Key Components for Your Synopsis

This is your pitch, your foot in the door description of your article and/or novel that will allow the editor to understand the full concept from beginning to end without further explanation. This will give them a taste of your writing skill and must be as well written as your story.  This is a key component for any writer and must be done with all the talent and eloquence you can gather.

How long should your synopsis be?  It will depend on the submission guidelines.  If they only want 1-2 pages, then that’s what you submit.  If they don’t give any specific length, than a good rule to follow is, 1-2 pages per every 50 pages of your manuscript.  If you are submitting for an article, no more than one page should be sufficient.

Now the big question…how do I pack a 300-page manuscript into 12 double-spaced pages?  Here’s where you get to be creative.  The synopsis should read like your novel, telling the story, but just not as wordy.  Here are a few tips on how to summarize your novel.
​Jot down a list of the ten most important scenes in your story, remembering the strong hook.List your main characters, those with strong points of view, and try to limit no more than 4-8 characters.Thread those ten important scenes together, showing focus through point of view and character reactions to what is happening in the story.Try to build as much tension as you have in your story and eliminate those stale scenes.  Be sure to check for active verbs.Heighten the emotion and include any motivation you may have missed for your characters.End with a satisfying resolution; they do want to know how the story ends.Simple is best – don’t try to use the thesaurus to sound fancy or extravagant.  Being concise is vital.Be sure to entertain, all of the fun or fear should be included in your synopsis.Add tension and focus action through emotion in every scene.You want to make the editor care for your characters.  Even though this may be a fiction story, you want the characters to be believable.Try to rid your synopsis of clichés and please don’t forget to let the editor know how to reach you.  Include your address, phone number, and email.I hope these tips help you with your synopsis, and remember...Keep on Writing!