Discussion topic: Story Summaries

[chanchito_z]

Story summaries

When we go to the book store, we pick up a book and turn it over or flip the cover to read the summary and find out what's hiding between the covers. Most writers who post on-line include a summary of their story to let potential readers know what the story is about.

Readers - what do you want in a story summary? What kinds of

Comments

[niektete]

Personally, I shy away from any summary that says something like, "Not sure what to write here... It's MiSa obviously... Like, romance and stuff... (I suck at these things)."

There should be a summary, a teaser, or a short excerpt from the story; at least something which makes the reader interested. Unless, of course, the "pairing" says it all.

[torigates]

As a reader, all I really want from a summary is that it grabs my attention. I like it when the summary is a line from the story (but not when it's so obscure I have no clue what I'm getting into).

So, I guess I like just enough information to capture my attention, too much info, or an overly long summary can put me off a story.

As a (sometimes) writer, I know summaries can be the hardest part, so it's not a big deal to me what exactly they say, as long as they make me want to read the story :)

[happywriter06]

As a reader, I want something that grabs my attention. Something that makes me want to read it especially if the pairing is something I would pass by. And especially if it's a pair, character, plot that is done to death. I like excerpts from the story that let me know just enough.

As a writer, I usually come up with them after I've finished. I think my best ones are excerpts from the fic. I don't write a summary according to any guidelines/requirements.