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I just realized that this thread, originally started by HeyBooBoo in Ask the Agent, got lost in the server malfunction (that's like a costume malfunction, but not as much fun... 
)
Someone asked about the same question on another site and I was going to link them to it and realized it wasn't there anymore. Since Novels is really a better location for it, I hope nobody minds if I repost it over here.
I remember that several other pubbed authors here were going to add to this thread with their own selling synopses. Maybe we can make this a sticky that will benefit future people, too!
)Someone asked about the same question on another site and I was going to link them to it and realized it wasn't there anymore. Since Novels is really a better location for it, I hope nobody minds if I repost it over here.
HeyBooBoo said:06-27-2006, 10:12 am
I have a lot of questions about synopses, so bear with me!
How do you draw the line between too much information and too little? What if something big happens in the story, but it's not as important as other events in the story?
I have about a dozen semi-important characters, and they all play a part in the main plot, how do I fit them all in a synopsis? If that is too many, how many characters should be in a synopsis?
Should sub-plots be included? If not, what should one do when all the sub-plot tie into the main plot in important ways, such as they serve to move the story forward?
How should one format a synopsis? Does contact information go at the top? Is there a header?
Should one start the synopsis where the story starts? Or give a short "hook" intro, similar to a query before going into the story?
Single spaced or double spaced--which one can beat up the other's honor student?
I've seen suggestion that synopses should be 1-2 pages and others that say 10-20 pages, that's a bit of leap. What is the standard length?
How does one make a synopsis entertaining, but professional? How does one avoid making a list?
That's about all the questions I have. Not too many, right?
Any answers would be appreciated, thanks!
Last edited by HeyBooBoo : 06-27-2006 at 10:15 AM.
Troilee said:06-27-2006, 08:11 pm
On formatting:
Whether a synopsis should be single spaced, double spaced, 2 pages or 10 pages depends on where you are sending it. Most agents and editors have preferences. Inquire as to those preferences. There doesn't seem to be a standard format. Most eds/agents I've dealt with prefer it double spaced, because it's much easier to read. Synopses should be in present tense and written very much like a story, not like a point-by-point outline. It should be interesting and compelling. And, for goodness sake, don't leave the ending a secret, thinking they'll really want to see your ms if they don't know the ending. It'll only piss them off.
On content:
In my experience, most eds/agents don't want a plot-point by plot-point map of your story. You want to highlight the main theme of your story. Is your main character looking for redemption? Forgiveness? Self-acceptance? Love? Follow your main character's emotional story arc first and use your plot to bring things to your character's 'growth point.' That is to say, show how your main character has grown and changed and become a better person through the plot; show how s/he has achieved the main theme of your story. You'll definitely want to begin it with a hook of some sort. Perhaps your pitch sentence or platform.
Hope you find that helpful
Troi
Cathy C said:06-28-2006, 08:56 am
Lots of GREAT questions, HeyBooBoo! Okay, let's go through them one at a time.
The information the agent/editor wants to see is the MAIN storyline. They're really good at drawing pictures in their head and seeing if it holds water, so don't worry about them filling in blanks. The writing will fill in the blanks.
You don't even try to fit them all in. Pick the two PRIMARY plot drivers (most books usually have two main leads) and follow them. Don't mention other names unless it's critical to explaining a key plot point.
Subplots should be included to the extent that you say there IS a subplot. That is to say, it's just as easy to type "in a brief subplot, the characters get lost in the woods and meet an ogre who later assists them in the finale." Subplot covered!
Every person has their own preference. Try to set a size limit in your head of 500 words for a short synopsis or 1,000 words for a long one (that's one page for short or two pages for long). Now, I set up my synopses completely different than anyone else I've ever met. It's not in any book, but I came from a law background (and never read any of the "how to write synopses" books...heh.
You're not trying to "hook" an editor or agent with anything other than the book. Now, some people DO like to give a flavor of the book, but I really consider that the synopsis is the BUSINESS side of bookselling. You have to look at the book like a product and tell the agent/editor the selling points.
Single spaced with double space between paragraphs. I don't agree that they should be double spaced unless the agent's/editor's guidelines request this. Double spacing is generally used for manuscripts so the reader can make notes or corrections. That's not necessary in a synopsis.
Yes. Make them 1-2 pages. What you're probably seeing people discuss as a 10-20 is an "outline" not a synopsis. An outline goes through each chapter and encapsulates the events IN that chapter. Whole different thing.
Admittedly, it's a trick. There's a fine line, and each person has to find their own way. Sometimes, you'll find a format that will really grab one reader, and another might not be interested at all. But it's part of the business, so all you can do is find a format that works for you. That means looking at all different kinds to see what makes "sense" in your own head. Like I said, I'll try to see if I can get some of the other authors here to post of their selling synopses. Maybe one or more styles will work for you (and others who'll follow.)
