How to Write a Good Synopsis—and Why

Every writer’s fantasy: an opportunity to write a soulless summary of the book whose intricate nuances you’ve slaved over [insert number of months/years], glossing over all the twists and turns, and giving a dumbed-down version or a cheat sheet of all your insights. Yes. What’s not to love?

This is how most writers feel about the synopsis. Unfortunately, they’re making several understandable mistakes. First, they’re comparing the synopsis with the book as a work of literature. In that regard, a synopsis is likely to feel tepid. Would you rather watch the movie or read the IMDB description? I’m not going to argue which one feels more full.

For another, they’re assuming that writing a synopsis is a pointless exercise. Just read the book. Aha, but the synopsis is not for the reader who’ll find your title at the local bookstore. The synopsis is for the people who will help you get your book to the local bookstore—if you do it right.

The synopsis is also for you, the writer.

So what is a synopsis, and why should you care about creating a good one?

What a synopsis is & who it’s for

A synopsis is basically a summary of what happens in your book. This includes what you might consider spoilers. It should clearly communicate your genre, tone, voice, and essential story arc (fiction/memoir) or big takeaway (nonfiction).

If someone didn’t have time to read your book and needed to know what happens, the synopsis would tell them.

It’s meant to be brief. Expectations have shifted over time, and as you might guess, we are trending shorter these days. Try for 1-2 single spaced pages (read the submission guidelines for where you want to send it for details on formatting first).

The synopsis is not for your end readers.

Traditionally, a synopsis is for an agent or publisher. If you want a book deal with a publishing house, you’ll need to sell these people on your book, and they hear from tons of authors like you, every day. They don’t have time to read every manuscript that crosses their desk, but you can get them interested in yours.

The same is true if you are planning to self-publish and you are shopping for editors. We need to know your story so we know how we can help you. (Or if we want to.)

A good synopsis is the fast track into your story. You may have spent months or years in that universe, but we’re only getting introduced now. It’s in your interest to get us there as quickly as possible.

A synopsis is good for the writer, too

In order to reach your audience effectively, you need to know all the dirty details of how your book works.

You might whine about writing a synopsis, but this task provides lots of benefits for you beyond finding an editor/agent/publisher, such as:

• Assisting in revision
• Shaping your story idea
• Finding plot holes or logic gaps
• Identifying stakes; identifying your audience
• Jump starting your marketing

A synopsis is jam-packed with information. And since this is a no-frills document, you’ll have an easier time spotting what’s going on…and what is lacking.

Creating a synopsis for fiction & memoir

People argue about many details of the synopsis. The following are good basic rules to live by:

1. Include the beginning, the middle, and the end of your story.
2. Tell us about your protagonist, their motivating want or need, what’s at stake, and whether s/he succeeds or fails.
3. Stick with main plot points and characters.
4. Keep it short and sweet. If you’re writing epic fiction, you may need more space, but remember your primary audience is under time constraints.
5. Include only information that moves the plot forward. No frills! That’s what the book is for.
6. Include character feelings and emotions—but unlike in your book, tell, don’t show.
7. Don’t use subheadings or break the synopsis into sections. Make it feel like one short chapter.
8. Aim for intriguing.
9. Clarity over wordiness.

Creating a synopsis for nonfiction

Nonfiction writers often have a leg up on fiction and memoir writers when it comes to the synopsis. This is because you have a table of contents with chapter titles.

1. Describe the big argument (topic/problem), and solution.
2. Tell us who it’s for and why it’s important.
3. What will readers learn?
4. Use your chapter titles (and possibly subtitles) to lay out the progression of your ideas.
5. Include why you decided to write this book. Are you an expert in a particular field? Were you motivated to research this topic because of specific events in your life?
6. What sets your book apart from others on the same topic?
7. Again, keep it short and sweet.

Keep the soul

The synopsis should read like a story in miniature—your story. Remember that I said you should clearly communicate your tone and voice. If your book is meant to be humorous, your synopsis should reflect that. If it’s meant to be thrilling, same deal.

“Cynthia kicked the ball. Lucy caught it before it went in the net. Then she restarted the play,” is about as interesting to read as a microwave use manual (apologies to the technical writers who put these together). “No matter how hard she tried, when Cynthia kicked the ball, she could never get it past the third grade’s most savvy goalie, Lucy,” is much better. This gives us the action, the conflict, Cynthia’s emotional state, and important information on Lucy (she’s a great goalie).

Don’t be mechanical. Remember you are using the synopsis to recruit people to help you—an editor to help you polish, an agent to help you sell, etc. If we’re bored out of our minds, how inspired do you think we’ll get? You don’t need to be fancy; that’s what you’re doing in the book. But you do need to thoughtfully introduce us to the story that means so much to you.

The Bottom Line

A synopsis is a short, clear summary which highlights the emotional stakes of your book. It’s a tool to recruit editors, agents, or publishers. It’s also a great tool for story development. Do you want help making your book the best it can be? Invest the time in creating an engaging synopsis.

Creating a synopsis doesn’t have to be a soulless exercise. CC image “writing” courtesy of Paul Sableman on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

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