Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: While reading
• Part 2 of 2: Writing the summary
• Tips
• Warnings

When you summarize a story, you should make it short and sweet. Fortunately, that is not that difficult at all!

To step

Part 1 of 2: While reading

1. Read the story. It will be very difficult to summarize a story without actually reading it. Open your book or put on headphones and listen to the story on your iPod. Note that internet sites claiming to be able to summarize books are not always reliable as they are not always that accurate.
   • While reading you have to remember the main idea of ​​the story. For example, in Lord of the Rings, the main idea is that the power of greed (the Ring) is a strong incentive for evil, or that the actions of just one insignificant person (such as a Hobbit) can change the world.
2. Make notes. As you read, you will need to take notes so that you can refer to them when you start summarizing. By answering the 5W questions (who, what, where, when, why) you will create a basis for the content of your summary.
3. Find out who the main characters are. You will have to figure out who the story is about and which characters are less important to the story. If you are reading a story that contains a huge number of characters, you are not supposed to write down every character that appears.
   • For example for 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"You would write Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, since they are the main characters." You may also note Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Professor Quirrell, and Voldemort, as each of them plays an important role in the story.
   • Peeves the Poltergeist or Norberta do not need to be noted, as they do not influence the plot in such a way that they should be included in a summary, even though they play a somewhat important role in the story.
   • A shorter story like "Little Red Riding Hood" is easier to summarize as you only need to write Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the wolf and the woodcutter (depending on the version).
4. Write down the setting. The setting is where, when and under what circumstances the story takes place. This can be difficult when a story takes place in many different places. In that case, you will have to formulate the setting more broadly.
   • Continuing the Harry Potter example, the main line is set in Hogwarts, so you could write something like "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the UK".
   • In a story like Lord of the Rings, where the main line takes place in different territories, you can mention Middle-Earth and a number of other important places such as Shire, Mordor and Gondor. You don't have to be too specific (you wouldn't have to name the forest Fangorn or the tower Minas Morgul like that).
5. Write down the conflict of the story. The conflict is the main problem facing the characters. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad guy like with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
   • In Harry Potter, the conflict is Voldemort's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone and return to threaten the wizarding world (and kill Harry Potter).
   • For example, if you sum up the Odyssey, the main conflict is that Odysseus is trying to get home to Ithaka. The whole story revolves around his wish to come home and all the additional obstacles.
6. Write down the most important events. These are the most important parts of the story. You don't have to write down everything that a character does or experiences. In fact, that's exactly what you shouldn't do! Rather, look only for the events that complement or help resolve the main conflict.
   • In Harry Potter, these events could be among the most important: Harry discovers he is a wizard, Harry encounters the three-headed dog, and Harry, Ron and Hermione defeat Voldemort.
   • It may seem easier in the case of a shorter story like Little Red Riding Hood, but you just need to actually write down the main events, like when Little Red Riding Hood encounters the wolf and is eaten, thinking the wolf was her grandmother, and the appearance of the woodcutter.
7. Write down the closing. This is the event that ends the conflict and resolves the problems. Even in books that are part of a series, there is a closure. Note: spoilers are mentioned below!
   • In Harry Potter, the end is Voldemort's defeat. The part that comes after is not important for the summary, although it is important for the story in general. You no longer need to go into the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry that takes place at the end, or whether Gryffindor wins points, as that's not really part of the storyline that centers on the fight against Voldemort.
   • With Little Red Riding Hood, the conclusion is the appearance of the woodcutter who comes to save Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother.
   • In a story like Lord of the Rings, the conclusion is very complicated to include in a summary, as you can stop at the destruction of the Ring, but you will also see 'the Scouring of the Shire' and Frodo's departure from the Gray Havens. (especially since the main idea of ​​the story is the importance of the actions of an insignificant individual).

