Hi all, I have a question: how do you do a 150 word synopsis?
I'm entering a competition and you have to submit a 150 word synopsis along with the first page of your novel.
Would this tiny synopsis be like the blurb of a book (on the back cover)?
And advice or info would be very appreciated. :)
Synopses are always hard. The trick is to work out what the core of your story is - the big question, the big adventure, etc. With that, and your main character, you can ignore everything else. I think the best synopsis acts as a hook to draw people in, rather than an explanation of what the plot is.
Your first page has to grab their attention immediately, but they want to know what happens to the character/s you introduce in that page. (One page! That's really tight!) There's no room for detail; trim it down to the barest of bones, but be sure to include the ending.
Nicola Morgan's book (Write a Great Synopsis is right, Kate) is an e-book only.
Kimberley, you will need to cover the major events in the story and include the denouement as Kate says. You only have 150 words, so make sure you skip the sub plots and make sure you use strong verbs and nouns.