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Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
Nobody says writing a novel is easy. But many writers make it far tougher than it needs to be.
I've got nearly a dozen novels in print and I can tell you this - if you don't have an effective plan for plotting, research, drafting, troubleshooting and revision, you're not making the best... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Quotes edit
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“The time for crap has passed. You can still create an enthralling story that you want to share with others. We're going to fix your novel.”
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“Do you have a sneaky feeling your novel is not as coherent as when you wrote the synopsis? If it's gone off piste, that's fine. In fact rejoice. This is part of the book's evolution.”
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“Efficient writers are never reading their work aimlessly and tweaking a word here and there. I give you mechanisms that allow you to pull back and test if your novel works, assess what adjustments to make and then zoom back in to sort them out.”
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“Limits make you more creative, not less. If you held a dinner party where the food was all white, you'd have to use far more ingenuity than if you could serve any old thing from Nigel or Nigella.”
First Sentence edit
Have you got a novel inside you?
Table of Contents edit
Introduction
Why you need a plan. Why a planned novel is more likely to succeed in today’s market. Who I am and why I know these things. What this book is and how to use it. Zipped notes on writercraft. Start right now.
Resources
Zipped notes
Creative games for plotting, assessing a draft. Techniques to make your brain show, not tell. Block busters, including games to help you fill blanks. Tricks to make you do the work properly. Rescue remedies for a sprawling draft.
1 Where it goes wrong - why people start novels and don’t finish
My abandoned book – a cautionary tale. Why I developed a plan. Why novels get abandoned – enthusiasm gone, lost confidence, got out of the routine, no time, writer’s block. The method in more depth. FAQs - Why a system can help you be more creative, not less. Your personality type and how it affects the way you write. Secrets to help you take control of your inner critic. Writing is rewriting…. and not always rewriting. Tailor the system to your needs. Use the method to resurrect your abandoned manuscript. Importance of taking a break to get critical distance.
2 Before you start the manuscript
Aims at this stage. What you’re ignoring.
Task 1 Shaping your inspiration. Nurturing ideas.
Task 2 Starting this specific novel. Putting flesh on the initial idea. What makes a good character. Genre awareness. Filling in the blanks. Getting inspiration. Plot thickeners. Inspiration from your reading. The wish-not list. Inspiration from graft, not God. Working library.
Task 3 Focussed research. How to research. The hat game.
Task 4 A structural survey for your novel. The cards game. Fill in more blanks and firm up your story. Writing a novel based on your own experiences. Reworking the story to make it sizzle. Sub-plots. Keeping your plot focussed. The reincorporation game. Let character drive everything. How much plot is enough? Assessing an existing draft or partial draft. Know your ending.
Task 5 Detailed synopsis. Making major changes – how I made a muddled story slick and exciting. Your old versions contain treasure.
Task 5.5 Let it settle.
Task 5.55 Assessing the synopsis.
Aims recap. Ready to start on the actual text.
3 The first draft
Task 6 The first draft. Love it or hate it? A first draft is guided dreaming. How to inhabit the book. Free your muse.
How to turn off your inner critic. Danger time for writer’s block. Cognitive behaviour techniques to beat negative thinking.
Writing rules for this stage. Show not tell. Be bold and try things. Be obvious, not subtle. Don’t censor yourself emotionally. Let characters take flight.
How to deviate without losing your way.
Block busters, including creative games for when you don’t know what to do.
How to keep yourself at the desk when you’re not in the mood. Targets and other writing incentives.
Emergency rescue library. A soundtrack for your novel.
Other good habits for the first draft. Prepare for tomorrow. Make a personal details file. Ignore the timeline. The Outtakes file. First draft survival strategy. Aims recap.
Task 7 Before you look at your manuscript again.
4 Before you rewrite
How rough your manuscript will look and why that’s good. Your novel is now a new creature. Characters take over.
Task 8 The beat sheet game. How to get everything under control. Assessing pace, tone, story mechanics, arcs, beginning, middle, end, tensions, sub-plots, purpose of each scene, timeline, themes, characters.
Task 8.5 Making changes. Your mission statement for rewriting. Scenework is teamwork. Story structure. If you need to fundamentally re-plan. Assessing an abandoned manuscript. Dos and Don’ts. How the beat sheet helps you write a much better novel. Aims recap. Ready to rewrite.
5 The rewrites
What you’re getting right at this stage.
Task 9 Revising your manuscript. Find your novel’s viewpoint, format and voice. How to use the beat sheet. Take your time. Rewrites plural, not rewrite – be prepared for lots of writing and cutting. If you get stuck. The Outtakes file. Targets. The beginning. Dialogue. Smart revision alerts- facts, consistency, timeline, show not tell, relics of your previous draft. Common things you have to add at this stage. Kill your darlings. Spelling etc. Chapter beginnings and endings. How to deviate from your beat sheet. Are you sure you’ve finished? How to get criticism. Keep your Outtakes file, synopses and beat sheet.
6 Sending your novel to seek its fortune
The publishing business. Give your novel the best chance you can. Getting feedback. Friends or professional critics? How to use criticism positively. Sending it out. Agent or publisher?
Task 10 Your submission package. How to make a 100,000-word novel into a 1,000-word synopsis. Extreme summary – the 50-word pitch. Dos and don’ts of the cover letter. Send it off and good luck.
Index
Authors & Contributors edit
- Roz Morris (Author)
Popular Tags
Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Nail Your Novel: The writing blog of author Roz Morris
- GoodReads
- Amazon: Readers' reviews
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