Part 2 of 2: Writing the summary

1. Organize your notes. The hardest part is already over, namely reading the book! When you have made all the notes, you are all set to write the summary. Arrange your notes in chronological order. See where the story begins and ends and how the main character gets from the beginning to the end.
   • Continuing with the Harry Potter example, you will have to see how Harry made the transition from discovering he was a wizard to defeating Voldemort.
   • With something like the Odyssey, you'll have to watch Odysseus transition from losing his crew and staying on the island of Calypso, to defeating the worshipers and convincing Penelope of his identity.
   • In a short story like Little Red Riding Hood, you will have to consider why Little Red Riding Hood went into the woods, how she was tricked by the wolf and how she was eventually saved.
2. Write the summary. This will be very easy now that you have all your notes in order. All you need to do is write a short paragraph answering the 5W questions (who, what, where, when, why), which you should have already answered in your notes. Make sure to mention the title of the story and the name of the author.
   • Make sure to focus only on the plot of the story. Don't get distracted by the Quidditch games Harry plays or his fight with Draco Malfoy.
   • Likewise, you should not quote anything from the story itself. You don't have to include literal conversations from the story in your summary. If necessary, you can briefly mention the gist of a conversation (something like "When Harry and his friends discovered with the help of Hagrid that the Philosopher's Stone would no longer be safe, they themselves decided to stop the thief.").
3. Look at sample summaries. It is much easier to write something when you have looked at a few examples so that you have an idea of ​​the word usage and the comprehension of all the different elements in one short, clear piece of text.
   • "J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" tells the story of a seven-year-old orphan named Harry Potter, who discovers he is a wizard and goes to study magic at Hogwarts School of English. There he discovers that his parents have been murdered by the evil wizard Voldemort. Along with his friends Ron Weasley, from a large wizard family, and Hermione Granger, the smartest wizard of his year, Harry discovers that the Philosopher's Stone, which immortalizes its owner, is hidden on the third floor. When Harry and his friends hear from Hagrid that the Philosopher's Stone is no longer safe, they decide to stop the thief themselves. They suspect that Professor Snape is the thief, the professor who hates Harry. When Harry finds the Stone, it turns out that Professor Quirrell, Voldemort's servant, is the thief.Thanks to a spell cast by Harry's mother, Harry is able to defeat Quirrell, after which Voldemort is forced back into hiding. "
   • "The epic poem" The Odyssey "by the Greek poet Homeros, tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey to return home to the island of Ithaka, where his wife Penelope and son Telemachos await him. It begins with Odysseus being held captive by the sea nymph Kalipso, until the Greek Gods force her to release him. The god Poseidon, who hates Odysseus for blinding his son, Cyclops Polyphemus, in one of his previous voyages, tries to crash Odysseus' ship, but is stopped by the goddess Athena. Odysseus washes ashore on the island of Scheria of the Faiaken, where he is given free passage and where he is asked about his journey so far. Odysseus tells them about various adventures he has experienced with his crew, the journey to the island of the lotus eaters, his blindness of Polyphemus, his love affair with the witch goddess Circe, the deadly sirens, the journey to the underworld and his battle with among others the sea monster Scylla. The Faaiaks take him safely to Ithaka, where he enters the hall disguised as a beggar. In Ithaka, assuming that Odysseus is no longer alive, suitors have taken over his hall, tried to kill his son and tried to convince Penelope to choose one of them. Penelope refuses, believing that Odysseus is still alive. She organizes an archery competition with the bow of Odysseus, the bow that only Odysseus himself can draw. Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, enters the competition and wins, after which he kills all suitors. He is eventually reunited with his family. "
   • These summaries include the plot of the particular story. Phrases such as "A spell... Harry is able to defeat Quirrell," instead of explaining in detail "how" he defeats Quirrell. The sentences are short and only focus on the main characters, such as Odysseus, Penelope, the gods, etc.
4. Review your summary. Make sure there are no spelling mistakes, that the events are in the correct order and that you have spelled all character names and places correctly. It is best to have it read by a friend so that he or she can spot mistakes. After checking everything, your summary is ready!

Tips

• Make sure to keep it short. A summary should of course not be longer than the original story!

Warnings

• Do not include opinions when writing a summary unless explicitly requested by your teacher.
• When you write an essay, you have to do more than just write a summary.