Dear O'Abby - Synopsis Woes

Dear O'Abby,

I'm querying and to begin with, I avoided agents that asked for synopses as part of the query package, but I've reached the point where some of the people I'd really like to rep my book are synopsis-wanters, so I need to actually write one.  I've done some research, and there is a lot of contradictory information out there about how to write a synopsis.  Some say you need to put the character names in CAPS when you first mention them, others say don't.  Some say a synopsis should be three pages long, others five or even one.  Can you help me figure out how to do this?

Yours,

Long-winded.

Dear Long-winded,

I feel your pain.  Synopses are not easy.  But unfortunately, they are often required, so it's important that you write a good one.  Agents and publishers use them to ensure your story has a good shape and a coherent story with beats in the right places and character arcs that make sense.

So your synopsis needs to show them that.

Different agents want synopses of different lengths, so it's a good idea to have a variety of different ones at hand.  This is actually easier to do than you might think.

Start off by going through your book chapter by chapter.  Write a brief summary of what happens in each chapter - and I mean brief.  Focus solely on the important events.  This is the beginning of your synopsis.

If you're like me, you'll probably end up with around five pages of chapter summaries which you will then use to write a basic outline of your story, from beginning to end.  Yes, end.  You do need to give away your ending in a synopsis.  How else will the agent or publisher know the book has a satisfying ending?

Once you've done this, you will probably have a fairly long synopsis which may work for some agents who ask for longer ones.  For those who only want a two or one page synopsis, you will need to edit down this longer synopsis by cutting out any extraneous words, possibly some of your lesser sub-plots and any minor characters who might not play a role in the main thread of your story.

As for capitalizing character names, this is a preference thing.  Some agents will ask for it, and in that was you should do it - always follow directions, but others won't and probably won't care if you do or don't.  I like to do it, at least while I'm drafting a synopsis, because it makes me aware of how many characters I'm naming.  You don't want to have too many.  If it's a character who shows up once or twice in the story, and isn't key to it, don't name her.  Just explain who she is in relation to the MC (e.g. estranged aunt, waitress, bank teller).

Synopses are always in third person and present tense.  You don't need to worry about showing and not telling here either.  It's just telling the story in its most basic sense.  If you can capture some of the voice in there, that's good, but it isn't essential.  Just make sure the grammar is clean and there are no typos or obvious errors.  And make sure your story makes sense.

It's always a good idea to get someone else to read your synopsis before you send it out.  Someone who hasn't read your book.  They will be able to tell you if there are places they are confused, or they feel a character's behavior is inconsistent.  It might be a flaw in your synopsis, but it may also be something you need to look at in the book itself.

I hope that helps.  There is a lot of contradictory information out there, but as long as you get your story down on the page in a way that makes it clear you know how to write a story, you'll be okay.

X O'Abby

#AtoZchallenge Eight Pages or Less - Synopsis writing

Synopses.... I know. The thing most authors dread above all else. And why not? You spend months or years crafting a novel that is exciting, vibrant, full of fascinating and realistic characters with flaws and failings, a plot that urges readers to keep reading right until the final page of beautifully realised prose.

And then you have to try and distill all that into a document that’s less than eight pages. In some cases, even into a single page. No wonder synopses have writers tearing out their hair!

But don’t stress too much. While it’s important that a synposis is clear and well written, it’s not designed to show off your sparkling language and inventive turn-of-phrase. Agents and publishers ask for a synopsis as a means to ascertain if your story flows well, meets enough beats and has a satisfying ending. And yes... You do have to give away any plot twists or surprises at the ending.

So how to begin?

Firstly, some housekeeping. Synopses are always written in third person present tense, regardless on how you’ve chosen to write the actual novel. Character names should be in caps the first time they are mentioned, and it’s important not to mention too many characters by name. If they are not central to the story, try and call them by their role eg/English teacher or step-mother.

If you’re an outliner (and I’m not), it may be helpful to dig that out. Chances are you’ve changed a lot since writing it, but it could be a good starting place. If, like me, you’re not an outliner, take a look at your manuscript and try to distill what happens in each chapter down to a handful of sentences.

This probably won’t flow together very well, and the cause and effect of events may not be clear because you’ve basically just created a list of what happens in the book. So go through with an eye to the overall plot and make sure the reasons and reactions for and to every major event are clear.

Novels aren’t just plot though. The character journey or arc is equally important, so now it’s time to go through your nascent synopis to ensure who your characters are and how they move through your story is clear. Characters almost always change during the course of a novel, so it’s important that their arc is clear too.

By now you should have a pretty good overview of the book, but it is probably starting to run long. The length of synopsis required by agents and publishers varies widely, so I suggest having several different ones at hand if you’re querying. I like to have them at around five, three and one pages to cover all my bases, so this is the point at which I start editing.

When editing, the words you choose are very important. You have limited space, so make sure every word you use is pulling its weight, every sentence is as succint and full of meaning as it can be. It’s amazing how much more a well-crafted sentence can convey than a baggy, over-blown one.

Once you think you’ve nailed it, give your synopsis to someone who hasn’t read the book to take a look at. Ask them if it makes sense, if they understand the story and its arc. Sometimes as an author, you’re too close to the story and the characters to see where you’ve missed a crucial piece of information.

And then, barring more edits, you are done. Your synopsis is ready to send out into the world.

Good luck with it!

Writing a Synopsis (Because I Had To)

I recently had the (mis)fortune of having to write a synopsis for my current work in progress, GIRLS BREAK THINGS. You may recall my fever-dream reverse outline from a couple weeks ago, which was also about this work.

This manuscript is still pretty fresh – if it were paint on a wall, it’d be in that tacky stage – but I thought, hey, let’s start putting it out there and see what kind of response I get. On Valentine’s Day, I participated in a pitch event for this work on Twitter. Amazingly, I had a couple agents request pages. Of course, in their submission requirements, they asked for a synopsis.

Womp.

Insert about three days of me flopping around the house, moaning that I didn’t want to write a synopsis because they’re hard and I don’t wanna and can’t the agent just read my manuscript please so I don’t hafta. Honestly, I probably should’ve had a synopsis ready before I tweeted about this work in the first place, but I did this to myself, so I don’t even pity myself and you shouldn’t either. Regardless, a synopsis was needed, and I had to write one if I ever wanted this work to go anywhere.

So what follows is my (messy) process of writing GIRLS BREAK THINGS and getting to this point – it’s all relevant, I promise. Let me also preface this by saying that I did zero research on how to write a synopsis before I started writing mine. Operation Awesome has posted about writing a synopsis before, so if you're looking for something more like instructions, you should check out this post.

