How to write a good synopsis?

[Jaymi]

Ahh, the part I, and many other authors struggle with most.

Now that I’m finally posting a story again, I keep looking at my synopsis over and over and over again, thinking “this isn’t doing it for me,” so I tried making a new one, but honestly I find it really hard to make a good and ‘effective’ synopsis.

So my question is: what should definitely be, and not be in one? Is there an ideal length for it? And should I include the “what to expect of this story” part?

Or am I overthinking it?


EDIT -> here’s the synopsis I ended up with:

My senpai has a hero complex.

When the bathroom mirror turned into a portal leading to another world, he grabbed my hand and jumped in. I didn’t exactly get a say in it.

Now we’re the heroes tasked with defeating the Demon King.

Senpai thinks this place is wonderful.
I think I’d rather go home.
But until I figure out how, I’m stuck traveling with him through kingdoms, forests, taverns, and even demon territory.

Maybe by the time I leave, I’ll understand what he finds so wonderful about this world.

 

[Makimaam]

The best way to learn is by going through the synopses of extremely popular, off-meta works by relatively new authors. Established authors have already built their brands and loyal readerships so those are not exactly relevant here.

 

[Nolff]

Ahh, the part I, and many other authors struggle with most.

Now that I’m finally posting a story again, I keep looking at my synopsis over and over and over again, thinking “this isn’t doing it for me,” so I tried making a new one, but honestly I find it really hard to make a good and ‘effective’ synopsis.

So my question is: what should definitely be, and not be in one? Is there an ideal length for it? And should I include the “what to expect of this story” part?

Or am I overthinking it?

One, yes, you are overthinking it.
Second, diagnose what makes you feel like your synopsis isn't good enough for you, on the technical side. Is it the deliverance of the wording? The clarity? Or maybe just grammar issues?
Third, diagnose the synopsis from the readers view. What do they expect from reading a genre like your book?
Four, take example from any good books' synopsis, imitate them, then modify them to your own heart's content.

Here's how I make mine.

Warren Fern isn't the kind of young man you'd expect to be the source of positive energy in a team or a leader. No. He's the opposite of those.

I make the personality of the MC clear from the start.

Besides that, his friends knows that he's a natural gamer, has talents at quite a lot of things, and is an amateur programmer.

I notify readers about what the MC can do.

One day, fate struck his well being with full might. A voicemail flashbanged him into being unconscious. Worst day of his life, he said. It's not all gloomy, however. At the cost of being taken to a new semi-futuristic world, he is given a developer system, the ugly kind. The kind of system that only has a few excellent features and that's it, which he despise openly.

I tell the readers important events that happened in the MC's life while not giving them specific dates.

At first, he was planning to go on with his new life on a normal, mundane daily life cycle. But then, the new world he lives in has some facts that bothers him as a gamer, and more so as a programmer who's secretly good at game design.

I give the readers what the MC's motivation is to cause change in the other world.

And so, in that world, no one was prepared for the masterpieces of another world to be brought to them by him, all in their finest quality.

And for the final touch, readers can expect a journey about game designs and the reactions towards masterpiece game designs. Because I aim to make the readers know what they're reading, and that's it. No dark stuff, no plot twist seen from the start, it's nice.

This synopsis would've been different if my aim is not just to get readers know what they're reading.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Ahh, the part I, and many other authors struggle with most.

Now that I’m finally posting a story again, I keep looking at my synopsis over and over and over again, thinking “this isn’t doing it for me,” so I tried making a new one, but honestly I find it really hard to make a good and ‘effective’ synopsis.

So my question is: what should definitely be, and not be in one? Is there an ideal length for it? And should I include the “what to expect of this story” part?

Or am I overthinking it?

Just wing it and leave out noobish 'what to expect' shit style from RR.
I usually go the immersive route when applicable, or simple but detailed enough to give baseline info / emulating books at the library

Spoiler: Synopsis Stuff

Scribble Hub version

Royal Road version

 

[Nolff]

@Jaymi Alice have set a good example about this. You should look her synopsis up (the Scribble Hub one) and see if that fits your style.
@AliceMoonvale Don't act surprised, you stinky two-faced fox. As if I don't know fox kind tend to have superior abilities at speech and persuasion.

Also, yeah. Alice's synopsis is quite a unique one. Since her novel there is a psychological horror novel, making the synopsis a first-person POV from the MC's eyes could settle the tone from the get go. And from the first chapter, Alice only needs to keep the tone and pacing goes along to how she wants them, following the momentum.

 

[Jaymi]

The best way to learn is by going through the synopses of extremely popular, off-meta works by relatively new authors. Established authors have already built their brands and loyal readerships so those are not exactly relevant here.

that's actually pretty smart, thank you!

@Jaymi Alice have set a good example about this. You should look her synopsis up (the Scribble Hub one) and see if that fits your style.
@AliceMoonvale Don't act surprised, you stinky two-faced fox. As if I don't know fox kind tend to have superior abilities at speech and persuasion.

