How to Write a Synopsis

A synopsis is one of the most dreaded documents in publishing — and one of the most misunderstood. Authors regularly confuse it with a blurb, a pitch, or a chapter outline. A synopsis is none of these things. It is a concise, spoiler-complete summary of your entire novel, told in present tense, in prose.

What a Synopsis Is (and Is Not)

A synopsis is not a back-cover blurb. It does not tease — it tells. The agent needs to see that your plot holds together, that your character arc is complete, and that the ending is satisfying. This means you must include the ending.

Many authors balk at this. They worry an agent will not read the book if they already know how it ends. The opposite is true: agents reject manuscripts without synopses precisely because they cannot evaluate structural integrity without one.

Length

Most UK agencies ask for a one-page synopsis (approximately 500 words) unless their submission guidelines specify otherwise. Some ask for two pages. Always check. If no length is specified, one page is the professional default.

What to Include

A synopsis should cover:

• Opening situation — where your protagonist starts, and what their world looks like
• Inciting incident — the event that sets the story in motion
• Rising conflict — the main obstacles and turning points (not every subplot)
• Midpoint shift — the moment everything changes
• Climax — how the central conflict comes to a head
• Resolution — how it ends, including character transformation

Voice and Tense

Write in third person, present tense, regardless of how your novel is written. "Emma discovers the letter" not "Emma discovered the letter" and not "I discovered the letter." This is industry convention.

Maintain some of your novel's voice. A synopsis for a dark literary novel should read differently from one for a romantic comedy. If your novel is funny, your synopsis can be slightly witty. If it is tense, the synopsis should feel taut.

Structuring One Page

With 500 words, you have roughly:

• 100 words — setup and inciting incident
• 200 words — the middle (key obstacles, turning points, midpoint)
• 150 words — climax and resolution
• 50 words — opening line introducing protagonist and world

This is a guide, not a formula. The ratio will vary by genre. A thriller with multiple plot threads needs more middle. A character study may need more space for the opening situation.

Common Synopsis Mistakes

• Withholding the ending — the agent needs to see it
• Too many characters — introduce only those essential to the main plot
• Listing events rather than dramatising them — "then X happens, then Y happens" is a plot outline, not a synopsis
• No emotional stakes — the reader needs to care about the outcome
• Passive voice throughout — keep it active and propulsive

A Useful Writing Trick

If you are struggling, try this: write one sentence for each of the following — who your protagonist is, what they want, what is stopping them, what they do about it, and what happens in the end. Then expand each sentence into a short paragraph. That is your first draft synopsis.

The Test

Read your synopsis back. If someone unfamiliar with your novel can follow the plot, understand what is at stake, and see how it resolves — it is working. If they have questions, you have gaps to fill.