I've written my first one-page synopsis for THE FAKE MCCOY. It's the first one-page synopsis I've written in my life, in fact. (Previous attempts were 1.5 pages or more.)
It's the weirdest thing. This sheet of paper here sums up my story sort of, but it leaves out most of the story. I kind of hate it that most of the major characters don't even get mentioned!
If anyone is willing to read and offer feedback, I will appreciate it. I'm not looking for grammar stuff or even sentence smoothing ideas at this point. This is my first pass and I'm not even sure if this is the angle I want to take with it. This makes it look like The Story of a Boy Who Quits Drinking. Which, it is. But there is much more than that. But that stuff doesn't fit on one page! I'll probably try to make the next draft "voicier" if I decide to keep this.
Please let me know if you find holes, confusing parts, extraneous stuff, etc. Thanks in advance!
Edit: Also, would it be better if Carr isn't mentioned until paragraph 5? I added his name into earlier parts so he wouldn't seem to come out of nowhere, but now I'm wondering if that's just silly.
The Fake McCoy
Sixteen-year-old SETH MCCOY doesn’t care much for the “trailer trash” label he gets from people like CARR, but he does agree that he has only one thing going for him: he can play the hell out of a bass. Getting drunk before every gig with The Real McCoys used to help Seth keep his stage fright in check and, in fact, was his way of coping with everything shitty in his life. But finding his friend, ISAAC, dead after a night of partying led Seth to give up alcohol.
It’s been two months. Seth's band is getting more recognition and booking decent shows, but he's struggling. When his brother—the front man—announces that they’ve been offered an opening slot on a tour, Seth’s reaction is to panic rather than get excited. He hates letting everyone down now that they’ve come this far, but he feels that quitting the band is his only shot at staying sober. Giving little explanation, he leaves them scrambling to find a new bassist.
When XANDER from school asks Seth to join his band a short time later, Seth isn’t sure he wants to get involved in a new project. But these guys—although skilled musicians—are inexperienced, laid back, and seem to be in no hurry to play live shows. That is exactly what Seth needs right now, so he agrees to play with them.
Meanwhile, Seth starts spending time with a girl whom Carr is infatuated with, ROSETTA. Seth and Rosetta seem as different as two people can be. She lives on Rich Bitch Hill; he’s from Riverside Trailer Park. She’s a brainiac; his report card has more ‘Ds’ than a Victoria Secret model’s lingerie drawer. But as they start confiding in each other, they discover they are both suffering from intense guilt. Seth, because he saw Isaac passed out on his back that night, but didn’t think to turn him on his side which resulted in Isaac suffocating on puke and dying. Rosetta, because she was driving when a drunk driver crashed into her car and killed her parents. She’s been diagnosed with motorphobia and hasn’t ridden in a motor vehicle since the accident.
When Xander books a gig in town, Seth freaks and asks Rosetta in all seriousness whether he should give up the band or the sobriety. She tells him she believes he can keep both. As Seth and Rosetta make plans to overcome their fears together, they fall for each other. But then jealous Carr leads Rosetta to believe that Seth betrayed her trust. Seth confronts Carr and gets a black eye and a five-day suspension from school. Having lost Rosetta and the fight, Seth gets drunk. As he’s on the ground, puking in the very spot where Isaac died, he has a moment of clarity: this isn’t what he wants to be doing with his life. This isn’t who he wants to be.
After sobering up, Seth goes to Xander and the guys and tells them about his stage fright. They are supportive and try to work out a way that Seth can perform with less anxiety. Later, Seth goes to a party, hoping to find Rosetta so they can fix things. Instead, he finds Carr, passed out on the floor. Seth starts to walk away, but then goes back and turns Carr onto his side.
At the gig, Seth gets onstage, nervous as hell, but ready to do this. He sees Rosetta in the crowd, smiling up at him. After everything, she still came to support him. Seth smiles back at her, feeling hopeful that they’ll be able to work it out. And then he starts to play.
