Need help with one page Synopsis

Here you go! It hasn't sold yet, but the basic framework is written (so no stealing! )

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This is a futuristic science fiction/fantasy offering with romance and moderate sexuality. It is set on earth in approximately 2283. It is now public knowledge that experiments which took place during the Viet Nam war caused a viral agent to be developed to not only block an infected person's ability to feel fear and pain, but also allow them to feed off of the fear and pain of the enemy. The viral agent was eliminated by the Center for Disease Control, but in the process, a mutated form arose. Nobody except the CIA knew about the mutated form which was placed under high security. But the security was breached in the late 21st century. This lead to the mutation and spread of the virus, resulting in a rise in "serial killers" and "human rights violations." A cover-up ensued with "flu shots" being used to stop the spread of the illness. The illness was believed to be eradicated, but wasn't. The infection is irreversible and those suffering from the illness are referred to as "ghouls."

Hannah DeFiore -- Hannah is 28 years old, and works for the North American Cooperative Intelligence Agency - an agency for the combined western government that has replaced the FBI/CIA in our time. Hannah is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress and nightmares based on having been captured and tortured. Her twin sister, Anna, was her counter-part in her "Rychos"--a working partnership of a fighter and psychic used to help combat the ghouls. Anna was the intended target of the capture, and Hannah learns that Anna has been recaptured. She needs to find her immediately, because Anna is one of only a few people who knows that there are still viable samples of the mutated virus, and where they are located.

Lee Chan – The hero is 24 and the former lover of Anna DeFiore. He has oriental features and black hair that he wears to his waist. He was the memory specialist at NACIA, and is working with Hannah to recover her memories to help find her sister.

Hannah has had significant memory modification performed on her, including NACIA sanctioned wipes. It helps an agent to function without breakdowns. But because the procedure has been done too often/too close in time, and Hannah is psychic, she cannot have her memories of the torture modified because the procedure might kill her. She is about to be placed on permanent medical disability because of her nightmares. She secretly contacts Lee and asks him to help her to learn more about her torture so she can find her sister. Because of his former love for Anna, he agrees. But he finds himself attracted to Hannah. She is everything he always wished Anna would be. As they delve deeper into Hannah’s mind, they discover that a plot is being formed that will destroy everything the NACIA has fought against for nearly two centuries. They also become increasingly nervous about the orders that the NACIA Chairman is giving Hannah. They seem opposite past requests, and they start to realize that he is under the villain's control. But as head of the organization, they can do little to convince him that his own decisions are suspect.
Their only option is to go undercover and they realize they’re actually afraid, because they’ve just found each other and might lose their one chance at love.

They manipulate the Director into believing that Hannah has the information the villain needs, and he captures Hannah and turns her over. Hannah is knocked out and attached to a computer which will download the contents of her brain to a hard drive. But Lee has secretly inserted a "poison pill" that instead turns the tables and downloads the entire computer into Hannah’s brain. With her original memories back, as well as everything the villain has discovered to date, she is able to locate Anna, as well as find where the virus is hidden while it’s being duplicated. Hannah doesn’t want to kill ever again, so while they are fighting, she injects the villain with the next to last dose of the ghoul vaccine. But the villain is too far along in the disease. The drug kills her instead. Anna is saved but doesn’t remember what happened. She also doesn’t remember Lee, freeing him of his guilt for leaving her and allowing him to reveal his love for Hannah.

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Notice that unlike a longer synopsis, there's not much included about the villain--names, personalities and such. It's just the bare bones of the story, with enough personality of the leads to hold an editor's interest.

Hope that helps!

This one is from my newest release "The Good Samaritan"-- but I think my 2 page synopsis is much better than this one!


The Good Samaritan

A Synopsis


Twenty-four year old Rachel Martin is stunned to find a note from her business partner Davie, who has abandoned their catering business to continue his studies under European chefs. Rachel’s been creating gourmet foods since high school, and was made partner in “Davie’s Desserts.” With the firm’s recent expenses for supplies and a new oven, Rachel is now working on credit. She disappoints local restaurant owner Tim Gardner, telling him she can’t afford to continue producing his signature desserts, the gold-iced cheesecake. He insists she honor their verbal agreement for future deliveries or sell him the recipe. She refuses, and sets off to secure financial aid from other sources.

Twenty-eight year old Timothy Gardner runs his family’s business, Gardner’s Gazebo Café, which has been in his control since he finished his tour with the Navy and set his parents free to cruise the high seas in their retirement. His goal is to increase business and expand the restaurant as a surprise for his parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary next year. Unlike his older brother who ran off and left his parents devastated, Tim intends to be the good son and businessman. Tim does admire Rachel for trying to keep her business afloat, and later feels bad about his lack of compassion for her situation. He spends time with her, even helps her with baking. He sends supplies to her shop anonymously.

Over dinner, Tim convinces her that he wants to help. His tender touch on her cheek does the trick, but Rachel won’t accept financial help, she wants to stand on her own two feet. Before their evening is over, Tim gets word his father has been rushed to the hospital, so Rachel has no chance to tell him she’s devised her own survival plan, to run her catering business from home and eliminate the storefront costs.

Tim later reveals to his father his plan to buy out what’s left of Davie’s Desserts and bring Rachel into the café as his partner. Rachel overhears his father’s advice to be wary and not act impulsively, and that humiliation, coupled with Tim’s assumption that she’s desperate enough to give up her shop, sends her running until he later explains he’s fallen in love with her. As partners, they can create a heart-healthy menu and for the restaurant. Rachel, having slowly fallen in love with her Good Samaritan, agrees to marry him, and tells him she would be honored to house her new catering business inside the café. She’ll call it “Just Desserts.”

Remember, a single-page synopsis should be single-spaced. More words!

I recently read that a synopsis should be double-spaced - though why this should be so, I don't know - it's the manuscript that needs space for editing.

I've heard that if it's one page, single-space it. If it's multiple pages (as in, more than two), double-space for easier reading.

Kharisma said:

The contest states that it can be single spaced. Otherwise I think I would have doubled. Wow, I would have been in a big mess if it was only one page double spaced. lol

Click to expand...

OMG! My synopsis was 5 pages long, single-spaced with an extra break thrown in between paragraphs. I don't know if I can do a single page synopsis, let alone try it double spaced!