[Teresa Edgerton]

Entry #2

And no, I won't be doing this every day. (I hear a gusty sigh of relief from everyone who said they would read this thread.) But when looking through some old papers today, searching for something else entirely, I came across materials from various writing seminars I've conducted over the years, and I thought that it might be appropriate to post them here, from time to time.

I'm starting with this one, because the subject is one that comes up fairly often here on the forums.

On Writing the Synopsis

I know this is an area of considerable confusion and distress for new writers who are just getting ready to send off their manuscripts to agents or publishers. But, in fact, the mechanics of writing a good synopsis are not mysterious at all.

When I sent out my first novel, agents and publishers often asked for a three page synopsis. Today, they’re more likely to ask for two pages, or one. Try to give them exactly what they want, but if your book is particularly long and complicated, and you just can’t condense it that far, you might possibly get away with another quarter page. Just keep in mind that this is a test of your writing skill. Can you be succinct when you have to be?

Here are a few pointers:

Many books on writing tell you to write the synopsis in the present tense. No, I don’t know why, and no, it’s not a requirement. But because most synopses are written that way, I believe it helps the agent or editor slip into another mind-set: one programmed to evaluate the synopsis as a synopsis, rather than as a finished piece of writing.

You have to pack as much meaning and emotion and power into as few words as possible, so go for colorful, dramatic phrasing. The general rule about “showing” versus “telling” does not apply here.

If you can, include a few short bits of dialogue, a small amount of description. (This applies more to the two or three page synopsis than to the one-pager, where you may not have room). For instance, instead of simply saying, “she refuses his offer,” you put in an abbreviated version of what she actually does say. This brings the character to life and conveys some of the flavor of the novel.

The form of the synopsis should go something like this:

Set the scene (briefly). Leave out the philosophical ramblings on the nature of evil, cut the cosmology (unless it’s really, really important for understanding the action), don’t begin with a question or a series of questions.

Introduce, in a few sentences, your main characters and the most important conflicts and difficulties they face at or near the beginning of the story.

Describe the major movements of the main plot line, including any important plot twists, setbacks, or sudden reverses of fortune (so that the agent or editor can see that the plot is a dynamic one, rather than one that just plods along from incident to incident). Leave out (or, if you must, briefly summarize) everything else, including all the sub-plots. If you try to tell too much, you run the risk of sounding incoherent. Concentrate on what matters.

DO give a clear idea of how the book ends, and don't annoy the agent or editor with coy hints. This doesn't mean that you have to give away all of your secrets or spoil all the surprises, but he or she will want to see that you are able to bring your story to a logical conclusion, or at least (if it’s the first book in a saga spanning several volumes) to a logical stopping place.

If it is part of a multi-volume series, you may want to include a very brief summary of the other books, but on a separate page.


Oh, and don’t worry if the story sounds a tad implausible written as a synopsis. The plots of some of the greatest books in the world sound equally unlikely when given the same treatment. Editors and agents know this, and know how to evaluate the synopsis accordingly. The most important thing that you need to convey, in just one or two pages, is that your book has engaging characters caught up in a compelling story line.


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©2007