Friday, May 3, 2013

My Inner Crazy

Yeah. I've got one.

Most writers do have one - the inner crazy who resorts to flailing, attention-seeking antics. Successful writers usually keep the inner crazy in check. Mine decided to rear her ugliness at me last night. 

I blame the synopsis.

Writing a synopsis is hard. I've been trying to write it for days now, and I think I've figured out why it's been so tough: I'm giving a straight, blow-by-blow account of my story - and that isn't my style. I love adjectives and adverbs (I know, those are considered the kiss of death for many writers). I like the details. I love dialogue. But a synopsis has to be dry, straightforward writing so an agent or publisher can see, at a glance, the arc and plot points of the novel.

After working so long to lovingly craft (or furiously type, whatever you want to call it) a novel, creating relate-able, believable characters...I fell into the trap of "My work has been reduced to this?" when looking at the bare bones laid out in a linear fashion.

It was then my inner crazy poked her chin out, tangled her fingers in her frizzy hair, and cried out in her best "Leave Britney ALONE!" voice:
"But...but...but....my story is SO MUCH MORE than this!!"

After wrestling her back into the deep recesses of my mind and promising her lots of chocolate, coffee and wine if she promised to stay there and behave (I ended up resorting to duct tape, I don't have time for that), I'm back to working on this synopsis with my business hat on.

How did your synopsis turn out? Give me something positive...Quickly, before the inner crazy chews her way out...


This is the extent of my artistic abilities.
Stop laughing. 


...seriously. I can still hear you.

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