Writer Help: The Summary Part One - Shorties Up In Here
It's been a while... I missed most of last week and a bit of this week...I have no excuses for last week (the week before I was on a camping trip and managed to get Top Five and Writer's Help out before leaving Thursday morning).
Anyway,the Writer Help from two weeks ago was about storyboarding. This week's is about the Summary. Now, bear with me here, because
Or we could use the Guardian Heir again:
Sorry to cut you short but, as of tonight/this week, this is all I have of my new technique. Tune in next week for more!
Always,
Ali
Anyway,the Writer Help from two weeks ago was about storyboarding. This week's is about the Summary. Now, bear with me here, because
- this is a semi-new experience for me and what I mean by 'semi-new' is that certain parts of this are new and
- since I am currently reworking my pitch, I'll be doing this in parts. '
Part one will be this week and part two will be next week--or the week after, shooting for next week though.
Before we begin, I'd like to explain a bit of the background behind this: the Snowflake Method. If you click the link, you'll get everything about the method. Now, I discovered this method a while ago and I don't use it fully. Basically, I do the first two steps and go on my own from there. I do kind of use the third step albeit not fully and I will also include what's called a 'Short Pitch' and a 'Long Pitch.'
The Short Synopsis
From what has been implied in the article, this is the basic summary found on the page with all the legal jargon. This will most likely be used in your querying--if you choose to query--and will help sell your book. According to the Method, we need to have a short sentence (fewer than fifteen words) with no names.
Here's my old version:
Now, if you count each I have thirteen and fourteen (respectfully) and neither have names mentioned. Do they tie the personal and big pictures together? Not really, since I have multiple leads now. Are they memorable? Maybe the second more so than the first.
The Short Pitch
Depending on who you talk to, this can be interchangeable with a short synopsis but I think of them as two separate entities: a 'short pitch' is something that is normally on the cover of a book. For example, we're going to use the cover of the stand-alone sequel-prequel to Cerulean, the Guardian Heir (left). See that little text next to the model's head? That is what I mean by a short pitch. I've also heard it called a 'zinger.'
Anyway, the short pitches for Cerulean is as follows:
Before we begin, I'd like to explain a bit of the background behind this: the Snowflake Method. If you click the link, you'll get everything about the method. Now, I discovered this method a while ago and I don't use it fully. Basically, I do the first two steps and go on my own from there. I do kind of use the third step albeit not fully and I will also include what's called a 'Short Pitch' and a 'Long Pitch.'
The Short Synopsis
From what has been implied in the article, this is the basic summary found on the page with all the legal jargon. This will most likely be used in your querying--if you choose to query--and will help sell your book. According to the Method, we need to have a short sentence (fewer than fifteen words) with no names.
Here's my old version:
A mystic must gather the remaining elemental warriors to stop a death god.My new version:
Three unlikely friends must search for the elemental warriors to stop a death god.
Now, if you count each I have thirteen and fourteen (respectfully) and neither have names mentioned. Do they tie the personal and big pictures together? Not really, since I have multiple leads now. Are they memorable? Maybe the second more so than the first.
The Short Pitch
Depending on who you talk to, this can be interchangeable with a short synopsis but I think of them as two separate entities: a 'short pitch' is something that is normally on the cover of a book. For example, we're going to use the cover of the stand-alone sequel-prequel to Cerulean, the Guardian Heir (left). See that little text next to the model's head? That is what I mean by a short pitch. I've also heard it called a 'zinger.'
Anyway, the short pitches for Cerulean is as follows:Four were born. Three will balance.Now, I actually did the short pitch WAY before I started this trial of my summary adventure. Originally, the numbers referenced the elemental warriors but now that I'm in the middle of summary revision, it takes on a whole new meaning--will be explained within the work.
Or we could use the Guardian Heir again:
Dragon's blood means nothing.Have it tie in with the story some how and make it pop. Sticking with our second example of the Guardian Heir, dragons are a pretty big in the novel--hell, Aurora's family are all technically dragons.
Sorry to cut you short but, as of tonight/this week, this is all I have of my new technique. Tune in next week for more!
Always,
Ali
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