what is the plot summary essay

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Are you a student who’s ever been assigned to write a summary of a book or a film but found yourself unsure of where to start? Or perhaps you’re a teacher looking for effective ways to teach summary writing in your classroom? In either case, understanding what a plot summary is and how to write one is important. Initially, a plot summary is a concise, focused presentation of the main events and themes of a narrative, whether it’s a novel, a movie, or any other form of storytelling.

Defining a Plot Summary

A plot summary is much more than just a simple retelling of a story. It’s a carefully crafted, concise synopsis that captures the heart of a narrative. This text captures the main events, characters, and their interactions into a digestible format, which enables readers to grasp the core essence of the story without having to dive into many details. For students, a plot summary is a way to better comprehension and analysis that allows them to understand the plot, be aware of character motivations, and identify the central themes and conflicts that drive the narrative forward.

One of the key characteristics of a plot summary is its brevity . Unlike a detailed analysis or a complex retelling, a plot summary focuses only on the most necessary elements of the story. It strips away extraneous details and subplots, talking about the main arc that defines the plot. This focused approach makes plot summaries vital for:

• quick reference
• as a foundation for a more detailed study.

Another defining feature of a plot summary is its neutrality . A well-crafted summary maintains an objective tone and avoids personal opinions or interpretations. It presents the facts of the story as they are and allows readers to form their judgments and analyses based on the short information given.

Plot summaries are versatile and can be applied to a wide range of narrative forms. Whether it’s the detailed storyline of a novel, the fast-paced action of a film, or the factual recounting of a non-fiction work, a plot summary serves as a universal tool for capturing the key points of any story. This adaptability makes plot summaries an great resource for students and writers alike, providing a clear overview of core elements of the story.

Need help summarizing? Our Free Summarizer is to the rescue!

The purpose of a plot summary.

The primary purpose of a plot summary is to provide a concise overview of a story’s plot, making it easier for readers or viewers to identify the main events and themes. However, they’re also handy tools in school and even in the workspace.

In an educational setting, plot summaries help students get the gist of a story. They break down complicated tales into easy-to-digest bits, so you can grasp the main ideas. This makes it easier to dive deep into the text and understand things like themes, character growth, and the story’s arc . Plus, plot summaries are great for sharpening your analytical skills. They teach students to take a big chunk of information and boil it down to the essentials. This skill is key for analyzing literature and comes in handy in lots of different situations where clear communication is important.

Plot summaries also serve as reference tools in discussions and presentations. They provide a quick and accessible overview of a story. In turn, students and teachers get to engage in meaningful dialogue without getting bogged down in the never-ending details. It’s hard to disagree that this efficiency is particularly beneficial in classroom settings, where time is limited, and the focus is on critical thinking and discussion. And, during exams, having a plot summary in your back pocket can really help. It gives you a clear way to remember and organize the main points of a story, helping you craft solid answers that stand out.

Now, for teachers, plot summaries are basic elements for classroom activities and discussions. They serve as a starting point for exploring themes, characters, and literary devices, which helps professors and other educators to design lessons that are both engaging and informative.

Beyond the classroom, plot summaries have practical applications in various fields, such as publishing, where they are used in book jackets and marketing materials to entice potential readers. In the film and television industry, plot summaries are key components of pitches and promotional content, providing a snapshot of the storyline to capture the interest of investors.

How to Write a Great Plot Summary

Creating an engaging plot summary is a multi-step process that requires attention to detail and a good understanding of the story. Sorry, but you can’t create a good summary without reading the full text first, but there is a way to make that whole thing much easier. Here’s a breakdown of each stage, with examples to help illustrate the progress made at each step:

The prewriting stage is all about preparation. Begin by diving into the story, whether that means reading a book or watching a movie. As you go through the plot, take detailed notes on the main events, characters, and themes. Try to identify the key moments that define the beginning, middle, and end of the plot.

For example

If you’re summarizing “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” , you might note

• The beginning : Harry discovers he’s a wizard;
• The middle : His arrival and adventures at Hogwarts;
• The end : The confrontation with Voldemort.

Once you’ve gathered your notes, it’s time to start drafting your summary. Begin with an introduction that sets the scene and introduces the main characters.

For instance

• Start your “Harry Potter” summary with, “In J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,’ young Harry Potter discovers his magical heritage and begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
• Then, proceed to summarize the plot in chronological order , focusing on the key events that move the story forward.
• Make sure to i nclude the climax and resolution of the story , such as Harry’s confrontation with Voldemort and the securing of the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Final Draft and Polishing

The final stage is all about polishing your summary. Read through your draft and revise it for clarity and conciseness. Check that you’ve accurately captured the main ideas of the plot without including personal opinions or unnecessary details.

