Writing a Synopsis

Hello - have the same dilemma. Most advice I've read says a synopsis = book jacket blurb, and considering most agents want one page max, you haven't got much room for much else anyway. BUT - I've just read an article by an agent that said the synopsis must definitely NOT be like book jacket blurb! So - figure it depends on the agent and you've just got to take potluck. (In my limited experience though, a snappy synopsis gets the most interest.) [%sig%]

I don't think either way is wrong. It's really up to you to chose which you would prefer. I've included a synopsis of my first book here. It covers the key points but doesn't give away too much. Hope it helps you in some way. (This hasn't gone through an editor and I'm not too strong on punctuation) To help bring readers up to speed with book two of the, "Markesh" series I have written a general summary of book one, "The Mapping of Markesh." It is quite an in depth book, with a lot of twists and turns. I've tried to condense it here. However, there is quite a lot to take in, so be warned! The Story so far Markesh is a continent that lies beyond the great rocks. These rocks were torn from the earth by powerful Sorcerers in an age long since forgotten amongst the western continents of 'my' story's Earth. With the erosion of time a portion of this barrier collapses, and from its opening spill the dreaded force of the Ajya-na-ku. A self proclaimed society of owls, they are formed of the scourge of the earth; murderers, rapists, thieves and other such scoundrels. Amid these legions lie the wraith lords who form and control the ethereal like black owls, the eyes and ears of the Ajya-na-ku. Concerned, the western nations sent an army through the great rocks in an effort to establish a foothold in Markesh. Following years of fighting only a small portion of Markesh, the three ports of green river, were firmly in western hands. With a sudden demise in the Ajya-na-ku's numbers local truces were established and the war placed on hold. Almost a century later and following twenty years of the Ajya-na-ku's absence from the ports, Izacon III, the Protalien leader called for volunteers to enter Markesh on a mapping expedition. The story begins with Idron, a half-bred Elf/Prolalien youth who joins with; two dwarves, Benjamin and Elsbeth; three Protalien's (an Elf like race, with fair hair, Elves in the west have dark hair) Tyler, Jethro and Meme; four Elves, Chantelle, Torres and Chevon, who are all animal friends and as such work closely with their hawks, Singer, Winger and Stinger and Juran, an Elf Mage. The final members of the expedition are two humans, Erin a female adventurer, and Bradley an expert horseman and animal trainer. Added to these are a whole host of horses, Ponies and mules, who each have their own personality and contribute in their own way to the story's progression. Their characters are brought to life through the Elf animal linguists. Before leaving the port Elsbeth and Meme encounter the mysterious 'Sticks' a crippled lad on crutches, who moves quicker than most able men. Throughout the tale he surfaces to warn of events ahead or aid the group, but it is unclear what or who he is, but somehow he seems linked to Elsbeth. Their initial departure from the green river ports sees them splitting into three groups. These groups enter the great forest on parallel routes in an effort to cover more ground. Before long they clash with strange forest dwellers, a race of green men who live in the tree tops. With one group captured and feared lost the hawks struggle to relay messages between the surviving groups. It is here that the first sighting of the ever watchful black owls is made. Within the forest lies the "Seat of the Ten tribes," a meeting place for the ten tribes of the great forest. Each tribe is named after a type of tree, ranging from oak to willow and so on. The expedition, caught in a plot by the green tribes to capture the 'Seat,' struggle to prevent the sacrifice of their captured comrades at the 'Seat's' alter. A pitched battle ensues at the 'Seat' between the human tribes of the northern forest and the green men of the southern forest. The Sorcerer Basterdor, a man in Bear form, brings the battle to a close. The expedition by this stage has suffered two dead and some animal losses. Escorted to Kondama, a city to the north of the forest the expedition re-equips, and takes a well earned break. By this stage Bradley and Torres are growing closer, an attraction Idron grows jealous of. Whilst in her room at the Inn in Kondama Erin is assaulted by a member of the town guard, after a vicious beating she escapes rape by the timely intervention of Idron. Chasing the guard Idron encounters a wraith owl of the Ajya-na-ku. The wraith kills the guard, an Ajya-na-ku minion, for stepping out of line and wounds Idron. After weeks of recuperation Idron is fit enough to continue with the next phase of the journey. Heading for the mountains of Falcon's peak the expedition ventures across the eerie plains of sycamore, a ghostly plain covered in fossilised stumps, where a portion of the great forest once stood. During the night Idron goes missing and Tyler saves him from the spectres who are attempting to pull him to another plain of existence. Following the fourth appearance of 'Sticks,' the expedition are led to a pass that allows passage through the mountains. An encounter with hostile dragons