Synopses Part Deux

Quote of the Day: "There's a face I know too well, I see it every time I look in the mirror." -Eve 6, There's a Face

Okay, time for Synopses Part Deux: Length.

Lesson #2: Keep it short. Really, really, ridiculously short.

I'm sure you've heard this before. Any google search for "How to write a novel synopsis" will give you this advice. What I hadn't realized before this summer is the reason for it: at some point, someone will probably have to write what's called a "Reader's Report" for your book. And on that reader's report will be a place for them to write a synopsis.

And that space will be less than one single-spaced page long.

Yeah, I know. Ouch, right? Try having to do it at work. I spent longer writing the synopses for some submissions (the good ones, that had a lot going on) than I did reading the submissions themselves. It's a learned skill. Here's the rub: if you can learn it, you will make it easier for a person who wants to recommend your book for publishing to do so, because rather than having to take their own time and write a synopsis for your book, they will be able to start with yours as a base. Win.

Hopefully that's convinced you of the why behind condensing your masterpiece into a teeny, tiny, barebones ghost of its former self. Here are some tips on how to do it--the ones that helped me as I was struggling to learn the skill at work.

1.) Each chapter should be condensed into 2-3 sentences. A micro-paragraph, if you will. You will only be able to do this if you're focusing on one character and plot arc, so like I've said before, pick one and stick with it. The others will still be in your novel, and your reader will still fall in love with them. They will get mentioned elsewhere in the reader's report as a reason for why you should be published. Your work on them will not be in vain.

2.) Focus on salient plot details, and forget the setup. Did Swashbuckling George shoot his best friend in the back for betraying him? Write that. Do not feel the need to add that he found his best friend in the back of a dingy inn in the pirate town of Deadmanschestdale. The first part is what matters to the plot. The second bit is unnecessary, and while it's only a few extra words, and they help to set the scene and give a hint of what your writing is like, over time they add up and bloat your synopsis.

3.) Focus on tone more than direct quotes or excerpts, which also have a bloating tendency. Is the chapter funny? Make its micro-paragraph funny. Is it serious? Make it serious. Is it suspenseful? Make it suspenseful. The tools you have learned as an author can be put to use here, but you need to do it judiciously.

Hopefully this stuff is helpful. There's a lot to be learned about writing a good synopsis, and as I write more of them, I'll post more little tips and tricks that I've learned. You can be sure to expect a rehash when I write the one for my own book. :-)