Sunday, December 4, 2011

A Synopsis Checklist


Graphic from College Hills
My #wipmadness goal this month is to write one of these devilish synopses. Before diving in, I did some fervent Googling and unearthed a wealth of helpful posts, from which I'll be lifting. Now to lay out my findings.

This is a checklist, not a how-to. Writers should follow-up by reading the cited articles. The two in blue are required reading, IMO. For simplicity, I'm using authors' initials. See References for details. 

Last caveat: The following relates specifically to the agent-querying package.

A Synopsis Checklist
  1. Format. 3-5 pages max; double-spaced; 1-inch margins; name, title, contact info on first page; last name, shortened title and page numbers on following pages, just like the MS. (JR) 
  2. Tense and POV. 3rd person present. As with queries, some synopses have successfully broken this rule, but in general, it's wise to play it safe. (MG)
  3. Purpose. Your synopsis should show... (JF) 
    • "That the author hasn't gone off in some weird direction that doesn't make sense or suit the targeted genre." 
    • "What makes your story different by how the plot progresses." i.e. Show key selling points.
  4. M.O. Modus Operandi. This nasty bastard  should...
    • Distill plot and conflict to major points, turning points, and characters readers care about. (JR)
    • Avoid character soup. (ST) 
    • Convey a sense of building doom and escalating trouble. (JH)
    • Keep tension alive. Use paragraph breaks as cliffhangers. (ST)
    • Mimic book jacket copy. (NB)
    • Entice. Read aloud, graf by graf, to a friend. Ask where it bores. (MG)
    • Be readable. Easy to scan? Lots of white space, no long blocks of text? (CG)
  5. Style
    • Simplicity. Plot level to sentence level, keep it easy to digest. (ST) 
    • Infuse the synopsis with your book's spirit and tone. Steal phrases indigenous to your story world. (See article by ST)
Final remarks:

On the one hand, relax. Most writers hate the synopsis, and most agents and editors do too. They'll be forgiving. On the other hand, this is a chance to show that your logic, character development, and world building is impeccable. Enjoy the chance to preen a little under the scrutiny and spotlight.

Good luck!
--Lora


References:

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for sending me the link to this post! I'm definitely saving this in my favorites for when I get to the synopsis writing in a month or so =D

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  2. Great info. Synopses can be daunting. A checklist is a great way to approach the process. Thanks for the post. I'll definitely be using this in the future.

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  3. I am so in love with you right now. ;) Thank you, this is great!

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  4. May I add one bit of unsolicited advice? Keep it simple. Your story consists of a beginning, a middle, and an end. Three paragraphs. ^_^

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  5. Great post, Lora! Very succinct and helpful. (My God, I had synopses...)

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  6. The reminder about long blocks of text is actually quite useful :). Kisses Lora.

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  7. Thanks for stopping by, Juliana, Rhen, Charlie!

    So, yeah, I wrote this post and tried to write my own bloody synopsis and failed miserably. Knowledge isn't always power, I guess. Good luck with yours!

    Angelina, Love it. Simplicity is key.

    Unikorna, Yes, I need to remember that one myself :) ((Hugs!))

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  8. Thanks for this! I'm saving it in my favorites for when that unenviable time comes. :0

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  9. You always give the best advice! Now I have to go take a look at my various synopses. I haven't revised them in a year even though I've added layers to my manuscript. Thanks, Lora!!

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