Tips On Writing A Synopsis
Tips on writing a synopsis
You can write the synopsis either before you write your novel, or after, but as I’m sure you are aware, you really should not submit fiction to an agent or publisher until the entire novel is written.
Before giving tips on the nuts and bolts of writing the synopsis, it’s worth spending a few moments questioning who the synopsis is for and what they actually require.
Many agents and publishers ask for a synopsis of no more than a single page, others are more generous and will allow between two and five pages. So, before you begin, your first port of call should be the submission guidelines. If the target competition, publisher or agent allows several pages, why make your task harder by keeping it to a single page?
Getting it down on paper
Okay, so we now assume you know how long the synopsis needs to be and we can move on to the actual writing of it.
The thought of sitting down and condensing an entire novel is always daunting, even for experienced authors, but it needn’t be. Break the task down and approach it step by step.
One of the best methods is to sit down with your manuscript and a notepad. Note down the significant events and which characters appear in each chapter, so that you have the entire book in summary. Look out for the various themes and make a note of them – this knowledge will be invaluable when you get down to the synopsis itself.
If you haven’t yet written the novel in its entirety, but need a synopsis (perhaps to submit to a competition) you should write a full outline of the plot, taking as many pages as necessary to do so. Break this outline down into chapters and then follow the steps below.
Turning the chapter outlines into a synopsis
Once you have a chapter by chapter outline of the book you can pick out the important aspects which need to go in the synopsis. While doing this, don’t forget that you have to entice the synopsis reader, so make sure you include plenty of conflict and show how the story and characters are driven as a result of this.
Something many writers do is to imagine you are with friends at a party and you want to describe a film you saw the night before. You couldn’t give an account of every second of the film, and would only give the bare bones of the story. But you would certainly include all the exciting and/or moving aspects of the film, leaving your friends wishing that they hadn’t missed out on the experience. This is what you are aiming for in a synopsis. The bare bones, but told in such a way that the person reading the synopsis can’t wait to read the novel.
If you bear the above paragraph in mind, you’ll realise you do not have to mention every character in the book, but you must include all the important ones. Similarly, you do not need to detail every twist and turn of the plot, but you must show clearly what the book is about, the highs and lows of the story, what is at stake for the main characters, and how they deal with the plot shifts.
Do make sure the storyline follows a logical sequence and comes to a satisfactory conclusion. Unless the guidelines state otherwise, always give the ending of the novel. Apart from anything else, this shows the agent and/or publisher you have worked through the plotline and ironed out any hitches.
Use your voice
When you come to write the synopsis, use the same style you’ve used throughout the book, always bearing in mind that this could be the first and only chance you get to show off your own unique voice. If the novel is humorous, use humour. If the book is a rollercoaster thriller, then so should the synopsis be. If the setting is unusual or in some way affects the plot, include a few lines to show this.
Open with a hook which will grab the reader’s attention and show the main characters’ emotions and motivations, including any information that is absolutely necessary (don’t try to tell the reader everything). Make the conclusion seem even more exciting by using shorter sentences.
You need the synopsis to come alive, so write with feeling. This is a condensed account of your novel, and you need to lavish as much care on it as you did the full length version.
Stick to the length in the guidelines
Synopsis too long? Don’t think you can send three pages when the guidelines ask for one. That will only ensure a speedy rejection. Go through the synopsis again and again removing all the unnecessary detail and cutting out adverbs and adjectives. Put it away for a week at least between pruning sessions. You need to come at it with fresh eyes each time. When it is the right length, give it to a trusted friend to read (preferably one who hasn’t read the book) to make sure it is clear and easy to follow.
Layout
Start your synopsis by putting your name and novel information in the top left-hand corner of the page as shown below. When submitting to a competition you should omit your name (unless the competition guidelines state otherwise).
Author: Lorraine Mace
Title: Retriever of Souls
Word length: 84,000 words
Genre: Crime/Psychological Thriller
Or, if writing for children:
Name: Lorraine Mace
Title: Vlad the Inhaler
Word Length: 42,000 words
Genre and age group: Adventure, fantasy and humour, aimed at 8-12yrs
Formatting
Use single line spacing. Block the first paragraph to the left and indent all subsequent paragraphs. Write only in the present tense, using the third person, even if your novel is written in first person. Each time you introduce a new character, put their name in capitals, but revert to lower case thereafter.
An example of the correct layout and formatting follows:
Author: Lorraine Mace
Title: Retriever of Souls
Word length: 84,000 words
Genre: Crime/Psychological Thriller
The prostitutes of Bradchester are the targets of a sexually repressed Catholic. Stopping the killer is Detective Inspector PAOLO STERLING’s number one priority, but it’s not his only problem. After his younger daughter is killed by a drunk driver, his relationships with his wife and other daughter, KATY, suffer. Although he loves his wife, in his grief, he has a brief affair with forensic pathologist, BARBARA ROYSTON.