When I wrote GIRLS BREAK THINGS, I started with an outline. I followed the 90-day novel process of getting into my characters’ heads and repeatedly fine-tuning my outline before I even began writing. (I started writing this manuscript a couple times with very limited success, so this was super weird to me.) I began this draft about a week before NaNoWriMo 2018 and finished a few days shy of the end of the month. After letting the manuscript sit for a couple months, I went back and wrote my reverse outline.

The reverse outline was the most helpful tool I had while writing my synopsis. I had the major plot points already laid out in order, as well as the finer influences each of those points had on the plot overall. From there, it was a matter of deciding which points absolutely needed to be included as written and which ones could be further reduced, summarized, or glossed over. I copied those points over into a new document and set about transforming them from bullet points to proper sentences that flowed from one to the next, adding in details as needed.

The hardest thing with writing the synopsis was deciding how many characters to talk about. I have at least thirty characters of varying importance, and while it was clear that the waiter I wrote about in chapter nine wasn’t going to make the cut, deciding which major players were important enough was a challenge. Ultimately, I realized that the players could be reduced to five characters: main character Joyce, love interest Nyx, Joyce’s BFF Laddie, Nyx’s mom/the high school principal Mrs. Otero, and robotics club adviser Mr. Reed. There are certainly other characters who impacted the plot, but it was easier to refer to them by their role (Joyce's moms, Nyx's ex-girlfriend, etc.) rather than by name.

The synopsis clocks in a bit shy of two pages. I’ve seen suggestions that a synopsis should be anywhere from 1-10 pages, but the agent submission pages I’ve visited usually say “Please copy/paste your 1-2 page synopsis here” so that’s the length I went with. And to be honest, I’m pretty pleased with it. I think it does a good job of referencing the stakes while also connecting with the characters and their emotions – but I might be a little biased. I did get a request for more pages from one of the agents I submitted to from the pitch event, so maybe it wasn’t a total dumpster fire.

Synopsis Critique #16: Historical

And now, it's time for this week's synopsis critique! The author of AT THE HEM OF THE EMPIRE, a Historical novel, submitted this synopsis. My in-line comments are [blue and in brackets], and I'll include a summary at the end. Feel free to comment below!

If you'd like a primer on how to write a synopsis, see my posts here and here. And if you want your synopsis critiqued on this website, fill out the form here, or email your 1-2 page synopsis to me at operationawesome6@gmail.com. (NOTE: I'll email my critique to the author as soon as I'm done, so the author won't have to wait to see his/her synopsis on the site). Thanks for participating!

Synopsis

In 1838, Eighteen year old [this should be ‘eighteen-year-old’] Ann Neilson is living in poverty amid the Glasgow Wynds [can you explain what this is? I assume it’s Scotland, but the reader may not have heard of Wynds]. Her father’s enigmatic friend, John Smith, talks of emigrating to the convict free [‘convict-free’] settlement of South Australia. Ann naively admires John but she thinks him oblivious to her, until he unexpectedly proposes. Ann immediately regrets her shocked refusal [why does she refuse? Why is it shocking?]. John perseveres, and they become intimate, so must marry. Ann’s mother is unaware of the urgency, and opposes the match as she does not wish to lose her daughter [does the father have an opinion about this match? What does Ann think/feel about it?].

Sailing to Liverpool, they board the newly constructed railway to London. Ann learns of John’s less admirable traits after he tricks her into riding without a ticket [that’s sneaky, but are there other, more extreme examples of John’s less admirable traits?]. They discover only labourers are eligible for free passage to the Colony [Is this detail necessary?]. While Ann enjoys the sights of London, John purchases, without consultation, a berth on the first cargo ship to call into Adelaide on its way to Sydney [why is this significant?].

At Adelaide they disembark onto the beach. The roads and houses of the colony are rudimentary. The presence of Aborigines, and the murder of a shipmate has Ann questioning their safety. Meanwhile, the colony is suffering economic difficulties. With fewer opportunities than John hoped, he is keen to try New Zealand. John conceals the dangers to obtain Ann’s agreement [If Ann is the main character, it’s helpful to keep the focus on her throughout the synopsis. What is Ann doing/thinking/feeling while these things are happening to her?].

Settling in Kororareka, they establish a business [what kind of business?], and their family grows. Meanwhile, Maori relations with the European’s [Europeans] deteriorate. John downplays the risks, keeping Ann ignorant. The Maori attack, the town is ransacked, and their eldest [child] suffers a life threatening [‘life-threatening’] accident [In the last paragraph, it appears this child died. So it’s not a life-threatening accident, it’s a fatal accident. Right?]. Discovering the extent of John’s duplicity [How does she discover this?], Ann loses faith in him [which results in her doing what? How does Ann change?].

By 1890, Ann is a wealthy widow. After returning to South Australia, Ann and John prospered. They established a township, owned an elephant, even revisited Scotland [The last two sentences are good details, but belong at the beginning of the prior paragraph]. But Ann is chaffing at the restrictions placed on her by John’s will [what are those restrictions?]. A lifetime of subjugation has made her selfish and manipulative [if this is true, it would help to have a few more examples of how John treated her badly]. Desperate to be recognized as an individual, she is determined to establish her own bequests [to whom? Why?]. However, unwittingly, she is the architect of a very different legacy which has greater ramifications. Her youngest and middle daughters do not get along, unaware their attitudes have been shaped by Ann’s refusal to discuss the death of their 16 year old [‘sixteen-year-old’] sister, which she finds too painful to acknowledge. At their mother’s deathbed, the sisters open up, compare their experiences, and reconcile [is this the very different legacy you mention a few sentences earlier? Why is this significant? It’s good the sisters get along now, but is this the only legacy Ann leaves to the world?]

Summary

This sounds like an interesting story, but I’m finding myself wanting more details throughout the synopsis. Your reader is going to want to know what motivates your characters to act, because that’s much more interesting than how they react to things that are done to them. Here, even though it seems like Ann is the main character, a lot more of the focus is on John. As you’re revising, keep the focus on Ann and ask yourself what she thinks and feels, and how and why she takes whatever actions she takes in response to what’s happening around her.

Best of luck with this novel!

Synopsis Critique #15: Lower Middle Grade

And now, it's time for this week's synopsis critique! The author of MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CHIMP, a Lower Middle Grade novel, submitted this synopsis. My in-line comments are [blue and in brackets], and I'll include a summary at the end. Feel free to comment below!

