World building. It’s what creators are about. So much of the creative process is about ordering chaos, organizing a universe of outlaw ideas and imaginations that naturally want to drift off into space. That’s what ideas do, they drift. It’s all they know how to do. They’re ideas after all. But, as artists, our job is to capture, organize, and anchor them in substance so they can speak to us. So they can speak to others.
As writers, a starting place for this exercise in organization should usually be the synopsis. Now, I know there’s an ongoing discussion out there about whether writers should outline their stories or simply let the characters write the story for them as the action unfolds. I’m not interested in that discussion right now, though we’ll probably talk about that in another post. I’m talking about the broad brush ideas and progression of your story, a sort of Google maps for your fiction that lays out the story dots on the page and attempts to connect them.
There are lots of ways to write a synopsis. I mean, Google “how to write a book synopsis” and you’ll get 28 million results. I doubt there are that many ways to write a synopsis, but there are a lot. But the truth is there is no right way, though really good synopses have a few key elements that you do not want to leave out. Here’s what I think makes a good synopsis:
Length
I think a good length to aim for is 2 pages that are 1.5 spaced. This is just a personal preference, so you can experiment with what works for you or the agent you’re pitching. I’m a big fan of cover copy of books. My guess is that you probably are, too. If my wife would let me, I could spend hours in a bookstore just reading cover copy and the opening lines of novels. Brevity is a talent, and it’s one you have to develop. Less is more sometimes. The synopsis is one of those times. So I want you to think along those lines.
Story Arc
Synopses are about the forest, not the trees. Again, think cover copy. Your synopsis should cover the whole story, introduce the main characters of a story, their relationships together, the overall arc of the action and what’s at stake. Don’t worry about writing a sentence or two for each chapter. Forget that for now. Think in terms of how the pieces fit and flow together and try to write it succinctly and seamlessly. (Yeah, I know. Easy, right?)
Hook & Resolution
Thankfully, publishers rarely spill the beans on the story’s climax or resolution in the cover copy. Let me put your mind at ease right now that it’s OK to include your story’s hook, climax, and resolution in the synopsis. In fact, it should be in there. Your synopsis is like “story lite” but you still need the ending encapsulated. Granted, your story will change as your write it. Guaranteed. But this is a good starting place.
So there you have it. Synopsis is more art than science, and you’ll find the exercise of writing it to be hard and thrilling at once because you’re crystallizing your thoughts, organizing them. After all, isn’t that what creators do, bring order out of chaos?
This is so helpful! I’m a very detailed oriented person, so naturally, my synopsis usually end up 10 pages long.
You are right, writing a synopsis is an art that has to be developed. It’s so nice to have someone on the “inside” giving help, insight, and even a little wisdom for those of us who are approaching it for the first time. Thank you.
21.09.2009, 10:19 amYou’re welcome, Josh. I tend to get bogged down in detail, too. So it’s a good reminder. Sometimes the big picture is the most important one. Happy writing, man. And thanks for stopping by so often. I’m really glad you’re here.
21.09.2009, 10:29 amI agree with Joshua, thanks for providing “intelligence from the inside.” You’re like a spy in the publishing world, not just providing insight, but explaining elements with encouragement and understanding. I have written only one synopsis thus far in my illustrious career (HA!) and it was perhaps the most difficult writing exercise I’ve had to do.
There are lots of places we (new writers) can go to get information on writing and the publishing world that is provided with a guarded disposition or even arrogance and negativity. Thanks for not being one of those places.
21.09.2009, 12:55 pmThanks for writing this, Kevin. I’m new to your blog and I’m really enjoying it! (I shook your hand at the 2009 Gathering. You remember, right? [grin] ).
I’ve been working on my synopsis. Probably read half of those 28 million ‘how to’ results.
Thinking in these terms has really helped: 1) the main character’s inner journey; 2) the book’s organic three-act structure; and 3) the power of the theme. I wrote a paragraph on each (three for the three-act structure), and it came out to be about three pages. Now it’s trimming time!
Thank you again, Kevin!
Caleb
21.09.2009, 1:03 pmI really appreciate that Frank (and Joshua). This is my only chance to be a spy, so I have to make the most of it, right? I’ll keep doing my best to give all you guys information that is helpful and will get you one step closer to the kind of writer you want to be. Thanks for being a part of this relatively small community. It means a lot.
21.09.2009, 1:24 pmHey Caleb…I’m glad you’re hanging out here. It’s good to have you. I love how you’ve divided it up: inner journey, 3 act structure, theme (“superstory”). Boiling it down like that is a fantastic exercise because it really gets you thinking about what makes your story work. Trim away, my friend, because less is usually more and secret sauces are best when cooked down.
21.09.2009, 1:27 pmI am sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but I have been working on a story lately and I wasn’t exactly sure about this. Should I write the synopsis for my story before I start the actual writing. Like get down on paper what I envision to happen before I start the actual writing?
21.09.2009, 3:32 pmHey David…I think it would be a good idea to get it down, especially if you’re talking about anything over short story length. It will help you keep the destination in mind. Think of it this way–I live in Nashville, but let’s say I want to drive to Denver. There are lots of ways to get to Denver from here, but I can’t make good choices about my direction unless I know where I want to go. Make sense? So, my answer would be “yes”.
21.09.2009, 10:12 pmAwesome. Thank you so much. That is going to be the next thing I do before I write another word… and yes! It makes perfect sense!
22.09.2009, 10:28 amHey Kevin, thanks heaps for this. I’ve tried and failed miserably at writing a decent synopsis before; this is really helpful.
25.09.2009, 8:42 pmThanks again!