Write the Synopsis First

At what stage is structural clarity most useful: before drafting or during revision?

I had finished my fifth draft (after merciless edits and beta readers), and I was preparing my query package for agents:

• Query letter - done!

• Polished manuscript in proper Shunn Formatting - done!

• QueryTracker and Publishers Marketplace research - done!

• List of agents I want to query and why - done!

• Synopsis…

“Needs to be roughly 500 words, fit on a single page, and summarize your novel completely.”

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My first attempt was a laughable 9,000 words (of a 74,000 word manuscript). I trimmed it to ~550 words over 3 days.

Only the spine of the narrative with its two central characters remained. And that’s when I saw it.

Drafting the synopsis revealed a glaring problem in my story.

The stakes weren’t high enough.

The tension didn’t escalate fast enough.

The forward momentum wasn’t irresistible.

And I knew this simply wouldn’t generate agent interest.

So before revising the manuscript, I rewrote the synopsis first.

I asked myself:

• What would elevate the stakes for me as a reader?

• What would create urgency sooner?

• How can I strengthen the protagonist’s agency?

Once the synopsis reflected my responses, I had a clear framework on what needed to change. The next 2 months were focused on those revisions.

The result? A sharper narrative with clear, rising stakes.

Bonus: I already had the synopsis ready to go.

This process got me thinking… Should I have started with the synopsis from day one?

For context, I drafted this manuscript as a ‘pantser’ (someone who writes without a formal outline ahead of time) because discovery is fun. It’s energizing. But it also lengthened my revision process.

• The synopsis showed where applying creative pressure could naturally strengthen an organically-drafted story.

• Could writing the synopsis first create that strength earlier?

I plan to find out.

For my next novel, I am writing the synopsis first. My first attempt already exposed my initial idea’s weakness. Now I’m revising that synopsis before heading into Chapter 01.

Is writing the synopsis first suffocating the joy of discovery on the page?

Surprisingly, no.

The story is still evolving on its own, with vivid characters shaping the narrative as it springs from the synopsis into a messy outline. The difference is that the spine feels intentional from the start.