If you'd like a primer on how to write a synopsis, see my posts here and here. And if you want your synopsis critiqued on this website, fill out the form here, or email your 1-2 page synopsis to me at operationawesome6@gmail.com. (NOTE: I'll email my critique to the author as soon as I'm done, so the author won't have to wait to see his/her synopsis on the site). Thanks for participating!

Synopsis

Nine-year-old Tanner has special privileges at the zoo because his dad is the director. He uses these privileges [this phrase is a little awkward. Maybe ‘Because of that, he gets to spend time…’?] to spend time with his animal friend, Gloria the chimpanzee. The zoo keepers allow him into the back area of the chimp compound and let him help prepare Gloria’s food. When the keepers announce that Gloria is expecting, Tanner is excited because it will be her first baby. The special day arrives, and everyone is surprised that her baby is all white. Tanner is given the honor of naming the [albino baby] chimp. He chooses Angel thinking of his baseball team hat that Gloria once stole from him when he delivered her food. [This is great. It introduces us to Tanner, Gloria, and the inciting incident (the birth of Angel)]

The whole community [what community? Can you tell us where we are?], even the world, is excited about the new albino chimp. But then the excitement turns to horror a month later when the baby is suddenly gone. The police find no clues as to how it happened [I would change ‘how it happened’ to ‘what happened’]. However, [Take out ‘however’ and just start with ‘Blame falls on Tanner’] blame falls on Tanner when he is suspected of leaving the back gate unlocked one evening [it’s not just one evening, right? It’s the specific evening Angel disappeared]. His father cuts off his visits to the zoo until further notice. That means Tanner can’t console Gloria who is in crisis.

Tanner knows that he didn’t leave the gate unlocked but no one will believe him. He must find out what happened if his father is ever to trust him again. [Nice stakes, but it’s also because he’s close with Gloria and wants to find her offspring, right?]

Tanner sees a flyer at school for a circus coming to town that advertises a special surprise. He is sure the surprise is Angel. He begs his father to take him to the circus but hides the reason why he wants to go. When the surprise turns out to be a huge condor, Tanner’s hopes are smashed.

A chance call from his uncle, a New York museum curator, and something he says [remove ‘and something he says,’ since that phrase makes the sentence less clear] gives Tanner an idea. He searches the internet and finds a newspaper article about people who collect rare animals. He connects the article with the information from his uncle about a rumor [delete ‘about a rumor’] that a rich man is looking for an object to buy and builds a theory of who might have Angel. He tells his father, but the mystery remains as to how they grabbed the chimp. [Isn’t the mystery still where Angel is? It might also be how they grabbed Angel, but isn’t the more immediate issue finding Angel (and then they can figure out what happened afterwards)?]

Determined, Tanner goes looking for clues behind the chimp gate area, and finds a key buried in the dirt under the fence. The police must have missed it. With help from the Police Chief and his [Tanner’s] uncle, the thieves are caught, and Angel returns to the Zoo.

Even though Tanner is proved innocent of leaving the gate open, trouble isn’t over. The zoo keepers aren’t sure if Gloria will accept her baby back. There is a possibility she won’t. But Tanner isn’t ready to give up. He knows he is connected to Gloria and that she loves him. He also knows she recognizes his smell. He finds one of his dirty shirts in the laundry and rushes it over to the chimp compound. A keeper drapes the shirt onto Angel and lets Gloria see him in another room. At first Gloria shows aggression but calms down when she sniffs the baby. Gloria slowly approaches her baby and then pulls him towards her to snuggle. [You might need to clarify this a bit. Gloria accepts Angel because Angel smells like Tanner, and Gloria loves and trusts Tanner?]

The zoo keepers congratulate one another, and Tanner earns the praise of everyone, especially his father.

Summary

Really nice job with this, and it sounds like a fun story! You’ve kept the synopsis focused on Tanner, what he wants (to find Angel), the stakes (that his father will never trust him again if he doesn’t find Angel), and it all ties together nicely. I’ve noted a few places where greater clarity could help, but this is pretty much ready to go. Great job!

Synopsis Critique #14: YA High Fantasy

And now, it's time for this week's synopsis critique! The author of SENTERRA LEGENDS: ARMS OF DESTINY, a YA High Fantasy, submitted this synopsis. My in-line comments are [blue and in brackets], and I'll include a summary at the end. Feel free to comment below!


If you'd like a primer on how to write a synopsis, see my posts here and here. And if you want your synopsis critiqued on this website, fill out the form here, or email your 1-2 page synopsis to me at operationawesome6@gmail.com, and I'll post one critique per week (NOTE: I'll email my critique to the author as soon as I'm done, so the author won't have to wait to see his/her synopsis on the site). Thanks for participating!

Synopsis

As [how old is he? Are there any other identifying characteristics you can include?] DYMER (does not know his own name)[you don’t need this unless it’s significant. Enough to say he’s an orphan] heads out to do the week's shopping for the orphanage [can you add something like, ‘the orphanage he’s lived in his whole life,’ or something else that gives the reader a character detail?], he runs into CIGMA, a girl who should not be alive [what does this mean?]. He learns that she is looking for her aunt and decides to help her escape her pursuers [who is pursuing her? Why?]. Meanwhile, DYWELF (one of the strongest magicians in the land) is mourning the son he lost ten years ago and runs into Dymer [while he and Cigma are escaping? What happens when they run into each other?]. Things come to a head when two powerful beings [who are they?] come for Dymer, and he is asked to run for cover by MATRON. Matron and Dywelf fend off the pursuers. [Four named characters is a LOT for the first paragraph. I’d include Dymer and Cigma, and leave the others out for now. You can describe Dywelf as ‘one of the strongest magicians in the land’ and leave out Matron for now, since the last part of this pargraph is pretty vague. Focus on what Dymer has to do, rather than what others are doing for him]

Thus begins Dymer’s journey through the world of Senterra, as he meets an Echo Beast [what is this? The reader won’t know] and learns of his own [real/true] name, before traversing through dangerous forests with Cigma as he helps her find her aunt [is her aunt someone significant?]. By chance, they run into Dywelf again at the castle of the CROW [no need to capitalize this one, but do explain why this family is significant. Below, we learn it’s an evil family. Include that here] family but do not get a chance to speak with him. They rescue SAMSON [who is this?] from the clutches of the evil Crow family and eventually manage to find Cigma's aunt, who turns out to be Dymer's orphanage matron [had Dymer and Cigma ever met before this?]. Samson is revealed to be an Imbued Tortengof, a highly sought-after humanoid [sought after by who? Why?].

