About Writing Synopses

Everyone hates writing synopses, which frankly I don’t get – I love ‘em. Writing a six to ten page summary is much easier than writing the other three or four hundred other pages, right? When I had to write my first synopsis, I just looked at one example a friend gave me to get the general idea, then I went at it. From what my editor and several published writers told me, I am a good synopsis writer (maybe that is a natural extension of enjoying writing them) so I thought I would post some food for thought about writing syns here. I hope you find it useful.

My thoughts on Writing Synopsis:

There are two basic synopses writing situations. Before I published, I wrote the entire book and then wrote the synopsis. However, now that I am published, I am learning to write synopses as a selling tool – before I write a book, or when I only have 3-4 chapters complete (and in the case of a series, that is only 3-4 chapters of the first book – the others are only planned in the synopsis). These are two entirely different writing experiences. I would recommend you practice both – write your synopsis before, during, and after you have written your book. Not only will this help you learn to write synopses, it will help you get more comfortable with writing them at different stages of the writing process.

Other general bits of advice:

• Don’t think of your synopsis as a summary, think of it as a story in and of itself – it needs to entertain, engage, and communicate.
• Read other short forms and think about how they work – even try to copy them – a children’s book or a fairy tale, a newspaper column or an editorial – how do they begin and end? How could you tell your book as a bedtime story or as a tale around the fireplace or to friends around the dining room table? How would you write it as a newspaper article?
• Read it out loud to someone who will listen – does it sound stiff and forced, or does it sound like a story in itself? Were they entertained? Did you stumble over spots? Why?
• Decide how you will organize your synopsis: will you focus on characters or plot? You will have to include both, of course, but you can organize your synopsis according to either one. For instance, you may primarily outline the plot and explain the characters actions and growth through the action, or you might introduce the characters as if you were introducing one friend to another and then show how through certain things that happen in your story they grow and change.
• Make sure the logic of your story is clear in the synopsis. How do all the parts fit together? Your book is a 75,000-100,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, and your synopsis is a 2000 (approximately) piece puzzle that will show the same picture – make sure none of the pieces are missing. You have to ask the same questions as you do while writing your book –if you have gaps, fix them.
• Write a “back cover blurb” and use it as your opening paragraph.
• Make sure it’s clear what kind of story you are writing – if it is a romance, focus on the romance and the relationship. If it is a thriller, focus on the action, etc. The wrong focus will really kill your synopsis, because it may indicate your story is not well-focused either.
• Don’t try to make your synopsis sound like everyone else’s – your synopsis doesn’t just tell your story, it shows the editor your writing style – my synopses sound like me. Yours should sound like you. Following a template or pattern will not allow you to show off your style to an editor. (I went to a workshop where someone said “this is how you write a synopsis: one paragraph on this, two on that, then wrap it up” -- please! How boring! Do you really want your syn sounding and looking exactly the same as everyone else’s??? Don’t be afraid to stand out!)
• If you are writing a synopsis with a partial on the book you haven’t finished, make sure you can finish. While you can deviate from the initial description of a book somewhat (none of my synopses end the way the books actually ended up ending, for example) a synopsis is, among other things, a promise. Make sure you can keep it.

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