Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Prosody: The Music of Language
Children’s author Jean Matthew Hall shares practical tips for elevating our prose whether we’re writing for children or adults. She begins by defining “prosody” as “the blending of linguistic and literacy elements to create the mood, voice, and tone of a literary work.” She defines several of these elements and how our word choices are similar to puzzle pieces that can be rearranged until the perfect picture is revealed.
Watch the May 28th replay.
Since 2001, Jean Matthew Hall has been a schoolteacher and administrator, a Sunday school teacher for children and women, the Director of Write2Ignite, a writing coach for homeschooled students, and the owner and Editor of StarLight Magazine. She has one published picture book God’s Blessings of Fall.
Writers Journey: Abundandtly More
Author Ben Cooper shares his experiences as a writer who expected to be “One and Done”…but wasn’t! During his second cancer diagnosis, Ben traded “worry with writing.” In addition to sharing his story, Ben presents “Where I Am From,” a poetic slideshow that he considers a living document. This inspirational presentation is thought-provoking and motivating.
Watch the June 4th replay
Ben Cooper is a Christian, husband, father of five adult children, beekeeper, speaker, and author. He retired early to market his first book, so he thought. He is expecting to hit eleven books in six years by the end of the year, including a bi-monthly column for an author’s magazine.
Why Authors Need the Key Elements of a Synopsis
Writing a synopsis may be a writer’s toughest writing job! Author, podcaster, and educator Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hays shares key elements needed both for a fiction synopsis and a nonfiction summary. Keep in mind that the synopsis/summary is a promise and that the completed book is the promise kept!
Watch the June 11th replay
Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes is an editor, author, speaker, and educational consultant who hosts the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality. She’s authored a Christian Bible study and is working on the sequel to her first general market thriller, A Fifth of the Story, which debuted in February 2024.
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Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
“I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.”
Estée Lauder
“People don’t ask for facts in making up their minds. They would rather have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts.”
Robert Keith Leavit, author and historian
Preparing an overview has proven time and time again to be a challenge that stumps even the most experienced of writers. How do you take this massive idea for a story and condense it down to a page?
Somewhere out there is an author for whom writing a commercial overview is a piece of cake. They sit down, the concept is hovering in the air over their computer, they type it out, done and dusted. I haven’t met them, but I’m sure they exist. If you happen to be that lone individual, I’d advise you not to tell other authors. Your end will be swift and certain.
For the rest of us, the story overview is a beast.
You have all these ideas that are swarming around in your head. You have a huge cast of characters, a growing storm of events, and three or four hundred pages later, you’ve created a fabulous tale.
How on earth do you distill all this down to one page? How can you tell your story in just a few paragraphs, create in that tiny space a vision that is so compelling the gatekeepers will fall over themselves in their haste to offer you a publishing contract, a film deal, the keys to the kingdom, whatever?
After twenty-five years as a published author, the simple answer is, it doesn’t come easy.
For my latest story, I worked on the overview for seven weeks.
All through the initial phase of shaping the characters and the story, I returned over and over to this daunting task. I knew I had something great here. The challenge was, creating an overview that made other people feel the same way.
I am going to offer you a few simple steps that will help deconstruct the project, and hopefully guide you towards a synopsis that is magnetic in its appeal.
Do This Now:
Start with the question, so what’s your story about? Imagine you are seated in a television studio. The cameras swish around on silent rubber wheels. The lights are intense and aimed at you. The much-loved interviewer shows you that world-famous smile, and then asks you that question. What is your story about?
How do you respond? You have the live audience on the other side of the camera, and they’re genuinely eager for you to tell them what they’re going to go out and buy the very next day.
Write out what you would say. Limit yourself to just one paragraph.
Then set it aside.
Accept that it is a gradual process.Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this first effort is going to be your finished project. Creating the winning overview is done through trial and error. A few days later, write your first paragraph again.
Keep a notebook just for the overview. If you’re like me, most of these early attempts are not going to fit. But gradually you come to terms with the key element to the successful overview, which is:
Your job is not to tell your story. Your goal is to SELL your story.At some point there will come that moment when you discover the amazing concept, the emotional foundation that fuels your quest to write this story. When that happens…
Focus on that silver thread. Usually this emotional punch will help you identify the key plot line and characters that drive the story. The entire overview must center upon this one element. This time, when you write the paragraph, you will discover that the entire concept is real in a new sense. The paragraph that results is often called the story’s hook.
Begin with the hook, end with the climax. Gradually you develop a story concept that was not there before. As a result, you will often perceive your story’sclimax in a new light. Write this final paragraph next. Remember, you are not entering into a contract. You are not required to actually keep this climax. You are selling.
Develop a log-line. The log-line is a Hollywood term, signifying the one sentence or even just a phrase that shouts to the world: This is unique, this is great, come join me on this amazing ride. At some point during the writing of my overview, I will go to the movies and walk down the line of posters for coming attractions. I visualize my story up there as a poster, and sketch out ideas for what this log-line might be. My goal is to come up with two, and I place one at the beginning and another at the end of my overview. These help the editor sell the story to the pub board, and the sales staff place your book with buyers. Oftentimes they also appear on the book’s back cover.
