S - Synopsis

A synopsis is a brief summary. Brief means concise, succinct, or with few words. Summary means comprehensive. Hence, writing a synopsis for your novel means to use as few words as possible in being as comprehensive as is necessary. In an effective query letter the synopsis should be one paragraph. Only send something longer if an agent specifically requests it in his or her submission guidelines, and then limit it to one or two pages. It's just as important to choose your words carefully for your synopsis as it is in writing the book. Maybe more. Start with a one-sentence pitch and expand from there to a succinct and thorough paragraph. Here's my one sentence for The Stelladaur: Finding Tir Na Nog;

With the help of an ancient guru, a talking tree, and an albino dog, sixteen year old Reilly finds a rare stone that helps him understand the difference between reality and imagination, as he deals with the death of his father and faces a renowned scientist who steals the imagination of others.

Here's the synopsis in a 6 sentence paragraph:

Reilly McNamara is an unusual sixteen year old boy with multi sensory abilities whose best friend, Eilam, an ageless guru who most consider to be crazy, helps him deal with the tragic death of his father, and teaches Reilly how to use a magical stone called a Stelladaur to discover what matters most to him. While Reilly uses the stone to find Tir Na Nog--a place of beauty and wealth in all forms and where he believes his father has gone--Reilly must also prevent billionaire scientist, Travis Jackson, from discovering the power of the Stelladaur and destroying the imagination of others with is latest invention of a time travel device called The ROCK--drug-laced, laboratory-fabricated stones. Once Reilly discovers that a Stelladaur can bring to its rightful owner their greatest desire, he begins a series of mystical journeys through various unexpected portals in search of his father. Each time, Reilly returns to the real world with enlightenment which guides him in his assigned task to help others find their own Stelladaur and innate gifts, and to face Travis. When a beautiful girl enters his life, will Reilly continue to trust his heart without giving up what he wants most? Finding Tir Na Nog is about figuring out what you desperately want by understanding the universal connection between imagination and following your own heart.

The complete two page synopsis is for agents' eyes only!