Monday 25 June 2012

Feeling a little bit smug

Last week, I had one of those days where I realised that I have developed as a writer. 

I’ve been struggling with my synopsis for Odd Squad for a few weeks now.  I’d managed to get the story down to one page, kept all of the key plot points in, but there was something else missing. 

That morning, I started again from scratch.  Ran the whole of the story through my head, listing out the key points, and then it struck me.  There was no mention of his emotional journey. 

One of the things that I'd finally managed to get my head around this year, was that it wasn’t just about the plot.  There had to be trials and tribulations for the protagonist.  (You can all stop rolling your eyes now, and screaming at the screen “Finally, he gets it!”)  What can I say?  I’m a bit slow at times.  I’ve now managed to weave the emotional arc into the synopsis, and I’m a lot happier with the result.  I’'ve put it aside for a few days, and I'll see what it looks like with fresh(ish) eyes.

Are there any parts of a synopsis that you find troublesome?

10 comments:

  1. Great! Now write mine. :D

    ...No? Okay, okay. You can't blame me for trying, though. :) Good work, Iain!

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    1. Sure I'll write yours Carrie. That's of you don't mind it in crayon - I'm not allowed anything sharp at the moment. lol

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  2. Yay for your growth, Iain!

    Synopses don't bother me, but I'll tell ya, Save The Cat really helped me write a synopsis fast without missing a beat. If you haven't checked it out, give a looksie.

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    1. Thanks Emily. I've been an advocate of Save the Cat for a couple of years now. I do need to re-visit it to check that I've hit all of the beats.

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    2. Of course you know Save the Cat. You're a writer! What was I thinking? :)

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    3. Do you think you can get away with using the 'baby brain' excuse still? ;o)

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  3. the transitions...keeping it smooth!

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  4. Haha! All of them? Is that a valid answer?

    Seriously, though. That's so awesome that you discovered what it was missing! It's such a great feeling when that last puzzle piece falls into place. Congrats!

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    1. It's certainly an answer I can relate to!

      I doubt that it's the last piece, just one less piece to add. lol

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