The Synopsis: Tackling the Beast

Years after my first tries, I’ve finally written a synopsis for The Purple Morrow I actually like.

I remember the first time I had to write one. It was around 2011 or 2012. I was terrified. Every resource I looked at warned that writing a synopsis was the single most unpleasant, difficult thing a writer would ever have to do.

And it was.

Depending on the agent or publisher, I had to write several variations. Some wanted a synopsis of not more than one page, others wanted as many as 7. It was a nightmare! Trying to figure out how to pare down a full-length story into a few pages seemed impossible. At the time, I was so close to the story and so passionate about it, I couldn’t tell what was essential (or not) in order for someone to understand the story’s plot and subplots in so few words. To me, everything was important.

Looking back on what I had written…well, I can only shake my head.

 

 

Like any piece we write, putting it away for a while before tweaking it is always recommended. I’m not saying you should wait 7 years between drafts like I did. I just know that’s how long it took me to get enough emotional and psychological distance from the story to try again more successfully.

Though I still love the story and the characters, I’m not as close to the manuscript as before. Also, I’ve written a lot since then, both fiction and non-fiction, which made it easier to craft the synopsis this time around. Lastly, finishing the triology was a big help, as it enabled me to see the whole plot in my head and therefore better discern where I had left out necessary information or hadn’t properly connected the dots. 

 

Will this version gain me an agent? I have no idea. I’d like to hope so. But even if it doesn’t, I can say that I tackled this beast and completed it to my satisfaction. And move on.

What are your experiences with writing a synopsis? Do you have any tips or advice to share? 

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Video Review of The Purple Morrow: 4 Stars

This is really neat: my first video review for The Purple Morrow! Check it out by clicking the link below or see the Amazon page for the transcript here.

The Purple Morrow Video Review

Recap Series #2: The Challenges of Writing Wolf’s Bane, Sequel to The Purple Morrow

Berserker is coming out in 2 days, so I figured I’d better get back to writing these book summaries. Click here to read Part 1 of the recap series.

The Struggle was Real

So. Wolf’s Bane…more like Dyane’s Bane. Because that’s exactly what it felt like to write this beast.

 

When I had finished The Purple Morrow, I was on a bit (a lot!) of a high. It was the second book I had written, but it was the only one of the two that was publish-worthy. And, after doing the run-around, research, trying and erring, I finally published the book. Yes!

So, now I was on to book 2, Wolf’s Bane. But this time around, I struggled with something I hadn’t before: fear of disappointing. The first book had been well-received, something that, especially for a first-timer, felt like a miracle. And after slaving away at Morrow for 2-3 years, I had come to love the characters. I wanted to write them a great story while not disappointing readers.

I’ll tell you one thing. If you’re writing a book, don’t worry about disappointing your readers. It’s impossible to focus on telling a great story when you’re filled with anxiety. Write the book that’s in your heart, trust your characters, and trust yourself. If you do those things, the book should take shape. Okay, that was more than one thing. But, in writing Bane, I found these points to be true. Once I stopped stressing and just wrote what I was feeling and what felt right for the characters, the book came together. I’m pleased and proud of the result. And, in the end, the book ended up being well-received to boot. 

http://www.picstopin.com

Another struggled I faced was figuring out how to write a ‘bridge’ book, meaning a book that bridges the events in book 1 and the trilogy’s conclusion. How do you keep the story interesting while not giving too much away? And how do you end the book so that it’s satisfying to the current story while not actually ending the overarching story prematurely?

That was tough, and I struggled with that for a while. In the end, I introduced new elements and characters, deepened the world-building and developed the magic/spiritual foundations of the story, while working hard on character development. I enjoyed bringing that wretch, Oren, to life so much, and the antagonistic yet nurturing relationship between Seylem and Kelen was a blast to write. Working on Jeru’s development was harder, as he’s my Every Man who needed a believable hero arc, something I’d never done before. So, yes, there were many, many challenges to overcome.

 

Interesting points:

Wolf’s Bane is the first time I had to develop a magic system in a story. I’d never done that before, and I was lucky to have a friend at the time who guided me through the process and let me bounce ideas off him.

I experimented with tone, lyrical style, and integrated elements of poetry. It probably sounds weird, but I allowed myself the freedom to tell the story using elements that I felt were needed to do it right. Of course, that made editing and rewrites a challenge, especially the poetry-inspired sections but thankfully, I had a poet-friend to edit that.

