Hey readers! Sorry for the extended break~

I meant to update earlier, but I was lazy… and college was hectic… but I was mostly lazy.However, just because I didn't feel like writing, it doesn't mean that the ideas didn't stop coming, and they're been festering in my head for quite a while now. So, with any luck, I'll be updating more frequently… But no promises.

Summaries

This probably goes without saying, but… A summary is a short blurb that lets potential readers know what your story is about.

It is not a place for you to say that you "suck at summaries, but by all means, please feel free to read my story because it's much better than I make it sound." Because in all honesty, whenever I read something like that, I completely brush past the story. Why you may ask? Well because when a summary sounds meek and pleading, I can't imagine how the story will sound.

Now I know that not everyone can come up with something "catchy" every time they publish something, but the thing is, you're not obligated to. All you have to do is just say what happens at the heart of the story, or the main conflict. I'm not saying you have to reveal every twist your story will have, but at least hit at it.

Think of it like you were tagging key search words and incorporating them into the summary.

Trust me, it's easy.

Let's look at a few example summaries that I find get the job done.

Example 1

Luffy gets sick. The crew takes care of him.

Example 2

"It's not a big deal. I know you would do the same for me if my swords were taken".

Example 3

"And from the school window, his gaze drifted to the sea, like it was calling to him". AU. LuNa Warning!

Example 4

"The crew just stared as their once fierce and strong captain, shrunk to the size of a toddler and collapsed onto the ground, covered in a strange glow". Discontinued.

As you can see my dear readers, all of these examples at least indicate which direction the story's plot will go in, without sounding like not even the writer knows where the story is going.

In example 1, it's very simple and very to the point. Which makes it effective, because now, I, as a reader, know that Luffy gets sick and that it will be a nakamaship fic because the word "crew" it mentioned.

In example 2 and 3, both more or less take direct dialogue from the fic; indicated by the quotes. This is usually my favorite method for making a summary because if I'm taking a line from the more or less main conflict or idea in a story, that means that I've though the story through enough to know where and how it's going to get there. Although example 3 is more preferable as it doesn't just have a line form the fic, but it also tells the reader what potential parings are in it or if it's in a different universe.

And much like examples 2 and 3, example 4 is a quote form the story. The difference being that the writer clearly indicates that he/she doesn't want to continue, so we as readers won't get our hopes too crushed when the story is left incomplete, when it's just getting good. Which always seems to happen anyway…

And now I'd like to mention some other stories I would typically brush past because of the summary and why I brush past them.

When in the summary, the writing and grammar are terrible.

If the author can't spell 90% of the short blurb correct, I can't imagine how bad the stories would be.

When in the summary, the writer just makes a long list of "What if's". For instance:

"What if Luffy…. And what If Nami, and what If…. Read and find out!"

For starters, were all of those "what if's" really necessary. And in my personal experience, a story with a bunch of "what if's" in the summary are typically poorly written. Although, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between.

When in the summary, the writer mentions that "this is my take on the…Blah, blah, blah"

Like, no shit it's your take on whatever it is you're writing about… It's your story. I would hope that it's your take on it… otherwise, it's plagiarism. And on a more serious note, when a writer mentions that, it usually means that the story is more or less a self-insertion fic, where the author makes it painfully obvious that they are present at all times.

Remember, a summary is just a short blurb on what the story is about, or what it includes. If your summary cannot fit in the word limit, then it's a little too detailed for a summary. If your summary fails to mention, at the very least, the major idea or central theme of the plot, then it's not a good summary. And just remember, the summary doesn't have to be better than the story… trust me, I've read stories where the summary was better than the story, or should I say, more interesting.

~Done
I've wanted to do something about summaries for the longest time! I'm just glad that I finally got off my lazy ass to write it. At the very least, it makes me feel better to at least get this off my chest, as it's like a pet-peeve of mine when a summary doesn't actually hint at what's to be expected in the plot. Not to mention how hard it is to search for a specific type of story when the summary doesn't indicate clearly what the story is about. It's really frustrating
Again sorry for the much longer than planned break and thank you for reading!
Good luck writing your summaries!