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

[starwatcher]

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"Bumper sticker for the fic." Thank you for this idea! Somewhere along the line, I learned/fixated on the idea that a summary should be short and, hopefully, provide a 'hook' or 'tease' about what the story contains. But I've seen that many people write / expect longer summaries, and wondered if I should make adjustments. But my method works for me, and I'm happy to have the confirmation. <g>

I kind of feel the same way about summaries that sound dismissive of the story. OTOH, I think some people are under the impression that they shouldn't "toot their own horn", and swing too far the other way. A lot of times I'll look at the first couple of paragraphs before I decide if I should opt out. Many times the writing is as unsatisfying as the summary indicated, but I've been pleasantly surprised often enough to give anything a chance if I find the idea remotely interesting.
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