Fic Talk > General Discussion
Chapter summaries
RokofAges75:
I think it depends on what the actual summary says. If it's one of those long summaries that seems like it does give half the story away, I don't like that. I like to know the basic premise of the story, but not everything that is going to happen in it LOL.
On the other hand, I like to have some sort of summary, even if it's just a one-liner. The "I suck at summaries, just please read anyway!" stuff drives me nuts! My view on that is that if you can't write well enough to throw some kind of summary together, or if you don't CARE enough to make up a summary, why would I want to read your story?
RokofAges75:
As for the chapter summaries, I'm personally not a fan of them from the reader standpoint because I find that when I click on a story with chapter summaries, I naturally start to skim through them, and then I feel like I know what the entire story is going to be like without even opening one of the chapters. That's not true in all cases, but it is when it makes the story look really formulaic, and then it doesn't look all that appealing.
I think if I had read the story already, I would like chapter summaries better because it would help me track down my favorite parts, but for the first read, I don't like them.
mare:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on August 05, 2007, 05:11:48 PM ---I think it depends on what the actual summary says. If it's one of those long summaries that seems like it does give half the story away, I don't like that. I like to know the basic premise of the story, but not everything that is going to happen in it LOL.
On the other hand, I like to have some sort of summary, even if it's just a one-liner. The "I suck at summaries, just please read anyway!" stuff drives me nuts! My view on that is that if you can't write well enough to throw some kind of summary together, or if you don't CARE enough to make up a summary, why would I want to read your story?
--- End quote ---
Yup i'm with you on that one. I don't even bother reading stories where they say i suck at summaries just read. But I also get mega annoyed with the summaries that are so long they take up half the page on AC lol
A nice medium works best for me. I like a summary that lets me really know what the story is going to be about while at the same time not giving me too much details. Also the ones that don't deceive the reader into thinking it's one thing when it's really another.
honey:
--- Quote from: mare on August 05, 2007, 05:30:21 PM --- Also the ones that don't deceive the reader into thinking it's one thing when it's really another.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, that's what I really hate. I feel violated. haha. Like I've been lied to or tricked and it really makes me cranky.
But I think a summary is vital. I would never read one that just said "I suck at summaries." It makes me think that the writer really doesn't know what the story is about to begin with and it turns me off before ever reading any of it.
As far as chapters go though, if the chapters were all summarized I wouldn't read the summaries before reading the first time, but I do kind of like to have the place holders.
mare:
which story is it you guys are talking about? I need to check it out because i'm having a hard time visualizing what you mean. lol
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