The Four Page Synopsis

Outwardly there may not seem to be a great deal of difference between the Two Pager and the Four Pager except (obviously) two extra pages. But there is a difference in focus that might help make it easier for you to construct.

So far we’ve been following the Ten Point outline–making sure we cover all the major story items. Now let’s look briefly at how we can relate those points to the classical Three Act Structure of a novel.

In the Three Act Structure:

• Act One is The Introduction,
• Act Two is The Complication leading to Destruction
• Act Three is The Resolution

In the diagram below you’ll see how I’ve related the Ten Point outline to this Three Act Structure.

Three Act Structure in the Four Page Synopsis

As you can see, Act One corresponds to the first twenty-five percent of the book and is therefore given the first quarter (one page) of the synopsis. It  incorporates the Hook, the Heroine, the Hero, and the External Conflict that initiates the action and gets the  story moving.

Act Two corresponds to the next fifty percent of the book, and thus comprises one half (two pages) of the synopsis.

Now, there is a good reason why Act Two is also known–if we”re not careful–as “The Sagging Middle”.  Fifty percent of a ninety thousand word novel is forty-five thousand words. There is a lot to sag! However,  it’s also where the story gets stirred up, and our heroine and hero get down and dirty together. It’s the place we expand on our subplots, and deepen the emotional intensity  and conflict between Heroine and Hero as they try to work through their individual differences and come to terms with the dreadful knowledge that they actually need each other. It ends with the utter despair of the Black Moment. So it shouldn’t have time to sag.

By following this kind of layout for your synopsis–whether you’re planning from scratch or revising for sale–it can be easier to see where you need to bring in more physical action or emotional upheaval in your manuscript.

Act Three corresponds to the final twenty-five percent of the book, and the last quarter (one page) of the synopsis. It is, in effect, the Resolution. It carries on from the introduction of the Black Moment, and moves through to the Resolution of not only the Black Moment itself, but also of the other conflicts, motivations, and goals that have made up your story. The Heroine gets her Hero, the Villain gets his just desserts, and everything is tied up in a satisfactory manner–or left with just enough hanging that the reader can see there is going to be a series.

I’ve had a couple of emails asking me to explain what the Black Moment is, so let me do that now.

The Black Moment is the “Oh God, everything is over, I’m going to die, there’s no way out of this mess…he/she has betrayed me, left me prisoner to my deepest fears, why did I ever think I could possibly be worthy to be loved…” moment.

It’s betrayal. It’s looming death and destruction. It’s utter hopelessness and despair. It’s the vanquishing of good and the victory of evil. It’s that anguished moment when you discover everything you’ve ever believed in, wanted, needed, hoped for, prayed over, killed in defense of, is a lie–or lost to you forever–and there is absolutely no sane reason left for your heart to stumble to its next beat. It’s the place where all the main character’s internal conflicts and fears that had seemed to be “conquered”–often by love–are liberated once more, magnified a thousand-fold, and dumped like the wave of a tsunami back on her/him.

It must be clear to the reader that there is no way forward at this point. It is the pivot of the story, and the place where the Heroine or Hero has to lay down any hope of love, life, and happiness in order to become the person worthy of winning it all.

The Black Moment must not be solved by a “in two bounds he was free” sort of cliche. It must only be solved by the heroine demonstrating heroic qualities and proving to herself and the reader that she is worthy of her hero.

Your Turn:

Take your Two Page Synopsis and, using the Three Act Structure as shown above, craft your Four Page Synopsis.  This exercise should result in you looking at your manuscript through new eyes and, if this happens, you’ve done it right!

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Tags: Black Moment, Plotting, Synopsis, Three Act Structure