Everything You Need to Know About Writing the Dreaded Synopsis
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
Why do I call it “the dreaded Synopsis?” Because for many writers, it’s more of a chore than writing the whole damn book. People generally hate writing them, but with the practice you’ve had writing the logline and the mini-synopsis for the query letter, this should feel easier. Right?
Not necessarily.
What Is a Synopsis?
A novel synopsis tells your story in condensed form. You will need synopses of various lengths: the Mini (for your query letter), the One-Page, and the Full. The Mini you have covered, if you wrote your query draft. The One-Page is your entire story told in one page, around 250-300 words. The Full is your entire story, with most of the details, told in 3-5 pages max.
Why do I need all these synopses?
You need these various lengths because they will be asked of you at various stages of the publishing process. Agents you query may want a One-Page or Full along with your partial or full manuscript. They want to see if you can actually tell a coherent story, with a beginning, middle, and end, with engaging characters and a strong narrative arc.
Do you have an Action Arc and an Emotional Arc that make sense, and entwine throughout the story in a cause-and-effect trajectory? Is the ending clear and satisfying? An agent can tell from reading your synopsis if the beginning is not compelling, if the middle sags, if there is no clear point to the story, and if the ending is too predictable or doesn’t answer any of the questions posed at the beginning.
When do I write the synopsis?
You can write a synopsis at any stage:
Before you write your story, as a way to make sure your idea hangs together
In the middle, to see what you have so far and where you need to go
After the first draft, to identify gaps in the plot, scenes that don’t make sense, characters that disappear or can be combined, and so on. This is where you want to do a Full Synopsis, for sure. This will not be your final synopsis, however. It will change as you revise your novel.
Before you send your novel out to an agent. I recommend writing both the One-Page and the Full before you start the querying process, so you have it ready to go before an agent asks.
How so I write a synopsis?
Let’s start with the Full.
Write it in 3rd person present, regardless of the point of view or tense of your book. I get all kinds of pushback from writers on this, but I assure you, it’s standard. Unless a particular agent or editor asks for something different, do it this way.
Use single space, 12-pt font, Times New Roman.
Write in the same style and tone of your book, whether that is humorous, dark and edgy, lyrical, etc.
Include every major scene. Briefly describe each character and their relationship to the protagonist as they appear.
Give away the ending! The reader must be able to tell if your story reaches a satisfactory conclusion. Don’t try to be clever and leave them guessing.
The story’s momentum should come through. If it’s a dull recitation of “this happens, and then this happens,” it’s a signal you’ve got it very wrong in the actual writing of the book. For every scene, it should be clear WHO is acting and WHY they are doing it. Does the story have narrative drive, with one thing building to the next? If not, better to find it out now.
The One-Page is similar, except you have to cut it down to only the major tentpole scenes. This can be tricky, since as soon as you start cutting, you will be tempted to think “but this scene doesn’t make sense unless the reader knows this happened in that other scene…” and soon you’re in a muddle, trying to cram everything in. If it helps, summarize your story aloud, as if to a friend. You’re not going to tell every detail, just the main points that get the story across. Now write that summary down.
It should go without saying, but take your time with these! You may require many versions before you get them down and make them sparkle.
Also, you will be the worst judge of how well they do their jobs. Start by reading them aloud to yourself, and many problems will become apparent.
Next, get other people to read them, preferably people who don’t know your story. Does your One-Page make sense? How about your Full? Where is it confusing or dull? Are there inexplicable gaps in the story? Characters who disappear? Is the main character clear, present, and taking action? Is there a cause-and-effect trajectory, building to a satisfying conclusion?
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Having other eyes on your synopses is crucial. These people don’t have to be writers. In fact, people who aren’t invested in what you are trying to do, but who can see what you’ve actually done, are ideal.
However, beware if they try to change your story. You are bound to have someone who says, “I think Simone should be with Jeff instead of Harry.” Or, “I know! Maybe Simone should move to Paris!” Make it clear the kinds of questions you are asking – maybe even give them a checklist or guidelines – and politely smile if they mention anything else (unless of course you think sending Simone to Paris is a fabulous idea and why didn’t I think of that? That is exactly what this book needs! Even then, think long and hard about whether you want to rewrite the book to send Simone to Paris.
The lesson here is, don’t dread the Synopsis, in any form! It’s not just a hoop to jump through. It can help you understand your story better, and sell it to an agent. If you break it down from its longest to it shortest form, you will have a variety of ways to tell your story, and be ready to go when that agent emails wanting to see more.
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