![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Fandom History & Inspiration Meme - Day 16
Day 16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
Summaries are right up there with onions and snobby people as the bane of my existence (see: the fact that Fleeting doesn't even HAVE a proper summary o.O). They are a necessary evil, though, because they are generally the part of the header that people *actually* pay attention to, LOL. So, I try to use them to my advantage when I can.
I usually try not to summarize the story itself, so much as make it sound enticing enough to read. Sometimes I'll use the first vestiges of the raw idea - when I'm developing story ideas, I jot down everything, whether it's used in the final cut or not. Sometimes it comes out in such a way that I know it'll make fine summary fodder:
Sometimes the raw idea is too jumbled or messy or the final product resembles it but little. Those times, I pull one or two evocative lines from the story itself and let them serve as the summary:
I use this second method a lot with oneshots, especially those I post to communities.
Sometimes I truly do sum up the story as best I know how. This usually means the summary is (necessarily) vague, and I think these sorts of stories really only draw in the people who'd read them because of the fandom or pairing they're about:
I don't know how much others can even tell when I'm using a certain style of summary, but those are my general methods of attack when it comes to this part of the story writing process.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Day 13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Upcoming....
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
Summaries are right up there with onions and snobby people as the bane of my existence (see: the fact that Fleeting doesn't even HAVE a proper summary o.O). They are a necessary evil, though, because they are generally the part of the header that people *actually* pay attention to, LOL. So, I try to use them to my advantage when I can.
I usually try not to summarize the story itself, so much as make it sound enticing enough to read. Sometimes I'll use the first vestiges of the raw idea - when I'm developing story ideas, I jot down everything, whether it's used in the final cut or not. Sometimes it comes out in such a way that I know it'll make fine summary fodder:
Fragments: A chance encounter. An unforgettable attraction. Can new love be born from the fragments of shattered lives?
Nice Guys Finish First: When a gorgeous new girl begins attending Pacific Coast High, she unwittingly becomes the prize in a bet laid between Sly, Tony, and Mark. A riff on the subplot of episode 3x17, Tiffani's Gold.
break/even: Once upon a time, she'd fallen in love. Once upon a time, he'd broken her heart. On the eve of her junior prom, they find themselves with a second chance – if only they are willing to risk it.
Sometimes the raw idea is too jumbled or messy or the final product resembles it but little. Those times, I pull one or two evocative lines from the story itself and let them serve as the summary:
Coda: If it came down to a choice between his life and hers...there simply was no choice.
Temporary Insanity: Renee was not someone who admitted mistakes easily. She didn't know how she would live with the guilt of kissing her sister's boyfriend, but she didn't see how she had any other choice.
A Most Favorable Arrangement: Five years for her, five hundred for him – it didn't matter. They were strangers, distant companions in a time paradox; it was only logical that they eventually sought -something- in their strange, shared circumstance.
I use this second method a lot with oneshots, especially those I post to communities.
Sometimes I truly do sum up the story as best I know how. This usually means the summary is (necessarily) vague, and I think these sorts of stories really only draw in the people who'd read them because of the fandom or pairing they're about:
Secrets: When Stacy learns of a secret from Ryan's past, it threatens to shatter their relationship for good. Divergence/continuation from Season 5.
Gordon Hill, S.E. 6: Jonathan and Maddy share a close moment in the midst of her own personal tragedy. A missing scene from Series 2, Episode 3, The Scented Room.
Perfect Kiss: Kagome ponders the moment of her first kiss, and wonders just how perfect it could be.
I don't know how much others can even tell when I'm using a certain style of summary, but those are my general methods of attack when it comes to this part of the story writing process.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Day 13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Upcoming....
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
no subject
Me too - but ugh, summaries. I know how important they are, but when it comes to providing one for my own stuff, I just... D:
no subject
no subject
For me, the summary depends a lot on the length of the story. A multi-chapter fic will involve me describing the conflict of the story.
A shorter one-shot or drabble will probably just be something to intrigue the reader into clicking on my story. Often, it will be the first (or so) line of the story. Or it will be, like you, what I was thinking when the plot bunny first made itself known.
But titles, ugh, titles.