How to Plot a Novel on One Page | Writing a Book Synopsis

Writing a one page synopsis of your story is going to help you out in so many ways! It forces you to drill down to the core of your story. It’s something you can come back to when you’re in the middle of writing your draft and you feel yourself getting off track, because it will remind you what your book is really about. If you’re planning to traditionally publish your book, literary agents and editors sometimes want to see sample pages and a synopsis. Best to have it written before they ask for it so you’re not scrambling!

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[MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Are you a weirdo like me who enjoys writing synopses? Do you write yours before you draft, or after?

[fridgeghost]

I tried writing synopses after I realized I'd written 160k of random events and disconnected beats. It was my first book. Now I love doing them because it gets my brain going and I spot problems and possible plot holes way sooner. They're an incredible tool when outlining. Now I'm using them for novelettes as well .

[edweirdworld]

Synopses are so This time around, however, I wrote my synopsis in a few different iterations before I started drafting to help me get a clear picture of my outline.

[HannahTheHorrible]

Ahhh...my favorite learning style is definitely when there is a straightforward formula to work off of like this. My brain like step by steps 😂

[itsshortforlizard]

This was so helpful! I'm working on a story with a negative character arc, which is difficult on its own, but this helped make more sense of the story. So thank you!

[scarletros]

Wow thanks, so glad I found this video! I've been struggling to write a short synopsis but your method has made it so much simpler!

[ndrgerg]

I'm commenting for the algorithm, and I love your advice and presentation. Very informative and entertaining!

[admiral_red_shirt]

Thanks so much for explaining things! I'm at the beginning of my querying journey and had tons of questions. Thanks!

[storydtechtiverobertjones]

Love the 5 sentence formula. I’ve always thought of blurbs as a movie trailer. But this summarizes it very well. Also, thank you for the Wordstock shout. Can’t wait to see what you do this time around :)

[Ejcarab]

Synopsis is so hard and I agree with a comment I read here. I am a pantser and I never know where my characters are taking me but I loved your reply and I will try to write a synopsis for my revision and pray that it will help. Thank you for sharing this video very informative.

[elizabethprcha]

Excellent informative video. Thank you.
👍😊

[JoeyPaulOnline]

Great tips, and I'd love to read that Jack and Jill story!

[chelseawritesbooks]

I think I am going to do this today. It sounds like it should help me narrow down my plot and make it tighter and more organized. Since I have multiple POVs...maybe do one for each and then an overall arcing one? That kind of sounds like fun

[neasanicdhomhnaill]

Hi Michelle, awesome video! Thank you for such wonderful easy to follow writing advice. I'm just wondering how you would write a synopsis for a multiple pov fantasy novel with three main characters? I'm imagining I just do this process for all the main characters and weave them together, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you in advance.

[kanashiiookami]

I gotta say that I think I can only write a synopsis after I'm done the book, or mostly done (with not long to go before the last few chapters will be written) because I pants my plotting/outlining to the point I'm continually shocked that it doesn't actually end the way I envisioned. Being that I remember reading in multiple writing books that I shouldn't start writing a story without knowing how I want it to end. I've tried that one for every book, and then the characters drag me in a better direction and down a path I never would have seen without them guiding me.

As for that example story of yours? I got a feeling that if you don't write it, someone else will. Like how Jeff Gerke (author of multiple writing craft books who used to run a POD publishing company) referenced the popular tropes in fiction that he kept seeing, specifically Amish, vampires, and Star Wars esque space sagas to the point he was convinced that there would one day be a book about "Amish vampires in space", at which point he said "seriously, if someone writes that, I will publish it!". Sufficed to say, he had to be a man of his word when someone sent him the manuscript. I'm unsure whether, though, it was long before he sold his company.
But either way, if you don't jump on your idea now, chances are when you do you won't be the only one using it.

(Ps, if you look up that exact title "Amish vampires in space" you will find that book. I've never read it, and I'm not for Christian fiction, but the blurb sounds interesting.)

[momo_genX]

Just like modern day book covers, I puke a little bit in my mouth when I write a trope blurb or synopsis according to the current template. Right now I write a hybrid of half disgusting sounding and half original blurbs. But I'm not selling any books so I might have to go full-on disgusting. Satire!

[ayukiholmes]

Ah, I see... as for me, I usually write the draft and don't do the synopsis but jot down ideas on what should happen in sequence. I don't know if I did mine right, but it made a ton of sense when I wrote it down. I knew I didn't have a prominent climax but have a mini resolution... 🤣 And as I wrote more, it did flesh out as a one page synopsis of sorts, I think 🤣 I tried to follow the formula a bit but couldn't word it correctly. Is that okay? As long as it kinda follows it, right? 😅 But yeah, awesome video, though!

Side note: that random idea about Jack and Jill and sci-fi? That is interesting 🤣 I would read it, believe it or not, would be more interesting if someone added Steampunk or a couple of vampires and it'd be perfect 🤣

[ravensthatflywiththenightm]

By the way, do you have a particular word count for a "short synopsis"? Any advice on that?