I’m rapidly approaching the point where I’ll be contacting agents (maybe this week?) the final piece of the puzzle is my synopsis, which I’m pleased to say is written, but needs a little polish. A thought occurred to me while I’ve been struggling these past few weeks to get my 500 page novel condensed to one page, that I thought I might share…

I wish I’d written the synopsis first!

When the idea for the story first came to me, I wish I’d written it down, the bare story without any of the subplots and embellishments that I added later. This might have made writing the final synopsis much easier.

This is obviously just supposition at the moment, unless some of you can confirm or deny that this does/does not work?

Grinder

It doesn't work for me. I write a detailed synopsis at the beginning, but as the novel flows I usually find that it strays from the path now and again. When I look back at the original synopsis I find it bears little resemblence (except at a real base level) with the finished product.

So why do I write a synopsis to begin with? I dunno. I suppose it gives me an indication of which direction to go in, but until I'm on the road, I don't know exactly what's going to happen.

Colin M

Colin,

thanks for the reply.

Grinder

I write a basic outline of the story - more of a blurb than anything else - to start with then I rough out a chapter plan. Once I have all that in place, along with copious notes on character, settings, any research etc, then I start writing the actual book. Like Colin, I usually stray from the original idea but I find it easier to write if I have some sort of framework in place. Helps to know what is supposed to happen when I sit at a blank page!
Sue

Sue,

Thanks for that, it was just a thought that occurred to me recently. I suppose it might work if you stick to the outline (does that ever happen?), and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt just in case it’s actually useful?

Thanks again.

Grinder

i think i just have the sort of mind that needs a starting point to work from - free creativity doesn't work for me with novels only with short stories. i find that the characters take over to an extent when i get into the story and this necessitates changing direction from time to time. the outline and chapter plan are reassuring i suppose because i know that the story is going somewhere at some point!
sue

Sue,

I use chapter maps too (that certainly helps when writing the story synopsis).

I like to shuffle things around to end with as many chapter cliff-hangers as I can.

Grinder

My partner and I had a 'brainstorming' (is it still called that) session. We drew up a list of bullet points of things that we felt had to go in the synopsis. This helped when I came to write it.

what a good idea! i'm going to try it.
sue