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Writing the Fiction Synopsis
Never dread a synopsis again! Pam McCutcheon, multi-published author and acclaimed guru of the synopsis, guides you step-by-step through the process of creating the synopsis you need to understand your novel and market your manuscript.
Updated and revised, this second edition is organized as an interactive workbook using extensive examples and worksheets to help you create and understand:
What a synopsis is and why you need one
What to put in your synopsis, what to leave out, and why
How to include plot and character development in your synopsis
How to add tone, mood, and considerations important to your genre
Three methods to start your synopsis
The key to a good synopsis
How to write a back cover blurb
How to use the plotting board to build your synopsis
"Bravo! Pam McCutcheon has decoded the synopsis! Writing the Fiction Synopsis is packed with useful information helpful to both the professional and novice writer. I wish I'd had this informative book years ago. Writing the Fiction Synopsis is a must-have tool for all writers. Pam McCutcheon has given a writers a cure for the synopsis headache." -- Maggie Osborne, award-winning author of more than 40 books
"I'd been to Pam McCutcheon's online workshop on synopsis and found it really helpful, so I bought this book, too. (Watch out everyone, I'm going to gush.) This is by far the best book I've ever seen on writing a synopsis!! And like you and many others, I've gone nuts trying to get my synopsis to say what it needs to say in an interesting and concise way without making it a yawner. I'm also one of those authors who writes a rough synopsis as a road map after I've written about 3 chapters of a book to keep me on track. This book makes it so easy. If you buy one book on writing a synopsis, buy this one." -- Lisa Mondello, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"Writing the Fiction Synopsis is destined to be a classic!" -- Karen Fox, RITA-nominated romance author
Updated and revised, this second edition is organized as an interactive workbook using extensive examples and worksheets to help you create and understand:
What a synopsis is and why you need one
What to put in your synopsis, what to leave out, and why
How to include plot and character development in your synopsis
How to add tone, mood, and considerations important to your genre
Three methods to start your synopsis
The key to a good synopsis
How to write a back cover blurb
How to use the plotting board to build your synopsis
"Bravo! Pam McCutcheon has decoded the synopsis! Writing the Fiction Synopsis is packed with useful information helpful to both the professional and novice writer. I wish I'd had this informative book years ago. Writing the Fiction Synopsis is a must-have tool for all writers. Pam McCutcheon has given a writers a cure for the synopsis headache." -- Maggie Osborne, award-winning author of more than 40 books
"I'd been to Pam McCutcheon's online workshop on synopsis and found it really helpful, so I bought this book, too. (Watch out everyone, I'm going to gush.) This is by far the best book I've ever seen on writing a synopsis!! And like you and many others, I've gone nuts trying to get my synopsis to say what it needs to say in an interesting and concise way without making it a yawner. I'm also one of those authors who writes a rough synopsis as a road map after I've written about 3 chapters of a book to keep me on track. This book makes it so easy. If you buy one book on writing a synopsis, buy this one." -- Lisa Mondello, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"Writing the Fiction Synopsis is destined to be a classic!" -- Karen Fox, RITA-nominated romance author
221 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1998
12 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Pam McCutcheon
47 books44 followersI've been a reader all my life, starting out with fairy tales and graduating to reading everything in the house when I grew older, including my parents' romances, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, and action/adventure.
If a writer can combine romance and humor with a fantasy, science fiction, or paranormal element, I'm hooked. Add action/adventure, and it's even better!
Since I couldn't find quite enough books that combine these elements, I sat down to write some of my own. The result is the books you'll see on my website.
I now live in Colorado with my three dogs: Mo, Daisy and Trixie.
Pseudonyms: Pamela Luzier (Fantasy genre) and Parker Blue (Young Adult urban fantasy genre).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 11, 2021
A superbly written, informative and easy to understand guide on how to approach the dreaded book synopsis. I find writing a novel FAR easier than writing the synopsis, however, after reading this book I am so much more confident with tackling the synopsis that has been sat waiting on my computer for the past few weeks.
