Four Resources (and Cyber Monday for writers)

What a whirlwind week it's been! I've been to New York City, and many points between there and Colorado. And most of that time, internet availability has been non-existent, so I haven't been able to post like usual.

I did get to spend some time in the city, and one of the highlights was a stroll through the New York Public Library (which, surprisingly, when I wrote about what they offer free online, has been my highest-read post). My husband had never been inside, so it was fun to introduce him to the amazing art and architecture.

We tramped from the Empire State Building to Radio City, Rockefeller Center (where we watched workers decorating the huge tree), and Times Square. I really do miss the city, but I love living in a small town now.

So as I'm getting back into the swing of things after a week away, here are some random resources to check out:

Want to promote reading? Help other writers? Check out Mike Duran's post 10 things you can do to promote authors you like. Maybe folks will do the same for you someday.

I'm a big fan of Bob & Jack's Writing Blog. Jack Remick has come up with a fantastic post called  A Short Course in Structure ~ Writing Tips for the Committed Novelist. You'll learn valuable information on 'timed writing' (and why it's a good idea), what's a 'start line' and how it can energize your writing, and how to use the 'cut to' technique in effective ways. Don't miss this post.

Jeff Goins posts a list every year of the online writer's guide to Cyber Monday. Check out some amazing deals on books, courses, software, and more.

And here's a nice, concise post from Susan Dennard on how to write a one-page synopsis. You know, just in case you've finished your NaNoWriMo novel early and have time to kill...

How was your Thanksgiving break (for those of you who celebrated)? Do you participate in Cyber Monday deals?

Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 2

Yesterday I posted tips on writing a synopsis from agent Joanna Volpe. Today we'll continue with her advice on how to actually condense a novel into a page or two. 

3 Things to include in a synopsis:

1. The main plot. Though there are many subplots in a novel, tease out what the main one is. Reconcile that most, if not all, of these wonderful and imaginative subplots will not make it into the synopsis. That's ok.

2. Main characters. These are the characters that appear in the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Two of my secondary characters that I just love (one is even a love interest) are only in Act 2 and 3. One of them gets a mention (though not by name) in the synopsis. The other doesn't make the cut at all.

3. The ending. In a synopsis, it's expected that the writer give away the ending. Like I mentioned yesterday, agents and editors need to see that the plot carries through. 

Formatting a synopsis:

1. Check each agent's specific guidelines. If there aren't any, keep it to two pages or less.

2. At the top, put the title, word count, author's name, and genre (optional).

3. Use a 12 point readable font--usually Courier or Times, but never script or any kind of fancy font.

4. Synopses are single spaced, with a space between each paragraph.

5. Number the pages in the header.

6. Write in present tense. Think of the way you tell someone about a movie you liked: "The heroine leaves home, gets chased by aliens, then finds true love and saves the world."

Now, the big how-to:

1. Make a list of all the characters you'd like to include in the synopsis, if length were not an issue.

As an example, Volpe had the workshop attendees call out the names of important characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Here's the list that was generated:

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Voldemort, Mr. & Mrs. Dursley, Malfoy, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Harry's parents, Snape, Professor Quirrel

2. Make a list of important events that occur throughout the book. The class came up with these:

Harry is an orphan, has a bad situation at home, discovers he's a wizard, enrolls at Hogwarts, takes the magical train, makes friends and enemies, learns about his past, discovers his connection to Voldemort, plays Quidditch, different houses at Hogwarts compete, sorcerer's stone is hidden, the Mirror of Erised, the invisible cloak, finding Fluffy, saving Hermione from the troll, detention in the forest, the murder of the unicorns

3. Narrow down the characters to three or more that appear throughout the book. Here's how it looked for our exercise:

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Voldemort, Mr. & Mrs. Dursley, Malfoy, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Harry's parents, Snape, Professor Quirrel

You might say, "But what about Snape? He's a major character." Anyone else that seems important can be referred to, such as, "a teacher who picks on Harry". The Dursleys can be mentioned as "Harry's adoptive parents". This keeps the focus on the true main characters. Hermione and Ron are "Harry's friends", while Malfoy is "his enemy".

4. Narrow down the events to a handful of the important ones, supplemented by a few that help connect them.

Harry is an orphan, has a bad situation at home, discovers he's a wizard, enrolls at Hogwarts, takes the magical train, makes friends and enemies, learns about his past, discovers his connection to Voldemort, plays Quidditch, different houses at Hogwarts compete, sorcerer's stone is hidden, the Mirror of Erised, the invisible cloak, finding Fluffy, saving Hermione from the troll, detention in the forest, the murder of the unicorns

Is it surprising how much was left out?

5. Take the characters and events that are left, and write the synopsis. It does not have to be chronological. Volpe gave a few tips for different genres: If the story is fantasy or sci-fi, use one paragraph of the synopsis for backstory, but no more than one or two sentences. If you have dual protagonists, as in a romance, start with the character that has more focus in the story. Give them one paragraph, then use the second paragraph for the other character. After that introduction, continue on with the rest of the plot.

What do you think? Would a system like this help to condense your manuscript?

Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 1

I've read about synopses. I've blogged about synopses. I've written several, but I've never felt confident doing so.

Several things always bother me. First, a synopsis is pretty dry and boring. It's hard to evaluate how effective it is, when it makes me yawn. Second, I always have a hard time deciding which characters and events to include, and which won't make the cut. I feel sorry for my wonderful sub-plots that don't even get a mention.

I almost skipped Joanna Volpe's synopsis workshop at the writing conference I attended recently. The synopsis I've got is adequate, and there were so many other sessions to choose from. But now, I'm so glad I went. I think it was the most practical of all the workshops I attended.

First off, Volpe, an agent with Nancy Coffey Literary, set our minds at ease about synopses in general. The synopsis will never be the critical factor in an agent's decision to offer representation. And it could actually be a writer's saving grace. 

Volpe says she always asks for a synopsis, but doesn't always read them. If she's partway through a fantastic manuscript, she might glance at the synopsis to see if the plot is working all the way through. That will bring her to a decision on representation faster. Alternatively, if there are issues with the manuscript, sometimes a great synopsis can keep her reading the novel because she knows the issues can be fixed.

She also uses a synopsis once she's offered representation. There are many people an agent needs to "sell" the book to. Most of those individuals need a sense of what the book is about, but they won't have the time to read it immediately. A synopsis can give them the bird's eye view of the project.

Secondly, Volpe assured us that the synopsis is supposed to be boring. It's just a collection of names and facts. She described the synopsis as a book report, while a query letter is the coming attractions.

As part of the workshop, Volpe conducted an interactive session where the group helped her come up with a synopsis for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. A book like that, with a broad scope, and a huge list of characters and events, would seem like a nightmare to summarize. But Volpe's techniques made it a short, fun exercise.

Tomorrow, I'll share the details of Volpe's synopsis method. Come back to check out her secrets.

Oh, and here's something she posted on her Twitter account the other day. Since I pitched to her, I hope my novel was one of the ones she was talking about!

Do you enjoy writing synopses? If you've got any hints, I'd love to hear them!