Good luck! I'll post up one
Cathy C said:06-28-2006, 09:17 am
Okay, this is the synopsis of our March, '06 release, TOUCH OF EVIL. While we already had published once with the publisher, this was a different world, and a different contract (so it could have just as easily been refused, like any other manuscript).
Oh, don't be afraid to tell the story OUT OF ORDER! This is something that most people forget to mention when discussing synopses. It's important for the agent/editor to understand how events weave through the plot. They're not a reader. You should NEVER keep secrets or spring surprises on them. That will happen when they read the book.
This is exactly two pages.
******************
SYNOPSIS OF
TOUCH OF EVIL
Setting:
This first in a series, full length (100,000+) paranormal adventure is set in the city of Denver, CO. It is told in first person, from the point of view of the female heroine. It is the set in the present time, in an alternate reality. It is late summer when the book opens.
Characters:
Mary Kathleen ("Kate") Reilly: The female heroine is approximately 28. She is a former professional beach volleyball player, who retired after severe shoulder injuries. She is presently self-employed as a bonded air courier. She’s 6'1", with green eyes and red-gold hair that she often wears in a braid. She continues to keep fit by running and working out in a home gym. She is a devout Irish Catholic, and owns a converted warehouse in lower downtown ("LoDo") in Denver. In addition to her own apartment, she has four other rentals in the building. Kate has a great abundance of psychic talent, which was discovered by the Thrall, a self-aware parasitic society which preys on humans. Kate has been attacked in order to make her the Thrall queen. But to become the queen would mean that she would lose her own consciousness, and is the equivalent of being dead to her. She is considered, "Not Prey" by the queen collective, because she killed the previous Thrall queen of Denver, but has a penchant for wearing biker leathers due to her paranoia of future vampire attacks.
Tom Bishop: Tom Bishop is approximately 30 years old. He is an extremely handsome firefighter in Denver, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He is a known lycanthrope. Tom is the ultimate search and rescue dog during fires and disasters. He retains his mental capability, which is unusual for a wolf in this reality. Tom is one of the tenants in Kate’s building. He and Kate have flirted for over a year, and he’s very interested in pursuing her, but he has not been allowed to do so by his pack leader. In this reality, the wolf pack is a matriarchal society, but the females are sterile, and they must have a human surrogate to increase the pack size. The female leader, or "Acca", has not allowed Tom to start dating until the surrogate has chosen a mate from among the available males.
Dylan Shea: Formerly Kate’s fiance, he cheated on her with Kate’s best friend Amanda Quinn, and left Kate when he chose to become part of the Thrall herd – a blood donor to the queen. He is approximately 29, with wavy black hair and sapphire blue eyes. He’s regretted leaving Kate for Amanda, but knows he’s hurt her too much to go back to her. Or has he?
Storyline:
The book opens with Kate returning home from a delivery of gemstones to Tel Aviv. At the airport, she discovers she is being followed by a Thrall Host. Her psychic connection to the Thrall collective acts as an "early radar" for nearby humans which have been absorbed by one of the parasites. She is able to escape the Host, but in her trip home from the airport (miles outside the city), another Host runs her off the road. While she is not injured, the police insist she be checked at a hospital. Kate has two brothers, Joe and Bryan. Joe is a doctor at a particular hospital, so that’s where she goes. She’s attacked there by the Thrall queen, Monica, who uses one of the nurses under mind control to attempt to inject Kate with a drug to make her woozy so that Monica can implant queen eggs in an arm vein. Once an egg hatches, the toxin in the yolk would paralyze Kate while the hatchling traveled through her body to attach to the base of her brain and override her mind with that of the Thrall collective. Monica hates Kate with an almost psychotic passion because when Kate killed the former queen, all of the Hosts and Herd which were attached to the former queen also died, leaving Monica alone, and driving her nearly insane by the experience. Making Kate the next queen is the perfect revenge.
Kate is surprised to see Monica, both because they’ve avoided each other due to Kate’s Not Prey status, and the fact that Monica shouldn’t still be alive. Thrall Hosts and queens don’t live very long in this reality, because the larger the Thrall parasite grows, the more space it invades inside the skull. Once it grows too large, the Host dies. Queens die more quickly, and the Hosts and Herd are normally passed to the new queen.
Kate’s other brother, Bryan, is approximately 21 and a victim of a terrible drug called Eden. A bad batch of the drug can cause the user’s brain to shut down, until they become a "zombie," unable to remember their name or how to eat or dress themselves. Unless they are cared for 24/7, they will die. In a primary subplot, Bryan is cared for by Father Michael O’Rourke, the priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Hope church in Denver. Mike and Kate were lovers in their late teens, before he took his vows. He still has strong feelings of friendship for her. Monica decides to kidnap Bryan to use as a bargaining chip to get Kate to agree to become queen, because Monica is at the end of her life. However, in case she cannot capture Kate, she has another possible queen candidate, Dusty Quinn, Dylan’s teenaged niece. Dusty is being protected by the werewolves after agreeing to become their human surrogate. Kate uses all of her sources in Denver to find try to find Dusty, and it sets her at odds with Tom, who is protecting the girl. Tom is afraid that the situation will prevent him from ever getting a shot at Kate, and gives in to his feelings for her, in an intense lovemaking scene, against the direct orders of his Acca.
