How to shrink a synopsis to 600 words?

Literature & Writing Writer's Block
1

Publisher has asked for a 600 word synopsis of my 140,000 novel. I can’t get below ~1,100 words. There are four intersecting narrative arcs; two worlds, with completely different cultures; and a plot that bounces between the exploitation of those differences.

The basic problem is that there is no “critical path” through the narrative that I can strip it down to: everything is connected.

My question is: does anyone have a quality “how to wrangle a synopsis down to a very small number of words when things are complicated”?

Aside: a 600 word blurb is easy. This is not that.

Aside 2: This is not a three act structure story.

Aside 3: LLM you say? Hahaha! Hahahaha!

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If there are four arcs, then you can give 150 words to each. Maybe that’s a place to start?

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Yeah, breaking it down helped. You still need some intro, obvs., and an ending.

Talk about killing your darlings! :drop_of_blood:

Anyway, currently at 638. I could have written another book in the time this is taking :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Still, at least they didn’t ask for 400 :scream:

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