User:Hatebunny/Synopsis Style Guide

These are just some notes I'm making to help standardize - or at least generally improve - the synopses on this website.


 * A well-written synopsis should not read like a series of "this happens. then this happens. then this happens," statements. It should read like a short story; a narrative that can be understood. You are essentially adapting the comic format back into written paragraphs.


 * don't waste your time describing every detail of a fight scene or action sequence, unless part of that scene is relevant to the story - in which case only that part should be detailed.


 * read a whole page before trying to summarize it. going panel by panel will prevent you from picking up on nuances in the text and imagery that might be important to the story.


 * a comic synopsis should be enough that someone who has lost or cannot find that book can fill in all of the gaps in their knowledge by reading it.


 * Synopses are often used as a basis for writing up character histories, which means that it is important that every story event relevant to a character's overall, longterm development be covered.
 * as such a modern age synopsis should include every major character's plot thread, such that if someone is following the actions of Tim Drake in Batman-centric comics, they should be able to - provided that those details are relevant to the development of the character. This is important to include whether it is relevant to the narrative of the particular story you are covering or not. Appearing in the background of a scene is not necessarily relevant. Being present for a large multiversal fight is not necessarily relevant. Dying is incredibly relevant.


 * A Golden Age comic might not require more than a few sentences, due to the general lack of depth and continuity between stories. A Modern Age comic may require several paragraphs to express relevant details.


 * If working on an older book, use your foreknowledge to provide some context to elements that might be initially confusing.


 * If a character's identity was not revealed immediately at the time of the book's publication, do not refer to them by their name if you happen to know it. Regardless of how old a book is, a synopsis of that book should retain some of the mystery from the story, and should avoid spoiling subsequent issues' stories. Describe them instead. If they appeared as a voice over a phone, or from the shadows, refer to them as a voice from the shadows, or someone on the other end of the phone. If you are being consistent, the plot synopsis for the book in which the identity was revealed should also reveal that identity. This also applies to any spoileriffic object, place, or event.