Can you believe it’s already December?  And that we’ve gone through all the elements of a novel this year – me either!  But here you are – you’ve written, The End on your novel, after finding the perfect HEA ending, and maybe now you’re wondering what to do.

Send it in! 

Oaky, wait, maybe that was premature.  I got a little excited there.   Yes, FIRST you need to write a PROPOSAL. Which consists of a Cover or Query Letter (depending on what whomever you are sending it to want to see first, usually outlined on their publisher or agent site), a synopsis, and the first three chapters. 

I like to write my Cover or Query letter LAST, because, well, by then I know what I’m trying to say. 

And, you should already have those first three chapters written, right? (because, well, you’ve also typed, The End.). 

So, let’s talk a little about the synopsis. 

Over the past year, we’ve talked about all the elements you’ll need for your story – your physical, emotional and spiritual plots, including the black moment and the epiphany.  You know who your character is, what his values are, what motivates him and what his greatest dream is.  Now, it’s time to tell the world. 

A synopsis is nothing more than a summary of your story.   Go back to January and remember your premise.  Put that in for a place holder (we’ll be talking about how to add some umph to it tomorrow).  Then, follow a few steps to weave these threads into the story. 

Step One:  A good synopsis starts out with outlining the character’s deepest desires. What are they after, and why? And what is God going to teach them? What are their motivations for these desires? And what is their conflict?

 Step Two: Then move the story through the obstacles. Highlight some of the things that your character will struggle with, spiritually and emotionally. Use the physical plot points to jump from paragraph to paragraph, writing it in pov.

 Note:   A synopsis is supposed to be an OVERVIEW of the story. One mistake I see in young writers is the tendency to narrow in on the details. You want to step back from the story and squint a little and tell us the big events you see, and how they affect the spiritual and emotional threads. Don’t tell us how he stops and caresses her hand as he declares his love. Just say, “he declares his love.” Details slow the pace and will make the editor put the synopsis down. You don’t want this to happen.

Also, the synopsis is where you TELL about the story. Don’t leave hooks like you would in the story. “She wanted to love him, and forget the pain of the past.” Cool. But if I was an editor I’d want to know WHAT pain of the past. TELL the editor or agent WHAT pain drives the heroine.

Hook her and bring her through the story, holding her breath, until you end with…

Step Three: …the theme verse or phrase pasted on the top of your computer. (remember when I told you to do that? I told you we’d use it!)

Don’t worry about length, or style, just spit it out. We’re not looking for polished pieces yet – you just want to tell the story.  Shoot for 3-5 pages, and stick to the main plot.  Your goal is to wind all the threads through the story, beginning to end. 

Tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to start with a “big bang” that will catch your reader’s attention.  And later this week, I’ll give you a trick for making sure the threads are wound together. In the meantime, just get it down on paper.

 But what about those Chapter by Chapter summaries – yes, there are a few publishers that want a chapter break-down.  Don’t Panic.  It is similar to a synopsis in that it has Desires, Obstacles and Conflicts, but simply breaks them apart for each chapter.

 (Here’s a secret:  Often I write both – even if my publisher only asks for a synopsis. I find the Ch by Ch summary serves as a roadmap for my book, and when I sit down to write it, I have a jump start on my creativity for that chapter. A synopsis is more entertaining, I think, and a good way to introduce your writing style to your editor. But a Chapter by Chapter Summary is more detailed, and proves you have your plot figured out. My suggestion: try writing both!)

 Over the next week we’ll also be talking about adding sparkle to your synopsis, sample chapters, tightening and polishing your proposal and the query letter.  (and I’ll post a sample synopsis to get you started).

 And I expect you all to have a stamp on an envelope by the end of the month!