for How to Write a Fictionpress Summary6/13/2007 c1 
7Justin Carlton
Sage advice from the expert... Gotta say, I agree with every word here - and then some.
Get this out to everyone at Fictionpress!
7Justin CarltonSage advice from the expert... Gotta say, I agree with every word here - and then some.
Get this out to everyone at Fictionpress!
5/27/2007 c1 3Elizabeth More
Writing this was an excellent idea! How I struggle with summaries!
You are so right about the "I'm bad at summaries" summaries, and the "what will they do?" summaries. Every time I see one of those, I roll my eyes and wonder where people get their advertising ideas. ("Helo! Yeah, I know the cool announcer guys say that stuff on commercials. But guess what? It has an entirely different effect when written.")
I suggest spell-checking this.
The humor is, again, perfect for the style of the essay! Thanks yet again for another jewel! We need more essays like these on a site where most members are teens who are too accustomed to netspeak or simply writing like they speak (applies more to your other two than to this one; it's late). :)
God bless,
Galadriel
3Elizabeth MoreWriting this was an excellent idea! How I struggle with summaries!
You are so right about the "I'm bad at summaries" summaries, and the "what will they do?" summaries. Every time I see one of those, I roll my eyes and wonder where people get their advertising ideas. ("Helo! Yeah, I know the cool announcer guys say that stuff on commercials. But guess what? It has an entirely different effect when written.")
I suggest spell-checking this.
The humor is, again, perfect for the style of the essay! Thanks yet again for another jewel! We need more essays like these on a site where most members are teens who are too accustomed to netspeak or simply writing like they speak (applies more to your other two than to this one; it's late). :)
God bless,
Galadriel
4/13/2007 c1 61Dani P
i like this essay better, however my suggestion would to be o add the last bit about the reviews to your essay about reviews and in this essay focus more on summaries. For example, what makes a summary attractive? certainly not "this is an old story I wrote." or "he falls in love with her but she dies." etc... if your story has a plotline like that at least in the summary make it interesting.etc...
61Dani Pi like this essay better, however my suggestion would to be o add the last bit about the reviews to your essay about reviews and in this essay focus more on summaries. For example, what makes a summary attractive? certainly not "this is an old story I wrote." or "he falls in love with her but she dies." etc... if your story has a plotline like that at least in the summary make it interesting.etc...
4/2/2007 c1 5CyberDragon10K
Considering I have something in progress, I find it a little difficult to maintain a consistent summary throughout the duration of the writing process. I usually use temp summaries as place-holders until I think up more enticing ones. ^^;;
Like the others said before, your review taxonomy detracted from the main idea of your essay, bringing it off topic. While it may have been demanded, you should've added it as a chapter to "The Feng-Shui of Reviewing", or at the least made it a separate piece. O=
My attempts at CC usually end up as overly long "Meh" reviews, so I'm not sure if I'm ever being helpful. All I know is that I give something more than just "Wow! Great story!" or other inspiring one-liners. ==b
I'll definitely keep the "5w + h" approach in mind when I finalize a decent summary for my story; thank you very much. ;D
5CyberDragon10KConsidering I have something in progress, I find it a little difficult to maintain a consistent summary throughout the duration of the writing process. I usually use temp summaries as place-holders until I think up more enticing ones. ^^;;
Like the others said before, your review taxonomy detracted from the main idea of your essay, bringing it off topic. While it may have been demanded, you should've added it as a chapter to "The Feng-Shui of Reviewing", or at the least made it a separate piece. O=
My attempts at CC usually end up as overly long "Meh" reviews, so I'm not sure if I'm ever being helpful. All I know is that I give something more than just "Wow! Great story!" or other inspiring one-liners. ==b
I'll definitely keep the "5w + h" approach in mind when I finalize a decent summary for my story; thank you very much. ;D
3/30/2007 c1 1JJSLAM2129
Personally, you shouldn't have included the 'Review Taxonomy', no matter how much you other readers wanted you to write that essay. It distracts from the main topic which is about summaries. Write a differents essay for 'reviews'.
As for the actual essay itself, it seemed a little short. You could have also included about the whole 'I suck at summaries, Read it anyways' deal. Now, I know you might be writing specifically for essay writers but you could also have talked about writing effective summaries for stories. I do agree that the most important part of the summary is that one includes the main idea of the essay or story. Otherwise, I think there could have been a lot more to this entire essay.
1JJSLAM2129Personally, you shouldn't have included the 'Review Taxonomy', no matter how much you other readers wanted you to write that essay. It distracts from the main topic which is about summaries. Write a differents essay for 'reviews'.
As for the actual essay itself, it seemed a little short. You could have also included about the whole 'I suck at summaries, Read it anyways' deal. Now, I know you might be writing specifically for essay writers but you could also have talked about writing effective summaries for stories. I do agree that the most important part of the summary is that one includes the main idea of the essay or story. Otherwise, I think there could have been a lot more to this entire essay.
3/30/2007 c1 So-joo
D8 I always used to write 'Meh' comments.. and everyone believed me 8D (That was luck.. I guess? O_o)
D8 I always used to write 'Meh' comments.. and everyone believed me 8D (That was luck.. I guess? O_o)
3/30/2007 c1 11MaDMaS22
Yea im the first to review :P... Am I the first I think im the first let me check... Yea Im the first. I really like these. Im really really sleepy right now... ugh.
OK I thought that it was very to the point and informative. I think that it was a tad too short tho. One of the things that I would consider problematic is the fact that the Review Taxonomy kinda steals the light from the main point of this essay. I say that because the Taxonomy is far more interesting to me than the first section. I kinda think this section should have just been added as a second chapter on the feung Seuay of reviewing (please God forgive my spelling for it it late and thee be sleepy). But its all good overall I definitely liked it. I really want to avoid Meh reviews. again I will say to you that this inspired me to write better reviews as the first one inspired me to write reviews.
*Claps*
There is a new guy called Melt-DisneyWorld his story Metal Sense is pretty good I added it to the C2.
New chapter up for WAFtT Check it.
~Cheers~
~MaDMaS~
11MaDMaS22Yea im the first to review :P... Am I the first I think im the first let me check... Yea Im the first. I really like these. Im really really sleepy right now... ugh.
OK I thought that it was very to the point and informative. I think that it was a tad too short tho. One of the things that I would consider problematic is the fact that the Review Taxonomy kinda steals the light from the main point of this essay. I say that because the Taxonomy is far more interesting to me than the first section. I kinda think this section should have just been added as a second chapter on the feung Seuay of reviewing (please God forgive my spelling for it it late and thee be sleepy). But its all good overall I definitely liked it. I really want to avoid Meh reviews. again I will say to you that this inspired me to write better reviews as the first one inspired me to write reviews.
*Claps*
There is a new guy called Melt-DisneyWorld his story Metal Sense is pretty good I added it to the C2.
New chapter up for WAFtT Check it.
~Cheers~
~MaDMaS~