[stylist] Nonfiction novel
davidw
dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
Thu Oct 21 19:26:07 UTC 2010
Bridgit,
I have written my story from birth until present about myself.
I was sitting at my computer around two years ago and started writing about
an event in my life. It started out about ten pages and it just continued
into twenty. I stopped writing for a month or so and went back to it later.
I then added on to it and broke it into two chapters.
I then wrote a chapter following these chapters. Before I knew it I wrote
out a table of contents and started from birth filling in chapters along the
way.
I have at times stopped for months and started up again.
This has been a two year process and now I am at present day. I have
reached the point in my life that fits a good ending for the book, time to
end it.
I have included every aspect of my life all truth and although parts are sad
I have added humor, emotion, spirituality, and basically the road in life I
have taken to this point.
I have close to three hundred pages by word count and hope to be able to
include a few photos.
I want to start with paper back printing at first and if $'s allow me to
print hard copies as well.
I have yet to research e-commerce for people to read it by downloading,
one step at a time.
I have allowed a few people in my circle of friends and one Author to read
it and if I listen to them they say it is a fantastic read. Two people have
told me they stayed up half the night just to finish it as they couldn't put
it down.
I will also give credit in my book to this list for all the advice and
support I have received here.
I don't always know an Authors words nor do I have the experience to give
advice on some of your topics but I am learning and with luck and hard work
I'll be able to contribute more in the future.
Thank You everyone,
David Wermuth
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 11:43 AM
Subject: [stylist] Nonfiction novel
> David,
>
> Who are you writing about?
>
> By fictional elements, I mean scene development and use of dialogue and
> even some more experimental stuff like including dreams or conjecture,
> etc.
>
> Most novels are what, 200 pages? Maybe 100 to 150 is more novella?
> Regardless, novel-length is just longer than a few pages. Perhaps book
> length is the better way to put it.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of stylist-request at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 3:27 AM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Subject: stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 39
>
>
> Send stylist mailing list submissions to
> stylist at nfbnet.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> stylist-owner at nfbnet.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than
> "Re: Contents of stylist digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Non-fiction novels (davidw)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:26:18 -0700
> From: "davidw" <dwermuth1 at earthlink.net>
> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Non-fiction novels
> Message-ID: <6D6E17DF2BB949DD92813E45EA0275F2 at DHDBFM71>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Bridgit,
>
> Thanks I am certainly learning from all the posts I have been reading.
>
> I should have called it my non fiction biography.
>
> It is truly non fiction with no fictional elements.
>
> Novel length? I'm not sure what page or word count would constitute the
>
> change from book to novel?
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:48 PM
> Subject: [stylist] Non-fiction novels
>
>
>>A nonfiction novel is just a nonfiction work that is novel length, but
>
>>often it is more creative nonfiction (memoir, personal essay, etc)
>>incorporating fictional elements or techniques as opposed to a
>>biography or academic nonfiction.
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 4:16 PM
>> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 37
>>
>>
>> Send stylist mailing list submissions to
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at stylist-owner at nfbnet.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than
>> "Re: Contents of stylist digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Self Publishing (davidw)
>> 2. Re: Self Publishing (Joe Orozco)
>> 3. Re: Self Publishing (BDM)
>> 4. Shameless Plug (Joe Orozco)
>> 5. Re: Shameless Plug (Judith Bron)
>> 6. Re: Shameless Plug (Joe Orozco)
>> 7. Re: Shameless Plug (Donna Hill)
>> 8. Re: Shameless Plug (Judith Bron)
>> 9. Re: Self Publishing (Donna Hill)
>> 10. Re: Shameless Plug (Anita Adkins)
>> 11. Re: Shameless Plug (BDM)
>> 12. synopsis (Bridgit Pollpeter)
>> 13. Re: Self Publishing (Joe Orozco)
>> 14. Changes plot synopsis (Bridgit Pollpeter)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:51:12 -0700
>> From: "davidw" <dwermuth1 at earthlink.net>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] Self Publishing
>> Message-ID: <35E8229A3E6949E9ACFC054C3F7E88EC at DHDBFM71>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Hello Everyone,
>>
>> I have been researching self publishing company's and there are so
>> many to choose from. Being a first time author of my non-fiction
>> novel I'd like to
>> make the right choice.
>>
>> Can someone recommend a company for printing paperback's with the
>> advantages of distribution.
>> and or company's that don't shy away from first time author's.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> David Wermuth
>> dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:55:51 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Self Publishing
>> Message-ID: <43C9B12D4E5F4797BEB081DAEDEEC4FD at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Try iUniverse. They're good if you keep them in line about what it is
>
>> you're willing to spend.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of davidw
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 2:51 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: [stylist] Self Publishing
>>
>> Hello Everyone,
>>
>> I have been researching self publishing company's and there are so
>> many to choose from. Being a first time author of my non-fiction
>> novel I'd like to
>> make the right choice.
>>
>> Can someone recommend a company for printing paperback's with the
>> advantages of distribution.
>> and or company's that don't shy away from first time author's.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> David Wermuth
>> dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:39:33 -0500
>> From: BDM <lists at braddunsemusic.com>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Self Publishing
>> Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20101020143828.02d02f78 at www.braddunsemusic.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> I only know of my cartoonist friend who used the below. But they seem
>> very fast, and do a nice job.
>>
>> http://www.lulu.com/
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> At 01:51 PM 10/20/2010, you wrote:
>>>Hello Everyone,
>>>
>>>I have been researching self publishing company's and there are so
>>>many to choose from. Being a first time author of my non-fiction
>>>novel I'd like to make the right choice.
>>>
>>>Can someone recommend a company for printing paperback's with the
>>>advantages of distribution. and or company's that don't shy away from
>>>first time author's.
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>David Wermuth
>>>dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>>stylist mailing list
>>>stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>stylist:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lists%40bradd
>>>u
>>>nsemusic.com
>>>
>>>
>>>__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>signature database 5549 (20101020) __________
>>>
>>>The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>>http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Brad Dunse
>>
>> If you think the Tallahassee Bridge is a certain part of a Native
>> American song... you might be a songwriter. --Anonymous
>>
>> E Mail: brad at braddunsemusic.com
>>
>> Website: http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>>
>> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1464323555
>>
>> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/braddunse
>>
>> MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/braddunse
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:41:23 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <AE64BDAD2F75441BAE30AE9AA5C45BAA at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hey all,
>>
>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I finally
>> put the novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I
>> still have some tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make
>> something formal of this little business venture. Anyway, check it
>> out. Feel free to provide feedback, and if you or anyone you know
>> could use my service, let me know. I'll cut you a deal if you let me
>> know you're from the Stylist.
>>
>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:55:59 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <77A90D036E9F4C389EBCB48AF79A2A19 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Joe, I just went there and it looks terriffic! One suggestion that
>> struck me. Don't mention your costs on the site. You would be better
>
>> off saying,
>> "For a consultation and to discuss cost please..." Here you can put
>> your
>> contact link and/or phone number.
>> I like your non-profit group. Our vets deserve everything we can do
> for
>>
>> them. Good going! Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:41 PM
>> Subject: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>
>>
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I finally
>>> put the
>>> novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I still have
>> some
>>> tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make something formal
>> of
>>> this little business venture. Anyway, check it out. Feel free to
>> provide
>>> feedback, and if you or anyone you know could use my service, let me
>> know.
>>> I'll cut you a deal if you let me know you're from the Stylist.
>>>
>>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40opton
>> li
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:00:11 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <872D8D972BE6444EA4CA73E5F944A29F at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Oh, Judith. Just when I'd decided to keep it you go and make me
>> second-guess myself! LOL I think I ultimately left it because I want
>> people to have a starting sense of how much they can expect to invest
>> for the service they request. I'll officially launch it later this
>> week, just thought I'd give fellow writers a chance to critique, but
>> we'll see if including a Fee Schedule kicks me in the butt!
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Judith Bron [mailto:jbron at optonline.net]
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:56 PM
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com; Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>
>> Joe, I just went there and it looks terriffic! One suggestion that
>> struck me. Don't mention your costs on the site. You would be better
>> off saying,
>> "For a consultation and to discuss cost please..." Here you
>> can put your
>> contact link and/or phone number.
>> I like your non-profit group. Our vets deserve everything we
>> can do for
>> them. Good going! Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:41 PM
>> Subject: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>
>>
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I
>> finally put
>>> the
>>> novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I
>> still have some
>>> tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make
>> something formal of
>>> this little business venture. Anyway, check it out. Feel
>> free to provide
>>> feedback, and if you or anyone you know could use my service,
>> let me know.
>>> I'll cut you a deal if you let me know you're from the Stylist.
>>>
>>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up
>> their sleeves,
>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>> 0optonline.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 7
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:06:03 -0400
>> From: Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <4CBF4BAB.30901 at epix.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi Joe,
>> Good going! Unlike Judith, I wouldn't recommend removing your prices.
>> Many people, myself included, get furious when prices aren't easy to
>> find. Making prospective customers contact you for prices may be a
>> strategy for developing a mailing list, but it comes with a cost that
>> is
>>
>> hard to measure.
>> Best,
>> Donna
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>> Ezine Articles:
>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle: www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>> LinkedIn:
>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>> FaceBook:
>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244
>> 37
>> 4
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 10/20/2010 3:41 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I finally
>>> put the novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I
>>> still have some tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make
>>> something formal of this little business venture. Anyway, check it
>>> out. Feel free to provide feedback, and if you or anyone you know
>>> could use my service, let me know. I'll cut you a deal if you let me
>>> know you're from the Stylist.
>>>
>>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.o
>>> r
>>> g/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40
>>> e
>>> pix.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database
>>> version: 6.16120 http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>> Database version: 6.16120
>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 8
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:10:28 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <DD0DC0811A7B4D3999166E421CF0102C at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> It can work both ways. I just shy away from sites where cost is the
>> first thing that hits me in the face. Go to similar sites and see
>> what they do.
>> I'm not an expert, just a free lance author, PR consultant and
> novelist.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 4:00 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>
>>
>>> Oh, Judith. Just when I'd decided to keep it you go and make me
>>> second-guess myself! LOL I think I ultimately left it because I want
>
>>> people to have a starting sense of how much they can expect to invest
>
>>> for the service they request. I'll officially launch it later this
>>> week, just thought I'd give fellow writers a chance to critique, but
>>> we'll see if including a Fee Schedule kicks me in the butt!
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Judith Bron [mailto:jbron at optonline.net]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:56 PM
>>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com; Writer's Division Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>>
>>> Joe, I just went there and it looks terriffic! One suggestion that
>>> struck me. Don't mention your costs on the site. You would be
>>> better off saying, "For a consultation and to discuss cost please..."
>
>>> Here you can put your
>>> contact link and/or phone number.
>>> I like your non-profit group. Our vets deserve everything we
>>> can do for
>>> them. Good going! Judith
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:41 PM
>>> Subject: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hey all,
>>>>
>>>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I
>>> finally put
>>>> the
>>>> novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I
>>> still have some
>>>> tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make
>>> something formal of
>>>> this little business venture. Anyway, check it out. Feel
>>> free to provide
>>>> feedback, and if you or anyone you know could use my service,
>>> let me know.
>>>> I'll cut you a deal if you let me know you're from the Stylist.
>>>>
>>>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>>
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up
>>> their sleeves,
>>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>>
>>>> stylist mailing list
>>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>> stylist:
>>>>
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>>> 0optonline.net
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 9
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:13:38 -0400
>> From: Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Self Publishing
>> Message-ID: <4CBF4D72.3020200 at epix.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi David,
>> Congratulations for getting this far in the process! There are many
>> things to think about with self-publishing, and unless you already
> have
>> done so, I would advise reading "Getting Your Book Published for
>> Dummies" which is available as digital download and cassette from NLS
> or
>>
>> some other book about how the publishing industry works.
>>
>> I think that I Universe still makes you sign an exclusive contract,
>> whereas Amazon, for instance, doesn't. I'm in the midst of
> researching
>> this for my novel and it is a mind-numbing process. The other thing
> you
>> need to keep in mind is that the writer, regardless of whether it's
>> self-published or picked up by a publisher, is nowadays responsible
> for
>> more and more of the promotions. I recently bought an accessible
> e-book
>> called "Purple Snowflake Marketing" by Dave and Lillian Brummit, which
>> is a great resource.
>>
>> BTW, what's a nonfiction novel?
>>
>> Donna Hill
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>> Ezine Articles:
>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle:
>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>> LinkedIn:
>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>> FaceBook:
>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>>
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=25924437
>> 4
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 10/20/2010 2:51 PM, davidw wrote:
>>> Hello Everyone,
>>>
>>> I have been researching self publishing company's and there are so
>>> many to choose from. Being a first time author of my non-fiction
>>> novel I'd like to make the right choice.
>>>
>>> Can someone recommend a company for printing paperback's with the
>>> advantages of distribution.
>>> and or company's that don't shy away from first time author's.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> David Wermuth
>>> dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40epi
>> x.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>> Database version: 6.16120
>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>> Database version: 6.16120
>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 10
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:14:16 -0400
>> From: "Anita Adkins" <aadkins7 at verizon.net>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <22E4D643F2904CF491F32F6385205EF1 at AnitaAdkinsPC>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> Great website. I agree to leave the cost. I personally thought of
>> using
>> you for resume and cover letter writing in the future possibly, and I
>> would
>> want to know about what the cost would be rather than just plunging
> in,
>> and
>> so I feel leaving the prices is a beneficial part of the website for
>> customers.
>>
>> Out of curiosity, do you need any volunteers to work for you? I do
>> enjoy
>> writing, and I would be happy to help in some way if I can do
> something
>> you
>> need and if time permits. Thanks. Anita
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: <jsorozco at gmail.com>; "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 4:06 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>
>>
>>> Hi Joe,
>>> Good going! Unlike Judith, I wouldn't recommend removing your prices.
>> Many
>>> people, myself included, get furious when prices aren't easy to find.
>>> Making prospective customers contact you for prices may be a strategy
>> for
>>> developing a mailing list, but it comes with a cost that is hard to
>>> measure.
>>> Best,
>>> Donna
>>>
>>> Read Donna's articles on
>>> Suite 101:
>>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>>> Ezine Articles:
>>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>>> American Chronicle:
>>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>>
>>> Connect with Donna on
>>> Twitter:
>>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>>> LinkedIn:
>>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>>> FaceBook:
>>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>>
>>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>>> Apple I-Tunes
>>>
>>
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=25924437
>> 4
>>>
>>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>>> www.padnfb.org
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/20/2010 3:41 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>>> Hey all,
>>>>
>>>> Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I finally
>> put
>>>> the
>>>> novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I still have
>> some
>>>> tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make something
> formal
>> of
>>>> this little business venture. Anyway, check it out. Feel free to
>>>> provide
>>>> feedback, and if you or anyone you know could use my service, let me
>>>> know.
>>>> I'll cut you a deal if you let me know you're from the Stylist.
>>>>
>>>> www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>>
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>>> sleeves,
>>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Writers Division web site:
>>>>
>>
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>>
>>>>
>>>> stylist mailing list
>>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> for
>>
>>>> stylist:
>>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40epi
>> x.net
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>>> Database version: 6.16120
>>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>> Database version: 6.16120
>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/aadkins7%40veri
>> zon.net
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 11
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:42:36 -0500
>> From: BDM <lists at braddunsemusic.com>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com,Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>> Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20101020152707.02d05350 at www.braddunsemusic.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> Joe,
>>
>> Firstly, kudos to a very nice clean web site. It comes off very
>> confident and professional which makes the reader feel similar in a
>> decision to use your service. As for the pricing, posted or call for
>> it, I doubt you can please all on that. However, I will say if you
>> look at it, the buying public is so use to hearing "For only 3
>> payments of $19.99" or the other myriad ways pricing is touted from
>> the gas station pricing boards to how much the puppies are listed for
>> at the bulletin board of the local laundramat. If it were me I'd
>> err, if this would be erring at all, to post them in the area you
>> have set aside for pricing. I'd not put it on the main page for the
>> first thing to hit someone unless you are running a monthly promo or
>> something. I personally am the type who "needs" not "wants" but needs
>> to know the price of something before I'll even give it ears. If my
>> wife reads a house that's for sale, she'll start with how many
>> bedrooms, baths, the mature trees and etc. and I'll interrupt and ask
>> for the price, because if it it is out of my range or too expensive,
>> there is no point in wasting time reading any further. I will
>> literally find myself asking her "What was that now, how many
>> bedrooms and etc." after she's confessed the price, because I just
>> block it out by default. I just went through similar for a recording
>> studio I am considering, the first thing I went to find is the
>> prices, because if they are too high, they could tell me they are the
>> absolute best in town and the rest of the PR mantra, I'll not be
>> using them if they are out of my range, so why spend time reading
>> from link to link to link.
>>
>> That said I wish you well on your venture.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> At 03:00 PM 10/20/2010, you wrote:
>>>Oh, Judith. Just when I'd decided to keep it you go and make me
>>>second-guess myself! LOL I think I ultimately left it because I want
>> people
>>>to have a starting sense of how much they can expect to invest for the
>>>service they request. I'll officially launch it later this week, just
>>>thought I'd give fellow writers a chance to critique, but we'll see if
>>>including a Fee Schedule kicks me in the butt!
>>>
>>>Joe
>>>
>>>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves,
>>>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Judith Bron [mailto:jbron at optonline.net]
>>>Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:56 PM
>>>To: jsorozco at gmail.com; Writer's Division Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>>
>>>Joe, I just went there and it looks terriffic! One suggestion
>>>that struck
>>>me. Don't mention your costs on the site. You would be better
>>>off saying,
>>>"For a consultation and to discuss cost please..." Here you
>>>can put your
>>>contact link and/or phone number.
>>>I like your non-profit group. Our vets deserve everything we
>>>can do for
>>>them. Good going! Judith
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>>>To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:41 PM
>>>Subject: [stylist] Shameless Plug
>>>
>>>
>>> > Hey all,
>>> >
>>> > Some of you know I do some freelance writing on the side. I
>>>finally put
>>> > the
>>> > novel project on hold to wrap up the website, and while I
>>>still have some
>>> > tweaks to make, I think it's now good enough to make
>>>something formal of
>>> > this little business venture. Anyway, check it out. Feel
>>>free to provide
>>> > feedback, and if you or anyone you know could use my service,
>>>let me know.
