Writing the Dreaded Synopsis

 I’m at the point in my writing where I have several novels polished and queries ready to go to agents. The only thing that stands in the way of me sending them off is writing the dreaded synopsis. No big deal, right? It’s just a summary of my book. I wrote a whole novel. I can sum it up in a few double-spaced pages. Easier said than done.

A synopsis is not just a play by play of the main events of your story, ie: this happened, then that happened. Yes, the most important plot points need to be there, but so does characterization, emotion, and voice. The synopsis needs to convey the mood or tone of your book. Is it light and funny or scary and dark? You must show, not tell the important highlights of the story, using active, not passive voice.

As far as length and line-spacing go, guidelines for structuring a short synopsis vary. A good rule of thumb is to keep it to 2-3 double-spaced pages. Write it in third person, present tense. Make sure everything connects and makes sense. Clarity is key. The tricky part is knowing what to leave in and what to leave out. Include only scenes that move the story forward as well as the ending of the story. Leave out dialogue, description, editorializing, and any information about yourself.

The formula for a synopsis is similar to an outline. Start with the opening hook and setting. What sets your book a part from others and makes it special? Does it take place in some exotic location or in another world or time period?

After that, introduce the main character and his/her motivation. What is your character’s biggest goal, the thing he/she wants more than anything else in the world? Is it being with the one he/she loves? Getting into Harvard? Saving the world? What does he/she need to do to accomplish this goal? What will happen if they don’t accomplish it? What is the consequence? Will someone die? Will the world end?

Next comes the inciting incident. What happens to set the story in motion? Does someone die? Does the character move to a new place? Is there a disaster that occurs? Is your character injured? Do they lose their job or break up with their significant other? Is your character robbed? Do they lose their life savings? Do aliens attack?

Then comes the turning point. What action or decision does your character take or make that changes the course of the story? Does your character change jobs? Move to a different city? Break up with someone? Do they go off to school? Do they leave on a journey or quest?

Now begin introducing other important characters. Only name a few main characters (ie: the antagonist, love interest, or sidekick). Use titles for other important side characters (mother, brother, waitress, captain, teacher, etc). Don’t include all the characters. How do these relationships start out and evolve as the story progresses?

Be sure to include the major conflict of your story in your synopsis. What is standing in the way of your character reaching their goal? How do they feel about or react to this opposition? This can be inner or outer conflict. Self doubt or fear that holds them back or a dragon that guards the treasure.

Now your character reaches the point of no return: What does your character do to resolve the problem? What do they have to sacrifice or give up to achieve their goal? How does this affect them? What is the consequence of this action? Do they risk their life to save a friend?

The point of no return leads to the lowest point: This is where the character reaches rock bottom, where the odds of succeeding seem impossible. They have to fight to find strength to face the final confrontation. Maybe they are locked in a dungeon or sentenced to death.

The final confrontation or battle must be shown in the synopsis. So does the resolution. What are the rewards and payoffs. Does your character get the guy or girl? Do they save the world and their love ones? Do they accomplish their goal? How does your character change from the beginning to the end of the story?

I used this formula to create my synopsis and it worked. I hope it helps others struggling with writing a synopsis and makes the experience less dreadful. Good luck!

The Forgotten One Book Blitz and Giveaway

The Forgotten Ones

The Danaan Trilogy

Book One

is now available exclusively on Amazon!

And until May 19 it's only 99 cents!

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

About Laura Howard

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Connect with Laura:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

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Storm Prophet Promo

Storm (Swipe #3)
by Evan Angler
Release Date: 05/07/13
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Paperback/e-book
288 pages
 
Summary from Goodreads: 
In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark allows citizen to shop, go to school, and even get medical care--without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.

Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he's been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.

In "Storm," Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis' army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it's difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren't sure if Logan's sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis' army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation--and the world--the weather is become less stable, and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined....http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17034859-storm

STORM Blog Tour Promotion - Deleted Arbitors Scene

Dear Reader,

Can you keep a secret?

For the launch of my latest banned book, STORM, I am doing something that I’ve never done before: I am releasing a series of deleted scenes. Scenes that are cannon, that did happen, and that simply didn’t fit on the page. What follows here is an exclusive first look at one of my very favorites--a scene in which Erin’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arbitor, run into some trouble on their journey out west, in their to attempt to bring Erin back home.

So why am I doing this, you ask? Why am I publishing this deleted moment?