 

So, as I did for Morrow, I’ll include an excerpt. This is from Usurper, Chapter 2:

Oren hurried to the Naagra-Oni’s chambers. The hallway stretched straight as an arrow in front of him, and a lush runner spanned its length. The carpet was the Ministry’s gift to them, a measure to counter the perpetual cold clinging to the stone floors. Arched, stone doors, unadorned except for the iron rings bolted into their surfaces, lined the corridor on both sides. Other Naagra of more lowly stature slept behind them. Slept, or read. Or plotted. Naagra were always plotting. Oren would know, since he had been at it the longest. And, if he were so bold, which he was, he would even go so far as to claim to be the best at it.

Oren wrapped his cloak tighter around him against the cold, but the dampness permeated the four thick layers of linens and furs. It even crept through his tiger-seal boots, so that his toes began to tingle. Outside, the wind howled, battering the temple walls. Oren thought how ironic it was that the wind appeared to fight so hard to find a way in when all he wanted was to escape, even into the midst of a late-spring blizzard.

He hated Ambroze, the Naagra-Oni, hated his gloating smile and his silky voice that, at first, sounded pleasant, even friendly, until one discerned the venom lurking underneath. The Master Seer, though, never bothered to hide his disdain from Oren. It shone through his ice blue eyes and that cursed, mocking smile. Oren would much prefer to test himself against the tempest blowing outside than spend ten minutes with the man. Only curiosity, not to mention the command to present himself at Ambroze’s chambers exactly twenty minutes before, forced him to continue moving down the corridor, around the bend and up two flights of stairs into the north wing; the wing that had once been his.

“One day,” Oren swore as he swished down the darkened corridor, “I will take back my place, you cursed upstart! Then we’ll see who is left grinning with such disdain!” For now, Oren doubled his pace. He was still a subordinate–though the highest ranked subordinate–and it would not do to irritate the Master Seer.

He arrived at the massive double doors just as the gong struck the half hour mark. He would slow-boil Lapi in oil for making him late!

Oren shoved the great doors with all the strength contained in his wiry body. They groaned open. A blast of hot air met him, instantly turning to mist once it confronted the icy air from the hall. Oren waded through the cloud, emerging like some sort of wraith, and found himself standing in a great, round room. The back half was blocked off by a series of dark-coloured screens. The ceiling was hidden in gloom, but Oren knew it was adorned with the painted images of Anyul, the Snow god and his minions, Ice and Frost. They leered at him from above, shaming him into false humility as he stood before the Naagra-Oni. No windows pocked the walls of the room, and the torches were not lit. The only light came from dripping, black candles scattered throughout and the massive fires glowing in their hearths.

“You are late.” The words were clipped, and they cut like knives.

“My apologies, Naagra-Oni,” Oren answered, bristling. “I came as soon as I received your summons.”

 

If you enjoyed the summary and excerpt, leave me a message below. And don’t forget:  Berserker, the conclusion to the Rise of the Papilion trilogy, is out Thursday, March 8!

Recap Series: About ‘The Purple Morrow’

The Rise of the Papilion trilogy is completed, but it has taken years to complete each book. So long, in fact, that when I released Wolf’s Bane, followed by the soon to be released  Berserker, the pastor’s wife at my church suggested I write book summaries to help re-situate her.

So, this Recap series is inspired by that request. I also figure that it’s partly therapeutic for me. Writing, publishing, distributing, and marketing the 3 books over an 8-year period were some of the hardest things I’ve ever done. So much so that I had to take a long break after publishing Wolf’s Bane, to the point I wondered IF I’d even finish the series. Luckily, I did and Berserker will be released next week on March 8.

So, leading up to that event, I thought I’d write a post about each book, partly to catch everyone up about them, where they came from, what they’re about. And, yes, for (my own) closure.

Why did I write the series in the first place?

Every writer finds inspiration in their own way. Most times for me, a short story or novel starts as an emotion or thought (colour, action, sound) that evolves into a character first and then a story. Once the characters are nailed down, the story falls into place piece by piece. When I started The Purple Morrow, I wanted to chronicle the journey of a man (Jeru) who begins the story at his lowest point and who, through various situations, finds resolution and transformation at the other end of the proverbial tunnel. So, why not write about a young man whose wife dies on their wedding night and, guilt-ridden, decides he can’t face the future? That is until his homeland is threatened by the same Beast-Men who destroyed his village years before, he comes face to face with someone from his past who complicates his already complicated life, all while dealing with the most terrifying thing of all: the threat of falling in love again. Somewhere along the way, he discovers that he’s the key to saving everyone. All he has to do it pull his head out of his…butt…long enough to do it.  

