mcslist: Did you say synopsis? An easy recipe

Today, I decided to share one more list that I find useful. In fact, I’ve shared this list so much on various loops and to writer friends that I find myself writing it over and over. So, since people have found it useful, here is my synopsis recipe.

Please keep in mind that I am not published, so my recipe is not guarantee to keep you out of the slush pile or to make you win that contest. But it didn’t get bashed around too much in the various RWA contests I entered and it got me into the American Title V contest.

(BTW, don’t forget to vote for your favorite entry at: http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php)

So here we go: a synopsis for either a one or three-page synopsis, perfect for contests and submissions to agents and editors :

(1) First paragraph is the hook, a short 2-3 lines of what your story is about in a way that grabs the reader.

(2) Second paragraph is a heroine description. Make sure you mention a striking quality and a way to define her (like in ANCIENT WHISPERS, my heroine is a sensible pediatric nurse) and her “Goal, Motivation and Conflict” (what she wants and why and why she can’t get it.

(3) Third paragraph is the hero’s description just as for the heroine (my hero is a bold sorcerer). I usually have the hero before the heroine, but that’s just my own style of writing.

(4) Fourth paragraph is optional. If you have a genre story, describe the genre here, for example, the world building, the paranormal conflict, the suspense conflict, the historical setting.

(5) Add here three to four paragraphs about the high moments and turning points of the story. Look at those parts that are really crucial to the story and advance the main conflicts (focus on no more than two plots and leave out the rest. For a one page synopsis, just summarize the story in one paragraph.

(6) Second to last paragraph, the climax. The big high moment, this is a good place to showcase your voice or writing style.

(7) Last paragraph, the end. Describe how ends your main plots (those in section 5).This is not the time to leave the readers on a hook, tell them full ending of the story.

Voilà! You’re done. Hope this help J