Synopsis

In preparation for another flurry of queries going out, I am (again) re-writing my synopsis for AN UNTIDY AFFAIR. I have two versions. One that is one-page long, which I will probably lead untouched, and the other that is five pages long. Haven't decided whether to re-do them both.

It is amazing. As much as I dislike writing a query letter, I dislike a synopsis even more. The one upside is that I not only can but must provide the ending.

The synopsis isn't just telling the novel like you would to a friend or relative. Like the query, it is an enticement -- a selling tool -- to get someone to read the entire manuscript.

And, I fear, it is in the enticement area where I fall short.

There is so much that you must get right. The style and format must be right. Failure there suggests that you are not a serious writing or that you are unprofessional. That is likely to kill you with at least 50 percent of the agents who see it. But not with all agents.

Because even with imperfect formatting, the synopsis will rise and fall on how well it sells. And while formatting can be complicated and its requirements often conflicting, it is something that can be learned easily. Not so with synopsis as a selling tool.

Unlike the novel, with its peaks and valleys, I see the synopsis as being mostly peaks told in a compelling way. But, I think as a result, so much of the writing that gives the novel texture and depth is left out. It's a straight sales job. Bam, bam, bam.

Anyway, I was working on it last night. I want to hit the ground running at the beginning of next week. I assume a lot of other writers will be doing the same thing but I am hoping I will still be able to stand out from the pack. Hasn't happened so far but since there will always be a pack, I will have to deal with it.

So there is a little of what is going on in my mind. I am looking for a great 2011.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.