NaNo Series: Writing an Enticing Summary

Having an intriguing summary is an important part of getting people interested in your story. A vague summary may leave readers confused, while a summary that gives too much away may leave readers feeling as though they don't need to read the story at all. There are many types of summaries out there; these are just a few methods to writing a summary that will have readers heading for chapter one.

Use a Story Excerpt

If you already have parts of your story written, you can use part of the story as your summary. This method gives readers a real glimpse at what they have to look forward to, especially since it showcases your writing exactly as it is in the story.

With this method, it is important to pick a part of the story that works. You want to make sure this piece makes sense when it is read on its own, that it is relevant to what the story is telling, and that it doesn't give too much of the story away. You don't want to put the death of the main character in the summary, but you don't want a description of the main character's bedroom as your summary either!

Use Relevant Quotes

If your story was inspired by a quote or a song, the summary is a great time to incorporate it or use it to your advantage. Even if the quote wasn't the story's inspiration, a quote can still be a great way to give the reader a short glimpse into the story and get the interested.

Make sure, if you're using a quote or song lyric, that it is relevant to the story, that it is interesting, and that you credit the writer of the quote or song if it is known.

Summarize Your Story

One of the most traditional ways of writing a summary is simply summarizing the story, but this isn't a summary like you would write for a school assignment. This summary needs to tell what could happen, but not what is going to happen. It needs to let the reader know what the story is about, but not give anything away.

The most important thing your summary needs to be is interesting. If the summary of your story isn't interesting to readers, chances are they won't be interested in reading a 50,000 word version of the same thing.

Give a Vague Introduction

Using a quick introduction as your summary is a great way to get readers interested, and there are so many different and unique ways to use this method. This method can be twisted for any type of story, which is one thing that makes it so versatile.

If your story revolves around something going on in the news, you can write a fake news article on the subject or an obituary if it involves a death. You can write as your character and have them introduce what is going on in a quirky way. If your story involves a business or a gang, you can give a quick history lesson on how it got started.

Writing a vague introduction to your story and using it as your summary is a unique way to tell your readers what your story is about and get them wanting to read more.

There are countless ways to write a summary, but as long as your summary is interesting and doesn't give too much away, you really can't go wrong.

Special thanks to C418 and silent hearts. for editing!