How writing your synopsis will help your novel

So like a lot of people, I've left off writing my synopsis till the very end. Why? Because at that point you're supposed to know all the nitty gritty details of your novel, and at the early stages you're still at the crafting stage.

It doesn't matter if you're a plotter or a pantser. Even if you plot out all the details beforehand, I wouldn't be surprised if your story took a different turn. It happens, and that's the beauty of writing a manuscript. It takes you as the author down different avenues you never would have explored, and it's up to you and your characters to find your way out again.

Writing the synopsis can help. If you're halfway through, three quarters through, sitting down and writing that synopsis of your work in progress will  help focus your thoughts, nail down the details and leave you with a draft that needs work but is the skeleton of a story.

I'd start with a standard opening:

In this world, MAIN CHARACTER is (facing some issue).

Here's mine: The story begins with CRYSTAL (POV) whose romantic interest ALRIC is flirtatiously teasing her about her poor taste in men and how now that she has accepted her gift of seeing ghosts, she must start to develop her talents. He turns Crystal’s antagonistic attitude against her and challenges her to help track down a child whom their seer has seen will go missing. Crystal agrees to prove she can do it. 

Remember, a synopsis should be dull, dry and full of all the spoilers. I'd start by getting as far along writing this as you can. Even if you're adding way too much detail and subplots go for it, you can always take them out later.

I find this has really helped me identify plot holes and loose ends in my work. Things I thought I had concluded and hammered out, nope. Try writing the synopsis and see how it helps you. You might be surprised.

Cheers
ELJ