Literary Festivals - why I think they're worth it

Last week, I had a wonderful excuse to escape the mountain of unpacked boxes still filling my new home, dress up and head into Chester.

On Monday last, as part of the Chester Literature Festival held at the Storyhouse, I met with Curtis Brown literary agent Lucy Morris to go over the opening chapter of my novel and the accompanying synopsis.

The feedback on my chapter was brilliant but what proved to be the most helpful was the discussion of my synopsis. 

I had always played a bit of a guessing game when it came to writing my synopsis, pulling from the information offered by literary agent websites and online writing advice. Talking to Lucy cleared all of that up for me. 

The definition of a synopsis that I grew up with was a break down of a novel's chapters. I knew that this wasn't the case anymore and that an overview of the storyline was preferable but that was as far as my idea of a synopsis went.

Lucy began by asking me to tell her what my novel was about and how it differed from others in a couple of sentences - in essence, an elevator pitch. I've always struggled with this but talking it over with her, she picked out the elements I needed to include.

My synopsis, according to Lucy, should be an expansion of my elevator pitch. Yes, she wanted to know the overview of my storyline with all its secrets, but she also wanted me to introduce the important characters and the story's world, and mention the theme(s) of my novel too. 

She made it very clear how important a well written synopsis is, not only to sell the novel to an agent or publisher, but to showcase another aspect of writing skills.

I'm incredibly lucky to have the Chester Literature Festival on my doorstep each year. Some people have to travel much further afield to attend one but I really think that it's worth the effort and expense. 

It's all too easy to become confused by the mass of writing information out there, both online and in books or magazines. Speaking to a current industry professional, like a literary agent, can paint a much clearer picture. 

I left my meeting with Lucy with not only a clear picture on how to shape my synopsis but with the knowledge that I'm on the right track with my novel too.

Links:

Lucy Morris, Curtis Brown

Chester Literature Festival

Storyhouse