Tales of Yip

Selling a fic to the masses of users on this site is pretty well the only way to attract a reader. Whether it's an intriguing synopsis that you made, or it's a quick, funny synopsis to get a reader interested fast, you need to take some time so that you get the maximum out of your fic. It isn't all smooth sailing, though; synopses generally become a challenge for most, since they can't get the right wording out to make a sufficient hook.

First things first, the stuff you should NOT do: make a summary or a play-by-play of the story. This makes it incredibly boring, and only a good cover art could salvage someone's interest at that point. The synopsis is supposed to catch a reader's attention, not read a condensed version of the story (which is also sure to spoil some crucial plot elements). Here's an example of what not to do concerning hockey, my nation's national sport and my personal religion:

"The hockey team defeats a team, climbs the rankings and eventually gets beaten in their own arena because they were cocky."

Unless you're a smartass and this is the opening scene of a story (still terrible though), this is a bad synopsis. You’ve already essentially been told what the climax is, and for all intents and purposes, the story is finished. Reading it would provide a much weaker, less exciting reaction when things happen. A good synopsis includes a hook, possibly with a concluding hook to leave you hanging, a non-descriptive version of the major plot element and a sense for the main character(s) all wrapped up neatly into a paragraph (possibly in a different format than a paragraph, fiddle around with it) that makes your readers think your story is up to the tag, that it's original and that it has an interesting plot. Of course, the exceptions to these rules are if you are going for a comedic approach, where you try and say something really quick and comical, or whatever else that seems appropriate for a different kind of synopsis (use your personal judgement—if you feel determined to write more of that story, whether you’re finished or not, it’s probably effective).

An example of the above statement, for a normal length synopsis, is shown here:

"Twilight is invited to Canterlot to compete with some of the greatest magicians in the world for the Moonstone Cup, a prestigious award for the most powerful and skillful magicians, unicorn and otherwise. Can she win? What sort of competition will she face?" ~Moonstone Cup, Cyanide

This synopsis captures what the story is about, which is the tournament itself in The Moonstone Cup; it tells you fluidly that Twilight is the central character and it leaves you with a moderately effective hook to conclude with. This is a great example of a good, normal synopsis. But if you are writing something different from the norm, or it would just fit the story better, then a one-line or a very short synopsis is most likely your best bet. In either case, you'd explain a brief point that would hook the reader easily or leaves a hanging question effectively. Here are two examples, the first being a serious synopsis and the second a comedic one:

"The Night Guard are as efficient as they are enigmatic, but it takes the curiosity of a recruit to discover that some things are simply best left unsaid." ~What Must Be Done, Vargras

"Pinkie Pie was having an average day. For her." ~NoIdea.Story, Anon

They are both one-shots, but the first one introduces one briefly to the batpony culture while still keeping the reader curious about the recruit, since there's just enough information to leave the reader hanging but not enough to tell them any crucial plot points. This can be effective to some, as the utter lack of explanation can leave the potential reader wanting a lot more, or it can crash and burn to someone who doesn’t want to waste their time with something they know very little about.

The second is effective because it used the fandom's knowledge of Pinkie being insanely crazy, so readers will know that it means hilarity and will want to read.

That's how you write a synopsis. If you are reading this, you no longer have an excuse to make a bad synopsis. Now go, write me a synopsis for the ages! Have any questions? Just ask me. Need a synopsis written? Hell no.