Why is writing a single page of words more daunting than writing a 300-page novel?
Why do I need a synopsis?
The purpose of a synopsis is to show an agent, editor, or competition reader that you can tell a story from beginning to end. It is part of the submission package along with a cover/pitch letter and opening extract. The synopsis is a technical document containing the main plot points of your novel including twists, spoilers, and your main character’s arc. Another way to think of it is as a simple map of the book.
A synopsis is also helpful for YOU. It can help you spot plot holes, unbelievable coincidences, lack of motivation and whether your character has agency.
How to write a synopsis
The Basics
Word count:
A wordcount of 5-600 words is generally considered ideal – but make sure you follow the individual instructions of whoever you are submitting to – some allow up to 2k words, some want only 300 words.
Format:
Start your synopsis with:
the title in ALL CAPS
approximate word count (round to nearest 1,000)
genre, e.g. Rom Com, Fantasy, Horror
plus, age range if writing for young people, e.g. Magical Middle Grade Adventure, YA Fantasy
Use the spacing, font type and size detailed in the agent/competition guidelines.
Style:
The synopsis is written in third person omniscient narration, present tense. Use precise, specific and active language.
Names:
On first use of a character’s name use all caps or bold font. Limit the number of names to 3 or 4. Other minor characters can be referred to by their role e.g. the postman, teacher etc, or relationship to your main character e.g. her best friend, his mother etc. Keep names to a minimum for clarity of reading.
The Content:
Keep in mind what is driving your main character (and thus the plot) and what’s at stake for them.
One – Introduction
Who is your main character?
How does the story start?
What is the inciting incident?
What do they want and why?
What’s at stake?
Example:
Sixteen-year-old JENNY has been ill for five years – or so she’s been told. Manipulated by her mother, she’s had no access to the outside or online worlds. When Mum wakes screaming one night, Jenny calls an ambulance, saving her life, but also bringing unwanted attention from the authorities. Accused of fabricating Jenny’s illness and defrauding well-wishers, Mum is placed on remand amid a storm of social media and press outrage. Blaming herself, Jenny vows to prove Mum’s innocence and get their old life back.
In this brief paragraph we have:
the age, name and some background of the main character
the inciting incident – calling the ambulance
what she wants – to prove her mother’s innocence
why – because she feels responsible
stakes – her relationship with her mother
Two – Obstacles and conflict
Think about
what gets in the way of what your character wants – obstacle.
who tries to stop them and why – external conflict.
how these things affect your main character – internal conflict
what they do to overcome each obstacle and resolve conflict
how your character changes …
Three – Resolution
what happens at the climax/ all hope is lost moment?
how is it resolved?
an ending that ties back to the beginning – does your character get what they want? Or do they get what they really needed but didn’t know that they did?
Tips:
The Domino Effect
Imagine the plot as dominoes tipping over. Cause and effect. Show the connections between your plot points – the MC wants A, so they do B, which causes problem/obstacle/conflict C, and so they do D which causes E ….
Plotter or Pantser?
If you are a planner/plotter you may have your three act structure mapped out which will really help with distilling your plot for the synopsis.
If you are a pantser (like me) keep in mind the inciting incident, the midpoint, and the moment where all hope is lost – and make sure these points are there in the synopsis.
Share
Ask for feedback from those who have, and those who haven’t, read your novel. Get them to point out any bits that aren’t clear and to ask you questions about the story.
Adapt
Constantly review and adapt your synopsis taking into account who you are submitting to and what they are looking for.
I’m a big fan of writing contests. I’ve been an occasional winner, a sometimes shortlistee, and have come nowhere absolutely loads of times. So why do I keep entering?
Between February 2020 and November 2022, I submitted to sixty-eight writing contests, awards and prizes, from micro fiction to full length novels. Also, bit of a disclosure here, I am an early round reader for a few competitions.
Why enter writing contests?
1. Prizes & Opportunities
The most obvious reason to enter a writing contest is your story might come first, and you could win some money or another useful prize like:
connection with agents and publishers
being published
feedback
mentoring
membership
books
other goodies
Your story might come second or third, be shortlisted, longlisted, commended or chosen as a reader’s favourite. Any of these will be great for your writing CV and/or cover letter when submitting to agents/publishers. Not to mention giving you an ego boost.
But what if your story doesn’t win or place? What’s in it for you then?
Well, two things. Purpose and practice.
