Okay my dear fellow and struggling writers I am going to attempt the impossible:

How to Write A Synopsis

I know I’ve researched this subject over and over again however no one is very clear on how to do it and what to include. I’ve written a few versions from my two WIP’s and I have to say my last synopsis I am truly proud of. Plus some agents require a Synopsis-brief or detailed-when you query which limits your book’s potential if you don’t have one. I want us all to succeed because my goodness we wrap our lives around the worlds we create or laugh at something we plan to put inside our writing. Bear with me, I am by no means an expert, but I will feel way better going in the weekend if I helped even one person see the light at the end of this horrid dark tunnel.

First off what is a Synopsis?
I’m not gonna give you a long definition here. It’s a summary of the book. Plain and Simple. It includes the major characters ONLY and the main plot(s) with an accurate detail or blurb. I like the idea of making the Synopsis a giant book blurb, only telling what it important to move the story. Oh and yes, the ending is included. Now even though you’ll explain the ending or what will happen in the ending, it won’t give away the feel and emotion behind it so don’t fret thinking they know my whole book so why bother to read it? You have to capture their curiosity and interest with flow.

First Things First:
It should be written in Third Person, Present Tense. Think of it as a narrative piece and try to capture the same style of feeling as your MS is written in. If a brief (considered one page) single spaced with a line break between each paragraph. If a detailed (anywhere from 2-10 pages) consider double space with indentations for every paragraph along with a header of your last name, title, and page number in the upper left hand corner.

You start off with a hook. Some prefer a rhetorical question that pertains to their work, others like to introduce the MC with a special power or flaw that proves to be their strong point. I suggest modifying the same hook you used for your query. BY modifying I mean to exaggerate if you can.

Example: Curious George is always curious and it gets him into trouble.
Change to: Curious George is a fun loving monkey with one minor flaw, he’s curious and it always leads to trouble.

Setting. Most people can tell what time frame things are happening in, but if your the master of a new world, you should tie that in.

Examples: In the future Pluto becomes our new Earth where MC…
When MC finds a new world called Narnia in an enchanted wardrobe…
Harry Potter discovers a new magical world hiding within our own when he goes…

Order. This is so important, tell your story like it unfolds in your book. Chronological order is key as you tell the important points of the story that LEAD to the main plot. I need people to know why the man in the big yellow hat has a monkey.

Examples: George was taken in by a man in a big yellow hat.

Change to: George was adopted by a man in the big yellow hat and by doing so saves him from living in a zoo. The man is very nice and treats George like a member of the family. The man is sometimes too trusting leaving George all on his own when he runs errands and learns a dire lesson.

Aha! See how that last example leads back to the opening hook? George is all on his own giving him the chance to let his curiosity take over and get him into trouble. Let’s keep going.

Strife or Resolution. What does your MC have to do or overcome, maybe even figure out? Do some clues lead them there? What things are needed to accomplish this mission or crime? Is their life at stake if they fail?

Example: When the man leaves George at home all alone in the house, he thought nothing bad could happen. George can’t resist to touch the medicine cabinet with the magical surface that beams his reflection. His interest leads him to open the cupboard and finds his owner’s Vicodin pills. Unknown to what the bottle contains George tries everything to open it and succeeds when he twists it off with his teeth and empties the contents into his mouth, chewing a high dosage with fatal risks.

Ending. This has to sum up everything you tried to explain and fit together with a possible outcome to make it realistic. Does the MC succeed or fail? Did they die trying to slay the dragon or overcome the alien invasion? Did they learn anything valuable?

Example: The man was sitting in his car when he remembered he wasn’t wearing his favorite yellow hat. He returned to the house and when George did not greet him, he knew something was wrong. George was passed out on the bathroom floor with his empty pain pills. The man has to act fast to save George and make him well again. After giving George CPR and calling a local exotic veterinarian, George becomes stable and conscious and realizes George needs to be watched more carefully.

Let’s piece it together.

Curious George with Vicodin (Title of your work)

Brief Synopsis (Let them know if brief or detailed)

CURIOUS GEORGE (The caps is when you first introduce main characters, do it only once a new name is brought in) is a fun loving monkey with one minor flaw, he’s curious and it always leads to trouble. George was adopted by a MAN (the other MC introduced) in the big yellow hat and by doing so saves him from living in a zoo. The man is very nice and treats George like a member of the family. The man is sometimes too trusting leaving George all on his own when he runs errands and learns a dire lesson.

When the man leaves George at home all alone in the house, he thought nothing bad could happen. George can’t resist to touch the medicine cabinet with the magical surface that beams his reflection. His interest leads him to open the cupboard and finds his owner’s Vicodin pills. Unknown to what the bottle contains George tries everything to open it and succeeds when he twists it with his teeth and empties the contents into his mouth, chewing a high dosage with fatal risks.

The man was sitting in his car when he remembered he wasn’t wearing his favorite yellow hat. He returned to the house and when George did not greet him, he knows something is wrong. George was passed out on the bathroom floor with his empty bottle of pain pills. The man has to act fast to save George and make him well again. After giving George CPR and calling a local exotic veterinarian for help, George becomes stable and conscious and the man realizes George needs to be watched more closely.

THE END!
There you have it-a nice little synopsis. Introduces the characters and how they are, shows the plot of the story, and the resolution. If you have to do a detailed synopsis, you can go further in depth with plots and possible sub-plots if they contribute to the main plot. Only include characters whom are vital with the main part of the story.

See? It’s not so bad is it?

Sara Tribble

Sara is a young aspiring writer who writes in a variety of genres and loves every minute of it, minus revisions to novels, those are her worse demons. She’s the Publishing Assistant at Flash Me Magazine (welcomes new and established writers to submit their flash stories of all genres) and helps out with editing/responding to submissions. Some of her short stories have appeared in Flashshot, Static Movement, and Young Writers America. She continues to write short stories on the side hoping her publications will pay off when querying agents and publishers. You can check her blog at: http://saratribble.blogspot.com/

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