On Synopses

What I'm reading: Persuader, by Lee Child

What I'm working on: synopsis polishing.

Distilling a 350+ page novel into under 4 pages is not my favorite writing endeavor. Cover the Who, What, When, Why & Where. Let your voice show through. Use third person, present tense. Be sure to include major turning points, which in an action-adventure-mystery are plentiful. And then, for a romance, you also have to hit the following points as well:

1. The set-up (external plot situation that will throw hero/heroine
together)
2. The First Meet (first time h/h encounter each other)
3. Attraction but Denial of that Attraction
4. First Kiss (how, why, caused by what?)
5. Reaction to the Kiss
7. The First Love Scene and Emotional Reaction to it.
8. Further Complication of External Plot
9. Black Moment
10. Resolution and Happily Ever After.

I must confess even doing the laundry was more appealing. As was balancing the checkbook. And yes, I played way too many different games of solitaire. And watched football. But I have a second draft that's still within the limits my agent imposed.

For me, synopsis writing sits right up there with plotting. How can I know what the book's really going to be about until I write it? The thought of becoming successful enough to have to sell on synopsis is scary. So is writing to a deadline. However, those are demons I'd like to have the chance to deal with.

So…here's the draft of my first paragraph.

Foster (Fozzie) Mayhew, is the communications and intel expert for Blackthorne, Incorporated, a high-end security firm. Put him in a helicopter with his surveillance instruments, and he can spot the fleas on a squirrel's balls from five hundred feet. When someone needs finding, this cocky, arrogant Aussie is the man you want. He and his team pride themselves in being in and out like the wind—but sometimes the wind changes direction. Like when his boss thinks Fozzie's been on too many covert ops missions and assigns him to find Victoria Hamilton, estranged daughter of a rich client. Armed with an outdated high school yearbook photo, he heads to Florida—to follow the only lead he has.
Comments, anyone?

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyed meeting Detective Mark Hussey. He'll be back. And tomorrow, my guest, Maria Hudgins, will be talking about Faraway Places With Strange Sounding Names.

Synopsis -- Done? Maybe

What I'm reading: Daphne #4

What I'm writing. Synopsis, blurbs and jacket copy.

I have the handouts Karen Kendall provided when I tackled my synopsis. My agent said send her a short one. How short is short, I asked. Three pages. That's a lot of compression of a 100,000+ word novel, especially a romance where the synopsis is supposed to cover two complete character arcs plus the story plot as well.

I looked at Karen's suggestions (which came via Stephanie Bond and Rita Herron) for the short romance synopsis. Points to include:

1. The set-up (external plot situation that will throw hero/heroine together)
2. The First Meet (first time h/h encounter each other)
3. Attraction but Denial of that Attraction
4. First Kiss (how, why, caused by what?)
5. Reaction to the Kiss
7. The First Love Scene and Emotional Reaction to it.
8. Further Complication of External Plot
9. Black Moment
10. Resolution and Happily Ever After.

A formula? Not really, but it covers what a reader expects when she picks up a romance. But that list was devised (I'm sure) for the short contemporary. In a single title romantic action-adventure, there's a lot more going on.

Things I tried to include were the character introductions posted earlier this week. Then there were the plot turning points. The romance turning points. Things like 'the kiss' and 'the sex' were mentioned almost in passing. I also (scary, scary) scrolled through many chapters of the manuscript without so much as a mention. Because it has to be SHORT, I told myself. Not because there was no reason for those chapters to be in the book. Three pages can't possibly cover all the plot threads, sub plots, or other brilliant scenes that reveal so much of the characters and their emotional growth. It seems the scenes that tugged on my heartstrings were the first relegated to the 'don't need that in the synopsis' pile.

I finished the draft Wednesday night. When I looked at it again this afternoon, I gritted my teeth and started the revisions. I'm sure I'll have more changes when I look at it again tomorrow. But that's my self-imposed deadline to get it to my agent.

Blurbs anyone? How about cover copy? The marketing side of this business never gets easier for me.

Tomorrow, I'll be over at Jenyfer Matthew's blog talking about sequels, spinoffs and spoilers. Please drop by and leave a comment.

The dreaded synopsis, continued.

What I'm reading: Payment in Kind by J.A. Jance (along with Daphne and Touch of Magic reads).

What I'm working on: A marketing plan (ugh) and the dreaded synopsis.

And check out today's post at The Graveyard Shift. Agent Janet Reid discusses blogging and promotion.


Yesterday we met Dalton. Miri's a little more troublesome. It must be because I tend to like my heroes a whole lot more than my heroines. Even though all of my early books began with the heroines, somehow, the books turned into "he" books. True, in a romance, they're usually almost equal--but there's usually one who's more equal than the other, and for me, it's become clear it's the hero. Must be why my next books begin with the hero front and center. Do you prefer "he" books or "she" books?

Anyway -- here's Miri. Suggestions? Comments? Leave you cold?

Street-smart Miri Chambers wants nothing more than to help everyone at the Galloway House shelter find a new and productive life. It's more than a job. Galloway House saved her and her sister years ago when they escaped an impoverished and abusive life in New Orleans. So when her sister begs Miri to crash a black-tie gala to make sure the secrets of their less-than-savory past remain buried, she accepts the challenge. To deny her sister would be like not breathing.

Although Miri's left her street days behind, some instincts won't go away. When she's snooping in the host's study, confronted by two men who obviously have no business being there either, she reflexively lifts one's wallet. In the darkened room, all she knows is the wallet's owner is Texan and smells delightfully like sandalwood. Old habits die hard, and a little insurance never hurts, even if you're not sure it's insurance when you take it.

Proposals and Synopses

What I'm reading: Daphne #3, Touch of Magic entry #2

What I'm writing - synopsis, proposal package

Kill word of the day: 'had'

Karen Kendall spoke to us Saturday, and the timing couldn't have been better. I'm not at a point where I sell on synopsis, so I take the coward's way out and write it after I finish the book. Usually I procrastinate until the last possible moment, only writing it if I have to submit it. Since I sent the revised and edited manuscript to my agent last night, I guess it's time. And some of the pressure is off, because she's already agreed to try to sell the book.

Karen's advice and examples, however, sent me home with at least a spark of -- well, enthusiasm is a bit too strong -- but at least I didn't break out in a cold sweat when I opened a new document.

Since writing is all about the characters for me, I decided to start from there. It'll take time to work out the kinks, but with Karen's advice, I have a better idea of what needs to be in there. How's this for starters? Comments welcome.

Hiding behind the public façade of San Francisco-based Blackthorne, Incorporated's high-profile private investigation and security firm is a low profile—think subterranean—division of elite covert operations field agents who go where Uncle Sam can't.

Dalton (Just Dalton—nobody dares call him Ambrose), is one of Blackthorne's elite. A charming Texan, he prides himself on blending in anywhere, and there's nothing he can't scam. But his obsession with putting Colombian drug lord Rafael out of the picture threatens to endanger his life and the lives of his teammates. The fact that he nearly blew a simple undercover assignment at a fundraising gala, getting his wallet lifted in the process, convinces his boss to yank him out of the field and tether him with a safe assignment that will keep him stateside.

I've got a long way to go yet, but at least I've started.