You've finished your novel, or you're still writing it and an editor is already asking for a synopsis. Either way, the same question comes up: how do you summarize in one or two pages a story that took you months of work?
Writers often dread this exercise, even though the synopsis is frequently the first document an editor or literary agent reads, before even opening your manuscript. If it doesn't convince them, your novel may never be read.
This guide explains how to write an effective synopsis, with a clear method and concrete examples.
What a synopsis is
A synopsis is a complete, factual summary of your novel, from the first chapter to the last, that tells the whole plot, ending included.
That's what sets it apart from the back-cover blurb, which has to make people want to read without giving away anything decisive. The synopsis reveals everything, the twists, the revelations and the ending, because it's written for publishing professionals, who need to judge the story as a whole.
It has to answer three questions:
- Who is the main character, and what do they want?
- What obstacles stand in their way?
- How is the story resolved?
How long should a synopsis be?
Most editors and agents expect a synopsis of 500 to 800 words, or one to two pages in standard format (Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced).
Here are a few benchmarks:
| Type of text | Synopsis length |
|---|---|
| Short story (10,000 words) | 150 to 250 words |
| Short novel (50,000 words) | 400 to 600 words |
| Standard novel (80,000 words) | 500 to 800 words |
| Saga or long novel (over 120,000 words) | 800 to 1,200 words at most |
If your synopsis runs past 1,000 words, you're probably going into too many subplots, and you're better off refocusing on the main plot.
The seven elements of a good synopsis
1. The starting situation
Introduce your main character, their world and what defines them, focusing on what makes them human, their desires, fears and situation, rather than their appearance.
Example: "Clara, 34, a literary translator in Lyon, has lived alone since her mother's death. She translates mechanically, working on novels she no longer reads for pleasure."
2. The inciting incident
Tell what upsets the character's balance, since that's when the story really begins.
Example: "While translating the last novel of a Japanese author who has disappeared, Clara discovers that the text contains coded messages that seem addressed to her."
3. The stakes and the obstacles
Say what the character risks and what keeps them from their goal, because that's what drives your plot and creates tension.
4. The character's development
Show how the main character changes over the story, so it's clear they aren't the same at the end as at the beginning.
5. The climax
Describe the moment of highest tension, the one where everything tips over, without skimming it, because it's what proves your plot works.
6. The ending
Reveal the ending. This is the golden rule of the synopsis, because an editor needs to know how it ends to judge whether your plot holds together. If you write "to find out what happens, read the novel," your submission will most likely end up in the bin.
7. The tone and the theme
Convey your novel's tone (dark, luminous, ironic) and its theme (grief, freedom, identity) in a sentence. The choice of words is generally enough to get them across, without needing to announce them.
Mistakes that sink a synopsis
Too many characters. Name three or four characters at most, and refer to the others by their role ("her brother," "her colleague").
A style that's too literary. The synopsis is there to show your story, and your prose will be judged on the chapters. Write simply, in the present tense and the third person, leaving out metaphors, dialogue and suspense.
Subplots. Mention the main plot and, if it's essential to understanding, a single subplot, because the rest muddies the picture.
The chapter-by-chapter summary. Unless an editor asks for it, avoid this format, and prefer continuous prose that follows the development of the story.
A missing ending. It can't be said often enough: a synopsis without an ending is incomplete.
A five-step method
Step 1: identify the main plot
Before writing, ask yourself what you'd say if you had to tell your novel in three sentences, since those three sentences will form the skeleton of your synopsis.
Step 2: write a long first draft
Write a summary of about 1,500 words without censoring yourself, as if you were telling the story to a friend, without worrying about form.
Step 3: cut without mercy
Bring the text down to 800 words by deleting every sentence that doesn't move the main plot forward. If a piece of information isn't essential to following the story, it has no place here.
Step 4: check the structure
Reread your synopsis to check that it contains the seven elements: the starting situation, the inciting incident, the stakes, the character's development, the climax, the ending and the tone.
Step 5: have it read by someone who doesn't know your novel
If that person understands the story and wants to read it, your synopsis works.
Synopsis and story plan
You generally write the synopsis after writing the novel, once the story has settled. The story plan, which complements it, comes before, at the design stage: it helps you assign roles (hero, allies, opponents), organize the major steps of the plot and check that the whole holds together.
In Extypis, the story plan offers three frameworks: a simple structure in eight steps, a detailed plan that follows the fifteen beats of Save the Cat, and Dan Harmon's hero's circle. You can link each step to the chapters of your project and so see your whole structure at a glance.
When the time comes to write the synopsis, this plan makes the task much easier, since you only have to follow the key steps you've already identified.
The synopsis in a submission package
A package sent to an editor or agent generally contains:
- a cover letter, saying who you are and why you're contacting them;
- the synopsis, the complete summary of your novel;
- the opening chapters, usually the first 30 to 50 pages;
- an author bio, with your previous publications and any relevant background.
The synopsis is its centerpiece, since it's what convinces the editor that your story holds up before they've read a single line of your prose.
In short
A good synopsis is short (500 to 800 words), complete from beginning to end, written simply and without suspense, and it reveals everything, including the ending. The exercise is difficult, but essential if you're aiming for publication.
Start by identifying your main plot, then write, cut and have it read. If you build your novel with a story plan from the start, the synopsis will almost write itself.
Hubert Giorgi
Author
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