Double Trouble

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending two conferences: The Rochester Writers' Conference held at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and Conclave held at the Sheraton in Romulus, Michigan.
First, I was told by some delightful folks at Conclave that this short video is a must watch, so enjoy!



Second, I was asked to put up some of the handouts from my panels. And here they are:

How To Write A Synopsis

by Christine Purcell

Helpful Hint: Editors read a lot of submissions. They like to find the information they need quickly. Headings make it easy for editors and their tired eyes and this makes editors grateful. 

Sample set-up for a synopsis.

One-Sentence Summary:

Give your editor a powerful, one-sentence hook.

Main Characters:

Describe your characters' strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them unique. Describe their relationships with your other main characters when relevant. You want to describe your protagonist and your antagonist as well as a few other characters that have significant impact on the main characters/events in your story. 

Character 1 is an obsessive technomancer, and although she intends her inventions to positively impact society, her ability instead makes her an outsider….

Character 2

Character 3

Character 4

Plot Summary:

This should generally be in chronological order with main events flowing logically into each other so the editor can clearly see your narrative arc. You can also describe your intentions/inspirations here if you wish.

Economy is important. Look at each word and see if it is visual – descriptive and energetic.

You don't want every word to be growled/chortled/chastised by any means. However, you do want Kryptonite rather than green rock; man of steel rather than tough guy; and Lex Luthor instead of everyone else.

Ending:

Yes, include your ending. Much of an editor's decision may be based on whether your ending is both surprising and satisfying.

Links:

How to Write a Cover Letter

How to Write a Biography

Dialogue

Writing a Scene

And a great example of how to start off with very strong opening paragraphs that include a sense of your character's attitude, something your character wants, and how your character is starting to change: The Collectors by Matt Bell