Synopsis Syndrome

It's the dreaded disease visited upon writers of every genre. The Synopsis Syndrome! The symptoms include a tendency to stare into space for long patches of time, an uncontrollable urge to pull out one's hair, and a feeling that you have just written the smelliest bunch of drivel ever to be produced by the human mind. There is no cure for it. The only thing you can do is just tough it out.

It's just part of the job. If you want to send your novel off to a shiny New York publisher, you first have to query...and with that query you must send the dreaded SYNOPSIS. My feeling on it is kind of like this - I just wrote the whole freakin' book! Now you want me to write an equally riveting, compelling, addictive summary of the entire thing?? Why don't you just read the book?!

That isn't the way it works in publishing. I consider it a trial-by-word-count of sorts. They're testing me to see whether I'm worthy. If I jump through all the proper hoops, they'll consider me appropriately humbled such that giving me a six-figure book deal won't spoil me. Okay, I'm kidding about the six figures. I know my genre doesn't pay that. It's my metaphorical carrot that keeps me writing the danged synopsis, even though I hate it. If I don't do A, they won't do B.

My personal deadline for completing this torture is today. So here I go. See you next week.

What I'm reading - Nelson in Command by Marin Thomas

What I'm listening to - Mozart:Opera Highlights.

Have a great day!
Delia