WRITING A BOOK SYNOPSIS

This entry is written to help writers who wish to write a novel or non-fiction book. If you're a budding writer, I hope it helps you.

Building your book up from your synopsis is important simply because you won’t become side-tracked by too much detail as initially, you don’t know all the details of your plot. This lack of complication means your synopsis will have more clarity.

Writing a synopsis is an organic process which always reminds me of building a house. Imagine building a house when you have no idea what it’s going to look like? The end result is going to look very peculiar with rooms sticking out at odd angles. That’s what your book is going to look like if you have no initial plan. Of course, when you get to know your characters fully, the book will probably take on a life of its own and there is no reason you have to follow your initial synopsis exactly; simply rewrite the synopsis to reflect the changes. However, if you start with a firm foundation, your book is going to be far more structured.  

So What Exactly is a Synopsis?

1) It's a narrative summary of the main ideas in your book.

2) It's written in present tense and should be easy to read.

3) It's written in third person.

4) It's written in the same style your book is written in.  If your book is light-hearted, then your synopsis should be too. If your book is dark, literary, ghostly or comic, your synopsis should reflect this style.

5) The synopsis introduces your main characters and their main conflicts. This is often where writers get weighed down with too much complicated detail. Keep the details clear, interesting and easy to read.  Don’t include every character or every scene, plot point, or subplot in your synopsis.

6. Synopses should a] show a clear idea as to what your book is about, b] introduce the major characters c] show the problems your main characters face and what they stand to lose if they don’t overcome them. [ If no one has any obstacles to overcome, you haven’t created any tension.]

7) Make sure that one paragraph flows logically to the next. If you are switching ideas, you need to make sure you build in a transition to connect your paragraphs.

8) There are conflicting views on whether you should put the conclusion of your book in your synopsis.  Some agents and editors want to know exactly how you conclude your story; however, others like to be ‘teased’. If an agent states clearly on his/her website that they hate ‘teaser’ endings, don’t use them. Give an agent  exactly what s/he wants.

  

9. The only way to improve your synopsis-writing ability is by reading other people’s and constant rewriting your own. One of my students spent four months rewriting his synopsis before it was ready to be sent out to a publisher. The result: his book was published in 2012 because he spent almost as much effort on writing the synopsis as writing his novel.  

10. Make sure that you write your synopsis so it gives an accurate picture of your book. I.e. Be careful you don’t write a scintillating synopsis which bears no relationship to your book!  [I have read a lot like that and understandably, agents hate them.]

11. Synopses are usually (but not always) one page long and single spaced. [Unless an agent specifically asks for everything to be double-spaced.] Make your paragraphs short so that they are easy to read.

12.  Write differing length synopses: a one paragraph ‘blurb’ which hooks the reader immediately; a half pager and a full pager. Write as many versions as you can before the symptoms of insanity start creeping in.

Synopsis Checklist

• Have you used the present tense?

• Does the opening paragraph have a hook to keep the reader reading?

• Are your main characters' conflicts clearly defined?

• Have you ensured that the reader can relate to some characters and worry about their problems?

• Have you resolved the important conflicts?

• Have you avoided grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes?

NB. Writing a good synopsis is as important as writing a good book because it’s a selling tool to agents and publishers. They will want to read the synopsis first and if yours isn’t good, your book will never be read. That’s how important writing a good synopsis is.

© Linda M. James.  2014