Synopsis from new published authors

[Richard Ireland]

There are plenty of writer's sites that have an example synopsis, but most are pretty woeful, and few for fantasy which often has to quickly convey unusual and sometimes complex themes amid the story outline.

It would be most helpful to see a synopsis which helped a new writer get started who has done well recently, such as Joe Abercombe. And it would be interesting to then compare it with the published novel to see how the story and themes were distilled.

Are then any such authors who have made their synopsis available?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm afraid you are missing the point. Agents and editors looking for genre fiction don't pick up a synopsis expecting a distillation of complex themes. They want to know if you have a great story. If, in the course of that story, complex questions about humanity, culture, individuality (or whatever it might be) emerge, so much the better, but they'll read the manuscript to find out those things, not the synopsis. You simply cannot prove your ability to handle (as opposed to merely discuss) such themes in the course of a page or two, because their effectiveness is all in the execution and how they are woven into a compelling plot.

So first and foremost, an agent or editor will want to know if you have that compelling plot. If you don't, then the rest doesn't matter. If the synopsis makes it sound like you do, they'll ask for the manuscript and find out what else your book has to offer, and how skillfully that something else is worked into the story and expressed by the characters.

In other words: You write a synopsis for a fantasy novel in pretty much the same way you would write it if your story was a romance, a mystery, a thriller, a historical novel, or whatever. If the fantasy elements are integral to the story (as they should be) even in a condensed version of the plot they should be obvious. If the themes are integral to the story (as they should be), even a simple description of plot and characters should be sufficient to hint at their presence. If it doesn't, then it's highly possible that your story does not, in fact, adequately express those themes, and you either need to do a lot more work on the book, or give more thought to what your story really is about before you try to sell it.

Don't tie yourself into complex knots trying to make your synopsis into something it isn't meant to be -- you are trying to give a sense of your abilities as a storyteller, not as an essayist -- and don't go searching for examples that will show you how to do what you are not, in fact, expected to do.

 

[Richard Ireland]

* Theresa, thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. Your key point here is in not “trying to make your synopsis into something it isn't meant to be”.

Of course knowing exactly what it is meant to be in order to entice the agent/publisher beyond the synopsis to the samples and full manuscript is part of the knotty problem. You are trying to sell your novel, your story telling craft, ability to plot, and above all stand out from the crowd with originality. But in a fantasy world, conveying what is at stake for the characters often requires a little more exposition on the themes (though your phrase “fantasy elements” probably better describes what I am getting at).

For example, a story about a protagonist trying to stop poachers slaughtering elephants is a theme where what is at stake is easily implied. But if the elephant was a fantasy creature with twin souls linked to a magic system for characters symbiotic with other fantasy creatures... you have to spend a little more time laying that out, or your plot might not make sense. A bit like the Victorian explorers trying to describe the exotica of Africa for a home audience. And in the one pager some ask for, this can be difficult. In a longer synopsis, it is not nearly so hard. So what I was looking for was to see how some authors handled that.

Perhaps my mistake is forgetting that it is genre editors and agents I am aiming at – they already have their heads partly in my cloud. Unfortunately in the UK there seem precious few of the latter, so I am wary of assuming too much familiarity with the genre when approaching others. There is a risk of the synopsis seemingly nonsensical. But neither do I want to cripple it with lame stock fantasy phrases and rob it of originality.

With experience and a little exposure to agents/publisher, I’m sure you can start to second guess their reactions and pitch things better; learning what can be assumed and what must not. I understand completely that the synopsis is a sales tool. But an advert for an iPhone in the seventies would require many more words than one today, because an integral concept like the internet would first need to be explained before the compelling nature of the device became clear. Though if it was aimed at a Sci-Fi nut the response would be “Cool!” rather than, “huh?”
[FONT=&quot][/FONT] [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Perhaps my mistake is forgetting that it is genre editors and agents I am aiming at – they already have their heads partly in my cloud. Unfortunately in the UK there seem precious few of the latter, so I am wary of assuming too much familiarity with the genre when approaching others.

But you shouldn't be approaching agents and editors who don't ordinarily represent SF and Fantasy. That would be a big mistake. Agents who have their own websites, or who you find on a list of agents somewhere, should describe which genres they are will look at and represent. If you are submitting directly to publishers, you should know what the SFF imprints are.

Sending queries or proposals where they won't even get a look is one of the major mistakes that new authors make. Yes, there are a limited number of agents who represent Fantasy in the UK. That is just the way it is, and you can't make it better by hoping to convert an agent who wouldn't ordinarily be interested. Besides, if you did, they would be ignorant of the field, not have contacts in the right places, and do a poor job of representing you. It would be better, if and when you exhaust the possibilities in the UK, to start contacting agents and or editors in the US.

