tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post8681659990948791393..comments2024-03-28T06:16:39.508+00:00Comments on Help! I Need a Publisher!: Synopsis Spotlight - The Girl on Winter's HillNicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-82351240722983135192011-10-28T19:21:08.998+01:002011-10-28T19:21:08.998+01:00Thanks to everyone who commented - all very useful...Thanks to everyone who commented - all very useful points to ponder. How to blend the 'duh' duh' 'duh' moments, as Jaxbee calls them, with the tightness and clarity needed for the perfect synopsis? I'm eagerly awaiting Nicola's book to find out :)Margaret Morton Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932292910281160827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-64412995489976248802011-10-24T07:39:30.805+01:002011-10-24T07:39:30.805+01:00Hi Margaret
I enjoyed your synopsis and have to sa...Hi Margaret<br />I enjoyed your synopsis and have to say that I liked the 'duh, duh, duh' phrases, as my children call them. (But then I am struggling to keep to the plot instead of writing a more blurb type synopsis so not the best to advise.)<br />Having had my synopsis critiqued here, I would say that I've found Nicola and kind contributors' questions about the plot and Jackie Buxtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02186723392553752533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-61291426809980722372011-10-22T12:34:11.962+01:002011-10-22T12:34:11.962+01:00Not picky at all, it just shows where I need to cl...Not picky at all, it just shows where I need to clarify things. The trick will be, as Nicola says, working out where too much detail out of context is counter-productive.Margaret Morton Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932292910281160827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-16532727171842579802011-10-22T01:13:42.392+01:002011-10-22T01:13:42.392+01:00Hi Margaret, thanks for your explanation; I unders...Hi Margaret, thanks for your explanation; I understand now. I have the same trouble with my synopsis writing, how to boil down so much to a page or two. <br /><br />I guess that's where Nicola's book on synopsis writing will come into its own!<br /><br />Hope you don't think I was being picky by the way, I was trying to offer constructive criticism as I read it, but other people wouldDavid John Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524610087056533062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-77238836474357880702011-10-21T23:21:39.472+01:002011-10-21T23:21:39.472+01:00And finally...Callum's first wife was a relati...And finally...Callum's first wife was a relative of Chrissie's, air-brushed out of her family history because of the scandal. Chrissie has to do a lot of digging and deal with a family rift before she finally learns who the woman is.Margaret Morton Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932292910281160827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-72240360664987656912011-10-21T23:12:26.260+01:002011-10-21T23:12:26.260+01:00Oops, I can see confusion arising-there's so m...Oops, I can see confusion arising-there's so much I couldn't fit into the synopsis on my first attempt. <br /><br />Liam is fascinated by his rather mysterious great-grandfather, not the runaway wife. The accident comes about through his jealousy of Rob and Chrissie, and it's only through the resulting trauma that he's tipped into obsession.<br /><br />His recovery enables him Margaret Morton Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932292910281160827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-28266361443198565122011-10-21T22:09:45.243+01:002011-10-21T22:09:45.243+01:00Sorry Margaret, forgot to add: "The Girl on W...Sorry Margaret, forgot to add: "The Girl on Winter's Hill" – love the title!<br /><br />:-)David John Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524610087056533062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-27646143442907006612011-10-21T22:05:35.837+01:002011-10-21T22:05:35.837+01:00The synopsis makes for interesting reading in my o...The synopsis makes for interesting reading in my opinion, especially with the psychological aspects of Liam, which makes me want to read some chapters.<br /><br />The aspect that jarred for me though was the same as has been pointed out: Liam's obsession with his great-grandfather's first wife. I understand your explanation that Highlanders have a near-obsession with the past, but for me,David John Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524610087056533062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-1806108212137987532011-10-21T17:22:26.109+01:002011-10-21T17:22:26.109+01:00It's an interesting idea for a story and I'...It's an interesting idea for a story and I'd heartily agree with all the nice things that have been said about it already. <br /><br />One thing I noticed is the bits that have been crossed out seem to be those kind of 'teaser' sentences that you get on blurbs to try and draw readers in. I'm under the impression that that sort of thing is to be avoided in synopses, BUT they doNeal...https://www.blogger.com/profile/10370874032744551030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-8334181149714390622011-10-21T15:51:24.320+01:002011-10-21T15:51:24.320+01:00I sort of agree about the believability of recogni...I sort of agree about the believability of recognising such a distant relative, but the synopsis makes the scandal associated with her clear, and with a vow of revenge so well-knwon about within the family (as opposed to the kind of shame that's swept under the carpet), it sounds quite plausible that a showing of the photo would be a family rite of passage. <br />I do agree about his reactionDan Hollowayhttp://danholloway.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-21612876503342123222011-10-21T11:03:12.533+01:002011-10-21T11:03:12.533+01:00Ouch! I was trying so hard to make the synopsis m...Ouch! I was trying so hard to make the synopsis more readable, I didn't see the cliches sneaking up on me *slaps wrist*.<br /><br />This version was written for the RNA's New Writer Scheme, so it's slightly tweaked to play up the romantic element for my free appraisal(didn't work, by the way-the reader loved the writing but said the romance wasn't central enough for her, Margaret Morton Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932292910281160827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-80717101435455467412011-10-21T07:40:07.160+01:002011-10-21T07:40:07.160+01:00Bearing in mind that I've only ever written on...Bearing in mind that I've only ever written one synopsis and I'm still not sure if I'm brave enough to put myself forward here as Margaret has, I'd like to start by applauding her!<br /><br />I agree with what Nicola says about the use of cliché, and some bits felt to me rather vague. I wouldn't have been able to put it into words but I think Nicola's point about more Rebecca Brownhttp://www.rebeccaebrown.comnoreply@blogger.com