Non Fiction Friday - Write A Great Synopsis - An Expert Guide

I have been meaning to start up a post like this for ages. I do like to read the occasional non fiction book and I wanted to try and feature them more on my blog. I used to love doing Trish's Non Fiction Five Challenge which  really got me reading books out of my comfort zone. So I wanted somewhere to share the non fiction books I have read either for research purposes or pleasure. This isn't a post that will occur every Friday, just on occasion when I read  a book I want to share

Published by Crabbit Publishing on 17th January 2012
Book purchased by myself.
Kindle edition.


The function of the synopsis is not to make people cry or laugh or be as terrified as a terrified thing. It is to show the decision-makers that you do actually have a book that hangs together and doesn't just get off on a stunning start and an amazing concept; and to show what sort of book it is. A good synopsis shows that your book works, from beginning to end. 
Goodreads Summary
Most writers hate writing synopses. They need dread them no more. In this short ebook, Write a Great Synopsis – An Expert Guide, Nicola Morgan takes the stress out of the subject and applies calm, systematic guidance, with her renowned no-nonsense approach and laconic style. 
Write a Great Synopsis covers: the function of a synopsis, the differences between outlines and synopses, dealing with requirements for different agents and publishers, finding the heart of your book, how to tackle non-linear plots, multiples themes, sub-plots and long novels, and it answers all the questions and confusions that writers have. Nicola also introduces readers to her patent Crappy Memory Tool, explains the art of crafting a 25-word pitch, and demonstrates with real examples. Gold-dust for writers at all stages.

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Well if I am reading this type of book, then it is clearly obvious that I have reached the stage of sending my finished manuscript off; which I did. However I couldn't send it off without writing the dreaded synopsis. I was so against writing this, I put it off for three whole weeks! I feared writing my synopsis more than have all my teeth extracted without anaesthetic! Seriously I couldn't think of anything worse. 

Everything I read about writing a synopsis left me confused. Luckily my wonderful Twitter friends were on hand with some friendly advice and they gently nudged me in the direction of Nicola Morgan's book, Write a Great Synopsis, and oh my, what a God send it was. 

From the first page, I fell in love with her writing style. I felt like I was in the company of a master craftsman who knew exactly how to slash word counts to create a concise writing companion without losing any of her humour. I found myself giggling all the way through and watched my fear fly out of the window. It wouldn't have been any easier if the author herself had held my hand through the process. This book is THAT GOOD!

The ideas are extremely organised; the instructions are easy to follow, with plenty of examples to show you what not to do. As the book is a Kindle edition, it had direct links to posts featured on the author's website, giving me even more useful information.  I actually came away feeling strong enough to take on the mighty synopsis and within a day of reading it, I had written my first very own synopsis.  I could almost see Nicola Morgan cheering with a glass of champagne in one hand and a pompom in the other as I pressed send on my PC, crossing that finishing line and fondly watching my brave little synopsis take on the world. 

This book is a must have accessory for any writer's bookshelf. An excellent resource designed to make the writer's life easier.