The Dreaded Synopsis

Today we are tackling the Synopsis, in all its forms. Why do I call it “the dreaded Synopsis?” Because for many writers, it’s more of a chore than writing the whole damn book. 

What Is a Synopsis?

A novel synopsis tells your story in condensed form. The Pitch you wrote, or the Hook for your query, are mini-synopses. They are the shortest possible form that encapsulates your story. 

You will need Synopses of various lengths: the Mini, the One-Page, the One-Paragraph, and the Full. The Mini you have covered, if you wrote your Pitch/Logline/Hook. The One-Paragraph is for your query. 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 One?

You need these various lengths because they will be asked of you at various stages of the publishing process. You need your Mini and One-Paragraph versions for the query (or for pitching to an agent or editor at a conference). Agents who you query may want a One-Page or Full along with your partial or full manuscript. They want this to see if you can actually tell a coherent story, with a beginning, middle, and end. 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 One? Who Is It For?

These two questions go together, since they are related. 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 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 it before you start the querying process, so you have it ready to go before an agent asks. Have all four versions: The Full, the One-Page, the One-Paragraph, and the Mini. It may in fact be easiest to write them in that order, refining as you go. 

How Do I Write One? 

Let’s start with the Full. 

1.     You 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.

2.     Use single space, 12-pt font, Times New Roman or similar

3.     You write in the same style and tone of your book, whether that is humorous, dark and edgy, lyrical, etc.

4.     You include every major scene. You briefly describe each character and their relationship to the protagonist as they appear.

5.     You 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.

6.     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.

For the One-Page, it’s similar, only 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. 

For the One-Paragraph, you have to act as though it’s back-jacket or front-flap copy. Which means you really have to condense it down to its essence. It has to convince the agent to read your first pages, or a reader to open your book and start reading. 

For the Mini, your goal is not to tell the whole story, but to intrigue the reader enough to find out more. Again, go back to the lesson on pitches and hooks for details of how to do this right. 

It should go without saying, but take your time with these! You will require many versions before you get them right 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 revise any clunky sentences or unclear passages. Next get other people to read them, preferably people who don’t know your story. Is your Mini (or pitch) compelling? Is the One-Paragraph clear and compelling, or flat and muddled? 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 building to a satisfying conclusion? 

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Having other eyes on your various synopses is absolutely 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, or if you want to save the Paris idea for another book.

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.