causes a landslide that separates the expedition once more. Benjamin and two of the Elf maidens encounter two trolls in the caverns but make good their mistake. Eventually the expedition meet back up at the cabins maintained by the dwarf, Cedric, at Falcon's peak. They hold up at this location for the long winter ahead. Before long they discover that at the peak of the mountain is a hidden tomb. A tomb guarded by the dwarves. They hear legends of an ancient sect, the Coeur-vu-du, the forefathers of the Ajya-na-ku. It is said they cannot die but are entombed alive to prevent their destruction of all that is good in the world. Cooped up during a long boring winter tempers begin to flare, most noticeable is Idron's withdrawal and jealousy of Torres' love for Bradley. One night he takes off up the mountain and finds himself in a dream state. Hands clutch at his body and pull him into the ground and he awakens refreshed and returns to the group. With his attitude vastly improved the period prior to the coming of spring is far more blissful. Then one night the cabins are raided by a large party of Ajya-na-ku wraiths. It transpires that Idron had beckoned them to the cabins. He kills Bradley in a sudden frenzy and possessed by the Coeur-vu-du takes off with the wraiths. The mapping expedition now truly on the back burner the expedition members learn of the Ajya-na-ku quest to release the forefathers and restore them to power. In a bid to stop them and seek revenge for Idron's betrayal the group make for the dwarf city of Matrosse. Matrosse straddles and controls a pass that leads from the coast to the cathedral like mountain at Kumbran. Dug into the rock on either side of the pass the city dominates the valley. Juran travels to Kumbran where he meets Glider, a powerful wizard and caretaker of the cathedral. Within this odd shaped mountain another tomb is held; the tomb of Dagtorn, the dragon lord of the Coeur-vu-du. A coalition of the dwarf clans converges on Matrosse to hold back the approaching Ajya-na-ku. Amongst the clans are; the dragon clan; the mountain clan; the hill clan and the cave clan. The fate of the western tribes of Markesh lies with the struggle at Matrosse, for should the dwarves fail and Dagtorn find his release the dragons shall change their allegiances and all will be lost. During the battle the northern part of the city is destroyed and Tyler, Elsbeth and Torres ignoring Stick's warning are lost. The dwarves manage to defeat the Ajya-na-ku but only just and the struggle spills over to Kumbran. Glider and Juran fight inside the cathedral rock to subdue Dagtorn and reseal the tomb. Wade, a member of the Najual, a mystic society of hunters is first encountered at Glider's side and the expedition discover that their journey into Markesh was not the first, nor was it a mere chance happening. Glider manages to reseal the tomb holding Dagtorn but remains inside in an eternal battle to maintain the wall of energy that holds him there. With the Ajya-na-ku defeated and the expeditions purpose found wanting it is decided the time has come to take the fight to the Ajya-na-ku. However, Izacon III vetoes western intervention, and with the Protalien race the strongest of these western nations none dare oppose their wishes. It seems the expedition are abandoned by the very man who sent them into Markesh and the only future left open to them is in siding with the dwarves. A messenger arrives from Selkuna, the Elvin islands to the north. He is Aronsol, an expressionless elf who offers an alliance in the coming war. With the battle for Matrosse over and Kumbran secure the battle for Pkush, the Seat of the Ajya-na-ku is about to begin. Here are a couple of the reviews I received for the synopsis off other authors. Professional Susan in Houston wrote, Wow!! I'll have to find this one and put in it my bookcase to read later. (Hope it's still available). Your imagination is wonderful and I can't believe that you were able to put all this in one prologue!! Paragraph beginning: "With the erosion of time a portion of this barrier collapses...Amid these legions lie the wraith lords who form and control the ethereal like..." Should be "ethereal-like", or just leave that out and say "black owls..." Paragraph beginning: "After weeks of recuperation...attempting to pull him to another plain..." Should be "plane" not "plain". "...the expedition are..." Should be "is" not "are". Paragraph beginning: "The mapping expedition now...learn of the Ajya-na-ku quest to realise..." Not sure what "realize the forefathers" means?? Resurrect? Reanimate? Professional Duaneh wrote, I realize that this piece is merely summary, but it is darn good summary! I shall have to keep an eye out for the book on my infrequent sojourns to the bookstore (assuming it is available in the states). I am not a hardcore fantasy buff, but could become one quite easily. I enjoy the different spins that authors put on the fey races, dwarves, elfs, trolls, dragons etc. I think that one thing I appreciate about your summary is the mix of made up on the spot fantasy-ish names and "real" names, like Tyler, Bradley etc. The issue of having to sit down and name things and people with a language of my own is aggravating and slows the creative process. What was your rationale in choosing names for your characters? I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the voices of the animals. Yours, duaneh [%sig%]

Hi Pat I've attached a sample for synopsis for my novel Cogrill's Mill, which I use below as this may be of help to you. I obtained the information when I was a member of the compuserve writers group and is provided courtesy of John E. Stith, a science fiction writer. Apparently the synopsis is patterned after the one Dean Koontz used in his book on writing and Stith claimed it resulted in the sale of his first novel. Although an agent or one of the big publishers didn't take on my novel, I received plenty of encouragement and I'm sure the synopsis helped create that favorable impression. The synopsis should be no longer than one page of A4 paper. I have since published the novel myself from my own website (http://peatmore.com). Best wishes Keith. BACKGROUND The story is set in the present day. The main action takes place in or close by an old water mill which is located near the imaginary English village of Mucklesbury. The mill is set in picturesque countryside by the fictitious River Muckle and is occasionally used for the manufacture of cider using apples from a nearby orchard. CHARACTERS The protagonist is George Cogrill, who inherited the mill from his wealthy father. At the time the novel starts, he lives an indolent life in a cottage next to the mill spending his time fishing, gardening and making small quantities cider for which he has become renown in the local community. He meets Victoria Gloam, an attractive photographer and the daughter of his father's former business partner. THEME & TONE The overall theme of the novel is that one can not hold back change. The actions and motives of other people will ensure that it is impossible for anyone to lead a quiet life. The tone of the book is one of light humour and suspense. It is intended to be a comedy thriller, illustrating the importance of adapting to the changes around us. SYNOPSIS The story opens with George Cogrill being summoned to a meeting with his aunt and as a result he learns that he must give half his inheritance, which includes the mill, to Victoria Gloam. She decides to use her half of the mill as a studio and he continues to use the other half to make cider. As he is now short of money, he becomes her assistant and is forced to sell his private supply of cider. George turns out to be a much better photographer than Vicky. The Mill becomes a flourishing Art Centre and the sale of the cider proves popular. Vicky becomes a successful model and then a film star. Believing that George was more interested in keeping the mill and returning to his old way of life than forming a closer relationship with her, she gives him back her share of the Mill and decides to pursue a career in Hollywood. Two of her business associates see the commercial possibilities of the mill and in marketing the cider. They also have a commercial interest in her as a film star and see George as a threat to both. They plan to murder him but in such a way as to make the death look like an accident. The first attempt takes place during a pheasant shoot on the country estate owned by George's aunt, where George is acting as a beater. Another beater is shot by mistake and the attempt fails. George's aunt becomes suspicious and, because she does not wish George to return to his previous worthless existence, attempts to aid the two would be murders in encouraging Vicky to gain control of the mill. However, the two men decide to murder the aunt and achieve this by fixing the breaks of her motorcycle so that she rides over the edge of a quarry. Vicky discovers the truth and attempts to warn George. One of the killers is killed, run over by a bus while attempting to shoot Vicky in the streets of London. Vicky arrives too late to warn George and sees both him and the other killer fall from the wheel of the mill into the River Muckle during a torrential storm. The murderer drowns but George lands unconscious in an empty rowing boat which is washed down stream by the current. He loses his memory and is found by a middle aged husband and wife Country and Western duo, who "adopt" him and take him on tour with them. Meanwhile, Vicky and his friends believe he is dead. The couple eventually realise that George is unhappy and they return to where they found him. He unwittingly returns to the mill on the day of a memorial service held in his honour, recovers his memory and is reunited with Vicky with whom he also realises he is in love.

Hi Keith Thanks very much for that. Your synopsis appears to be one of the "straight forward overview of everything that happens in the story" sort, and I've decided that is the way I'm going to do my synopsis, mainly because that seems to be the way that most 'experts' advise you to do it. Now all I've got to do is condense 120000 words down to one side of double spaced A4...

