Writing a Novel Synopsis

Rebecca Anne contacted me with this question: When is the best time to write a novel synopsis and how do you construct one?

I actually thought I'd answered that in the Publishing a Novel Section, but I didn't talk about it in any depth. So here goes...

When to Write a Novel Synopsis

You don't actually need a synopsis until the time comes to sell your novel to a publisher or literary agent. It forms part of the package you send to them, along with a covering letter and some sample chapters. And so there is no need to write it until the very end.

Having said that, some people like to write a book synopsis as almost the first thing they do. It acts as a kind of "big picture" of what the novel is about, or something to help them be clear in their own minds where they are going. Of course, the fundamentals of novels are likely to change as they are written and they assume a life of its own, meaning novel synopses have to be altered too. But that's okay.

How to Construct a Novel Synopsis

Imagine a publisher said to you: Tell me what your book is about in 250 words. That is a novel synopsis.

Why 250 words? Because most literary agents and publishers request a 1 page synopsis, double spaced. So you really don't have much room! All you can realistically hope to achieve in that space is an overview of who the principal characters are and what happens to them. And that is it.

A useful way to think about a book synopsis is something similar to the blurb you read on the back of novels, only with a little less hype and a few more facts. In particular, don't think that you can't give the ending away. For the publisher or literary agent, this isn't pleasure but business; they are only interested in determining if your novel might be right for them.

But how do you actually construct one?

If you have already completed your novel, begin by reading it and summarizing the fundamentals of each chapter in a paragraph or two. You should end up with something several pages long.

The next step is to then distill it down to the bare essentials, until you are left with a single page. You simply aren't going to have the room to fit every element of your novel into it, so be bold. Strip out sub plots and minor characters. Ignore some of the less consequential chapters. When you are left with what you believe is essential and it is still too long, you will need to decide which elements are more essential than others.

(By the way, don't throw away your outline of several pages. If the agent is interested in your initial submission, they could well ask for a more detailed novel synopsis, and your chapter by chapter outline will be perfect for this.)

What if you write the synopsis at the beginning, before you have written a word of your novel? Then your job will be easier. You just need to write a broad summary of the main characters and events as you see them (though like I said, these will almost certainly change as the book progresses.)

Bottom line? Put yourself in a publisher's or agent's shoes and ask yourself what information you would require about a novel you knew nothing about - that should help you appreciate that knowing every character in your novel and every step of the plot is unnecessary at this early stage.

And, needless to say, you must give the novel synopsis several coats of polish before sending it off. Poor spelling or grammar could be all it takes for your submission to be mailed right back to you.

Harvey