Dylan is intent on keeping Dusty safe, because he’s realized that Monica is insane. However, as part of Monica’s herd, he struggles against her mental commands to bring either Kate or Dusty to Monica. He does the only thing he can think of – he contracts with another Queen and becomes a Host, severing him from Monica’s influence, but guaranteeing his early death. The other queens realize that Monica must be stopped at any cost. But what Dylan didn’t realize is that his transformation makes him able to feel things for Kate that he’s never comprehended, and her attraction to him in return unnerves her because of her disgust for any Thrall.
Kate finally arranges to meet with the Acca of the werewolves to prove to herself that Dusty is safe and unable to be turned by Monica. The meeting doesn’t start as planned, because one of Monica’s Hosts has kidnapped Bryan and Kate must rescue him. Fortunately, manages to get him back before the Host delivers him to Monica. When she finally reaches the werewolf meeting, she learns that the Acca is not pleased with her or Tom for becoming involved. She warns Kate that despite their feelings for each other, Tom is not yet available and any further interference by Kate will have dire results. Kate doesn’t know how to respond to this ultimatum, but does ensure that Dusty is safe with the wolves.
Upon leaving, Kate spots a glint of light in a nearby window and recognizes it as a rifle scope. She yells a warning just as a shot rings out. Dusty is only hit in the shoulder due to the Acca’s quick action, and the wolves change in a flash and attack the gunman. The police arrive because of the gun shot, and Kate is taken to a room to await interrogation. She spends the time trying to sort out her feelings for both Tom and Dylan. She is fortunate that the detective who arrives to question her is another Not Prey and recognizes her. They agree to assist each other in removing Monica from Denver, however they must. The detective agrees to post guards on Dusty, but Monica arrives at the scene just as they are leaving. She has captured Tom and has brought dozens of Hosts with a final threat: agree to be queen or she’ll order the Hosts to slaughter Tom and everybody at the scene, including the police, the other wolves, and every human in sight. Monica has nothing left to lose, and Kate knows she will carry out the threat. She agrees to allow Monica to lay eggs in her vein, with a number of stipulations. Kate’s only hope is that the wolf Acca, the detective and Father Mike can get them out before the hatchling can attach to her brain. They travel to the church so that Mike can assist them and find the church surrounded by Hosts, guaranteeing that Kate’s brother Joe, can’t help. But Monica didn’t plan on Dylan’s free will as part of another hive. He manages to free Tom, but is killed in the rescue (or so the characters, and the readers will believe). Tom gets into the church via the bellfry and attacks the vampire who is keeping the others from helping Kate. In a tense scene, Kate’s brain fluctuates between her own thoughts and that of the queen hatchling. The detective is able to remove all but the strongest queen hatchling by dissolving the eggs in whiskey. A tourniquet on Kate’s arm prevents the hatchling from reaching the brain, so it explodes out through her skin and attempts to crawl in through her mouth. But as Kate’s thoughts had wandered, the queen hatchling had partially healed Bryan’s mind so he could be a Host. Bryan throws the bowl of whiskey into Kate’s face, killing the hatchling and saving her life. The ending is tinged in sorrow for Dylan’s death, but is warm when Tom reveals his love, despite the potential wrath of his Acca.
*****************
Hope this helps!
johnnysannie said:
HeyBooBoo said:06-28-2006, 09:57 am
Wow! Cathy, you rock the casbah! Thank you so much for answering all my questions, and for posting your synopsis. I definitely feel more comfortable going into a synopsis armed with this information. Now all I have to do is wait for the hair I've been tearing out to grow back.
One thing I was stressed about was leaving out certain events that don't pertain to the main plot. Leaving them out won't be a problem, but I always wondered if it would be a problem for agents. I didn't know if they would be reading my full manuscript (God willing), and think, "What the heck? This wasn't in the synopsis!" Now I don't have to worry about all that, knowing that all the details of the full manuscript are for, well, the full manuscript. I'm have a Homer Simpson "D'oh" moment right now.
I also noticed in your synopsis how you smoothly described how the Thrall Hosts and queens life span works. In my story I have a new law that is passed, which is the basis for the plot. Before I even got to the law in my story, my husband was bouncing around me, in yappy-puppy style, asking how the law was passed, what are the rules of the new law, and who is exempt from the law. I answered all the questions in the story through dialouge, but was clueless as how to do it in a synopsis. I think I'll try to do what you've done in your example, and just fit it into the natural flow of the synopsis.
Thanks again! This information is beyond invaluable, and I love having it all right here. I know I'll be coming back to this post more than a few times while writing my synopsis.
I remember that several other pubbed authors here were going to add to this thread with their own selling synopses. Maybe we can make this a sticky that will benefit future people, too!