You’ve battled with your manuscript and query letter, slaying words in the way of perfection. The dungeon grate rises before you. Escape is imminent. You check submission guidelines on your ideal agent’s website. “Submit three chapters and a synopsis.” Synopsis? The word leaps at you, and you scream a horror movie scream. The gate crashes behind. You face dark passageways with no map to freedom.
Debbie Vilardi
Don’t panic. I have a foolproof plan. Pin the pitch paragraph in your query to your tunic so you can use it for reference.
If you have an outline, check that it’s accurate. If not, write a brief one. Use chapter titles or numbers as headings. Write a phrase to define the action in each scene underneath its heading. Phrases for the first chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe could include “Plans to explore the area” and “Lucy in the Wardrobe.”
Now you have a sense of the labyrinth you’re trapped in. A synopsis follows events related to the main story arc, so slash scene descriptions that depict only subplots. They are dead ends in the maze. Next, evaluate the importance of each remaining scene. This step often leads to revising my manuscripts. Less important scenes may be cut, combined to create more important scenes, or tightened. Elements of the main plot may be woven into scenes that had developed only a subplot. Very important scenes mark your passage out.
The map of your path is complete. To hew it into a synopsis, expand your phrases into sentences and paragraphs. Write in present tense and third person POV, no matter the form of your manuscript.
Remember that paragraph pinned to your tunic? How do the scenes relate to your pitch? How do they fit together? These questions help you decide which less important scenes to keep in the synopsis. As with your pitch, the synopsis should have the tone of the manuscript, evoking the same emotion. It must contain the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself revising the pitch because the synopsis has clarified your plot and themes.
Every adventurer needs a group of skilled sidekicks for the journey. Bring your rough draft to your critique group. If they aren’t familiar with your manuscript, they can tell you if the synopsis makes them want to read your story. If they are, they’ll help you decide if you’ve left out an important detail or included too much.
Your escape is almost complete. Double-check the agent’s guidelines. A two-page synopsis is sure to receive a rejection from someone seeking one page. Tighten the language and remove references to less important scenes until you have the correct length. Verify that you haven’t sacrificed flow and return to your fellow travelers if necessary.
If your work has more than one POV or timeline, choose one to give a broader view and weave in what you can if you only have a page to work with. If there is a second page, it could focus on the second element and show how the two intertwine.
If the synopsis is one page, single space it. If not, format as you would a manuscript without a cover page. Either way put the words “Synopsis of Title” in place of the title and then change each character’s name to all caps the first time it appears. Now you’re ready to open the mailbox door or hit send. Welcome to the next level of the publishing game.
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DEBBIE’S BIO:
Debbie Vilardi is a published poet and author of over 20 leveled readers produced by publishers in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She also copy edits for Front Vision, a teen sci-tech magazine produced in China. Debbie volunteers as the executive editor for Kid Lit News, the SCBWI Long Island chapter newsletter, and as global moderator for the SCBWI Discussion Boards. Learn more about her by visiting her website at https://www.debbievilardi.com/ and following her on Twitter/X at https://x.com/dvilardi1.
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Thank your sharing this article originally published in the SCBWI Bulletin (Jan/Feb 2013), p. 19 with us. Most novel writers can use extra help when writing their synopsis.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Writing and Illustrating 
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