Comments on: The Art of the Synopsis http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/ writing, reading, eating, drinking, sport Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:42:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Justine http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2424 Justine Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:06:10 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2424 That's still a synopsis though. And 12 pages of one! Eek. But it is different to the snappy-can-be-passed-along-to-marketing-and-publicity synop. How long do proposals normally take you? I get resentful of them cause they take so long and I always feel like I'd be better served if I just wrote the damn book. Happy new year to you, too, Ms. E! That’s still a synopsis though. And 12 pages of one! Eek. But it is different to the snappy-can-be-passed-along-to-marketing-and-publicity synop.

How long do proposals normally take you? I get resentful of them cause they take so long and I always feel like I’d be better served if I just wrote the damn book.

Happy new year to you, too, Ms. E!

]]> By: E. Lockhart http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2422 E. Lockhart Sat, 31 Dec 2005 23:54:44 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2422 Not really. I guess I fudge it. Like: Girl becomes fly on wall of locker room! Oh my goodness! I write the HOOK, but not a summary of the plot. In the proposal I write the plot but that takes like 12 pages. A marketing-type synopsis -- no. Happy new year! Not really. I guess I fudge it. Like: Girl becomes fly on wall of locker room! Oh my goodness!

I write the HOOK, but not a summary of the plot.

In the proposal I write the plot but that takes like 12 pages. A marketing-type synopsis — no.

Happy new year!

]]> By: Justine http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2409 Justine Fri, 30 Dec 2005 21:07:26 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2409 E. Lockhart: and in the proposal there isn't a synopsis? Lucky dog! Diana: I'm just saying it didn't take me as long to get through your archives as it did to get through Miss Snark's, that's all. But you <i>love</i> writing synopses! So how can it be a problem? Plus Byron Bay's overrated. Honest. C'mon, you knew <i>MorM</i> is book one of trilogy. How much more warning could you need? [Oh oh. She read my book. Gulps.] Anghara: I'd much rather just write books than ever have to write a proposal or synopsis again. But I keep having to. Sigh. I don't think of them as having a whole lot to do with the book. When I write the book it becomes its own thing, develops its own logic, and things do not unfold exactly as described in the synopsis. This is mostly because once written I never look at the synopsis again. It's a selling tool, it's not the book. Good luck with your book! E. Lockhart: and in the proposal there isn’t a synopsis? Lucky dog!

Diana: I’m just saying it didn’t take me as long to get through your archives as it did to get through Miss Snark’s, that’s all.

But you love writing synopses! So how can it be a problem? Plus Byron Bay’s overrated. Honest.

C’mon, you knew MorM is book one of trilogy. How much more warning could you need? [Oh oh. She read my book. Gulps.]

Anghara: I’d much rather just write books than ever have to write a proposal or synopsis again. But I keep having to. Sigh.

I don’t think of them as having a whole lot to do with the book. When I write the book it becomes its own thing, develops its own logic, and things do not unfold exactly as described in the synopsis. This is mostly because once written I never look at the synopsis again. It’s a selling tool, it’s not the book.

Good luck with your book!

]]> By: anghara http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2406 anghara Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:17:42 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2406 horses for courses, I guess. I cannot - CANNOT - write synopses; getting one out of me is like squeezing blood from a stone and my editors wind up rewriting them anyway if they're required for inhouse stuff. If I do write the synopsis in any kind of detail, my desire to write the actual book is killed stone dead right there and then - I've already WRITTEN the story. we hates synopses, my preciousss. we hates them a lot. Just take my word for it, dammit, and let me get on with writing the book... horses for courses, I guess. I cannot – CANNOT – write synopses; getting one out of me is like squeezing blood from a stone and my editors wind up rewriting them anyway if they’re required for inhouse stuff. If I do write the synopsis in any kind of detail, my desire to write the actual book is killed stone dead right there and then – I’ve already WRITTEN the story.

we hates synopses, my preciousss. we hates them a lot.

Just take my word for it, dammit, and let me get on with writing the book…

]]> By: Emerald City Weblog » For Writers: Science Fiction and Fantasy News http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2405 Emerald City Weblog » For Writers: Science Fiction and Fantasy News Fri, 30 Dec 2005 17:32:34 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2405 [...] And one item that is pointed to that I was going to blog anyway: Justine has some wise words on the subject of writing synopses. [...] [...] And one item that is pointed to that I was going to blog anyway: Justine has some wise words on the subject of writing synopses. [...]

]]> By: Diana Peterfreund http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2404 Diana Peterfreund Fri, 30 Dec 2005 15:26:13 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2404 More frequently? more frequently?!?! Ahem! While some of us (no names) are spending weeks cavorting around summery Byron Bay with famous authors and HOllywood types, the rest of us are stuck in a cubicle in the mid-Atlantic tundra wasteland. The whole world is gray (or will be, once they take down the Xmas lights). Where is *our* time suckage, huh? We have naught to think of but our own synopses that are due in February. And that's no fun, now is it? Thank you for the props, though. I am glad you liked it. I suppose you are forgiven for the aforementioned cavorting. However, not so much for not warning me not to read MOM until MOM2 was out. More frequently? more frequently?!?! Ahem! While some of us (no names) are spending weeks cavorting around summery Byron Bay with famous authors and HOllywood types, the rest of us are stuck in a cubicle in the mid-Atlantic tundra wasteland. The whole world is gray (or will be, once they take down the Xmas lights). Where is *our* time suckage, huh? We have naught to think of but our own synopses that are due in February. And that’s no fun, now is it?

Thank you for the props, though. I am glad you liked it. I suppose you are forgiven for the aforementioned cavorting. However, not so much for not warning me not to read MOM until MOM2 was out.

]]> By: E. Lockhart http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2403 E. Lockhart Fri, 30 Dec 2005 10:57:27 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2403 this is interesting as I have never had to write one, ever! proposals, yes, but never a synopsis! this is interesting as I have never had to write one, ever! proposals, yes, but never a synopsis!

]]> By: Justine http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2402 Justine Fri, 30 Dec 2005 07:20:47 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2402 Yeah, Miss Snark is a most excellent time suck. So would Diana be if she posted a bit more frequently. Not complaining. I understand she has books to write and a life to live. Yeah, Miss Snark is a most excellent time suck. So would Diana be if she posted a bit more frequently. Not complaining. I understand she has books to write and a life to live.

]]> By: nathaniel http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2005/12/30/the-art-of-the-synopsis/comment-page-1/#comment-2401 nathaniel Fri, 30 Dec 2005 07:13:33 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=232#comment-2401 fanfab links, thanks justine! fanfab links, thanks justine!

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