>>> > I'll cut you a deal if you let me know you're from the Stylist.
>>> >
>>> > www.alphacommstrategies.com/
>>> >
>>> > Best,
>>> >
>>> > Joe
>>> >
>>> > "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up
>>>their sleeves,
>>> > some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam
> Ewing
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Writers Division web site:
>>> > http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>> >
>>> > stylist mailing list
>>> > stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>>> > stylist:
>>> >
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>>>0optonline.net
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Writers Division web site:
>>>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>>stylist mailing list
>>>stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lists%40bradd
> u
>> nsemusic.com
>>>
>>>
>>>__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>signature database 5549 (20101020) __________
>>>
>>>The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>>http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>> Brad Dunse
>>
>> It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation
>>
>> E Mail: brad at braddunsemusic.com
>>
>> Website: http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>>
>> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1464323555
>>
>> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/braddunse
>>
>> MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/braddunse
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 12
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:07:54 -0500
>> From: Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
>> To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <BLU0-SMTP19735FBC639615800B96C90C45C0 at phx.gbl>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> Your first para is good, but I lose interest after it. What you keep
>> creating is more of a book outline, but we do not need each detail for
> a
>> synopsis.
>>
>> Like Joe mentioned, focus more on the themes and not specific details.
>> We want to be intrigued by this, not handed a Cliffnotes version of
> the
>> book. In other words, tease us! *smile*
>>
>> I would keep this current first para because we learn that the main
>> character has a near death experience, which is very interesting, but
>> then we only need another couple of paras (if even that) to sum up the
>> concept of the book.
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 12:00 PM
>> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 36
>>
>>
>> Send stylist mailing list submissions to
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> stylist-owner at nfbnet.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than
>> "Re: Contents of stylist digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Re: synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 2. Re: synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 3. Re: synopsis (Barbara Hammel)
>> 4. Re: synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 5. synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 6. Re: synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 7. Re: synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 8. Re: synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 9. Re: Synopsis (Watson, Katherine M)
>> 10. Changes: a plot synopsis (Watson, Katherine M)
>> 11. Re: Changes: a plot synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 12. How to Write a Synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 13. Re: Changes: a plot synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 14. Re: How to Write a Synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 15. Re: How to Write a Synopsis (Donna Hill)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:04:51 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <EC7B391371074A3D991A588BB5EC0806 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer. This
> is
>> what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
> quick
>> Internet search:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult series
>> about observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>> mainstream world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche
>> audience, but Judith doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing
> its
>> ugly head again. But what do people hate?" She hopes to answer
> questions
>> about observant Judaism, their unique lifestyle and give her readers a
>> page turning reading experience that contains mystery, intrigue, good
>> guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life, and yes, death. This book
> will
>> give her readers a riveting novel that the young adult, or perhaps
> adult
>> reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>
>> ***
>>
>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>
>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if the
>> synopsis you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>
>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of incidents.
>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
> reacted
>> like this...
>>
>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much enthusiasm.
>> You
>> wrote:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>
>> ***
>>
>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>> Remember the novel audience is significantly different from your
>> synopsis audience.
>>
>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is fascinating.
>> Flush out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in
> should
>> not be a shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
>> chapter-by-chapter outline. The synopsis, according to what I
>> understand you need to submit, should be a panoramic view of the
> themes,
>> trials and brief character sketches the reader might encounter. If I
>> may offer a bit of advice, try to aim for the tone of a movie trailer.
>> Think of the words the narrators use to convince you to watch the
>> upcoming movie!
>>
>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
> all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state.
>> Because of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron"
>> <jbron at optonline.net> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
> book?
>> Thanks, Judith Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York,
>> begins our
>> novel with a
>> near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>> foster mother,
>> Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
> accident.
>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer,
>> her parents
>> and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school
>> football team.
>> Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that
>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands
>> more about
>> her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>> identity as a
>> Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
>> to find out
>> just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned
>> when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to
>> bring her out
>> of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since entering
> her
>> present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by
>> the poverty
>> shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
>> ravaged her
>> body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an
>> Almighty she has
>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has taken
> a
>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
>> in her life
>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>> to overcome
>> her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has
>> only been a
>> part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually
>> her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in an observant
>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about
>> her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>> living as an
>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with a
>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi
> Levy,
>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove,
>> and the lives
>> of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York
>> become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by her
>> parents has
>> become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>> bedrooms Jennifer
>> clings to these possessions left by her parents and talks to them. She
>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the
>> small book and
>> letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter
>> that her Hebrew
>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah. The
>> principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the
>> small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things
> and
>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him
>> later that day
>> to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his
>> safety deposit box
>> at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
> never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi
>> who, since her
>> mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences more
>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get
>> hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They
>> take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>> the criminals
>> proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one of the
>> beds, tries
>> to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors' drinking party and
>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her
>> abductors fall
>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her
>> arms off, slides
>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>> the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel
>> brings her
>> into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but
>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter
>> becomes known to
>> Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly revealed
>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
>> person she
>> has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of
>> who and what
>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt. Painful
>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>> y%40aol.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>> 0optonline.net
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:20:18 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <0D09DA54256B406E99980896779B5052 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Joe, I don't even remember which article or write up that excerpt was
>> taken
>> from. I don't think it's a bad memory, just a selective one. I'll
> take
>>
>> this version back to the drawing board. Thanks, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 1:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Judith,
>>>
>>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer. This
>>> is what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
>>> quick Internet search:
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult series
>>> about observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>>> mainstream world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche
>>> audience, but Judith doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing
>>> its ugly head again. But what do people hate?" She hopes to answer
>>> questions about observant Judaism, their unique lifestyle and give
> her
>>
>>> readers a page turning reading experience that contains
>>> mystery, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life, and
>> yes,
>>> death. This book will give her readers a riveting novel that the
> young
>>> adult, or perhaps adult reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>>
>>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if the
>>> synopsis
>>> you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>>
>>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of
> incidents.
>>
>>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
>>> reacted like this...
>>>
>>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much enthusiasm.
>>
>>> You
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>>> the criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>>> Remember the novel audience is significantly different from your
>>> synopsis audience.
>>>
>>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is fascinating.
>>> Flush
>>> out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in should
> not
>> be
>>> a
>>> shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
> chapter-by-chapter
>>> outline. The synopsis, according to what I understand you need to
>> submit,
>>> should be a panoramic view of the themes, trials and brief character
>>> sketches the reader might encounter. If I may offer a bit of advice,
>> try
>>> to
>>> aim for the tone of a movie trailer. Think of the words the
> narrators
>> use
>>> to convince you to watch the upcoming movie!
>>>
>>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
>>> of her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional
>>> relationship.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>>
>>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
>>> Lori On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron"
>>> <jbron at optonline.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>>> <stylist at nfbnet.org> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this
> is
>>
>>> more along the lines everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you
>>> think it sells the book? Thanks, Judith
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our
>>> novel with a
>>> near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>>> foster mother,
>>> Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
>> accident.
>>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left by
>>> Jennifer's
>>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer,
>>> her parents
>>> and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>>> reveals that
>>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands
>>> more about
>>> her own identity.
>>>
>>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>>> identity as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her
>>> journey to find out
>>> just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>>> being orphaned
>>> when she was two.
>>>
>>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
>>> her out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>>> entering her present school the year before. Pessi's life is
>>> complicated by the poverty
>>> shrouding her once affluent family.
>>>
>>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
> ravaged
>>
>>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an
>>> Almighty she has
>>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has taken
>> a
>>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
>>> in her life
>>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>>> to overcome
>>> her devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
>>> been a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic
> classmates.
>>> Eventually
>>> her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in an
> observant
>>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about
>>> her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>>> living as an
>>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with
> a
>>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi
>> Levy,
>>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>>> Jenna, New York
>>> become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by her
>>> parents has
>>> become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>>> bedrooms Jennifer
>>> clings to these possessions left by her parents and talks to them.
> She
>>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the
>>> small book and
>>> letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter
>>> that her Hebrew
>>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>>> shyly tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>>> Channah. The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls
>>> the small packet
>>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things
>> and
>>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>>
>>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his
>>> safety deposit box
>>> at the bank.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi
> who,
>>
>>> since her mother's illness and death has become a class leader,
>>> experiences more turmoil over the change that is about to take place
>>> in her family.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
> Criminals
>>
>>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>>> street. They
>>> take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>>> the criminals
>>> proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one of the
>>> beds, tries
>>> to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors' drinking party
> and
>>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her
>>> abductors fall
>>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her
>>> arms off, slides
>>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>>> the door.
>>>
>>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
> tightly
>>
>>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>>> police, but
>>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>>
>>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her
> newly
>>
>>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
>>> same person she
>>> has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
> and
>>
>>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>>> Painful questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>>> y%40aol.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>>> 0optonline.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>>> o%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:50:51 -0500
>> From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <SNT139-ds7B69B7A04A828024CBC73EB5B0 at phx.gbl>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> This is the idea I was thinking of though for ordering things. Has
>> Jennifer
>> even bonded with her foster family? If not, you could just say
>> something
>> about her feeling out of place in the world and leave Randy out and
>> Sheila
>> out.
>> This attempt was much better than the first.
>> Barbara
>>
>> ...
>> Yesterday is
>> A path well-trod,
>> A familiar lane
>> Through sacred sod,
>> A road we travel
>> Too often, I fear,
>> For there are the good times
>> When things are hard here,
>> ...
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 11:04 AM
>> To: <jsorozco at gmail.com>; "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the
>>> lines
>>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
>> book?
>>> Thanks, Judith
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our novel
>> with
>>> a near death experience and questions about her identity. Her foster
>>> mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
>>> accident. Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects
>> left
>>> by Jennifer's long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about
>>> Jennifer, her parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to
>> their
>>> daughter.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>>> team.
>>> Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer reveals
>> that
>>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands more
>> about
>>> her own identity.
>>>
>>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>>> identity as
>>> a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey to
>> find
>>> out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
> being
>>
>>> orphaned when she was two.
>>>
>>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
>> her
>>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>> entering
>>> her present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by
>> the
>>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>>
>>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
> ravaged
>>
>>> her
>>> body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
> she
>> has
>>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has
> taken
>> a
>>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time in her
>> life
>>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to
>>> overcome her devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
>>> been a
>>> part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
>> an
>>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent
>>> on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting
>> her
>>> placed with a family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work
>> out,
>>> and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their
>> home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna,
>>> New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by
>> her
>>> parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>>> bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her parents and
>>> talks to them. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language
>> that
>>> both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to learn
>> from
>>> the letter that her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>> shyly
>>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah.
>>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the
> small
>>
>>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>>> things and tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>>
>>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later
> that
>>
>>> day
>>> to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit
>>> box at the bank.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never
>>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who,
>> since
>>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more
>>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her family.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>>> Criminals
>>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street.
>>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>>
>>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one
> of
>> the
>>> beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors'
>> drinking
>>> party and spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When
> her
>>
>>> abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes
> binding
>> her
>>> arms off, slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins
>>> hopping to the door.
>>>
>>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
> tightly
>>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her
>>> into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
> police,
>> but
>>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>>
>>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>>> known
>>> to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed
>>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
>> person
>>> she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
> their
>>
>>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
>> and
>>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful
>>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn
>> .com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:29:58 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com,Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbdf1d0.4bfde50a.4d6e.fffff01b at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi,
>> I like the synopsis a lot better now, however, the view keeps
>> switching between Pessy and Jennifer, and then some other
>> characters, and the transition between them is a little rough.
>> Maybe Making it flow a little better might help.
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:04:51 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer.
>> This is
>> what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
>> quick
>> Internet search:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult
>> series about
>> observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>> mainstream
>> world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche audience,
>> but Judith
>> doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head
>> again. But
>> what do people hate?" She hopes to answer questions about
>> observant Judaism,
>> their unique lifestyle and give her readers a page turning
>> reading
>> experience that contains
>> mystery, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life,
>> and yes,
>> death. This book will give her readers a riveting novel that the
>> young
>> adult, or perhaps adult reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>
>> ***
>>
>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>
>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if
>> the synopsis
>> you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>
>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of
>> incidents.
>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
>> reacted
>> like this...
>>
>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much
>> enthusiasm. You
>> wrote:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal
>> and the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>
>> ***
>>
>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>> Remember
>> the novel audience is significantly different from your synopsis
>> audience.
>>
>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is
>> fascinating. Flush
>> out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in
>> should not be a
>> shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
>> chapter-by-chapter
>> outline. The synopsis, according to what I understand you need
>> to submit,
>> should be a panoramic view of the themes, trials and brief
>> character
>> sketches the reader might encounter. If I may offer a bit of
>> advice, try to
>> aim for the tone of a movie trailer. Think of the words the
>> narrators use
>> to convince you to watch the upcoming movie!
>>
>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves,
>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
> of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional
>> relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis
>> altogether.
>> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is
>> more along the
>> lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells
>> the book?
>> Thanks, Judith
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our novel
>> with a near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>> foster mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her
> after
>> the
>> accident.
>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left
>> by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer, her
>> parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that she can't begin an emotional relationship until she
>> understands more about her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
> identity
>> as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
> to
>> find out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer
>> and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
> her
>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>> entering her
>> present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by the
>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has ravaged
>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty
> has
>>
>> taken a
>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time in her
>> life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
> to
>> overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
> been
>> a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant
>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer something
>> about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>> living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her
>> placed
>> with a
>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and
>> Rabbi Levy,
>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter
> left
>> by her parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her
>> darkened bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her
>> parents and talks to
>> them. She
>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the small
> book
>> and letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter that
>> her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name.
>> She shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
> Channah.
>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small
>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things and
>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit box at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who,
> since
>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more
>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her
>> family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section. Criminals
>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted
> animal
>> and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying
> on
>> one of the beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her
>> abductors' drinking
>> party and
>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her abductors
>> fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her arms
>> off, slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins
> hopping
>> to the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
>> tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their
> custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her
> newly
>> revealed
>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
> person
>> she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
>> their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
> and
>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful
>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>> y%40aol.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>> 0optonline.net
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <60CC3B4167884551BB4B4C55A061BA03 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
> around
>> the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a corridor that
>> seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly her long deceased
>> mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the
>> constant anti Semitic derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with
>> her mother. But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to
> stay.
>> She has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who you are,
>> and what you are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but
>> minutes later slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
> injured
>> foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers the strange
>> messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only possessions left
>> by Jennifer's parents, a little book with an inserted paper written in
>> foreign writing. The messenger handed Sheila the items and left.
> After
>> closing the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away, but
>> no car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a man
>> walking away from the house. Now she thought about Jennifer's
> survival
>> of what should have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the
>> items in her possession that the messenger told her to give to
> Jennifer
>> on her seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
> talking
>> to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive personality, Pessi
>> disagrees with her mother about getting involved with the girls at
>> school. Pessi insists that it's her life and if she wants to be alone
>> so be it. She stomps out of the house like a belligerent child
> leaving
>> her mother on the sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken
>> home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school. Her
>> classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the protective shell
>> Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is a bout to change
>> forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to help
>> her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the mattress.
>> Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's remains begging her to
>> say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she has
>> believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life she has
> her
>> solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to overcome her
>> devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in
>> getting her placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work
>> out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
> their
>> home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
> Jenna
>> become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a fixture in
>> Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
> language
>> that both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to
>> learn from the letter her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> tells
>> the principal her Hebrew name. The principal asks her how she knows
>> this and Jennifer pulls the small packet out of her backpack. The
>> principal pales when she sees these things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet in a
>> safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>> never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
> Criminals
>> get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna street.
>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. When her abductors fall
>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works off the ropes binding her arms,
>> slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>> the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>> another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>> identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing with
> her
>> newly revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not
>> the same person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lives. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
> what
>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula
>> questions experienced by teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:15:24 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <5DC2A634551B4807ACD3A794DC14C921 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> It's coming along really well. I would start off by informing the
>> reader that that there are two characters so they know not to get
>> side-tracked by the mention of two girls. Maybe you could relocate
> the
>> last paragraph to the top of the synopsis. Rephrase it of course so
>> that it reads more smoothly.
>>
>> Also, this sentence is positioned rather randomly:
>>
>> *Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>> never accept this.*
>>
>> I think I get the back and forth you're trying to achieve, but it's a
>> little dizzying. I would focus on one girl, then the other, and then
>> tie it up neatly with ominous tones of, "what will happen to these
> girls
>> who must struggle to find their identity..." If I weren't in a rush,
>> I'd give you a better sample, but I think you get what I mean.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
> all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 5:02 PM
>> To: Stylist
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car,
>> looks around the strange place she ended up in. In front of
>> her is a corridor that seems to be lit with flickering candles.
>> Suddenly her long deceased mother is talking to her.
>> Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the constant anti Semitic
>> derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with her mother.
>> But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to stay.
>> She has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who
>> you are, and what you are!" Jennifer tries to change her
>> mother's mind, but minutes later slams back into her body,
>> aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with
>> her injured foster daughter. While heading to her car she
>> remembers the strange messenger a few months earlier who
>> delivered the only possessions left by Jennifer's parents, a
>> little book with an inserted paper written in foreign writing.
>> The messenger handed Sheila the items and left. After closing
>> the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away, but
>> no car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a
>> man walking away from the house. Now she thought about
>> Jennifer's survival of what should have been a deadly accident.
>> She wondered about the items in her possession that the
>> messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her seventeenth
>> birthday. The story begins with all this mystery surrounding
>> an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg
>> is talking to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive
>> personality, Pessi disagrees with her mother about getting
>> involved with the girls at school. Pessi insists that it's her
>> life and if she wants to be alone so be it. She stomps out of
>> the house like a belligerent child leaving her mother on the
>> sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school.
