Creating a story summary is often the last step for writers when they are publishing their story. Because of this it can sometimes be given little thought, but the summary is one of the most important parts of your fanfiction brief. It is usually the deciding factor when a reader is searching for their next fic.
DreamFlower wrote a wonderful post on how to create good summaries. Their examples are exclusively Lord of The Rings because it was a fandom specific post, but the content can apply to any fandom. I recommend taking a look. READ IT HERE.
The absolute worst thing you can do as a writer is to sell yourself short by not even trying. Do your best to write a compelling, short, dynamic, amusing or thought provoking summary. This can sound impossible, but it really isn't. Thousands of fangirls and fanboys do it all the time. :) The best way to learn is to observe. Go through your archived bookmarks and read the summaries that made you click on those stories. If you're new to fanfiction or don't bookmark your favorites then go to a large archive and scroll through the most read stories. Make a list of things that you see in those summaries that draw your attention and then try using it to write your own summary.
It is okay to rewrite and revise many times. Summaries are rarely gold the first or second or even fifteenth time. If you have already posted some fanfics then you can practice by going back and revamping those old summaries using the advice that you've read online and the example of other authors.
NOTE: This does not mean to steal someone else's summary or changing a few words to make it your own. FGWBF does not endorse summary theft.
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