Also, yeah. Alice's synopsis is quite a unique one. Since her novel there is a psychological horror novel, making the synopsis a first-person POV from the MC's eyes could settle the tone from the get go. And from the first chapter, Alice only needs to keep the tone and pacing goes along to how she wants them, following the momentum.

yeah im actually reading her story, lol. always liked her synopsis a lot, damn talented fox...

 

[Nolff]

that's actually pretty smart, thank you!

If you aim to make atmosphere, then I suggest reading synopsis that makes you feel immersed just by reading it, as if resonating with the character narrated there.

 

[HungrySheep]

A good synopsis has to draw attention with a glance. Long synopses are fine, but ensure that the first sentence captures someone's attention, especially in this day and age where attention span is lacking. If you need ideas, you can check out published paperbacks which usually have a synopsis on the back of the book.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

@Jaymi Alice have set a good example about this. You should look her synopsis up (the Scribble Hub one) and see if that fits your style.
@AliceMoonvale Don't act surprised, you stinky two-faced fox. As if I don't know fox kind tend to have superior abilities at speech and persuasion.

Also, yeah. Alice's synopsis is quite a unique one. Since her novel there is a psychological horror novel, making the synopsis a first-person POV from the MC's eyes could settle the tone from the get go. And from the first chapter, Alice only needs to keep the tone and pacing goes along to how she wants them, following the momentum.

Two-faced fox? the fuck you smoking? I'm a moon lady wearing a cat mask.
But thank you, I am very unique in my writing because I'm insane.

 

[Nolff]

Another good advice from @HungrySheep

 

[Jaymi]

A good synopsis has to draw attention with a glance. Long synopses are fine, but ensure that the first sentence captures someone's attention, especially in this day and age where attention span is lacking. If you need ideas, you can check out published paperbacks which usually has a synopsis on the back of the book.

i actually went from a long synopsis to a short one because even my own attention span wasn't long enough for it

 

[Nolff]

Two-faced fox? the fuck you smoking? I'm a moon lady wearing a cat mask.
But thank you, I am very unique in my writing because I'm insane.

A moon lady? Since when the moon got feminized? And does that mean I can call you a hag? Since the moon is centuries old by now, even millenia. Lmao.

 

[Jaymi]

Two-faced fox? the fuck you smoking? I'm a moon lady wearing a cat mask.
But thank you, I am very unique in my writing because I'm insane.

share some of that insanity, will ya?

 

[AliceMoonvale]

A moon lady? Since when the moon got feminized? And does that mean I can call you a hag? Since the moon is centuries old by now, even millenia. Lmao.

Since paganism came into existence?
Plenty of religions have moon goddesses, where have you been? stuffed inside a toelette?

 

[Nolff]

Since paganism came into existence?
Plenty of religions have moon goddesses, where have you been? stuffed inside a toelette?

Sure, hag. ROFL

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Sure, hag. ROFL

Says the guy who literally stole my own personal dialogue and made it his signature quote.
Someone sure likes the shit this 'hag' says.

 

[Nolff]

Says the guy who literally stole my own personal dialogue and made it his signature quote.
Someone sure likes the shit this 'hag' says.

I ain't crediting you next time my friend asked me where this quote came from. Smh.

 

[LiteraryWho]

Been keeping this one in my back pocket. And an extra in my front.

Writing - Get your story read! How to write a good blurb: Lessons with Dr Shoemilk (Will help you with blurb)

Osu! Good morning, class! It’s time for a lesson with your favorite teacher, shoemilk-sensei*†! *Who? †no longer a real sensei, just a salaryman. We’re going to learn how to recognize one of the hardest things to do when writing a book: Number three, The Blurb. What is a blurb? It’s a...

forum.scribblehub.com

And a few in my backpack, just in case.

 

[onehunter]

I've also been thinking about my synopsis recently. It's true from the perspective of the MC, and the story is written from this perspective. But the world around him gets pretty dark compared to how light-hearted I make the synopsis sound. I've had some comments pointing that out, so it may be time for a rewrite.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

A moon lady? Since when the moon got feminized?

since, forever.

The moon has been a symbol of femininity since time immemorial.
The sun is the universal symbol of maleness, again since the beginning of time.
Why, you will ask. Simple.
Women *bleed* every 28 days.
The moon changes on a strict 28 day cycle.

that's why the moon *goddess* is always female.
with a perfect 28 day cycle, a woman can come to know when she can get pregnant (or not) by watching for her own moon phase.

menses was once known as a woman's "moon blood"

this was why the moon phase you were born under was considered important.
born under a full moon--- You were destined to be... powerful, outgoing, etc. (alpha)
born under a new moon---you were expected to be the opposite. (beta)
moon waxing--- (moving towards full moon status)
moon waning---(diminishing)

and being born, well, that's *very* associated with femininity.
As only women can make new life. (despite what some will say these days)