Tag: Writer’s prompt

How to Write a Synopsis

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

I am not proclaiming myself an expert, but rather sharing information which I’ve gleaned from meetings with agents.  I hope you find this useful.

  1. Keep no secrets: A synopsis is supposed to reveal everything, including the ending. Tell the agent what happens without trying to confuse or surprise. The basic purpose of a synopsis is to show your story’s narrative arc, which includes the rising action as well as a logical, satisfying ending.
  2. Format: One-page, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 1inch borders.
  3. Be clear on major points: Agents want to see that there is a beginning, middle and end. They also want to discover something unusual in your story, something perhaps that they’ve never seen before. Highlight those plot points in your synopsis.
  4. Don’t write in your character’s voice. A synopsis can be dry because it has to explain everything that happens in a small space. Strive for clarity. Parse your words. Don’t add guidance, such as “in the next scene,” “at the climax of the story” or “in a dream/flashback/flash-forward”.
  5. Whenever a new character is introduced capitalize the entire name and then use normal text from then on. Avoid naming too many characters: stick to those that are most crucial to the story.
  6. Use third-person, present tense: Even if your story is in first-person POV, the synopsis should be in third. Even if your story is in present tense, the synopsis should be in past.

I hope this will help!

Your task is to choose one of your longer stories and to write a short synopsis. It helps to practice and practice and practice some more!

Once you’ve written it, ask someone who is not familiar with your story to read it. From your paragraphs, does your reader know what happened in the story, from beginning to middle to end? If so, Yippee!  If not, rewrite.

Have fun with this one.

A Special Object

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Think back throughout your life until you discover an object that evokes a strong sensory experience. It could be your grandmother’s apple pie, climbing a backyard tree whose bark often scratched your skin, of hearing the sound of mourning doves and thinking of a baby crying.

For me, it would be my mother’s apple dumplings. She only made them once a year, which made them all the more special. She’d sit at the table to peel and core the apples. Often my siblings and I would hover, waiting until she began slicing, hoping that she’d give us at least one. Why was that slice so special? I never understood. I think it was the simple fact that my mother did it for me.

Make a list of at least three such images. Under each record the sensory memories invoked. Try to cover all the senses, even that of time.

Your task is to then write a story, either real or make-believe, that includes that trigger. Your character has to react in a logical way. If the trigger causes fear, then write it. Joy? Show us. Longing? Let us feel the desire building to a crescendo.

When you are finished, reread or allow someone else to read it. Allow yourself to fall into that moment of time. Do your words capture the feeling? If not, then make changes.

Have fun with this one.

 

People Watching

On By Terry ConnellyIn Writing promptLeave a comment

Can’t think of a character, setting or problem? Go somewhere and sit for a while.

Choose a place that is heavily trafficked. A shopping mall, park or busy street in a commercial district.

Bring a notebook with you as well as a camera. When you see an interesting character, take a picture, but also record how the character walks, what he is carrying, whether or not he is on the phone, and if he is walking alone.

Give the character personality. For example, maybe she’s a CEO of a start-up company and is hurrying off to a meeting that she’s worried about. Perhaps she has a sick child at home or just got a call from her daughter’s teacher.

Describe the setting. Is it bland or colorful? What types of buildings? Tall skyscrapers or low slung town homes. A park with green grass and flowers in bloom, or a snow covered field. Blue sky, pouring rain or skittering clouds.

Then take a look for another potential character and do the same.

Each time imagine the story that the character has to tell. Jot down ideas. Did he have a happy childhood or were his parents abusive? Does she keep in contact with her siblings or are they distant? Why?

When you get home, think about the stories you can tell. Begin writing. Use a stream of conscious flow of words. Let the story tell itself.

At the end, reread and look for places where you can embellish or deepen the conflict. Edit out unnecessary words. Add dialogue that develops the character’s personality.

When you are finished, you will have an original story. Plus, you will have enough information to write a few more!

Have fun with this one.