Hey, so if you’re wondering why there’s this stapler-shaped indentation on my forehead? It’s because I’ve decided to  do what two out of three “how to” writer’s guide thingamajiggers and whatsits advise me to do, (because I am a slave to the rantings of so-called experts–something I might get from my mom, actually) and I’m writing my book synopsis, before the book is actually finished. (Thus, the desk-head banging.)

I’m doing this for three reasons:

1) Because “they” say it’s a good idea. And I’ve just explained why I listen to “they,” so pay attention.

2) Because I want to solidify my plot to prevent further tangents of willy-nilly, progress destroying, last-minute “inspirational moments” that tend to derail my narrative and cause me to start over. (Several of those points are redundant, I know. Pay attention.)

3) Thereby, making it theoretically “easier” to work on individual scenes because the “big picture” will be semi-indelably ironed into starchy, unyielding-ish “pleats” of prose, if you will. And finally…

4) (I added this one, as you might have been able to tell already, because four is more than three. Pay attention!) To see if the synopsis does it’s JOB by forcing people to want to READ ALL ABOUT IT when the book is actually finished.

For those of you who aren’t aware,  a synopsis is like a longer version of the book jacket “blurb,” in that it tells what the story is about without going into any real detail. The only differences are: the synopsis is longer (like I said. Pay attention!) and the book jacket blurby doesn’t usually include a spoiler. (Spoiler: book synopses tell you what’s going to happen at the end.)

Therefore, when I’m finished writing my test-synopsis, I shall more than likely post it (Except for the ending, obvy, because that would RUIN it for everyone) so you can tell me if it “works.” (i.e. makes you want to gobble the whole thing up like brownies at a Weight Watcher’s convention.)

In short, my book synopsis will hopefully be like a gateway drug. If it’s good enough, you’ll be hooked on the hard-core version in no time. But seriously, though. Drugs are bad.

Stay in school.