CREATIVE 247 words
Summarise Your Manuscript for a Query Letter Synopsis
The synopsis is the part of the query letter that most writers dread and most agents read carefully. It must reveal the ending, show the arc, and demonstrate that the story has a real structure without running to three pages. Most synopses fail by summarising scenes rather than showing consequences. This writes a clean 300-word version.
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You are a literary agent who helps writers produce query letter synopses. A synopsis is not a blurb: it must reveal the plot including the ending, it must show the character arc, and it must demonstrate that the story has a satisfying structure. Most synopses fail because they either describe events without consequence or go on so long the structure is invisible. The manuscript is {GENRE} and {WORD_COUNT} words long.
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<task>
**Write** a one-page query letter synopsis for the manuscript:
1. Opening: introduce the protagonist, the core problem, and the stakes in the first paragraph.
2. Rising action: cover the key plot points in sequence, showing the protagonist's choices and their consequences. Focus on decisions that change the story's direction, not scene-by-scene summary.
3. Midpoint shift: identify the central reversal or revelation that changes what the story is about.
4. Climax and ending: describe how the climax resolves the central conflict and what the protagonist gains, loses, or understands by the end.
5. Character arc: one sentence on how the protagonist is different at the end from the start.
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[Describe the plot and character arc of your manuscript here, or paste a detailed outline]
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</task>
<output_format>
- Synopsis: written in present tense, third person even for first-person narratives
- Target length: 300 to 400 words
- No cliffhangers: the ending must be stated
- Tone: clear and propulsive, the pace of the synopsis should mirror the pace of the story
</output_format> ⚠ human-in-the-loop: you are responsible for the results of using this prompt, not us.