First Aid for the Dreaded Synopsis

I could tell you I just read through a manuscript and try to come up with a few sentences that sum up what happens in each chapter. Chances are if you’re already doing that, you’re finding the result as interesting as a dried out piece of cheese.

So, to the internet for a better answer. Judging by the number of related questions that came up when I began typing “how to write a summary…,” the fellow writer who reads my blog posts and I are not the only ones at a loss for how to do it effectively.

Many sites offer what looks like good advice, including Master Class, whose classes I’ve often looked at but never taken. Jane Friedman’s how-to article might be even more useful. (She helped me understand the dried cheese phenomenon.)

I suspect that however helpful these sites or others might be, you would far rather be writing another book than a summary of what you’ve already written. But that dreaded task can itself be an important step in the writing of your book — after a first draft, a subsequent draft, and even when you’re on the brink of sending it out. Even trying to summarize a plot (just one part of writing a synopsis) can help you identify where it flags, where cause and effect connections between events are lacking, whether the ending fulfills the promise of the beginning, and so much more.

Give it a try. You might be surprised what you find! You might see the need for another round of revision, but isn’t that better that than sending out a project prematurely?

More of my blog posts about writing

Whether you'll be writing in the coming weeks or just relaxing — travelling or staying close to home — I wish you a wonderful summer with plenty of hours for reading lots of good books. If you'd like to recommend one to me, please feel free!