>> Her classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the
>> protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life
>> is a bout to change forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room
>> to help her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on
>> the mattress. Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's
>> remains begging her to say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. For the first time in her
>> life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she
>> tries to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish
>> identity. Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting
>> her registered in an observant Jewish summer camp hoping that
>> the camp can teach Jennifer something about her roots and
>> identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on living as an
>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her
>> placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work out,
>> and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
>> their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove,
>> and the lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish
>> Girls' school in Jenna become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a
>> fixture in Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn
>> the Hebrew language that both the small book and letter are
>> written in. She is able to learn from the letter her Hebrew
>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew
>> name. She tells the principal her Hebrew name. The principal
>> asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet
>> in a safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from
>> a Jenna street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like
>> a hunted animal and the criminals proceed to have a drinking
>> party. When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer
>> works off the ropes binding her arms, slides off the bed and,
>> braced on her now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall
>> where another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the
> police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's
>> true identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time
>> dealing with her newly revealed identity. She can't deal with
>> the fact that she is not the same person she has lived with for
>> the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic
>> changes in their lives. Both characters have to come to an
>> understanding of who and what they are in a world filled with
>> danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula questions experienced by
>> teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 7
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:50:08 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbe20b9.a26fe50a.587a.30d4 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Nice! That's really good! I like it.
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net
>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
>> around the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a
>> corridor that seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly
>> her long deceased mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life
>> is dismal due to the constant anti Semitic derisions by her
>> classmates, wants to stay with her mother. But her mother tells
>> her that its not yet her time to stay. She has to learn, "To
>> live. To love. To hope. To know who you are, and what you
>> are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but minutes
>> later slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
>> injured foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers
>> the strange messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only
>> possessions left by Jennifer's parents, a little book with an
>> inserted paper written in foreign writing. The messenger handed
>> Sheila the items and left. After closing the door Sheila ran to
>> her window to watch him drive away, but no car appeared on the
>> street or driveway. She couldn't see a man walking away from the
>> house. Now she thought about Jennifer's survival of what should
>> have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the items in her
>> possession that the messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her
>> seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
>> talking to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive
>> personality, Pessi disagrees with her mother about getting
>> involved with the girls at school. Pessi insists that it's her
>> life and if she wants to be alone so be it. She stomps out of
>> the house like a belligerent child leaving her mother on the sofa
>> in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school.
>> Her classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the
>> protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is
>> a bout to change forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to
>> help her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the
>> mattress. Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's
>> remains begging her to say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she
>> has believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life
>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>> to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered
>> in an observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach
>> Jennifer something about her roots and identity. Jennifer
>> returns from camp intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again
>> Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with a family in Jenna.
>> This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father,
>> agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and
>> the lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls'
>> school in Jenna become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a
>> fixture in Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn
>> the Hebrew language that both the small book and letter are
>> written in. She is able to learn from the letter her Hebrew name
>> is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew
>> name. She tells the principal her Hebrew name. The principal
>> asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet
>> in a safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a
>> Jenna street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a
>> hunted animal and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party.
>> When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works off
>> the ropes binding her arms, slides off the bed and, braced on her
>> now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>> another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the
>> police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>> identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing
>> with her newly revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact
>> that she is not the same person she has lived with for the past
>> 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic
>> changes in their lives. Both characters have to come to an
>> understanding of who and what they are in a world filled with
>> danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula questions experienced by
>> teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 8
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:46:47 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <949B2C8F3C0D4EDE9BFEDBC5FB65E005 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> Thanks Danni, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Danielle Montour" <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 6:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Nice! That's really good! I like it.
>>>
>>> Danni
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net
>>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>> Does this work? Judith
>>>
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
>>> around
>>> the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a corridor
> that
>>
>>> seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly her long deceased
>>> mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the
>>> constant anti Semitic derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with
>> her
>>> mother. But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to stay.
>> She
>>> has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who you are, and
>> what
>>> you are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but minutes
>> later
>>> slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
>>> injured
>>> foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers the strange
>>> messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only possessions
> left
>> by
>>> Jennifer's parents, a little book with an inserted paper written in
>>> foreign writing. The messenger handed Sheila the items and left.
>> After
>>> closing the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away,
> but
>> no
>>> car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a man
>> walking
>>> away from the house. Now she thought about Jennifer's survival of
>> what
>>> should have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the items in
>> her
>>> possession that the messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her
>>> seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding
>>> an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
>>> talking to
>>> her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive personality, Pessi
>>> disagrees with her mother about getting involved with the girls at
>> school.
>>> Pessi insists that it's her life and if she wants to be alone so be
>> it.
>>> She stomps out of the house like a belligerent child leaving her
>> mother on
>>> the sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>>
>>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school. Her
>>> classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the protective shell
>> Pessi
>>> has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is a bout to change forever.
>>>
>>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to
> help
>>
>>> her
>>> only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the mattress.
>> Totally
>>> bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's remains begging her to say
>>> something.
>>>
>>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she has
>>> believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life she has
>> her
>>> solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to overcome her
>>> devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
>> an
>>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent
>>> on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting
>> her
>>> placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work out, and
>> Rabbi
>>> Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna
>>> become entwined forever.
>>>
>>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a fixture in
>>> Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
>> language
>>> that both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to
>> learn
>>> from the letter her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>> tells
>>> the principal her Hebrew name. The principal asks her how she knows
>> this
>>> and Jennifer pulls the small packet out of her backpack. The
>> principal
>>> pales when she sees these things.
>>>
>>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet in a
>>> safe
>>> place.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never
>>> accept this.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>>> Criminals
>>> get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna street.
>>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>>
>>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. When her abductors fall
>> into
>>> a drunken slumber Jennifer works off the ropes binding her arms,
>> slides
>>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to the
>> door.
>>>
>>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>>> another
>>> hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the police.
>>>
>>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>>> identity
>>> are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing with her newly
>>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
>> same
>>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
> their
>>
>>> lives. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
>> what
>>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
> Painfula
>>
>>> questions experienced by teenagers everywhere.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>>> er%40gmail.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 9
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:45:36 -0500
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu>
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Synopsis
>> Message-ID:
>> <EDBE9878551309429B866E05149A18ED4AC3A0A867 at exchmb1.uww.edu>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>> This is better, although some sentences still sound awkward. (I.E.
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
> same
>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years. Could be: Eventually,
>> Jennifer is freed and finds out about the contents of the letter.
>> Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly revealed identity. She
>> struggles with the fact that she is not the same person she thought
> she
>> was for the past 17 years.)
>> Think about your main conflict. (This was the "hook" you used in
>> your query letter to that publisher.) Base everything in your synopsis
>> off that main theme. I don't think you will need to mention the
> readers
>> or the novel itself in the synopsis. Just start with the main
> conflict,
>> stating it, along with the resolution, in a few sentences at the
>> beginning of your synopsis, then go from there. I hope you find this
>> helpful. --Katie
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 27
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:40:50 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <C9B70F9E06084868A7C2DB20A46E8CE5 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
>> of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
> book?
>> Thanks, Judith Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York,
>> begins our novel with a near death experience and questions about her
>> identity. Her foster mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to
> be
>> with her after the accident. Sheila's flashback to the day she
> received
>> the only objects left by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer, her
>> parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that she can't begin an emotional relationship until she
>> understands more about her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
> identity
>> as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
> to
>> find out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
> her
>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
> entering
>> her present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by the
>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has ravaged
>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty
> has
>> taken a mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
> in
>> her life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she
> tries
>> to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
> been
>> a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in
>> getting her placed with a family in Jenna, New York. This family
> doesn't
>> work out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
>> their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter
> left
>> by her parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her
>> darkened bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her
>> parents and talks to them. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
>> language that both the small book and letter are written in. She is
> able
>> to learn from the letter that her Hebrew name is Breindle and her
> mother
>> Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
> Channah.
>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small
>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things and tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit box at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
> never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who, since
>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her
> family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section. Criminals
>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal
>> and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on
>> one of the beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her
>> abductors' drinking party and spends the time reviewing school work in
>> her mind. When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer
> works
>> the ropes binding her arms off, slides off the bed and, braced on her
>> now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their
> custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
> same
>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 10
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu>
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID:
>> <EDBE9878551309429B866E05149A18ED4AC3A0A869 at exchmb1.uww.edu>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hello everyone,
>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw mine
>> out there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy novel,
> titled
>> "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Does this make you
>> want to read the book? --Katie
>>
>>
>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>
>> Main Conflict:
>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>> person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf. She
> avoids
>> phasing unless it is the time of the full moon-or unless absolutely
>> necessary. While attending college in present-day Denver, Colorado,
>> circumstances force Casey to accept her duel nature.
>>
>> Synopsis:
>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>> Justine, invites Casey to go to a club with her and her boyfriend,
> Tony,
>> that night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony at a restaurant
>> beforehand. She is horrified when she discovers that Tony isn't human.
>> He doesn't eat anything at dinner, and his scent is too sweet. Casey
>> struggles to keep her inner wolf in check, so she doesn't change into
> a
>> wolf in the middle of the crowded restaurant.
>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She is
>> rescued by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is attracted to
> Nate;
>> this is the first time she meets others of her own kind.
>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf when
>> Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her, her mood
>> shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine, but it doesn't
>> change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown, and
>> come across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf, and he
>> knows that she is, too. She is glad to have found another like her.
> Nate
>> also tells Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with him when he phased
>> once. He fears that he may have bitten her, and that Marissa may be a
>> werewolf. They go to Marissa's dorm and discover she is still human.
>> Nate accidently phases in front of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey
>> hopes Marissa will just wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream. She
> finds
>> Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has figured out that
> Nate
>> is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey about it; Casey is reluctant
>> to share, although she likes Marissa.
>>
>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina, from
> a
>> vampire.
>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is similar to
>> that of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine that he is a
>> hybrid-half human, half vampire. Justine's love for him is unchanged.
>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date". Georgina
>> tells Casey that she is moving out immediately because she knows about
>> Casey's duel nature. Casey accidentally phases in front of Georgina,
>> almost killing her.
>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf. Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need of a
>> new roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with her. Marissa
>> agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging around Casey. She gets
> in
>> a car accident while moving her things to Casey's apartment. Nate
> gives
>> Marissa his blood, saving her life, but the blood changes Marissa into
> a
>> werewolf.
>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes Alpha.
> She
>> discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's emotions, and she has
> an
>> influence over whether the twins change forms.
>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as Alpha.
>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of a
>> guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was found
> in
>> a dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made aware of how
>> different she is from humans because of her instincts, and wonders if
>> werewolves have an immortal soul. Marissa and Nate come up with no
>> concrete evidence proving that they have souls. Casey is concerned
> about
>> where she will spend eternity, and whether she can still be friends
> with
>> Justine, even though they are members of different species.
>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from Justine's
>> cell phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina. Georgina informs
> Casey
>> that she has captured Justine, and Casey figures out that Georgina is
>> now a vampire. Casey and the twins are able to save Justine before
>> Georgina drinks her blood, but Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also
>> bites Casey, but Tony arrives and is able to suck both of their blood
>> clean.
>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack Marissa
> and
>> she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since Casey is her
> Alpha.
>> When Casey arrives, she finds another werewolf, Jenae, waiting with
>> Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive. Tony thanks Casey for saving
> Justine
>> and invites her and Nate to go out with them that night. Casey
> accepts,
>> although she is suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night,
> he
>> gets Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just in
>> time. He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey that he
>> plans to go home and work at a hospital to earn money for medical
>> school.
>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for saving
>> her from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him. Later that
>> morning, Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and admits his love
>> to her. This makes Marissa angry because she feels like Nate is
> leading
>> Casey on. Casey goes out for coffee with Jenae to find out more
>> information about her, since Jenae wants to join Casey's pack.
>> Meanwhile, Marissa attacks Nate, forcing him to leave before
> originally
>> planned.
>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and while they
>> are at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun at Casey, but
> Jenae
>> jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet instead. Casey accepts
> Jenae
>> into her pack as she dies.
>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah, a human
>> who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the time, Casey
>> tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself, and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual wolf
>> who almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the
> differences-in
>> his mind-that exist between humans and wolves. Casey decides she likes
>> being human better, because she feels the human world gives her goals
> to
>> achieve and a more purposeful life. That night, the vampire attacks
> Nate
>> while he is at work. Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to
>> Casey.
>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire
> captures
>> Savannah, and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's rescue.
>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space. Everyone
>> except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is unaffected
> because
>> she is blind and cannot see the illusions created by the vampire.
> When
>> Casey attacks the vampire, his movement frees the others from his
>> visions. Casey's pack destroys the vampire.
>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the vampire
>> killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she isn't damned for
>> eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted herself as a werewolf.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 11
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:25:58 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbe6f6f.8e4ee50a.33fd.0675 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi,
>> Well, this synopsis seems more like a list of events than a
>> flowing transitional piece between each character's life. I
>> would like to read the book, and understand what you are saying,
>> however, I'd deliver it different, for example, even
>> "Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>> person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf."
>> might be a good starting sentence to your main synopsis.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>
>> Hello everyone,
>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw
>> mine out there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy
>> novel, titled "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
>> Does this make you want to read the book?
>> --Katie
>>
>>
>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>
>> Main Conflict:
>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a
>> blind person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a
>> werewolf. She avoids phasing unless it is the time of the full
>> moon-or unless absolutely necessary. While attending college in
>> present-day Denver, Colorado, circumstances force Casey to accept
>> her duel nature.
>>
>> Synopsis:
>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>> Justine, invites Casey to go to a club with her and her
>> boyfriend, Tony, that night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony
>> at a restaurant beforehand. She is horrified when she discovers
>> that Tony isn't human. He doesn't eat anything at dinner, and
>> his scent is too sweet. Casey struggles to keep her inner wolf
>> in check, so she doesn't change into a wolf in the middle of the
>> crowded restaurant.
>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She
>> is rescued by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is
>> attracted to Nate; this is the first time she meets others of her
>> own kind.
>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf
>> when Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her,
>> her mood shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine,
>> but it doesn't change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown,
>> and come across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf,
>> and he knows that she is, too. She is glad to have found another
>> like her. Nate also tells Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with
>> him when he phased once. He fears that he may have bitten her,
>> and that Marissa may be a werewolf. They go to Marissa's dorm
>> and discover she is still human. Nate accidently phases in front
>> of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey hopes Marissa will just
>> wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream.
>> She finds Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has
>> figured out that Nate is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey
>> about it; Casey is reluctant to share, although she likes
>> Marissa.
>>
>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina,
>> from a vampire.
>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is
>> similar to that of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine
>> that he is a hybrid-half human, half vampire. Justine's love for
>> him is unchanged.
>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date".
>> Georgina tells Casey that she is moving out immediately because
>> she knows about Casey's duel nature. Casey accidentally phases
>> in front of Georgina, almost killing her.
>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf. Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need
>> of a new roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with
>> her. Marissa agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging
>> around Casey. She gets in a car accident while moving her things
>> to Casey's apartment. Nate gives Marissa his blood, saving her
>> life, but the blood changes Marissa into a werewolf.
>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes
>> Alpha. She discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's
>> emotions, and she has an influence over whether the twins change
>> forms.
>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as
>> Alpha.
>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of
>> a guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was
>> found in a dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made
>> aware of how different she is from humans because of her
>> instincts, and wonders if werewolves have an immortal soul.
>> Marissa and Nate come up with no concrete evidence proving that
>> they have souls. Casey is concerned about where she will spend
>> eternity, and whether she can still be friends with Justine, even
>> though they are members of different species.
>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from
>> Justine's cell phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina.
>> Georgina informs Casey that she has captured Justine, and Casey
>> figures out that Georgina is now a vampire. Casey and the twins
>> are able to save Justine before Georgina drinks her blood, but
>> Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also bites Casey, but Tony
>> arrives and is able to suck both of their blood clean.
>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack
>> Marissa and she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since
>> Casey is her Alpha. When Casey arrives, she finds another
>> werewolf, Jenae, waiting with Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive.
>> Tony thanks Casey for saving Justine and invites her and Nate to
>> go out with them that night. Casey accepts, although she is
>> suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night, he gets
>> Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just
>> in time. He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey
>> that he plans to go home and work at a hospital to earn money for
>> medical school.
>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for
>> saving her from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him.
>> Later that morning, Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and
>> admits his love to her. This makes Marissa angry because she
>> feels like Nate is leading Casey on. Casey goes out for coffee
>> with Jenae to find out more information about her, since Jenae
>> wants to join Casey's pack. Meanwhile, Marissa attacks Nate,
>> forcing him to leave before originally planned.
>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and
>> while they are at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun
>> at Casey, but Jenae jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet
>> instead. Casey accepts Jenae into her pack as she dies.
>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah,
>> a human who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the
>> time, Casey tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself, and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual
>> wolf who almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the
>> differences-in his mind-that exist between humans and wolves.
>> Casey decides she likes being human better, because she feels the
>> human world gives her goals to achieve and a more purposeful
>> life. That night, the vampire attacks Nate while he is at work.
>> Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to Casey.
>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire
>> captures Savannah, and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's
>> rescue.
>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space.
>> Everyone except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is
>> unaffected because she is blind and cannot see the illusions
>> created by the vampire. When Casey attacks the vampire, his
>> movement frees the others from his visions. Casey's pack
>> destroys the vampire.
>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the
>> vampire killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she
>> isn't damned for eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted
>> herself as a werewolf.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 12
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:49:41 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <BCCAD78B50754350BB9C924F58412AF0 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>
>> by Marg Gilks
>>
>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
> marketing
>> a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment like "I
> hate
>> writing synopses."
>>
>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
> Now
>> I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to write
>> than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd words
> into
>> a few pages. But it's important.
>>
>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
> and,
>> as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished with the
>> same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with the cover
>> letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the manuscript. If
> they
>> don't see anything they like in the synopsis, they won't even glance
> at
>> your chapter samples.
>>
>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
> purchased),
>> and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual bookstore
>> browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far from
>> actuality.
>>
>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
> do
>> well. But how?"
>>
>>
>> One Step at a Time
>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
> down.
>> Do it step by step.
>>
>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>> write a synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The
>> best time to realize this is just before you sit down with your
>> manuscript for the final reading preparatory to declaring the thing
>> completed.
>>
>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As you
>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
> summary
>> of what happened where, and to which character, in that chapter.
>>
>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>> Symbolism you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you
>> were slogging away at the computer for all those months? (The
>> subconscious mind is a wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too. You
>> may just discover your one-line story summary that agents and editors
>> like so much, if you didn't know what it was before. Or even if you
>> thought you knew what it was, before (surprise, says the Muse, you
> were
>> wrong).
