How to Write a Book Synopsis
Establish the premise., Emphasize the conflict in the novel., Show character development., Outline the plot., Be clear about the book’s ending., Review your synopsis., Make sure your synopsis answers the important questions., Keep practicing.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Establish the premise.
Although the synopsis is a very brief snapshot of a much larger work, you still need to take the time to establish the overall premise of the novel and include any essential information the reader would need to understand the story.Imagine someone is reading the synopsis before the book.
What information is critical to include? Are there specific details about the setting of the novel or the world you’ve created that a reader would need to understand? Remember, you are trying to draw the reader into the story, so include a few interesting details that help people visualize where and when this is occurring. -
Step 2: Emphasize the conflict in the novel.
It can be overwhelming trying to decide what to include in a synopsis, but a good rule of thumb is to identify and outline the main conflict in the story.What struggles does the protagonist or main character confront in the book? Are there specific obstacles the characters encounter that you should mention in the synopsis? What will happen if the protagonist fails or stumbles? , While it can be frustrating to try and condense a novel’s worth of awesome character development into a synopsis, many literary agents report that they want synopses to demonstrate how the main character changes over the course of the novel.Try to keep the main characters from appearing one-dimensional by showing how they react to different situations.
Even though you don’t have a lot of space in the synopsis, you can still provide readers with a sense of who the characters are and how they change over the course of the story. , Because the synopsis is designed to be a summary of the book, you will need to outline the plot of your novel and give a sense of the novel’s narrative direction.It can be hard not to get bogged down in details, but a good place to start is by including a brief summary (1 to 2 sentences) of each chapter.
Then, try to link and connect these summaries together.You won’t be able to include all plot details, so try to identify the ones that are critical to understanding the book.
Ask yourself if the ending would still make sense without that detail.
If so, then leave it out of the synopsis., You might be reluctant to spoil the ending, but a synopsis should be clear about the novel’s ending and ultimate resolution.Literary agents want to know how you resolve the conflict in the novel and tie up your story.
Don't worry.
If your story is published, the synopsis won’t be included on the back of the book and spoil the story for readers. , It’s important for you to review the synopsis, and also ask other people to review the synopsis.
The more feedback you seek from others, the clearer you can make your synopsis.
It can be helpful to read your synopsis out loud because you will be better able to notice grammar mistakes and find opportunities to improve the wording.
Your brain has to process the information in a different way when you read aloud, and you often notice mistakes and problems you previously overlooked.Ask friends, family members, or colleagues who have not read the book yet or aren’t familiar with what you are working on to read the synopsis.
They will be able to provide a more objective view, and let you know if the synopsis makes sense to them and draws them into the story. , Before you submit your synopsis, make sure it provides an answer to the following critical questions:
Who is the central character in the book? What are they looking for, searching for, or trying to achieve? Who or what makes their search, quest, or journey difficult? What ends up happening? , Many writers report that synopses are among the most difficult pieces to write because they are trying to distill an entire book’s worth of material into a few paragraphs.
Fortunately, however, the more often you practice writing synopses, the better you will be at this exercise.To get practice writing synopses, try working on one for a classic book or try writing a synopsis of a book you just read.
Sometimes it is easier to start out practicing on a book that you haven’t spent hours, days, or years preparing. -
Step 3: Show character development.
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Step 4: Outline the plot.
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Step 5: Be clear about the book’s ending.
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Step 6: Review your synopsis.
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Step 7: Make sure your synopsis answers the important questions.
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Step 8: Keep practicing.
Detailed Guide
Although the synopsis is a very brief snapshot of a much larger work, you still need to take the time to establish the overall premise of the novel and include any essential information the reader would need to understand the story.Imagine someone is reading the synopsis before the book.
What information is critical to include? Are there specific details about the setting of the novel or the world you’ve created that a reader would need to understand? Remember, you are trying to draw the reader into the story, so include a few interesting details that help people visualize where and when this is occurring.
It can be overwhelming trying to decide what to include in a synopsis, but a good rule of thumb is to identify and outline the main conflict in the story.What struggles does the protagonist or main character confront in the book? Are there specific obstacles the characters encounter that you should mention in the synopsis? What will happen if the protagonist fails or stumbles? , While it can be frustrating to try and condense a novel’s worth of awesome character development into a synopsis, many literary agents report that they want synopses to demonstrate how the main character changes over the course of the novel.Try to keep the main characters from appearing one-dimensional by showing how they react to different situations.
Even though you don’t have a lot of space in the synopsis, you can still provide readers with a sense of who the characters are and how they change over the course of the story. , Because the synopsis is designed to be a summary of the book, you will need to outline the plot of your novel and give a sense of the novel’s narrative direction.It can be hard not to get bogged down in details, but a good place to start is by including a brief summary (1 to 2 sentences) of each chapter.
Then, try to link and connect these summaries together.You won’t be able to include all plot details, so try to identify the ones that are critical to understanding the book.
Ask yourself if the ending would still make sense without that detail.
If so, then leave it out of the synopsis., You might be reluctant to spoil the ending, but a synopsis should be clear about the novel’s ending and ultimate resolution.Literary agents want to know how you resolve the conflict in the novel and tie up your story.
Don't worry.
If your story is published, the synopsis won’t be included on the back of the book and spoil the story for readers. , It’s important for you to review the synopsis, and also ask other people to review the synopsis.
The more feedback you seek from others, the clearer you can make your synopsis.
It can be helpful to read your synopsis out loud because you will be better able to notice grammar mistakes and find opportunities to improve the wording.
Your brain has to process the information in a different way when you read aloud, and you often notice mistakes and problems you previously overlooked.Ask friends, family members, or colleagues who have not read the book yet or aren’t familiar with what you are working on to read the synopsis.
They will be able to provide a more objective view, and let you know if the synopsis makes sense to them and draws them into the story. , Before you submit your synopsis, make sure it provides an answer to the following critical questions:
Who is the central character in the book? What are they looking for, searching for, or trying to achieve? Who or what makes their search, quest, or journey difficult? What ends up happening? , Many writers report that synopses are among the most difficult pieces to write because they are trying to distill an entire book’s worth of material into a few paragraphs.
Fortunately, however, the more often you practice writing synopses, the better you will be at this exercise.To get practice writing synopses, try working on one for a classic book or try writing a synopsis of a book you just read.
Sometimes it is easier to start out practicing on a book that you haven’t spent hours, days, or years preparing.
About the Author
Jessica Stevens
A passionate writer with expertise in hobbies topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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