Discussion carried over...

[ostarella]

Leia posted this over on the list

http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp130.html

I just read it and thought it was great - especially the last paragraph :D  But it did get me thinking, once more, about story summaries. Mine suck and I definitely need to learn how to write them - does anyone know of a site that helps one craft such a masterpiece?

Comments

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

And if I did want warnings, I would like the "No Concept of Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation" Warning, the "Wouldn't Know Research if It Came Up and Bit Me on the Ass" Warning, the "Editing? What's That?" Warning, and the "You Mean I Should Watch the Show Before I write Stories About It?" Warning.

I fear I fall into these categories lol!

I don't bother any more with warnings. Maybe a note or two but I think the only warning I would want is like what *category* it is i.e. Slash. Just because I wouldn't go into a book shop and pick up a book out of Horror (unless it's Anne Rice) because it's not really what I want to read. - Does that make sense?

I need help on summaries too!!!

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

I don't bother any more with warnings.

Yeah, it really gets to be a big pain - how do you put a "Death of major character" warning in without giving away the show? Or if it only appears that way, it gets even hairier. Like you say - warnings about genre are appropriate I think, but otherwise, they can look at the rating and take it from there, just like anything else they read. Piss on 'em (emits BA style growl) LOL

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

To be honest I can't see me writing about BDSM or whatever it is, so I don't think I will *truly* offend someone.

I definitely will NOT be putting Nipple Rings in ;o)

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

I definitely will NOT be putting Nipple Rings in

Aw, c'mon! LOL

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Okay, did a rather quick shuffle through the net and found these (for summaries)

http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~mdesoto/101online/summary.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070410194432AA8TuBL
(of course, you wouldn't include the "conclusion" using this formula)

http://www.fanfiction.net/topic/2872/5398278/1/

It's hard to find tips for writing 1-2 paragraph summaries - most sites acted as though "short" summaries were 1-2 *pages*. Good grief...

But I think a review and rewrite of my summaries is going to be something to work on during breaks from Covenant. It's about time I really worked on them, so they reflect the story and not my laziness :-(

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

Well I think it depends on the *document* there. If you write a report, then you summary maybe *long* but as I understood it - it should be only a page. i.e. with the amount of paperwork that lands on a managers desk, they only want to look at the front page.

Personally, I think keep it brief, giving them a rough idea of what the story is about. As well some don't write epic novels (like you two) so 2 paragraphs could give the whole bloody story in a nutshell.

Hey but paragraphs aren't always long - they can be one sentence :O)

Right, I really must get ready for the day...kids are hounding me!

[beckyblack]

I can never decide on this subject. On the one hand, I don't want to spoiler the story, on the other hand I don't want to upset anyone. For myself, I'm not easily shockable and more and I'll read almost anything and if I run across something that "squicks" me, I just back out. I don't feel the need to flame tha author for not including a warning. (There's bigger things to worry about in this life.) Also if the rating is NC-17 I tend to think that means potentially anything goes.

I don't know, warnings are safe, I suppose that's why people go on using them. It's also a defence if someone flames you with the usal "OMG!!! They're not GAY! You're going to hell!!!!" etc, since you can say "It had a warning for slash on it and the pairing, not my fault if you read it anyway."

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think for things like slash there should be a warning, just because of the nature of the beast. But that goes along with AU for me, because then people are warned that something is not going to be canon-bound. But I'm getting a little hinky about calling something AU, as well. I mean - Covenant, for instance. Is that AU or just taking canon a step further?

But I guess, if it came to a spoiler versus a flame, I'd take the flame. Frankly, I'd take the flame regardless - one can always delete those, but chasing away readers with needless warnings is almost irreparable. Which is again why I think summaries are more important than warnings.

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

I don't know, warnings are safe, I suppose that's why people go on using them. It's also a defence if someone flames you with the usal "OMG!!! They're not GAY! You're going to hell!!!!" etc, since you can say "It had a warning for slash on it and the pairing, not my fault if you read it anyway."

See I don't see Slash as a warning, it kinda should be a category...like the article says, walking into a book shop. If you want comedy you go to comedy section, Crime, etc. etc. I think a story should be labelled Slash, they can even put the pairing, just so the reader can chose to read that story or not. I don't think that is giving much away to the story...well, I suppose it depends on the story.

There should definitely be a warning for Nipple Rings lol! I was horrified! lol!

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Reading some more comments on the list. Damn, wish I dared put my 2 cents worth over there - but we're definitely getting the reader's voice. I still agree with the article - it's not the writer's job to "protect" readers. I'm getting more and more militant about that, aren't I? LOL

There she goes again... :p