Framing the Plot Part 4: The Synopsis

Let's take the information we've developed and place it into a basic synopsis.

In my (word count):           (genre):                                                       novel,

(title):

(protagonist):

is confronted by (inciting event):

leading to (overall story problem):

and forcing him/her to (story goal): 

Along the way he/she needs to resolve (personal dilemma):

which results in (point of change):

Standing in his/her way is (antagonist):

who is determined to (antagonist’s goal):

 As a result, the protagonist:
o succeeds and feels good about it

o succeeds and feels bad about it

o fails and feels good about it

o fails feels bad about it)

and learns (theme):

These are the bare bones of a synopsis. Making it sparkle requires a little word magic.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.