Monday, August 3, 2015

E is for Education

Sally Walker is a great teacher. Here is her lesson on writing a synopsis:

SKELETAL SYNOPSIS STRUCTURE

BEGINNING'S Paragraph One: Summary of the Beginning's 1/4 of the story. The setup of the "Ordinary World" the main character (Protag) is living in...and encountering "threat" or glimpse of how life could change. (In Vogler's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY and Joseph Campbell's concepts this is the "Call to Adventure" the Protag chooses to ignore or sublimate). The final sentence of that paragraph is the active telling of the event that FORCES the Protag to choose to step into a NEW life, heretofore not wanted. When Main Characters are introduced give title/role and personality trait that immediately "classifies" them in the reader's mind. Select characteristics that are vital to the evolution and outcome of the story. (Avoid inane physical description unless "linebacker" or "petite" size or "witch-like black hair and green eyes" are pertinent to the story's outcome).
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> Signposts of Beginning, Paragraph One:
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> Opening Scene.
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> Main Characters introduced with succinct characterization.
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> Summarize "ordinary life" and its trials.
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> Glimpse of pending threat.
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> Life-changing event forcing Protag ACTION
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> MIDDLE'S Paragraphs Two-Three-Four: Summaries of the KEY confrontations the Protag faces in the "New Life," that 1/2 middle portion of the story that has the reader on the edge of the seat. Main plot events are
essential. Subplots and supporting characters are NOT necessary in these
paragraphs, even though you see them adding depth and dimension. The ONLY names you should mention are the leads, the characters the story is focused on, the hero-heroine-antagonist Avoid exposition and explanation. A synopsis is TELLING of cause-effect events, not explaining the logic of WHY.

> Paragraph Two will be a summary of complications confronting Protag in
> this new life, the main tests and the main players (referred to by ROLE,
> not by name).
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> Signposts of Middle, Paragraph Two:
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> Protag facing new life, new tests, new people
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> Antagonist inserting threat.
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> Protag's glimpse of "worst fear" becoming real
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> Protag trying new skills, taking risks
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> Paragraph Three will be the summary of the event that leads to another
> life-changing experience, the MID-POINT where the PROTAG is tested and recognizes the importance of the adventure, the moment when the Protag's motivation intensifies thus the stakes of the ultimate outcome are higher. Frequently, in a romance, that is when one of the lovers acknowledges love or the first time the pair make love.
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> Signposts of Middle, Paragraph Three:
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> Protag chooses to assert "power"
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> Protag experiences internal "denouement"
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> Protag acts on awareness of exciting possibilities
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> Others shown as critical or puzzled observers of Protag
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> Paragraph Four is the summary of the growing strength of the Antagonist
> (or antagonistic elements), the confident exertions of the Protag to be
> worthy, and the final sentence summary of the crushing moment when the Antagonist is at his strongest and has backed the Protag into a corner.
> The action of the final sentence implies the Protag COULD be defeated and is at the lowest ebb of confidence, thus must surrender in defeat or choose to FIGHT. (This sentence summary is what forces the Protag to CAUSE the  Ending to happen as it does.)
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> Signposts of Middle, Paragraph Four:
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> Protag proves worthiness to Observers
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> Antagonist demonstrates vivid growth in power
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> Protag experiences a moment of startling success
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> Antagonist's power evolves
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> Life changing moment of Antagonist cornering Protag in near-defeat
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> ENDING'S Paragraph Five is the intense, high energy summary of Protag's preparations to fight as Antagonist blithely carries out plans. Succinct yet vivid fireworks of the "Climactic Battle" of wills or events where the Protagonist succeeds and Antagonist is defeated.
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> Signposts of Ending, Paragraph Five:
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> Protag's reaction and preparation for battle
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> Antagonist's confident arrogance
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> Climactic Battle.
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> Defeat of Antagonist
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> FINAL SCENE'S Paragraph Six is the punch that concludes everything. Make it in one sentence summary of the rewarding results of the Resolution (that implies an "After-story").
Key: Force yourself to keep your paragraphs to 75-100 words and, yes, you count "the" and "a" or every word. The font is usually 12-pt, though I have been known to “fudge” to 11-pt AND I have been known to tweak the margins to less than standard to get it to the one-page.
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> Sally J. Walker
> Editorial Director, The Fiction Works, www.fictionworks.com
> Workshop Facilitator, www.nebraskawritersworkshop.info
> My books at Amazon, other venues & www.fictionworks.com:
> Letting Go of Sacred Things, Desert Time, The Seduction of Temperance
> A Writer's Year, Screenwriting Secrets in Genre Film,
> Intro to Screenwriting, Romantic Screenplays 101

> My website: www.sallyjwalker.com

6 comments:

  1. Writing a synopsis used to scare the heck out of me, but I have a great formula now from a fellow C-N member. This one is similar.

    My only problem is I can only write a synopsis after I've written the story. If I ever had to sell on a synopsis and a proposal, I'd be in trouble.

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  2. Great outline to follow, Ana. Thanks!

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  3. After reading all this, I am so glad I no longer have to write a synopsis for my publisher!

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  4. I won't have to write one to self-publish. Maybe for the screenplay...

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  5. Ana, thanks for the excellent outline! Will be bookmarking this post.

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