Conquer Screenwriting!
SoCreate leads you to success.
SoCreate Screenwriting Software offers an entirely new way to write a screenplay & still outputs a professionally formatted script.
What is it about writing a film synopsis that just kills me to do it? I had to write a script synopsis recently, and it took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to get it done. I was sitting there, racking my brain for what key details I should include, how to convey the feel of the project, all while keeping it down to one page. I found myself getting lost in my social media procrastination routine more than getting any actual writing done. It was awful, but I've suffered so that I can pass on advice to help you, dear reader.
Your synopsis will be used to help you sell your story. Think of it as a marketing tool. So, here are some tips on writing a synopsis.
For writing your synopsis, think wide!
I think my problem with writing a one-page synopsis is that I've already spent so much time on the writing process, and I've written the entire script, so I know all the little details and all the minutiae of the piece, and sometimes I get bogged down in all that stuff. So, when you sit down to write your synopsis, focus on the broader, most important beats and character arcs.
How long should a synopsis be?
Keep your movie synopsis to one page or less.
Okay, so how do I approach a 1-page synopsis?
Start it off with one to two sentences about your first scenes
Tell us about the story as it happens
Be sure to include the most critical moments of conflict
Introduce us to your main character; you might mention other key characters, but don’t get too caught up in the details
Make it interesting, persuade the reader that this will make a great movie or TV show!
End it with a couple of sentences that wrap everything up, and describe your ending scenes
Do I include anything besides the synopsis?
At the top of the page, you’ll want to put the title and under that “synopsis by so and so” followed by your contact details. If I have enough room, sometimes I’ll include my logline.
What if I’m working on a TV show?
I write more television than features, but when it comes time to write a synopsis for a TV show, I struggle! I try to mostly tell you about the major plot of the pilot - so a normal summary like you’d do for a film, and then I like to have a final paragraph that talks about where we’re going or what the core idea of the series will look like. It’s definitely a challenge to write a one-page summary for a TV show, but just strive to make it appealing, and make the reader want to know more!
So, do as I say, not as I do. Learn from my mistakes! Close the internet browser, leave the phone in another room, and focus on succinctly summarizing your movie idea or TV show. Make it exciting, make it appealing, and make the reader just have to schedule a meeting with you to learn more about your awesome TV show or movie!
You may also be interested in...
4 Common Dialogue Problems in a Script
Screenplays are meant to be taut, precise, almost effortless reads that act as a blueprint for other film industry folk. But there are common dialogue problems in a script that muddy its purity, leaving your reader trudging through page after page of gobbledygook. Luckily these issues are easy to spot during a rewrite of your script's lines of dialogue. Take a read through four common screenplay dialogue problems (with dialogue script examples) that you can probably find (and fix) right now. You’ll learn how to write strong dialogue in a script that keeps the reader moving right along ...
How to Write Foreign Language in a Screenplay
Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood … in the 21st century, movies are made everywhere. And while the film industry expands, so does our desire to hear from more diverse voices, including languages we may not understand. But with strict screenplay formatting, how do you utilize foreign language to enhance the authenticity of your story, and at the same time make it legible and not confusing? Never fear, there are a few simple ways to add foreign language dialogue to your screenplay, no translations needed. Option 1: When it Doesn’t Matter if the Audience Understands the Foreign Language...
2 Ways to Write a Montage in a Traditional Screenplay
Montages. We all know a montage when we see it in a film, but what exactly is going on there? What does montage screenplay format look like? What if my montage is happening in more than one location in my script? Here are some tips on how to write a montage in a script that have helped me in my writing. A montage is a collection of short scenes or brief moments that are lumped together to quickly show a passage of time. There’s usually no, or very little dialogue in a montage. A montage can be used to condense time and tell us a big part of a story in a brief time frame. A montage can also ...