Writing Your Synopsis – Masterclass
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Writing Your Synopsis – Masterclass
Struggling to summarise your story? Learn how to write the perfect one-page synopsis for your pitch package during this two-hour Zoom masterclass.
No one finds the synopsis easy to write – capturing the heart of your novel in a few short paragraphs might feel impossible. But being able to summarise your plot is a crucial part of the submission process, and literary agents will often read a synopsis before looking at your manuscript.
In this brand-new masterclass, Jennifer Kerslake, CBC’s Head of Courses / Editor and a former editor at the Orion Publishing Group, will guide you through the tricky art of writing a synopsis step by step.
From detailing major plot points to describing the motivation of your main characters and what’s at stake, you’ll learn how to write a synopsis that is satisfying, effective and entices an agent to read on.
After the live masterclass, you will receive a copy of the presentation to refer back to, including top tips and examples – all designed to help you bring what you’ve learnt to bear on your own synopsis, ensuring it’s in excellent shape for submission. The masterclass will run on Tuesday 7 May 2024.
I'm an experienced writer, but sometimes find a synopsis challenging. This workshop left me feeling so much more confident about writing my next one!
Former Writing Your Synopsis student
Tutor
Jennifer Kerslake
Jennifer is Head of Courses / Editor at Curtis Brown Creative. She was previously an editor at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, the literary imprint of the Orion Publishing Group. In her time there, she worked with authors including Costa-shortlisted Elisa Lodato, Stella Prize-winning Heather Rose, Leila Aboulela, Francesca Jakobi, Chloë Mayer, Shannon Leone Fowler and Haleh Agar. She is passionate about nurturing new voices and enjoys working closely with writers to get their work into the best possible shape to share with publishers.
COURSE SCHEDULE & DELIVERY
You will join 30 students for a two-hour masterclass on Zoom. The class will run from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday 7 May. The schedule is shown in UK time.
Please note that precise dates of sessions and details of course speakers are subject to change.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
7pm–7.10pmPRESENTATION: HOW TO WRITE A ONE-PAGE SYNOPSIS
7.10pm–7.50pmBREAK
7.50–8pmEXAMPLES
8pm–8.30pmTROUBLESHOOTING
8.30pm–9pm
COURSE FEES
The course fee of £65 (inc VAT) per student is payable in full before the masterclass.
Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis – we therefore advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early. We are currently accepting applications to the masterclass running on Tuesday 7 May.
If you’d like to apply, please fill out our application form. If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the masterclass, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
OPTIONAL REPORTS
Students will be given the option to purchase feedback on their synopsis from a CBC editor.
- Synopsis report: For an additional fee of £75, you can obtain detailed feedback on your one-page synopsis after the masterclass. The feedback will comprise in-line comments addressing issues as well as an overview of what’s working well and what could be improved (totalling at least 350 words).
- Submission report: £280 (discounted from £300) for a 1,000-word report providing detailed feedback on your one-page synopsis, pitch letter, and 3,000-word opening. Writing Your Synopsis students will be entitled to £20 off a submission report.
Join CBC editor Jennifer Kerslake for a two-hour Zoom masterclass on how to write a compelling one-page novel synopsis. This course will run on Tues 7 May.
Tutor
Jennifer Kerslake