• Revise a sentence like “ Harry, who is brave and kind, defeats the evil Voldemort” to “Harry defeats Voldemort.”
• Keep the focus on the plot rather than character analysis.

Once you’re satisfied with your summary, give it a final proofread to keep it well-written and engaging.

By following these steps and using the examples as a guide, you can write a great plot summary that captures the essence of the story and engages your readers.

An Example of a Quality Plot Summary

Example 1: “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac

“On the Road” is a novel that chronicles the cross-country adventures of Sal Paradise and his friend Dean Moriarty. The story begins in New York, where Sal, an aspiring writer, meets Dean, a charismatic ex-con. Together, they embark on a journey across America, seeking freedom and experiencing the vibrant cultures of the late 1940s. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of characters, each adding depth to their understanding of life and themselves. The novel culminates in a poignant realization about the nature of their quest and the impermanence of their youthful aspirations.

Example 2: “Dune: Part One” (2021)

“Dune: Part One” is a sci-fi epic set in a distant future where noble houses vie for control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of a valuable substance called spice. The story follows Paul Atreides, a young nobleman whose family is entrusted with the stewardship of Arrakis. As political intrigue and betrayal unfold, Paul is thrust into a journey of survival and self-discovery. He must navigate the treacherous landscape of Arrakis, ally with its native Fremen, and embrace his destiny as a prophesied leader. The film ends with Paul and his mother joining the Fremen, setting the stage for the next chapter in the saga.

Plot summaries play a significant role in the studying process and help students to grasp the main events and themes of a story quickly. They are necessary tools for teachers, providing a foundation for classroom discussions and activities . Learning how to write a plot summary is the first step to developing reading comprehension and analytical skills. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can learn to write effective plot summaries.

Can a plot summary help me understand a confusing text?

Absolutely! A plot summary can be a great tool for making sense of a complex or confusing text. By breaking down the main events and characters into a concise overview, you can get a clearer picture of what’s happening in the story. This can help you identify key themes, understand character motivations, and follow the narrative arc more easily.

How long should a plot summary be?

The length of a plot summary can vary depending on the complexity of the story and the purpose of the summary. Generally, a plot summary should be concise and to the point, typically ranging from a few sentences to a couple of paragraphs . For longer works like novels or detailed films, a summary might be a page or two. The key is to include only the most important events and characters, without getting bogged down in minor details.

Should a plot summary include analysis?

No, a plot summary should not include analysis. The purpose of a plot summary is to provide a straightforward overview of the main events and characters in a story. Analysis, on the other hand, involves interpreting these elements and exploring their deeper meanings. If you’re writing a summary, focus on describing what happens in the story without delving into analysis. You can save your interpretations for a separate critical essay or discussion.

Are there different types of plot summaries?

Yes, there are different types of plot summaries, depending on their purpose and the level of detail they provide. Some common types include:

• Brief summaries: These are short overviews, often just a few sentences long, that give a quick snapshot of the plot.
• Detailed summaries: These provide a more comprehensive overview of the story, including subplots and secondary characters.
• Chapter summaries: For books, you might have summaries for each chapter, breaking down the plot into smaller segments.
• Thematic summaries: These focus on the main themes of the story rather than the specific events.

The type of summary you choose will depend on your needs and the context in which you’re using it.

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What is a Summary? An In-depth Guide on Definition, Types, and Examples

Understanding what a summary contains is fundamental to academic success. It represents a concise restatement of an argument, paper, or lecture's main points, facilitating better understanding, and the ability to highlight connections between concepts.

The term 'summary' itself, alongside variations such as 'overview' and 'review', plays a critical role in both written and oral academic communication, proving indispensable for those seeking to grasp and convey key ideas efficiently.

This article aims to break down in detail, the definition of a summary, including what a summary looks like and its essential elements, and delving into the various types of summaries. It will also provide a detailed look at the summary structure, summary format, and the components and steps crucial in crafting an effective summary, complemented by practical summary writing examples.

Through understanding the nuances of summary design and identifying common pitfalls, readers will gain insights into optimizing their summary writing skills for academic and professional success.

What is a Summary?

Summary is a distilled rendition of content that encapsulates a broad understanding of a subject matter. This condensation is aimed at being concise, accurate, and readily comprehensible. 

