I need a synopsis for BIRD BRAIN.
I’m trying hard to write a one-pager,
but all those plot lines keep taking off
in opposite directions.
I could use a wrangler.
16 thoughts on “Wanted: Hunk of Molded Plastic With Organizational Skills”
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Tracy Abell 
I don’t know anything about BIRD BRAIN. It might help if you tell me (or someone else who doesn’t know) what the story is about, trying to catch my interest. Pretend I’m in the room and you’re talking to me. Be excited, be a storyteller. Use as many words as you need, then pretend I have a short attention span, so you need to catch my interest quickly. Then cut.
Hope this helps.
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I think this is a great approach, Barbara! I’ve been working on it and made much progress, but now I’m back in revision mode. However, I think the changes I’m making will make it easier to write a compelling synopsis.
Thank you for your support and encouragement!
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Hey, I know ZERO about writing synopsis. This is a link Brian-Ohio sent me several months ago. It was helpful.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Footnotes+8+Articles+On+Synopsis+Writing.aspx
I’m sending you an email about an editing thing.
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That’s GREAT info on writing synopses. Thank you! It’s good to know there’s a whole galaxy of people out there struggling with the darned things. 🙂
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I have to admit, I HATE writing synopses! *sends you luck and a wrangler*
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You and me, both.
But.
I did make good progress, and realized along the way part of the struggle was that there was something missing from the story. And now I have it (thanks to Sacha’s critique), and will be able to finish the synopsis. Once I’m done with the revisions.
HA.
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I always think it is very difficult to write a synopsis of a whole book in only one page! I never wrote one, I will start the progress when I end the translation but I think that barbarabaker has a great advice.
Maybe if you think it like that it will be easier.
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Barbara’s suggestion is a great one, and it works well. I was talking out loud as I worked and it did keep me focused.
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Even more fun is putting it into one sentence which an editor will eventually ask you to do!
I write it as long as I need to and then I whittle away at it with my sharpest little word knife – always asking myself what the essence of the story is.
Not easy though. Good luck!
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Thank you for this suggestion. I’m not finished (because I’m doing some more revision), but it helped to give myself permission to write it all out and then cut away. I made some good progress.
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Yay for progress!
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One sentence at a time…
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I read that your synopsis should be a description of Act I (1st para), Act II (2nd para) and Act III (3rd para). So, that’s what I did. Does that help? I also included the subplots in Act II.
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I have to admit that I’ve always been intimidated by that Act I, Act II approach. I don’t think in those terms. But it’s great it worked for you. I made good progress on mine but will have to finish it once I’m done revising. I think the changes I’m making will make it easier to write a strong synopsis.
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Checking in: Did you wrangle those dogies into the barn yet?
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Hey there! I got some of those dogies into the barn but am now revising again. I think once those revisions are done, the synopsis will flow more easily (because the story will be stronger).
Thank you for checking in, friend.
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