When you write a story summary, it should be short, sweet, and to the point. Fortunately, writing a summary is not that difficult!
Step
Method 1 of 2: While You're Reading
Step 1. Read the story
It would be very difficult to summarize a story without actually reading it. So, open your book and put on headphones and listen to it on your iPod. Do not always trust internet websites that say they have summarized the book, because the summary is not always correct.
As you read, you need to remember the main idea of the story. For Lord of the Rings, for example, the central idea might be something about how the power of greed (i.e. the Ring) becomes a source of power for evil, or even the actions of a petty person (such as a hobbit) can change the world
Step 2. Take notes
You need to take notes as you read so you can refer to them when you're ready to start summarizing. Look for who? what? when? where? why? This will provide the basis for what you want to write in your summary.
Step 3. Find the main characters
You need to know the characters in the story, and you need to know which characters are less important to the story. If you're reading a story with lots of characters, you don't want to write down every character that appears.
- For example: for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, you would write Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, because they are the main characters. You might also write down Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Quirrell, and Voldemort because they are so important to the story.
- You don't need to write Peeves the ghost, or Norbert the dragon, because while they are important in their place in the story, they don't affect the main storyline to deserve inclusion in the summary.
- Shorter stories like Little Red Cloaked Girl are also easy because all you have to do is write down the Red Cloaked Girl, her grandmother, the wolf, and the woodcutter (depending on the version of the story).
Step 4. Write down the background
The setting is where the event takes place. Things can get complicated if the story you are reading takes place in many places. If so, you will need to write down more places.
- Continuing the Harry Potter example: the main event takes place at Hogwarts, so you could write something like 'Hogwarts school of wizards in Great Britain.'
- Now, for a story like Lord of the Rings, which is set in a large area, you can mention Middle-Earth, and write down some important places like the Shire, Mordor, and Gondor. You don't have to go into too much detail (like mentioning the Fangorn forest, or the Minas Morgul tower).
Step 5. Record the conflict in the story
This means whatever major problem the character has to face. Conflict doesn't have to be caused by an antagonist, as in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
- For Harry Potter, the main conflict is Voldemort's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone and threaten the Wizarding World again (and kill Harry).
- For example, if you summarize The Odyssey, the main conflict is Odysseus trying to return to Ithaca. Everything in his story is driven by his desire to return home and all obstacles appear before him.
Step 6. Record the main events
This is the most important part of the story. You don't have to record everything the character does. In fact, that's exactly what you shouldn't be doing! Just look for events that deepen the conflict, or help resolve it.
- For Harry Potter, some of the main events are Harry finding out he is a wizard, or Harry meeting the three headed dog, and, of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione defeating Voldemort.
- It might seem easier for shorter stories like 'Little Girl in Red Cloak', but you only need to write down the most important events, such as the Cloaked Girl meeting the wolf, being eaten by the wolf after thinking it was her grandmother, and the appearance of the woodcutter.
Step 7. Record the conclusion
This is a major event, usually, that encapsulates the story's conflict and resolves the issue. Even in a book that is a series, there is usually a conclusion to the story. Spoiler below!
- For Harry Potter, the conclusion is defeating Voldemort. The story after that is not very important in the summary, even if it is important to the whole story. You don't need to recount the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry at the end, or even the points of the Gryffindor House victory because that cheerfulness is not Voldemort's main storyline.
- For the Red Cloaked Girl, the conclusion was the appearance of the lumberjack who saved her and her grandmother.
- For a story like Lord of the Rings, the conclusion is tricky to summarize because you'll probably stop at the destruction of the Ring, but (especially if the main idea of the story is the importance of the actions of someone petty) you want to mention the Scouring of the Shire, and Frodo's departure from Gray Haven.
Method 2 of 2: Writing Your Summary
Step 1. Organize your notes
The hardest part is over, which is reading the book! When you've written all your notes, you're ready to write a summary. You want to organize your notes by story chronology. Look at the beginning and the end of the story and how the main characters start from the beginning to the end of the story.
