As a screenwriter, you will accept with me that there always comes a time when we experience a writers block, that is to say, a point when you do not know the next thing to write about again in our screenplay.
That us usually a point when so much confusion sets in that you do not seem to grasp and create the next scene that will keep your story going forward. And even if you will chose to conclude that its due to stress and shelve the screenplay for a while, you will still find yourself in the same circle when next you pick up it to write again.
And the reason this usually happens is that you were unable to see your story from the beginning to the end before you even set yourself to the writing process.
And if you’ve experienced this before; because I have personally done a couple times, let me introduce you to one of the screenwriting technique that will help you overcome it and it is known as the synopsis.
In this article, I will try my best to help you understand the meaning, the purpose and characteristics of a synopsis. And without any further ado, let’s get started.
The meaning of synopsis in screenwriting.
In screenwriting, synopsis means a brief summary of what the entire story or screenplay is all about, and it is typically no longer than one to two pages.
The aim of a synopsis is to help the intended writer or reader of the screenplay have a clear overview of what the entire story or screenplay is all about.
The key elements or components of a synopsis usually includes but not limited to the following:
- A brief description of the major characters, or the most outstanding ones, especially the 2 main types of characters known as the protagonist and the antagonist.
- A brief but straight-forward summary of the story’s plot which includes, inciting incident that locks the character into the story, turning points and expositions and finally the resolutions.
- Another brief description of the story’s setting which includes the world of the story, location in that world and time-period, i.e. when the story is happening either in the past, present or the future.
The purpose of a synopsis in screenwriting.
The purpose of synopsis in screenwriting depends on who it is being directed to and it generally revolves around the producers or their agents, i.e. the person who is proposing to buy the story, the reader as well as the screenwriter.
When a synopsis is being directed to the producers or their agents, the intention is usually to enable the screenwriter pitch the screenplay or story in the hope of selling it to make money.
When a synopsis is being directed to the reader, it is to help them quickly understand the story and the key elements that is required to make it get to the big screen.
And when it is being directed at the screenwriter himself, the purpose of the synopsis is to guide and help him focus on ensuring he does not leave any stone unturned in making the story captivating to the readers and audience.
Characteristics of a great synopsis.
The main characteristics of a synopsis is that you as a screenwriter must aim to make is as concise, brief and interesting to the point of compelling the reader to be eager to read the whole script or story.
This goes to say that as a screenwriter you need to understand what and how your synopsis is going to look like and I have provided a concise list below to help you grasp it as quick as possible.
- Your synopsis should be concise, brief and straight to the point. And you can easily achieve this by focusing on the few important events or scenes that holds the whole story together.
- The key elements of the story should be clearly seen in your synopsis.
- Use simple English that will be easy for your readers to understand when writing your synopsis.
- Your synopsis must be written in a very engaging manner that makes it free from all typographic errors.
- Your synopsis must be enticing and interesting enough to make your reader eager to read the full length of your story.
- Write your synopsis in the present-tense, avoid passive tense even if your story is happening in the past or future.