Honestly, you do not have to fill your synopsis with explanations of themes, elements, etc. Concentrate on telling your story in a simple and compelling way.

twin souls linked to a magic system for characters symbiotic with other fantasy creatures

You've just summed up the background for a Fantasy novel in less than one sentence. See, you can do it. You are not in the same position as a Victorian explorer describing the exotica of Africa, because the flora and fauna of your imaginary world are not what the synopsis is supposed to be about. Stick to what impacts the story directly, as you did in the sentence above, and you'll do fine.

Don't make things harder than they need to be.

 

[The Judge]

Richard, I can't add anything to what Teresa has said (leaving aside the fact that my own attempts at synopses are hopeless anyway...) but if you are worried about your own, why not put a draft up on the critiques section and see if the collective wisdom of the site can help you.

 

[Peter Graham]

"Jaws" is an 80,000 word novel set in a semi-fictional New York State seaside holiday resort in the 1970's.

The book is written predominantly from the point of view of Police Chief Brodie, a city flatfoot who has moved to his wife's home town. Brodie's attempts to build a new - and ostensibly perfect - life with his young family is destroyed when a rogue Great White Shark starts eating holidaymakers.

Brodie is torn between his duty as an officer to deal with the threat to human life and his perceived duty towards his wife's people, most of whom are entirely reliant on the short tourist season for work and money. For a while, his duty to the townspeople wins out and he achieves a level of social acceptance as a result, although when the mother of one of the shark's victims discovers that the police knew about the shark but had not closed the beaches, Brodie has to turn his back on his new neighbours and threaten the viability of his community.

Pressurised by the mayor and the local bsuiness community who refuse to back him, Brodie becomes increasingly isolated. His sense of isolation only increases after his wife commences an affair with Matt Hooper, an oceanologist who has come to town on the back of the shark reports.

Broide finally decides that he must face the shark personally in order to restore balance to his life - no mean feat for a man who fears the water even when it does not contain thirty foot man eaters.

Brodie teams up with Quint, a local fisherman and shark hunter, and with Hooper they set off to hunt and kill the shark. They succeed in finding the shark, but Quint's initial confidence is soon doused when it becomes apparent that the hunters have become the hunted.

Alone in the ocean and driven on by Quint, who is driven by a need to control nature and who personalises his battle with the shark in a manner remisncent of Captain Ahab, the three men attempt to face the shark. Quit and Hooper both die, but the shark is incapacitated in the process and the book ends with Brodie swimming for shore. If he makes it, he will have buried his demons. But he is a poor swimmer and the shark is still alive. The reader is left to decide whether he makes it or not.


Not brilliant I grant you, but it was just a quick example to show what you might put in a synopsis. The themes and issues (here, the parallels to Moby Dick, the subplot of isolation and acceptance and the ideas of man facing the elemental forces of nature) are hinted at, but can be referenced in your covering letter. Otherwise, you let the writing speak for itself.

Regards,

Peter

 

[Jon Sprunk]

Short and sweet.

 

[Richard Ireland]

Teresa – again thanks for some insightful advice.

Having thought about what you said, I’ve credited the reader with better SFF antennae and refocused the synopsis:

The story is about the wilful destruction of a hidden symbiotic relationship between various species that keeps the world safe from outside malevolence, and the efforts of the one man who stands outside it, to decipher it and intervene.

But it is also about the manipulation of that man to do so by the world’s dying god, intent on making him something he does not want to be - and ultimately rejects having discovered his unintended complicity in the destruction.

By focusing on the second, more human interest viewpoint and merely referencing the first, the story stands out more clearly. Both are valid in terms of what is at stake, and both are integral to the plot. In bald summary, the first now sounds more trite than I wanted. But this has given room for the second to breathe more.

It’s easy to get lost in the 100,000 acre wood of your novel when preparing the synopsis, but identifying the honey pots hopefully makes Pooh a happy bear.


A lot of agents/agencies mention general fiction though not specifically SFF, but when you delve into their client list you see they do represent some SFF authors. There seems a curious disparity between the numerous SFF publishers/imprints and the relatively few agents who admit to be interested in the genre. And I have found few publishers in the UK who accept submissions not made through an agent.

 

[Richard Ireland]

[FONT=&quot]Peter, thank you for the example – I particularly like how you highlighted that Brodie saw confronting the shark as a way to restore balance in his own life; something I was not really conscious of when thinking back to the story. Very helpful.

[/FONT] Judge – It’s the one pager where I am striving for improvement in concision and clarity without omitting what might be a selling point to an agent. I am a little wary of posting material on forums, but I am beginning to see that there is indeed a collective wisdom here which I would be honoured to share in. I really appreciate the time you have all taken to respond.

I’ve seen so many forums on creative matters (music, art, literature) where the participants exhibit the “The People’s Front of Judea” trait of talking endlessly but doing and achieving nothing (Monty Python – Life of Brian btw). The more I read the posts here, the more I see there is some solid practical experience around.


