The Building Blocks of a Synopsis

By Julie Artz

A writer once told me they’d created their query list specifically to avoid agents who asked writers for a synopsis because writing one was harder than getting a whole novel reader-ready. I laughed at the time, but since then I’ve encountered a lot of fear and trepidation about writing a synopsis, especially as the move toward Query Manager has made asking for a synopsis common practice. But the synopsis is a powerful tool to assess story structure via the convergence of plot arc and character arc, so creating one that is accurate not only makes your pitch package stronger, but it can help you better understand your story and know when it’s truly ready for readers.

So what even is a synopsis? James Scott Bell has some great information about what a synopsis is and what it’s for in his post, Synopsis Writing Made Easy. But essentially, it’s a 2-3 page snapshot of your plot and how it moves your main character(s) through their change arc. This is exactly why I ask all my clients to write a synopsis as part of their planning and/or revision process—because, as Michelle Barker described in her post, The Dreaded Synopsis, doing so will help you identify story-level problems before you send your novel out into the world. That’s exactly why agents and editors ask for one: they can assess quickly whether your story hangs together well enough for them to take the time to read the pages.

So let’s walk through the building blocks of the synopsis! I’ve also created this handy downloadable workbook to help you work through the process step-by-step.

The Four Essential Questions

The first building-block of your synopsis (and your story as a whole) is what I call the four essential questions. These big-picture questions are the foundation of your synopsis and your story:

1. What is the main character’s story goal? What do they really want?
2. What is the external plot? What does the main character do to try to achieve that goal and what obstacles stand in their way?
3. What is at stake if they do not achieve that goal? What are they risking or what might they lose?
4. What is their internal arc? How do the events of the plot change the main character over the course of the story as they work to achieve their goal?

These four questions may seem simple, but if you can’t answer them in a few sentences each, your story may be too complicated. If you can’t answer them at all, you may have a weakness in plot, character, motivation/goal, or stakes that needs to be addressed at the manuscript level before you pitch.

The Key Turning-Point Scenes

Once you have a big-picture idea of what your plot, character, and stakes are all about, you can identify the key turning-point scenes that move your main character through their change arc in pursuit of their story goal. 

• Opening Scene: Poses a question to hook the reader.
• Inciting Incident: A scene that sets the plot in motion.
• Midpoint: The moment that changes everything for the main character.
• All is Lost Moment: A major plot setback for the main character and her gang.
• Dark Night of the Soul: Something goes very wrong in the character’s internal arc, often related to or as a result of what happens in the All is Lost moment.
• Climax: The events of the All is Lost and Dark Night force the main character to dig deep and learn whatever it is they needed to learn so they can save the day in the final (metaphorical or actual) battle.
• Resolution: And now that the main character has achieved some version of their story goal at the climax, they live happily ever after.

Weave these key turning-point scenes into the answers to the four essential questions above to create an outline for your synopsis. Try to keep this under 500 words because we still have a few more pieces to add.

The Connective Tissue

If you write out a sentence or two for each of the key turning-point scenes above, the overall narrative might not make sense without some additional connective tissue. The good news is that you’ve got room: submission guidelines can vary from 500-1500 words or more, so I generally recommend shooting for a 750 word synopsis.

The connective tissue can be things like introducing subplots and side characters. Stick to no more than five named characters in the synopsis if possible and focus on the main ones like love interests, antagonists, best friends, or sidekicks that have a major role in the action of the story. A good rule of thumb is that these are the folks who are there at the climax!

Depending on your genre, the connective tissue might also include mystery elements, red herrings, and breadcrumb trails, world-building elements like cultural norms and power structures that create obstacles for your main character, and moments in the story that raise the stakes or complicate the plot.

Note that connective tissue does not include backstory or a great deal of world-building. It also doesn’t include voice or dialogue. That said, you do want your synopsis to give a sense of tone and atmosphere appropriate for your chosen genre. This can also help the agent or editor determine if this is primarily a plot-driven or character-driven story (either is fine, but readers will have preferences on that score).

If Your Synopsis Exposes a Story Problem

So you’ve written out the answers to the four essential questions, woven them in with the Seven Key Scenes, and added the connective tissue that makes sense for your story. But one of your key scenes or four essential questions feels a little weak. This might mean there’s a big-picture problem with your story. If that happens to you, don’t despair—you’ve discovered a fixable issue before you sent this to your dream agent or editor and that’s a very good thing.

For a deeper dive into story structure, check out these helpful articles on Writers Helping Writers:

• Story Not Behaving? Try Going Deeper into Structure
• Adapting Story Structure for Any Project
• Story Structure as a Fractal

If you’ve read all these posts, downloaded my Synopsis Step-by-Step Workbook, and are still feeling really stuck, watch this space on November 21 for a chance to win a synopsis consult from yours truly—we can figure out a solution together!

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Julie Artz has spent the past decade helping writers like you slay their doubt demons and get their novels and memoirs reader-ready. She’s worked with both award-winning and newer authors across the publishing spectrum from Big Five to small and university presses to indie and hybrid. She is an Author Accelerator-certified Founding Book Coach, a sought-after speaker and writing instructor, and a regular contributor to Jane Friedman and Writers Helping Writers, and a regular instructor for AuthorsPublish, IWWG, and more. Her work as a Pitch Wars and Teen Pit mentor, a former SCBWI Regional Advisor (WWA), and her memberships in The EFA, the WFWA, AWP, and the Authors Guild keep her industry knowledge sharp. A consummate social and environmental justice minded story geek, Julie lives in by an enchanted stream in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, two strong-willed teenagers (when they’re not off at university!), and two naughty furry familiars. She’s built a thriving book coaching business based on her values, her editing chops, and her knowledge of story. 

Julie’s stories have been published in Crow Toes Weekly, the Sirens Benefit Anthology Villains & Vengeance, and the speculative anthology Beyond the Latch and Lever. Subscribe to Julie’s weekly newsletter, Wyrd Words Weekly, or connect with her below:

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