Monday, November 10, 2014

Synopse.

Sometimes we just want a break from normal novel writing to do something a little more fun... like the synopsis we'll put on the back of the books.

But that's not always as easy as it sounds.

Like dedications, forewords, and acknowledgements, synopses can be incredibly difficult to write.

Fortunately for you, I've developed a simple system for writing the shortest synopsis you'll ever need. And I'll even show you how to expand it into something you can slap onto the back of the book, or read out loud when you're in public so your friends and family will know exactly what your book's about.



Here's what you'll need to start, a simple formula where all you have to do is fill in the blanks:


When [character] causes [inciting incident], [character] must [goal] in order to prevent [villain] from achieving [disaster]. 

But that might be a bit too simple for you, so I'll tell you a little bit more. Essentially, you'll want to include at least 4/5 of the following: 

  • Hero - The name of your main protagonist
  • Situation - The main plot of the novel, the inciting incident
  • Goal - What your protagonist is trying to achieve
  • Villain - Your main antagonist
  • Disaster - What your protagonist is trying to prevent

To help you understand the formula, here's the short description of Coetir: The People of the Woods

"When she crosses the boundary that incites a war between druids and humans, Ellya must find a way to bring the two peoples together before the war destroys the world as she knows it."
 
Now I hope you see what I'm getting at. 

Along with basic names, your synopsis needs to include the thing that incites the action in your story (i.e. "when she crosses the boundary), the situation ("that incites a war between druids and humans"), the main goal ("must find a way to bring the two peoples together"), as well as the disaster your protagonist is trying to avoid ("before the war destroys the world as she knows it").

The only one of the five that I would say does not necessarily need to be included is the villain, because there isn't always one that needs to be mentioned right away (as in the case of Coetir, where the villain sometimes depends on the point of view you take while reading the story).

Hopefully this was a helpful break from your story writing, and you'll have a better idea of how to summarize your novel's main point after you've finished writing it! 

[love and 48,000 words]

{RD}

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