How to Handle Certain Elements in a Synopsis?

andiwrite · Dec 25, 2014

Hi everyone and Merry Christmas if you celebrate.

So, I've never actually written a successful synopsis in my life. I was lucky enough to get a deal for my first book without ever having to complete one. However, I really need to get them together for my next two books (one of which I haven't even written yet, but I need to pitch the concept and have a synopsis in a couple of months).

Anyways. What I want to know is how to handle certain elements in a synopsis, specifically a story that jumps around in time. Each chapter from my story opens with a scene from a live television interview set in present day. In each of these scenes, various characters give bits and pieces of their experiences and lead in to the main scenes of the chapter, which all take place some months before.

So far, I've written my synopsis to describe the main storyline, and I haven't said anything about the scenes that contain the interviews or the flashback scenes (there's a few scenes that go back to when the characters were younger at various stages of life). Is this considered okay for a synopsis? All of these jumping around scenes add something small, but they aren't really necessary when explaining the main part of the story to someone.

I guess I'm just confused about whether a synopsis is supposed to describe each scene individually or whether it's just supposed to be a flowing description of the story that can leave some stuff out.

Thanks!

eqb · Dec 25, 2014

There are a number of stickies in QLH that address synopses. You might find it instructive to read them first, then come back with questions.

Sage · Dec 25, 2014

I think that if you feel comfortable with the story without those bits (and it seems like you do, since you wrote a version without them), rejoice in your ability to skip them! The answer to your last question is that it's a concise description of the story. The goal of the synopsis, I always say, is to show that you can write a coherent beginning, middle, and end.

However, since this is a synopsis for pitching a concept, I don't know if that will be different. It depends on what you were asked for.

andiwrite · Dec 25, 2014

Thanks! I had forgotten about that thread because I haven't considered doing a synopsis in a long time. Based on what I'm reading, I don't think I need to mention these scenes. Which is good, because considering I haven't written the book yet, I'm not entirely sure they're going to work, and I'd like the option to take them out if I want to.

Sage, they asked for a 50-page sample from my current WIP or a synopsis. I already let them know that I don't have anything completed at this time, so I'm focusing on the synopsis.

Australian River · Dec 25, 2014

I actually find it's much easier to write a synopsis/pitch for a novel you haven't written yet, and only have the idea of. You haven't yet delved deep into it, so you don't have any of those 'details' getting in the way.

Goodluck!

andiwrite · Dec 25, 2014

Yes! It helps work everything out before you waste time on detailed scenes that end up needing to be cut out later.

Bufty · Dec 26, 2014

Put the events in a synopsis in whatever order makes the main story line clear - be it chronological or not, and concentrate upon the main character.

But if it's only for yourself and not for an Agent you can do it in whatever fashion you choose and to whatever detailed extent you wish, incorporating as many characters and sub-plots as you want.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 26, 2014

andiwrite said:
Sage, they asked for a 50-page sample from my current WIP or a synopsis. I already let them know that I don't have anything completed at this time, so I'm focusing on the synopsis.

When you have this option, I think it's always better to send fifty pages. It shouldn't take long to write this many pages, and it's always better to show your work, than to write a page that just tells about your work.

It really depends whether you've reached the stage where the synopsis doesn't matter, the stage where a synopsis is just an excuse to hand you a contract.

I sells novel on the basis of a short synopsis, but the novel I write has pretty much nothing at all to do with what the synopsis says, except for being in the same genre. I'm not at all sure the editor actually reads it. I know he dosn't care what it's about, or if the story line is worth a hoot because teh novel I actually write probably won't have the same characters, or the same story.

But if I'm writing for a new publisher, I'd far rather send my actual writing than a synopsis. The synopsis tells an editor what I plan to do. The writing shows the editor what I can do.

BethS · Dec 26, 2014

andiwrite said:
So far, I've written my synopsis to describe the main storyline, and I haven't said anything about the scenes that contain the interviews or the flashback scenes (there's a few scenes that go back to when the characters were younger at various stages of life). Is this considered okay for a synopsis?

Sure. The synopsis does not need to echo the exact structure of the story. It just needs to show a coherent story line.

BethS · Dec 26, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
I sells novel on the basis of a short synopsis, but the novel I write has pretty much nothing at all to do with what the synopsis says, except for being in the same genre. I'm not at all sure the editor actually reads it. I know he dosn't care what it's about, or if the story line is worth a hoot because teh novel I actually write probably won't have the same characters, or the same story.

I expect it's going to be the same for me. Once I tell a story, synopsis or otherwise, I'm not going to tell it a second time.

Graz · Dec 26, 2014

I found this to be helpful:

http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-synopsis.html#

andiwrite · Dec 26, 2014

BethS said:
I expect it's going to be the same for me. Once I tell a story, synopsis or otherwise, I'm not going to tell it a second time.

Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm not sure I understand.

Jamesaritchie, I plan on submitting the synopsis and some sample pages so they can see some of both.

However, they already have my first novel and have some idea of my writing style, so I feel the most important thing is to show them the overall story and see if they might be interested.

I got my synopsis written last night. A good solid second draft, anyway. I'm struggling with focusing on the main character, since both the surviving 2/3s of the threesome are main characters, but I think I'm going to focus on the female because she probably has the most interesting arc, and she's the one who ends up killing the bad guy in the end.

I MUCH prefer this method of writing the synopsis first. I've already spotted some problems and things it would have taken me ages to see if I was working on it chapter by chapter.

BethS · Dec 26, 2014

andiwrite said:
Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm not sure I understand.

It's just the way my brain works. First, I don't write off an outline or plan the story in advance. I just start with a character in a situation, and build it from there.

This not only works well for me--I can't seem to think up stories in advance, or not very good ones, anyway--but in addition, I have this personal quirk that I can only tell a story once. If I try to write an outline or synopsis, my mind considers the story already told, and loses all interest in actually writing it. So the story I ended up writing would have nothing to do the outline or synopsis.

This will only be an issue for me when the day comes a publisher asks for a synopsis of an unwritten book.

And this obviously does not apply to you.

andiwrite · Dec 26, 2014

Ahh, ok I get what you mean now. It's awesome how we all have such different creative processes.

I usually change things quite a bit once I'm in the actual writing process because some stuff ends up not working, but for the most part, it's much easier for me to write the book from a birds-eye view and then begin detailed work on each scene from there. It's been hard for me to stay organized even doing this. I have no idea how you non-outliners pull it off!

Thanks for all your thoughts.

I'm off to start work on the first chapter now. Hopefully in a couple of months I will have some decent pages and a tight synopsis to show. Woo hoo!

How to Handle Certain Elements in a Synopsis?

andiwrite

eqb

I write novels

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

andiwrite

Australian River

andiwrite

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Jamesaritchie

BethS

BethS

Graz

andiwrite

BethS

andiwrite