One thing I decided to do to get myself out of the editing knot I’ve gotten myself into is write a synopsis of my work-in-progress. It’s a blended approach of the two drafts of the novel I’ve written so far, the best parts of which I’ve felt have come organically. Who the hell needs an outline?
At any rate, below is the synopsis. Have a read, and let me know what you think!
Immortal. Dr. Vengeance. They were once, respectively, the World’s Greatest Superhero, and the Most Fearsome Supervillain Alive. Their battles were the stuff of legend, their names part of the new mythology. Their lives intertwined like no other hero or villain’s lives ever before
Then, Immortal’s decline and abrupt retirement, followed by Dr. Vengeance’s surprise capture, left a void no other heroes or villains could seem to fill. In the years that followed, Immortal adjusted to retirement by taking up therapy, while Dr. Vengeance underwent a controversial rehabilitation for his crimes. Neither would admit it, but Immortal and Dr. Vengeance missed their superhero/supervillain lifestyle. Retirement, whether self-imposed or forced, sucks.
But when an old flame returns to rekindle Immortal’s flame, and a familiar enemy re-emerges, Immortal must do the unthinkable: form a very uneasy alliance with Dr. Vengeance, and defeat this new threat, without killing each other first over past resentments.
Part psychodrama, part love story, part screwball comedy, WORKING TITLE* is unlike any superhero story you’ve ever read.
* I really haven’t come up with a good title I’ve been satisfied with, hence WORKING TITLE.
This is great! This is something I’m terrible at, when people ask me about the stories I’m working on I totally can’t explain what they’re about! Haha who knew writing a summary could be so challenging.
I figure this is good exercise for when I need to make that one-minute pitch to sell my novel to an agent. Plus, it’s finally helped me make sense of what I really want to write.
Re-reading the last sentence made me think of ‘Work in Title’ any good?
Looks good OWTBDR! Concise, but contains enough information to construct the story around.
Finish it already so I can read it!
I loved the first two parts–they made me really want to read your book. The third paragraph needs work. Repeating ‘flame’ twice caused me to have to start the sentence over at a point where I should have been devouring your words. Further, I know a hundred english teachers who would beat you until you removed that ‘very’–it adds nothing to the synopsis–we get that an alliance between hero and villain will be uneasy. For that I would also remove “over past resentments.” It clutters up what would otherwise be a very clear sentence.
These were the only bits of constructive criticism I have; apart from that it sounds great!
I follow you already, but I’m gonna check back specifically to find out how you do with this project–I want to read this book when it’s published!
Shit, I didn’t mean to say “flame” twice; I meant to say “fire.”
“Very” is such a whore word, and its sometimes hard to resist using it.
Say, you wouldn’t happen to be an editor, would you? If so, what are your rates?
I’m not, actually. Just an aspiring writer like yourself. I just got finished with the synopsis-summary portion of the thing myself. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at editing, but I have no real credentials, other than working on my own stuff.
I think you’d make a fine editor. Or a very good beta reader. Interested in being a beta reader once I get this draft completed?
Absolutely. When your manuscript’s done, just let me know and tell me teh kind of treatment you’d like–red pen or a book report–and thanks for the compliment!
Ensis… I loved your first two comments, but in your third post you spelled “the” wrong… “teh.” I’m not an editor, but I thought you would appreciate the constructive criticism.
Lol, thanks Xenogirl. I could play it off by saying I was being ironic, but I’ll own up. I did not claim to be an editor, after all.
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(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Sounds exciting!
Oddly enough I think writing a synopsis is much harder than the content – and I’m sure how important it really is. I’ve had agents say they want one on their profile page and then not care that I didn’t send them one … such a finicky business!
Agents! HUH! What are they good for? Absolutely…I better shut up, in case one’s reading.
Love the synopsis. And I agree that I think it’s harding distilling it all down than it is actually writing it!
Love it! I think this is one of the hardest things to do and you’ve done a brilliant job.
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