Question Synopsis; should it be ambiguous or a mini-resume?

Hi, currently writing my synopsis for my own novel.

What do you prefer, when you read a synopsis and choose what to read, and why?

 

If you don't have the future story plotted a out ambiguous if not mini resume.
Or why not both?

 

i would not even bother to read the synopsis......

 

Yea, but the horror of every author is to give away the entire plot in the synopsis. This is something I'm struggling with now. Finding the fine balance.

 

The ambiguous synopsis are the worst. Or rather synopsis that are useless and don't really tell you anything are the worst.

 

What's the point of a synopsis that doesn't tell you anything about the novel that it's supposed to be selling?

 

https://royalroadl.com/fiction/8894/everybody-loves-large-chests

Make it like this. Complete clickbait title, synopsis, and cover image.

An unhealthy dose of puns also help.

 

id say most people(if not all) form the strongest bias against the title, unless they see a good review of it somewhere they will just ignore it, especially for new authors.

just make sure your synopsis has perfect grammar since the few people that wont be biased against your title and actually read it will probably turn away if it is poorly worded or not even a little engaging.

i have yet to read a truly solid synopsis in this community, they probably just dont translate well though.

 

The way I see it.

Make it ambiguous as fuck. Hang around on forums long enough and you'll realise that baiting is tots legit.

 

A good synopsis should peak the interest of the reader so that they want to read more about it. It's to engage the readers to want to know more about the story. You can tailor it to a specific audience or be a little more general, but that will depend on who you are writing this novel for. Personally I like synopsis that is slightly informative but mostly something exciting that makes me say wow. kind of how a movie preview sometimes have all the best shots in it, but if the movie still sucks I still finish it reluctantly. But with a novel since its a lot longer than a Movie, you may have me start but i may not continue if its not up to par.

 

The synopsis should say what the novel is about, do not make it over ambiguous.

Not really, you can give away the direction of the plot without much issue. As an author, your goal is to write an interesting story that captivates readers. The plot is only a method of moving from beginning to ending.

 

alright listen kid, ambiguous synopsis have advantages, but so do ones that are more clear and descriptive. However....if you go with the latter, you have to stick with it. You cant change shit. Know what that means? It means you cant be as flexible wit hyour story as you want. If you have an actual, well-planned out story and you know you wont be changing anything, use that one. If you have a more general idea in mind and just know you have a few things you really want to try but haven't worked out every detail, and know things are likely to even change...use the ambiguous one. Dont listen to peeps saything they hate those kind things cuz they just dont think of or know the pros and cons of these kind of synopsis.

And if you even word it right you can hint at things without making any real promises. In fact making us, or rather your readers, not clear on what is going to happen ould be even more effective. Why? Because few people like to know how a story is gonna work out before they even read it, they would more often than not like to be teased into it and find out what the deal is themselves.

Take me for example. I dont read historical works. Thats cuz i'd likely already know how the story would turn out. Its part of history so if it stays true to its genre the end will always be the same. I dont like that. Other people wouldn't either. If anything they would read for the journey, not the end, and even then may not be satisfied with the story after.

So if you go with a more clear description, bear in mind that you have to be clear on just the EVENTS and not anything regarding the END. Even if you are more vague on the end you might mess up and say something in which we can assume X happens, so be careful about that.

 

Give brief MC or a couple character introductions, give a basic setting (what type of world is it), give a basic plot or goal that MC works towards. Doesn't have to be the main plot point.

 

I need the "who what when where why" of the novel before I start to read. You can make it mysterious but I want to know that.

Who is the main character?
What is the novel type?
When is this set?
Where is it set?
Why is the story happening? (The basic premise of the story)

For example:

A young orphan boy leaves his home town in prehistoric Atlantis to find his missing sister. (add some more details here)

YA fantasy adventure

 

The synopsis needs to do two things:
- Tell the reader what the Big Story Question is. (The Big Story Question is the main question the plot/MC has to resolve by the end of the story. Making it take the form of a question is the best way to make sure your story has a conclusion, rather than just endlessly wandering around.)
- Convey the tone of the writer, if possible.

A bad synopsis usually has something like "Follow XX character as he rises to the top!" This is bad, because there is no story question. Instead, the answer is given - the protagonist is going to rise to the top. That doesn't create any intrigue in the reader that might prompt them to find out more.

A really good example of a well-written synopsis is actually The Experimental Log of the Crazy Lich. The first few paragraphs convey the comedic tone of the writer, but look at how the last paragraph is written: "I’ve already had enough of being a notorious lich, who says that liches can’t be good people? I definitely have to beat this damned system and be an upright good person." These two sentences alone tell you what the story question is (Can the MC beat the system and be a good person as a lich?), and also convey the setting and tone very well.

Other common Big Story Questions (that I wish people would use more often in synopses):
- I'm in another world. Can I ever go back home? (isekai)
- I'm in another world. Can I build a good life here? (isekai)
- Will X & Y ever get together given these obstacles? (romance)
- I'm fated for a horrible ending. Can I change my fate? (Otome-game novels, and most reincarnation / time leap stories too.)
- I've inherited a bad situation. Can I make something good come out of it? (dungeon master / kingdom builder)
- My past is mysterious. Will I ever find out who I am? (xianxia amnesia)

A good Big Story Question clarifies your goal in writing, and then the uniqueness comes from the sort of challenges you throw at the MC that get in the way of him/her answering that question.

 

Those 2 are the best replies you'll get IMHO.

Synopsis isn't a resume of your story, and it should say something about it. A synopsis that says nothing is just a synopsis that will make me not read your novel.

Try to give that general idea of what the plot is about, I could try writing more about it, but those 2 people already did it better than I could, so abide to what they said and you'll probably be fine.

 

^agreed!

@Osamaru

Too ambiguous/flowery/poetic isn’t ideal because it should be able to catch the attention of an uncommitted reader (most of whom are more interested in plot than style/theme/literary-ness). The synopsis should help your novel stand out in some way (especially if the genre is cliche like isekai), and give a rough sense about what the story is going to be.

 

Click. Bait.
...
Okay, what do I mean? I mean you put your strongest point out there. Are you confident in your dialogue? Write a conversation. Great setting? Tell us just a bit about the world. Are you funny? Write a joke about the story. Is it a wish-fulfillment harem? Parade those beauties in front of us. So on and so forth. If you stick to your strengths in the synopsis, people will know what to expect *and* you'll write it better.

 

Make it so it says the gist of the novel but don't reveal too much.

 

Depends on what your novel is about...