Writing the Fiction Synopsis

Master the Most Feared Part of Writing—Without Losing Your Mind

Writing a synopsis shouldn’t feel harder than writing the book itself. With Writing the Fiction Synopsis, you’ll finally have a simple, repeatable system that takes the panic out of the process and replaces it with clarity, confidence, and maybe even a laugh or two.

A Proven Step-By-Step Method

Using popular movies as easy-to-understand examples, this guide breaks the synopsis process into clear stages you can follow for any book you write.

✔ A marketing worksheet to identify your target publishers

✔ Plot development worksheets

✔ Character arc worksheets

✔ Story structure templates

✔ Writing the back cover blurb

No more guessing. No more wondering what to include. No more overthinking.

See Exactly How It Works

Study long and short sample synopses for each movie example.

Compare them to your worksheets.

Watch the structure click into place.

If you’ve ever wished someone would just show you what a good synopsis looks like—this book does exactly that.

Write With Total Confidence

Whether you’re pitching to agents, entering contests, self-publishing, or preparing submission packages, this guide helps you:

✔ Distill your story without losing your voice

✔ Highlight the stakes that keep readers turning pages

✔ Identify missing character goals, motivations, or conflicts

✔ Identify plot holes before they become real problems

✔ Use plotting board tips to visualize your story and streamline your structure

✔ Craft a professional synopsis you can be proud of

Perfect For:

New writers learning the craft

Experienced authors who hate writing synopses (so…all of us)

Contest entrants who want a competitive edge

Your Novel Deserves a Great Synopsis. Let this book show you how to write one—step by step, with clarity, structure, and humor.

(This has been revised since the first print version published by Gryphon Books for Writers, and the second ebook version published by Bell Bridge Books)

Reviews

“Bravo! Pam McCutcheon has decoded the synopsis! Writing the Fiction Synopsis is packed with useful information helpful to both the professional and novice writer. I wish I’d had this informative book years ago. Writing the Fiction Synopsis is a must-have tool for all writers. Pam McCutcheon has given a writers a cure for the synopsis headache.”

— Maggie Osborne, Award-winning author of more than 40 books

“I’d been to Pam McCutcheon’s online workshop on synopsis and found it really helpful, so I bought this book, too. (Watch out everyone, I’m going to gush.) This is by far the best book I’ve ever seen on writing a synopsis!! And like you and many others, I’ve gone nuts trying to get my synopsis to say what it needs to say in an interesting and concise way without making it a yawner. This book makes it so easy. If you buy one book on writing a synopsis, buy this one.”

— Lisa Mondello, NYT and USA Today bestselling Author