Essential synopsis-writing and querying tips from 20 amazing Australian authors: Part 1 of 4

Where do you even start?

A few weeks ago, I asked an author pal of mine for some help with synopsis-writing. Lucky me – I received some truly marvellous advice. So marvellous in fact, I thought I’d share what I learnt with my readers. With that in mind, I asked a whole heap of other authors for their advice too, and here’s what some of them told me about writing a synopsis – I’ll share what the rest of them told me in Parts 2, 3 and 4! There’s advice to come on query letters and extra resources too.

The Synopsis

Kirsten Tranter, author of “The Legacy” (read more about Kirsten here):

Keep it to two to three pages.

It’s worth getting help and feedback about the synopsis.

There have been times when a great synopsis has kept me reading a manuscript that I would have otherwise put down.

Trent Jamieson, author of the “Death Works” series and the duology “Roil” and “Night’s Engines” (read more about Trent here):

Get to the core of the story, what’s at stake, what the characters are wanting, what’s stopping them.

Oh, and show you know how to end a story.

Synopsis writing is always hard, because it’s reducing something you’ve spent months/years on to little more than a page or two.

Kate Forsyth, author of almost twenty books for both adults & children, including the fantasy series “Rhiannon’s Ride” & “The Witches of Eileanan” series (read more about Kate here):

My key advice is always to think of your synopsis as a chance to tell your story. Write it in your natural voice, or in the same style as the book itself … do not write it in marketing-speak, or in a formal business-like way, but as warmly and naturally as you can. And simply tell your story in a single page.

Remember to include the 5Ws – ie Who, What, Where, When & Why. For example, “The Puzzle Ring is a historical fantasy for children, which tells the story of 13 year old Hannah and her friends who travel back in time to the dangerous days of Mary, Queen of Scots, to find the four lost loops of a broken puzzle ring that may help Hannah break an ancient fairy curse upon her family. The story begins with the arrival of a mysterious letter …” and so on.

Remember to have a beginning and a middle and an end to your synopsis, just like you do in a story. Many people make the mistake of writing a synopsis like a blurb i.e. they aim to intrigue and arouse curiosity. Although this is something a good synopsis does, you should always reveal what kind of ending you plan for your story because it makes a big difference to the style of the story. For example, Romeo & Juliet is a tragedy, and Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, the key difference in the story lines being the ending. It also shows that you, the writer, have a clear sense of your narrative arc.

Michael Pryor, author of over twenty-five novels including the fantasy series “The Laws of Magic”, “The Quentaris Chronicles” and “The Chronicles of Krangor” (read more about Michael here):

I aim for 1 page, max.

It should be a quick snapshot for easy consumption.

Kim Falconer, author of the fantasy series “Quantum Enchantment” and “Quantum Encryption” (read more about Kim here):

Put your story across in a small space and make it gripping and coherent. Keep sentences short to draw readers in. Use catchy summaries.

Explain anything that might confuse a reader who doesn’t know the plot like you do.

Ensure each big story concept has its own, separate sentence.

Fleur McDonald, author of outback mysteries “Red Dust” and “Blue Skies” (read more about Fleur here):

A good synopsis is about one page, reveals the ending, and is very zappy. You need to write crisply and cut out anything wordy or clumsy. Do you really need those connecting sentences?

Pick strong verbs.

Make sure your main characters sound like they’re anxious to resolve things.

After all the help you can get? Then read on…

Next time: what more of my author buddies told me about writing a synopsis. Then, in Part 3 & Part 4, read their advice on query letters and what extra resources you must consult before you approach an agent or editor!

MORE PLEASE! Don’t rely on Twitter or Facebook for updates to this blog. Get email notifications! Just enter your email address in the ‘subscribe’ box.