasn't 'sharp' enough. If you get your chapter breakdowns short enough first, the synopsis with grow naturally from them and you'll be able to avoid 'telling the story'.
I think if we look too much at what publishers want while we're writing these things we get confused and stressed. No-one's going to count if it's interesting and precise IMHO.