Your book's synopsis is both a marketing and editing tool

Here's an advice source you didn't expect to see on our blog: the creators of South Park.

Editor and writing coach Allison K. Williams describes Matt Stone and Trey Parker as "brilliant at story structure" in a post about the value of writing your book's synopsis.

Doing so — and doing so with particular criteria in mind — can underscore any weak points in your story, she says.

And that's advice that Stone and Parker have shared regularly.

Head to Jane Friedman's blog to read their method for using a story summary to identify any problems.

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