What is a synopsis?
A synopsis is a shortened version of your novel from beginning to end. It is more detailed than the blurb you will read at the back of the book. At times, writing a synopsis can be harder than writing an actual novel.
It should be written in the tone of your novel, a feat I find near impossible when trying to condense my stories into one page!
As I’ve mentioned before, writing synopses is not my forte. I find condensing my novel into one page tedious. To make like easier I myself. I split it into bite-sized, colour-coded chunks. Once I am satisfied with my synopsis chunk, I’ll change the font colour to black.
Tips for writing a synopsis
- Write in the third person, present tense.
- State how the story ends. Never write an open-ended synopsis.
- Use single-spacing with a 12-point font.
- Include all the main characters.
- You don’t have to include the subplots in your synopsis, just the main story-line is enough.
If you’re planning to submit your novel to literary agents be prepared and have the following to hand:
- A cover letter
- A outline of your novel
- A one page synopsis (a page and one quarter is supposedly okay).
- A half a page synopsis
- A full synopsis. You should start out with a full synopsis and then edit it to half a page, and finally a paragraph
- A biography
What is an outline?
I have never been asked to provide an outline. However, some overseas agents will ask for them. Of course, if you are writing non-fiction, a novel outline is a must, and you will normally have drawn one up prior to starting your book.
An outline is where you give a breakdown of you novel chapter by chapter. If you’re a writer who prepares a detailed outline of your story before writing it, providing an outline to a prospective literary agent or publisher shouldn’t be a problem.
If like me, you tend to plough straight into your story, you should write an outline as you go along. Always think about the next chapter and write a few sentences about what’s going to happen, even if you don’t stick to it, you can always change it later.
Biography S.K. Holder was born in Kent. She currently resides in Essex. She graduated from the London Metropolitan University with a degree in Social Sciences & Computer Studies. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators.