Tips on writing a strong synopsis
Writing a synopsis often feels harder than writing a novel. Just because it’s short, doesn’t mean it’s easy. On the contrary, a synopsis is a slippery little bugger that just won’t do what you want it to do. So here are some tips to help you, followed by the synopsis for a teen comedy I wrote a few years ago and found representation for.
(See my previous post on how to write a strong covering letter, and watch this space for my next post on the variety of responses that manuscript received from publishers.)
Your synopsis should be no longer than one side of A4 in length. Make sure you follow each agency’s individual guidelines on how to set it out. If the guidelines don’t go into detail, I’d opt for 1.5 line spacing and an 11 or 12 point font such as Times or Arial. (Tip: Times New Roman will allow you to squeeze a few more precious words onto that page than Arial.)
Don’t know where to start? Then start with a one or two line summary, including the genre. Eg: Inspired by the siege at Waco in the early 1990s, After The Fire is a drama about a teenage girl searching for the truth while trapped inside a deeply paranoid community.
Remember to include the era and setting of your story, whether it takes place in medieval Paris, modern day Sydney, a futuristic Delhi, or long, long ago in the remote Kingdom of Zogfaldia.
Next, draw up a list of 8 to 10 bullet points, each one listing a key plot point. When I used to work as a sub-editor on various TV guides, each week we’d be sent the forthcoming plotlines for all the TV soaps. A whole week’s worth of Coronation Street would be presented to us something like this (I can’t remember the names and actual stories, so this is just a made up example):
Tracy tells Deirdre she’s pregnant but won’t reveal who the father is. She swears Deidre to secrecy. Deidre suspects Dev is the father. Meanwhile Rosie and Fizz have already worked out what Tracy’s secret is, and a vengeful Rosie knows who the father is and just who to tell.
Keep it simple and to the point. You don’t need to include every sub-plot and every character – just the main ones.
Each time you introduce a new character, put their name in CAPITALS. Your protagonist should be introduced early on – it’s their story, after all.
While not all agents read synopses, and some might choose not to read to the end of your synopsis, most tend to ask that you include the ending. In my synopsis below, I don’t give away the entire ending, but you get the gist.
Insert line breaks between paragraphs – it makes it more digestible. There’s nothing more off-putting than a wall of solid text. If you “haven’t got room” for line breaks, then in the name of Edward Scissorhands, cut something. You just need to be ruthless and axe a line or two of the least important details. Also you can probably simplify and shorten some sentences by deleting unnecessary words, like this.
Try to capture the tone of your novel in your synopsis, if you can. If your novel is a comedy, bring a hint of that humour into a sentence or two.
Your synopsis doesn’t have to be perfect – it just has to demonstrate you’ve thought your plot through. The agent will see from your opening chapter how strong your writing is.
When you’ve finished, take a few hours’ break to refresh your burnt-out brain cells and knackered eyeballs, and then PROOFREAD the little bugger!
The Reinvention of Rolo Rawlings
SYNOPSIS
The Reinvention of Rolo Rawlings is a coming-of-age comedy drama about finding courage, confidence and forgiveness – with a whodunnit twist.
After his older half-sister LACEY humiliates him at the local pool, 14-year-old budding herpetologist* Roland Rawlings (or ROLO as he’d rather be called) sets out some goals:
1) bring about his evil, fame-hungry sister’s downfall; 2) win the heart of mysterious new girl MATTIE; 3) shake off the nickname Kermit and gain some respect at school, and 4) find out what his dad COLIN was doing up a derelict old mill before he fell and ended up in a coma.
As time passes, Rolo grows more convinced that his dad was pushed from the mill, and that the person who pushed him was guitarist JIM, Lacey’s dad – who seems intent on getting back together with their mum, LIZ. While Colin’s condition shows no signs of improving, Liz tries to keep everyone buoyed up, but something’s troubling her. Rolo wonders if she’s come to the same conclusion as he has about Jim, but in fact, she’s got a different theory – and it’s not one she can share with Rolo.
Meanwhile, Rolo’s attempts to impress Mattie (who’s also hotly pursued by his nemesis JENSON) repeatedly end in failure. But while he eventually succeeds in getting her to notice him, there are a few things Rolo has yet to notice about her – her partial deafness for one, and her sexuality for another. Rolo fails to win Mattie’s affections, but stands to gain a wonderful friendship – providing they’re able to forgive each other for the mistakes they’ve made.
While his dad’s life hangs in the balance, Rolo’s forced to look at why he and his sister have become so bitter towards each other. Their warfare reaches a tipping point after Rolo’s latest revenge prank goes wrong and Lacey ends up in A&E. And when he misreads a cue for a kiss with Mattie, Rolo wonders how his life could possibly get any worse.
At his lowest ebb, Rolo realises that if he wants to gain respect, he’ll need to step out of his comfort zone and make amends. So when Mattie is publicly outed by Jenson, Rolo rushes to her defence. And when Lacey’s boyfriend CURT lets her down and her hopes of winning the school talent contest are shattered, Rolo offers to take Curt’s place as her partner on stage.
But when Colin eventually recovers and the mystery of what happened up at the old mill is revealed, it turns out that Mattie has known the truth all along.
*someone who studies reptiles and amphibians