synopsis |səˈnäpsis|noun ( pl. synopses |-ˌsēz| )-A brief summary or general survey of something: a synopsis of the accident.-An outline of the plot of a book, play, movie, or episode of a television show.
Like the query, a synopsis can be intimidating. Thankfully there's plenty of great advice out there for conquering the Synopsis Summit.If you visit Elizabeth Craig's "Writer's Knowledge Base" and type "Synopsis" into the search bar, you'll find a treasure trove of resources. Here are some of my favorites:
How to Write a One-Page Synopsis, by Susan Dennard
(This is TOTALLY AWESOME!)
The Sum of the Parts: Writing a Synopsis, by Janice Hardy
(As always, her advice is spot on)
The Sum of the Parts: Writing a Synopsis, by Janice Hardy
(As always, her advice is spot on)
Back to Basics: Writing a Novel Synopsis, by Jane Friedman
(Nuts and bolts of a synopsis)
Five Tips to Make Your Synopsis Stronger, at the Writer's Alley
(Cool tips for making a good synopsis stronger)
The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis, by Roni Loren
(Get it and get out, and don't lose your voice)
How to Write a Synopsis, by Nathan Bransford
(Cover the major plot points)
This time around, I tried something new. On a fresh sheet of paper, I wrote down each of Dan Wells' 7 plot points. Then, next to each plot point, I wrote one sentence summarizing that plot point in my book. Then I fleshed out each of these points.
My synopsis is still in its infancy, and there's a lot of smoothing, tweaking, trimming, and refreshing that I'll be tackling. But this system gave me a place to start.
Do you have any tips you can share with us about writing a synopsis? Please share in the comments!