Perhaps it is just one more way to stick it to DOME. As if a third Swipe novel weren’t enough to ruffle their feathers, now I’m insisting on sprinkling it with bonus material too. Take that, Chancellor Cylis! How do you like me now?

But no. That’s not the only reason. That’s not all.

Because the truth is, it’s my hope that the scene you are about to read will inform the story of STORM, will complement it, will add to it and enhance it once all is said and done.

Because one way or another, a storm is coming. And it threatens everything we’ve ever fought for, all this time. And the more we know before it hits, the better.

Because right now, we Markless need all the help we can get.

Yours,

Evan Angler

The magnetrain arrived on time. It pulled into the Sierra City train station, right at the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, where a few dozen PODs were waiting and where more were landing all the time. One by one, they took group after group of the train’s disembarking passengers to their respective Sierra destinations, arcing into the distance like golf balls out of some great, giant’s driving range.

Mr. Arbitor and Dr. Arbitor stepped off the station’s platform and through what felt to them like a physical wall of heat. In direct sunlight, breathing itself practically burned at the nostrils, and Mr. Arbitor fanned himself impatiently as he and his wife made their way toward the POD line. 

“No wonder no one lives here,” Dr. Arbitor said, earning herself a scowl from a passing Sierranite. “What?” she asked him. To her eyes, the panorama ahead looked more like a landfill than a city. The PODs lobbing toward it might as well have been test missiles—there was nothing on the other end of their arcs to ruin.

“Hot, ugly, and forgotten,” Mr. Arbitor said. “Nowhere’s better if you’re looking to outrun DOME.”

Dr. Arbitor nodded, but her husband had spoken too soon. Halfway across the station’s POD lot, a team of Department officers were headed their way.

“Company,” Joan whispered, and Charles stopped short.

“They traced our Markscans,” he said. “They’ve been waiting for us ever since we boarded, three thousand miles away.”

“We haven’t broken any laws,” Joan said. “It wasn’t illegal for me to leave work. It’s not illegal to travel...”

Charles had to laugh “Joan,” he said. “We’re here to bring back and harbor a cyber terrorist. Just because Erin’s our daughter...” 

Dr. Arbitor gasped a little when he said it, as though she’d suddenly remembered she was holding a rattle snake. 

“Come on,” Charles said, and he took his wife’s hand. She shot him a look of surprise and a touch of anger when he did; it was the first time he’d taken Joan’s hand in over a year. “Sorry,” he said. “But whatever you do...stay with me.”

And with that, Charles ducked left, weaving into the crowd that funneled toward the PODs. All around him, travelers pushed and glared as he pulled Joan onward through the dense, unstructured line.

“Where do you think you’re going?” someone called, but it wasn’t an officer. Charles shrugged at the man. He just kept right on walking. 

When the Arbitors got to the front of the line, they saw a young Marked couple boarding the next POD out, along with two older men waiting to hop on after them. Charles pushed right past the men, taking, with Joan, the next two seats available.

“Hey, what gives?” the older man said, and in his anger he reached out to grab Mr. Arbitor and pull him back out of the POD and into the line. 

All the while, DOME encroached. The four officers were working their way through the crowd now, flashing badges and moving fast.

For a moment, Charles was sure a fight would break out. And after that...he had no idea. 

So this is how the Dust always felt, Charles thought fleetingly. His heart raced an awful rhythm as he tried to break free...and as DOME closed in on all sides.

But Joan had seen enough. And she was through waiting for results. In one strong motion, she held the glass vial of Project Trumpet test results straight out at arms length, wielding it like she might a knife or a gun.

“Do you see this?” Joan said. “This is a bio-weapon. I drop this right now—and everyone in this magnetrain lot is dead inside of two months. Do you hear me? Do you see it?” She shook the vial as she asked the last of her questions. The protein sloshed around inside.

The man let go of Charles before she’d even finished. The crowd outside the POD backed away with a sudden, panicked recoil. The young couple sitting behind the Arbitors shrank into their seats; the boy in the couple, twenty-something and baby-faced, squealed in horror.

DOME was running now, through the last few circles of the crowd, straight for the POD. Straight for the Arbitors.

“Much obliged,” Charles said. And he closed the POD doors. And he jabbed at the mapscreen in front of him for the farthest destination on the grid.

***

 “So, where to?” Joan joked to the couple sitting behind her. They were crying now, having no idea at all what to do about the hijackers in front of them. Their POD careened through the air. They had about forty-five seconds until landing. And at that point, Joan knew, DOME would land too. And she and her husband would be back to square one.