Purpose and Structure of a Summary

• The primary aim of a summary is to conserve the reader's time and effort, offering a pathway to grasp the key themes of more extensive work in a format that is both accessible and manageable. A typical summary structure encompasses an introduction, body, and conclusion, with the introduction specifying the title of the original work, its author, and the main topic. Importantly, a summary should avoid personal opinions or interpretations, and represent the ideas and arguments of the original work. This objective stance ensures that the summary remains a true reflection of the source material, devoid of subjective bias.

The term ‘summary’ can be used both as a noun as well as an adjective. Let’s see how

• As a Noun : A summary is characterized by its ability to offer a short, clear exposition that conveys the principal facts or ideas about a topic. This encapsulation is a comprehensive and brief abstract, spotlighting previously stated facts or statements. The essence of summarizing lies in its capacity to distill a larger body of work into its main points and essential details, presenting them in a succinct format. Synonyms of summary include abstract, breviary, and epitome, among others, each underscoring the brevity and comprehensiveness of the summary.
• As an Adjective : The term 'summary' is also used as an adjective, denoting actions carried out swiftly, often bypassing the conventional process or discussion. This usage highlights the efficiency and directness of summary actions, especially in contexts requiring prompt decision-making or succinct communication. Synonyms for this usage include direct, prompt, etc,

Types of Summaries

Summaries play a crucial role across various domains, serving to condense and clarify content for different purposes. Here, we explore the diverse types of summaries, each tailored to specific needs and contexts:

• Academic Summaries: Utilized in scholarly writing, these summaries distill complex information into digestible parts, aiding in the comprehension of intricate ideas and arguments.
• Meeting Summaries: Essential for both attendees and absentees, they encapsulate discussions, decisions, and subsequent steps, ensuring alignment and shared understanding.
• Medical Summaries: Offer a comprehensive view of a patient's health status, treatments, and prognosis, valuable for healthcare providers, patients, and families alike.
• Business Document Overviews: Summarize key elements of documents like business plans or annual reports, providing a high-level perspective.
• Book Summaries: Found on back covers or online, they give potential readers insight into themes, characters, and plot, aiding in decision-making without revealing too much.
• Product Summaries: Highlight features, benefits, and uses of products, assisting customers in making informed purchasing decisions.
• News Summaries (Abstracts): Allow readers to grasp the main points of news stories quickly, saving time and effort by avoiding full-article reads.
• Abstracts and Synopses: Serve as concise presentations of long texts or articles, helping readers decide on engaging with the full material. Abstracts highlight major points, while synopses chronologically offer brief overviews of content.
• Literary and Film Reviews: These summaries not only recount the narrative but also include evaluations of the significance and impact of the work, often incorporating the reviewer's insights.
• Policy and Research Summaries: Analyze and evaluate content, focusing on the implications and usefulness of the findings for policy development and professional learning.

Components of a Good Summary

Creating an effective summary requires adherence to certain foundational components that ensure clarity, relevance, and coherence. These components are critical in encapsulating the essence of the original text while making it accessible and informative for the reader. Below are the key components and steps involved in crafting a good summary:

• Main Idea or Thesis: The summary must clearly identify the central theme or thesis of the original work. This serves as the anchor around which the summary is structured.
• Essential Supporting Points: It should include all crucial arguments or points that support the main idea, ensuring the reader grasps the full scope of the original work without needing to refer to it.
• Structure and Coherence: Present the author's points in a logical order, starting with the thesis or main idea and following with supporting details. This structure aids in the reader's comprehension.
• Comprehensiveness and Conciseness: While being comprehensive enough to cover the original work's significant points, a summary should also be concise, avoiding unnecessary details or digressions.
• Objective Representation: Maintain an objective tone, refraining from including personal opinions or biases. The goal is to reflect the original text's content and tone accurately.

