Synopsis...ugh!

   I decided that I want to submit my first 2 chapters into a writing contest my writing group hosts each year in September. So I need to write a synopsis. Now until the conference I attended in May, I had no idea these were considered a HUGE nightmare to writers. However, I now fully understand why and I must agree that I have a serious hate going for the synopsis.
   After thinking about it, the hate writers have for the synopsis does make sense. In a synopsis a writer is condensing their whole book into a 1, 2, or 8 page summary, depending on what the situation requires. How in the world is that supposed to happen? I spend almost 5 hours last Thursday trying to figure that out and when I was done, I had a terrible 2 page draft. I mean it really was embarrassing how bad it was. The next morning I was brushing my teeth trying to gear up to tackle the thing again and I admit that my eyes might have teared up at the notion. How could I be a good writer if I couldn't even do this one little thing? So I decided to leave it alone for a few days and go back to writing on my book until I could think about it without having my stomach heave.
   I am sure you could imagine my horror when earlier this week I received an email from Bill Bernhardt about the workshop I am attending on the 25th. He asked that I send him my first 20 pages and a ONE PAGE SYNOPSIS! My stomach hit my knees, I felt like I was going to be sick, and I wanted to hide under the covers on my bed for the rest of my life. After that brief(it may have lasted 10 minutes) panic, I pulled up my big girl panties and got down to business. Somehow I managed to get my pathetic attempts edited down to one page and I sent it to Mr. Bernhardt along with my first 20 pages. I'll admit that it wasn't very good, but I thought, hey, what is the class for right?!!!
   The day after I sent the horrid thing, I was talking with my friend, Angela and I had an epiphany. I had been trying to write a synopsis for my entire trilogy, rather than just one book! WTH?! While it still wasn't easy, I must admit that it went so much better. So now I have a decent synopsis that I will just have to take with me to class in order to redeem myself AND I can quit worrying about it so much! Praise be!

Side Note: Thank you so much for reading my blog! I hope you will click to follow me below and help me to grow my platform, or fan base for the day when I finish my book and start the publishing process!!! ~Sabrina

Comments

Followers