Tips on writing a summary?

efreysson said:

Well, after a break I'm finally getting back on track with querying agents, and have several letters and sample chapters ready to go. The only thing staying my hand is that some of them request a plot synopsis, and I don't think the one I originally wrote is any good. Does anyone know what agents look for in a plot synopsis? A dry, bare-bones telling of basic plot points, with the query itself providing atmosphere, or something more involved? How long should it be, and how should I present it?
I'll appreciate any help.

Click to expand...

Nope, not a dry bare bones recital of the basic plot. Your synopsis, like your query, should reflect your ability to tell a story. It shouldn't be a blow-by-blow description of each chapter but a creative cameo, an overview of each chapter in two or three sentences. Some agents like a one page synopsis, others say up to three is okay. If an agent's website doesn't give their preference just keep it somewhere in the middle. And good luck for a quick sale!
Linnea

Many want something comparable to the back flap copy you see on published novels. A short pitch giving the gist of the story. Although it's sometimes called a synopsis it's really a hook that will induce the agent or editor to request the full manuscript.
The only purpose of the query letter and the "synopsis" is to provoke someone to want to read more.

Boil your book down to one sentence and build it back up from there--ideally it'll be no more than one page. Like Pat said, back flap copy is a good way to think of it. Stick to the big theme/plot and don't worry about the subplots unless they can be easily summed up.

A synopsis (not a pitch/hook) is about 1 to 2 pages (can be longer if the agent requests it) that reveals all the main characters and major plot points, including the ending. It doesn't mean it has to be dry: A did this, then B did this, and then C did that to A; but the main purpose of a synopsis is to show the agent the entire plot (albeit high level).

Some specifics:

- Synopses are written in 3rd person, present tense. Single-spaced.
- Use strong verbs and nouns.
- Avoid vague adjectives and adverbs.
- Focus on main characters only. Skip the minor characters.
- Focus on main plot points only. Skip the subplot.
- Be specific but not too detailed ("a Monk killed him" but not "a Buddhist Monk with a long scar killed him with a butcher knife taken from someone's kitchen")
- Should have a beginning, middle, and end.

My technique is to do a chapter by chapter summary -- say, 10 or 20 pages. And then pare it down to 5 pages, then 2, then 1. By then, you'll have a synopsis for every occasion.

Maestro's technique sounds perfect, in an ideal world, but that's not for the faint-hearted. I tend to endorse Jamie's approach of build up rather than pare down.

The critical matter is that it is really 'flap copy,' the stuff you read on the inside of he dust jacket (though without withholding information). It's an enticement, a tease, a kind of advertisement.

Unless told otherwise by the agent/press, I'd go for no more than one page, though you can in this one instance single-space. (In general, they love to have it one sheet. I've heard agents wax poetic on the joys of "one compelling page" of synopsis).

Here's a really quirky tip--have someone else (who has read the book) write it. Sure, you'll have to fiddle with it. But third parties are often better at describing a whole book than the author, who can't see the forest for the individula leaves, every one of which he or she has handpainted onto each tree.

I HATE summaries and synopses with every fiber of my being,

Ina a query you leave them hanging. In a synopsis, you have to show the end.

Prawn said:

Ina a query you leave them hanging. In a synopsis, you have to show the end.

Click to expand...

True, but not in detail...

BTW, congrats on the agent. Artists and Artisans are a fun bunch.

David I said:

True, but not in detail...

BTW, congrats on the agent. Artists and Artisans are a fun bunch.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Good luck with your release, three weeks in!