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

[yourlibrarian]

I should mention that I skipped several items in my "most recent 10" list because the summaries were fairly unimportant in my selection, due to being sequels to stories I'd already read and liked, or because they had been WIPs and I was downloading the latest updates. But otherwise this is a representative selection.

The interesting thing to me is that a number of these works are by the same authors, which means that writers routinely vary the way they do summaries depending on the work. Also, I rather wonder if summaries don't vary depending on either the type of work it is or the fandom it comes from? (For example, comedic fandoms would seem much more likely to use humor, right?)

#1: A bit of a plot summary with a humorous tone.
#2: Kind of the same.
#3: Definitely a sort of plot set up.
#4: Very much like #2
#5: The excerpted dialogue model, which I've noticed is often a kind of suspense style as well -- what about this conversation makes you want to read more?
#6: Plot summary
#7: Bit of a suspenseful plot summary with some humor.
#8: Plot summary
#9: Writing excerpt that serves as an overall trope summary
#10: Origin story for the work using humor.

Thank you for this deep-dive into science

[jesse_the_k]

...in the service of better writing and reading!

Re: Thank you for this deep-dive into science

[yourlibrarian]

:)