>>
>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>> outline, what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading,
>> and since chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of favor
>> with editors and agents, this will likely remain one of your most
>> valuable writing tools, and that's about it. Don't throw this away
> when
>> you've done your synopsis, either. You may know the story intimately
>> now, but you do forget details over time. You may decide to revise the
>> novel in the future, and this outline will help you. I've used mine to
>> make sure I'm not duplicating character names from one project to the
>> next. (The subconscious mind can also booby-trap you.) Reading an
>> outline is much easier than leafing through or rereading an entire
>> novel.
>>
>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
> doing,
>> basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
> manageable
>> packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most important plot
> points
>> in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>
>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
> those
>> events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major way.
>> We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones your
>> reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right now, we
>> are striving for bare-bones.
>>
>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>> ever."
>>
>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>> that right now.
>>
>>
>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>> synopsis:
>>
>>
>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
> will
>> pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to buy
> the
>> book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a feel for
>> how it's done.
>>
>>
>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
> friend.
>> You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot him and
>> that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that sounds
>> like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things like,
> "The
>> good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the evil Dr.
> Death,
>> the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after Dr. Death, falls,
>> somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him with the Good Guy
>> Death-ray to save the world."
>>
>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>> enthusiastic. Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to
> pick
>> up the manuscript and find out how this happens! How can you make your
>> synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main character and his or
> her
>> crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or quote briefly from the novel
>> itself. Don't neglect to reveal the character's emotions and
>> motivations, those points that explain why a character does something,
>> but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a taste of it into
>> the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any background
>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>> the story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>> summary by using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a
>> sample of your writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual novel
>> will be like, so give it your all.
>>
>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of the
>> story that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your
>> cover letter. Editors and agents like having this distillation; not
> only
>> will it pique their interest, but it's something they can use when
>> presenting the novel to the buying board. It's also something you can
>> use, the next time someone politely asks you, "What's your novel
> about?"
>>
>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
> as
>> the novel!"
>>
>>
>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt nots."
>>
>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
> longer
>> than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and agents,
> busy
>> people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to ten pages. The
>> busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider two pages
>> ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight page. If
>> you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry if it's
> ten
>> or more pages long
>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>
>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary information.
>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the story.
>>
>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
> first
>> three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four. Don't
> leave
>> out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to request the
> full
>> manuscript in order to find out what happens. What they will do is
>> decide you're an amateur.
>>
>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is always
>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>
>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
> single-
>> or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side, double-space;
>> it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your synopsis much as
>> you did your novel, or a short story.
>>
>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
> also
>> advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
> character
>> by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the character's name.
>>
>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
> way:
>> not only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're honing
> your
>> writing skills at the same time.
>>
>>
>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 13
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:02:03 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID: <8CE371F3E7A74E4AAA97CB5F8C83329D at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> I agree that it sounds like a list of events. What drove me nuts was
>> the
>> constant reference to days (Monday, Tuesday etc.). It is a list of
>> events.
>> Try to make it more creative.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Danielle Montour" <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 12:25 AM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Well, this synopsis seems more like a list of events than a flowing
>>> transitional piece between each character's life. I would like to
>> read
>>> the book, and understand what you are saying, however, I'd deliver it
>>> different, for example, even "Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is
>> okay
>>> with herself as a blind person, but she has trouble accepting herself
>> as a
>>> werewolf." might be a good starting sentence to your main synopsis.
>>>
>>> HTH
>>>
>>> Danni
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu
>>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>>
>>> Hello everyone,
>>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw mine
>>> out
>>> there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy novel, titled
>>> "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Does this make you
>> want
>>> to read the book?
>>> --Katie
>>>
>>>
>>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>>
>>> Main Conflict:
>>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>>> person,
>>> but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf. She avoids
>> phasing
>>> unless it is the time of the full moon-or unless absolutely
> necessary.
>>
>>> While attending college in present-day Denver, Colorado,
> circumstances
>>
>>> force Casey to accept her duel nature.
>>>
>>> Synopsis:
>>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>>> Justine,
>>> invites Casey to go to a club with her and her boyfriend, Tony, that
>>> night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony at a restaurant
>> beforehand.
>>> She is horrified when she discovers that Tony isn't human. He
> doesn't
>> eat
>>> anything at dinner, and his scent is too sweet. Casey struggles to
>> keep
>>> her inner wolf in check, so she doesn't change into a wolf in the
>> middle
>>> of the crowded restaurant.
>>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She is
>> rescued
>>> by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is attracted to Nate;
> this
>> is
>>> the first time she meets others of her own kind.
>>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf when
>>> Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her, her
> mood
>>
>>> shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine, but it
>> doesn't
>>> change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown, and
>> come
>>> across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf, and he knows
>> that
>>> she is, too. She is glad to have found another like her. Nate also
>> tells
>>> Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with him when he phased once. He
>> fears
>>> that he may have bitten her, and that Marissa may be a werewolf.
> They
>> go
>>> to Marissa's dorm and discover she is still human. Nate accidently
>> phases
>>> in front of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey hopes Marissa will
>> just
>>> wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream. She
>> finds
>>> Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has figured out that
>> Nate
>>> is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey about it; Casey is
> reluctant
>> to
>>> share, although she likes Marissa.
>>>
>>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina, from
>>> a
>>> vampire.
>>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is similar to
>> that
>>> of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine that he is a
>> hybrid-half
>>> human, half vampire. Justine's love for him is unchanged.
>>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date". Georgina
>> tells
>>> Casey that she is moving out immediately because she knows about
>> Casey's
>>> duel nature. Casey accidentally phases in front of Georgina, almost
>>> killing her.
>>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf.
>>> Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need of a
>> new
>>> roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with her. Marissa
>>> agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging around Casey. She
> gets
>> in
>>> a car accident while moving her things to Casey's apartment. Nate
>> gives
>>> Marissa his blood, saving her life, but the blood changes Marissa
> into
>> a
>>> werewolf.
>>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes Alpha.
>> She
>>> discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's emotions, and she has
>> an
>>> influence over whether the twins change forms.
>>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as Alpha.
>>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of a
>>> guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was found
>> in a
>>> dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made aware of how
>>> different she is from humans because of her instincts, and wonders if
>>> werewolves have an immortal soul. Marissa and Nate come up with no
>>> concrete evidence proving that they have souls. Casey is concerned
>> about
>>> where she will spend eternity, and whether she can still be friends
>> with
>>> Justine, even though they are members of different species.
>>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from Justine's
>> cell
>>> phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina. Georgina informs Casey
>> that
>>> she has captured Justine, and Casey figures out that Georgina is now
> a
>>
>>> vampire. Casey and the twins are able to save Justine before
> Georgina
>>
>>> drinks her blood, but Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also bites
>> Casey,
>>> but Tony arrives and is able to suck both of their blood clean.
>>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack Marissa
>> and
>>> she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since Casey is her
>> Alpha.
>>> When Casey arrives, she finds another werewolf, Jenae, waiting with
>>> Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive. Tony thanks Casey for saving
>> Justine
>>> and invites her and Nate to go out with them that night. Casey
>> accepts,
>>> although she is suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night,
>> he
>>> gets Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just in
>> time.
>>> He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey that he plans
>> to
>>> go home and work at a hospital to earn money for medical school.
>>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for saving
>> her
>>> from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him. Later that
>> morning,
>>> Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and admits his love to her.
>>> This makes Marissa angry because she feels like Nate is leading Casey
>> on.
>>> Casey goes out for coffee with Jenae to find out more information
>> about
>>> her, since Jenae wants to join Casey's pack. Meanwhile, Marissa
>> attacks
>>> Nate, forcing him to leave before originally planned.
>>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and while
> they
>> are
>>> at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun at Casey, but Jenae
>>> jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet instead. Casey accepts
>> Jenae
>>> into her pack as she dies.
>>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah, a
>> human
>>> who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the time, Casey
>>> tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself,
>>> and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual wolf
>> who
>>> almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the differences-in
>> his
>>> mind-that exist between humans and wolves. Casey decides she likes
>> being
>>> human better, because she feels the human world gives her goals to
>> achieve
>>> and a more purposeful life. That night, the vampire attacks Nate
>> while he
>>> is at work. Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to Casey.
>>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing
>>> Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire captures
>> Savannah,
>>> and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's rescue.
>>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space.
> Everyone
>>
>>> except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is unaffected
>> because
>>> she is blind and cannot see the illusions created by the vampire.
>> When
>>> Casey attacks the vampire, his movement frees the others from his
>> visions.
>>> Casey's pack destroys the vampire.
>>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the vampire
>>> killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she isn't damned
> for
>>
>>> eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted herself as a werewolf.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>>> er%40gmail.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 14
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:23:27 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <51CDAD88BFAC446C86DF16A4C89A28EC at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Joe, This is fabulous! I'm going back to try to do what she's
>> suggesting.
>> Later, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:49 AM
>> Subject: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>>
>>
>>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>>
>>> by Marg Gilks
>>>
>>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
>>> marketing a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment
>>> like "I hate writing synopses."
>>>
>>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
>>> Now I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to
>>> write than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd
>>> words into a few pages. But it's important.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
>>> and, as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished
>>> with the same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with
>>> the cover letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the
>>> manuscript. If they don't see anything they like in the synopsis,
> they
>>
>>> won't even glance at your chapter samples.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
>>> purchased), and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual
>>> bookstore browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far
>>> from actuality.
>>>
>>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
>>> do well. But how?"
>>>
>>>
>>> One Step at a Time
>>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
>>> down.
>>> Do
>>> it step by step.
>>>
>>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>>> write
>>> a
>>> synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The best
> time
>> to
>>> realize this is just before you sit down with your manuscript for the
>>> final
>>> reading preparatory to declaring the thing completed.
>>>
>>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As
> you
>>
>>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
>>> summary of what happened where, and to which character, in that
>>> chapter.
>>>
>>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>>> Symbolism
>>> you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you were
>> slogging
>>> away at the computer for all those months? (The subconscious mind is
> a
>>> wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too. You may just discover
> your
>>> one-line story summary that agents and editors like so much, if you
>> didn't
>>> know what it was before. Or even if you thought you knew what it was,
>>> before
>>> (surprise, says the Muse, you were wrong).
>>>
>>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>>> outline,
>>> what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading, and
> since
>>> chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of favor with
>> editors
>>> and agents, this will likely remain one of your most valuable writing
>>> tools,
>>> and that's about it. Don't throw this away when you've done your
>> synopsis,
>>> either. You may know the story intimately now, but you do forget
>> details
>>> over time. You may decide to revise the novel in the future, and this
>>> outline will help you. I've used mine to make sure I'm not
> duplicating
>>> character names from one project to the next. (The subconscious mind
>> can
>>> also booby-trap you.) Reading an outline is much easier than leafing
>>> through
>>> or rereading an entire novel.
>>>
>>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
>>> doing, basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
>>> manageable packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most
> important
>>
>>> plot points in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>>
>>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
>>> those events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major
>>> way. We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones
>>> your reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right
>>> now, we are striving for bare-bones.
>>>
>>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>>> ever."
>>>
>>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>>> that right now.
>>>
>>>
>>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>>> synopsis:
>>>
>>>
>>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
>>> will pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to
>>> buy the book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a
>>> feel for how it's done.
>>>
>>>
>>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
>>> friend. You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot
>>> him and that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that
>>> sounds like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things
>>> like, "The good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the
>>> evil Dr. Death, the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after
> Dr.
>>
>>> Death, falls, somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him
>>> with the Good Guy Death-ray to save the world."
>>>
>>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>>> enthusiastic.
>>> Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to pick up the
>>> manuscript
>>> and find out how this happens!
>>> How can you make your synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main
>>> character and his or her crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or
> quote
>>> briefly from the novel itself. Don't neglect to reveal the
> character's
>>> emotions and motivations, those points that explain why a character
>> does
>>> something, but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a
> taste
>> of
>>> it
>>> into the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any
> background
>>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>> the
>>> story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>> summary by
>>> using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a sample of
>> your
>>> writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual novel will be like,
>> so
>>> give it your all.
>>>
>>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of
> the
>>> story
>>> that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your cover
>>> letter.
>>> Editors and agents like having this distillation; not only will it
>> pique
>>> their interest, but it's something they can use when presenting the
>> novel
>>> to
>>> the buying board. It's also something you can use, the next time
>> someone
>>> politely asks you, "What's your novel about?"
>>>
>>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
>>> as
>>> the
>>> novel!"
>>>
>>>
>>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt
> nots."
>>>
>>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
>>> longer than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and
>>> agents, busy people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to
> ten
>>
>>> pages. The busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider
>>> two pages ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight
>>> page. If you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry
>>> if it's ten or more pages long
>>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>>
>>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary
> information.
>>
>>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the
> story.
>>>
>>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
>>> first three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four.
>>> Don't leave out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to
>>> request the full manuscript in order to find out what happens. What
>>> they will do is decide you're an amateur.
>>>
>>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is
> always
>>
>>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>>
>>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
>>> single- or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side,
>>> double-space; it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your
>>> synopsis much as you did your novel, or a short story.
>>>
>>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
>>> also advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
>>> character by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the
>>> character's name.
>>>
>>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
>>> way:
>>> not
>>> only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're honing your
>>> writing
>>> skills at the same time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 15
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:21:12 -0400
>> From: Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4CBF08E8.1080803 at epix.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi Joe,
>> Thanks so much for finding and posting this. It's excellent. I haven't
>> yet re located the section in Sarah Parsons Zackheim's "Getting Your
>> Book Published for Dummies" about query letters and synopses for
>> fiction, but, if memory serves, this article is in agreement with her
>> perspective.
>>
>> My gut reaction in creating my own synopsis, which isn't done yet, is
>> that I'd like to keep it between 500 and 800 words. That would be in
>> line with the author's preference for 2 pages. I think my reasoning
>> stems from my indoctrination as a writer for Suite 101; they tout
>> research claiming that readers respond best to pieces that are between
>> 400 and 800 words.
>>
>> Donna Hill
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>> Ezine Articles:
>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle:
>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>> LinkedIn:
>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>> FaceBook:
>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>>
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=25924437
>> 4
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 10/20/2010 8:49 AM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>>
>>> by Marg Gilks
>>>
>>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
>>> marketing a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment
>>> like "I hate writing synopses."
>>>
>>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
>>> Now I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to
>>> write than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd
>>> words into a few pages. But it's important.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
>>> and, as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished
>>> with the same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with
>>> the cover letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the
>>> manuscript. If they don't see anything they like in the synopsis,
> they
>>
>>> won't even glance at your chapter samples.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
>>> purchased), and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual
>>> bookstore browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far
>>> from actuality.
>>>
>>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
>>> do well. But how?"
>>>
>>>
>>> One Step at a Time
>>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
>>> down. Do it step by step.
>>>
>>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>>> write a synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The
>>> best time to realize this is just before you sit down with your
>>> manuscript for the final reading preparatory to declaring the thing
>>> completed.
>>>
>>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As
> you
>>
>>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
>>> summary of what happened where, and to which character, in that
>>> chapter.
>>>
>>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>>> Symbolism you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you
>>> were slogging away at the computer for all those months? (The
>>> subconscious mind is a wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too.
> You
>>
>>> may just discover your one-line story summary that agents and editors
>>> like so much, if you didn't know what it was before. Or even if you
>>> thought you knew what it was, before (surprise, says the Muse, you
>>> were wrong).
>>>
>>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>>> outline, what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading,
>>> and since chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of
> favor
>>
>>> with editors and agents, this will likely remain one of your most
>>> valuable writing tools, and that's about it. Don't throw this away
>>> when you've done your synopsis, either. You may know the story
>>> intimately now, but you do forget details over time. You may decide
> to
>>
>>> revise the novel in the future, and this outline will help you. I've
>>> used mine to make sure I'm not duplicating character names from one
>>> project to the next. (The subconscious mind can also booby-trap you.)
>>> Reading an outline is much easier than leafing through or rereading
> an
>>
>>> entire novel.
>>>
>>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
>>> doing, basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
>>> manageable packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most
> important
>>
>>> plot points in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>>
>>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
>>> those events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major
>>> way. We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones
>>> your reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right
>>> now, we are striving for bare-bones.
>>>
>>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>>> ever."
>>>
>>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>>> that right now.
>>>
>>>
>>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>>> synopsis:
>>>
>>>
>>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
>>> will pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to
>>> buy the book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a
>>> feel for how it's done.
>>>
>>>
>>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
>>> friend. You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot
>>> him and that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that
>>> sounds like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things
>>> like, "The good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the
>>> evil Dr. Death, the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after
> Dr.
>>
>>> Death, falls, somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him
>>> with the Good Guy Death-ray to save the world."
>>>
>>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>>> enthusiastic. Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to
>>> pick up the manuscript and find out how this happens! How can you
> make
>>
>>> your synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main character and his
>>> or her crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or quote briefly from the
>>> novel itself. Don't neglect to reveal the character's emotions and
>>> motivations, those points that explain why a character does
> something,
>>
>>> but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a taste of it
> into
>>
>>> the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any background
>>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>>> the story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>>> summary by using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a
>>> sample of your writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual
> novel
>>
>>> will be like, so give it your all.
>>>
>>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of
> the
>>
>>> story that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your
>>> cover letter. Editors and agents like having this distillation; not
>>> only will it pique their interest, but it's something they can use
>>> when presenting the novel to the buying board. It's also something
> you
>>
>>> can use, the next time someone politely asks you, "What's your novel
>>> about?"
>>>
>>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
>>> as the novel!"
>>>
>>>
>>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt
> nots."
>>>
>>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
>>> longer than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and
>>> agents, busy people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to
> ten
>>
>>> pages. The busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider
>>> two pages ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight
>>> page. If you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry
>>> if it's ten or more pages long
>>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>>
>>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary
> information.
>>
>>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the
> story.
>>>
>>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
>>> first three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four.
>>> Don't leave out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to
>>> request the full manuscript in order to find out what happens. What
>>> they will do is decide you're an amateur.
