How To Write a Book Synopsis: Complete Guide & Examples

A synopsis is a 1–2 page document that lays out your book’s full narrative arc from opening to ending. It introduces the setting and main characters, then guides the reader through every major plot turn — from the inciting incident to the climax and resolution — spoilers included.

Literary agents and publishers use it to quickly assess whether your manuscript is structurally sound, coherent, and ready for the market.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a strong synopsis step by step, with a practical example. But first, let’s cover a few best practices to keep in mind.

✅ Keep it to 1–2 pages.	Most synopses fall between 500 and 800 words. In practice, this usually means one or two single-spaced pages.
✅ Use clear, neutral language.	A synopsis is an industry document, not a marketing blurb. Its job is not to intrigue but to communicate structure. So, in this case, tell instead of showing.
✅ Write in third person, present tense.	Regardless of your novel’s point of view or tense, synopses are conventionally written in third person and present tense.
✅ Focus on cause and effect.	Each paragraph should move the story forward as a consequence of what came before.
❌ Overload it with detail.	You don’t need to introduce every character or unpack each subplot. Stick to the main narrative arc unless a subplot is essential to the ending.
❌ Withhold spoilers.	Even if your story hinges on a major twist, include it. Agents need the full picture to assess whether the story works.
❌ Add meta commentary.	Avoid explaining your themes, your intentions, or why the book is relevant. Let the story do the work.

Keep in mind that the synopsis we’re discussing here is the longer version typically sent alongside your query letter — which usually also contains a mini-synopsis of around 250 words. Depending on the agent's submission guidelines, you may be asked for the full synopsis as part of the “query package” or later on in the process.

Now that we’ve defined what a synopsis should (and shouldn’t) do, let’s dive into how to write a compelling one.

How to write a synopsis

Condensing an entire novel into a page or two is tough (even for seasoned writers!), and there’s no single formula to follow. But since a synopsis is all about conveying your main narrative arc, your story structure can do much of the heavy lifting. Anchor your summary to your key plot points, and the whole process becomes far more manageable.

For this example, we’ll break down Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl by tracing its plot through the key beats of the classic three-act structure. Take inspiration from it when composing yours. (Beware: major spoiler alert!)

1. Opening Image/Hook

Start with a compelling image that conveys the premise and tone. This isn’t a full story beat yet 一 just a way to orient the reader before you move into a more formal, step-by-step account of the plot. Many writers set this line apart in italics to clearly mark it as the opening snapshot.

On the morning of Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary in small-town Missouri, the picture of domestic life curdles fast. Amy is missing, the house shows signs of a struggle, and the town’s curiosity starts turning into a hungry, public spectacle.

This opening quickly grounds us in the setting and introduces central characters, while simultaneously planting the core mystery that drives the story. 

2. Exposition

Once you’ve set the scene, lay some groundwork using exposition. This establishes the world and relationships before conflict disrupts them. Your goal is to clearly show who the characters are, where they stand at the outset, and what they want.

After losing their New York jobs in the recession, Nick and Amy Dunne move to Carthage, Missouri, to manage financial strain and care for Nick’s ailing mother. Nick runs a bar with his sister while trying to project the image of a reliable husband. Amy — the real-life inspiration for her parents’ “Amazing Amy” books — resents her new life as a housewife in the suburbs. Though their marriage is strained, both remain committed to maintaining the appearance of a happy, intact couple.

3. Inciting Incident

Next comes the disruption that demands action — the moment that pushes your protagonist out of their normal life and into the central conflict.

The day Nick returns home to find Amy missing, the police quickly suspect foul play. Media swarms in and Nick is pushed from a private crisis into public scrutiny. Amy’s parents arrive and reinforce the image of Amy as a flawless, beloved daughter. Nick mentions Amy’s annual anniversary “treasure hunt,” a ritual that soon becomes central to the case as detectives follow the clues she left behind. 

4. Plot Point One

This is the turning point where your protagonist can no longer remain passive. Something shifts, and they are forced to actively engage with the central conflict rather than simply react to it.

The investigation turns sharply toward Nick. Amy's diary, discovered by police, chronicles a marriage marked by fear and escalating abuse. A neighbor reports that Amy was pregnant. Financial records reveal massive credit card debt in Nick’s name, and traces of blood are found in the house. Nick needs to fight back.

5. Rising Action

Next, focus on the rising action — a chain of complications that intensify the conflict and raise the stakes. Each new development should make your protagonist’s goal harder to reach and the consequences of failure more severe.

