Friday, October 8, 2010

Synopsizing the TBI Way

What can I say about synopsizing?  I mean, other than I seriously dislike the process.  Well, one thing I can say is that even after writing what feels like a million of the damn things, I can't remember how to do it.  Seriously.  Sometimes my TBI* really messes with me, and this is one of those times.

Writing a synopsis is a learned skill.  Supposedly they get easier with every one you write.  Except when you can't remember how you did it last time.  And it's not like there's a set of instructions lying around for the process.

So, here's the process I eventually settled on - which, oddly enough, is similar to my writing process:

Sit down.
Open a new document.
Begin at the beginning.
Write until you get to the end.
Fix it later.

Yesterday I banged out the synopsis through chapter 20 of the 32 existing chapters.  I haven't looked at what I wrote, but I know it's huge and unwieldy.  As it stands I have 7 double-spaced pages of crap.  The only bright spark to this exercise is I'm not seeing anything wrong with the manuscript itself.  The plot lines are all flowing nicely, and without any tangles to trip a reader.

I'll get the first draft done today and spend the weekend tweaking it into some manageable length.  Monday is for querying.

ETA: It's done.  13 pages of the ugliest mess to ever grace this screen.  :cue music:  I can rebuild it.  I have the technology.  LOL... here's hoping it becomes the six-million dollar synopsis.   ;o)

*TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury

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