Friday, April 20, 2012

Synopsis, Anyone?

My outlining for my OYAN novel is flying along. I've got a lot planned out, and my history document is floating around 15,000 words. One of my more recent lessons required me to rewrite my synopsis. Since this novel's planning is nearing completion, the synopsis is ten times better than the first one (which I posted some time ago). You'll notice that it's similar to the first one—it even uses some of the same phrases. But it's a lot more complete. Take a look!

 --

 A bloody war rages across the land...and it's Elijah's fault.

 He's imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, and haunted by the one he did. The opportunity for freedom comes from an unexpected source, but when killers bent on one thing—his death—find him, he must flee. Not only that, but everyone is hunting him...even his own people.

 But things change when he stumbles upon a secret that could change the world: a riddle that leads to a means to destroy a curse that has plagued the land for hundreds of years. But pursued on all sides, he can't trust anyone, not even the man that travels with him. And before he can end the curse and bring peace to his country, he must answer the question: can a God who doesn't answer forgive him?

 Whatever happens, Elijah is certain of one thing: he had started the war. And he would end it.

 --

Still a little rough, but it's pulling together. But for the life of me, I can't figure out a good title! Any thoughts? Oh, and does anyone else have a synopsis to share? Even a mediocre one? (After all, writing is mediocre before it becomes great.) I'd love to read it.

 

9 comments:

RED~Scribe said...

Ooooh! That sounds awesome! I can barely wait to read this story. If you're looking for an editor, you know my email. :)

My only suggestion is to change the last line from "...he had started the war. And he would end it" to "...he has started the war. And he will end it," since you have the first part of that paragraph in present tense already.

Unknown said...

I've never actually thought of writing a proper synopsis of my novel before. I always write down a really basic one, but that's it. My novel's synopsis would probably go something like this:

Zoe Summers never asked to be special. But fate, it seems, has other plans. On her sixteenth birthday she receives a strange gift, a swirling pattern on the back of her left hand, and the ability to see through mirrors into other places.

When Zoe gets suck through a mirror into another world, she didn't think things could get much worse. But someone is hunting her for her special powers. Someone who wants those powers for himself.

Brian Alexander said...

That sounds like an awesome story! I expect you plan to publish it in the future???

Brian Alexander said...

Here's the synopsis for a spin-off series I am writing:


A thief, a prostitute, a runaway, an abused wife, a police officer, a firemen, a doctor; they have only two things in common: they’re not normal and there’s only one man who can help them figure out their destinies. Only, he has no memory of life beyond the last two years, but he has a mission and he fully intends to succeed in it.
But Paul Valerian isn’t the only one out to bring them into Haven. There are others who would stop at nothing to destroy them and their destiny. Can they unite and learn to hone in their abnormalities or will they fall victim to the enemy’s evil plot?

Hannah Joy said...

Oh! That sounds absolutely amazing! *shivers* So excited! :-)

I guess...well, I'm terrible at synopsises (is that a word?)but I'll try for the book I am soon to start at least world building with:

A summons from the palace calls Marcus out of his ordinary life. An unreliable prophet has chosen him for a job: the Island of Moses is failing from the inside out, unless he can find....

Something.

Without a clue as to what this is, Marcus begins to search through legends to find the missing piece, before it's too late and the rebels scattered throughout Moses Island unite for a bloody, all-out war.

~~~

Yeah, it's not much, but that's the idea. :-) Good luck on finding a title! And good luck on the writing. Keep us posted!!! :-D

Emilyn J Clover said...

All of those stories sound pretty cool!
I need to edit my own story synopsis. I was thinking maybe instead of putting a synopsis on the back of my book, I could put little excerts from the book there instead, and make those excerts worth reading. Or write a letter to the reader like Lemony Snicket(except different).

Ian said...

That sounds like an epic story. The first line of the synopsis really drew me in. Great job!

The only part I had an issue with Were the last two sentences of the second paragraph (from "but when killers..." to "...even his own people"). It felt like you used too many words for what you were trying to say. I think you could cut out "one thing" and just say "killers who are bent on his death", and maybe find a way to merge that a bit more with the part that says everyone his hunting him. I don't really know how you would do that, but I think it can be done, and if you could pull it off I think this would be a fantastic synopsis.

:Ian:

Star-Dreamer said...

I like it. :D There are a few things I might point out, as far as the technical part of it goes... for instance, you slip into the past tense in the last line, but were writing in the present tense before that.

Here's my synopsis for Song of the Daystar. You've read an older version of it already, I think, but what can it hurt, right? The only real difference with this version is that I added some words. lol! I just have so much trouble keeping things down to a bare minimum.:D



The old King is dead, and young King Morven has decreed on his father's grave that belief in the deity Anahdor is banned from Alayia under pain of death. As the royal troops descend, Anahdor’s Faithful scatter across the land to pray for a miracle. Only one hope remains for Believer’s in Alayia, but that hope has long since passed into legend... and with it gone and the Believers in exile, the land is slowly dying.

Now four years have past since King Morven's decree, and Curron is one of the Outcast working as a stable-boy in the secluded Fort Gallant. Haunted by the memories of his guardian’s unjust death, he stifles the ethereal music that’s troubled him since childhood, but he can’t hide all his differences. When Curron is imprisoned for defying Fort Gallant's commander - a crime verging on mutiny - he faces a grim death… until Commander Olan’s brother, Caellahn, breaks in to rescue him.

Now considered criminals, Curron and Caellahn escape into the Wilds of Alayia, but to what end? Caellahn is certainly more than he seems, harboring a secretive agenda he refuses to divulge, while the music in Curron’s head is steadily increasing. Could the Music be from the Daystar, a mythical symbol of Anahdor’s power? Legend has it that only the Song Keeper, Alayia’s Champion of old, can hear the Music and bring a new Restoration to the land.

However, the Daystar has been lost for over a century, and rumors circle of new Dangers rising in the north much darker and deadlier than the king. Alayia needs her Champion, but what can a 14-year-old Outcast do against King Morven, Ăšngahl , and the evil shadows of Grimwryld?

What truth is there in myth?

Casey J. Coburn said...

Here's some title ideas...they're not very good, I suppose, but they're what came to mind.

Hunted
Riddles And Curses
Ending The Curse

If I think of anymore I'll let you know.