2. Purpose
A reason to start something …
Entering a writing contest gives you purpose, a reason to write something new and specific, or something different to your main work in progress. Writing a novel takes a long time and on occasion you may find yourself questioning whether you’ll reach the end any time this century, and/or whether you’ll ever have a new idea. When this happens, I like to have a go at a micro or flash competition. These often have a prompt which helps focus the mind. I can usually produce something not too shabby in a couple of hours. I may enter the contest, I may not, but either way I have words on the page and a sense of achievement.
Keeping an eye on when contests are closing can be great to help you focus on a longer term project like a novel or screenplay. I find having a deadline that has been set by someone other than myself is very motivating.
3. Practice
It may seem odd to think of entering writing contests as practising rather than a thing you’re actually doing, especially if you’re paying for the privilege, but I think it can be a helpful way of looking at the process. I’m really talking about contests for longer forms, like novels and screenplays, here. Often you will need to submit a synopsis with your extract, and possibly a pitch letter too. As many of us writers find these two things harder to write than a whole novel, it’s good to have a reason to produce them.
Each contest has its own rules on wordcounts and format, in the same way that agents do, so this is useful preparation for when you sub to lit agencies. Meeting the deadline is good practise for when you’re working with a publisher.
Accessing writing contests
1. How to find writing contests
There are some lovely writerly individuals and organisations who collate writing contest info. Here are some examples:
Twitter is a good place to find out about contests, too.
New or publisher-run contests are often announced in The Bookseller.
2. Costs
Generally, writing competitions charge for entries, although many now include free or reduced-cost entries or bursaries for traditionally underrepresented and/or low-income writers. These are paid for either by donations, or from the submission fee pot. Some contests have a suggested donation rather than a fee, others a standard fee plus optional extra donation. There are also writing contests that offer ‘early bird’ discounts.
A number of contests offer feedback for an additional fee. See more about this in the Tips section below.
Some contests are free to enter. These tend to be at either end of the contest spectrum. E.g., websites looking for free content which offer online publishing as a prize, rather than money. Or publisher-run awards and open submission windows which offer publishing opportunities.
3. Accessibility
Virtually all contests are now run via online or emailed submissions rather than paper sent through the post, although some do still offer this as an option.
Tips on entering writing contests
1. Choose the right contest for you and your work
If you’re new to writing contests take some time to shop around. Read the previous winning stories or extracts if available. If you’re looking at flash fiction, invest in an anthology or two to see if your work is a fit. Maybe enter something low key to start with, that doesn’t cost too much. As well as the fee and the prizes, take note of the submission guidelines, and announcement dates for longlisting, shortlisting and winners. Some other considerations:
Check what you are agreeing to
For example, some contests publish the longlisted or shortlisted stories on their websites or in printed anthologies. Are you happy with this? If you want to see your work in print, then great. If you only want your work to be published if you’re being paid for it, then not so great.
There are other considerations too. Once a story has been published, even if only online, you may not be able to enter it into another writing contest (depending on their rules). On the other hand, building up a body of longlisted and shortlisted works, published on reputable sites, is great for your writing CV.
Paying extra for feedback
If you can afford this option it may be helpful when you first start out entering contests or if you have a story that you’ve submitted often that’s not getting anywhere. When I first started out, I did pay for feedback a few times and it was mostly helpful. However, it can be expensive, so do check who is giving the feedback and how detailed it is. An established editor or writer in your field might make a higher fee acceptable to you.
Who is judging?
The judging process varies between contests but generally each entry will be read by more than one reader, before the longlisting stage. There may be another group of readers for the long list, and then one or more industry professional reading the short list.
The big novel contests often have an industry professional – usually an agent – as the final judge. It can be exciting to think your work may be seen by such a person, however bear in mind this will only be once/if you get to the short list stage. For me, the way the competition is run is more important than that final judge. (See more below in what makes a good contest.)
2. Follow the rules
I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to follow the rules. I promise, competition organisers do not make them up to be difficult. They’re not trying to catch you out or disqualify you. They really want to read your work BUT organising a writing contest is a massive task involving a lot of administration and the input of numerous readers. The rules are there to make sure your work is as accessible as possible. So:
Make sure you are eligible
Writing competitions have specific eligibility rules. Most common are being over eighteen and the work written in English. (Usually translations are permitted.) Often, traditionally published authors are excluded – check the specific wording as to what this means for each contest. Some contests are set up to provide opportunities for certain groups of typically underrepresented writers. E.g., BAME, working-class, LGBTQI+, women, over 60’s etc. Some contests are explicitly for children’s stories, others for specific genres like crime. Don’t waste your time and money entering something you’re not eligible for!
Anonymity
Many contests are judged blind, and you are required to make sure everything you submit is anonymous. Check your headers and footers, make sure your document is titled in the way the organiser asks – usually just the title of your work to avoid any indication of who the author is.
