Thank you to Colleen Thompson for blogging with us today! I'm sorry for posting this late, I just got to internet. I hope you enjoy this great post as much as I did! :)
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Thanks so much for inviting me to visit the Mid-Willamette Valley chapter of RWA as a guest-blogger. I’m happy to be visiting today and hope you’ll check out my latest release, Beneath Bone Lake (Lovespell Romantic Suspense, May 26, 2009) the story of Ruby Monroe, a young widow returning from Iraq after a year’s absence to find her house in flames, her four-year-old daughter missing, and no one to turn to… except the last man she should trust.
I thought I’d take time to chat a bit today about what began for me as a hideous torment and ended up an effective tool for selling and shaping more than fifteen books: the writing of the romance synopsis. Like a lot of writers, I started out my writing life as a pantser, meandering my way through hundreds of pages while my characters and stories developed. Since I didn’t have an instinctive feel for story structure, I often wrote myself down blind alleys, had to cut massively, couldn’t predict the length of the completed manuscript, and took approximately forever to finish.
But I’m a pantser, I thought. I can’t do it any differently. And besides, I hate writing the synopsis and would rather put it off until I finish a manuscript.
Flash forward mumble-mumble years, to when I sold my first book, a historical romance. (Before I wrote romantic suspense under my own name, I did seven U.S.-set historical romances as Gwyneth Atlee and Colleen Easton.) At the time of the sale, I was about a hundred pages into a second historical, which my agent told me she believed she could sell if I’d give her the first three chapters and a synopsis.
The thought was paralyzing. Would I steal the story’s magic by putting it down on paper before the manuscript unfolded? But the lure of selling a second book quickly was strong, so I sucked it up and pretended I was writing a short story (though in present tense), tossing in little snippets of clever dialogue to help illustrate the characters, and lots of exciting, harrowing events. I was surprised to find it was easier to summarize scenes I hadn’t yet written, and easier to see the big picture.
Except I forgot the biggest. Yes, I initially left out the romance. (Duh!) Since then, I’ve discovered beginning/early career writers do this all the time, focusing on the external plot because to their minds, the romantic journey goes without saying.
No, actually, it doesn’t. Because every couple’s story is fresh and unique, for one thing (or you’d better make it seem so!) and the editor needs some assurance that you realize this book is shelved in romance and that you’re consciously aware of and can articulate the stages readers have come to suspect. Woven through the external story elements, I’ve found you need to put your own unique spin on the following steps in the romantic journey.
1. Attraction/awareness
2. “Forced” proximity despite obstacles
3. Development of emotional and/or physical relationship overcoming characters’ reservations
4. Dark moment/separation, often involving real/perceived betrayal or recognition of insurmountable obstacles
5. Sacrifice leading to a romantic resolution with a – here’s the clincher - strong emotional payoff.
Critics may feel this sort of thing reduces genre romance to a formula. But nobody bashes mystery writers (since my romantic suspense novels all involve a murder mystery, I have to be aware of this as well for my external plot) for adhering to reader expectations involving the presence of viable clues, multiple suspects, convincing distractions (red herrings, if you don’t handle them well) and a credible, satisfying solution. You’re simply showing the editor or agent that you understand the rules of the game, that you’re not trying to play tennis on a basketball court.
Do you love synopses? Hate them? Do any of you have questions or tips on the process that you’d enjoy sharing? I’d love to hear from you, either here or on my writing blog, Boxing the Octopus.
13 comments:
Terrific post, Colleen! The timing could not be better for me personally because I am in the middle of writing a synposis right now. AND, like you, I consider myself a pantser, and am trying to write this after only completing the first chapter and copious notes. We'll see how it goes!
Thanks for guesting a blog today, Colleen.
I wrote and sold several books without a synopsis before I entered the big league where I too was tempted by the big lure of selling a book I hadn't yet written! Wow, what a neat deal.
Over the years I have gone from feeling a synopsis was like a police escort on a cross country adventure to accepting it as a handy passenger riding shotgun, protecting me from many false starts and harrowing near misses.
I liked what you said about a synopsis helping you see the big picture -- I feel that way exactly. Currently working on a contracted book using the synopsis and laughing every time I come to some "detail" I painted in very broad strokes that took a sentence or two and now take a chapter.