>>>
>>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is
> always
>>
>>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>>
>>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
>>> single- or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side,
>>> double-space; it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your
>>> synopsis much as you did your novel, or a short story.
>>>
>>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
>>> also advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
>>> character by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the
>>> character's name.
>>>
>>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
>>> way: not only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're
>>> honing your writing skills at the same time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>>
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.or
>>> g/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40e
>>> pix.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>> Database version: 6.16110
>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>> Database version: 6.16110
>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>> End of stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 36
>> ***************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 13
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:14:35 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Self Publishing
>> Message-ID: <8FC367AC4A3A4442A3380F52433F0ABE at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Donna,
>>
>> Thanks for the book mention. I'm going to definitely check it out.
>> From
>> what I've been gathering, even authors who get picked up by major
>> publishers
>> wind up doing and paying for their own marketing in the current
> economy,
>> which makes me want to do a cost comparison. I hope folks with more
>> information on book marketing will chime in, as this would be an
>> important
>> point of discussion for self-publishing.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves,
>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Donna Hill
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 4:14 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Self Publishing
>>
>> Hi David,
>> Congratulations for getting this far in the process! There are many
>> things to think about with self-publishing, and unless you already
> have
>> done so, I would advise reading "Getting Your Book Published for
>> Dummies" which is available as digital download and cassette
>> from NLS or
>> some other book about how the publishing industry works.
>>
>> I think that I Universe still makes you sign an exclusive contract,
>> whereas Amazon, for instance, doesn't. I'm in the midst of
> researching
>> this for my novel and it is a mind-numbing process. The other thing
> you
>> need to keep in mind is that the writer, regardless of whether it's
>> self-published or picked up by a publisher, is nowadays responsible
> for
>> more and more of the promotions. I recently bought an accessible
> e-book
>> called "Purple Snowflake Marketing" by Dave and Lillian Brummit, which
>> is a great resource.
>>
>> BTW, what's a nonfiction novel?
>>
>> Donna Hill
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>> Ezine Articles:
>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle:
>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>> LinkedIn:
>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>> FaceBook:
>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=
>> 259244374
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 10/20/2010 2:51 PM, davidw wrote:
>>> Hello Everyone,
>>>
>>> I have been researching self publishing company's and there are so
>>> many to choose from. Being a first time author of my non-fiction
>>> novel I'd like to make the right choice.
>>>
>>> Can someone recommend a company for printing paperback's with the
>>> advantages of distribution.
>>> and or company's that don't shy away from first time author's.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> David Wermuth
>>> dwermuth1 at earthlink.net
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwo
>> rk%40epix.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>> Database version: 6.16120
>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>> Database version: 6.16120
>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 14
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:14:41 -0500
>> From: Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
>> To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] Changes plot synopsis
>> Message-ID: <BLU0-SMTP1466F20C05BD78E826B8547C45C0 at phx.gbl>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Katie,
>>
>> Ah, ala Twilight? Vampires and werewolfs are very big right now!
>> *smile*
>>
>> I love fantasy and this is interesting, but it is more of a chapter
>> outline than a plot synopsis. Try this, if you had to sum the book up
>> in one sentence, how would it read? Write this before expanding a bit
>> to give your synopsis. One sentence will help flesh out the central
>> point.
>>
>> Good job and I look forward to reading more.
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 12:00 PM
>> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 36
>>
>>
>> Send stylist mailing list submissions to
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> stylist-request at nfbnet.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> stylist-owner at nfbnet.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than
>> "Re: Contents of stylist digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Re: synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 2. Re: synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 3. Re: synopsis (Barbara Hammel)
>> 4. Re: synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 5. synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 6. Re: synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 7. Re: synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 8. Re: synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 9. Re: Synopsis (Watson, Katherine M)
>> 10. Changes: a plot synopsis (Watson, Katherine M)
>> 11. Re: Changes: a plot synopsis (Danielle Montour)
>> 12. How to Write a Synopsis (Joe Orozco)
>> 13. Re: Changes: a plot synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 14. Re: How to Write a Synopsis (Judith Bron)
>> 15. Re: How to Write a Synopsis (Donna Hill)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:04:51 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <EC7B391371074A3D991A588BB5EC0806 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer. This
> is
>> what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
> quick
>> Internet search:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult series
>> about observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>> mainstream world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche
>> audience, but Judith doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing
> its
>> ugly head again. But what do people hate?" She hopes to answer
> questions
>> about observant Judaism, their unique lifestyle and give her readers a
>> page turning reading experience that contains mystery, intrigue, good
>> guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life, and yes, death. This book
> will
>> give her readers a riveting novel that the young adult, or perhaps
> adult
>> reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>
>> ***
>>
>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>
>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if the
>> synopsis you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>
>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of incidents.
>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
> reacted
>> like this...
>>
>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much enthusiasm.
>> You
>> wrote:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>
>> ***
>>
>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>> Remember the novel audience is significantly different from your
>> synopsis audience.
>>
>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is fascinating.
>> Flush out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in
> should
>> not be a shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
>> chapter-by-chapter outline. The synopsis, according to what I
>> understand you need to submit, should be a panoramic view of the
> themes,
>> trials and brief character sketches the reader might encounter. If I
>> may offer a bit of advice, try to aim for the tone of a movie trailer.
>> Think of the words the narrators use to convince you to watch the
>> upcoming movie!
>>
>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
> all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state.
>> Because of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron"
>> <jbron at optonline.net> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
> book?
>> Thanks, Judith Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York,
>> begins our
>> novel with a
>> near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>> foster mother,
>> Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
> accident.
>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer,
>> her parents
>> and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school
>> football team.
>> Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that
>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands
>> more about
>> her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>> identity as a
>> Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
>> to find out
>> just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned
>> when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to
>> bring her out
>> of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since entering
> her
>> present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by
>> the poverty
>> shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
>> ravaged her
>> body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an
>> Almighty she has
>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has taken
> a
>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
>> in her life
>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>> to overcome
>> her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has
>> only been a
>> part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually
>> her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in an observant
>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about
>> her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>> living as an
>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with a
>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi
> Levy,
>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove,
>> and the lives
>> of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York
>> become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by her
>> parents has
>> become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>> bedrooms Jennifer
>> clings to these possessions left by her parents and talks to them. She
>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the
>> small book and
>> letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter
>> that her Hebrew
>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah. The
>> principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the
>> small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things
> and
>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him
>> later that day
>> to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his
>> safety deposit box
>> at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
> never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi
>> who, since her
>> mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences more
>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get
>> hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They
>> take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>> the criminals
>> proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one of the
>> beds, tries
>> to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors' drinking party and
>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her
>> abductors fall
>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her
>> arms off, slides
>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>> the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel
>> brings her
>> into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but
>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter
>> becomes known to
>> Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly revealed
>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
>> person she
>> has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of
>> who and what
>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt. Painful
>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>> y%40aol.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>> 0optonline.net
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:20:18 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <0D09DA54256B406E99980896779B5052 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Joe, I don't even remember which article or write up that excerpt was
>> taken
>> from. I don't think it's a bad memory, just a selective one. I'll
> take
>>
>> this version back to the drawing board. Thanks, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 1:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Judith,
>>>
>>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer. This
>>> is what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
>>> quick Internet search:
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult series
>>> about observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>>> mainstream world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche
>>> audience, but Judith doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing
>>> its ugly head again. But what do people hate?" She hopes to answer
>>> questions about observant Judaism, their unique lifestyle and give
> her
>>
>>> readers a page turning reading experience that contains
>>> mystery, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life, and
>> yes,
>>> death. This book will give her readers a riveting novel that the
> young
>>> adult, or perhaps adult reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>>
>>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if the
>>> synopsis
>>> you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>>
>>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of
> incidents.
>>
>>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
>>> reacted like this...
>>>
>>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much enthusiasm.
>>
>>> You
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>>> the criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>>> Remember the novel audience is significantly different from your
>>> synopsis audience.
>>>
>>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is fascinating.
>>> Flush
>>> out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in should
> not
>> be
>>> a
>>> shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
> chapter-by-chapter
>>> outline. The synopsis, according to what I understand you need to
>> submit,
>>> should be a panoramic view of the themes, trials and brief character
>>> sketches the reader might encounter. If I may offer a bit of advice,
>> try
>>> to
>>> aim for the tone of a movie trailer. Think of the words the
> narrators
>> use
>>> to convince you to watch the upcoming movie!
>>>
>>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
>>> all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
>>> of her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional
>>> relationship.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>>
>>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
>>> Lori On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron"
>>> <jbron at optonline.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>>> <stylist at nfbnet.org> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this
> is
>>
>>> more along the lines everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you
>>> think it sells the book? Thanks, Judith
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our
>>> novel with a
>>> near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>>> foster mother,
>>> Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
>> accident.
>>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left by
>>> Jennifer's
>>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer,
>>> her parents
>>> and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>>> reveals that
>>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands
>>> more about
>>> her own identity.
>>>
>>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>>> identity as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her
>>> journey to find out
>>> just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>>> being orphaned
>>> when she was two.
>>>
>>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
>>> her out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>>> entering her present school the year before. Pessi's life is
>>> complicated by the poverty
>>> shrouding her once affluent family.
>>>
>>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
> ravaged
>>
>>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an
>>> Almighty she has
>>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has taken
>> a
>>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
>>> in her life
>>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>>> to overcome
>>> her devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
>>> been a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic
> classmates.
>>> Eventually
>>> her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in an
> observant
>>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about
>>> her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>>> living as an
>>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with
> a
>>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi
>> Levy,
>>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>>> Jenna, New York
>>> become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by her
>>> parents has
>>> become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>>> bedrooms Jennifer
>>> clings to these possessions left by her parents and talks to them.
> She
>>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the
>>> small book and
>>> letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter
>>> that her Hebrew
>>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>>> shyly tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>>> Channah. The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls
>>> the small packet
>>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things
>> and
>>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>>
>>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his
>>> safety deposit box
>>> at the bank.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi
> who,
>>
>>> since her mother's illness and death has become a class leader,
>>> experiences more turmoil over the change that is about to take place
>>> in her family.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
> Criminals
>>
>>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>>> street. They
>>> take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
>>> the criminals
>>> proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one of the
>>> beds, tries
>>> to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors' drinking party
> and
>>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her
>>> abductors fall
>>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her
>>> arms off, slides
>>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>>> the door.
>>>
>>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
> tightly
>>
>>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>>> police, but
>>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>>
>>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her
> newly
>>
>>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
>>> same person she
>>> has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
> and
>>
>>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>>> Painful questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>>> y%40aol.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>>> 0optonline.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>>> o%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:50:51 -0500
>> From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <SNT139-ds7B69B7A04A828024CBC73EB5B0 at phx.gbl>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> This is the idea I was thinking of though for ordering things. Has
>> Jennifer
>> even bonded with her foster family? If not, you could just say
>> something
>> about her feeling out of place in the world and leave Randy out and
>> Sheila
>> out.
>> This attempt was much better than the first.
>> Barbara
>>
>> ...
>> Yesterday is
>> A path well-trod,
>> A familiar lane
>> Through sacred sod,
>> A road we travel
>> Too often, I fear,
>> For there are the good times
>> When things are hard here,
>> ...
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 11:04 AM
>> To: <jsorozco at gmail.com>; "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the
>>> lines
>>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
>> book?
>>> Thanks, Judith
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our novel
>> with
>>> a near death experience and questions about her identity. Her foster
>>> mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her after the
>>> accident. Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects
>> left
>>> by Jennifer's long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about
>>> Jennifer, her parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to
>> their
>>> daughter.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>>> team.
>>> Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer reveals
>> that
>>> she can't begin an emotional relationship until she understands more
>> about
>>> her own identity.
>>>
>>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
>>> identity as
>>> a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey to
>> find
>>> out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
> being
>>
>>> orphaned when she was two.
>>>
>>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
>> her
>>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>> entering
>>> her present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by
>> the
>>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>>
>>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has
> ravaged
>>
>>> her
>>> body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
> she
>> has
>>> believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty has
> taken
>> a
>>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time in her
>> life
>>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to
>>> overcome her devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
>>> been a
>>> part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
>> an
>>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent
>>> on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting
>> her
>>> placed with a family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work
>> out,
>>> and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their
>> home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna,
>>> New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter left by
>> her
>>> parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her darkened
>>> bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her parents and
>>> talks to them. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language
>> that
>>> both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to learn
>> from
>>> the letter that her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>> shyly
>>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah.
>>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the
> small
>>
>>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>>> things and tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>>
>>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later
> that
>>
>>> day
>>> to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit
>>> box at the bank.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never
>>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who,
>> since
>>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more
>>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her family.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>>> Criminals
>>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street.
>>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>>
>>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on one
> of
>> the
>>> beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her abductors'
>> drinking
>>> party and spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When
> her
>>
>>> abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes
> binding
>> her
>>> arms off, slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins
>>> hopping to the door.
>>>
>>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
> tightly
>>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her
>>> into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
> police,
>> but
>>> Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their custody.
>>>
>>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>>> known
>>> to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed
>>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
>> person
>>> she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
> their
>>
>>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
>> and
>>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful
>>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn
>> .com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:29:58 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com,Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbdf1d0.4bfde50a.4d6e.fffff01b at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi,
>> I like the synopsis a lot better now, however, the view keeps
>> switching between Pessy and Jennifer, and then some other
>> characters, and the transition between them is a little rough.
>> Maybe Making it flow a little better might help.
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:04:51 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> You previously mentioned being an established freelance writer.
>> This is
>> what I found with regard to you and your novel while performing a
>> quick
>> Internet search:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "She is currently working on her first novel in a young adult
>> series about
>> observant Jewish young adults that she wants to market in the
>> mainstream
>> world. One may think that this is a topic for a niche audience,
>> but Judith
>> doesn't agree. "Today, anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head
>> again. But
>> what do people hate?" She hopes to answer questions about
>> observant Judaism,
>> their unique lifestyle and give her readers a page turning
>> reading
>> experience that contains
>> mystery, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, issues surrounding life,
>> and yes,
>> death. This book will give her readers a riveting novel that the
>> young
>> adult, or perhaps adult reader, Won't be able to put down!"
>>
>> ***
>>
>> That, I think, is intriguing.
>>
>> Now, with that in mind, look over your synopsis and tell us if
>> the synopsis
>> you've prepared lives up to this claim?
>>
>> 1. It's very dry. You may as well write a bulleted list of
>> incidents.
>> First this happened, and then that happened. Then the character
>> reacted
>> like this...
>>
>> 2. Find a balance between what is intriguing and too much
>> enthusiasm. You
>> wrote:
>>
>> ***
>>
>> "They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal
>> and the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party."
>>
>> ***
>>
>> Are you writing to an editor, or are you writing to a teenager?
>> Remember
>> the novel audience is significantly different from your synopsis
>> audience.
>>
>> 3. The themes laid out in the Internet search result is
>> fascinating. Flush
>> out those themes in your synopsis. What you are turning in
>> should not be a
>> shopping list, unless the publisher is requesting a
>> chapter-by-chapter
>> outline. The synopsis, according to what I understand you need
>> to submit,
>> should be a panoramic view of the themes, trials and brief
>> character
>> sketches the reader might encounter. If I may offer a bit of
>> advice, try to
>> aim for the tone of a movie trailer. Think of the words the
>> narrators use
>> to convince you to watch the upcoming movie!
>>
>> It's looking good, but I recommend a bit more surgery.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves,
>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:41 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
> of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional
>> relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis
>> altogether.
>> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is
>> more along the
>> lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells
>> the book?
>> Thanks, Judith
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York, begins our novel
>> with a near death experience and questions about her identity. Her
>> foster mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to be with her
> after
>> the
>> accident.
>> Sheila's flashback to the day she received the only objects left
>> by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer, her
>> parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that she can't begin an emotional relationship until she
>> understands more about her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
> identity
>> as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
> to
>> find out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer
>> and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
> her
>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
>> entering her
>> present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by the
>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has ravaged
>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty
> has
>>
>> taken a
>> mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time in her
>> life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
> to
>> overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
> been
>> a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant
>> Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer something
>> about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on
>> living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her
>> placed
>> with a
>> family in Jenna, New York. This family doesn't work out, and
>> Rabbi Levy,
>> Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter
> left
>> by her parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her
>> darkened bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her
>> parents and talks to
>> them. She
>> eventually begins to learn the Hebrew language that both the small
> book
>> and letter are written in. She is able to learn from the letter that
>> her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name.
>> She shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
> Channah.
>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small
>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things and
>> tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit box at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who,
> since
>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more
>> turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her
>> family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section. Criminals
>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted
> animal
>> and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying
> on
>> one of the beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her
>> abductors' drinking
>> party and
>> spends the time reviewing school work in her mind. When her abductors
>> fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works the ropes binding her arms
>> off, slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins
> hopping
>> to the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still
>> tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their
> custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her
> newly
>> revealed
>> identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the same
> person
>> she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
>> their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who
> and
>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful
>> questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/lorista
>> y%40aol.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%4
>> 0optonline.net
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <60CC3B4167884551BB4B4C55A061BA03 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
> around
>> the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a corridor that
>> seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly her long deceased
>> mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the
>> constant anti Semitic derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with
>> her mother. But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to
> stay.
>> She has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who you are,
>> and what you are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but
>> minutes later slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
> injured
>> foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers the strange
>> messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only possessions left
>> by Jennifer's parents, a little book with an inserted paper written in
>> foreign writing. The messenger handed Sheila the items and left.
> After
>> closing the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away, but
>> no car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a man
>> walking away from the house. Now she thought about Jennifer's
> survival
>> of what should have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the
>> items in her possession that the messenger told her to give to
> Jennifer
>> on her seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
> talking
>> to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive personality, Pessi
>> disagrees with her mother about getting involved with the girls at
>> school. Pessi insists that it's her life and if she wants to be alone
>> so be it. She stomps out of the house like a belligerent child
> leaving
>> her mother on the sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken
>> home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school. Her
>> classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the protective shell
>> Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is a bout to change
>> forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to help
>> her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the mattress.
>> Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's remains begging her to
>> say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she has
>> believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life she has
> her
>> solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to overcome her
>> devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in
>> getting her placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work
>> out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
> their
>> home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
> Jenna
>> become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a fixture in
>> Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
> language
>> that both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to
>> learn from the letter her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
>> Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> tells
>> the principal her Hebrew name. The principal asks her how she knows
>> this and Jennifer pulls the small packet out of her backpack. The
>> principal pales when she sees these things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet in a
>> safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>> never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
> Criminals
>> get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna street.
>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and the
>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. When her abductors fall
>> into a drunken slumber Jennifer works off the ropes binding her arms,
>> slides off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to
>> the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>> another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>> identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing with
> her
>> newly revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not
>> the same person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lives. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
> what
>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula
>> questions experienced by teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:15:24 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <5DC2A634551B4807ACD3A794DC14C921 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>>
>> It's coming along really well. I would start off by informing the
>> reader that that there are two characters so they know not to get
>> side-tracked by the mention of two girls. Maybe you could relocate
> the
>> last paragraph to the top of the synopsis. Rephrase it of course so
>> that it reads more smoothly.
>>
>> Also, this sentence is positioned rather randomly:
>>
>> *Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>> never accept this.*
>>
>> I think I get the back and forth you're trying to achieve, but it's a
>> little dizzying. I would focus on one girl, then the other, and then
>> tie it up neatly with ominous tones of, "what will happen to these
> girls
>> who must struggle to find their identity..." If I weren't in a rush,
>> I'd give you a better sample, but I think you get what I mean.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
> all."--Sam
>> Ewing
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judith Bron
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 5:02 PM
>> To: Stylist
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car,
>> looks around the strange place she ended up in. In front of
>> her is a corridor that seems to be lit with flickering candles.
>> Suddenly her long deceased mother is talking to her.
>> Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the constant anti Semitic
>> derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with her mother.
>> But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to stay.
>> She has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who
>> you are, and what you are!" Jennifer tries to change her
>> mother's mind, but minutes later slams back into her body,
>> aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with
>> her injured foster daughter. While heading to her car she
>> remembers the strange messenger a few months earlier who
>> delivered the only possessions left by Jennifer's parents, a
>> little book with an inserted paper written in foreign writing.
>> The messenger handed Sheila the items and left. After closing
>> the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away, but
>> no car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a
>> man walking away from the house. Now she thought about
>> Jennifer's survival of what should have been a deadly accident.
>> She wondered about the items in her possession that the
>> messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her seventeenth
>> birthday. The story begins with all this mystery surrounding
>> an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg
>> is talking to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive
>> personality, Pessi disagrees with her mother about getting
>> involved with the girls at school. Pessi insists that it's her
>> life and if she wants to be alone so be it. She stomps out of
>> the house like a belligerent child leaving her mother on the
>> sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school.
>> Her classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the
>> protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life
>> is a bout to change forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room
>> to help her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on
>> the mattress. Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's
>> remains begging her to say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. For the first time in her
>> life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she
>> tries to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish
>> identity. Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting
>> her registered in an observant Jewish summer camp hoping that
>> the camp can teach Jennifer something about her roots and
>> identity. Jennifer returns from camp intent on living as an
>> observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting her
>> placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work out,
>> and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
>> their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove,
>> and the lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish
>> Girls' school in Jenna become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a
>> fixture in Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn
>> the Hebrew language that both the small book and letter are
>> written in. She is able to learn from the letter her Hebrew
>> name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew
>> name. She tells the principal her Hebrew name. The principal
>> asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet
>> in a safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from
>> a Jenna street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like
>> a hunted animal and the criminals proceed to have a drinking
>> party. When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer
>> works off the ropes binding her arms, slides off the bed and,
>> braced on her now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall
>> where another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the
> police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's
>> true identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time
>> dealing with her newly revealed identity. She can't deal with
>> the fact that she is not the same person she has lived with for
>> the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic
>> changes in their lives. Both characters have to come to an
>> understanding of who and what they are in a world filled with
>> danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula questions experienced by
>> teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jsorozc
>> o%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 7
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:50:08 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbe20b9.a26fe50a.587a.30d4 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Nice! That's really good! I like it.
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net
>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>> Does this work? Judith
>>
>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
>> around the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a
>> corridor that seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly
>> her long deceased mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life
>> is dismal due to the constant anti Semitic derisions by her
>> classmates, wants to stay with her mother. But her mother tells
>> her that its not yet her time to stay. She has to learn, "To
>> live. To love. To hope. To know who you are, and what you
>> are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but minutes
>> later slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>
>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
>> injured foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers
>> the strange messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only
>> possessions left by Jennifer's parents, a little book with an
>> inserted paper written in foreign writing. The messenger handed
>> Sheila the items and left. After closing the door Sheila ran to
>> her window to watch him drive away, but no car appeared on the
>> street or driveway. She couldn't see a man walking away from the
>> house. Now she thought about Jennifer's survival of what should
>> have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the items in her
>> possession that the messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her
>> seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>
>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
>> talking to her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive
>> personality, Pessi disagrees with her mother about getting
>> involved with the girls at school. Pessi insists that it's her
>> life and if she wants to be alone so be it. She stomps out of
>> the house like a belligerent child leaving her mother on the sofa
>> in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>
>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school.
>> Her classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the
>> protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is
>> a bout to change forever.
>>
>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to
>> help her only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the
>> mattress. Totally bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's
>> remains begging her to say something.
>>
>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she
>> has believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life
>> she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries
>> to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered
>> in an observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach
>> Jennifer something about her roots and identity. Jennifer
>> returns from camp intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again
>> Sheila is helpful in getting her placed with a family in Jenna.
>> This family doesn't work out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father,
>> agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and
>> the lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls'
>> school in Jenna become entwined forever.
>>
>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a
>> fixture in Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn
>> the Hebrew language that both the small book and letter are
>> written in. She is able to learn from the letter her Hebrew name
>> is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high
>> school principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew
>> name. She tells the principal her Hebrew name. The principal
>> asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small packet
>> out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things.
>>
>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet
>> in a safe place.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she
>> will never accept this.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>> Criminals get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a
>> Jenna street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a
>> hunted animal and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party.
>> When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer works off
>> the ropes binding her arms, slides off the bed and, braced on her
>> now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>> another hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the
>> police.
>>
>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>> identity are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing
>> with her newly revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact
>> that she is not the same person she has lived with for the past
>> 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their
>> identity throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic
>> changes in their lives. Both characters have to come to an
>> understanding of who and what they are in a world filled with
>> danger, fear and self doubt. Painfula questions experienced by
>> teenagers everywhere.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 8
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:46:47 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <949B2C8F3C0D4EDE9BFEDBC5FB65E005 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> Thanks Danni, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Danielle Montour" <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 6:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Nice! That's really good! I like it.
>>>
>>> Danni
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net
>>> To: Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:01 -0400
>>> Subject: [stylist] synopsis
>>>
>>> Does this work? Judith
>>>
>>> Jennifer Rabinowitz, unconscious after being hit by a car, looks
>>> around
>>> the strange place she ended up in. In front of her is a corridor
> that
>>
>>> seems to be lit with flickering candles. Suddenly her long deceased
>>> mother is talking to her. Jennifer, whose life is dismal due to the
>>> constant anti Semitic derisions by her classmates, wants to stay with
>> her
>>> mother. But her mother tells her that its not yet her time to stay.
>> She
>>> has to learn, "To live. To love. To hope. To know who you are, and
>> what
>>> you are!" Jennifer tries to change her mother's mind, but minutes
>> later
>>> slams back into her body, aware of the pain.
>>>
>>> Jennifer's foster mother, Sheila, spent most of the day with her
>>> injured
>>> foster daughter. While heading to her car she remembers the strange
>>> messenger a few months earlier who delivered the only possessions
> left
>> by
>>> Jennifer's parents, a little book with an inserted paper written in
>>> foreign writing. The messenger handed Sheila the items and left.
>> After
>>> closing the door Sheila ran to her window to watch him drive away,
> but
>> no
>>> car appeared on the street or driveway. She couldn't see a man
>> walking
>>> away from the house. Now she thought about Jennifer's survival of
>> what
>>> should have been a deadly accident. She wondered about the items in
>> her
>>> possession that the messenger told her to give to Jennifer on her
>>> seventeenth birthday. The story begins with all this mystery
>> surrounding
>>> an orphaned Jewish girl from Curtis Cove, New York.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, on the same day in Jenna, New York Pessi Goldberg is
>>> talking to
>>> her very ill mother. Shrouded in her reclusive personality, Pessi
>>> disagrees with her mother about getting involved with the girls at
>> school.
>>> Pessi insists that it's her life and if she wants to be alone so be
>> it.
>>> She stomps out of the house like a belligerent child leaving her
>> mother on
>>> the sofa in the dining room of their poverty stricken home.
>>>
>>> That afternoon Pessi decides to attend a lecture at her school. Her
>>> classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring her out of the protective shell
>> Pessi
>>> has shrouded herself in. Pessi's life is a bout to change forever.
>>>
>>> One morning a few months later Pessi goes to her mother's room to
> help
>>
>>> her
>>> only to discover a cold motionless body lying on the mattress.
>> Totally
>>> bereft Pessi gently shakes her mother's remains begging her to say
>>> something.
>>>
>>> Heart broken, Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty she has
>>> believed in her entire life. For the first time in her life she has
>> her
>>> solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she tries to overcome her
>>> devastating loss.
>>>
>>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her depressing Jewish identity.
>>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
>> an
>>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent
>>> on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in getting
>> her
>>> placed with a family in Jenna. This family doesn't work out, and
>> Rabbi
>>> Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into their home.
>>>
>>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna
>>> become entwined forever.
>>>
>>> The small book and letter left by her parents has become a fixture in
>>> Jennifer's backpack. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
>> language
>>> that both the small book and letter are written in. She is able to
>> learn
>>> from the letter her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother Channah.
>>>
>>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
>> tells
>>> the principal her Hebrew name. The principal asks her how she knows
>> this
>>> and Jennifer pulls the small packet out of her backpack. The
>> principal
>>> pales when she sees these things.
>>>
>>> Later that day the principal asks Rabbi Levy to put the packet in a
>>> safe
>>> place.
>>>
>>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
>>> never
>>> accept this.
>>>
>>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section.
>>> Criminals
>>> get hold of this information and kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna street.
>>> They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal and
> the
>>
>>> criminals proceed to have a drinking party. When her abductors fall
>> into
>>> a drunken slumber Jennifer works off the ropes binding her arms,
>> slides
>>> off the bed and, braced on her now free hands begins hopping to the
>> door.
>>>
>>> With her legs still tightly bound she hobbles into the hall where
>>> another
>>> hotel guest brings her into his room and calls the police.
>>>
>>> Eventually the contents of the letter containing Jennifer's true
>>> identity
>>> are disclosed to her. But she has a hard time dealing with her newly
>>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
>> same
>>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>>
>>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in
> their
>>
>>> lives. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
>> what
>>> they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
> Painfula
>>
>>> questions experienced by teenagers everywhere.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>>> er%40gmail.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 9
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:45:36 -0500
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu>
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Synopsis
>> Message-ID:
>> <EDBE9878551309429B866E05149A18ED4AC3A0A867 at exchmb1.uww.edu>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Judith,
>> This is better, although some sentences still sound awkward. (I.E.
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
> same
>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years. Could be: Eventually,
>> Jennifer is freed and finds out about the contents of the letter.
>> Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly revealed identity. She
>> struggles with the fact that she is not the same person she thought
> she
>> was for the past 17 years.)
>> Think about your main conflict. (This was the "hook" you used in
>> your query letter to that publisher.) Base everything in your synopsis
>> off that main theme. I don't think you will need to mention the
> readers
>> or the novel itself in the synopsis. Just start with the main
> conflict,
>> stating it, along with the resolution, in a few sentences at the
>> beginning of your synopsis, then go from there. I hope you find this
>> helpful. --Katie
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 27
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:40:50 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Message-ID: <C9B70F9E06084868A7C2DB20A46E8CE5 at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> I want it in there to demonstrate Jennifer's emotional state. Because
>> of
>> her identity problems, she can't commit to an emotional relationship.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "loristay" <loristay at aol.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>>
>>
>> I still think you could leave Randy out of the synopsis altogether.
> Lori
>> On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:04:39 PM, "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] synopsis
>> Date: October 19, 2010 12:04:39 PM EDT
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, "Writer's Division Mailing List"
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Hi Joe, Here's my latest attempt. I think this is more along the lines
>> everyone was talking about. Bottom line, do you think it sells the
> book?
>> Thanks, Judith Jennifer Rabinowitz, living in Curtis Cove New York,
>> begins our novel with a near death experience and questions about her
>> identity. Her foster mother, Sheila has rushed to Jennifer's side to
> be
>> with her after the accident. Sheila's flashback to the day she
> received
>> the only objects left by
>> Jennifer's
>> long dead parents leaves the reader wondering about Jennifer, her
>> parents and the mystery surrounding the letter left to their daughter.
>>
>> Jennifer's best friend is Randy, captain of her high school football
>> team. Randy wants more from Jennifer than friendship, but Jennifer
>> reveals that she can't begin an emotional relationship until she
>> understands more about her own identity.
>>
>> The reader is introduced to the bigotry surrounding Jennifer's
> identity
>> as a Jew. This bigotry is all she knows about Judaism on her journey
> to
>> find out just who and what she is in the world she has lived in since
>> being orphaned when she was two.
>>
>> Pessi Goldberg begins the story with a mother dieing of cancer and a
>> reclusive personality. Pessi's classmate Chavy Levy starts to bring
> her
>> out of the protective shell Pessi has shrouded herself in since
> entering
>> her present school the year before. Pessi's life is complicated by the
>> poverty shrouding her once affluent family.
>>
>> Eventually Pessi's mother passes away from the cancer that has ravaged
>> her body. Heart broken Pessi now questions the motives of an Almighty
>> she has believed in her entire life. She questions why the Almighty
> has
>> taken a mother away from her two younger siblings. For the first time
> in
>> her life she has her solid faith in the Almighty challenged as she
> tries
>> to overcome her devastating loss.
>>
>> Jennifer continues to puzzle over her Jewish identity that has only
> been
>> a part of her life during the chiding of anti-Semitic classmates.
>> Eventually her foster mother is helpful in getting her registered in
> an
>> observant Jewish summer camp hoping that the camp can teach Jennifer
>> something about her roots and identity. Jennifer returns from camp
>> intent on living as an observant Jewess. Again Sheila is helpful in
>> getting her placed with a family in Jenna, New York. This family
> doesn't
>> work out, and Rabbi Levy, Chavy's father, agrees to take Jennifer into
>> their home.
>>
>> The lives of Jennifer from the public schools of Curtis Cove, and the
>> lives of Pessi and Chavy from an observant Jewish Girls' school in
>> Jenna, New York become entwined forever. The small book and letter
> left
>> by her parents has become a fixture in Jennifer's backpack. In her
>> darkened bedrooms Jennifer clings to these possessions left by her
>> parents and talks to them. She eventually begins to learn the Hebrew
>> language that both the small book and letter are written in. She is
> able
>> to learn from the letter that her Hebrew name is Breindle and her
> mother
>> Channah.
>>
>> The day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashannah, the high school
>> principal Mrs. Newman asks Jennifer if she has a Hebrew name. She
> shyly
>> tells the principal her Hebrew name is Breindle and her mother
> Channah.
>> The principal asks her how she knows this and Jennifer pulls the small
>> packet out of her backpack. The principal pales when she sees these
>> things and tells Jennifer to put them in a safe place.
>>
>> Rabbi Levy is an investment banker. The principal asks him later that
>> day to put the packet in a safe place and he places it in his safety
>> deposit box at the bank.
>>
>> Pessi learns that her father intends to remarry. She vows she will
> never
>> accept this change in their family. More problems for Pessi who, since
>> her mother's illness and death has become a class leader, experiences
>> more turmoil over the change that is about to take place in her
> family.
>>
>> Unbeknownst to Jennifer, the letter has a financial section. Criminals
>> get hold of this information and they kidnap Jennifer from a Jenna
>> street. They take her to a hotel room, tie her up like a hunted animal
>> and the criminals proceed to have a drinking party. Jennifer, lying on
>> one of the beds, tries to block out the sounds and odors of her
>> abductors' drinking party and spends the time reviewing school work in
>> her mind. When her abductors fall into a drunken slumber Jennifer
> works
>> the ropes binding her arms off, slides off the bed and, braced on her
>> now free hands begins hopping to the door.
>>
>> She prays her abductors do not awaken and, with her legs still tightly
>> bound, makes it into the hall where another guest in the hotel brings
>> her into his room where the guest's wife is packing. He calls the
>> police, but Jennifer's abductors try to get her back into their
> custody.
>>
>> Eventually Jennifer is freed and the contents of the letter becomes
>> known to Jennifer. But Jennifer has a hard time dealing with her newly
>> revealed identity. She can't deal with the fact that she is not the
> same
>> person she has lived with for the past 17 years.
>>
>> Both Pessi and Jennifer have to overcome problems with their identity
>> throughout the novel. Both have to deal with drastic changes in their
>> lifestyle. Both characters have to come to an understanding of who and
>> what they are in a world filled with danger, fear and self doubt.
>> Painful questions experienced by teenagers all over the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 10
>> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu>
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID:
>> <EDBE9878551309429B866E05149A18ED4AC3A0A869 at exchmb1.uww.edu>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hello everyone,
>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw mine
>> out there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy novel,
> titled
>> "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Does this make you
>> want to read the book? --Katie
>>
>>
>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>
>> Main Conflict:
>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>> person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf. She
> avoids
>> phasing unless it is the time of the full moon-or unless absolutely
>> necessary. While attending college in present-day Denver, Colorado,
>> circumstances force Casey to accept her duel nature.
>>
>> Synopsis:
>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>> Justine, invites Casey to go to a club with her and her boyfriend,
> Tony,
>> that night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony at a restaurant
>> beforehand. She is horrified when she discovers that Tony isn't human.
>> He doesn't eat anything at dinner, and his scent is too sweet. Casey
>> struggles to keep her inner wolf in check, so she doesn't change into
> a
>> wolf in the middle of the crowded restaurant.
