How To Write A Synopsis

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I’m getting a lot of exercise these days. I don’t mean working out at the gym or hiking in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains just thirty minutes from my doorstep. It’s my brain and fingers that are getting the exercise. After having sent the first draft of my memoir, ME, MYSELF, AND MOM, A Journey Through Love, Hate, and Healing, to a number of beta readers, I’m now in the midst of a rewrite before I send it off to a developmental editor.

A month or so ago I started reading Brooke Warner’s, How To Sell Your Memoir.  I put the book down just after reading the section about writing a synopsis.  I thought I was getting ahead of myself and figured I’d  go back to it later, after I’d finished my rewrite. But life has a way of doing its own thing. While I waited for two of my readers to get their comments and recommendations to me, I put my rewrite on hold. I wanted to see all the comments together before I jumped in.

Not wanting to waste time, I contacted a developmental editor who had been highly recommended to me by a writing friend. Yes, he was interested in working with me.  He liked my website and said it sounded like I had a powerful story to tell.  He then asked me to write a synopsis of my book … a page and a half in length … so that he could see where I was going.  Having recently finished reading that section  in Brooke Warner’s book, I said, “I can do that. I’ll get it off to you in a few days.”  I figured it would be easy. It took me a good week and a half to finally get it together. I’ve never sweated so much in my life. It seemed an impossible task.

When I showed it to my writing coach, Kevin, he said it would suffice for my editor, but that it  had to be rewritten if I was going to use it to sell my book; as in sending it to an agent or publisher, or anyone else for that matter.  “You’ve left out some of the most important details,” he said. “You need to sell yourself and your story in order to get attention.” For me, an introvert, that’s easier said than done. I’m not good at self praise and don’t like to sound like I have a big head.

I began to rewrite it, figuring it would be a great thing to take along to the Creative Nonfiction Writing Conference I’m planning to attend this coming weekend in Pittsburgh.  I added some key elements, and then got caught up in rewriting my book after those two readers finally sent me their comments.

As I started gathering  materials to take with me, I remembered I’d signed up to be in a small critique group.  They asked a piece under 3,000 words. If it is to be part of a book, it was suggested I send a one paragraph synopsis along with it. I thought, “Okay, maybe a one paragraph synopsis will be easier than the two page job.“ 

But how do you tell a long story in one paragraph? It took me three days to do it. It was so hard. I think I need to get involved in writing flash memoir, something that other writers have been talking about lately.  Anyway, I sent it in with a chapter from my book.

Then a few days ago, I got an email saying that Amy Loose, an independent editor and agent  who would present a talk on, “Publishing In The Digital Age,’’ was also available for one-on-one meetings with conference attendees.  Still not knowing whether I want to self-publish or go with a small press, I figured meeting with her could only add to of my knowledge.  So I signed up and got started on …  Yes, another synopsis.  This time the requirements were for one page, double spaced. Yikes!

I’m working on it … Pulling apart the longer version and taking a look at the single paragraph to see how I can come up with something in-between.  It’s making me a bit looney.  I’d rather work on the  Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle. But damn, I am learning how to do this.

Still at work on the original synopsis, along with my book rewrite, I’m finding the more hours I put in the easier it gets.  I plan on taking all three synopses with me this weekend.  The book will wait until I get home.

Do you find writing synopses hard?