Bootcamp Mentors Workshop Topics

The Summary

WHAT IS THE SUMMARY OF A STORY?

A summary, also called a synopsis, is a snapshot of a story from beginning to end, including spoilers. It is one of the most important and the most hated parts of the querying process when looking for representation. However, a well-executed summary can also be an opportunity to impress a literary agent and make them sit up and take notice. 

What should be included in your summary?

The summary should convey the entire story arc, start to finish. It shows what happens and who changes, and it has to reveal spoilers. Summary length can vary between 500 to 1000 words depending on what it's being used for. Literary agents often want the summary to fit on one page of a Word or PDF doc.

Generally, you will write the summary with your protagonist as the focus, describing what is at stake for them. Motivation is critical here—we need to understand what drives this character to act.

Second, you need to convey a clear idea of the core conflict for the protagonist. What is driving that conflict? Is it family obligations? Their unemployed status? An old flame returns to town?

Then you need to show how the protagonist succeeds or fails in dealing with that conflict. What are the main events, opportunities, and obstacles that cause the protagonist to act.

Finally, you reveal how the conflict is resolved, and how the protagonist's situation and attitudes have changed.

What are the steps to writing a good summary?

There is no single 'right way' to write a summary, but you can think of it as paraphrasing what your character goes through using only the parts that move the plot forward. Imagine you're reciting the story to friends. You'll want to include the 'flavor' of your book. That means, if there's a lot of snark, try to insert that into the summary. Literary agents not only want to know what the story is about, they also want a sense of the story's personality. 

Here are six steps you can follow:

1. Note the important events of each chapter

Skim the manuscript and try to boil every chapter down to just one or two sentences. What is the point of this chapter? What is the most important thing that happens?

There will be chapters that end up being longer than a sentence or two, particularly the opening chapters that introduce information about the world and the main characters. Likewise, the climax and resolution often revolve around complicated reveals and what the MC's future looks like, which may require more detail.

2. Lay a foundation

The first paragraph of the summary should give the same basic information you convey through the book's first chapter. Where and when does this story take place? Who is the protagonist? And what problem are they facing right off the bat?

3. Use standard synopsis formatting

Summaries should be written in third person, present tense, even if your novel is written in first person or past tense.

4. Read through it with a focus on plot and sequence

Distilling each chapter down to a sentence or two can lead to plot holes and lost information. Read through what you've written and check that every event in the story naturally leads into the next.

5. Read through it with a focus on character arc

Now that the plot makes sense from beginning to end, check that your protagonist evolves as a result of the events in the story. Do readers get a sense of who they are at the beginning and how they've changed by the end? Make sure you've included those Big Moments that change your protagonist's attitudes and goals.

6. Read through it with a focus on trimming and editing

With all the necessary information in place, read through a few more times and trim it up as much as you can. Remove excess words and phrases that don't help tell the story. Every word should serve a purpose.

Do you really need to do this? Yes.

If you plan to query your story to literary agents, you will need to write a summary of it. And while summaries can be daunting, they do more than tick off a box from your author 'to do' list. They can flush out unconvincing characters, reveal weak endings, and expose plot holes. But most of all, the summary can be your ticket into a publisher's 'to read' pile if you manage to delight and surprise them.