Writing a good synopsis

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I used to think that synopses were evil, soulless things (even worse than the Dreaded Query Letter). I used to think that they sucked all the life from the novel, reducing it to a list of 'and then and then and then'-s, and that they were pure drudgery to write. Now, however, I am a fan. I really am. I still think they're devilishly difficult to write, but I also think they are immensely helpful as both a personal writing tool (keeping track of the big picture) and as a way to market your book to potential agents and editors.

At the moment, I am finding my synopsis to be a really useful part of the revision process. I'm essentially rewriting my work-in-progress (as I did with my previous book - it seems that I have to finish a first draft before I say "Oh, so that's the story I was trying to tell." I wish I didn't work that way, but it seems I do). My style of plotting is similar to my style of navigation. I start out with great enthusiasm in the general direction of my goal. I get horribly lost. I stop and consult my map, and work out my route. I start out with great enthusiasm (again). I get lost (again). I stop and consult my map ... and so it goes on. At least doing this with my story doesn't waste any petrol!

So, to over-extend this metaphor, my synopsis is my map. It is a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline that lists all of the major events in the story. It is also a fluid document rather than a locked one: as I work through the rewrites I come across new and better solutions from time to time, and so I change the synopsis to reflect them. It acts as my big picture. I'm a details person, as evidenced by my colour-coded clothing and love of filing, and I need something that reminds me of my larger goal.

If you are still searching for an agent and publisher, however, or are promoting a new book, a synopsis is a marketing tool, and has different requirements. There is no one 'right' way to write a synopsis - as with everything in this business, different things work for different people - but I thought I would compile a list of some points that I find helpful.

The basics

A synopsis needs to cover all the important plot points and describe the story clearly and well, while also being a good read. It has to be clear, well-organised and coherent. It also has to be engaging, entertaining and lively. Your synopsis should be a sample of your writing, not just a bland summary of events that could have been written by anyone. Your voice has to come through.

Make sure that you are focusing on the important plot points, and not on details that may be wonderful in the actual book but are just going to confuse and bore people in the synopsis. If a minor character makes a brief but hilarious appearance before disappearing, never to be seen again, that's perfectly fine - but don't include it in the synopsis. I have to be very conscious of this when I'm summarising, because I have a tendency to get hung up on the details. It is not really important for the reader to know that your main character is wearing a purple sweater, unless that purple sweater turns out to be a Magic Sweater that will save the world by the end of the book.

Make it exciting

Imagine you have just seen a really amazing movie, and you're describing it to a friend who isn't sure whether they should go and see it on the big screen. You loved it, and you have to convince them. That will give you some sense of the tone you need.

Add local colour

I think that, if your book has a really distinctive tone, some of that should come through in the synopsis (and in the query letter, but that's another story). If you are writing a comic novel and the 2,000-word synopsis is a yawn, that does not bode well for the 80,000 - 100,000 words of the supposedly hilarious actual book. That is not to say that you should write your synopsis exactly as you wrote your novel - it serves a different purpose, after all - but that some of the flavour of your book should come through.

Edit, edit, edit

This goes for everything you write, really - even emails! I was always hugely paranoid about emails I sent to agents and editors, because a spelling or grammatical error (while unlikely to tip the scales one way or the other), does not look good. You are meant to be an expert wielder of the language, after all. If your synopsis is riddled with errors, that is going to ring alarm bells.

Ask someone else to read it

Give it to someone else to read: or, even better, read it out loud to someone. That way you will both pick out the problems. If you stop and they say, "What happens next?", you've done a good job. If they say, "This doesn't make sense," then thank them profusely and make sure it's clear, because you can be sure that an agent or editor would be thinking the same thing. You know your own story so well that it's easy to skim over the gaps and leaps of logic: someone else's input is crucial.

A good test is to let your friend read the synopsis (or read it to them), and then to ask them to tell you the plot, as they understood it. If you have written a good synopsis, they should be able to give you a pretty clear, comprehensive summary of what happens in your book. If they get confused and leave out important points, get back to work.

Hopefully helpful points

• The synopsis should always be in present tense ('the aliens land, and John meets with their leader' rather than 'the aliens landed, and John met with their leader.') It should also be from the omniscient author's point of view: do not write in first person, even if your book is written in first person.
• When a character makes his or her first appearance, it is customary to print his or her name in capitals. Only once, though! After that, write it normally.
• You have to tell the whole story in the synopsis. Even if your story has a surprise-twist ending. No cliff-hangers!
• Format the synopsis as you would format your manuscript. It's a good idea to double-space it, as this makes it easier to read.
• It's difficult to say exactly how long a synopsis should be, as opinions vary. Generally, the shorter, the better, but I have seen some attempts at one-page plot summaries that make no sense at all because there simply isn't room for all that happens. I try to keep mine between two and four pages (double-spaced), but that's not an Unbreakable Rule of Doom, it's just my own personal preference. Of course, if an agent or publisher has requested a specific length, then go with that.
• I sometimes start the synopsis with a quote from the book, to give it a bit of flavour.
• Many people swear by The Snowflake Method. I find some of its points helpful, but I would start chewing off my own fingers if I followed it to the letter. That's just my opinion, though, and it may work wonders for you.
• This goes for everything that you submit to an agent or editor, but make sure that your name, the title of your work (with the word 'synopsis' mentioned, too) and the page number appears on every page.

Synopsis checklist

• Is it interesting?
• Does it make sense?
• Have you covered all the major plot points?
• Is the conflict clear?
• Do you get a sense of who the characters are, and do you care about them?
• Has someone else read over it?
• Is it free of spelling and grammatical errors?
• Is it correctly formatted?

Once you've done all this, pour yourself a stiff drink (or break open a bar of chocolate). You've earned it!