>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She is
>> rescued by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is attracted to
> Nate;
>> this is the first time she meets others of her own kind.
>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf when
>> Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her, her mood
>> shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine, but it doesn't
>> change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown, and
>> come across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf, and he
>> knows that she is, too. She is glad to have found another like her.
> Nate
>> also tells Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with him when he phased
>> once. He fears that he may have bitten her, and that Marissa may be a
>> werewolf. They go to Marissa's dorm and discover she is still human.
>> Nate accidently phases in front of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey
>> hopes Marissa will just wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream. She
> finds
>> Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has figured out that
> Nate
>> is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey about it; Casey is reluctant
>> to share, although she likes Marissa.
>>
>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina, from
> a
>> vampire.
>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is similar to
>> that of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine that he is a
>> hybrid-half human, half vampire. Justine's love for him is unchanged.
>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date". Georgina
>> tells Casey that she is moving out immediately because she knows about
>> Casey's duel nature. Casey accidentally phases in front of Georgina,
>> almost killing her.
>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf. Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need of a
>> new roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with her. Marissa
>> agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging around Casey. She gets
> in
>> a car accident while moving her things to Casey's apartment. Nate
> gives
>> Marissa his blood, saving her life, but the blood changes Marissa into
> a
>> werewolf.
>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes Alpha.
> She
>> discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's emotions, and she has
> an
>> influence over whether the twins change forms.
>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as Alpha.
>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of a
>> guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was found
> in
>> a dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made aware of how
>> different she is from humans because of her instincts, and wonders if
>> werewolves have an immortal soul. Marissa and Nate come up with no
>> concrete evidence proving that they have souls. Casey is concerned
> about
>> where she will spend eternity, and whether she can still be friends
> with
>> Justine, even though they are members of different species.
>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from Justine's
>> cell phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina. Georgina informs
> Casey
>> that she has captured Justine, and Casey figures out that Georgina is
>> now a vampire. Casey and the twins are able to save Justine before
>> Georgina drinks her blood, but Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also
>> bites Casey, but Tony arrives and is able to suck both of their blood
>> clean.
>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack Marissa
> and
>> she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since Casey is her
> Alpha.
>> When Casey arrives, she finds another werewolf, Jenae, waiting with
>> Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive. Tony thanks Casey for saving
> Justine
>> and invites her and Nate to go out with them that night. Casey
> accepts,
>> although she is suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night,
> he
>> gets Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just in
>> time. He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey that he
>> plans to go home and work at a hospital to earn money for medical
>> school.
>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for saving
>> her from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him. Later that
>> morning, Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and admits his love
>> to her. This makes Marissa angry because she feels like Nate is
> leading
>> Casey on. Casey goes out for coffee with Jenae to find out more
>> information about her, since Jenae wants to join Casey's pack.
>> Meanwhile, Marissa attacks Nate, forcing him to leave before
> originally
>> planned.
>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and while they
>> are at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun at Casey, but
> Jenae
>> jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet instead. Casey accepts
> Jenae
>> into her pack as she dies.
>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah, a human
>> who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the time, Casey
>> tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself, and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual wolf
>> who almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the
> differences-in
>> his mind-that exist between humans and wolves. Casey decides she likes
>> being human better, because she feels the human world gives her goals
> to
>> achieve and a more purposeful life. That night, the vampire attacks
> Nate
>> while he is at work. Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to
>> Casey.
>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire
> captures
>> Savannah, and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's rescue.
>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space. Everyone
>> except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is unaffected
> because
>> she is blind and cannot see the illusions created by the vampire.
> When
>> Casey attacks the vampire, his movement frees the others from his
>> visions. Casey's pack destroys the vampire.
>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the vampire
>> killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she isn't damned for
>> eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted herself as a werewolf.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 11
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:25:58 -0400
>> From: Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4cbe6f6f.8e4ee50a.33fd.0675 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi,
>> Well, this synopsis seems more like a list of events than a
>> flowing transitional piece between each character's life. I
>> would like to read the book, and understand what you are saying,
>> however, I'd deliver it different, for example, even
>> "Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>> person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf."
>> might be a good starting sentence to your main synopsis.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Danni
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu
>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>
>> Hello everyone,
>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw
>> mine out there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy
>> novel, titled "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
>> Does this make you want to read the book?
>> --Katie
>>
>>
>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>
>> Main Conflict:
>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a
>> blind person, but she has trouble accepting herself as a
>> werewolf. She avoids phasing unless it is the time of the full
>> moon-or unless absolutely necessary. While attending college in
>> present-day Denver, Colorado, circumstances force Casey to accept
>> her duel nature.
>>
>> Synopsis:
>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>> Justine, invites Casey to go to a club with her and her
>> boyfriend, Tony, that night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony
>> at a restaurant beforehand. She is horrified when she discovers
>> that Tony isn't human. He doesn't eat anything at dinner, and
>> his scent is too sweet. Casey struggles to keep her inner wolf
>> in check, so she doesn't change into a wolf in the middle of the
>> crowded restaurant.
>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She
>> is rescued by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is
>> attracted to Nate; this is the first time she meets others of her
>> own kind.
>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf
>> when Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her,
>> her mood shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine,
>> but it doesn't change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown,
>> and come across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf,
>> and he knows that she is, too. She is glad to have found another
>> like her. Nate also tells Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with
>> him when he phased once. He fears that he may have bitten her,
>> and that Marissa may be a werewolf. They go to Marissa's dorm
>> and discover she is still human. Nate accidently phases in front
>> of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey hopes Marissa will just
>> wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream.
>> She finds Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has
>> figured out that Nate is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey
>> about it; Casey is reluctant to share, although she likes
>> Marissa.
>>
>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina,
>> from a vampire.
>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is
>> similar to that of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine
>> that he is a hybrid-half human, half vampire. Justine's love for
>> him is unchanged.
>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date".
>> Georgina tells Casey that she is moving out immediately because
>> she knows about Casey's duel nature. Casey accidentally phases
>> in front of Georgina, almost killing her.
>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf. Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need
>> of a new roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with
>> her. Marissa agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging
>> around Casey. She gets in a car accident while moving her things
>> to Casey's apartment. Nate gives Marissa his blood, saving her
>> life, but the blood changes Marissa into a werewolf.
>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes
>> Alpha. She discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's
>> emotions, and she has an influence over whether the twins change
>> forms.
>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as
>> Alpha.
>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of
>> a guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was
>> found in a dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made
>> aware of how different she is from humans because of her
>> instincts, and wonders if werewolves have an immortal soul.
>> Marissa and Nate come up with no concrete evidence proving that
>> they have souls. Casey is concerned about where she will spend
>> eternity, and whether she can still be friends with Justine, even
>> though they are members of different species.
>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from
>> Justine's cell phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina.
>> Georgina informs Casey that she has captured Justine, and Casey
>> figures out that Georgina is now a vampire. Casey and the twins
>> are able to save Justine before Georgina drinks her blood, but
>> Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also bites Casey, but Tony
>> arrives and is able to suck both of their blood clean.
>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack
>> Marissa and she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since
>> Casey is her Alpha. When Casey arrives, she finds another
>> werewolf, Jenae, waiting with Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive.
>> Tony thanks Casey for saving Justine and invites her and Nate to
>> go out with them that night. Casey accepts, although she is
>> suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night, he gets
>> Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just
>> in time. He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey
>> that he plans to go home and work at a hospital to earn money for
>> medical school.
>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for
>> saving her from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him.
>> Later that morning, Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and
>> admits his love to her. This makes Marissa angry because she
>> feels like Nate is leading Casey on. Casey goes out for coffee
>> with Jenae to find out more information about her, since Jenae
>> wants to join Casey's pack. Meanwhile, Marissa attacks Nate,
>> forcing him to leave before originally planned.
>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and
>> while they are at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun
>> at Casey, but Jenae jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet
>> instead. Casey accepts Jenae into her pack as she dies.
>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah,
>> a human who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the
>> time, Casey tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself, and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual
>> wolf who almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the
>> differences-in his mind-that exist between humans and wolves.
>> Casey decides she likes being human better, because she feels the
>> human world gives her goals to achieve and a more purposeful
>> life. That night, the vampire attacks Nate while he is at work.
>> Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to Casey.
>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire
>> captures Savannah, and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's
>> rescue.
>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space.
>> Everyone except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is
>> unaffected because she is blind and cannot see the illusions
>> created by the vampire. When Casey attacks the vampire, his
>> movement frees the others from his visions. Casey's pack
>> destroys the vampire.
>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the
>> vampire killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she
>> isn't damned for eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted
>> herself as a werewolf.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>> er%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 12
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:49:41 -0400
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <BCCAD78B50754350BB9C924F58412AF0 at Rufus>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>
>> by Marg Gilks
>>
>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
> marketing
>> a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment like "I
> hate
>> writing synopses."
>>
>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
> Now
>> I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to write
>> than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd words
> into
>> a few pages. But it's important.
>>
>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
> and,
>> as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished with the
>> same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with the cover
>> letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the manuscript. If
> they
>> don't see anything they like in the synopsis, they won't even glance
> at
>> your chapter samples.
>>
>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
> purchased),
>> and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual bookstore
>> browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far from
>> actuality.
>>
>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
> do
>> well. But how?"
>>
>>
>> One Step at a Time
>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
> down.
>> Do it step by step.
>>
>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>> write a synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The
>> best time to realize this is just before you sit down with your
>> manuscript for the final reading preparatory to declaring the thing
>> completed.
>>
>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As you
>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
> summary
>> of what happened where, and to which character, in that chapter.
>>
>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>> Symbolism you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you
>> were slogging away at the computer for all those months? (The
>> subconscious mind is a wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too. You
>> may just discover your one-line story summary that agents and editors
>> like so much, if you didn't know what it was before. Or even if you
>> thought you knew what it was, before (surprise, says the Muse, you
> were
>> wrong).
>>
>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>> outline, what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading,
>> and since chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of favor
>> with editors and agents, this will likely remain one of your most
>> valuable writing tools, and that's about it. Don't throw this away
> when
>> you've done your synopsis, either. You may know the story intimately
>> now, but you do forget details over time. You may decide to revise the
>> novel in the future, and this outline will help you. I've used mine to
>> make sure I'm not duplicating character names from one project to the
>> next. (The subconscious mind can also booby-trap you.) Reading an
>> outline is much easier than leafing through or rereading an entire
>> novel.
>>
>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
> doing,
>> basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
> manageable
>> packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most important plot
> points
>> in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>
>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
> those
>> events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major way.
>> We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones your
>> reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right now, we
>> are striving for bare-bones.
>>
>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>> ever."
>>
>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>> that right now.
>>
>>
>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>> synopsis:
>>
>>
>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
> will
>> pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to buy
> the
>> book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a feel for
>> how it's done.
>>
>>
>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
> friend.
>> You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot him and
>> that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that sounds
>> like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things like,
> "The
>> good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the evil Dr.
> Death,
>> the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after Dr. Death, falls,
>> somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him with the Good Guy
>> Death-ray to save the world."
>>
>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>> enthusiastic. Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to
> pick
>> up the manuscript and find out how this happens! How can you make your
>> synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main character and his or
> her
>> crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or quote briefly from the novel
>> itself. Don't neglect to reveal the character's emotions and
>> motivations, those points that explain why a character does something,
>> but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a taste of it into
>> the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any background
>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>> the story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>> summary by using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a
>> sample of your writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual novel
>> will be like, so give it your all.
>>
>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of the
>> story that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your
>> cover letter. Editors and agents like having this distillation; not
> only
>> will it pique their interest, but it's something they can use when
>> presenting the novel to the buying board. It's also something you can
>> use, the next time someone politely asks you, "What's your novel
> about?"
>>
>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
> as
>> the novel!"
>>
>>
>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt nots."
>>
>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
> longer
>> than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and agents,
> busy
>> people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to ten pages. The
>> busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider two pages
>> ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight page. If
>> you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry if it's
> ten
>> or more pages long
>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>
>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary information.
>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the story.
>>
>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
> first
>> three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four. Don't
> leave
>> out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to request the
> full
>> manuscript in order to find out what happens. What they will do is
>> decide you're an amateur.
>>
>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is always
>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>
>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
> single-
>> or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side, double-space;
>> it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your synopsis much as
>> you did your novel, or a short story.
>>
>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
> also
>> advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
> character
>> by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the character's name.
>>
>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
> way:
>> not only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're honing
> your
>> writing skills at the same time.
>>
>>
>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 13
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:02:03 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>> Message-ID: <8CE371F3E7A74E4AAA97CB5F8C83329D at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> I agree that it sounds like a list of events. What drove me nuts was
>> the
>> constant reference to days (Monday, Tuesday etc.). It is a list of
>> events.
>> Try to make it more creative.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Danielle Montour" <hypoplexer at gmail.com>
>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 12:25 AM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Well, this synopsis seems more like a list of events than a flowing
>>> transitional piece between each character's life. I would like to
>> read
>>> the book, and understand what you are saying, however, I'd deliver it
>>> different, for example, even "Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is
>> okay
>>> with herself as a blind person, but she has trouble accepting herself
>> as a
>>> werewolf." might be a good starting sentence to your main synopsis.
>>>
>>> HTH
>>>
>>> Danni
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Watson, Katherine M" <WatsonKM05 at uww.edu
>>> To: "stylist at nfbnet.org" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:27 -0500
>>> Subject: [stylist] Changes: a plot synopsis
>>>
>>> Hello everyone,
>>> Since we are on the subject of synopses, I thought I'd throw mine
>>> out
>>> there for critique. It is for my young adult, fantasy novel, titled
>>> "Changes." Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Does this make you
>> want
>>> to read the book?
>>> --Katie
>>>
>>>
>>> Changes Plot Synopsis
>>>
>>> Main Conflict:
>>> Eighteen-year-old Casey Newman is okay with herself as a blind
>>> person,
>>> but she has trouble accepting herself as a werewolf. She avoids
>> phasing
>>> unless it is the time of the full moon-or unless absolutely
> necessary.
>>
>>> While attending college in present-day Denver, Colorado,
> circumstances
>>
>>> force Casey to accept her duel nature.
>>>
>>> Synopsis:
>>> On a warm Thursday in September, Casey's human best friend,
>>> Justine,
>>> invites Casey to go to a club with her and her boyfriend, Tony, that
>>> night. Casey agrees to go. She meets Tony at a restaurant
>> beforehand.
>>> She is horrified when she discovers that Tony isn't human. He
> doesn't
>> eat
>>> anything at dinner, and his scent is too sweet. Casey struggles to
>> keep
>>> her inner wolf in check, so she doesn't change into a wolf in the
>> middle
>>> of the crowded restaurant.
>>> Later, at the club, Casey is attacked by werewolf Rob. She is
>> rescued
>>> by werewolf Nate and his Alpha, Seb. Casey is attracted to Nate;
> this
>> is
>>> the first time she meets others of her own kind.
>>> The next day, (Friday) Justine discovers Casey is a werewolf when
>>> Casey phases in front of her accidentally.
>>> Justine breaks down emotionally, but when Tony calls her, her
> mood
>>
>>> shifts to one of a giddy romantic. Casey warns Justine, but it
>> doesn't
>>> change Justine's feelings for Tony.
>>> The following day, (Saturday) Casey and Justine go downtown, and
>> come
>>> across Nate and Seb. Nate tells Casey he is a werewolf, and he knows
>> that
>>> she is, too. She is glad to have found another like her. Nate also
>> tells
>>> Casey that his twin, Marissa, was with him when he phased once. He
>> fears
>>> that he may have bitten her, and that Marissa may be a werewolf.
> They
>> go
>>> to Marissa's dorm and discover she is still human. Nate accidently
>> phases
>>> in front of Marissa. Marissa faints, and Casey hopes Marissa will
>> just
>>> wake up and think it was a bad dream.
>>> The day after that, (Sunday) Casey goes to get ice cream. She
>> finds
>>> Marissa working at the ice cream shop. Marissa has figured out that
>> Nate
>>> is a werewolf, and tries to talk to Casey about it; Casey is
> reluctant
>> to
>>> share, although she likes Marissa.
>>>
>>> The next night, (Monday) Casey saves her roommate, Georgina, from
>>> a
>>> vampire.
>>> Later that night, Casey discovers that Tony's scent is similar to
>> that
>>> of the vampire, and he reveals to her and Justine that he is a
>> hybrid-half
>>> human, half vampire. Justine's love for him is unchanged.
>>> The next day, (Tuesday) Nate and Casey go on a "date". Georgina
>> tells
>>> Casey that she is moving out immediately because she knows about
>> Casey's
>>> duel nature. Casey accidentally phases in front of Georgina, almost
>>> killing her.
>>> Nate takes Casey to Ouzel Falls-where she was changed into a
>> werewolf.
>>> Casey remembers that it was Seb who bit her.
>>> The day afterward, (Wednesday) Casey finds Marissa. In need of a
>> new
>>> roommate, Casey asks Marissa if she will move in with her. Marissa
>>> agrees, because she knows Nate will be hanging around Casey. She
> gets
>> in
>>> a car accident while moving her things to Casey's apartment. Nate
>> gives
>>> Marissa his blood, saving her life, but the blood changes Marissa
> into
>> a
>>> werewolf.
>>> A few days later, Casey kills Seb in a fight and becomes Alpha.
>> She
>>> discovers that she can feel Nate and Marissa's emotions, and she has
>> an
>>> influence over whether the twins change forms.
>>> Two weeks pass, and Casey is consumed by her duties as Alpha.
>>> Justine confronts Casey, saying that she has seen reports of a
>>> guy-Seb--who looked to have died from wild dogs. His body was found
>> in a
>>> dumpster, and Justine suspects Casey. Casey is made aware of how
>>> different she is from humans because of her instincts, and wonders if
>>> werewolves have an immortal soul. Marissa and Nate come up with no
>>> concrete evidence proving that they have souls. Casey is concerned
>> about
>>> where she will spend eternity, and whether she can still be friends
>> with
>>> Justine, even though they are members of different species.