Polish and distill. Only at this point do I begin to concern myself with length. Because I want my overview to work with Hollywood, I must limit myself to one page. It is very rare for anything longer to be considered by senior executives. If an overview gets that far up the food chain, a junior exec will trim the longer structures. I much prefer to do that myself.
A final bit of advice: Refrain from speaking with anyone about your work until your overview is complete.
This serves two purposes. First, you have created a commercial structure, and that is what outside readers are really all about. They respond to your project, not to the tender seed of creative fire that exists at heart level.
Second, you now have a means by which you can present your story in a brief and concise fashion. When someone asks what the story is about, you actually know what to say.
I wish you every triumph in making a winning transition from creative project to commercial success.
Davis Bunn’s novels have sold in excess of eight million copies in twenty-four languages. He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with every major US book club. In 2011 his novel Lion of Babylon was named Best Book of the Year by Library Journal. The sequel, entitled Rare Earth, won Davis his fourth Christy Award for Excellence in Fiction in 2013. In 2014 Davis was granted the Lifetime Achievement award by the Christy board of judges. His recent title Trial Run has been named Best Book of The Year by Suspense Magazine. Lately he has appeared on the cover of Southern Writers Magazine and Publishers Weekly, and in the past three years his titles have earned him Best Book and Top Pick awards from Library Journal, Romantic Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. His most recent series, Miramar Bay, have been acquired for world-wide condensation-books by Readers Digest. Currently Davis serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. Until Covid struck, he was speaking around the world on aspects of creative writing.
In the business of screenwriting, everyone dreams of getting
a big sale with their passion project, projects they worked on for years.
Unfortunately, most aspiring screenwriters spend time writing their screenplays
without taking the other necessary steps to get the deal done.
The screenwriting business isn’t as simple as a great story
idea. If it were anybody and their uncle could do it. Most people believe they
have come up with the best story idea Hollywood has ever seen.
But show business doesn’t just hinge on great stories. While
concept may be king there, there are other players in the king’s court and I’m
not just talking about story structure. I am referring to the other industry
specific tools screenwriters must master.
Options
Treatments
Log lines
Since I’ve already
discussed the first two, this month I want to look at the log line and how it
works together with the other tools in the screenwriter’s tool belt.
Log Lines?
Log lines are often
overlooked and overdone. Basically, log lines are a 1 to 2 sentence description
of what your screenplay is about. The hard part about writing log lines is not
giving too much information, but teasing the high points of your narrative.
Your log line
should introduce the world of the story, the conflict and the hook, all without
wasting any words. Trim the fat—just the meat of the story.
Once you develop
your log line, not only will you use it as a guide for writing your screenplay,
you also want to use it as your opening line of your treatment that you send
out to potential agents, studios or producers.
This will be everyone’s
first look at the story you’re trying to pitch. Screenwriting coach and legend
Scott Myers advises, “Concise, concise, concise. One sentence that generally
describes the script. General is the key word. Don’t worry about every detail
of the story in the log line.”
If it is so simple,
why do so many screenwriters skip this step in the screenwriting process?
Killer log lines often help get movies green-lighted. Below are a few.
MatrixA computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.
Silence of the Lambs A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.
Star Wars An orphan farm boy on planet in the galaxy far far away must unite with robots and rebels to fight against an evil controlling empire to save the galaxy.
The HangoverA Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.
A Very Long EngagementA French woman sets out to find the truth about her missing fiancé after he is sent off to serve in World War I.
Good Will Hunting A young janitor at M.I.T. has a gift for mathematics but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
Log lines should
tease your story not tell it, as shown in examples above. Give the hook,
concept and introduce a few characters, then get out of the way. Ideally, that
should be enough to give anyone the premise of your story.
Creatives may feel
their work deserves a more thorough explanation in order to entice the right
people, but the hard truth of the business is that studio execs, producers and
even literary agents don’t have the time to read all of the countless scripts,
treatments or queries they receive.
Hence, the power of the almighty log line. It’s great for explaining the concept of your story in the shortest amount of time, with the most impact. And in Hollywood, timing is everything!
Don’t Waste Time!
It can take years
and possibly decades to get a movie made after a screenplay is written. The
production process is time-consuming and scripts often become dated quickly.
Hollywood is not
some get quick rich business, by the time screenwriters “make it,” they have paid their dues by writing dozens of screenplays
either on assignment or spec. It takes time to learn the craft of screenwriting,
just as with any other profession.
Once a script is
completed there are still quite a few stages it goes through before a movie
arrives in theaters.
Being optioned or sold.
Pre-production.
Production.
Post-production.
Marketing.
None of which will
happen without an interesting and concise log line that will tease and sell
your story. It’s important to remember log lines don’t need to be complex or
long, just clear and to the point.
As a rule of
thumb, it should be one to two sentences. The goal is for people to understand
your story from your log line.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
We’ve written the book,
isn’t that enough? Now they want us to write a query, a pitch, a proposal, a
synopsis! What next?