Summary Design and Structure

Designing and structuring a summary requires a meticulous approach to ensure that the essence of the original text is captured accurately and concisely. The following outlines the key steps and considerations for crafting an effective summary:

• Start with an introductory sentence that includes the text's title , author , and the main point . This sets a clear context for the reader.
• Example : "In 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, the primary focus is on strategies for military success."
• Summaries must be written in your own words , reflecting only the ideas of the original text to maintain authenticity.
• Identify and list the significant sub-claims used by the author to support the main point. This helps in understanding the structure of the original argument or narrative.
• Select three supporting passages from the text, quoting them word-for-word for accuracy. Cite each passage clearly by mentioning the work, author, and paragraph number.
• Example of citation : "(Tzu, 'The Art of War', para. 5)."
• Utilize diagrams or mind maps for complex summaries, such as story summaries or film analyses. This visual representation can significantly aid in understanding themes, character developments, or critical events.
• The Little Prince Story Summary : A mind map illustrating the story's theme, characteristics of the little prince, and his travel experiences.
• Skyfall 007 Story Summary : A production-focused diagram categorizing every element and deliverable for the movie.
• Sleeping Beauty Story Summary : A diagram highlighting key events of the princess's story, with each event labeled and color-coded for clarity.
• Present the author’s points in a straightforward structure , starting with the thesis or main idea, followed by supporting points. This logical progression aids in reader comprehension.
• The summary overview structure should be clear and distinct , employing bullet points or headings to group similar information, enhancing readability.
• Aim for comprehensiveness and conciseness ; distill complex information into its essence while maintaining clarity and brevity.

By adhering to these guidelines, the summary design and structure will not only accurately reflect the original text but also provide a clear, concise, and engaging overview for the reader. Visual aids, when appropriate, can further enhance understanding, making the summary more accessible and informative.

Step-by-Step Process for Crafting a Summary

To craft a concise and informative summary, especially of a research paper, the following step-by-step process is essential. This structured approach ensures clarity, accuracy, and relevance, aligning with the objective of summarizing:

• Read the Entire Paper : Focus on understanding the main points, findings, and the authors' conclusions. Pay special attention to the introduction, results, and discussion sections to grasp the study's significance and potential usefulness.
• Abstract and Conclusion : Use these sections to build a foundational understanding of the research paper's goals and outcomes. Write a simplified version of both, highlighting the key points and findings.
• Methods Section : Review this part only if it's necessary to comprehend the data interpretation, ensuring a complete understanding of the research conducted.
• Sectional Analysis : Divide the text into sections to better understand its structure and main arguments, which are crucial for a comprehensive summary.
• Key Point Extraction : Make a list of the most important points, distinguishing between main ideas and supporting details. Assign a keyword to each identified point to organize and streamline the summary writing process.
• Writing in Your Own Words : Using your own words, present the material from the author's perspective, ensuring an objective representation of the original text. Begin with an introduction that includes the text's title, author, and main point.
• Accuracy and Completeness Check : Compare the summary against the original article to ensure all critical information is accurately and fully represented. This step is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the original work.
• Revision and Editing : Revise the summary for clarity, coherence, and conciseness. This includes checking for grammatical and spelling errors, verifying the summary's length, and potentially having someone else review the work. Additionally, ensure proper citation methods are used to avoid plagiarism.

By following these steps, the summary writing process becomes a methodical exercise in distilling complex information into a digestible format. This approach not only aids in understanding but also in effectively communicating the essence of the original work to the intended audience.

Examples of Summary Usage

To illustrate the concepts discussed, examples of both full and concise article summaries are provided:

• Macbeth : A comprehensive summary of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" would encapsulate the tragic downfall of Macbeth from a noble thane to a tyrannical ruler, driven by prophesies and manipulation. It would detail key events, such as the prophecy of the witches, the murder of King Duncan, and Macbeth's eventual demise, highlighting themes of ambition, guilt, and fate.
• The Lottery Rose : This summary would outline the story of a young boy, abused and neglected, who finds solace and hope through a small rose bush he wins at a supermarket lottery. It would touch upon themes of abuse, redemption, and the power of kindness.
• My Sister's Keeper : A brief summary might focus on the central ethical dilemma of a girl conceived to save her sister's life, exploring themes of medical ethics, family dynamics, and personal autonomy.

In professional contexts, summaries provide clear overviews of meetings, judicial decisions, and project progress:

• Meeting Summary : Offers a clear overview of decisions made, ensuring all participants, including absentees, are informed of the outcomes and action items.
• Judicial Summary : An example includes the judge exercising summary jurisdiction to swiftly resolve a dispute, demonstrating the use of summaries in legal settings for efficiency.
• Project Progress Summary : For instance, a summary detailing the progress in building a bridge would provide stakeholders with a quick, comprehensive update on milestones achieved and challenges faced.

Finally, summaries also play a pivotal role in advocating for systemic changes or summarizing large-scale projects or reports:

• Advocacy for Public Healthcare System : A concise statement summarizing the need for a better public healthcare system can effectively communicate the core argument to a broad audience.
• Chapter/Plot Summary : Essential in academic settings, these summaries help students and researchers quickly grasp the main points and themes of a specific chapter or the overall plot of a book.

