In this step you\u2019ll take a new look at this synopsis to find holes in your story \u2013 dramatic elements that are either missing or inconsistent with one another.<\/p>\n
For a moment, step out of your role as author, and put yourself in the position of your reader or audience.\u00a0 Read over your story synopsis from Step 5.\u00a0 If something doesn’t make sense, is off kilter, or missing, make a note of it.<\/p>\n
List each point in the form of a question, as this tends to help you focus in on exactly what is needed to fix the problem.<\/p>\n
When you have finished your novel, your audience will be unforgiving, so be harsh now!\u00a0 Don\u2019t gloss over problems, but don\u2019t try to solve them either.\u00a0 That comes later.<\/p>\n
For now, just ask questions about everything that bothers you about your story from an audience perspective, as if you were reading someone else\u2019s description of their story rather than your own.<\/p>\n
If push comes to shove and you are just too close to your story to see many problems with it, share your synopsis with friends, family or fellow writers.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t ask them what they think of it \u2013 they\u2019ll always pull their punches to be kind.\u00a0 Instead, just tell them to write down any questions they have about your story that weren\u2019t answered in the synopsis \u2013 anything they didn\u2019t quite understand or found confusing.<\/p>\n
Having them state these issues as questions will get you a far better result than just asking their opinion, for they would really like to know the answers.\u00a0\u00a0 Friends and family are especially much more likely to be frank if they are just asking questions rather than criticizing.<\/p>\n
Using the example below (based on the Snow Sharks<\/i> example synopsis provided for Step 5) pick your synopsis apart as thoroughly as you can jotting down every question about it that comes to mind.<\/p>\n
Example:<\/b><\/p>\n
Questions About Snow Sharks<\/i><\/p>\n
From the synopsis:<\/p>\n
The government has been developing a new breed of shark that lives in snow rather than water for use as mobile land mines in places such as Siberia or the Arctic.<\/em><\/p>\n Questions:<\/p>\n From the synopsis:<\/p>\n A transport plane carrying them crashes in a storm high in the Rocky Mountains.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Questions:<\/p>\n 10. If so, do the sharks kill all the survivors?<\/p>\n 11. Is there anything in the wreckage that reveals the cargo, its nature and who is behind it?<\/p>\n 12. Is the crew able to contact their command center before crashing?<\/p>\n 13. Are they able to convey their location?<\/p>\n 14. Is there a rescue beacon?<\/p>\n 15. Does the plane carry a \u201cblack box.\u201d<\/p>\n Using this example as a guide, separate your entire Step 5 synopsis into short sections (as above) and then come up with as many questions as you can (within reason) about each section.<\/p>\n Next, in Step 7, we\u2019ll take each question, one at a time, and generate several potential answers that would satisfy them, thereby expanding and enriching your evolving story, even while you fill its holes and fix its inconsistencies.<\/p>\n Click here for details, demo download or to purchase.<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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<\/a>This article is based on \u00a0our StoryWeaver Step-by-Step Story Development Software that guides you through more than 200 interactive Story Cards from concept to completion of your novel or screenplay. \u00a0Just $29.95 for Windows or Macintosh.<\/p>\n
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