Matron [I’d identify her as ‘the matron’ or ‘Cigma’s aunt.’ There are enough named characters in the synopsis already] informs them that Cigma and she herself are both being hunted [why?]. Faced with the difficult decision of where to look for sanctuary, they decide to venture towards Authet, the central city-state where all spellcasters [are they spellcasters? If so, tell the reader earlier] are sorted into different houses based on their latent abilities. Dymer is made to lie [about what?] and take on the family name FAOSSTIN, [instead of using the name, just say ‘take on the family name of…’] one of the three crown families in the land. All this while, LEPAUG (an other-worldly being) and TOGRIN BALMUNG (Chief Tracker) [rephrase this as ‘All this while, an other-worldly being [and describe it] and the Chief Tracker…’] are hunting them down and closing in.

As all three are sorted into the house Sylwenbard [instead of naming it, say they’re all sorted into the same house], Matron urges them on westward but Togrin Balmung [change to ‘the Chief Tracker’] catches up to them [why does he want them?]. In the ensuing battle, Matron sacrifices herself so that the three can escape. They run into Dywelf again, and proper introductions are made. [What does this mean? Haven’t they all met already?]

Dywelf agrees to help them, but things get more complicated as Dymer learns that Dywelf's full name is Dywelf Faosstin [this doesn’t mean much standing alone. Is the significance that Dywelf and Dymer are related?], and Dywelf too feels conflicted. Before they can discuss any of this, both Lepaug and Togrin Balmung [change to ‘the Chief Tracker’] catch up with them in the city of Dos Erina [don’t need this name. Just say, ‘in a neighboring city,’ if that’s accurate]. Dywelf promises to stop at least one of them and delay the other.

Reluctantly, the three children [are the three Dymer, Cigma, and Samson? We haven’t heard anything about Samson since they rescued  him. If he’s significant, give a little more detail earlier] leave Dywelf behind to deal with the two pursuers as they make their way towards the Cave of Six Paths, a very dangerous place but also their only option [why is it dangerous and why is it their only option?]. Inside the Cave, Samson comes alive [you don’t need to say he comes alive unless he is literally doing so. Just say he takes the lead] and takes the lead because he instinctively feels he can navigate the intricate tunnels. However, they realise that Togrin Balmung [the Chief Tracker] has once again caught up with them and there is no way out. As Cigma and Samson are knocked out, Dymer is cornered by Balmung [the Chief Tracker]. However, displaying a rare breed of spellcasting [what does he do, exactly?], he manages to fend off Togrin Balmung [the Chief Tracker] and deal a telling blow.

Dywelf and another man find them in the nick of time and the day is saved. The man is revealed to be the Headmaster of Sewellyn's School for Spellcasters & Spellweavers, and he offers them all safety [in/at] his school.

Summary

This sounds like a really interesting story! The synopsis leans a little too heavily on the reader understanding why each of these characters is significant to the story, without giving those details. Spell it out more – I’ve indicated in the synopsis where I want more information. Make sure you include character motivations (why does Togrin want to find these kids? Why are the matron and the magician bending over backwards to protect them?).

Try to keep the synopsis to 4-5 named characters – it gets character-name soupy otherwise, especially in Fantasy, when so many of the names are made up. You can use character descriptions instead of proper names, and that’ll do the trick. For example, you can describe Dywelf throughout the synopsis as ‘the magician’ and Togrin as ‘the Chief Tracker,’ and that’ll be understandable to a reader.

Overall, this is nicely written and I can track the main plot throughout the synopsis. Work on paring down the character names and answering some of my questions, and you should have a thorough, tight synopsis. Best of luck!

Tackling the Dreaded Synopsis: Part 2 (and Call for Submissions!)

I'm re-running my posts from last year about how to write synopses. I'm also reopening my synopsis critique service: Fill out the form here, and I'll post one critique per week. Thanks for participating! Hope to see yours soon!


Last week, we covered the basics of synopsis writing. This week, as promised, we're going to get into the mechanics, using an example from a book most of us are very familiar with. Now take a deep breath, limber up your typing fingers, and let's get synopsizing! And keep in mind, if you'd like your synopsis critiqued on this site, the submission instructions are below.

Where do I start? Do you use an outline? If so, start there! Flesh out each scene from your outline's descriptions, focusing on the main plot, into no more than a paragraph each. Many scenes will require only a sentence, some paragraphs will summarize more than one scene, and some scenes won't require summary at all (focused on a subplot, character description, etc.). Once you have all the relevant scenes fleshed out, start connecting the dots: make sure going from Scene A to Scene B, all the way to Scene Z, makes sense in the context of your central plot. Then revise the language until it flows well.

If you don't have an outline, make a list of scenes from your manuscript, in order. Summarize each scene (you don't have to do this in great detail, just enough so you can explain what happens in your central plot in each scene). Then connect the dots and revise the language.

Some pointers

• Use third person, present tense, active voice, regardless of what you used in the manuscript.

• This isn't required, but it helps orient the reader if you put each character name in ALL CAPS the first time you use it. This makes the name stand out to the reader.

• ... but no more than 4-5 named characters in the synopsis. For everyone else who isn't as integral to the main plot as those 4 or 5 characters, describe them by their relationship to the main character or the plot. For example, in a synopsis for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the book we'll be working with below), the only named main characters should be Harry, Ron, Hermione, Voldemort, and Quirrell. There are obviously many other important characters in these books, but for the purposes of this book, everyone else can be described rather than named (Harry's aunt, the headmaster of Hogwarts, etc.). 

• Start at the beginning. Weave in a brief description of the setting, the time period, and any other details necessary to orient the reader, and then get right into the main character and his/her 'ordinary world,' in order to lead into the inciting incident in the next paragraph.

• Lead right into the inciting incident. What happens to propel your main character into action? You should get into this as soon as possible after describing your main character's 'ordinary world.' What changes?

• Follow the Hero's Journey (explanations here) or Save the Cat (here) or any other plotting structure you used for your manuscript, and run through every important point that gets your hero from the ordinary world, to the inciting incident, to deciding to act, to trying and failing, to trying and succeeding, to ultimate victory/failure.

• Give away the ending and all plot twists!

