Summaries (that shouldn't actually be summaries)
Ah… the summary. After the title, it is the main thing that draws attention to your story. So they are important. IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORT—I'm sorry, we already did this in the last chapter.
And, contradicting the popular belief, summaries can be short. For my Mount Olympus Dance Party story, my summary was, like, two phrases. And BAM! I've got 275+ reviews.
It's QUALITY, not QUANTITY.
I said what I needed to say, and didn't need to say more.
So, on the quality note, no text language. (I'm sorry, that's just how the universe works.)
I'm going to give an example of a bad summary, then point out why it's bad. Then I'll write out a better version. (I'm using the beach party example from the last chapter.)
Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Jason, Hazel and Frank decide to go to the beach one day after the war first story plz read no flames R&R
One: You don't need to list all the characters. Just say 'the Seven'.
Two: Punctuation. Please?
Three: What is it with people when they say 'plz no flames'? I have yet to see one of those signs that spells 'please' properly.
Four: This sounds like a plot-less fic to me. You know, the stories that go on and on and there's no real purpose to them? Even if it is one of those stories, you have to make it SOUND as if it isn't.
Five: Remember the last chapter when I said that the title had to draw attention, and then suddenly stop? Well, you gave out too much information. (So technically these summaries shouldn't be summaries, but synopsis. )
Ah… the wonders of summer. No homework, kids play outdoors for once, parents seem sulkier than usual… et cetera. Unfortunately, Leo's summer hasn't exactly been 'fun'. (Remember that war against Gaea? Yeah… that totally didn't scar him for life.) But Camp Jupiter is right next door to one of the world's natural wonders, and they might as well take advantage of it.
FanFiction probably wouldn't allow such a long summary. BUT THAT ISN'T THE POINT.
See the difference? I made (horrible) jokes, and made it interesting. People may not want to read the story just because of its topic, but they were certainly drawn to it.
And it's okay to list pairings in the summary. But if all of the pairings are canon, you really have no need to do this.
Explain the story, but don't give anything away. Would you want to read a story that told you what was going to happen? (So make them synopsis.)
I will now use a real-life summary from a real book I happen to have in my room, and explain why it is perfect.
NINE of us came here.
WE look like you.
WE talk like you.
WE live among you—but
WE are not you.
WE have powers you dream of having.
WE are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—
BUT we are real.
THEY caught number one in Malaysia. Number two in England. And number three in Kenya.
THEY killed them all.
I AM NUMBER FOUR. I AM NEXT.
One, you know these aren't humans, possibly aliens due to the 'came here' bit.
Two, you know there are only six left. (SPOILERS: Seven if you read the other three books.)
Three, it isn't good to be one of them.
Four, they are being hunted down by a mysterious society we don't know about.
Five, four is in trouble.
Six, four is the main protagonist.
Seven, the group of aliens are not together, due to being killed all in different places.
Eight, they have numbers as names, and this society only kills them in order.
Yes, that is a lot. Eight. But if you think about it, it's not very explanatory. They are aliens, being hunted down by other aliens, and have numbers as names. The plot? To escape with life. But we don't know anything else. What are their powers? How vulnerable are they really? Questions, questions, questions.
(Oh, and for the people who don't know, this is the back-cover summary of I Am Number Four. Awesome book, awesome series! Don't know about the movie, 'cause I haven't watched it, although I want to.)
[But the problem with teen books nowadays is that they tell you TOO LITTLE, and you have no idea what the book is about. A perfect example is Divergent. The only reason I had procrastinated reading it is because I have absolutely zilch idea of what it was about. One choice to decide the entire fate of your life and blah blah blah. Uh, hello? Still have NO idea what the freaking heck I'm reading! (Sorry, this is more of a rant than a lesson.)]
In most real life published pieces, though, the summary sort of follows a pattern something like this or in some reversed order: introduce main character(s), state how normal his/her/their life/lives were before [this bad thing] happened. After [this, this, and that], will he/she/they be able to do [blank-ity blank blank] before time runs out?
Ways to Make the Summary Different
a) Quotes from the real book or your fanfiction. If the quote is from your own fanfiction, it works best if the story is a oneshot. (On this note, four of my stories have quotes for the summaries—the Most Embarrassing trilogy, and This Is What Friends Are For.
b) Divergent it! Make it so that no one knows what your story is about! Make them pull their hair out in frustration! (Although I have yet to see a story like this on FF, and would actually be cool.)
c) Percy Jackson it! You know how at the beginning of TLT Percy was talking about how being a demigod was dangerous? In this case, your title has to be a LITTLE more informative because the summary (usually in the first perspective) just talks about their life leading up to that certain point. (Example: But it all changed when the Fire Nation attacked.)
d) Fairy Tale it! Make it sound like a fairy tale with the 'once upon a time' bit, or a similar version. (It all started when… In a land far away… etc.) Usually these summaries have jokes and are funny, which they sort of need them or else the fairy tale bit sounds flat.
e) Lorien Legacy it! Talk in short sentences and to make it sound really ominous.
f) HecateA it! You know the PJO/HoO fanfiction writer HecateA? The stories have a title, and the summaries continue it. Example (because I know that explanation really sucked): Title; Gifts, Summary; The one thing Leo Valdez can't find perfect enough for Calypso. [Usually these summaries are used for oneshots.]
Remember, these are just ideas coming off of the top of my head. You be creative and think up some more!
Homework!
More exercises! Yay!
Curse the gods...
Anyway, for this chapter I'm going to list the main points of two stories as well as their title—a series of oneshots and a multi-chap. In that brilliant mind of yours, you need to come up with a summary for each.
(BTW I'm not actually expecting you to write this down or anything, they're just here to sharpen your mind.)
1) Oneshots:
Days of the Week
-For every day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.), one character of the Seven has a story to tell relating to that day. (Example, Leo always went with his mom to a Mexican food restaurant on Wednesdays, or every Sunday Piper would go surfing with her dad.)
-All oneshots have a part when the Seven were little, and a reflection or comparison of it when they're older.
-No OCs
-Rated K+
-Fluffy and cute
2) Multi-chap:
A War Without End
-After the war with Gaea the two camps are at peace, until a Greek is murdered. A few days later two Romans are.
-Contains Adventure, Mystery and lots of romantic tension.
-Rated T
-Contains violence
Remember, DON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING IN THE SUMMARY-THAT-ISN'T-A-SUMMARY!
RECAP
Quality not quantity!
Explain the story, but don't give anything away. (Synopsis! NOT SUMMARIES BUT SYNOPSIS!) Make the readers ask questions, but not too many questions! Remember my Divergent rant!
Don't add those 'plz review' things in the summary. It creates disinterest, and remember the 'young and immature' rant from the last chapter? (You better remember, because I am going to bring that up a lot in this story.) If you say 'first story', then they'll know you're new, and blindly assume the worse. (People always assume the worse, I'm sorry. I'm certain most of you newcomers are excellent writers.)
Exaggerate, but not too much. I once had a flamer who was mad because he/she thought that I had lied in the summary of Life at the Wilderness School, because although the summary said one thing, the title/genre/characters/awesomeness said another.
And, like for the title, be creative!
Keep on writing! ;)
-Bookworm