“We have to lose them,” Mr. Arbitor said, pounding with his fists at the dashboard in front of him. 

“How?” Joan asked. “This isn’t a plane. You can’t fly it.”

Charles shook his head. “On the contrary. This thing uses compressed air jets for landing and take off. That means it has course correction. And that means we can course correct it.”

Several more punches to the board in front of him, and Charles had exposed the circuitry underneath. Immediately, the advertisement displaying all around them—a happy jingle listing the intense whitening benefits of NanoGum Pearl—shut off with a crackle. Through the glass, all four passengers could suddenly see the sky, flying at them with a terrible certitude. The couple in back screamed and shrieked, but it did little to phase Charles. “Red wire, blue wire...connects to the yellow...” He mumbled fast as he twisted and pulled...and another ten seconds later—just as the POD had crested in its arc and begun its descent—Charles had successfully hotwired the air jets.

“Hold on,” he told everyone, and for the first time ever in a public taxi ride, a PopHopper POD changed course, swerving hard to the left. 

Even Joan was yelling now. All four passenger’s stomachs were up in their throats. The POD fall hard toward the earth, spinning wildly from the force of the lopsided air jet, like a giant, deadly curveball. Above them and far to the right, the DOME POD flew helplessly off into the distance.

“This thing’ll still land, right?” Joan yelled, dizzier and more certain of imminent death than she’d ever been. 

“I think so,” Charles said. “If I remembered to reconnect the green wire, that is...”

But seconds later, the POD did land. It was rough, landing sideways and bouncing several times before rolling inelegantly to a stop...but it landed all the same. Charles hadn’t forgotten the green wire.

The POD door opened automatically, and the computer voice said something pleasant about having a nice day and being sure to “Hop again soon!” Charles, Joan, and the couple behind them all staggered out of the glass ball and fell immediately to the ground. 

“Where in the world did you learn to do that?” Joan asked.

“DOME,” Charles said. “I took a night course on hijacking a few years back. Most agents do. There isn’t a vehicle in this Union I can’t work with. I’m sure the guys following us could’ve done it too...if only they’d seen it coming.

“If there’s one thing the dust taught me this fall...it’s to never underestimate your opponents.”

Joan laughed. Euphoric relief flooded her brain. 

But it was several minutes before any of the four of them were done throwing up.

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Evan lives without the Mark, evading DOME and writing in the shadows of Beacon.
Swipe is his first book. But if anyone asks, you know nothing about it, and you didn't hear anything from him. Don't make eye contact if you see him. Don't call his name out loud. He's in enough trouble already.
And so are you, if you've read his book.

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

***GIVEAWAY***
Print books 1-3 in the Swipe series, US only.

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-- 
~YA Bound Girls

YA Bound | Email

Nereyda Gonzalez ~ Trisha Wolfe

Books that Reel You In: Hook, Line, and Sinker

One of my favorite things to do is read a good book, but I have a short attention span, so it takes a lot to draw me in and hold my interest long enough to read past the first page, let alone finish a book. I’ve thought a lot lately about what it is that entices me to read an entire novel, and I’ve come up with a few things that captivate me as a reader that I’m trying to incorporate into my own writing.

1. I read some books purely for the beautiful language. I may not be that interested in the story or the characters, but the language lulls me. For instance, reading Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy is like riding a raft down a gentle river, the way her words float across the page enthralls me. Crossed, the second book in the Matched series starts out “I’m standing in a river. It’s blue. Dark blue. Reflecting the color of the evening sky. I don’t move. The river does. It pushes against me and hisses through the grass at the water’s edge.” Notice how the words flow, smoothly, rhythmically, like a river. You can see it. Feel it. Hear it.
2. Another thing that grabs me like a Pitbull and won’t let go is a unique , engaging voice. I just finished reading Supernaturally, the second book in the Paranormalcy series. The fun voice is part of what carried me through the first two books. It starts out “Oh, bleep. I was going to die.” Whenever the MC swears she says bleep. Cute. Original.
3. Then there are those books I read simply because I adore one of the characters. And it might not even be the main character. Even more than the voice in Paranormalcy, I liked one particular character, who only popped up once in a while and is portrayed as bad, but whenever this character came on the scene, I cheered. In James Dashner’s Maze Runner, my daughter fell in love with one of the side characters and followed him through to the end of the series.
4. Humor is another thing that compels me to read. Even though horrific things happen in Maze Runner, there’s a lot of humor in the dialogue, thoughts, and actions of the characters that tickled my ribs and made me laugh out loud. I especially enjoyed the made up swearwords like “klunk” and “shuck”. One hilarious character named Jorge cracked me up every time he opened his mouth.
5. The story itself, the plot, can hook me and reel me in. Hunger Games is one of those books where the plot, more than anything else, is why I couldn’t put it down.
6. My favorite books, the page-turners, have several or all of these strengths combined. Plot, character, voice, humor, great writing. Some examples of brilliant books I could read over and over again are: Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, Jane Eyre, Lord of the Rings. The Poisonwood Bible, and Harry Potter.

