| Re: Synopses
I depends on the agent or the editor; often, whatever listing or website tells you how to contact them will also tell you what to send them.
When I was starting out, most US publishers were asking for three pages, but a few only wanted one. Now, from what I understand, most seem to be asking for the one page outline (although my own agent asks for two pages).
While you are in synopsis-writing mode, it might be useful to write one, two, and three page outlines, so you'll be prepared. (It will also be good practice for boiling the plot down.)
In all cases, just stick with telling the story, and the basic (and most interesting) things someone needs to know about the world and the characters. Concentrate on events that make a coherent storyline; you don't have to -- and indeed don't have room to -- describe every interesting thing that happens. As Jon says, it's not an advertisement; allow the editor or agent to see for his or herself what it is that makes your story and your characters special without coming right out and telling them how thrilling it all is. But I always heighten the language a bit, to get maximum impact with a minimum of words.
But those pages of character profiles and the like that you hear about, they're just tools that some people find useful during the writing process; not everybody uses them. But whether you find them useful or not, they have no place in what you send out. |