What is the difference between a synopsis and an outline?
An outline is a working scene-by-scene map you write for yourself before drafting. A synopsis is a one-to-three-page summary of the finished book, written in present tense, that you send to agents, editors, or contest judges. The outline is private and structural; the synopsis is public and persuasive. They are different documents with different audiences.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Conflating the two is a common reason new writers struggle with submissions. They send agents a fifty-page outline (too long, wrong audience) or send themselves a one-page synopsis as a writing tool (too sparse, wrong purpose). Knowing which document each task requires saves weeks of rewrites and rejections.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Outline: scene cards with POV, goal, conflict, and outcome, kept on your hard drive.
- Synopsis (short): one page, single-spaced, present tense, names the protagonist’s arc and the ending.
- Synopsis (long): two to three pages, includes all major plot points and the ending.
- Both: written from an omniscient point of view, not the protagonist’s voice.
- Synopsis: reveals the ending — never tease, agents need to know how the story lands.
- Outline: includes alternates, "maybe" scenes, and unanswered questions.
Chapter iii·Example
A querying writer keeps two documents. Her outline is a 30-page Google Doc with one scene per page and her own marginal notes. Her synopsis is a polished two-page summary that names every major plot point and ends with "the ring is destroyed, and Frodo sails for the Grey Havens." She sends only the synopsis when an agent requests it.
WriteLoom’s Pitch studio drafts a query-ready synopsis from your manuscript and project notes — no copy-pasting between tabs.
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