I think putting together a synopsis for a novel is one of the most challenging aspects of writing for ‘new’ writers. Even practised writers still find it difficult. How are we expected to sum up a story that it has already taken us around 90,000 words to tell in only a page or two?
There are numerous methods and techniques out in the either of the web that can help you write a synopsis, and most of these are centred around the various basic story structures that should come together to form a novel. No matter how unique your story or approach, every novel should have some form of structure that allows a reader to follow the narrative. Knowing what it is can support the writing of a synopsis and help clarify your answer to the question: What’s your novel about?
Here are a few that I’ve been finding useful*:
- If you need to be taken through every step – maybe because you aren’t clear on your plot, or like to be thorough – try How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel by Glen C. Strathy. This is a Seven Step Programme that will help you identify all of the key points for both the emotional aspects and main arc of your plot
- If you feel that you have a good grasp of your story and characters, Synopsis Writing Made Easy by James Scott Bell might be better for you. This is a good paragraph by paragraph guide to synopsis writing that starts out with the premise of your novel in just one sentence!
- Another blogger who suggests starting with the pitch line is Anne R Allen. Her post on The Secret to Writing the Dreaded Synopsis…and its Little Friends: the Hook, Logline, and Pitch is a good breakdown with some sentence pluggers to start you off.
- I also really like How to Write a One-Page Synopsis, written by Amanda Patterson. This is a great, quick reference to the synopsis writing process – providing you know your main plot points.
- Finally, I had an excellent recommendation from a friend who suggested I check out Dan Wells’ Seven Point Story Structure, recommended by the Self Publishing Toolkit. Not only do they offer worksheets to get you started, but Dan also has some awesome videos on YouTube (Part 1/5 here).
You can also try to sum up what your novel is about using the following outline. It’s a very simple way to get a couple of sentences that represent your story and impress those people in your life who insist they want to know what your novel is all about:
This novel is a [GENRE] about [THEME], told by [CHARACTER] (and set in [TIME & PLACE]). [CHARACTER] wants [GOAL] because [MOTIVATION] but [CONFLICT] means [STAKES] is at risk.
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* It should be noted that if you’re writing a synopsis for querying always check the submission guidelines to see what the agent/publisher expects.