I have finally had that brainstorm guaranteed to make me a bazillionaire. All I have to do is invent the Synopsizer — a machine into which writers can feed their manuscripts and receive a fabulous synopsis in return. I’d be richer than Oprah, richer than Bill Gates! If only it were that easy. As you might have guessed, I’m writing a synopsis tonight on my new women’s fiction novel so I can send the partial to my agent. And although this is manuscript number fifteen or so, I’m still left with the age-old question among writers — why are synopses so darned difficult to write? It’s way easier to write the entire 300-plus pages of the book than to write the 10 or so pages nutshelling that story. Whoever first coined the term “sucknopsis” got it right.
But in good news, I came home from my RWA chapter meeting today to find a fun e-mail from my agent. She’d just finished reading my newest young adult manuscript and loved it, every bit of it, so much so that she’d already sent it off to the editor who requested it before I even got home. That sure was a “make me smile” moment.
Okay, off to read through the newly minted synopsis to see how hideous it truly is.
November 20th, 2005 at 5:46 am
Is a bazillion more than a gazillion? (That sounds like an SAT analogy, i.e., bazillion is to gazillion as foot is to mouth.)
I can’t imagine how hard it would be to write a several-page synopsis, keeping it tight and interesting, and telling the story without giving away too much of the plot. Just tantalizing enough for the potential editor to want to read more.
I have enjoyed your blog while keeping up with your writing/family adventures. Good luck with your many projects — I JUST KNOW that you are about to get published very soon. That will be your Merry Christmas present. Love ya.
November 20th, 2005 at 10:20 am
I’d love to get a contract for Christmas. Funny, I was just mentioning that on one of my e-mail loops this morning. Thanks for the kind words. Hope all is well on Elm.
November 20th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
YEAH! Trish!!! I hope the next year brings you that invention (Because I want to buy one) and a bazillion dollar contract!
Fabulous news.