>>> A few nights later, (Thursday) Casey gets a call from Justine's
>> cell
>>> phone, but it isn't Justine-it is Georgina. Georgina informs Casey
>> that
>>> she has captured Justine, and Casey figures out that Georgina is now
> a
>>
>>> vampire. Casey and the twins are able to save Justine before
> Georgina
>>
>>> drinks her blood, but Georgina has bitten her. Georgina also bites
>> Casey,
>>> but Tony arrives and is able to suck both of their blood clean.
>>> The next day, (Friday) the same vampire tries to attack Marissa
>> and
>>> she is able to transmit her memories to Casey, since Casey is her
>> Alpha.
>>> When Casey arrives, she finds another werewolf, Jenae, waiting with
>>> Marissa. Tony and Justine arrive. Tony thanks Casey for saving
>> Justine
>>> and invites her and Nate to go out with them that night. Casey
>> accepts,
>>> although she is suspicious of Tony's true motives. Later that night,
>> he
>>> gets Casey alone with him, and tries to kill her. Casey sends her
>>> memories of the attack to Nate and Marissa, and Nate arrives just in
>> time.
>>> He kills Tony. Later that night, Nate reveals to Casey that he plans
>> to
>>> go home and work at a hospital to earn money for medical school.
>>> The following morning, (Saturday) Justine thanks Casey for saving
>> her
>>> from Tony and admits that Casey was right about him. Later that
>> morning,
>>> Nate takes Casey Geo-Caching in the woods and admits his love to her.
>>> This makes Marissa angry because she feels like Nate is leading Casey
>> on.
>>> Casey goes out for coffee with Jenae to find out more information
>> about
>>> her, since Jenae wants to join Casey's pack. Meanwhile, Marissa
>> attacks
>>> Nate, forcing him to leave before originally planned.
>>> Justine suggests that the girls go out for burgers, and while
> they
>> are
>>> at the restaurant, Rob shows up. He points a gun at Casey, but Jenae
>>> jumps in the way, taking the silver bullet instead. Casey accepts
>> Jenae
>>> into her pack as she dies.
>>> Casey spends the next month in a daze. She meets Savannah, a
>> human
>>> who likes to party. Depressed and inebriated most of the time, Casey
>>> tries to cope with Jenae's death and Nate's absence.
>>> Casey has an epiphany; she realizes that she only half-knows
>> herself,
>>> and decides to spend some time in her wolf form.
>>> While in the woods running as a wolf, Casey meets an actual wolf
>> who
>>> almost instantly guesses what she is. He explains the differences-in
>> his
>>> mind-that exist between humans and wolves. Casey decides she likes
>> being
>>> human better, because she feels the human world gives her goals to
>> achieve
>>> and a more purposeful life. That night, the vampire attacks Nate
>> while he
>>> is at work. Nate survives, escapes and sends his memories to Casey.
>>> The next day, Nate returns. Later that day, Savannah calls,
>> informing
>>> Casey that a vampire is looking for her. The vampire captures
>> Savannah,
>>> and Casey and her pack run to Savannah's rescue.
>>> When they arrive, they find Savannah staring into space.
> Everyone
>>
>>> except for Casey falls into a similar state. Casey is unaffected
>> because
>>> she is blind and cannot see the illusions created by the vampire.
>> When
>>> Casey attacks the vampire, his movement frees the others from his
>> visions.
>>> Casey's pack destroys the vampire.
>>> The twins tell Casey they saw the souls of the people the vampire
>>> killed, including those of werewolves. Convinced she isn't damned
> for
>>
>>> eternity, Casey realizes she has accepted herself as a werewolf.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/hypoplex
>>> er%40gmail.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 14
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:23:27 -0400
>> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <51CDAD88BFAC446C86DF16A4C89A28EC at dell5150>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Joe, This is fabulous! I'm going back to try to do what she's
>> suggesting.
>> Later, Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:49 AM
>> Subject: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>>
>>
>>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>>
>>> by Marg Gilks
>>>
>>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
>>> marketing a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment
>>> like "I hate writing synopses."
>>>
>>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
>>> Now I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to
>>> write than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd
>>> words into a few pages. But it's important.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
>>> and, as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished
>>> with the same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with
>>> the cover letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the
>>> manuscript. If they don't see anything they like in the synopsis,
> they
>>
>>> won't even glance at your chapter samples.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
>>> purchased), and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual
>>> bookstore browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far
>>> from actuality.
>>>
>>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
>>> do well. But how?"
>>>
>>>
>>> One Step at a Time
>>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
>>> down.
>>> Do
>>> it step by step.
>>>
>>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>>> write
>>> a
>>> synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The best
> time
>> to
>>> realize this is just before you sit down with your manuscript for the
>>> final
>>> reading preparatory to declaring the thing completed.
>>>
>>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As
> you
>>
>>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
>>> summary of what happened where, and to which character, in that
>>> chapter.
>>>
>>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>>> Symbolism
>>> you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you were
>> slogging
>>> away at the computer for all those months? (The subconscious mind is
> a
>>> wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too. You may just discover
> your
>>> one-line story summary that agents and editors like so much, if you
>> didn't
>>> know what it was before. Or even if you thought you knew what it was,
>>> before
>>> (surprise, says the Muse, you were wrong).
>>>
>>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>>> outline,
>>> what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading, and
> since
>>> chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of favor with
>> editors
>>> and agents, this will likely remain one of your most valuable writing
>>> tools,
>>> and that's about it. Don't throw this away when you've done your
>> synopsis,
>>> either. You may know the story intimately now, but you do forget
>> details
>>> over time. You may decide to revise the novel in the future, and this
>>> outline will help you. I've used mine to make sure I'm not
> duplicating
>>> character names from one project to the next. (The subconscious mind
>> can
>>> also booby-trap you.) Reading an outline is much easier than leafing
>>> through
>>> or rereading an entire novel.
>>>
>>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
>>> doing, basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
>>> manageable packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most
> important
>>
>>> plot points in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>>
>>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
>>> those events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major
>>> way. We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones
>>> your reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right
>>> now, we are striving for bare-bones.
>>>
>>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>>> ever."
>>>
>>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>>> that right now.
>>>
>>>
>>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>>> synopsis:
>>>
>>>
>>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
>>> will pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to
>>> buy the book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a
>>> feel for how it's done.
>>>
>>>
>>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
>>> friend. You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot
>>> him and that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that
>>> sounds like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things
>>> like, "The good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the
>>> evil Dr. Death, the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after
> Dr.
>>
>>> Death, falls, somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him
>>> with the Good Guy Death-ray to save the world."
>>>
>>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>>> enthusiastic.
>>> Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to pick up the
>>> manuscript
>>> and find out how this happens!
>>> How can you make your synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main
>>> character and his or her crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or
> quote
>>> briefly from the novel itself. Don't neglect to reveal the
> character's
>>> emotions and motivations, those points that explain why a character
>> does
>>> something, but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a
> taste
>> of
>>> it
>>> into the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any
> background
>>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>>the
>>> story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>> summary by
>>> using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a sample of
>> your
>>> writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual novel will be like,
>> so
>>> give it your all.
>>>
>>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of
> the
>>> story
>>> that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your cover
>>> letter.
>>> Editors and agents like having this distillation; not only will it
>> pique
>>> their interest, but it's something they can use when presenting the
>> novel
>>> to
>>> the buying board. It's also something you can use, the next time
>> someone
>>> politely asks you, "What's your novel about?"
>>>
>>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
>>> as
>>> the
>>> novel!"
>>>
>>>
>>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt
> nots."
>>>
>>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
>>> longer than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and
>>> agents, busy people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to
> ten
>>
>>> pages. The busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider
>>> two pages ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight
>>> page. If you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry
>>> if it's ten or more pages long
>>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>>
>>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary
> information.
>>
>>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the
> story.
>>>
>>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
>>> first three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four.
>>> Don't leave out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to
>>> request the full manuscript in order to find out what happens. What
>>> they will do is decide you're an amateur.
>>>
>>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is
> always
>>
>>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>>
>>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
>>> single- or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side,
>>> double-space; it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your
>>> synopsis much as you did your novel, or a short story.
>>>
>>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
>>> also advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
>>> character by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the
>>> character's name.
>>>
>>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
>>> way:
>>> not
>>> only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're honing your
>>> writing
>>> skills at the same time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site: http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonli
>> ne.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 15
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:21:12 -0400
>> From: Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: jsorozco at gmail.com, Writer's Division Mailing List
>> <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] How to Write a Synopsis
>> Message-ID: <4CBF08E8.1080803 at epix.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi Joe,
>> Thanks so much for finding and posting this. It's excellent. I haven't
>> yet re located the section in Sarah Parsons Zackheim's "Getting Your
>> Book Published for Dummies" about query letters and synopses for
>> fiction, but, if memory serves, this article is in agreement with her
>> perspective.
>>
>> My gut reaction in creating my own synopsis, which isn't done yet, is
>> that I'd like to keep it between 500 and 800 words. That would be in
>> line with the author's preference for 2 pages. I think my reasoning
>> stems from my indoctrination as a writer for Suite 101; they tout
>> research claiming that readers respond best to pieces that are between
>> 400 and 800 words.
>>
>> Donna Hill
>>
>> Read Donna's articles on
>> Suite 101:
>> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
>> Ezine Articles:
>> http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
>> American Chronicle:
>> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>>
>> Connect with Donna on
>> Twitter:
>> www.twitter.com/dewhill
>> LinkedIn:
>> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
>> FaceBook:
>> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>>
>> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
>> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>> Apple I-Tunes
>>
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=25924437
>> 4
>>
>> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
>> Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>> On 10/20/2010 8:49 AM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>> How to Write a Synopsis
>>>
>>> by Marg Gilks
>>>
>>> Writers will spend years writing, lovingly polishing and then
>>> marketing a novel, and yet they shrug off the synopsis with a comment
>>> like "I hate writing synopses."
>>>
>>> I hate writing synopses, too. I used to hate them because the ones I
>>> wrote sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to bare-bones
>>> sentences that did nothing to capture the depth of the novel itself.
>>> Now I hate writing synopses because they are much more difficult to
>>> write than the novel ever was. It's not easy distilling 100,000-odd
>>> words into a few pages. But it's important.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is the most important part of your submission package
>>> and, as such, it has to be developed and sweated over and polished
>>> with the same attention you devoted to the novel itself. Along with
>>> the cover letter, the synopsis is what sells the editor on the
>>> manuscript. If they don't see anything they like in the synopsis,
> they
>>
>>> won't even glance at your chapter samples.
>>>
>>> The synopsis is your sales pitch. Think of it as the jacket blurb for
>>> your novel (the synopsis is often used in writing this, and by the
>>> publisher's art and advertising departments, if the novel is
>>> purchased), and write it as though you're trying to entice a casual
>>> bookstore browser to buy the novel and read it. Which isn't too far
>>> from actuality.
>>>
>>> "Okay," you say, "you've sold me. This is something I have to do, and
>>> do well. But how?"
>>>
>>>
>>> One Step at a Time
>>> Rather than being daunted by the enormity of such a task, break it
>>> down. Do it step by step.
>>>
>>> The first step, of course, is realizing that you're going to have to
>>> write a synopsis -- if you intend to market your novel, that is. The
>>> best time to realize this is just before you sit down with your
>>> manuscript for the final reading preparatory to declaring the thing
>>> completed.
>>>
>>> Sit down to that final reading with a pen and paper beside you. As
> you
>>
>>> finish reading each chapter, write down a one- or two-paragraph
>>> summary of what happened where, and to which character, in that
>>> chapter.
>>>
>>> Notice any themes running through your chapters as you're reading?
>>> Symbolism you didn't realize you'd woven through the story while you
>>> were slogging away at the computer for all those months? (The
>>> subconscious mind is a wonderful thing.) Take note of themes, too.
> You
>>
>>> may just discover your one-line story summary that agents and editors
>>> like so much, if you didn't know what it was before. Or even if you
>>> thought you knew what it was, before (surprise, says the Muse, you
>>> were wrong).
>>>
>>> What you will have when you are done is a chapter-by-chapter novel
>>> outline, what I call my author's outline. This is pretty dry reading,
>>> and since chapter-by-chapter outlines seem to have fallen out of
> favor
>>
>>> with editors and agents, this will likely remain one of your most
>>> valuable writing tools, and that's about it. Don't throw this away
>>> when you've done your synopsis, either. You may know the story
>>> intimately now, but you do forget details over time. You may decide
> to
>>
>>> revise the novel in the future, and this outline will help you. I've
>>> used mine to make sure I'm not duplicating character names from one
>>> project to the next. (The subconscious mind can also booby-trap you.)
>>> Reading an outline is much easier than leafing through or rereading
> an
>>
>>> entire novel.
>>>
>>> Anyway. There is an immediate use for that outline. What you are
>>> doing, basically, is distilling the story down into smaller and more
>>> manageable packages, step by step. So, you pinpoint the most
> important
>>
>>> plot points in that outline, and you put them into a synopsis.
>>>
>>> Notice I said the most important points. We're talking about only
>>> those events and motivations that moved the story forward in a major
>>> way. We're talking about only the most important characters, the ones
>>> your reader will ultimately care about, not the bit players. Right
>>> now, we are striving for bare-bones.
>>>
>>> "Yup," you say, "that's bare-bones, all right, and just as boring as
>>> ever."
>>>
>>> Yes, it is. It's also probably still too long, but don't worry about
>>> that right now.
>>>
>>>
>>> Let's See Some Enthusiasm!
>>> Now I want you to envision one or two things while you rework that
>>> synopsis:
>>>
>>>
>>> Imagine that you're writing a jacket blurb for the novel, one that
>>> will pique the casual browser's curiosity and make him or her want to
>>> buy the book to see what happens. Read a few jacket blurbs, to get a
>>> feel for how it's done.
>>>
>>>
>>> You've just seen a terrific movie. You're describing it to your
>>> friend. You're not saying, "The good guy chased the bad guy and shot
>>> him and that was the end." That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, that
>>> sounds like your synopsis as it stands right now! No, you say things
>>> like, "The good guy is wounded, but he knows if he doesn't stop the
>>> evil Dr. Death, the whole world is in danger, so he staggers after
> Dr.
>>
>>> Death, falls, somehow gets to his feet again, and at last zaps him
>>> with the Good Guy Death-ray to save the world."
>>>
>>> That's how your synopsis is going to sound, when you're done:
>>> enthusiastic. Enticing. A description that makes the reader want to
>>> pick up the manuscript and find out how this happens! How can you
> make
>>
>>> your synopsis unique, exciting? Start with the main character and his
>>> or her crisis. Include snippets of dialogue or quote briefly from the
>>> novel itself. Don't neglect to reveal the character's emotions and
>>> motivations, those points that explain why a character does
> something,
>>
>>> but keep it brief. If the setting is exotic, inject a taste of it
> into
>>
>>> the synopsis with a brief paragraph. This includes any background
>>> information that is absolutely necessary for the reader to understand
>>> the story. Build excitement as you near the conclusion of the story
>>> summary by using shorter sentences and paragraphs. The synopsis is a
>>> sample of your writing; it is a taste of what reading the actual
> novel
>>
>>> will be like, so give it your all.
>>>
>>> Don't forget that one- or two-sentence story line, or the theme of
> the
>>
>>> story that you discovered. It should go in your synopsis, or in your
>>> cover letter. Editors and agents like having this distillation; not
>>> only will it pique their interest, but it's something they can use
>>> when presenting the novel to the buying board. It's also something
> you
>>
>>> can use, the next time someone politely asks you, "What's your novel
>>> about?"
>>>
>>> "Wow," you say at last, "this is pretty good! It reads almost as good
>>> as the novel!"
>>>
>>>
>>> Shalts and Shalt Nots
>>> But wait, there's more. Now we get to the "thou shall and shalt
> nots."
>>>
>>> First, acceptable length. One guideline is to allow one synopsis page
>>> for every twenty-five pages of manuscript, but even that could be
>>> longer than most editors and agents want to see. Most editors and
>>> agents, busy people that they are, prefer short synopses -- two to
> ten
>>
>>> pages. The busier ones like five pages at most. I personally consider
>>> two pages ideal, and have distilled synopses down to a single tight
>>> page. If you've written a thoroughly intriguing synopsis, don't worry
>>> if it's ten or more pages long
>>> -- but it had better be gripping.
>>>
>>> Edit, edit, edit, if you have to! Always keeping in mind that the
>>> synopsis must remain interesting and supply the necessary
> information.
>>
>>> Yes, this is the hardest part. Don't know what to cut? Lose the
>>> adjectives and adverbs; keep the motivation and "flavor" of the
> story.
>>>
>>> You have to tell the entire story in your synopsis. Don't send the
>>> first three chapters and then start the synopsis at chapter four.
>>> Don't leave out the ending, hoping to entice the editor or agent to
>>> request the full manuscript in order to find out what happens. What
>>> they will do is decide you're an amateur.
>>>
>>> No matter what tense your novel was written in, the synopsis is
> always
>>
>>> written in present tense (Jerry goes to the bullfight as opposed to
>>> Jerry went to the bullfight.)
>>>
>>> Format: there seems to be disagreement as to whether you should
>>> single- or double-space your synopsis. To be on the safe side,
>>> double-space; it's easier to read. In terms of layout, format your
>>> synopsis much as you did your novel, or a short story.
>>>
>>> The first time you use a character's name in the synopsis, type it in
>>> CAPITAL letters. Do this only the first time. Avoid confusion by
>>> referring to a character the same way throughout (not "Dr. Evans" the
>>> first time, "Jerry" the next, and "the doctor" another time). It's
>>> also advisable to identify which character(s) is the point of view
>>> character by typing "(POV)" after the first instance of the
>>> character's name.
>>>
>>> Yes, writing a good synopsis is a lot of work, but think of it this
>>> way: not only are you creating a vital marketing tool, but you're
>>> honing your writing skills at the same time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Copyright C 2001 Marg Gilks
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Writers Division web site:
>>>
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.or
>>> g/>
>>>
>>> stylist mailing list
>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> stylist:
>>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40e
>>> pix.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>>> Database version: 6.16110
>>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
>> Database version: 6.16110
>> http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>> End of stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 36
>> ***************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>> End of stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 37
>> ***************************************
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dwermuth1%40ear
> thlink.net
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>
>
> End of stylist Digest, Vol 78, Issue 39
> ***************************************
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dwermuth1%40earthlink.net
More information about the Stylist
mailing list