An example

Here's the synopsis (by an anonymous poster) from the Wikipedia page for Harry Potter & Sorcerer's Stone. This summary wasn't written to accompany a manuscript submitted to an agent, but let's pretend it was. I'm going to include my comments in bold/brackets throughout. Then, I'm going to rewrite this synopsis so it conforms more closely to the guidelines we've discussed (focusing on the main plot, limiting the number of named characters, etc.):

Original Synopsis with Comments:

The most evil and powerful dark wizard in history, Lord Voldemort, murdered married couple James and Lily Potter but mysteriously disappeared after failing to kill their infant son, Harry. [THIS IS BACKSTORY. WEAVE THROUGHOUT THE SYNOPSIS, BUT DON'T LEAD WITH IT] While the wizarding world celebrates Voldemort's apparent downfall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and half-giant Rubeus Hagrid place the one-year-old orphan in the care of his surly and cold Muggle uncle and aunt, Vernon and Petunia Dursley and their spoilt and bullying son, Dudley. [TOO MANY NAMES AND TOO MANY DETAILS ON BACKSTORY BEFORE GETTING INTO HARRY'S STORY. ]

For ten years, living at number Four Privet Drive, Harry is treated by the Dursleys more like a servant than a member of the family and is forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs. [THIS IS WHERE THE STORY REALLY STARTS. MAKE THIS THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, WITH SOME DETAILS FROM THE OPENING PARAGRAPH SPRINKLED IN] Shortly before his eleventh birthday, a series of letters addressed to Harry arrive, but Uncle Vernon Dursley destroys them before Harry can read them, leading to an influx of more and more letters. To evade the pursuit of these letters, Vernon first takes the family to a hotel, but when the letters arrive there too, he hires a boat out to a hut on a small island. [THIS IS TOO MUCH DETAIL FOR A SCENE THAT CAN BE OMITTED OR SUCCINCTLY SUMMARIZED TO GET TO THE INCITING INCIDENT, WHICH IS HARRY RECEIVING HIS HOGWART'S LETTER]

It is Harry's eleventh birthday and at midnight, Hagrid bursts through the door to deliver the letter and to tell Harry what the Dursleys have kept from him: Harry is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. [THIS IS THE INCITING INCIDENT, AND SHOULD BE PRESENTED EARLIER] Hagrid takes Harry to a hidden London street called Diagon Alley, where he is surprised to discover how famous he is among the witches and wizards, who refer to him as "the boy who lived." He also finds that his parents' inheritance is waiting for him at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. [TOO MANY DETAILS, WE DON'T NEED ALL THESE NAMES. WE SHOULD BE ON OUR WAY TO HOGWARTS BY NOW] Guided by Hagrid, he buys the equipment he will need for his first year at Hogwarts and as a birthday gift Harry receives a pet owl from Hagrid (which he names "Hedwig").

A month later, Harry leaves the Dursleys' home to catch the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross railway station. There he meets the Weasley family, who show him how to pass through the magic wall to Platform 9¾ [LITTLE DETAILS LIKE THESE ADD A LOT OF COLOR. PLATFORM 9 3/4 GIVES THE READER AN INDICATION OF THE KIND OF MAGICAL WORLD WE'RE IN. KEEP DETAILS LIKE THESE, BUT KEEP THEM SMALL], where the train that will take them to Hogwarts is waiting. While on the train, Harry meets two fellow first years, Ron Weasley, who immediately becomes his friend, and Hermione Granger, with whom the ice is a bit slower to break. Harry also makes an enemy of yet another first-year, Draco Malfoy. Draco offers to advise Harry, but Harry dislikes Draco for his arrogance and prejudice and rejects his offer of "friendship". [DRACO ISN'T IMPORTANT ENOUGH IN THIS FIRST BOOK TO EVEN INTRODUCE]

At Hogwarts, the first-years are assigned by the magical Sorting Hat to houses that best suit their personalities. While Harry is being sorted, the Hat suggests that he be placed into Slytherin which is known to house potential dark witches and wizards, but when Harry objects, the Hat sends him to Gryffindor. Ron and Hermione are also sorted into Gryffindor. Draco is sorted into Slytherin, like his whole family before him. [KEEP THIS MORE VAGUE. IF ANYTHING SHOULD BE KEPT HERE, THE ONLY IMPORTANT DETAIL IS HARRY AND HIS FRIENDS ARE SORTED INTO THE SAME HOUSE, WHICH AIDS IN THEIR GROWING FRIENDSHIP AND LOYALTY TO EACH OTHER]

Harry starts classes at Hogwarts School, with lessons including Transfiguration with Head of Gryffindor, Minerva McGonagall, Herbology with Head of Hufflepuff, Pomona Sprout, Charms with Head of Ravenclaw Filius Flitwick, and Defence Against the Dark Arts with Quirinus Quirrell. [NONE OF THIS DETAIL IS NECESSARY, THOUGH QUIRRELL SHOULD BE INTRODUCED] Harry's least favourite class is Potions, taught by Severus Snape, the vindictive Head of Slytherin who seems to loathe Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione become far more interested by extracurricular matters within and outside of the school, particularly after they discover that a huge three-headed dog is standing guard over a trap door in a forbidden corridor. They also become suspicious of Snape's behaviour and become convinced that he is looking for ways to get past the trapdoor. [WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL. CUT DOWN TO ONE SENTENCE]

Harry discovers an innate talent for flying on broomsticks and is appointed as Seeker on his House’s Quidditch team, a wizards's sport played in the air. His first game goes well until his broomstick wobbles in mid-air and almost throws him off. [SUBPLOT. NOT DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE MAIN PLOT, EXCEPT FOR THE NEXT SENTENCE, BUT CAN BE CUT WAY DOWN] Ron and Hermione suspect foul play from Snape, whom they saw behaving oddly. For Christmas, Harry receives an invisibility cloak from an anonymous source and begins exploring the school at night and investigating the hidden object further. He discovers the Mirror of Erised, in which the viewer sees his deepest desires becoming true. [IRRELEVANT SUBPLOTS]

Thanks to an indiscretion from Hagrid, Harry and his friends work out that the object kept at the school is a Philosopher's Stone, made by an old friend of Dumbledore named Nicolas Flamel. Harry is also informed by a centaur he meets in the forest that a plot to steal the Philosopher’s Stone is being orchestrated by none other than Voldemort himself, who would use it to be restored to his body and come back to power. When Dumbledore is lured from Hogwarts under false pretences, Harry and his friends fear that the theft is imminent and descend through the trapdoor themselves. [THIS IS A GOOD PARAGRAPH. PRESENTS THE STAKES WELL AND EXPLAINS WHY HARRY AND HIS FRIENDS WOULD PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER]

