# One page synopsis?



## cinderblock (Jun 20, 2015)

I went on AgentQuery to browse agents for my book, and so far, they all want a "1-2 page synopsis." 

Does this mean, they literally want one entire page? Something like 500 words?

Or will a 200-word one be adequate enough?

The story I wrote is very difficult to paraphrase. I wrote a 200-word version that sounded... marketable, without revealing spoilers. 

Adding 300 more words will be hard to do without revealing a lot of what's exactly happening. 

Hmm. Do agents usually want spoilers? Do they care?

Finally, if any agent asks for the "first five pages" or however many pages, without specifying how they want it, what's the default? Paste it onto the email with zero formatting? Word document attachment?


----------



## qwertyman (Jun 21, 2015)

Hi cinderblock, are you applying to Uk or US agents?


----------



## Sam (Jun 21, 2015)

The synopsis I penned for my first published novel was three A4 pages, roughly 2,000 words, and detailed the chronology of events from start to finish in my 150k novel. 

That's what a synopsis is. It's not an overview of the theme, or the characters, nor is it a blurb on the back of a novel. It's a condensed version of your story. If you can condense your story into 200 words, more power to you, but I guarantee you that you won't be able to. 

Do you reveal spoilers? Without a shadow of a doubt. An agent or publisher needs to know any major or minor twists. They need to know the ending. They need to know _everything _or they cannot make a decision on whether or not to accept the manuscript. These are the people who will be accepting (hopefully) your work. You do not hold anything back from them. 

An agent or publisher will specify exactly how they would like any attachments. If they don't, ask them. Don't assume. You would not believe how many manuscripts are binned daily because some writer assumed something. The default is Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced, and justified*.

*Some prefer left-aligned, for whatever reason. Again, don't assume. ASK.


----------



## Kyle R (Jun 21, 2015)

Like Sam said, the synopsis is meant to detail the plot of your story from beginning to end.

Think of a recent movie. Go to Google, and find the Wikipedia page for the film. Read the "Plot" section. That'll give you a good idea of what a brief synopsis looks like.

For example, just pulling a random movie: here's the plot synopsis for the 2012 film, _The Amazing Spider-Man_: 1 Plot

Wikipedia plot synopses are usually a little "dry" to read, though, which may or may not be to your liking. Some writers prefer to make their synopses a bit catchier. After all, just because it's a plot synopsis, that doesn't mean it has to be boring! Also remember that a synopsis should always be written in present tense.

Be sure to look around online for more information about writing the one (or two) page synopsis! There's a lot of helpful information out there. :encouragement:


----------



## scrub puller (Jun 21, 2015)

Yair . . . 

*cinderblock. *A synopsis is a "spoiler".

You need to tell the story in the present tense with using succinct well crafted sentences. Pare it back to one page if possible but reveal all the major happenings and particularly, the ending.


This will be the most important document you will write and it should be tight and completely focussed.


No matter how good you novel or other submission is, an agent or publisher is unlikely to read your first chapter if the synopsis is crap or does not meet the strict criteria that has evolved over the years.


I spoke to my agent about synopsis's since this subject came up and she does in fact prefer to have the traditional bolding and age shown in brackets for the characters the first time they are mentioned i.e. J*amie (16)*

I believe it can't hurt to stick with that convention.

Cheers.


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 21, 2015)

qwertyman said:


> Hi cinderblock, are you applying to Uk or US agents?



I believe it's U.S., but who knows?

Is there a difference in preference?


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

Sam said:


> The synopsis I penned for my first published novel was three A4 pages, roughly 2,000 words, and detailed the chronology of events from start to finish in my 150k novel.
> 
> That's what a synopsis is. It's not an overview of the theme, or the characters, nor is it a blurb on the back of a novel. It's a condensed version of your story. If you can condense your story into 200 words, more power to you, but I guarantee you that you won't be able to.
> 
> ...



The other question I have is... 

So when I write out this synopsis, should I also explain the metaphors of the book?


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

Kyle R said:


> Like Sam said, the synopsis is meant to detail the plot of your story from beginning to end.
> 
> Think of a recent movie. Go to Google, and find the Wikipedia page for the film. Read the "Plot" section. That'll give you a good idea of what a brief synopsis looks like.
> 
> ...



I'm at a complete loss with the synopsis. The examples provided have been awful. I get it. Nobody wants their story spoiled. 

I do a lot of "showing," as opposed to telling, to allude to metaphors - religion and sociopoliticoeconomics. Should I explain how each turning point in the story refers to society, culture, government, psychology, etc? Yes, I have a plot that could be understood without knowing its metaphors, but it would take away from the deeper appreciation of it. In that case, I would have to essentially write an essay of my own book. 

