Whats the difference between synopsis and a prologue?
Replies
What Lorraine said.
Personally I hate writing synopses - trying to reduce 100k words to a page-worth is akin to sweeping the road with a toothbrush. But I rather like prologues, which can be quite useful devices so long as they're not simply treated as info dumps.
A synopsis is a short outline of the plot of your novel/story. It's what you send to an agent or publisher in order to interest them in your work, and in this case it should include the ending.
If you have an agent/publisher in mind, check their website for details of what exactly they want, and follow their instructions closely.
A prologue is an introductory chapter to your work; it can be a snapshot of a moment in the book towards which your story is working, or from which it stems. You may for instance want to refer back to a moment in the past before your story really begins, so could put it in the prologue rather than have one flashback later. Prologues come and go in writing fashion, and some people really don't like them, though they can be useful.
What Lorraine said.
Personally I hate writing synopses - trying to reduce 100k words to a page-worth is akin to sweeping the road with a toothbrush. But I rather like prologues, which can be quite useful devices so long as they're not simply treated as info dumps.
A synopsis is a short outline of the plot of your novel/story. It's what you send to an agent or publisher in order to interest them in your work, and in this case it should include the ending.
If you have an agent/publisher in mind, check their website for details of what exactly they want, and follow their instructions closely.
A prologue is an introductory chapter to your work; it can be a snapshot of a moment in the book towards which your story is working, or from which it stems. You may for instance want to refer back to a moment in the past before your story really begins, so could put it in the prologue rather than have one flashback later. Prologues come and go in writing fashion, and some people really don't like them, though they can be useful.