How can I take 140,000 words which consumed over a year of my life and condense it into a few pages?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I don’t even know how long the thing is supposed to be, but I wasn’t even a quarter of the way through and it took up over two pages. How am I supposed to include the little nuances, and things that make the story worth reading????? It’s a fantasy story, so how am I supposed to explain the different cultures, and traditions of a world, or even the different kingdoms???????

I don’t see how it’s done!!!!! I just wish the editor or whoever would just read the f—king book and make my life easier. Even if you condense Catcher in the Rye to a few pages it’s going to sound like a trite piece of crap!!!!

Please help! I know there’s people out there who have submitted things, and even a few of you have done so successfully. How did you write the synopsis? Did you go chapter by chapter? (that would be much easier actually) How do you explain something so intricate in a few hundred words???

I swear to God I’m so aggravated I’m about to cry!!!!

I've read the books and attended the advice-from-industry-expert sessions, and here is what I've gotten:

The main thing: give up right now on trying to put nuances, layers, details, even subplots into your synopsis. This is not where they belong; those are for the outline. The synopsis is an (ideally) one pager that highlights your central plot and gives some basic information about your main character(s).

Read the backs of some books that have similar plots to yours. These will give you an idea of the kind of brevity and the sort of language to use in a synopsis. Avoid adjectives, don't be flowery, don't talk about how moving, great, unconventional, or novel your book is. This is strictly, "Boy is named Joe, Joe meets demon, Joe defeats demon" territory.

The best thing to do is to pick up a book with how-to guidelines on the synopsis, preferrably one with samples. One good one is "Your Novel Proposal," available at Borders. Copy, copy, copy, then ask one of the nice folks on this board who know their stuff to critique if they have time (Shawn, I'm slyly looking at you)!

Don't let it kill you. Just sit down and start writing. Then read it through and edit. Get feedback and edit further. You CAN do it...if I could, so can you.

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The main thing: give up right now on trying to put nuances, layers, details, even subplots into your synopsis. This is not where they belong; those are for the outline. The synopsis is an (ideally) one pager that highlights your central plot and gives some basic information about your main character(s).

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That actually helps quite a bit, and I'll be sure to check out that book you mentioned.

Oh yeah, I was eyeballing Ms. "I've Got an Agent" ( ) myself when I wrote this thread.

I don't write books that are too plot heavy--even my fantasy novel is pretty character driven. You can see what a pain in the ass a synopsis would be. I just have to make sure my sample chapters are really strong--I hope they still want to read the sample chapters after the read the stupid synopsis.

You send the synopsis along with the first three chapters (or 20 pages) of the novel, so the editor can see how you write and how you set up the story.

What they put on the back of a paperback is called the "blurb" and your synopsis should be a bit more detailed than that.

You can do it chapter by chapter, if you like, but another way is to make a list of the major turning points of your novel.

I will tell you that they are very hard to write.

I started out ready to slam dunk my computer and pull my hair out.

Then someone told me to come up with a one line plot summery. Then build the synop from there.

Don't include anything that can't be covered in that one line plot summery.

Do go with the character blurbs that Kathleen mentioned, that saves you trying to fit that into the actual this is the story part.

Some agents and editors will want you to send the synop and sample chapters with your query, others only want a cover letter for which you will need a two paragraph synop. Work on doing the one liner, then the two paragraph then a more detailed synop---mine is 9 pages long for a 96,000 word novel.

If you go with an agent, you will need all of those. The one liner is great for the back of business cards if you go to conferences. You can introduce yourself, speak your one liner, then your two paragraph synop and hand them the card with the one liner on the back. Works great for them to remember you and your story and you don't stammer all over yourself.

Write what you think you need to get the story across, then keep making it smaller and smaller--it can be done.

Good Luck!

Shawn

An ordinary young man inherits a ring that seems to make him invisible, but actually puts him in a world of darkness and corruption, and he must destroy it in the volcano where it was created before it engulfs the world in darkness and corruption.