They encounter a series of obstacles, each of which requires unique skills possessed by one of the three, and one of which requires Ron to sacrifice himself in a life-sized game of wizard's chess. In the final room, Harry, now alone, finds Quirrell, who admits that he had tried to kill Harry at his Quidditch match against Slytherin. He also admits that he let a troll into Hogwarts. Snape had been trying to protect Harry all along rather than to kill him, and his suspicious behaviour came from his own suspicions about Quirrell. [I WOULD LEAVE OUT THE SUBPLOT ABOUT SNAPE UNLESS YOU'RE WRITING A LONGER SYNOPSIS. FOR 1-2 PAGES, IT CAN GO]

Quirrell is one of Voldemort's followers, and is now partly possessed by him: Voldemort's face has sprouted on the back of his own head, hidden by his turban. Voldemort needs Harry's help to get past the final obstacle: the Mirror of Erised, but when Quirrell tries to grab the Stone from Harry his contact proves lethal for Quirrell. [A LITTLE MORE DESCRIPTION HERE SINCE THIS IS THE CLIMAX OF THE BOOK] Harry passes out and awakes in the school hospital, where Dumbledore explains to him that he survived because his mother sacrificed her life to protect him, and this left a powerful protective charm on him. Voldemort left Quirrell to die and is likely to return by some other means. The Stone has now been destroyed. The school year ends at the final feast, during which Gryffindor wins the House Cup. Harry returns to the Dursleys' for the summer holiday but does not tell them that under-age wizards are forbidden to use magic outside of Hogwarts. [THIS IS A CONFUSING ENDING. END WITH A SENTENCE THAT'S RELEVANT TO THE PLOT, NOT SOMETHING THAT LEADS INTO FUTURE BOOKS]

Rewritten Synopsis

Ten-year-old HARRY POTTER lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, who treat him more like a servant than a family member, and force him to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. Harry can't remember his parents, who died when he was an infant. He mostly keeps to himself, avoiding his cousin's bullying and his uncle's unpredictable wrath. But when strange things start happening around Harry, including his sudden ability to converse with a snake, and an influx of letters addressed to him flood the house, Harry realizes he's part of something bigger than the only world he's known.

Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a huge, good-natured man shows up with another copy of the letter, despite Harry's uncle's attempts to destroy all of them. It's Harry's acceptance letter to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The man explains that Harry is a wizard, and in fact, his wizard parents were murdered by the most evil and powerful dark wizard in history, LORD VOLDEMORT, who disappeared after failing to also kill Harry as a baby. Harry is shocked to learn he is famous among the inhabitants of the wizarding world, who refer to him as 'the boy who lived.'

Soon afterward, Harry leaves his aunt and uncle's house to attend Hogwarts. On the train, he meets RON WEASLEY, the fun-loving youngest son of an established wizarding family, and HERMIONE GRANGER, a brainy know-it-all who is the only witch in her family. When they arrive at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all sorted into Gryffindor House, the House associated with bravery and loyalty.

Soon after starting his lessons at Hogwarts, which include subjects such as Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry and his friends discover a huge, three-headed dog standing guard over a trap door in a forbidden corridor. None of their professors will tell them why the dog is there or what it's guarding, but that doesn't stop Harry and his friends from sneaking around the school at night, having a horrifying run-in with a troll, or using Harry's newly-acquired invisibility cloak to spy on their classmates and professors.

Eventually, Harry and his friends learn the hidden object is an ancient artifact called the Sorcerer's Stone, which gives the bearer eternal life, and in turn, near-limitless power. Harry soon realizes the plot to steal the Stone is being orchestrated by the disembodied Lord Voldemort himself, who plans to use it to return to his body and resume his evil reign. But Lord Voldemort must be using someone on the Hogwarts grounds to acquire the Stone for him. Harry and his friends initially suspect their dour Potions professor, who has a history of associating with Voldemort and despises Harry for unknown reasons, of being his helper.

Then, the headmaster is lured from Hogwarts under false pretenses. Left unprotected, Harry and his friends fear the theft of the Stone is imminent and descend through the trapdoor themselves to guard it. They encounter a series of obstacles, each of which requires unique skills possessed by one of the three: Hermione must solve a difficult puzzle, Ron sacrifices himself in a life-sized game of Wizard's Chess, and Harry must use his newly-discovered flying talent to retrieve the key to the final door. 

Behind that door is not the Potions professor after all. It is PROFESSOR QUIRRELL, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He admits he is one of Voldemort's followers and is now partly possessed by him. In fact, Voldemort's face has melded with the back of his own head, and has been hidden all year by Quirrell's omnipresent turban. Voldemort needs Harry to get through the final obstacle and retrieve the Stone for him. Harry is able to get the stone, but when Quirrell tries to grab it from Harry, the physical contact proves disastrous for both Voldemort and Quirrell. Because Harry's mother died to save Harry, she left a powerful protective charm on him and Voldemort cannot touch him, even through someone else's body. Voldemort vanishes, Quirrell is injured but no longer possessed, and the Stone is destroyed.

The school year ends with a feast, during which Harry and his friends are honored for their roles in saving the Sorcerer's Stone. Harry returns to his aunt and uncle's house for summer vacation. This time, though, Harry goes with the knowledge that he is a wizard and his real life is at Hogwarts with his friends. And no one, not even his awful family, can take that from him.

Here are some great resources on synopsis writing:

• PubCrawl blog (this is my go-to resource on this topic)
• Marissa Meyer's blog
• Jane Friedman's website
• The Miss Snark archive (includes dozens of synopsis critiques)

Tackling the Dreaded Synopsis: Part 1 (and Call for Submissions!)

I'm re-running my posts from last year about how to write synopses. I'm also reopening my synopsis critique service: Fill out the form here, and I'll post one critique per week. Thanks for participating! Hope to see yours soon!


Here's an increasingly common scenario. An agent has had your partial or full manuscript for several weeks, and you finally get a long-awaited email from her. Your heart pounding, you open the email. "Can you please send me a synopsis?" she asks.

Or you just found out about a contest you know you want to enter. The contest judges will be deciding which entries move on to the agent round based on a query letter, the first page/chapter of the manuscript... and a synopsis. The entry deadline is tomorrow. Your query letter and the manuscript itself are word-perfect, edited, beta-read, and revised. But can you write a great synopsis in 24 hours?

In this post, we'll discuss what a synopsis is (and isn't), how synopses are used by agents and authors, and the basic requirements for writing a good one.

