One of the hardest things—for some—about publishing is that dreaded back-cover synopsis. Some love writing it. Everyone's different. But I think everyone can agree on one thing: the synopsis needs to show the heart of the story, yet leave the readers with questions. Not too many questions, but enough that they want to pick up your book and read it. You could hire someone to write it, but that's just an added expense to the money you're already doling out for editors, formatters, designers, etc. So now let's explore some methods to make writing your blurb easier, and more interesting.
The potential reader is looking for clues—not too many, not too little—to decide whether or not the book would be right for he/she. And those clues come from that information on the cover. So, in order to give those clues thoroughly, let's explore the well-known five W's: who, what, when, where, and why. The how is the unanswered question that causes the reader to pick the book up in the first place: how will the whole plot be resolved?
Who:
Who is the main protagonist? Who is the antagonist? Who is important to the book's plot?
What:
What is the protagonist trying to accomplish? What is the antagonist doing to prevent this? What main events take place that won't give away the entire plot?
When:
When is the book set? Past, present or future?
Where:
What location is the story set in? Is it in a magic or fantasy world like The Chronicles of Narnia, or in a real part of the world like Oliver Twist?
Why:
Why is the protagonist doing what he/she does? Why does the antagonist try so hard to stop him/her? This may or may not be answered, depending on how much information you're wanting to give away.
As an example, I'll use the age-old story of Cinderella.
Who:
Cinderella (protagonist), evil stepmother and stepsisters (antagonists).
What:
Cinderella wants desperately to go to the ball. Her stepmother/sisters are determined not to let her succeed.
When:
It's a fairytale. It doesn't really have a time frame except that it's a story full of horses and palaces and... well... medieval, I guess you'd call it. But this element will be mostly taken care of with the cover.
Where:
Again, there's that little detail about it being a fairytale. It's fantasy. You could really place it anywhere you like.
Why:
Cinderella simply wants to be someone special, if only for a night. The antagonists just have a cruel sense of malicious power and are jealous of Cinderella's natural beauty.
So, on to writing the synopsis! All you're doing is condensing the book into a mini, unresolved story.
Cinderella has one dream: attend the prince's ball. However, her stepmother, along with her stepsisters, have decided against her.
When her cruel family strikes again, Cinerella's last hopes of being someone other than who she is—a scullery maid in her own house.
Okay, there's the bare bones of the story. Time to beautify it a bit.
At the end of the blurb, there's one of two important things you can add (or both, if you're especially creative). Firstly, you can add one or two carefully crafted questions to raise the suspense. Or, secondly, for the same effect, present a specific problem for the protagonist to overcome. Perhaps a discovery to be made, a deadline to meet—the possibilities are endless.
Cinderella has one dream: attend the prince's ball. The beautiful gowns, the dashing and debonair gentlemen, the grandeur of the palace she's laid eyes on only from a distance, fill her every thought.
Her stepmother, however, along with her stepsisters, have decided against her. It seems that her fate is sealed, and that the world is out to get her, to rip her dreams apart piece by piece.
When her last hopes of wearing a beautiful gown and dancing with the prince, of being someone other than who she is—a scullery maid in her own house—are dashed by her cruel family, Cinderella is left with a question she desperately wants answered: do dreams ever come true?
More description, more imagery—this is what we're going for. We want the reader to have a picture in their minds of what they will discover in the pages of the book.
Notice the question at the end: it gives a hint at Cinderella's internal struggle. Let's try this again, only with the problem-to-be-solved ending rather than a question.
Cinderella has one dream: attend the prince's ball. The beautiful gowns, the dashing and debonair gentlemen, the grandeur of the palace she's laid eyes on only from a distance, fill her every thought.
Her stepmother, however, along with her stepsisters, have decided against her. It seems that her fate is sealed, and that the world is out to get her, to rip her dreams apart piece by piece.
When her last hopes of wearing a beautiful gown and dancing with the prince, of being someone other than who she is—a scullery maid in her own house—are dashed by her cruel family, Cinderella must learn that sometimes, dreams really do come true.
Problem presented? Yes. Problem solved? Not by a long shot. Whether you use the question method or the problem method, they both leave readers with unanswered questions. Which one you choose is up to you.
I hope this helps you when you're stuck with a synopsis to write! Let us know; we'd love to hear about it!
Her stepmother, however, along with her stepsisters, have decided against her. It seems that her fate is sealed, and that the world is out to get her, to rip her dreams apart piece by piece.
When her last hopes of wearing a beautiful gown and dancing with the prince, of being someone other than who she is—a scullery maid in her own house—are dashed by her cruel family, Cinderella must learn that sometimes, dreams really do come true.
Problem presented? Yes. Problem solved? Not by a long shot. Whether you use the question method or the problem method, they both leave readers with unanswered questions. Which one you choose is up to you.
I hope this helps you when you're stuck with a synopsis to write! Let us know; we'd love to hear about it!
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