Writing Synopses

The general consensus among writers is that they all hate writing synopses and they don’t think they do a good job with them. Unfortunately, another general consensus among writers is that they all think skill at writing synopsis is a must if you’re going to make a living from your writing.

In this lesson we will learn to write a synopsis.

WHAT IS A SYNOPSIS?

A synopsis is a narrative summary of your story. A synopsis is NOT a scene-by-scene account of your book.

PURPOSE OF SYNOPSES

1) To capture your story ideas – try free writing. A synopsis can be a tool to capture and clarify your ideas. In free writing, there are no rules. Just write your ideas as they occur. Worry about organizing them later.

2) To get an editor/agent to request your entire manuscript. This synopsis must show the editor/agent that you have a story that fits their guidelines, that your characters are full-bodied, that your story has enough conflict to sustain its length, and that the plot is logical and coherent.

3) Sell your story to an editor – after you have a few books under your belt. Same as previous.

SYNOPSIS STRUCTURE – The Rules

One page of synopsis for every one hundred pages of manuscript

Told in present tense, as if the story is happening now

Now that you know the rules, you can break them.

PARTS OF A SYNOPSIS

THE HOOK. A sentence or two that sums up your basic conflict and grabs the reader’s attention.

PERTINENT BACKSTORY. Only give backstory that needs to be told upfront. It is best to unfold the backstory as you tell your story. Don’t tell anything about your characters that will not be used as part of the plot or as motivation. If you give the backstory upfront, then it should be written in past tense. What happens during the actual story should be written in present tense.

THE CHARACTERS. Introduce the main characters in separate paragraphs. Tell enough information about them to set the stage for the story.

TELL THE STORY. To make it easy for the reader to distinguish the story (what’s happening now) and the backstory (what happened before the story began), use a lead-in similar to

“AWAKENING MERCY opens when. . .” or

“When AWAKENING MERCY starts…” or

“AWAKENING MERCY opens when”

Now start at the beginning and tell the story.

TELL THE STORY

Start at the beginning

The synopsis should move from one plot point to the next. The key here is to pace yourself, telling only the story elements that are important. Plot points, as used here, refer to the key scenes or turning points in the story.

The Opening or Setup

The First Fifth (Plot Point 1, around page 45 of a 400 page manuscript)

The Second Fifth (Plot Point 2, around page 100)

The Third Fifth (Plot Point 3, around page 200)

The Fourth Fifth (Plot Point 4, around page 300)

The Resolution (around page 375)

In your synopsis, you tell THE OPENING, how the characters feel about at the opening, what is happening that changes them, and how those changes lead to PLOT POINT 1. You tell the action at Plot Point 1, how the characters feel about it, how they are changed because of it and how those changes lead to PLOT POINT 2. You tell the action of Plot Point 2, how the characters feel about it, how they are changed because of it, and how those changes lead to PLOT POINT 3. You tell the action of Plot Point 3, how the characters feel about, how they are changed because of it and how those changes lead to PLOT POINT 4. You tell the action of Plot Point 4, how the characters feel about, how they are changed because of it and how those changes lead to THE RESOLUTION. You tell the action of the resolution, how the characters feel about it and how they are changed because of it. Remember that your conflict should build as you move from point to point and that your characters must grow and change.

SYNOPSIS EXAMPLE

I don’t have one that I can share right now but I hope to get one up soon.

MAJOR POINTS TO REMEMBER

Be sure to tell what happened, the characters’ motivations, the characters’ feelings and the overall result.

Your resolution must clearly state how your characters have changed and grown through the course of the story.

ASSIGNMENT

1) Identify the key scenes or plot points for a book you’ve read recently. Write a synopsis of that book.

2) Identify the key scenes or plot points for your novel. Write a synopsis for your novel.