More prostitutes die and suspicion falls on several men. To complicate matters, Paolo has known four of them since his school days: FRANK AZZOPARDI, a Maltese pimp, LARRY GORDON, a regular with one of the dead prostitutes, FATHER GREGORY, Katy’s English teacher, who is fighting his sexual desires and Frank Azzopardi’s solicitor, MATTHEW ROBERTS. Paolo also has his doubts about DAVE JOHNSON, his misogynistic detective sergeant, whose womanising covers up his impotence.
Matthew Roberts is incensed when told one of the victims was seen getting into his car. He gives a voluntary DNA sample. This proves he isn’t the killer, but shows it has to be a sibling. Adopted as a toddler, he tells Paolo he has no idea if he has any brothers.
The murder of a prostitute in Liverpool ten months earlier is linked to their killer, so Paolo sends his team to investigate. The prostitute’s DNA shows she is Matthew Roberts’ biological mother. She has another son, SEAN ANDREWS, who disappeared at the time of the murder. Convinced Sean is the killer, Paolo instigates a nationwide television campaign to find him.
Sean’s ex-girlfriend contacts Paolo. She believes in his innocence and gives Paolo Sean’s mobile number, telling him Sean left Liverpool after making contact with Matthew. The number matches one on Matthew’s phone records.
LEANNA RICHARDSON, ex-girlfriend of Matthew, also sees the television appeal. She contacts her close friend Barbara Royston and tells her about some genetic testing that she and Matthew took part in during their university days. This leads Barbara to believe that Matthew might be a Chimera, someone who has two closely related, but different, sets of DNA. She calls Paolo and tells him that Matthew could be the killer.
Katy, meanwhile, believes Father Gregory is the killer. She knows he works with prostitutes so goes to the red light district hoping to find evidence to give to her father. Matthew picks her up with the intention of ‘saving’ her soul, refusing to believe she isn’t there to turn tricks. She manages to call Paolo before Matthew takes her phone away.
Paolo is terrified he won’t arrive in time to save Katy. When he and Dave get to Matthew’s remote holiday cottage they hear screaming. Breaking down the door, they find Katy tied to the bed and Matthew, dressed as a priest, straddling her body.
Matthew boasts about killing the prostitutes, including his biological mother. He believes God gave him two sets of DNA so that the ‘other one’ in him could punish whores. He also admits killing his brother, saying Sean was tainted because he was the son of a prostitute and it was the only way to save his soul.
Paolo and Dave finally forge the basis of a working partnership. If only Paolo could sort out his personal problems, his life would be complete. But with his wife now his ex-wife and his daughter suffering from the trauma of Matthew’s attack, the future is not going to be easy.
RETRIEVER OF SOULS, the first in a series featuring D.I. Paolo Sterling, works equally well as a standalone novel.
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When not working on her best-selling D.I. Sterling series, Lorraine Mace is engaged in many writing-related activities. She is a columnist for both Writing Magazine and Writers’ Forum and is head judge for Writers’ Forum monthly fiction competitions. A tutor for Writers Bureau, she also runs her own private critique and author mentoring service.
Find her at:
Website: www.lorrainemace.com
Blog: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.mace.52
Rage and Retribution
Can two wrongs ever make a right?
A man is found by the side of a canal, comatose and brutally attacked.
It quickly becomes clear that someone is abducting men and subjecting them to horrific acts of torture. After three days they’re released, fighting for their lives and refusing to speak.
A councillor is accused of fraud.
Montague Mason is an upstanding member of the community. That is until he’s publicly accused of stealing the youth centre’s funds – an accusation that threatens to rip through the very heart of the community and expose his best-kept secret. But how far would he go to protect himself?
Two cases. One deadly answer.
As the two cases collide, D.I. Paolo Sterling finds he has more questions than answers. And, when torture escalates to murder, he suddenly finds himself in a race against time to find the killer and put an end to the depravity – once and for all.
‘A dark, cleverly plotted tale . . . I was gripped from the opening scene and raced through the book to its final, shocking ending. Crime writing at its very best‘ Sheila Bugler
‘Gritty, topical, sometimes lacerating, but always enthralling. A truly compulsive read‘ Abbie Frost
Lorraine Mace brings us the fourth instalment in her dark, gritty and shocking series featuring DI Paolo Sterling – perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen and Mo Hayder.
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Category: How To and Tips
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