When is the best time to write the synopsis – before or after the book is written?
Either way can work. You can write your synopsis before you even begin to write the book and it can also be easier doing it this way. This will help you with your plotting and the synopsis can be a guide for you while you write. You don’t get bogged down in all the details, mainly because you aren’t aware of all the details yet. However, what often happens is that once the book is finished, you will need to go back and change your synopsis. The book will probably take on a life of its own and there is no reason you have to follow your initial synopsis exactly. However, you might find the rewrite much easier when you have an initial synopsis with which to work. There is another reason to write a synopsis before you write the book: once you already have an agent and you are discussing future projects, you can present your ideas in this one-page synopsis format for your agent to consider.
