Write a winning synopsis

You’ve written a whole novel or screenplay – how is it that a couple of paragraphs, the dreaded synopsis, can be so complicated? Love it or loathe it, the synopsis is an important piece of writing that can help you get published, have a screenplay optioned or make the shortlist of the next Adaptable/Publishable/Scriptable competition.

So what exactly makes a great synopsis? A good place to start answering this question is by looking at where writers go wrong. From the hundreds of synopses we’ve read, here are a few common mistakes that writers make.

First, there’s the ‘and then’ synopsis that reads like a shopping list of plot points – and then this happens and then that happens and then something else happens. You get the idea. Of course, telling the reader what happens in your story is a necessary function of the synopsis, but is isn’t a chapter-by-chapter retelling. Only focus on the arc of the main character(s) and how they develop and change, not just the mechanics of moving from point a to b to c.

Second, the synopsis should focus solely on the story. Don’t try to slip in details of your motivation for writing it or any other personal details. A synopsis has one job to do – tell the reader what’s at the heart of your story. And, if done well, your personality and values will shine through.

Third, going over the word limit. Nobody’s going to worry about a word or two either side of the limit but try to get as close as possible. You might think it’s impossible to succinctly explain your story within the word limit, but if you can’t, you could be sending a message that you either don’t know your story well enough or that you don’t have the writing skills for the job. If you’re entering a competition, remember that readers will be going through possibly hundreds of entries. You want your writing to stand out in people’s minds, not that you didn’t follow the rules.

Now that you know some of the common mistakes to avoid, what exactly are you aiming to achieve to make your synopsis great? Here are some elements to consider. Does your synopsis give the reader an idea of the following?

1.      Genre and theme. What is your story really about? It might be a simple love story, but the themes that interest you will have affected the way you’ve written it and made it uniquely yours. Use powerful genre-evoking words: fighting for their lives, secret forbidden love, a gruesome murder, a life-shattering diagnosis.

2.      Who are your main characters? Stick to the key players. What is unique about them? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Find a way of telling the reader in the voice of the novel rather than listing traits.

3.      What is the conflict? The force of antagonism. The obstacles in the way of your character’s goals. What makes the stakes high for your characters? What is at risk?

4.      What sets the story in motion and keeps it going? This might start with your inciting incident – the event that changes your character’s world forever – but what is going to drive the momentum of this story?

If you don’t think your synopsis covers these things maybe it’s time to start workshopping. Read everything you can on writing a synopsis, take a course, talk it over with a writing group. Be sure to use active voice and try to write your synopsis in the style of your manuscript.

Think of your synopsis as a snapshot. Just as a great image can capture powerful emotions, your synopsis should do the same for your manuscript whether it’s 1-2 paragraphs or pages