Synopses

Writing a synopsis doesn't have to be a horrible experience. I've been working on a synopsis for a writers' conference I'm going to attend in September. I found help online at Where The Map Ends.com.

Jeff Gerke has put together several writers' tools that can send inexperienced writers down the road to success. His synopsis page offers four methods for synopsis writing.

Method 1 is the basic quick pitch - not really a one-page synopsis. You only mention the most important highlights of the story and leave the rest out. It's important to make the pitch brief. Jeff suggests sixty seconds. Very important to rehearse the pitch before arriving at a conference. Be able to repeat your pitch in your sleep.

I liked Method 2 and Method 3. These two methods hint that a writer should know the 3-Act structure of their story backwards and forwards. These methods help get the fluff out of the synopsis.

Method 4 is for those complex stories that can get too complicated and unfocused in a synopsis.

Having gone to Mount Hermon Writers' Conference this year, I was able to purchase the CD of Jeff's synopsis workshop. The notes I took while listening to the workshop were a little more detailed than his online synopsis page. The CD and the website page works very well together. I suggest having both in front of you at the same time.

Writing a great synopsis is essential if you want to attract the right kind of attention from an editor. So Jeff's writers' tools are quite helpful.

Thanks Jeff.

2 comments:

Jefferson Scott said...

Hi, Laura. Thanks for the great plug for the synopsis methods on WhereTheMapEnds.

I'm very glad it helped--and that you're helping others find it, too.

Best wishes.

Jeff Gerke

Domino said...

Jeff,

You have a great web site. Pages full of helpful information. And some really cool art.

Thanks for stopping by.
LD