Next week, we'll go through the mechanics of synopsis writing, and I'll post an example of a synopsis that works.

After that, I'll be critiquing your synopses - we'll add a form to next week's post so you can submit!

What is a synopsis? A synopsis is a summary of your manuscript's plot. It details the entire main plot arc (including the ending) and also mentions the most important subplots and characters. It doesn't include many character or setting details, and also doesn't include dialogue, metaphors, or detailed descriptions. Think of it as the blueprint for a house. You don't need to show the tablecloths and chandeliers, but you'd better make sure the dimensions of all the rooms are accurately represented.

Why does everyone hate writing synopses so much? Because it's hard! You've spent months (maybe years) writing your book, weighing every word, stressing over character arcs, settings, and plot points. Now you have to condense tens of thousands of words into a couple of pages? It's definitely daunting, but it's doable.

How is it different from a query letter? I like to think of a query letter as 'teasing your story' and the synopsis as 'telling your story.' It may not sound like a huge difference, but think about it: With the query, you want to say just enough to entice an agent, to excite her so much about your story that she just has to request pages. You don't want to give away the ending in a query - you want to end on an uncertain note, a cliffhanger, with the action or decision your main character will have to choose. You want to hook the agent, but you don't want to reel her in. On the other hand, with the synopsis, you're reeling her in by telling the entire story.

Why do agents and contest judges want synopses? An agent might be reading your full manuscript, but also have 100 other fulls to read. If she starts reading and knows right away she likes your voice, your writing, your characters, and the concept, she may request a synopsis so she can get a 'cheat sheet' for the plot without having to read the entire manuscript. It's a way for her to confirm the plot isn't going to go off the rails in the middle or end of the manuscript, and that you can sustain momentum throughout the book. Same with contest judges - they often have hundreds of entries to pore over. A synopsis helps cut way down on reading time.

How long does it have to be? The most common requests seem to be 'no more than two pages' and 'no more than five pages.' I've always started by writing a five-page synopsis, and then cut it down to two pages. The opposite works just as well. Once you've got both, you're ready to go, and can comply with a request for either a short or long synopsis.

What formatting should I use? Use the same font/size as your manuscript (12-point Times New Roman, etc.). For the five-page synopsis, double-space and indent paragraphs. For the two-page synopsis, you can single space and add a space between paragraphs instead of indenting.

What parts of my manuscript do I need to cover? All of it! Well, okay, that's not exactly true. You need to set the scene, introduce your main character, and run through the entire main plot. All of the significant events (and characters) from the main plot need to be included. Subplots and secondary characters can be included if they are directly relevant to the main plot. And you MUST give away the ending.

How many characters can I name? Rule of thumb is no more than 5. More than that, and it starts getting difficult for the reader to keep track. For all other characters, you can refer to them using their relationship to the main character (for example, John's brother, Mary's teacher, etc.).

Do I need comps, word count, genre, a bio, etc.? Nope. Save those for the query.

Does the writing have to be stellar? Why not? This is another opportunity to show the agent or contest judge that you've got the chops. Write your synopsis like you're answering the question, "What happens in your story?" You want that answer to be colorful, intriguing, and complete, and for it to showcase your writing abilities.

My book has a great twist at the end. I can't possibly give it away? Too bad. If an agent has requested a synopsis, then he wants to know how the plot of your book progresses, and that necessarily includes the ending.

When should I write my synopsis? I usually write my synopsis when I'm about halfway through the first draft of my manuscript (note: I do create broad outlines before I start writing, so if you're a pantser, you might prefer to wait until the first draft is done). Writing a synopsis while I'm writing the book lets me know whether the plot is working. Is there a clear through-line for the main plot? What's missing to connect Points A, B, and C? Does a character appear in the first chapter of the book and then isn't heard from again until the 50% mark? A synopsis helps you see the forest for the trees - you can make sure your main plot is working while you're writing the draft. Besides, after you're done editing the manuscript and sweating over the query letter, it's nice to know you've already got a draft synopsis waiting in the wings!

Got questions about the 'Tackling the Dreaded Synopsis' series? Feel free to ask, or start a discussion, in the comments. And tune in next week for more on the mechanics of synopsis writing, a sample synopsis of a novel 99% of you will be familiar with, and the official call for submissions!

Synopsis Critique #12: Adult Fantasy

And now, it's time for this week's synopsis critique! The author of WHAT LIES DREAMING, a 123,000-word Adult Fantasy, submitted this synopsis. My in-line comments are [blue and in brackets], and I'll include a summary at the end. Feel free to comment below!

If you'd like a primer on how to write a synopsis, see my posts here and here. And if you want your synopsis critiqued on this website, fill out the form here, or email your 1-2 page synopsis to me at operationawesome6@gmail.com, and I'll post one critique per week (NOTE: I'll email my critique to the author as soon as I'm done, so the author won't have to wait to see his/her synopsis on the site). Thanks for participating!

Synopsis

WHAT LIES DREAMING follows a slave, a senator, and a soldier, during a famine in second century Rome. It takes place across the seven-day festivities of the 900th Anniversary of Rome’s founding. [I wouldn't start with an introduction like this. A synopsis is just for telling your story, not telling the reader the book's title. Instead, I'd revise this to something like, 'In second-century Rome, a slave, a senator, and a soldier cross paths during seven days of festivities celebrating the nine-hundredth anniversary of Rome's founding, while famine rages around them.' And then move right into the story.]
JOAH, the Jewish slave, procures animals for the gladiator games. He must find a monster for the grand finale on the final day [of the games/festivities] or risk being sold into the mines. [Nice set-up of Joah's stakes] He has paid TITUS, a commander of the returning German Legion, [You have a lot of names in the synopsis, so I'd remove Titus's name and refer to him as 'a commander of the returning German legion'] to bring him a monster from the north. Titus [the commander] brings him a sickly old barbarian instead, mocking him. [Mocking the barbarian or Joah?] Joah can do nothing but accept Titus’s abuse. [Why doesn't Joah have any other choices? You said he paid Titus, so couldn't he rescind their agreement, insist Titus find an actual monster, etc.?]
MARCUS VERUS, the senator, leads a political faction opposing the emperor. Recently Marcus’s son died in action in the north. Crippled by grief, Marcus has let his various plots against the emperor unravel. But the emperor erred in recalling the German Legion to quell the unrest caused by the famine. [I would connect these two sentences. 'the emperor erred... because the German commander was a close friend of Marcus's son'] Their commander, Titus, [leave out Titus's name] was a close friend of Marcus’s son. Marcus rekindles the opposition and recruits Titus [the commander] to his side.
ANDREAS PANAGOS, a soldier who participated in the destruction of Jerusalem, is tormented by his past. He works as hired muscle now. [For who? The emperor? The rebels? Others?] When he’s ordered to destroy an incoming shipment of grain he realizes how wrong this is. He follows his orders regardless. The gods in his mind [I'm not sure what this means. Do you mean his faith in the gods, or his own gods that no one else knows about? Or are we just talking about his morals?] are stirred into outrage by this. They drive him to seek redemption in the slums, where the famine has hit hardest. He meets EYDIS, a barbarian woman whose people have been enslaved by the Romans. She’s enraged by his clumsy attempts at atonement, and Andreas’s gods take her side. Andreas flees into wine, then returns to his employer. [Why? Tell the reader why Andreas would give up his attempts at redemption, rather than stay and keep trying.]