Check the word count
E.g., exactly 100 words, not including the title. In the case of novel comps, it’s customary to submit the opening chapters, or up to a certain number of words. This means you can send slightly less, making sure you don’t stop halfway through a sentence (it happens). Try and end the extract on a stunning or hooky line.
Send only what they ask for
E.g., synopsis and first five thousand words – don’t add in a pitch or a cover letter unless it’s required …
In the requested format
One word document? or two? If the contest asks for your work in 12 point, double spaced, make sure you format it that way even if it’s not your personal preference. It takes seconds to do so in Word. (Side note: if your work is in a particular format for style reasons, e.g., a verse novel, do check with the organiser as to how you should proceed.) This is all about making your writing as easy to read as possible, giving your work the best chance. It’s also good practise for when you submit to agencies, as they often have very specific guidelines.
3. Manage your entries
Keep a record of what you send where and when, and whether your story is listed or placed. Most comps allow you to submit to multiple opportunities at once, however they ask that you withdraw should you win elsewhere. If your story doesn’t win, rework and submit elsewhere. This is also good practise for keeping track of agent subs.
What makes a good contest?
In my opinion, communication is key. Not only that the organisers communicate with the entrants, but how they do so. I have stopped entering contests* with poor communication. I think if people are paying to enter a contest the least that can be expected is an acknowledgement of receipt of entry and an email confirming the listings and winners, even if this is after the public announcement. The best contests keep their entrants informed at every stage in a kind, considerate manner.
*There are exceptions – publisher run contests and publisher open submission windows. These are usually free and the possibility of winning a publishing deal outweighs my bad-temperedness about communication! 😉
Recommended Writing Contests
Disclosure – these are my personal opinions. Please note I have connections with some of these contests, as detailed individually. *
A prompt is given on their website and social media on the first Monday of the month excluding August and December. 100 words exactly, excluding title. Entry fee. Enter via submittable. Various prizes including cash, publication, and the people’s choice.
My opinion: very efficiently run with excellent communication. Retreat West is community-minded and very supportive of writers.
*I’ve been shortlisted and won the people’s prize.
One of each, once a year. Entry fee. Enter via website. Various prizes including mentoring and membership. The Novel in Development Award includes optional feedback. In keeping with the WriteMentor inclusive and accessible ethos, fees are kept as low as possible.
My opinion: Good, kind, and considerate communication. Forewarning of announcements. Planned dates of announcements are sometimes delayed but entrants are kept informed via social media.
Various contests for children’s writers each year including opening chapters, short story and picture books. Entry fee. Enter via website. Cash prize for winner, shortlist included in a ‘pitch book’ sent to agents. Inclusion in anthology.
My opinion: Good communication and great opportunities.
A US based contest offering prizes in a number of categories and genres. They also run a contest for published works to be converted into script and screenplays. Fee, enter via website. Cash prizes plus industry introductions.
My Opinion: Expensive to enter although early bird fees offered. Good communication and inclusive community feel. Good for authors outside the US as a way into the massive US market.
My mentee Catherine Cawley and I are up on the #WriteMentor Blog with this Q & A about our mentoring experience.
One of Catherine’s short stories will feature in the new issue of Paperbound which is another awesome and inclusive member of the #KidLit community – providing opportunities for children’s writers and illustrators to publish their work.
Feedback. On your precious writing. Also known as critique, constructive criticism, edits, thoughts, comments, disemboweling, soul crushing … I’m talking here about those written reports, emails, notes, track changes etc, which might be given by relatives, friends, critique partners, tutors, mentors, competition readers, agents, and editors, to you, on your full or partial manuscript.
Never mind that you asked these lovely people to review your manuscript for free; or paid them for advice; or have a contract that shows they already love the story – giving your work to someone else to read can be heart-shakingly hard. You may have spent three years getting this story up to scratch, and then a person reads it in less than a day and tells you lots of things they think are wrong with it. HOW you respond to feedback may vary depending on the WHO, but trust me, it’s going to involve emotional turmoil of some kind.
Entering online short story competitions is how I first dared to put my work out into the world. These past few years I’ve entered fewer, focusing instead on writing novels. But having recently parted from my agent, finished a novel, and lurking in lockdown lethargy, I’ve found myself searching out short story and flash fiction competitions once more. There’s a kind of comfort in it, a way of reminding myself that I can still write, that I will have more ideas.
This kind of sums up writing life. However far along the publishing path you get, at some point you invariably loop back to a place you were before – older, wiser, and hopefully a better writer.
