The pain of writing a synopsis

If you think finishing a full novel is hard, wait until you begin working on the synopsis. If you have any aspirations of submitting to an agent or publisher, it’s essential to have a 2 to 5 page breakdown of all the major events and characters from the novel you’ve finished. If you plan to self-publish, you can breathe a sigh of relief because you won’t have to endure this headache.
To condense your 60k to 120k novel to five pages is a grueling experience. Trust me. Ask any writer and ninety-five percent of the time they’ll say the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to discourage anyone from writing a synopsis. There are some advantages to squeezing your entire manuscript down to a few pages. There will come times when you’re asked, “Can you tell me about your book?”

The question can come from an agent. If so, you only have small window to impress this person with as little words as possible. Think of this description as an extended book blurb. After sitting down for hours or days of mulling over what to put into the synopsis, a verbal thirty second description should be a piece of cake. This extended blurb rule also applies to drawing in potential readers for your novel. The synapses in a person’s brain suddenly stops functioning when he/she listens to long, drawn out descriptions.

Though I know it’s important, it doesn’t change the fact that I absolutely hate writing the synopsis. Putting my disdain for writing one aside, when everything is said and done, I always appreciate having one ready. A synopsis can be a useful tool for recalling key elements in a story when I begin work on sequels. And now that I finished my ranting about writing a synopsis, can you guess what I’m about to do? Oh well… (Sigh)

No one ever said it was easy being a writer.

Darkest Hours is now available for the Kindle for $2.99. Detroit PI's Joe Hooks and Kool-Aid are back.

Get your copy today at: http://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Hours-Joseph-Hooks-ebook/dp/B003JBHOPQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1272312390&sr=1-4

Here's the official cover art for Darkest Hours due May 2010

The Friday House (second edition) is available

You can get your copy of The Friday House at: https://www.createspace.com/3344369

New Joe Hooks Novel on the Horizon slated for 2010

Coming in 2010

- Darkest Hours -

The explosive sequel to Lost Hours

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To get his mind off his recent divorce, Detroit private investigator Joe Hooks takes what he thinks will be an easy job. He is to pick up a package from billionaire Montgomery Webb, an eccentric businessman. But Joe finds more than he bargains for when he discovers the billionaire tied to a chair, moments away from taking his last breath. Webb’s bizarre final words are, “Little doll lost.”

Joe enlists Kool-Aid, his ex-partner and best friend to aid him in finding out why the package is so important. The two friends are soon thrust into a situation that is quickly spiraling out of control. Pursuing the PI’s are cold-blooded killers, a government agency, and a mysterious Washington attorney known only as Shaw.

Joe becomes aware that the package could literally change the world, but has this discovery come too late?

In March of 2010 I will be publishing an updated version of The Friday House. As the time nears I will keep you updated and when it's ready for purchasing.

Story:

The Cold War ended almost two decades ago but the fruits of its labor still exist. The Central Intelligence Agency's `Resurrection Project', shut down since before the fall of the Berlin wall, laid dormant and was all but forgotten—until now.

Without warning or explanation, prominent American citizens began carrying out horrendous crimes. Immediately after these acts, they would kill themselves. FBI Special Agent JAMAICA KURTZ, upon her return to duty after a six month medical leave, is immediately assigned to conduct a profile of these killers.

In the meantime, the United States is threatened by a new fanatical group called the RSFA. President RONALD MOSS a man with good intentions must make hard decisions that will not only affect this country but those closest to him. All the killers have one thing in common, The Friday House Orphanage. What secrets does this place hold and will Special Agent Jamaica Kurtz find out the truth in time to stop more attacks?

Talking about my books

Check out my video from the Essence of Motown Literary Meet and Greet 2009! This was shot at Barnes & Noble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0EJMz_4ZT8&feature=channel