This book covers long and short synopses, aswell as the back cover blurb. It also comes along with some fantastic worksheets to help decipher character goal, motivation and conflict, as well as recognising the essential parts of the plot that should be included within a synopsis.
I recommend this book to any fiction writer who is trying to get through the synopsis stage of preparing their query. For me, this book has been an essential tool for not only learning the art of synopsis writing but for putting what I've learnt into practice too.
This book covers long and short synopses, aswell as the back cover blurb. It also comes along with some fantastic worksheets to help decipher character goal, motivation and conflict, as well as recognising the essential parts of the plot that should be included within a synopsis.
I recommend this book to any fiction writer who is trying to get through the synopsis stage of preparing their query. For me, this book has been an essential tool for not only learning the art of synopsis writing but for putting what I've learnt into practice too.
April 10, 2018
I like the fact that the author makes few assumptions about the reader's (writer's) knowledge, and lays the process out clearly. Even if you know some, or all, of the rules, the content is quick to move through so you don't feel frustrated by rehashed information. And some of that rehashing is warranted anyway: there's a lot to remember, some of which is easily forgotten.
The book is designed as a work-along with several examples from multiple genres that makes the information learned applicable across the board. You're adding skills to your toolbox, not simply memorizing for a one-time session.
Highly recommend this book to any writer. I'm fresh off the BA & MA in writing train, and found the book is exactly what I needed for the back end writing process that goes along with the front end writing process.
The book is designed as a work-along with several examples from multiple genres that makes the information learned applicable across the board. You're adding skills to your toolbox, not simply memorizing for a one-time session.
Highly recommend this book to any writer. I'm fresh off the BA & MA in writing train, and found the book is exactly what I needed for the back end writing process that goes along with the front end writing process.
August 5, 2015
This is a fantastic book that I think should be required reading for anyone looking to publish a novel.
It isn't easy to take 80,000+ words and condense it to two pages, one page or even a paragraph. This book gives you all of the advice and tools you will need to do exactly that.
As a fore-warning, it was written in the 90s. So it makes some dated references to ink ribbons, typewriters and mail-in manuscripts. But the advice here is timeless. Each chapter deals with a specific worksheet that helps you focus on identifying one part of your story. She uses three (dated, but modern enough to still be known) movies as a guide along the way, showing you how the worksheets can be completed for each one.
It's all very practical, very thorough and very well written. Thank you, Pam McCutcheon!
It isn't easy to take 80,000+ words and condense it to two pages, one page or even a paragraph. This book gives you all of the advice and tools you will need to do exactly that.
As a fore-warning, it was written in the 90s. So it makes some dated references to ink ribbons, typewriters and mail-in manuscripts. But the advice here is timeless. Each chapter deals with a specific worksheet that helps you focus on identifying one part of your story. She uses three (dated, but modern enough to still be known) movies as a guide along the way, showing you how the worksheets can be completed for each one.
It's all very practical, very thorough and very well written. Thank you, Pam McCutcheon!
May 13, 2010
Very practical book on synopsis writing. My only qualm (hence 4 stars) is the use of movies as examples rather than books. Movies aren't the same as books. I know a lot of "how-to" writing books use movies for examples because everyone has seen them... but we're writers! Isn't there a set of iconic books people can use as examples rather than movies?
But other than that, great how-to book. :-)
But other than that, great how-to book. :-)
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May 4, 2012Being a less-than-stellar synopsis writer, I searched long and hard for a resource like this. Plenty of books list ways to write a synopsis; this one has EXAMPLES. The reproduceable worksheet pages force the development of necessary elements not just for the synopsis, but for the novel. Examples include both long and short forms of synopses, annotated to correspond to worksheet elements.
September 13, 2016
A thorough, step-by-step guide to writing a synopsis. The author demonstrates the process by drafting synopses to 3 well-known movies, and provides a series of forms so that you can prepare your own synopsis in a clear and organized way.
September 16, 2008
As the title implies, Pam takes readers step-by-step through preparing a winning synopsis of their work.
August 21, 2023
Great guide for writing synopsis' with clear examples. Definitely a book I will go back to.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews