Let’s talk today about the Synopsis. While your Cover letter and Marketing Plan sells the story concept, the Synopsis sells the story itself.

 

What is the synopsis?  This is your story, in a nutshell.  It’s a wide angle look, highlighting the big moments, and telling in a way that engages your editor’s imagination.  The last thing they want to read is a dry retelling of your story. 

 

Let’s start with an overview of a great synopsis:   

 

Step One:  A good synopsis starts out with outlining the character’s goals, their fears (as a set up for the black moment) and their deepest desires – with a hint at why.  You’re trying to show what they are they after, and why? What their conflict is, and what God is going to teach them?

 

That’s a lot for the first section – and I call it the Big Bang.  It’s sort of a one-glance look at your book for your editor. 

 

Step Two: Then the synopsis moves the story through the obstacles. I’ll be giving you a synopsis roadmap in a moment, but in the body of your synopsis, you going to highlight the pivotal points in your story – your character motivations, the conflicts, the road that leads them to their black moment and finally the epiphany. You’re going to write it in the POV of your main characters – concentrating on the MAIN Characters, not the subplots. 

 

Note:   A synopsis is supposed to be an OVERVIEW of the story. One mistake I see in young writers is the tendency to narrow in on the details. You want to step back from the story and squint a little and tell us the big events you see, and how they affect the spiritual and emotional threads. For example, Don’t tell us how he stops and caresses her hand as he declares his love. Just say, “he declares his love.” Details slow the pace and will make the editor put the synopsis down. You don’t want this to happen.

 

So, you’re going to start with a hook, then bring your editor holding her breath with each step, until you end with…

 

The Happy Ending/Thematic wrap up.  Usually this is a theme verse or phrase pasted on the top of your computer, and you’re going to use it to neatly package your synopsis. 

 

Step Three:  Make it engaging – you’ll want to craft a synopsis that woos your editor with the story.  I’m going give to give you some tricks on how to do this. 

 

Step Four:  You make sure it’s all woven together in a tight weave.

 

What about those Chapter by Chapter summaries? Yes, there are a few publishers that want a chapter break-down.  Don’t Panic.  It is similar to a synopsis in that it has Desires, Obstacles and Conflicts, but simply breaks them apart for each chapter.

 

(Here’s a secret:  Often I write both – even if my publisher only asks for a synopsis. I find the Ch by Ch summary serves as a roadmap for my book, and when I sit down to write it, I have a jump start on my creativity for that chapter. A synopsis is more entertaining, I think, and a good way to introduce your writing style to your editor. But a Chapter by Chapter Summary is more detailed, and proves you have your plot figured out. My suggestion: try writing both!)

 

If you’d like a Sample Synopsis and a more detailed explanation, check out the MBT Archives.

Or, if you need proposal help, head over to the discussion at MBT Club Voices – www.mybooktherapy.ning.com

The final thing you need in your proposal are the Sample Chapters. Tomorrow I’ll post a checklist for your sample chapters, something to make sure they are polished and ready to go!

Susie May