Problem is, I'm not dead sure as to what a synopsis entails, so I guess it's a ton of research waiting for me.
In the meantime, my painting ended up coming together as I painted. It's actually very close to finished, now. I'm hoping to finish it by tomorrow.
But, now we have visitors who'll be here for a few weeks, so I'm not sure about exactly how much I'll be able to get done.
Maybe that's good, because it means that I'll actually get some rest.
Or... it means I'll be waking up by 5 a.m. to get some stuff done.
Could go either way.
Do you also struggle to turn off, even when you know you should?
Yep, turning off is my problem too. I end up thinking about all the stuff that still needs to be done in my sleep.
ReplyDeleteA synopsis is basically just a summary of what your novel is about. Just think of the back covers of all your favourite books and then try and make your synopsis sound as appealing, if not better than that. Just mentioning that you get a short and a long synopsis. If you start querying, I would suggest you have one of each, because when I queried, certain agents wanted a more detailed one, than just the standard short one of just a few paragraphs.
Good-luck with all the stuff that you still need to get done. Having guests over can be tough. Best of luck and I hope you have an awesome Christmas.
I must say I think my synopsis went swimmingly. I mean, I narrowed a 107k word story down to 3 and a bit pages. In one draft. ^_^
DeleteI try to stay busy. When I am not, I feel as if I am wasting life. As a painter, do you know how many paintings and sketches Rafael completed? Google it. The dude was a machine! lol
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the holidays and cherish the time with your family. Cheers!
Hahaha yeah, I don't think I'll ever manage that. Maybe one day that will make my paintings expensive: how few of them are in existence. :-P
DeleteI hate writing the synopsis. Dozens of edits and my publisher still sends it back for more. All I can say is keep it short, keep it exciting! And the whole who, what, where, when, and why thing.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. It really did help. :-D
DeleteI'd go with Alex's advice. He knows what he's doing. Good luck with the synopsis...my most hated part of pitching titles. :0
ReplyDeleteCan't say that. That most special place outside my heart is reserved for queries.
DeleteLooks like you have lots of advice from better people about the synopsis so I will hold my two cents. ;) But research it, find out how long of a synopsis people want. Everyone is different. They sometimes want lots of details and sometimes they want you to include a short one for the back cover. I always have a tough time shutting down when I am supposed to. And don't know if you saw my response, but I'm absolutely up for a guest post here after the holidays! I think it will be super fun. Hope your followers like my touch of snark. ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing! I personally adore snark. ;-)
DeleteYay for your summarising and painting. Good luck with the synposis. I've written mine a gazillion times.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas and new year.
I wrote mine once. Now starting to feel as if I'm missing something. :-/
DeleteI always tend to feel that I could be writing instead of wasting time on the synopsis, but if you need one, you need one. I often wish I could turn myself on for longer periods of time and skip sleep to write. Unfortunately, I can't write past 9 p.m. That part of my brain just won't turn back on until morning. *blink*
ReplyDeleteMine does, so I sort of end up spending most of my late nights writing. I want to switch back to early mornings, though.
DeleteThe problem is that it's harder for me to wake up in the mornings when I'm used to staying awake late. :-/
I have trouble switching of the chatter that goes on in my brain when I really should be getting some sleep. My last two brains cells are getting so weary.
ReplyDeleteYour synopsis, a brief summary of what your book entails, should fire the imagination. I'm sure you will be fine.
And now that I'm typing from another dimension since something happened on December 21, I have to go because the transmission to your site is fading in and out :)
Keep smiling, stay positive and happy writing.
Gary :)
Yeah that happens to me too. I usually end up until my characters are wearier than I am. :-P
DeleteYeah, I do struggle to stop working once I'm in a flow. But good rests are valuable for future productivity :)
ReplyDeleteDuncan In Kuantan
Definitely. Nothing wastes more of my time than the after-effects of burn-out.
DeleteI'm just finishing up things for Christmas today. It's been a circus juggling everything since the holidays hit. But soon the new year will be here and a better start for all. Hope yours are bright and merry!! Good luck with writing/editing.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hope you're doing well.
DeleteMy hubs made me laugh - after I published Finding Esta he said - Thats it now then. Switch off the computer and take a few weeks off." He said that las week and I'm still laughing. It's impossible to switch off, even in bed lie thinking of all I could be doing if I didn't need sleep. :) You have to rest, but it's understandable that you want to work too. Good going Misha. Re the synopsis - I'd go with Alex's advice. X
ReplyDeleteHahaha yeah. Just turning off the computer does NOT stop my mind from going into draft mode automatically.
DeleteOn the contrary, I draft by hand, so going offline encourages the switch, which in fact makes me seem more vacant.
I struggle to stop. I struggle to go. My life is one big long struggle...in a first world sort of way. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha this comment really has me laughing.
DeleteRe writing synopsis writing: I just encountered this post at Mythic Scribes. http://mythicscribes.com/publishing/how-to-write-a-synopsis/ Don't know if it will help you, but it can't hurt to take a look.
ReplyDeleteOoh thanks for the heads-up!
Delete