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On March 1, 2025, Kasie and Rex took on the dreaded plot synopsis, the industry document beloved by agents and publishers so they don’t have to read the entire book. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Writing a Synopsis

Agenda

• Quick Catch Up
• The purpose of the Synopsis
• What to include and what to exclude
• A proven(?) methodology

Segment 1

We’ve gotten some great opportunities to share our work with agents and publishers over the years and one of the critical industry documents for doing so is the synopsis. So today, as we’re both in the throes of writing synopses, we thought we’d share with you our experience.

Patrons can access a behind-the-scenes video from yesterday where we went through Rex’s first stab at the synopsis and tried to improve it. We were both given access to Amy Collins’ YouTube-recorded workshop on synopsis writing and that’s the methodology we’ve followed. Without giving away Amy’s specifics, as they’re not ours to give, we’ll share our own experience and also some other curated resources. 

We’ll rely heavily on Jane Friedman, who Amy even calls out as a resource on this, with this link and these tips.

Rules of a synopsis:

• Get to the point, fast
• Avoid splitting the synopsis into segments
• Don’t get weighed down with proper names, descriptions, or locations
• Don’t spend time deconstructing the story’s meaning or themes
• Avoid describing things with their construction names i.e. “at the climax” or “a major turning point”
• Avoid character backstory unless it’s tied to the character’s motivations throughout the book
• Don’t ask rhetorical or unanswered questions
• While it does reflect your ability to write, it is not the place to be pretty with your prose

Segment 2

Jane herself is a curator of others’ knowledge and shares this link to Glen C. Strathy’s blog on writing a synopsis that offers these tips:

• Step 1: start with the plot basics
• Step 2: add the main character’s arc
• Step 3: consider the impact character’s role – the person who forces your protagonist to make choices and drive the story
• Step 4: the major relationship – how it is at the beginning and how it is at the end
• Step 5: thematic struggles or overall challenges
• Step 6: include the 8 basic plot elements
• Step 7: edit all of the previous steps together (um….)

He’s the self referential with this link and these 8 steps:

1. Start with the story goal
2. Consequence: what happens if the goal is not achieved?
3. Requirements: what must occur in order to achieve the goal?
4. Forewarnings: the indicators that the consequence is getting closer
5. Costs: what is the character willing to suffer to achieve the goal?
6. Dividends: the rewards the character receives along the way to help keep him motivated
7. Prerequisites: things that make it easier for the character to achieve the goal
8. Preconditions: impediments in the plot