Writing a Synopsis

Going From Back-story to Synopsis

Backstory

On the edge of the Tribal Lands was a small settlement named Rabat.  The name meant Oasis and beyond it the frontier transitioned into desert and mountains. The geography of the region was referred to as the Rim.  The desert was inhabited by the Nomads and the mountains by the Freemen.  In both places the inhabitants suffered conditions that were harsh and seasonal.  The land was poor, the summers cool and the winters bitterly cold.  It was a trading center and attracted Tribes, Nomads and the Hill Country Clans.  The market teemed with activity and a trade route between the East and West passed through the little settlement.  It was a stopover for caravans and merchants to water their stock and graze before continuing on their journeys. 

Rabat belonged to the most powerful of the Tribes, the Wardarians who appointed a Province Chief to act as steward.  They collected an annual tribute which was not excessive and maintained estates that they often retired to in the summer months.  It was on one of these estates that Volusia had been born and as she grew older caught the eye of Prince Kolteck, heir to the Wardarian throne.  He took her as a lover and she bore him a son and a daughter.  Volusia came from a family of women who traditionally served as midwives and healers and men who were craftsmen.  They had a cottage industry producing weapons of a high quality that were much sought after in the brisk local trade. 

Volusia had ambitions to be more than a mistress and she badgered the Prince to raise her status to one of a “Wife.“  He was not of a mind to take this step and there ensued a tension and bitter argument in the privacy of their quarters.  On the eve of the quarrel he was summoned by his father to the Capitol in Frame.

Their lover’s quarrel was not lost on the wags and the gossip soon spread across the settlement.  Lord Marcetti, believing the split to be permanent and having amorous inclinations, wasted little time trying to ingratiate himself and in the process became increasingly aggressive and insistent.  Volusia rebuffed his advances.  Stung by rejection and angry, he sent Volgar, his friend and Sheriff to “Tame” Volusia, and lay the groundwork for using her in introducing his sixteen year old son to the pleasures of sex. When Volgar attempted the "Taming," her son Mooky walked in on them and Volgar grabbe him by he neck.  She killed the Sheriff reacting to a perceived threat to her son.  Realizing that the consequences did not bode well, she quickly gathered her belongings and children and fled that night for the mountains to escape the retribution she knew must follow.  Lord Marcetti was  outraged by the death of the Sheriff and went in search of Volusia.  He decided to blame everything on Vulgar and absolve himself of any responsibility should Prince Kolteck ever return. His hope was that the Prince's sentiments for Volusia were dissipated, but despaired that his assumption could be wrong and he might be held to account for Volusia’s disappearance.  He resolved to find her and quietly do away with the problem. Thus he immediately set about sending trackers and scouts to find the fugitive woman and her children.  He started the rumor that Volusia, long distraught that the Prince wouldn’t marry her, committed suicide with her children out of spite.  Using that as a cover story he wanted it known that he did everything under the circumstances that he possibly could to find her.

A dust storm came up the night of Volusia's departure and it was not clear in exactly what direction she had fled.  Thus Marcetti was forced to spread his resources thin and depend on the hope that someone might have seen the woman and her children and thereby narrow the search.  He was still casting about when the Prince returned to Rabat a month later.

The Prince in the interim had resolved to make Volusia a lesser wife and legitimize their children.  Imagine his surprise to discover all that had transpired since his departure.  In short order he called Lord Marcetti to give an accounting of the events.

Synopsis:

Given the backstory above a synopsis would include a quick description of the story world, Identification of the Central Character,  a Life Changing Event, a Dramatic Premise and recurring themes, and some mention of the crisis and climax.