God, I never knew I had to write the actual synopsis for my own story. I thought Wikipedia did that for you.


----------



## qwertyman (Jun 22, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> I believe it's U.S., but who knows?
> 
> Is there a difference in preference?



Yes, US agents expect a few succinct paragraphs with a hook included in a 'query letter'. If the agent is hooked he/she will request a sample of the work.

UK agents have a different approach, they require a synopsis with the sample submission. It's length and format will vary. If you live in the UK and don't have £18 to spare, go to your local library and in the reference section you should find a copy of Writers' and Artists' Year Book. It's all in there, every agent and what they want and what they don't want.

That's enough about UK agents as it's clear your looking to the US market. In which case all the answers can be found at absolutewrite.com


----------



## Sam (Jun 22, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> God, I never knew I had to write the actual synopsis for my own story. I thought Wikipedia did that for you.



How do you think publishers and agents select the authors they're going to represent? 

They don't have time to read every book that comes across their desk, so they narrow down potential clients by looking at two key areas: the query letter and the synopsis. You can write the best three/four-paragraph blurb in the world and it doesn't guarantee that the actual story won't be crap on a stick. The synopsis tells them whether or not the story is worth their time.


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

Sam said:


> How do you think publishers and agents select the authors they're going to represent?
> 
> They don't have time to read every book that comes across their desk, so they narrow down potential clients by looking at two key areas: the query letter and the synopsis. You can write the best three/four-paragraph blurb in the world and it doesn't guarantee that the actual story won't be crap on a stick. The synopsis tells them whether or not the story is worth their time.



What is your opinion on explaining the subtext of the story? Should I address the metaphors in the synopsis? Or would it seem pompous of me? 

So far from the few who have attempted to decipher the story's multiple themes, wordplay, and deeper meaning, nobody has come close to figuring it out. They've all responded positively once I explained some of it.


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

qwertyman said:


> Yes, US agents expect a few succinct paragraphs with a hook included in a 'query letter'. If the agent is hooked he/she will request a sample of the work.
> 
> UK agents have a different approach, they require a synopsis with the sample submission. It's length and format will vary. If you live in the UK and don't have £18 to spare, go to your local library and in the reference section you should find a copy of Writers' and Artists' Year Book. It's all in there, every agent and what they want and what they don't want.
> 
> That's enough about UK agents as it's clear your looking to the US market. In which case all the answers can be found at absolutewrite.com



I wish that was the case, but from the U.S. agents that I've pulled up from AgentQuery, they all ask for a query + 1-2 page synopsis right off the bat + several pages of the manuscript. The ones who merely request a query indicate the next thing they'll request is a 1-2 page synopsis.


----------



## Terry D (Jun 22, 2015)

Don't explain the metaphors and subtexts of your book. The synopsis shows the agent that you do indeed have a completed project  and that it has a narrative which can be summarized -- not just 100,000 words of rambling. The story must carry your book regardless of its deeper meaning. Your synopsis shows that story. The manuscript itself will show the rest.


----------



## Kyle R (Jun 22, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> I'm at a complete loss with the synopsis. The examples provided have been awful. I get it. Nobody wants their story spoiled.


Here are some synopsis examples to read: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/synopsis-writing



			
				cinderblock said:
			
		

> I do a lot of "showing," as opposed to telling, to allude to metaphors - religion and sociopoliticoeconomics. Should I explain how each turning point in the story refers to society, culture, government, psychology, etc? Yes, I have a plot that could be understood without knowing its metaphors, but it would take away from the deeper appreciation of it. In that case, I would have to essentially write an essay of my own book.


That's great, but the synopsis is not about the deeper meaning of your story. It's about the *plot*. It's about _what_ happens to the character(s). The story. This is so the agent can determine if you have something that fits what they are looking for.

For example: You have *Agent Wanda* who is seeking "*a modern-day romance with a happy ending*" to represent.

If she comes across a synopsis that reads, "This is a story about tragedies and sorrows, about redemption and struggle," she'll probably say, "What the hell is this? Reject. Next."

But if she comes across a synopsis that reads, "TREVOR WATSON is a struggling blogger with social anxiety disorder. He's behind on his rent. His blog has precisely two followers, and he's pretty sure one of them is his mom. And the last time he spoke to a person face-to-face was over two years ago. All that changes when SARA WINTERS knocks on his door . . ." suddenly, *Agent Wanda* is interested. Why? Because this might be the exact kind of story she's looking for! It's modern. It seems like a romance is about to come along. And if there's a happy ending? She'll probably request some chapters to read.

The synopsis helps agents decide if your manuscript might be worth further investigation. It does that by explaining the *story* in a simple, concise format. :encouragement:


----------



## Loulou (Jun 22, 2015)

Hi Cinderblock, (again! - I responded in your other thread.)

