Dear Editor…
What tense should be used when writing a synopsis? Does it matter what tense is used in the manuscript?
Sincerely,
Mary
Dear Mary…
The get-to-the-point answer: Regardless of which tense you use within your manuscript, your synopsis should be written in present tense.
The nifty technical-mumbo-jumbo answer: Characters and events in fiction exist in an eternal Now called the literary present. Thus, any writing (such as a synopsis) that describes a piece of fiction should be written as if the events are happening now, this very moment—in present tense.
Happy writing!
The Editor