|
Help Please SS - Synopsis |
Post Reply 
|
| Author | |
Carlos 
NYC Midnight Newbie 
Joined: 22 Nov 2022 Location: Burton, England Status: Offline Points: 51 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(1)
 Quote Reply
 Topic: Help Please SS - SynopsisPosted: 25 Jan 2023 at 6:27am |
|
Hi all, I'm new here.
I entered the 2,500 short story comp and now looking at submitting it. 1. Do I have to include a synopsis? Or is it optional? 2. Does anyone have an example doc I could look at from a previous comp? Like, will it be page 1: Title and underneath it the synopsis? Or on separate pages. Any help much appreciated, thank you. |
|
 |
|
|
slinkylink
NYC Midnight Addict 
Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 1233 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 9:07am |
My understanding is that it is not optional. Here is mine from R1 last year. I got 2nd place: A horticulture heiress must decide between a tractor mogul and a seed store clerk. I put the title and synopsis on one page (center and middle) and started my story on the second page. If you want to see several examples go to the last year's results page, and you can read every winning story title and synopsis. Edited by slinkylink - 25 Jan 2023 at 9:07am |
|
|
|
|
Carlos
NYC Midnight Newbie
Joined: 22 Nov 2022 Location: Burton, England Status: Offline Points: 51 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 9:09am |
|
Very helpful, many thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
slinkylink
NYC Midnight Addict
Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 1233 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 9:15am |
|
Sure! My opinion on writing the synopsis or logline (the screenplay equivalent) is don't overthink it. Be succinct but also specific enough so that when the judges try to remember which story is which, they can scan through the synopses and be like, "Which one was the seed store clerk story? Oh right...Royal Radish."
|
|
|
|
|
Deschain
NYC Midnight Regular 
Joined: 18 Nov 2022 Location: Baltimore, MD Status: Offline Points: 484 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 12:56pm |
|
is it supposed to be in teaser format ("The Johnson family vacation takes an unexpected turn...") or full summary format ("The Johnsons crash their car on the way to Disneyland and end up vacationing in The Everglades...")?
Edited by Deschain - 25 Jan 2023 at 12:56pm |
|
|
|
|
WhistlerCrowe
NYC Midnight Addict
Joined: 08 Dec 2021 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 785 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 9:49pm |
So for my challenge 1 and 2 flash fiction stories from this year, these are the synopsis' I wrote for each. I really think you can go either way with it. Horror | Roadblock | Wedding Cake. "Blood Covenant A girl’s moonlit pilgrimage to lay her mama to rest is halted at a drunk driving checkpoint set up by a group of backwoods cops." Mystery | A taxidermy shop | A Beanbag. "The Eyes are Dead A string of ritualistic murders arrives at Homicide Detective Laroy Cromartie’s doorstep. Will he find the killer or only be left asking more sinister questions?"
|
|
|
|
|
Suave
NYC Midnight Black Belt 
Joined: 25 Jan 2015 Location: Thailand Status: Offline Points: 23085 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 25 Jan 2023 at 11:25pm |
|
Here is one I would not recommend; it was for the movie "White Noise" Dramatizes a contemporary American family's attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world. |
|
|
|
|
happywriter
NYC Midnight Groupie 
Joined: 15 Jan 2019 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 117 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 26 Jan 2023 at 7:57am |
|
The synopsis is a max. of 2 sentences.
One is better. I find the formula 'This is a story about 'x' who does 'y' useful. ie. x =character y= action [including internal] by the character. |
|
|
@
|
|
|
|
|
NYCNewbie
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Joined: 04 Feb 2018 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 5111 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 26 Jan 2023 at 11:05am |
All the forum stories from previous competitions are here on the forum and in the forum archive, so you could check out a few of those. The likes of Blake Snyder advise that a logline/synopsis should contain 3 things:
Good luck! ETA: 1st page has title and synopsis (Do a page break here) Page 2 onward is your story Edited by NYCNewbie - 26 Jan 2023 at 11:07am |
|
|
|
|
slinkylink
NYC Midnight Addict
Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 1233 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 26 Jan 2023 at 11:51am |
|
One is better. I agree with this. The only exception I found in my NYCM synopses was for my Political Satire flash because it had an unusual premise that needed explaining. So I used line #1 to set up the premise and line #2 to give the story synopsis. With the passage of the Post-Living Personhood Act, dead citizens, known as Reborns, have secured the right to vote. Presidential hopeful Gwen Parsons has her fingers on the pulse of the dead and knows all the tricks to secure their votes. |
|
|
|
|
Post Reply
|
|
Tweet
|
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options
Carlos wrote: