Inspiration + Suspense = Great Synopsis

Vampyre Kisses.

Today's guest post is by author Elizabeth J Kolodziej, who will share how she writes a synopsis. Welcome, Elizabeth!

Hello, I am Elizabeth J Kolodziej. I am the author of The Last Witch Series along with other titles under the pen name Esther Wheelmaker and Lilith Ashcroft.

Now, many authors have trouble writing a good synopsis for their book. My first step in creating a synopsis is choosing which are the important aspects that the plot is about. When you have that written out next comes picking and choosing which parts fix well and which don’t. This is when you want to look at individual sentences to decide if it inspires (the reader sees a new story that is different from the rest) and suspense (the reader becomes intrigued to find out what happens).

In an attempt to show you how to process works I asked Samantha’s permission to post some of the parts of our messages on FB after I helped fix her synopsis.

I hope this will clarify my ideas:

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Heart Song is a story about a woman who learns she is forever bound to a werewolf Ancient, no matter how much she tries to deny it.

In a world separated into two realms, one with magic and one without, it is the bond between Relena and Marren that will bring the two realms together before the world is forever shrouded in darkness.

Jiren, an immortal, shape-shifting, ethereal vampire, will stop at nothing to prevent the realms from rejoining, including killing another ancient--the most unforgivable crime. Even that plan fails when the child that Relena carries becomes the key to either save the world or doom it.

Obviously, for the book blurb I would have to rethink the first sentence.

Thanks, btw, for helping me out again!

Main problem here: There is no suspense (no questions asked)

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

BTW most synopses are an average of 250 words (give or take).

All right! It's a great start! I am going to need some more information though to help you out. Short description of the two main characters (the werewolf ancient and the woman bond to him and their names).

Why doesn't Jiren want the world to merge?

Why is the world going to be shrouded in darkness if not merged together?

Dose either realm know the other exists? So do humans know there are werewolves and such?

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Jiren doesn't want the two realms to rejoin because he will lose his power over the immortal races. The mortal realm doesn't know of the immortal realm as it was created in secret to protect the immortal races. The two worlds, if not rejoined will start to fall apart and unravel because the realms were never meant to be separated. They were meant to live as one.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

Why did you name it heart song? (last question I promise! I'm almost done with this)

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Because that is what the immortals call soul mates, but stronger bonds that go

beyond that of the mortal/human connotation.

Don't worry about your questions! They don't bother me!

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

What do you think of this:

There was once one world filled with magic and mortals. To protect the immortals the world was torn into two, one of mortals and one of magic.

For centuries Jiren has ruled over the immortal realm, but his power is now put at risk when it is said that the heart song between a mortal, Relena, and a werewolf, Marren, is fated to bring both the mortal and immortal world together once again before the realms are forever shrouded in darkness.

The shape-shifting, ethereal vampire, Jiren, will stop at nothing to prevent the worlds from rejoining though, even killing another ancient -- The most unforgivable crime.

In addition, Relena is an independent, hot-tempered woman that fears her own desires for Marren, putting the future of both worlds in jeopardy by denying his courtship.

With both realms doomed if they do not fall in love, will Marren be able to woe the one he loves? Or will Jiren have his way and throw the mortal world into complete devastation?

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Well it's close, but there are some aspects you are mistaken on.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

I haven't read the book so I don't doubt that.

Samantha S Lafantasie:

LOL, no worries. I think this is great.

So, can I ask why rewrite it? I'm just curious. I think you did phenomenal. I just

don't know if I can do it!

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

Sure! I'll show you the difference... give me a sec. It's not that you CAN'T do it it's just that everyone has their own strengths. For instance, I'm not always the best at a sex scene but a friend of mine is a wiz! I however rock at writing a synopsis. So we both would help each other out. Plus maybe it's just something you have to practice at. I'm not always great at writing them, but practice makes perfect.

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Okay! Great! Glad to know you are a good synopsis writer! Cause I'm ready to pull out my hair over it! LOL I'm epubbing so I want this to be perfect. I want people to read it and go, Hmm. Sounds like a good story. I think I'll buy it! Embarrassingly enough, I think sex scenes are easier to write.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

I think it is the difference of intrigue and suspense placed into a synopsis. For an exercise, take mine and take yours. I want you to read them back-to-back. Your synopsis is good, and if you look at mine I pretty much say the same thing. However, I add more intrigue and suspense.

For instance:

"but his power is now put at risk when it is said that the heart song" - The reader here is going to wonder to themselves (plus think it interesting) What is a heart song between two people? Is this a different take on soul mates? Wow that's awesome! I like things that are new and different (or what is old but is given a twist) That is intrigue.

Suspense:

You automatically say in yours that Relena and Marren are going to get together and have a kid. Well that's boring! Cause I bet it's not what happens EXACTLY in the book. I bet they have conflict and it takes some time (plus you want to keep the kid part a secret). So instead of saying these two hook up, I went with creating some suspense:

"Relena is an independent, hot tempered woman that fears her own desires for Marren, putting the future of both worlds in jeopardy by denying his courtship."

Do you see what I am doing?

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Right, Okay so, just correct the stuff that was mistaken? Let me start here.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

I think it would also be good to run this by your beta reader to see what they think of the synopsis since they have read the book.

It's not embarrassing to be able to write good sex scenes! lol. For me, I have no clue why I'm not always on point with it but it's just difficult for me. So I keep practicing.

What exactly was mistaken? Let's go over that.

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Jiren isn't the only ruler of the immortal realm. He's an Ancient, just like Marren and a few others. They are basically the leaders of their kind and those who have chosen to follow them because of the loss of lives during the cross over.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

Ok. that's easy enough to change. Just put: For centuries Jiren has been one of the rulers over the immortal realm or in the immortal realm

Samantha S Lafantasie:

Okay, and Relena actually falls in love with Marren quickly, but their relationship is strained and tested repeatedly as they try to prove she's not a witch. Um, I need to print this off, hang on...LOL It's getting to be a bit much scrolling and trying to keep track of what I'm trying to say.

Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

I'm a little confused about their relationship than. Cause you said she fears being with him yet she falls in love with him quickly. The whole witch thing is also going to change things.

Okay. Leave that out of the synopsis than. You could go with something like this: In addition, both Relena and Marren are put through tenuous trials and ordeals to prove their love for one another, putting the future of both worlds in jeopardy by their love being denied by the rulers of the immortal realm. (that last part needs to be cleaned up)

Elizabeth J Kolodziej

Than something like this for the end: With both realms doomed if they are not together, will Marren and Relena be able to prove the heart song they share? Or will Jiren have his way and throw the mortal world into complete devastation?

Samantha S Lafantasie:

OOOOH. I like that one very much! That actually coincides perfectly.

And so Samantha got a great synopsis put together and I had my time practicing writing synopsis by doing this. I really hope this was informative and eye opening for authors that have trouble writing a synopsis along with readers understanding what hell we sometimes go through to write them.

Please check me out at the following places:

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