The gutting of the story I was always afraid would happen with a synopsis just doesn't. I still find complications and tangents, and I suppose when they don't cause you to bang your head against the keyboard, they're what keep things fun. I tend to write from the gut without a conscious effort to hit this and that but I agree wholeheartedly with you that including the developing romance is as important as the plot. I tend to get the plot down first and then go through with an eye for the personal development and story, but as the two are ideally linked all along, it's usually just a matter of tweaking and not assuming (you are so right about that.)
I loved your blog!
Hi Colleen,
What a timely and wonderful post. I've been a pantser with snippets of plotting that kept me on track.
But I'm in the process of pulling together my first contemporary romantic suspense and as I'm gathering information and deciding on suspects and what kind of barriers I can have for the hero and heroine, I'm thinking I might have to write the synopsis or do a story board before writing the book to keep things straight.
Wise Alice has told me this for some time now that I need to write a synopsis to see if the story will work.
I think it's time for me to take the plunge and do the synopsis. I've started some for previous books and then decided why waste my time writing the synopsis when I could be writing the book. But I haven't had editors who ask for a synopsis to determine if they want the book. I have to give them a full ms. That gives me the time to write the synopsis after the book is written.
Thank you for dropping by today and thank you for confirming what I've been thinking I really need to do!
Hi, ladies. I'm glad to be here.
Happy you found the post help, Sharon.
Alice, loved your simile about the police escort vs. handy, protective passenger. That's absolutely perfect!
My editor's learned to expect that the finished product will be based on the synopsis, with a lot of improvements added. (I often changed the bad guy on her. Keeps her on her toes;) But nearly everyone veers from the synopsis to some extent as better ideas occur along the way. As long as the basic premise and marketing hooks are left alone, you're okay.
Thanks for the kind words, both of you.
Hi, Paty,
It's hard to make yourself change the habit and write the synopsis early in the game. I most often write a few exploratory chapters first to help me get to know the characters, though occasionally I'll write a synopsis first to get the bones of the story down on paper in those rare instances where it all spills out in a rush. Wish that would happen much more frequently! Most of the time, it's like pulling teeth.
Hi Colleen. I'm pulling teeth today. I'm working on something new and have the first 50 pages done. Almost always I have a detailed outline for my stories, but this one has been driving me crazy. I've thrown out two different outlines and this morning was seriously considering pantsing. I'm going to give the outline another shot and try focusing on the points you suggest. I think I simply need to look at things from a different angle.
Love the hook for Beneath Bone Lake. I'll check it out. How wonderful to be compared to Tami Hoag. She's one of my favorites.
Thanks, Kendra. Hope you enjoy Beneath Bone Lake. And I really hope you can figure out your outline. When I get really stuck I try something more visual, like collaging or making a sociogram. You can see a post on the latter at my blog at http://boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/2009/03/making-work-play-sociogram-way.html
Sometimes "playing" like this really helps shake something loose. Long walks never hurt either.
Great post, Colleen. I had to chuckle on leaving the romance out of the synopsis, since you've called me on it once or twice. I do prefer writing a few chapters, getting to know my characters so that I can better understand their motivations before I complete a synopsis. But you're also the one who convinced me it might save me several revisions if I actually had SOME idea of if the story would work. Another happy side effect is that now I can produce a book in 8 or 9 months instead of the - let me quote you here - the mumble-mumble years it took me to write my first two. Thanks for the insights.
Thank you so much for blogging with us, Colleen! Synopses aren't my favorite thing, but I think they are a necessary evil. Even if it's just to whittle down the base elements of the story to be able to describe it to someone else. I think that's one of the hardest things about writing novels - succinctly describing them to others.
I love your list of what needs to happen in a romance to the characters! That's a great way to look at the necessary elements - thanks!!
Thanks so much, Jo Anne and Lisa! I'm glad you found the list helpful.
Hi Colleen!
Great blog. I hate to write synopses and put them off until the last possible moment. Major pain and yes, I tend to focus on everythig BUT the romantic relationship. Thanks for the kick in the pantster. ;)
Excellent post, Colleen. I write exactly how you started, without the synopsis or outline. Just a vague idea of where I want the story to go. After hearing your story, I might have to rethink my strategy though it will be hard. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom.
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