- To continue the Harry Potter example, you need to look at how Harry went from knowing he was a wizard to defeating Voldemort.
- For something like The Odyssey, you need to see how Odyesseus goes from losing all his underlings and drifting to the island of Calypso to defeating the other suitors and convincing Penelope of her identity.
- Short stories like The Red Cloaked Girl, you need to see how the Cloaked Girl went to the forest, how she was tricked into being eaten and how she was saved.
Step 2. Write a summary
This will be really easy because you have now sorted your notes. All you have to do is write a short paragraph about the key points from whom? what? when? where? why? that you have written in your notes. Also make sure you include the title of the story and the author's name.
- Make sure that you only focus on the main storyline. Don't be distracted by Harry's Quidditch game or his feud with Malfoy.
- Likewise, don't quote from stories. You don't need to repeat the conversation from the story in the summary. You may want to briefly mention key points in the conversation (e.g. 'When Harry and his friends learned from Hagrid that the Philosopher's Stone might not be safe anymore, they went to stop the thief themselves.')
Step 3. Look at an example of a flow summary
It will be much easier to write something if you look at a few examples and understand the choice of words used and how to combine all the different elements into one short, cohesive story.
- ' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling tells the story of Harry Potter, an eleven year old orphan, who learns that he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts, an English school for wizards to learn magic. While there, he learns that his parents were killed by the evil wizard, Voldemort, who was destroyed by Harry when he was a baby. Together with his friends Ron Weasley, who comes from a large family of wizards, and Hermione Granger, the smartest wizard in their generation, Harry learns that the Philosopher's Stone, which grants eternal life, is hidden in a forbidden room on the third floor. When Harry and his friends learn from Hagrid that the Philosopher's Stone is no longer safe, they set out to stop the thief alone, who they think is Professor Snape, who hates Harry. When Harry finds the Stone, he learns that the thief is Professor Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort. Because of a spell cast by Harry's mother, Harry was able to defeat Quirrell and Voldemort had to go back into hiding.'
- Homer's epic poem The Odyssey tells the story of the Greek hero, Odysseus, and his ten-year journey home to the island of Ithaca, where his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus await. It all started with Odysseus being imprisoned by the nymph Calypso until the Greek Gods forced him to release him. The god Poseidon, who has a grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son, Cyclops Polyphemus on his earlier voyage, attempts to destroy his ship, but is stopped by the goddess Athena. Odysseus arrives at Scheria, the home of the Phaeacians, where he is shown safe passage and asked to tell his story up to that point. Odysseus tells them the various journeys he has experienced with his crew, the journey to the Lotus Eater, blinding Polyphemus, his love affair with the god Circe, the deadly Siren, the journey to Hades, and his battle with the sea monster Syclla. The Phaeacians took him safely to Ithaca, where he entered the hall disguised as a beggar. At Ithaca, thinking that Odysseus was dead, suitors filled the hall, trying to kill his son and convince Penelope to choose one of them. Penelope, believing that Odysseus is still alive, refuses. He arranges a race with Odysseus' bow that only Odysseus can use. When Odysseus uses it, he shoots all suitors and reunites with his family.'
- These summaries cover the main plot of the story they summarize. This summary uses sentences like When Harry Finds the Stone… and doesn't explain what it takes to find the stone, which is not the point of the summary. This summary is brief and focuses only on the most important main characters, such as Odysseus, Penelope, the gods, etc.
Step 4. Revise your summary
Make sure that you've edited it so that there are no spelling mistakes, that the events are sequenced, and that you've written all the character and place names correctly. It's better to have a friend check it out to see if there's anything you've forgotten. Once you've revised it, the summary is ready!
Tips
Make sure your summary is short. Your summary cannot be longer than the original story
Warning
- Do not include your opinion when writing a summary unless you have been explicitly asked to give your opinion by your teacher.
- If you're writing an essay, you shouldn't just summarize the text.
