I’ve almost come to believe that the synopsis serves as a “Gatekeeper.” A finished story in hand isn’t usually enough. It doesn’t matter how polished the story is. If I can’t summarize the story in a concise query and synopsis, then I probably don’t know what my story is about. Philosophically I know this and even buy into it…until I begin to struggle, and then I just want to whine and play the latest Diner Dash game.
I’ve written two versions of the Maya story synopsis and they both suck bracken swamp water. Choppy, awkward, trite, boring as hell, you name it. I’ve tried on paper, in a file, starting a new file, jotting more on paper. Nothing is working.
And then I realized that I haven’t been listening to my own process. Remember when Dr. Connagher helped me with his synopsis? For whatever stupid reason, I forgot his lesson. *headdesk* So I started over again and I’m writing one paragraph at a time. I didn’t get far tonight–too tired after long Evil Day Job (quarter-end deadlines on top of everything else). Everything’s stacking up on me and the stress is really taking a toll. Hopefully I’ll hit the sack soon, get about 10 hours of sleep, and then work on the synopsis first thing in the morning before anyone else is up. That’s my plan.
With lots of coffee, peanut butter cookies, Clive Owen, the Rock, and scrap paper, I hope to churn out a good–hell, I’ll even take decent–synopsis. I can make decent better. Crap just has to be taken to the curb.
If you want me to take a look at it when you’re done, just email it to me. I need to work on mine too. 🙄
I will definitely take you up on that if you promise to send me yours!
Hon, I know your pain! Been working on one for what, I swear, has been days and days. Why do they have to be so flipping painful??? Good luck. You wrote the book, trust you have the synopsis in you.