Writing a Synopsis

 Now I had an idea for my space themed drama (click here for more on that) I needed to write a synopsis to present my idea. 

This is what I had so far:

How to spend your last minute on earth:

• astronomer- too infatuated with the asteroid to notice his pets desperate to say goodbye (obsession)
• writer- finally finishing the last sentence of their life-long novel (completion)
• mother- plating up her children’s final meal (their favourite food) for the last time (denial)
• robber- trying to grab their stuff to go rob (greed)

I already had a brief idea for the characters, so next I fleshed them out more, giving them personalities and jobs. 

In the end, this is the synopsis I wrote:

It’s on the news, it’s all over the news, it’s all over everything. NASA has announced a meteor is soaring through space in a direct line with earth. This is the end, and there’s only one minute to go.

Edgar is an astronomer, obsessed and infatuated with the stars. Here, through his telescope, is a front-row seat to the most awaited scene of the century. He spends his last-minute gripping his telescope and gazing into space. His dog cowers at his ankles. He ignores the end with obsession.

Lisa is a 35-year-old single mother of two, she is tired and worn out. As far as she is concerned, this Monday night is the same as any other. She pulls the chicken nuggets out the oven and plates them up with peas, placing them on the table in front of her children for the last time. She fights the end with denial.

Miranda is a writer, dedicated to her life’s work. She sits at her desk, the news blaring in the background, scenes of space on every monitor. Her fingers continue tapping away at her keyboard. With each click she is closer to the end, her novel open on the screen. She taps the final full stop with hesitation and sits back. She faces the end with completion.

Billie has never played fair, yet he has never had it easy. With the announcement of what was hurtling through space, he fumbles in a panic, grabbing at bags and his keys, avoiding the texts and calls blowing up on his phone. Watching the scenes outside with glee. Everyone is distracted, no one is paying attention. There are no rules. He neglects the end with greed.

Four friends, each too distracted with their own compulsions to say goodbye.

For the name, I used a thesaurus to look up synonyms for apocalypse, catastrophe, etc but in the end I decided to focus on the idea of the four stories and named it Loose Ends.