A drunken wanderer, once a queen's champion, accompanies the princess of a foreign island on a quest for an ancient artifact needed to regain her throne; an ancient artifact that may be the answer to an age-old prophecy as well. (don't need the all that changes, it is implied)

You had 63 words, now it is 40. This was off the top of my head, using what you had. I have no idea what the plot to your story is, but this may help you get the idea.

Shawn

You'll notice that in Kathleen's example, not a single word was mentioned about the presence of a particularly powerful gray mage or a certain king in exile. Nothing needs to be mentioned about them, because while the story as it is told couldn't have happened without them, their mention simply isn't necessary to give us an idea of the main plotline.

I get the feeling that the same is true with your Queen.

When someone reads that one-line synopsis, they will be quite aware that it won't be a complete picture-- in fact, they'll expect it. This is where the speculative fiction reader's skill of holding things in abeyance comes in handy. When an editor starts reading your manuscript, they will in all likelihood be perfectly happy to sit with you through the opening chapters and let you unfold things in your own good time-- as long as it is clear that your story really is going to include the primary storyline you cover in your synopsis.

Shasta

Not to get into what sells best as a first novel, but 90,000 to 120,000 is the best range to sell. Since the queen is back story--she seems not to have an active present time role, you run the risk of a lot of past tense actions in the form of dreams or flash backs.

Might it not be better to maybe start with the drunken man and then have a short scene where a couple of people(nastys) shove him around break his bottle and then mock him for what he once was---or better yet start with the queens death, and go to the next scene with the nastys and then to the main plot. It sounds like you are using a lot of words and time to "set" things up.

Just some thoughts based on what has been said here.

Well, back to fighting wiht my printer and Windows XP.

Ok, the character list---I’m assuming physical descriptions and the such aren’t included here. I’m giving a few details of their background and their overall role in the story. It’s a pain, but it’s going along alright.

Now, where does culture, religion, and geography come in? Do I include these things in the character list or in the actually descriptions?

This is a tremendously aggravating process, and quiet honestly making me question myself as a writer. I feel like this is something I’m supposed to be able to do, but I’m totally incapable of actually doing---nothing aggravates me more.

I’m really confused and rather distraught over this. I finally got the courage to finish and submit a novel and something this stupid is hanging me up.

All this just to get a million form letters telling me, “no thanks.”

For the time being I think I’ll just concentrate on getting the book itself up to snuff and then work on all the submission stuff. Is there a book out there that someone can suggest with examples and the like??? That way I can leave you all alone and whine to myself.

PS: Shawn,
I see what you’re saying and there’s a lot of back story there, but personally I love reading a fantasy novel, and you get halfway through, and you’re just like, “What a minute---how’d we get here?” you know it starts out as one thing and just naturally progresses into something totally different. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine the story without Helanna—in fact I think it would suck without her. When she dies you don’t blame her champion for being a drunk—you understand why he’s the lush he is.

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Now, where does culture, religion, and geography come in? Do I include these things in the character list or in the actually descriptions?

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Answer--you don't include them. You can give a brief---The planet ZIPPY is made up of water and thus all those on it must be water breathers. Included in your character blurbs.

But the synop is an expansion of that one line plot summery---high points of the plot. Your wonderful descriptions do not come into it.

Yes this is hard.

Very hard.

But it can be done. This is not a mini book. Go out there and read some book jacket covers. They will give you an idea of what you need--you need a more complete synop, with the end, but they will help you to see just how sketchy a synop is.

And that is all it is an interesting sketch to get the agent and or editor to read your book. It does not tell the entire story, just the bare bones of what happens.

Get Formatting and Submitting your Manuscript Jack & Glenda Neff It has a wonderful chapter on synops, do's and don'ts--and formatting, that I think will help you.

Back to the printer fight--only 99 more pages to go.

