How to Write a Synopsis

A synopsis is a brief summary of your story.  It’s usually meant for an agent, editor, or publisher, and the idea is to capture your reader’s attention while laying out the main thrust of the story.

A synopsis should be a page or two, no more, and sketch out the storyline—central elements only—and introduce the key characters. It should be written as if the story is viewed from on high instead of in the trenches where you actually wrote it. It’s the big picture that you want, never mind all that exquisite detail that you worked so hard to achieve. And it is always, no exceptions, written in omniscient present tense.

The synopsis opens with a line or few lines that function both as hook and pitch. Ideally, you establish interest and put the story across in 25 words or less. I wrote one recently where my opening was 68 words, but I justified it on the grounds that it set the scene, time and place, identified the main character, and set up the conflict—and so, I feel I got pretty good bang for my 68 words.

Once you’ve got your opener, the next paragraphs flesh it out. The central challenge in writing the synopsis is what to put in and what to leave out. The central conflict, the hero’s motives, the tension that drives the story and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat—these are the things to highlight. Minor plots points, supporting characters, and too much color, too much description, can drag it down—death.

It should flow effortlessly like a silk scarf through the hand. No hitches, no deviations.

Think of it as a movie trailer, sketched out on paper. Trailers never tell you why you’ll like the movie. They simply set a tone of suspense and intimacy. They characterize at once what kind of story we’re talking about, bait the hook, flash the main character, and feature the important, exciting parts, which make us gasp and say, “Wow. I need to see that!” And then they’re gone: short enough to leave you wanting more.

Finally, when it comes to your closing paragraphs, some say that the rules of practice require that a synopsis must tell the entire story—start to finish—but I’ve been known to break with this. While it is important to convey that you certainly know the ending of your book, that you’ve got it all worked out and fully written, it is also okay to withhold the very last of the information, so as not to be a spoiler.

Are you depriving your reader of information that he will need to know to assess your project?  Yes, but—if you’ve done your job well, that reader will be back. He will have been drawn into the tale, a strong impression made, and will want to read the book to learn the rest.

Photo credit: movie maker – Chris Greene, sxc; film – Alexandre Saes