I was pondering this earlier in the week. People have summaries they like and ones they will scroll past without considering the story at all.
I’m rather open with summaries. I think the only ones I dislike are either when there isn’t one or when the words aren’t actually a summary, but author’s notes. I prefer those for after I’ve clicked on the story.
I’ve read in the past people want them to be snappy, but I was considering longer works. Complicated stories. In those cases, I prefer a few paragraphs to introduce the basics of characters and plots. On the other hand, if the story is short, a longer summary doesn’t make sense.
What types of summaries do you like? Which ones do you like to write? Does anyone else think writing a summary is easier than coming up with the title of the fanfic, or is it just me?
i’m fine with just about any summary that outlines the premise of the fic. i rarely, if ever, encounter a summary that makes me scroll past the fic because of its poor quality. though, of course, having something funny / dramatic in a well-executed way / otherwise interesting certainly helps.
Agreed. Even if I find the summary doesn’t interest me, I at least appreciate knowing it’s because of the overall premise. I appreciate a good summary, even if the story itself isn’t my cup of tea.