Writing Summaries

[Tcr]

Okay, so, scenario…   you've written up something you want to post (...because who doesn't want to post an incredible work of art taking people to all realms and realities?)  you stare at the monitor in front of you, blank, sterile white, laughing incessantly (no, that last bit only happens to me?) as you try to think of a summary...

Obviously, this isn't the same for everyone.  There are probably some who write up a summary in ten seconds that sound like a summer blockbuster, sure to bring in millions of dollars…  and others on the opposite spectrum, who struggle endlessly trying to get something that sounds, to them, remotely interesting (as a writer, I think I might be a little overly critical of my summaries…  Regardless of what I think or how they sound…)

So, how do you all go about writing your summaries?   How do you “sell” your work of art?  What techniques do you use and recommend to improve a summary?  What do you avoid?  What grabs you as a reader?  What turns you off?  (Why choose A over B, essentially?)...

[CloverReef]

Man I haaaate writing summaries. It was easier when I was just beginning and didn’t put any thought into it. Back when my writing was terrible but my fandom was great at stroking my budding ego anyway. Over the years I’ve tried many ‘techniques’. Mostly those techniques involved trying to read the readers’ minds, and putting in what I thought they’d want to hear (in M/M my best guess was stuff about the main pairing). 

Now, though, I tend to pick the two most important parts of the plot to focus on, and try to mention something specific and/or personal about the main char. Ideally, I’d mention the love interest too, since it’s still M/M, but that’s not always doable. 

So yeah, I’m very interested in this topic as well. Can’t wait to hear how other people tackle this beast. 

Edited April 9, 2017 by CloverReef

[BronxWench]

::peeks out from the frenetic RL stuff::

Think about those little bits you read on the flyleaf of a book, or the back of a paperback, which give you a quick hook into the story. It’s a bit of who, and bit of where, and a bit of “Wait, wtf happened to them?”

At least that’s how it was explained to me when I was pondering cancelling a contract with a publisher because I found out I was supposed to write my own summary. I mean, isn’t that what editors do? (Turns out they only read the summary you write, and then tell you to fix it...) But, while trying to come up with a way to make people want to read my book, it occurred to me the first person I needed to sell it to was me. Would I want to read the book based on my summary? Or would I cringe and put it back?

[Tcr]

On 09/04/2017 at 4:23 PM, BronxWench said:

::peeks out from the frenetic RL stuff::

Hi, stranger :) 

On 09/04/2017 at 4:23 PM, BronxWench said:

But, while trying to come up with a way to make people want to read my book, it occurred to me the first person I needed to sell it to was me. Would I want to read the book based on my summary? Or would I cringe and put it back?

Sounds so logical now, but never thought of it that way.  Admittedly, I'm strange when it comes to books; I usually read the flyleaf after I've skimmed over the first chapter(s) (from which I make a judgement call...), so the summaries, in my case, are more an afterthought.  Which is probably reflected in how my writing is…

On 09/04/2017 at 3:48 PM, CloverReef said:

Now, though, I tend to pick the two most important parts of the plot to focus on, and try to mention something specific and/or personal about the main char. Ideally, I’d mention the love interest too, since it’s still M/M, but that’s not always doable. 

You...  Hate...  Writing...  Summaries?  <holds fingers in shape of cross...>  Blasphemy!

I agree.  The two important/interesting elements work and would certainly blend in with what BW said.  The set target audience would, consequently, be determined by those; for example, a SciFi romance would likely have the romantic elements outright listed, allowing the intended audience to know.  Not only that, but, because of the main themes and elements being presented, you have, hopefully, a hook in the summary that draw people in (...which is exactly what a summary should do and what BW said already...).  

Obviously, something called Attack of the Killer Lizard Blob People From Planet 672 is not likely to have "Killer Lizard Blob People attack!  Bob milks his cows.  Joan walks the dog.  It's an interesting day."  (Although, I'm kind of interested, in a strange way, at why Bob and Joan are doing mundane things as Lizard people are attacking...) 

[GeorgeGlass]

I suppose a corollary of what y’all have been saying about hooking the target audience is that different types of stories call for different types of summaries. The summary for a funny story ought to be at least a little bit funny itself, whereas the summary for a mystery ought to be mysterious. 

[JayDee]

One thing, whenever I see “Lol, I suck at summaries just read” or similar I don’t. Because if you can’t even put that effort in to write something then it doesn’t bode well for the story.

And now I must fly off mysteriously.

[BronxWench]

On 4/10/2017 at 8:11 PM, Tcr said:

Obviously, something called Attack of the Killer Lizard Blob People From Planet 672 is not likely to have "Killer Lizard Blob People attack!  Bob milks his cows.  Joan walks the dog.  It's an interesting day."  (Although, I'm kind of interested, in a strange way, at why Bob and Joan are doing mundane things as Lizard people are attacking...) 

I find myself profoundly intrigued by why Bob and Joan are doing mundane things as Lizard people are attacking. Then again, I’m rereading Delany, so it might explain a good bit about me.