[You've done a nice job introducing the three main characters and the stakes facing each of them. Now, as we start to see their stories converge, we've got a set-up in place that will allow us to follow the main plot.]
Joah’s sickly old barbarian is thrown into the arena. [When?] He’s shown to be a wizard when he summons a monster to defend himself. It [the monster?] is slain, and the wizard injured. Joah now has a source for a monster, if he can speak with the wizard. He asks his master to find a translator. Joah’s master is Andreas’s employer, [I would take this initial clause out, as it's getting to be a little too much detail] and Andreas overhears the request. He returns with Eydis. [Combine these sentences: 'Andreas overhears the request and returns with Eydis'] In thanks, Andreas’s employer refers him to Marcus Verus, who needs passionate young fighters. [You can delete this sentence, because we know from the next paragraph that Marcus recruits Andreas]
Marcus recruits Andreas to stir up unrest against the emperor. Andreas meets with several failures, but eventually his gods help him spark a food riot. [Does this mean they're rioting about lack of food or destroying food in order to riot (like a food fight?] Under his leadership the mob breaks into an imperial granary and carries its wheat back to the slums.
In the Senate Hall, Marcus goads the emperor into sending the Praetorian Guard into the slums in force. When they kill a popular community leader the entire district rises up in full revolt.
As fighting rages, Marcus learns that a large shipment of grain is only days away. It may calm the masses when it arrives. [And Marcus wants to continue to foment revolt agains the Emperor, right? Why, exactly?] He seeks out Joah’s captive wizard and offers him power and wealth if he can destroy that grain before it reaches Rome.
Joah is caught in violent chaos while procuring magical components for the wizard. He gathers a few animals in his care and flees the city. [For his own safety, even though he's in the middle of helping the wizard?] Once outside, he considers his obligations to his fellow slaves, and his lover. [We haven't heard about this lover before. Is he/she important enough to merit mentioning earlier?] He frees the animals and returns to Rome. He witnesses part of the wizard’s magic ritual and is horrified by its darkness, but Eydis’s convinces him this is what the Romans deserve.
At the height of the fighting Titus’s German Legion turns against the Praetorian Guard, slaughtering them. At the same time Eydis and her wizard destroy tons of wheat hidden in the city as part of a magic ritual to sink the incoming shipment. The amount of senseless death and famine that Andreas witnesses, and feels responsible for, breaks him. His gods become a cacophony in his mind. [How does this manifest? Is he saying and doing things that make others nervous? Breaking laws?]
Marcus confines Andreas to his manor to get him out of the way, then marches on the Imperial Palace. He breaks the last of the Praetorian Guard and captures the emperor. As the final day [final day of what?] dawns, Marcus celebrates his coronation [was he vying to become the new emperor this whole time?] with extravagant games in the Colosseum. Under the guise of summoning a monster to be fought, Eydis and her wizard complete the true ritual they’ve prepared—waking their God. [Is this God different from the gods in Andreas's mind?] From the center of the arena the world begins to fracture and disintegrate.
Joah realizes this God will not merely destroy the Romans, He will unmake the entire world. Joah rushes to stop the wizard.
Marcus, in the Imperial Box in the Colosseum, is set upon by traitors and the last remnants of the emperor’s supporters, seeking revenge.
Andreas, having been locked up with Marcus’s records all night, has discovered that much of this famine was created or exacerbated by Marcus. In a rage, he also races to the Colosseum.
As God wakes our protagonist’s minds blur together, and the three POVs meld into one. Action and thought switch back and forth between them rapidly as they struggle to fend off attackers and disrupt the wizard’s magic. [I need a little more here. I like the concept, but I'm not sure how this would play out on the page] The city is brought to ruins around them.
When Joah realizes how to stop their God, Eydis attacks him. He kills her, breaks the ritual, and the narrative [instead of saying 'the narrative,' I'd say 'the scene in the arena' or something like that so it's particular to the plot] returns to a normal structure.
Andreas confronts Marcus. Surrounded by death, Andreas is sickened by everything Rome stands for. He renounces all violence, casts aside his sword, and leaves Marcus with the ruins of Rome.
Marcus triumphantly assumes his position as Rome’s emperor. Or what’s left of it. He is unrepentant. [Is that it for Marcus? Does he learn or grow as a character throughout the manuscript? Is there anything you can show the reader to indicate that he's changed, even if it's for the worse?]
Andreas gathers Eydis’s body and leaves Rome. He swears himself to a life of solitude, as all mankind’s works are bloody and he wants no part of them anymore. [Same as for Marcus, how can you show the reader that Andreas has grown or learned something throughout the book? Other than deciding to run away from humanity, has anything foundational about Andreas changed?]
Joah stumbles through a ruined city, searching for his friends. He finds his lover, helping the wounded at a temple. Joah has reclaimed the ability to direct his own life. He has cared for his friends, slain those who harmed him, and now aids those in need. He will never again simply accept his fate without fighting for what is right. He rises from these ashes, striding into a brighter future. [Joah shows the most action and change throughout the narrative, at least as reflected in the synopsis. You've got a good character arc shown here for him. Try to mimic this for the other two main characters, in the preceding two paragraphs]

Summary

This sounds like a really interesting story, and I love the three viewpoint characters intersecting as much as they do. Because you have three viewpoint characters, make sure the synopsis reflects how each one of them grows and changes as a character throughout the novel (even if those changes aren't for the better!).

I think you've got a solid plot arc in here, and while I did have a number of questions and requests for clarification throughout, I don't think you need to add a whole lot more detail. Just make sure all three character arcs are represented accurately, and you should be good to go.

Best of luck with this book!