Comments on: Addendum to Synopsis Post

By: shana

shana — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 05:37:00 +0000

i think i’m in love! a really great blogger (whose book i’ll pick up soon) urging writers to work on their synopsis!

Signed,
An Agent.

By: Daria

Daria — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:38:00 +0000

I like writing synopses. I just hate writing books ))

Okay, seriously, I don’t know how good (or bad) my synopses are, but I don’t mind writing them at all. Except I have to be careful to not get too inspired… it sounds crazy, but if I make it too detailed, go into it too deeply, on the emotional level (my own, not the characters), I’ll feel like I have already told the story, no need to tell it again, and my muse will shut up.

By: Ellen Fisher

Ellen Fisher — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:12:00 +0000

I get away with not writing synopses for e-publishers– I have two editors who’ll contract on a few chapters alone, and I love and adore them. (Count me amongst the people who hate writing synopses!) I know of a few authors writing for New York whose editors will contract on chapters and vague ideas rather than a partial and synopsis, too. But on the whole, a published author does need to know how to write a synopsis.

By: Kelly Parra

Kelly Parra — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:56:00 +0000

This is great to know, but sadly, I don’t enjoy writing a synopsis. =D Probably because I don’t feel confident that I write them well. I can just hope my skills improve in this area as I go!

By: Julie Leto

Julie Leto — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 01:34:00 +0000

It’s funny…I don’t feel one way or another about writing a synopsis. It’s just something I have to do. I think I’m pretty good at it, mainly because I know how important voice is to a synopsis and I have no problem telling the story that way. Some are long, some are short…I never sweat that part, either, anymore. But they are CRUCIAL because you need them to get paid!!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 23:53:00 +0000

Oops, sorry, Charlene T. here. And thank you, I’m stunned by the nomination! – Charlene

By: Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:28:00 +0000

Woah. Back it up, Charlene. Are you Charlene T. or Charlene G.? If the latter, YOU SOLD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Why did Marley not tell me this? Congrats, girl!

If the former, I swear, all this time I thought you were C.G. posting here. Oops. Sorry. And congrats on the RT Nom for Best Erotica! Woo hoo!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:20:00 +0000

*raises hand* I’m working hard on improving my synopsis and proposal skills, because they are MUCH more important now than before I sold. Much. – Charlene

By: Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 21:36:00 +0000

I’m with you, Marianne. I always say I can make anything sound good for four pages. It’s the other 396 I worry about.

Your editor makes a good point. No doubt this is why the outline for SOCIETY2 is due in February, though the actual book isn’t due until August.

By: Marianne Mancusi

Marianne Mancusi — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 21:25:00 +0000

It’s true – synopses are even more important once you’ve sold books. I’ve sold books on just a synopsis – no actual text. Other times I’ve sold a blind book or a book based on a paragraph summary. But that doesn’t mean I get paid until I turn in that synopsis.

One of my editors told me once that it helps for him to see a synopsis at the beginning because then he can look for potential problems BEFORE the book is written. It’s so much easier to fix plot problems when you’re working from a synopsis then revising your finished book.

Marianne
PS Am I the only one who LIKES writing synopses??? I’d MUCH rather write a synopsis than submit actual chapters of the book.