So why do you read certain books? What is it about them that you find irresistible

Rock Harbor: Search and Rescue Promo and Give Away

Rock Harbor: Search and Rescue

by Colleen Coble and Robin Caroll

Release Date: April 9^th 2013
From Thomas Nelson
292 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
In "Rock Harbor Search and Rescue," a middle grade fiction novel based on Colleen Coble's bestselling Rock Harbor series for adults, kids will enjoy the mixture of pets, adventure, suspense, and a mystery.

Emily O'Reilly is obsessed with all thingsSearch and Rescue. She volunteers with the team and goes on rescue missions with her stepmom. She is even selling homemade jewelry to save up for her own Search andRescue puppy. But when an expensive necklace is stolen from a renowned jewelry artist at Rock Harbor's fall festival andEmily is accused of the crime, it looks like she'll never get her puppy and be able to join the Rock Harbor Search and Rescueteam.

Emily isn't willing to give up on herSearch and Rescue dreams that easily, andshe sets out to find the real culprit and to restore her reputation. With a few suspects in mind, Emily is determined to uncover the truth, but she isn't prepared for the secrets she and the Search and Rescuedogs sniff out in the process. This exciting mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seatsand have them pining after a Search andRescue puppy of their own!

"Colleen is a master storyteller."-Karen Kingsbury

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15869610-rock-harbor-search-and-rescue

About the Authors

Carol Award winner Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 2 million books in print.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. She gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference Director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year. To learn more about this author of deep South mysteries of suspense to inspire your heart.

***GIVEAWAY***

3 print copies of Rock Harbor (US only)

2 e-books of Rock Harbor (INT)

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Five Ways to Add Word Count to a Novel

Have you ever had the same problem I've had where your novel was too short and you had to add drastically to the word count to make it long enough? If so, what did you do to lengthen your story?

I've been working on revising my New Adult Adventure Romance Novel, Jump the Line, for an editor who's interested and who asked me to add 30,000 words, make a love triangle, and change the ending. That's all! At first I wasn't sure if I could do it or if I wanted to, but I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did.

With a lot of help from my writer critique friends—I never could have done it without you guys! Thanks so much!—and some hair-pulling moments on my part where I wondered if I should just ditch it, I'm finally almost done, and I'm happy with the results. I think it's a much better story now. At least I hope so after all that work!

I learned a lot along the way and want to share some of the things I did with you in hopes that it will help. Here are a few suggestions people gave me that worked:

1. I added a lot of details—something I love to do and usually overdo and have to try to hold back on.
2. I added more scenes, ones I'd skipped before.
3. I added more interaction and dialogue between the characters.
4. I also added more introspection for my main character because I tend to go sparingly on that, so my readers have no idea what my MC is thinking half the time. Not good.
5. I completely had to rethink and change the love story and add a lot more romance in, which was the fun part, but not easy to do since I originally had only one love interest. At first I wasn't even sure which guy she'd end up with, but I decided to go with the one the editor wanted, and it's working out nicely. I just had to do a complete "switcheroo" in my head.

I hope to be done with the story by the end of April (cross my fingers!) and send it in and hope the editor loves it enough to buy it. I'd love to hear some of your ideas on things you've done to add words to your novels.

Of Silver and Beasts Cover Reveal and Give Away

Of Silver and Beasts (A Goddess Wars Novel)

by Trisha Wolfe

Release Date: June 1, 2013
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound
Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

Summary from Goodreads:

In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

***Excerpt***

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface. But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone. “Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words. He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.” A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart. When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—” “It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.” “No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so. He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs. Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him. “Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.” A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—” “Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.” “Is that the rumor in Perinya?” “What?” I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.” From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.” My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.” “All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.” “Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.” His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.” I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.” Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.” Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”

Author Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

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