Shawn

We're talking bare bones here. A. leads to B. leads to C. leads to... I think I almost got it. I'll check out those books and let you all know it I run into any problems.

JOHN!

Make sure you DO give away your big plot twists and the ending in the synopsis. Don't tease; the synopsis is the Cliffs Notes for the editor/agent. I know doing that went against my grain...ruining the "ah-ha's." However, every resource I have consulted has insisted that this is the way to do it.

Just wanted to mention it, as it is counter-intuitive.

But not in the synop.

Have you read Tor’s submission guidelines? http://www.tor.com/torfaq.html#submitting They’re really tongue in cheek, and set me at ease about this whole process. I was getting a bit strung out---don’t know if you noticed.

I used a "break the rules" query letter and cover letter. But hey it worked.

Just sent the rewrites today. Now I play the waiting game.

You'll make it--you are willing to listen and learn and seem to be willing to stick it out and realize you may get a billion rejections.

My friend just edited the first file of my story and sent it back. I printed it out, so I could make the corrections as I went. It's a 139 pages in submission form, and it's massive. And to think, I have four other files roughly the same size.

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A first genre novel, e.g., science fiction or fantasy, over 120,000 words is highly unlikely to sell. They are simply too expensive to produce (i.e., for paper, printing and binding) for publishers to risk spending the money on. Also, since wholesalers tend to buy by rack pockets or shelf spots, they are unlikely to buy more copies than will fit in one pocket or shelf spot. Hence, if your book is 150,000 words and only three copies will fit, they will only order three copies. But if your book is 100,000 words and five copies will fit, they will order five copies. Believe it or not, publishers consider this stuff when deciding to buy your book.

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Like I said, I found this to be the best reason yet as to why first books should be shorter.

Shawn

Also, although this doesn't apply in this situation, it is much easier to market a larger book than one that comes in at novella length...the assumption being that it is harder to add than to subtract story.

In my defense, a lot of my words come from dialogue, so the story moves really fast. This doesn’t help it fit on the self any better, or cut down production cost, but it shouldn’t be hard to edit.

Yes, it’s a beast, It’s about 645 in manuscript form, but it’s a pretty raw beast right now, so we’ll see what happens.

As far as me being busy, well if I can quote Ben Affleck’s character from the movie “Chasing Amy”…

“I had something personal to say…”

And editor is now a business title--they in fact do very little editing. If you are lucky your agent will help you out. But publishing editors want publish ready--a small house might take on a project with merit, but for the same reason as above---why take on work when there are so many out there that do not need work?

Shawn

The length was something I was keeping in mind while writing. I thought I'd be hard pressed to hit the standard 75,000, but well--things happen. In this case, my damn characters couldn't shut the hell up.

John, I totally understand where you are coming from - the nuances and the subtleties, etc being indescribable in a short synopsis.

BUT I figure that the agent is simply looking for a basic idea of what your basic plot skeleton entails. The nuances and subtleties should come out in the sample chapters you'll be sending. That way I personally figure the agent will be able to clothe your skeletal synopsis with what they read of your chapters.

Yeah, the one line synopsis thing can be terrible thing to attempt - but it's a great place to begin.

On the internet I find myself usually (especially with webpages) finding ways to cut a piece of information into it's shortest necessary length. I guess MSS are like that, too.

Don't worry about writing a synopsis that makes your book look good - not for the moment. Simply ground down the plotlines into their barest thinnest skeletal frame. That's what the one-line synopsis does. And after that you can then perhaps pad that skeleton with a small amount of intriguing flesh.

As for your one-liner before, here's a possible edit:

A disinherited knight enters upon a quest to find a prophesised relic.

It looks almost Arthurian.

Then when you do a 1-page synopsis you can bring in the character details that direct the story - the queen, the princess, etc(sorry, I took the liberty of assuming the champion is actually a knight).

Just a suggestion, anyway.