[FONT=&quot]And that was sort of my original point. To study those who have walked the walk can be enlightening – not to copy, but to see what a good job looks like, as an old boss of mine used to say.[/FONT]

 

[Susan Boulton]

Richard,

Something a friend got me doing with my synopsis, was write it out full (i.e. take as many pages as you need) Then start to cut it down. First to 1000 words, then 750, then 500 then 250, trying to keep the main plot points from the POV of the main character in there. I was pulling my hair out in chunks at one point, but it worked. I ended up with a 250 word paragraph for my basic query letter, and a one and a two page synopsis.

 

[Richard Ireland]

Richard,

Something a friend got me doing with my synopsis, was write it out full ... Then start to cut it down.

Thanks SJAB, this is what I've been doing also, to the detriment of my hairline. I liken it to zooming out on an electronic map so you're left with the major cities and roads between them. Sometimes you end up with a distorted sixteenth century map of the world (complete with "here be monsters" tags!) so zoom in and try again.

But I'm also beginningto see there are real benefits in nailing the short version first, and judiciously adding flesh to the skeleton where required.

My second full mss was too long, and I had to cut it down. The third which I just finished the first draft, I've deliberately kept minimal having discovered it's easier to add necessary detail, than cut extraneous fluff.

I really want to perfect the synopsis skill because it is also an excellent way of really understanding your own work, of obtaining some objectivity and perspective.

 

[2ndchance]

I have to say, after being lost in said 100 acre wood, this thread has certainly helped me see where the honey pot is. Pete, ol' chap, excellent example, you kept that ace up your sleeve my friend.

I was just heading back to the drawing board when I came upon this thread, (thanks Pete, Teresa) and bingo, I now see that my drawing board is in a different room.

Richard, what can I say, having poorly attempted a synopsis more time than I can wave a stick at, maybe try, and detach yourself from your emotional views of your beloved tale? That is something I have struggled with, endlessly. I could have found an alternative habitable planet easier.

Steve

 

[Tirellan]

A lot of agents/agencies mention general fiction though not specifically SFF, but when you delve into their client list you see they do represent some SFF authors. There seems a curious disparity between the numerous SFF publishers/imprints and the relatively few agents who admit to be interested in the genre. And I have found few publishers in the UK who accept submissions not made through an agent.

The problem is that there are relatively few slots a year in UK SF/F for previously unpublished UK authors, maybe a dozen or so. Thus not many agents are interested in scrapping over them compared with, say crime or women's fiction.
The good news is that SF/F can step over to the US market more easily than most genres, and that is a much larger market with many more agents.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

But it is also about the manipulation of that man to do so by the world’s dying god, intent on making him something he does not want to be - and ultimately rejects having discovered his unintended complicity in the destruction.

By focusing on the second, more human interest viewpoint and merely referencing the first, the story stands out more clearly

Exactly. A book may express all sorts of ideas in the subtext, or explore them through the movements of the plot, but the story is about what happens to the characters.

The strength of your ideas may make your book stand out, may ultimately cause an agent to represent, or an editor to buy, your book instead of another book of equal quality, but most of the time it is the writer's ability to tell a story through the synopsis that inspires them to read a manuscript in the first place. You can have the most phenomenal ideas ever, but if you cannot work them into a story that engages readers' interest then you have nothing to offer a publisher. Just about anyone can come up with ideas for a story; not everyone can actually turn those ideas into a story. The synopsis shows that you are someone who can.

 

[Richard Ireland]

The good news is that SF/F can step over to the US market more easily than most genres, and that is a much larger market with many more agents.

Thanks Tirellan, definitely worth considering. Do you or does anyone else have experience of such a cross-Atlantic agent relationship?

I also wonder if the query letter or synopsis itself needs a slightly different flavour when approaching an American agent. I've a good friend in Colorado who's been a professional resume writer for years, and I asked him to review my cv. We then had a very interesting conversation about our different approaches, and he said he actually learned something from how I had done it - a huge compliment from a hard-nosed pro. An American resume is often all about positivity and can-do attitude, and sometimes borders on bragging, whilst a British cv is more about understated but assured confidence, and often more simplistic. Neither would work effectively in the other's territory.

American and British fantasy authors certainly write in a different way, though I would be at a loss to pinpont what it is. I wouldn't change my novel writing style, but a pragmatic approach to maximizing the hook in the query letter for an American agent might well be worth considering.

 

[HareBrain]

Richard, Miss Snark's blog will answer your questions wonderfully if you can find the time to trawl through it (in my experience, once you start, you will find the time ...)

 

[Tirellan]

I have considerable experience with this having queried my fantasy novel widely among US agents before landing representation over here. There is no barrier; plenty of UK writers have US agents. The rules however are rather different for querying.
Miss Snark as quoted above is a wonderful site. Queryshark Queryshark.blogspot.com is also very valuable. Several agent blogs discuss what makes a good query letter Kristin Nelson and Nathan Bransford are two that come to mind.