Every agent and editor
understands that the dreaded synopsis or query or full proposal is anything but
fun. And yet, it gives them a real look into the author’s actual skills. A
quickly thrown together synopsis reveals the inability to follow through. A
poorly addressed pitch tells them that the author isn’t really sure what the
theme of their novel is at the core. And a badly written proposal indicates a
lack of ability to organize or follow directions.
So is the purpose of
writing these a test? Not at all. Everything is needed for the agent to
convince someone else that the author’s work is worthwhile. If you can’t
convince the agent, how will she convince the editor?
So let’s break this
down. First, a great pitch will intrigue the agent or editor enough that they
will want to read more. It’s like a twenty word hook that simply mesmerizes the
individual, lures them to read on. The synopsis is a more detailed look at the
entire novel’s outcome, telling the agent that the writer can write an
introduction, middle, and ending well. And finally, the proposal gives the
agent all of the details that he needs to take this brilliant story to an
editor and hopefully have it be picked up.
Yes, it’s homework in a
sense. It’s the final chapter to the novel that is needed to sell a work. It’s
tedious, but necessary. Torture? Maybe a little bit, but all of us as writers
have been there, and we all made it to the other side.
Blessings to you and
your writing from one who survived.
Linda S. Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency, and also
the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She
represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at
numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year.
Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town
where everyone is family.
We’re well into spring in most of the country, which
means for writers, we’re also well into contest season. The Genesis. The Golden
Heart. The RITAs. The Carols. The Maggies. Touched By Love. FHL Reader’s Choice
Award. So You Think You Can Write. The Golden Rose. Those are just a few of the
many contests available to published and unpublished romance writers.
There are lots of reasons to enter contests. You often get great feedback about what works and what doesn’t. Some contest winners have their entries looked at by agents and acquisitions editors. A win or a final is definitely a great addition to your email signature line.
I’ve entered many contests, finaled and even won a few.
Been a judge. Mentored entrants. Helped coordinate and run a few. So, I might
know a little bit about contests.
In this latest season of judging, I noticed some
recurring issues I want to address.
The synopsis. It’s too easy to write your synopsis as a list of bullet points of what’s going to happen in the story. But it should be written in your character’s voice, just like the manuscript, using the same tone and vocabulary.
Typos. Especially in the first two or three pages. Because those pages are crucial and have been revised and reviewed so often, the writer’s eye becomes accustomed and no longer sees the errors. Before clicking Send on that entry, have someone else give it a final once over.
Metaphors and similes with clichés. It takes a little thought to twist a cliché and turn it into something special. But do take the time and trouble. It will make your entry stand out.
Also, remember judges are human and scoring is
incredibly subjective. I once received scores of 98, 97, 95, and 69. On the
same entry. Obviously what three judges loved, another loathed. Besides
stinging, that low score was enough to keep me from finaling. Many contests
discard the low and high scores and average the others for an official score.
Once you click Send,
relax, knowing you’ve submitted your best effort. Then, no matter what your
scores, commit to taking your feedback, learning from it, and improving.
And like seeing the first hummingbird of spring, a thank
you note to your judge is always appreciated.
Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to
Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She
believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes
contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live
in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of
their six grandchildren.
The first part of this series examined the Query Letter. In this column, we’ll look at the synopsis.
Most publishers will be specific about the length of synopsis that they want to see. If they want 3-5 pages, you don’t want to submit just one page; and vice versa. So go to their website and search for instructions. Don’t give an editor an easy excuse to reject your submission package simply because you did not follow their guidelines. Check for instructions about font, margins, header/footer, and line spacing, too.
A synopsis is simply a summary of your content:
Theme: What does the novel mean? What is the spiritual take-away? What is the lesson that can be learned? What is the conclusion the reader should draw?
Characterization: How the main character changes / grows during the story.
Setting: Time and place.
Plot points:
Normal setting of main characters
Conflict / Call to action
Events with rising conflict
Dark moment / Final Test / Climax
Aftermath / New normal
I urge you to try writing out steps 1, 2, and 4 of the Snowflake Method to help you draft a synopsis.
Start with your hook: the event that gets the main character moving on their journey.
Focus on the facts. Don’t embellish with descriptions on your first draft; you can add these details sparingly later (if there is room). This doesn’t mean leave out the emotions of the characters. Be sure to include the critical emotional development points of the main characters.
Leave out any characters that aren’t *essential* to the plot. Try writing your synopsis with *only* the main characters. Then review the presented plot for holes, and add in only the character(s) absolutely necessary to fill those holes.
Leave out subplots that aren’t *essential* to the main plot. Be sure that your final paragraph shows how the major plot points are resolved.
A synopsis can be dry reading, so you need to apply your creative writing skills to your first draft to make it more compelling. Your first paragraph needs to be intriguing. Add your voice to the synopsis by making it sound as if the main character were reading you the synopsis (i.e., they are telling you a story. But not in first person: use third person, active voice).
Personally, I love novels that employ the Hero’s Journey, so I want a synopsis to clearly show me that each of those steps is included in the story.
Come back next month because I will be explaining common items included in a publisher’s “Author’s Questionnaire”.
Leave a comment: What do you find to be the hardest part of writing a synopsis? Have any tips to share on something that helped you?
The first part of this series examined the