When Nick's affair with a twenty-three-year-old former student becomes public, the court of public opinion delivers its verdict. Nick is no longer a concerned husband; he is the prime suspect in what the world now treats as a murder.

 

Nick hires Tanner Bolt, a defense attorney famous for saving guilty-looking husbands. But evidence keeps mounting: a staged crime scene, cleaned blood traces, a recently increased life insurance policy. Amy's parents withdraw their support. The media tightens its grip. Nick appears to be losing on every front.

6. Midpoint

The midpoint usually delivers a major revelation or reversal that reframes everything the reader thought they knew. This is often where the story’s direction shifts, either through a shocking discovery, a false victory, or a major setback.

Amy is alive. She has orchestrated everything — the crime scene, the diary, the planted evidence, the faked pregnancy — to frame Nick for her murder. Her plan: watch him get convicted, then drown herself so her body is never found, sealing his fate. Her motive is revenge — for his infidelity, for years of being taken for granted, and for realizing he never loved her, only the perfect-wife performance she had exhausted herself maintaining.

7. Plot Point Two

Next is the story’s point of no return — often called the “dark night of the soul.” Events spiral beyond your protagonist’s control and drive the narrative toward its emotional peak.

Amy's plan unravels when she's robbed at the cabin where she's hiding. Desperate, she contacts Desi Collings, a wealthy ex-boyfriend still obsessed with her. Desi hides her in his lake house but becomes possessive and controlling, trapping her in a different kind of cage.

 

Meanwhile, Nick realizes he has been framed and begins working with his lawyer to manipulate media perception. On a national talk show, he performs contrition and devotion so convincingly that Amy, watching from Desi's house, decides to return — not to destroy him, but to reclaim him.

8. Pre-Climax

This stage builds even more tension and leads directly into the final confrontation.

Amy murders Desi and stages evidence that he kidnapped and assaulted her. She returns to Carthage with a compelling story of survival that satisfies the media and public. Although the police suspect inconsistencies, they lack proof to challenge her account.

9. Climax

Finally, you reach the climax: the story’s most intense moment, where the central conflict reaches its peak and your main dramatic question is answered (even if the answer is unsettling, like in this case).

Amy collapses into Nick's arms before the cameras, presenting herself as a woman who fought her way home. Nick is cleared. But he knows the truth, and he has no proof. Amy’s planning is meticulous and her story airtight.

10. Denouement

To conclude, the denouement establishes the new normal. Here you show how your characters lives with the consequences of everything that has happened.

Nick privately begins writing an exposé of Amy's deceptions. Amy uses Nick's semen, which they had saved at a fertility clinic, to inseminate herself, and forces him to delete his book by threatening to keep him from their unborn child. Nick complies, dedicating himself to the role of a perfect husband. Publicly, the Dunnes become a story of love and survival. Privately, their marriage — and their future — looks bleaker than ever.

Why this synopsis works

This synopsis clearly lays out the story’s narrative arc: it establishes what the main characters want (to be the Cool Girl and the Good Guy, locked in a perfect marriage), then traces the key steps that lead them there (or don’t) by the end. In this story, they technically succeed, but at a devastating cost and with a chilling prospect ahead, making this a classic negative character arc.

The synopsis also stays focused on the main narrative spine. Details like the fact that Amy funded the move and Nick’s bar with her trust fund, or side characters such as Detective Rhonda Boney, are left out because they don’t directly affect the story’s final outcome. The same goes for smaller, flavorful elements, like Nick’s unpublished book about Amy titled Psycho Bitch. Funny, but not essential to the core arc.

At around 640 words, this synopsis fits comfortably within industry norms. In practice, it’s often useful to have more than one version on hand — a slightly longer one with extra texture, and a tighter one for situations where space is limited.

It’s also worth noting that not every story will slot neatly into a textbook Three-Act structure. You might find that some of these plot points blur together, arrive earlier or later than expected, or don’t exist as clearly defined “moments” at all. That’s completely fine. What matters most is that your synopsis flows logically, that each event grows naturally out of the last, and that it faithfully represents the main narrative spine of your story.

Polish your synopsis with the help of editors

Your synopsis is a key part of your querying efforts, so it’s worth making it as clean and airtight as possible. If you’re unsure about tone, flow, or what level of detail to include, working with a professional editor can make a real difference. Pay close attention to the kinds of suggestions they offer — word choices, transitions, and which details to emphasize or cut. Those are often the same things agents will notice when they read.

With a strong story and a clear structure to guide you, your synopsis becomes less of a chore and more of a tool: a concise, confident proof that your novel delivers on its promise. Happy querying!