Blog for Bristol Services Intl.

A synopsis is a bit different (awkward, at the least) for a memoir because our lives don’t fit a neat problem/complications/solutions package like a fiction piece does. However, if you are facing submitting your memoir to a publisher or agent, and they want a synopsis, you’ll want to follow the standard synopsis format as much as possible.

FORMAT:
Remember to use present tense and the general rule for length is 2 to 5 double-spaced pages, but be sure to follow whatever length is required by the specific publisher you are submitting to.

ORDER:
Your synopsis does NOT have to follow the chronological order of your book (or life) at all. It is the focus, impact and overall aspects of your life that the synopsis is highlighting, not the exact order of the years and their events. Sometimes explaining the overall impact in your life simply may not fit a neat chronological order.

WHAT TO INCLUDE:
Also you can (and should) simply omit mention of people in your life who don’t carry through the book as a whole. Yes, they may be important as part of the book but you don’t want to include so many facts and people within the synopsis that it could be potentially confusing. For instance, maybe your grandmother was a part of your life for many years, but unless she had a significant impact on your life, you wouldn’t mention her in the synopsis. However, if your grandmother was influential in molding you as a person, even though you knew her only for a brief time, then you would include her in the synopsis. Again, a synopsis covers the highlights and overall people and experiences that impacted your life.

TIP:
One good bit of practice that will gear you up for the synopsis-writing task is to write the book blurb first. This is the 1 or 2 paragraphs typically printed on the back on a book. Read a few of them on your own favorite memoir books and you’ll see the point: the author needs to solidly introduce their life through his or her problems and traits that will be the focus of the memoir. Then slap in intriguing words and details that show the tough decisions or wild adventures inside. If you can pull off a really sharp blurb (hot and active verbs dripping with promised drama, fun or action) you can then write a synopsis! You just start expanding on the blurb, keeping that same seat-of-your-pants tension. Besides, this blurb is not just an exercise: it will become your “hook” paragraph in most cover letters or query letters you’ll send out as well.

QUESTION:
I just received this email from a young writer which stated, in part:
“I’m a 17-year old senior in High School. I want to go to college to become a novelist, and most likely major in creative writing. I’ve written several pieces, one novel, but always been rejected from agencies. Can you help me?”

ANSWER:
As far as being rejected is concerned, that is typical for ALL writers no matter the age or writing ability. It takes time to hone your writing skills; it takes effort to find a potential market; and it takes luck to find the right agent or publisher just when they happen to need what you have.

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS:
You can learn the skills. You can also learn to network effectively to make the right contacts and find potential markets. But there is–and always will be–a luck factor, too, so don’t assume that getting a degree in English or Creative Writing will be a ticket to getting published. However, that degree will certainly give you OTHER options within the publishing and education fields. I just don’t want a young writer (or any writer!) to feel either overly optimistic about a degree being the answer to becoming a published novelist NOR do I want them to think that getting published is their only occupational option if they love creative writing.

SUGGESTION:
Go to college; whatever you learn there can be a stepping stone to your career, no matter what turn you take. Also read lots of current day books. But analyze those books as you read them. How do they pull in readers? What techniques and tricks are used to satisfy readers? Because although college will give you an excellent background on writing and literature in general, the fact is that the commercial publishing market is always changing. What was classic decades ago or popular last year are blase today. So also take current writing seminars, go to writers conferences and keep an eye on the trends through such sources as Publisher’s Weekly.

And rejections? There are just proof that you are on your way to an acceptance!