Memorable Moments

Writing New Things: The Purple Morrow was the first time I got to explore writing some things for the first time, like fight scenes. I’ve always loved them in movies, particularly kung fu, I like watching boxing (thanks Granddad), and I studied karate for a time. I remember standing in my living room working out movements and sequences, or holding a sword to test the weight and how it moves when I swung it, and then sitting down to figure out how to transpose that into words. Joy!

The Characters: Jeru and Nyssa kinda dropped in on me. I remember when I decided to write the story, I saw them clearly in my mind. I knew what their relationship was going to be, what the tension between them was about, as well as the fact that they needed each other in order to move on from their traumatic pasts. Kelen also surprised me. I was walking home from the bus when I suddenly pictured him kneeling by a lake and staring at his reflection. His personality, pain, and dilemma sprung out of that and I remember bursting with excitement to get home and write the scene. It’s one of my favorite moments in the book.

Painting of Jeru by Amy Hands

 

Unexpected Directions: Then there was the moment I was struggling to write the story because it had grown too big for one book. In comes my sister (who did the cover art for Wolf’s Bane and Berserker, and the above digital painting of Jeru) who chimed in: “Why don’t you write more than one book?” Thanks, sis, for setting me upon the most arduous, torturous experience of my life!

So, that’s a little about The Purple Morrow. The trilogy is a passion project. When I started this journey, I had hoped to ‘make it big’ and sell a ton of books. The book market is tough. The market is saturated with books and every author is clamoring for attention. It’s all quite exhausting, to be honest. Of course, I want people to buy the books. But what has become more important to me over time, is that I hope readers will also enjoy them. That they will be touched or moved in some way, and will remember the story and the characters long after they finish the books.    

In closing, here’s a little excerpt from another of my favorite scenes. It’s from chapter 14, and it’s the first time Kelen and Jeru meet.

Excerpt from The Purple Morrow, Chapter 14-Crossing Paths

In the few seconds it took for Kelen to take up his axe, he had already assessed his foe. The man was strongly built and was as lithe as a panther. He stood with his weight balanced between his feet, and from the stance alone, Kelen gleaned he was trained in some form of the fighting arts. The man’s breathing was steady, unhurried. He grasped his swords comfortably, ready to change grips at a moment’s notice. For a moment, Kelen concluded that the coming fight would not be fair. He knew he outweighed the other by at least fifty pounds and that a good, solid blow to the chest or head would quickly end the contest. But as he assessed the look in the other man’s eyes, Kelen checked himself. The clansman showed no fear. He is dangerous, either desperate and not caring about his life and is therefore ready to throw it away. Or he is a man with something to fight for and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

Kelen liked these new odds.

“Beast-man of the North,” the man said in an even tone. He raised his right hand, pointing a sword-tip at him. “I have come to reclaim what you have stolen from me.”

Kelen smiled to himself, satisfied that his hunch had proven correct. He had come for the woman. Was he her husband? Her lover?

Kelen took a moment and formed a response in his mind. He had always been amazed that he could understand the Southland’s languages and dialects with an ease that surpassed his brethren. To him, accessing the skills needed to understand and to speak them was like delving into a long-forgotten chest which had suddenly sprung open, revealing its secrets.

“What have I…stolen…from you?” he asked with only a little difficulty.

The man advanced a step. “A woman. She was taken from our woods. I want her back.”

Nonchalant, Kelen lifted and dropped his shoulders. Then he swept a hand in a semi-circle, indicating they were the only ones in the area. “There is no woman here.”

The black-haired man advanced a few steps more, his sword still pointed towards Kelen. “You are a liar. I know she was taken by your people. You will return her to me.”

“Ah, yes. I seem to remember the face of a pretty, new slave. I was thinking she might make a good wife.”

“Return her!”

The Rover laughed. “If you want her, you will have to go through me.”

A thin, mean smile carved itself across the clansman’s face, and his eyes glittered. Green eyes, Kelen realized with some surprise. He did not have long to consider this, as the man flicked his wrists, propelling the swords into a series of arcs. The blades split the air with sharp sighs as they spun.

Kelen felt the thrill of the impending clash pulsing through his veins. He lifted his axe into position.

Yes, he liked these new odds very, very much.

 

Hope you enjoyed the post and the read. Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you. 

‘Berserker’ Proof is in!