My inbox this morning included a message from Writers’ Digest about an upcoming webinar on query and synopsis writing. They must have read my blog!

While this isn’t the first such course for which I’ve received notice, and a couple weeks ago I attended two workshops on the subject, it’s encouraging in a sad sort of way, that I do not struggle alone with this aspect of the writing life.

Here is an excerpt:

Description

This session gives a clear, step-by-step process for tackling your synopsis (for fiction, kids books or memoir), no matter what the length requirement, as well as examples of good and bad synopses. You may not enjoy writing synopses even after this session, but you will have a solid set of instructions for completing one with the least amount of pain as possible.

What you’ll learn:

• Why synopses are important to get right
• General principles for writing a synopsis of any length
• How a synopsis can reveal big-picture problems in your story
• Common pitfalls and mistakes in synopsis writing
• What your synopsis must accomplish—such as outlining a story’s three acts and showing the arc of the main character

Webinars are out of my league. I have opted for a bucolic life. I have a river view that daily takes away my breath. I am surrounded by green and the constant orchestra of birds and insects, the lightshow of stars and fireflies, and the fragrance of flowers and green-yellow leaves opening like tiny hands full of perfume. But I don’t have dial-up. And I don’t have cell service. I have bees and hummingbirds and frogs and otters in the river. But I don’t have dial-up. So no webinar.

I’m on my own, and that’s not such a bad thing. It’s my story. I should know what it’s about, right? I’m a writer. I should be able to write about what I’ve written in an interesting fashion. The synopsis is the thing we all read before we open a book or lay down our cash. It better be good or no one will crack that spine.

I’m on it.