summaries

[sixbeforelunch]

So here's a question I've often wondered about. What makes for a good fic summary? Is there anything that can get you to click when you might otherwise not have been inclined to?

Conversely, what types of summaries do you like least? Are there summaries that will make you skip a work even if it's tagged with all of your favorite ships and tropes?

Comments

[princessofgeeks]

The best advice I ever had was, the summary should describe the conflict in the story.

The one thing that will make me not read, even for an author or pairing I usually like, is describing the story as a character study. That implies to me that there is little to no action, and the thing I like least in fiction (pro or fan) is tons of interior rumination and little action.

This may be just me.

[sodium_amytal]

Oof, there's a mood. A+ for articulating this much better than I could.

[sixbeforelunch]

the summary should describe the conflict in the story.

Oh, I like that!

I totally agree on character studies. Vignette is also a word that makes me side-eye. Both of them seem to imply a lot of naval gazing and not much else.

[arcanetrivia]

Describing something as a character study wouldn't necessarily turn me off, but it would probably depend on the character. Aside from that, tho, "describe the conflict in the story" sounds like good advice.