Hi Pat Glad to be of help. 120000 is a lot of words. Anyone who manages to write that amount deserves to be congratulated. Best wishes for your success. Keith.

Keith, thanks for the kind words. An early version of the first chapter of the novel is on this site at... ...if you're interested. Any comments would be gratefully received. Pat [%sig%]

Pat I read your first chapter and I liked what I read. It looks like you put a lot of work into it. I liked the first line. These are important hooks and you have succeeded with this. The first few paragraphs are very linear and there may be too much detail. I like your descriptions. They are obviously one of your strengths. But describing the mundane too much may make the reader bored. It is a mistake I have made, particularly when I've found myself please with a particular piece of prose, which did not add anything to the plot, the characters or the setting. Unless your writing a literary novel, I suggest you cut down on the descriptions and go straight to the story. I've worked with an editor, which helps, but it does cost money. The next best thing is to join a writers group and get others to read your work, which you are doing now. I'm told that, when you do get published, a publisher will appoint an editor who will hack away at your work. To receive criticism can be hurtful but we must all try and get use to it. My wife reads everything I write and tells me if she doesn't like anything. Mind you in the end, the story is yours. I certainly have not taken all the advice I've received on board and I have now gone down the self-publishing route. The re-appearance of an imaginary childhood friend at the time when the hero is having problems with his second marriage is intriguing. I particularly liked the close of the last paragraph. It made me want to read on, which means your winning the battle to keep your reader's interest or in my case you've won it. I'd certainly like to read the completed tale should you publish more. I see Trinity has been rated 6.66 out of ten by three readers. I would find that very encouraging if I received similar scores. I rate it 7 out of ten and would probably rate it higher, if you had provided a blurb giving a little more introduction to what the story is about and a better idea of the genera. I'm assuming the story is a mystery/thriller. If you'd like to get your own back, I've placed one of my short stories on ABC tales(see http://www.abctales.com/Members/kjahans/abcset.2005-03-28.4472854984/FCAAF/). Best wishes. Keith.

Keith Thanks for taking the time to read my work; I would be interested in knowing which particular parts of the chapter you thought held up the pace. It would be a great help for me. I had a look at your short story and I liked the idea behind it but the layout made it very difficult to read, I found that I kept stumbling over the words and I had to go back and re-read lines several times. Was the layout deliberate or just something to do with the site? If it wasn't deliberate could you email me, with the story as an attachment in MS Word format, so I can read it properly then give you my thoughts? Just click on my name at the top of this post for my email address. Cheers Pat [%sig%]

Pat I've tried sending a message to "loosecannon.freeserve.co.uk" but the address is not recognized. I believe there should be an @ symbol somewhere. Please send a message to kjahans@ntlworld.com so I can attach my message to my reply. Keith.

Foxy - just wondering - did you ever finish your synopsis? Which way did you go in the end? [%sig%]

Lou, I haven't finished writing the synopsis yet (damn 'n blast!). But I've been doing a lot of research into what an agent / publisher wants to see in a synopsis so I've decided to follow the generally accepted wisdom and write a; present tense, tell everything that happens (even the ending) summary of the novel. I did post a rather garbled overview of the story on a thread on the General Discussion board which you kindly commented on, and I haven't been able to improve upon that yet... I'm very easily sidetracked.

No, I can't help you. I absolutely don't seem to be able to write the synopsis of my own novel. Only God knows why. It sounds the most boring book in the world when I do it. Well, maybe it is the most boring... Any help or advice would also be gratefully received by me. milkstone

I too am a bit confused on the process..now I read that the synopsis for your book should summarized each chapter and then I read, like you, that it should just summarize the book as if it were inside the jacket cover. Sorry I am no help either!

Thanks to both of you for responding, I guess we've just got to hope that someone who knows what they are talking about will eventually get around to giving us some advice... I think I may have posted this in the wrong forum, this one seems to get very little traffic other than the webpageboda cretin. [%sig%]

Synposis sells what is between the covers...it's as simple as that! You wrote the story: You know what you wrote about and why: But as an artist, you should also know how to sell your art...with words! Quote: "Some say that the synopsis should read like the Blurb on the back of a book and show off your writing style"......exactly!