Prepare a three-line, five-line, and ten-line synopsis of your proposed motion picture project to
be used in the appropriate opportunity. These are perhaps the most important words that a
motivated screenwriter will ever write.
- Construct the synopsis around a:
- beginning, middle, end
- want, obstacle, solution
- thesis, antithesis, synthesis
Or create a compelling situation with a cliffhanger, leaving 'em wanting more.
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- Avoid starting with 'PROJECT TITLE is a GENRE story about . .' which is redundant and
amateurish. Start in immediately with attention-grabbing words.
- Eliminate character names, unless they help tell the story or carry some significance, e.g.,
historical, atmosphere, meaning, or otherwise (see the discussion of naming in Word Use).
- See what the experts have to say about concept in the Magic Star of
Dramatic Writing, especially Lajos Egri on writing a good premise.
- See synopses posted
at this site for added perspective.
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Pitch the synopsis to a few people to refine it. Over the phone works. You may find yourself
doing precisely that many times in a marketing campaign. Edit, rethink, rewrite, edit, rethink,
rewrite until it squeaks.
The brief synopsis might best be used when querying by e-mail.
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