How to Write a Synopsis for Your Book

   I wrote a 1-2 page synopsis for the first time last month. I did a lot of research and ended up writing a synopsis for 2 of my books. I'd like to share some of what I found with you guys for those of you who are struggling to write a synopsis for your own book.

 Writing a synopsis is a challenge. It can be kind of frustrating but also kind of fun jotting down all of the main parts of your books.

 You should start by outlining your synopsis. What are the main things that happen in your book? Write down the main plot points. If you need a clear idea of everything that happened in your book, go through your book and write down what happens chapter-by-chapter. Then you can take what you have when you're finished and condense it to 1-2 pages.

Here are some links of examples and step-by-step instructions:

http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/hunting-for-an-agent-with-sample-synopsis

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/synopsis-example-the-fly-horror-sci-fi

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/04/17/how-to-write-a-1-page-synopsis

http://nicolamarsh.blogspot.com/2009/08/write-whisper-sample-synopsis.html

http://www.brenda-drake.com/2016/05/pitch-wars-synopsis-simplified

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-write-brief-synopsis.html

 After you have your outline, put it all together. Make it sound exciting/gripping. It will take a lot of work to get it down to 1-2 pages, but you can do it! I swear. It sucks, but you got this! You're shortening your book to 2 pages or less, but hey, it's longer than a query letter.

 The most important part is to tell everything that happens. Don't try to use some fancy words to keep the reader/agent guessing. Literary agents want to know everything. Yes, even the ending. The beginning, middle, climax, and ending all need to be included. Reveal it all in the synopsis!

 The last part you should do is edit. Edit, edit, edit. Your synopsis is not perfect after your first try. You need to revise it a few times. After writing it, you should edit it, and then step back from it for a few days before coming back to edit it again.


Sorry for not posting for a while, but good luck with your synopsis!
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How Long Should My Query Synopsis Be?

   Since I'm writing summaries for the books I've been revising, I decided to share some more query letter secrets with you. If you guys like this post, I will share a few more query letter structure secrets! So leave a comment to let me know!

 How long should my query synopsis be? When I first started sending my books out to agents, I found myself asking this too often. I felt like my synopsis was too long, or too short. It never seemed good enough. It never sounded professional enough. It didn't seem to bring forth my story--convey my book well.

 Well, hopefully this will help you as it had helped me. Let's break this down.

 A query synopsis should only be about 150-200 words in length. This is only a few paragraphs. I know that this seems pretty short, but it's actually the perfect length. Not too long, but also not too short. As Goldilocks would say, "It's juuuuust right."

 This word-count will force you to pick 1-2 main points in your synopsis. You don't want to give too much away in your synopsis. You can't reveal every plot point. This won't hook your readers. Only drive 1-2 points and you're good to go!

 If you're unsure about how to go about this, you can go to your bookshelf, or Goodreads.com, and read the synopsis of books that are similar to yours in genre. Then go on to write your own synopsis!

Good luck writing your synopsis!
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How to Write a Kissing Scene

   Yup, this is what we're talking about today. Kind of glad that I'm not a vlogger because I can hide behind my computer this way.

 What kind of kissing scene are we talking about here? Are we going for the hot and steamy? The gentle, lingering kiss? The gentle kiss that suddenly becomes rough and desperate? The kissing scene that you write will depend on your book, and your characters, and the situation.

 Yes, the situation is taken into account. Your characters could be angry, and if so, you might want to go for the hot and steamy kiss that makes your readers blush because your characters can't get enough of each other.

The Moment.
 Make sure your readers know where your characters are. Are they on a date? Just two friends that suddenly found themselves making out while they watch a movie? Where are they and what are your characters feeling? You have to set up the moment that leads to the kiss. Also, kissing at the end of a date is expected so try to make it a little more spontaneous.

Feelings.
 You have to--and I mean have to--describe what your character(s) is feeling before, during, and after the kiss. Describing what your character feels before the kiss helps build to the moment. Describing what your character is feeling during the kiss helps your readers paint a picture of what is happening and how it's happening. Describing what your character is feeling after the kiss helps your readers understand what the character thinks about the person that they just kissed. Is your character glad that they kissed the other? Are they horrified that they just kissed him/her?

During the Kiss.
 Be sure not to only describe what is happening with their mouths. You need to add what they're doing with everything else, like their hands. Are they running through each others hair? Holding each other tightly? Are they standing close to each other or are they leaning toward each other?

 Writing a kissing scene can be really embarrassing--I know it is for me because I know that if I publish a book, my whole family is going to read it--but you just have to push through and focus on the scene instead of focusing on the embarrassing possibility that your friends and family will read it. Focus on the moment between your characters.

 If you need more help writing a kissing scene, go pick up a few of the books on your shelf and read a few different kissing scenes to help you put the pieces together.

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