I'm revising the Ondine trequel and despite the silliness of rendering the synopsis into four panels of fuzzy felt, the proper written synopsis is really helping me.
My real synopsis ended up being 1,100 words long. I set it into neat paragraphs summing up each main emotional turning point, or each plot turning point. Conflict, Goal, Motivation etc.
I'm using that synopsis as my guide track for the revisions. I can see now that I've gone off-track for a chapter or so, because what's happening on the page isn't reflected in the synopsis at all. It's not that it's unimportant, but it's setting things up and building on the weirdness. (Which is my stock-in-trade)
Do I cut these scenes? No way. The scenes are monumentally important for the book. However, I need to show why they're important and tie them to the main plot threads woven through the book.
In other words, I'm making sure each small scene is part of the bigger picture. Even though the reader won't realise it. Nor should they. I want them to enjoy the ride, not stop and examine how well the Ferris Wheel is bolted together.
Now if I can just work out how to squeeze the dinosaurs in, I'll be set.
4 comments:
LOVE IT! You worked the dinosaurs in the blogpost after all, so how hard can it be? LOL
heheheheheh
I love the idea of using the synopsis to guide the revisions. I would totally try that if I didn't hate writing them so much!
Oh Heather, I hate them so very much as well. But sometimes I have to suck it up and take the medicine. I keep telling myself 'it's for the good of the book' in between shoving a funnel in my mouth and pouring m+ms down it.
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