I sat at my desk tonight fully intending to write my synopsis. Instead I ended up going through my blogfriendies stuff, delighted with all the magnificent posts, and burned through an hour of (what would’ve been) writing time. So much for “intentions,” eh?
It’s not that I’m lazy or procrastinating my synopsis writing. No, not at all. The root of my delay is much more feral and intrinsic than that: I am scared shitless of it. Not that I fear the haunting of my keyboard or the strange noises that are produced in my house after everyone has gone to bed and the lights are dim (and autonomously twinkling) here in the room. I should probably have that looked at by an electrician, or a priest. Whatever. Instead, what I do fear is that I will be unable to capture the essence of my story in those pages. There, I said it. It's really that simple.
I know I will. I know I have to. I know you all will tell me to quit my bitching, and probably offer some cheese with my whine… so thank you (in advance). I simply felt the need to put this in writing, and send it out into the unforgetting and unforgiving internet and not feel that my evening was a total waste. At least I got caught up with my neglected fellow bloggies, found some new folks to follow on twitter and scoured facebook. Yeah, I’m totally on top of my synopsis game, aren’t I?
Curse you novel. I love you, but you are so much damn work.
Want even MORE bitching? Befriend me here:
About Me
- Jm Diaz
- It's not that I'm mean. It's just that I sometimes say things others only think, yet are afraid to voice themselves. Oh, and I'm not very good at talking about myself. That's why I make up people, and then place them in situations, and throw in a guy with a gun. I'm a writer, attempting to peel away from the world of Systems Engineering. Not that Information Technology is bad, its just that I don't love it. Not like I love storytelling. Pays the bills though.
14 comments:
Good luck with that. It's not a task I envy.
Synopsi (synopsises?) are something that scare me shitless too. Good luck. You'll get it done, it's the starting that's the hardest part, I've found.
Those last two lines are priceless, and so true. You'll be able to do it the synopsis, and you'll do it well. I am sure of this! =) Sometimes saying we're unsure of our capabilities releases us from those very worries.
My current task at hand is going through each chapter and jotting down a quick summary - making sure to notate the important facts. Once that's done, I'll deal with giving it my voice, making it sound like me. One step at a time.
Keep us all posted on your progress. I'm going to love hearing about another writer going through the same pain;)
"I should probably have that looked at by an electrician, or a priest." <---Line like these are why I love you JM. Get that damn thing written so I can read your novel already!
I wish I could say I'm sorry for you that you couldn't get through your synopsis, but you instead became one of my followers, which I think is really cool. So thanks for futzing around instead of working. But now it's time to get to it, big guy. And good luck!
I'm still proud of you, because at least you are ready to write your synopsis. Remember last year -- I am pretty sure it was August -- and I said I would have my draft finished in a couple of weeks, or then, maybe by the end of November?
Yeah, uh... still writing it!
J.M. -
Just dropping a note to say thanks for following my blog and I like your site.
Writing the synopsis is the hardest thing for me to do as well. I can write the novel, I can write the hook - hell, I can even sum my book up in one sentence - but the synopsis is pure evil.
Thanks again.
I truly hate writing them too! It seems like it would be such an easy thing to do, but it just isn't. When I my write my next one, I am totally gonna have a huge glass of wine first, because I get so freaked out.
I hated writing the synopsis, so it's a common phenomenon, I think. I just plugged away at it, like climbing up a mountain trail -- plodded forward one step at a time. Then next step. Then next.
Then I edited it, rewrote it. Five or six or seven times.
Then I said, "Fuck it, this is it and I don't give a rat's ass."
Good luck!
I enjoyed writing the synopsis more than the query for my first novel. It's one page, so there's a little more room to work with. Remember strong and active verbs all the way. Good luck.
I hear you. That's how I felt about rewriting my query. I just couldn't get it right, so I let it sit a good long time. Writing is a lot of work!
hahaha you're too funny.
but, nevertheless, we all know what you mean. *headdesk*
hang in there -- i swear it gets easier.
besides - any writing every day is better than no writing any day. even blogging counts.
best of luck with everything!!
I hear chocolate is good with whine too. I’m doing the very thing you described right now. Instead of writing, I catching up with my blogfriendies.
Ahhh, the time suck of the blogosphere, my favorite procrastinating technique.
Great blog you have here (not that I'm procrastinating or anything...surfing around...nope.). I think I shall stick around, if you don't mind.
~Lola
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