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Methods & process

Synopsis

A complete plot summary — ending included — meant for editors and agents: a working document, not a literary text.

The synopsis summarizes a manuscript's entire plot, ending included: that's its cardinal difference from back-cover copy, which teases without revealing. Aimed at editors and agents, it lets them judge in a few pages whether the story holds — structure, protagonist's arc, the logic of the turns.

Usual conventions: present tense, one to three pages unless specified otherwise, focus on the main line (subplots appear only if they bend the ending). The classic error is styling it: a synopsis isn't a literary text but a building plan — clarity, causality, completeness. Many authors also write one for themselves, as a soundness test before or after the first draft.

Example

"Lea, 34, an art restorer, discovers beneath a varnish…" — and three pages later, the ending is told.

Put it into practice

Extypis is a complete writing studio: narrative outlining, character sheets, repetition analysis, professional exports. Free to start.