I know how troublesome writing a synopsis is, and that some want 500 words, some maybe 1000.

I'll paste below the 500 word synopsis of my novel, which got a publisher to read the novel, and got me a book deal.  Really, really hope it helps.  And trust me, it took about twenty attempts to get this how it is.


EDIT - removed synopsis as it contains spoilers and is searchable on Google!


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

Kyle R said:


> Here are some synopsis examples to read: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/synopsis-writing
> 
> 
> That's great, but the synopsis is not about the deeper meaning of your story. It's about the *plot*. It's about _what_ happens to the character(s). The story. This is so the agent can determine if you have something that fits what they are looking for.
> ...



Thanks, the examples were absolutely wonderful. 

The other thing about is... I'm overanalyzing but do I really want an agency that doesn't know what it is I'm trying to convey? An agency that merely wants a superficial scifi thriller and doesn't care about the insidious development of underlying themes? 

We've seen this happen with a lot of movies that are marketed incorrectly to the wrong demographic.


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 22, 2015)

Loulou said:


> Hi Cinderblock, (again! - I responded in your other thread.)
> 
> I know how troublesome writing a synopsis is, and that some want 500 words, some maybe 1000.
> 
> ...



That was tremendously helpful. I liked how you appended the note at the end. Thanks a lot.


----------



## Terry D (Jun 25, 2015)

For what it's worth, here's the 472 word synopsis for my 206,000 word novel, _Chase_.


CHASE

When RICKY DEETS loses ten-thousand dollars to DALTON THORN, the brutal mastermind behind a high-stakes dog-fighting ring in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, he panics and kidnaps GABRIEL RYDER, his girlfriend’s thirteen year old son. Despite Thorn’s reputation for violence, Deets tries to convince him they can make more than the ten-thousand by ransoming the boy.

What Deets doesn’t know is Thorn’s history. Five years before, the man slaughtered four families while kidnapping, torturing, and killing a teenage boy in each case. Known to the FBI as Jolly Roger for his grisly, crossed-bones signature, Thorn is looking for a very ‘special’ boy. Now Ricky Deets may have delivered that boy to him.

Thorn murders Deets and locks Gabriel in a back room of the fighting-dog kennel. The same room where Thorn keeps CHASE, a golden retriever the killer uses as a ‘bait-dog’ to train his bloodthirsty animals. Injured, starving, and alone, Chase has been Thorn’s captive since ruining the man’s plan to murder a fifth family and take another boy. Gabriel and Chase quickly form a powerful bond.

Agent NOAH KREIDER and the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team are brought in to lead the search for the missing boy. Establishing a base of operations in Gabriel’s home town of Ft. Madison, Iowa, the C.A.R.D. unit soon focuses their attention on the ex-convict Deets. 

As the FBI slowly accumulate leads, Thorn’s spiral into madness accelerates. Killing Ricky Deets has reignited the bloodlust Jolly Roger has been trying to assuage by staging his brutal fights. He begins to kill everyone he perceives as a threat, while making plans to take Gabriel and disappear once more.

Thorn isn’t the only one making plans. Terrified by his insane captor, and fearful for his new friend’s life, Gabriel executes a bold escape. Taking advantage of the violent distraction caused by one last night of dog fights, Gabriel and Chase disappear into the three-million acre wilderness of the Mark Twain National Forrest.

With the FBI closing in, an increasingly erratic Thorn, his accomplices, and a gigantic, relentless fighting-dog named SHOTGUN, pursue the boy and the retriever into the forest. 

Lost in the rugged timber, Gabriel and Chase get help from a, scarred, marijuana farming, Viet Nam vet who tells Gabriel his name is SPIRO AGNEW. Agnew shelters the pair, and is forced to fight for them when Thorn’s band arrives. During the gun battle at Agnew’s compound, the old man is killed, but not before telling Gabriel about a concealed escape route, and a hiding place in a cave not far away. Even as Chase and the boy find the entrance to the labyrinth, Thorn and Shotgun find them, with Kreider and his partner only minutes behind. In a final, claustrophobic confrontation deep underground, Kreider’s partner dies, Chase is grievously injured, and Dalton Thorn is killed.


----------



## Kevin (Jun 25, 2015)

Oh, cool! Spoiler alert, though... Now that I'm 'e-reading' able I'll finally get to read this (I think ... I better ask my teenager. I hope so.).


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 27, 2015)

Terry D said:


> For what it's worth, here's the 472 word synopsis for my 206,000 word novel, _Chase_.
> 
> 
> CHASE
> ...



Thanks a lot for sharing. That's really succinct. 

Is capitalizing the names the way to go? Or brackets?


----------

