First Synopsis

I just completed a rough draft of that dreaded Synopsis. I would start one, then just stop, and say that I would finish it later. Well; later, turned into, almost three years! Yikes, I know right. What was I thinking, right? I really wasn't, I mean-thinking at all. I wanted to avoid this for as long as possible. I did not think that I could get the details written in one to three pages.

I finally sat down and went for it the other day. This is only my rough draft, but I feel that I did well on it. I am touching the surface of what a Synopsis should be. I also found some helpful advice on www.scribendi.com. This site took the fear factor out of writing that Synopsis for me. Let me know what you think, as well as leave me some tips, and much needed advice.

My Motivation

Synopsis

Sandra Waltz is a young woman who is finding it hard to juggle college, work, and social life. At times Sandra feels overwhelmed and burden by the pressure she receives from current boyfriend Keith to party more. He wants her to go out with a group of friends because it’s a Friday night, even though she has to work in the morning. She works most weekends and thought that he understood that her schedule did not allow her to party as much as he did. Seems like the only one who understands, her desire to succeed is Sheila, her college roommate, and a good friend. Sheila never calls her an overachiever or brushes off her dreams when she voices them.

Sandra, Keith, Sheila, and some other friends from college go clubbing at Ghana’s. a nightclub that catered to the local college kids in the area. They met up with Mike and Ralph to of Keith’s buddies, and Candace a female friend of Sheila and her. Not wanting to spoil anyone’s fun watching the clock and worrying about work and school, Sandra joined in on the drinking and dancing. A favorite song of hers came on, not seeing Keith around Sandra chose to get on the dance floor and dance alone.

She was in her own intoxicated world until her ex-boyfriend Blake appeared in front of her. She tried politely, asking, him to go away. When that did not work, she decided to just ignore him. Out of nowhere, Keith approached, and he and Blake had a verbal altercation on the dance floor. After Blake was escorted away; Keith became angry and distant, blaming her for Blake’s actions.

Sandra was stunned and hurt when Keith took her friend Candace on the dance floor during a slow song. As they disappeared among the dancers, she decided to go get another drink and process all that had happened. Keith and Candace made out on the dance floor like they were alone, not realizing that Sandra stood a few feet away watching them.

The tension was thick on the car ride home. Sandra had not confronted Keith yet; she wanted to make it to the safety of her building, room before saying anything. As she ignored Keith’s attempts to talk to her, she thought about her own decision making, somehow it always led to bad choices on her part.

In high school, she dated the leading jock because it was expected by her friends, and especially her family. Blake would punch and hit her, whenever he was unhappy about something. Which usually was everything around him; especially, her. For a long time, she never said a word; she was too scared of losing her friends, and have her family get upset with her. She would just cover the bruises and fake being happy to be his girlfriend.

Senior year, Sandra finally, built up the courage to break up with Blake. She had to deal with bullying, harassment, and verbal abuse from those who she thought were her friends but were really not her friends. Even though she was scared, she stuck to her goal of freedom away from Blake. With the help of her grandparents and a school counselor she was finally free, or so she thought. Until one Friday evening, Blake caught her at her grandparents’ house alone and tried to beat her to death. Her grandparents coming home early saved her life.

Sandra didn’t know where the strength came from; she broke up with Keith in the car on the way home. Keith was so angry that Sandra wanted to end their relationship. He felt that she gave him no real reason, like his opinion, and words did not matter. Sandra would not let him explain his side, she just wanted to be free of him. She walked away without looking back! Later, in the morning, Sandra called in sick and stayed in bed. It was her first time missing a day from work in two years, and she did not like. She felt that she had no control over her own life.

As the evening was turning into night, Sandra was walking back to her building after running some errands. She was attacked and raped by an unknown assailant. Deciding that she would not let one more thing set her back; not her rape, or the birth of her daughter Alyssa, Sandra packed up and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia.

Where a new job awaited and a new life would begin for her and her daughter Alyssa, who she calls her motivation. Sandra made a decision that other people actions would no longer control how she lived.

Note: My fear of failing to write a decent Synopsis limited me and held me back! Fear can stop you from attempting new things in life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with failure. Failure is how we learn and grow. I just told one of my kids that its okay to fall and fail; the key is to learn from it, get the hell back-up, and start again. This time bigger, better, and wiser!

I am just saying!

SBWC will dedicate a workshop to the dreaded Synopsis, coming soon...