The Synopsis Skirmish

 Full details

A Writing Contest for Querying Authors

According to literary agent Sarah Davies, a good query submission can be described in terms of concept and craft. In other words, you want to convey an original idea or fresh take and demonstrate a mastery of narrative structure. These elements are both important in your pitch, but even more so in your synopsis. So lay out your story's chain of consequence, and demonstrate character, context, and conflict—with style but without gimmick. And may the best plot summary win!

Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question:

does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an
adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?

First place: $700 CAD

Second place: $200 CAD

Third place: $100 CAD

All three finalists will be published on the Chopping Blog and receive

complimentary access to a Darling Axe self-paced course.

The Finer Points

• Entry is $5 CAD

• Optional feedback for $20 CAD
• One page: maximum 500 words
• Original, unpublished, unrepresented work only
• Once you've paid, send your docx/pdf to contest@darlingaxe.com
• Submission deadline: May 31 

New: Optional Feedback

Would you like to know how your query letter lands with our contest screeners? For an additional $20 CAD, we will send you brief feedback about your entry's strengths and snags. This will come in the form of an email with a few notes about what our screeners thought, a score out of five, and any relevant resources. Please note: this feedback will not be sent until after the contest closes and winners are announced—sometime in February 2022.