Writing experts tout the importance of writing a synopsis for your novel. A synopsis consists of taking your entire 60K to 100K or more novel and boiling it down to 500 to 2,000 words. A short summary of what happens in your book. I have just finished my fourth draft of my crime novel, Deadly Profit. 67,000 words, so not a very large book, but still, how do I condense that to a few pages?
Right now, my synopsis is at 1400 words. I must reduce it further. To interest an agent in representing you and your book, a synopsis is necessary. Most writers don’t even think of a synopsis until they finish their book. Kind of makes sense. However, I discovered something after writing my synopsis. I have so many things going on in my novel that only when I tried to condense the plot down to a few pages did it really show me I need to make changes. Some rewriting is necessary. I could never see that when I was writing the book, but taking everything and putting it into a few pages really opened my eyes.
I am now going to suggest that writers consider creating their synopsis either before they start their book, or as they go along.
I only created my synopsis to attract an agent, but it turns out it is an invaluable tool to improve your work.