Common Challenges in Summary Writing

In the process of summary writing, several common pitfalls can significantly affect the clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness of the final product. Recognizing and avoiding these pitfalls is crucial for crafting a concise and informative summary.

• Including irrelevant information can distract from the main ideas, making the summary less effective.
• Writing a summary that is too long or too short disrupts the balance between comprehensiveness and conciseness, leading to an ineffective summary.
• Being too generic limits the summary's relevance, while being overly specific can reduce its broader applicability.
• Failing to convey the original text's tone and purpose can lead to misinterpretation, affecting the summary's accuracy.
• Being too passive or boastful can undermine the summary's credibility, while being too boring or flashy can impact its engagement level.
• A summary that is overly personal or impersonal may struggle with relatability, affecting its impact on the reader.
• Not capturing the main ideas or focusing excessively on plot details can result in a summary with limited depth and analysis.
• The lack of textual evidence to support arguments weakens the summary's analysis and credibility.
• Overreliance on secondary sources can diminish the summary's originality and analytical depth.
• Ignoring the historical or cultural context of a work can restrict its interpretation and understanding.
• Restating information instead of summarizing leads to redundancy and a lack of clarity.
• Failing to proofread can lead to errors in spelling, grammar, and clarity, diminishing the summary's quality.
• Using overly complex language makes the summary difficult to understand and interpret.

What is a summary and could you provide an example?

A summary is a concise recapitulation of the primary points, typically serving as a conclusion to a piece of work. For instance, a chapter summary would distill the essential arguments and conclusions. Meanwhile, a brief is a comprehensive framework, with main points and subpoints, for a discourse that is often legal in nature, such as a brief prepared for a legal argument.

What are the different types of summaries that exist?

There are several main types of summaries, including:

• Educational Summary
• Professional Summary
• Consumer Oriented Summary
• Thematic Summary
• Critical Summary
• Descriptive Summary
• Synoptic Summary (or Synthesis)

Could you explain how to craft a thorough summary?

To write a detailed summary, you should:

• Immediately report the overall topic.
• Start with the title of the essay and the author's name.
• Use the present tense.
• Outline the primary points addressed in the text.
• If necessary, include relevant supporting details based on the desired length and depth of the summary.
• Note any significant conclusions that have been drawn.

What is the proper format for writing a summary?

When writing a summary, you should adhere to the following guidelines:

• Write the summary in your own words.
• Ensure the summary only reflects the ideas from the original text.
• Avoid including your personal opinions, interpretations, deductions, or comments.
• Identify the author's significant sub-claims in the order they use to support the main point.

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• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write a Plot

I. What is Plot?

In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or sung. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. Plots are typically made up of five main elements:

1. Exposition: At the beginning of the story, characters , setting, and the main conflict are typically introduced.

2. Rising Action: The main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold. The story becomes complicated.

3. Climax: At the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the main character faces a major enemy, fear, challenge, or other source of conflict. The most action, drama, change, and excitement occurs here.

4. Falling Action: The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends.

5. Resolution/ Denoument: Also known as the denouement, the resolution is like a concluding paragraph that resolves any remaining issues and ends the story.

Plots, also known as storylines, include the most significant events of the story and how the characters and their problems change over time.

II. Examples of Plot

Here are a few very short stories with sample plots:

Kaitlin wants to buy a puppy. She goes to the pound and begins looking through the cages for her future pet. At the end of the hallway, she sees a small, sweet brown dog with a white spot on its nose. At that instant, she knows she wants to adopt him. After he receives shots and a medical check, she and the dog, Berkley, go home together.

In this example, the exposition introduces us to Kaitlin and her conflict. She wants a puppy but does not have one. The rising action occurs as she enters the pound and begins looking. The climax is when she sees the dog of her dreams and decides to adopt him. The falling action consists of a quick medical check before the resolution, or ending, when Kaitlin and Berkley happily head home.

Scott wants to be on the football team, but he’s worried he won’t make the team. He spends weeks working out as hard as possible, preparing for try outs. At try outs, he amazes coaches with his skill as a quarterback. They ask him to be their starting quarterback that year and give him a jersey. Scott leaves the field, ecstatic!

The exposition introduces Scott and his conflict: he wants to be on the team but he doubts his ability to make it. The rising action consists of his training and tryout; the climax occurs when the coaches tell him he’s been chosen to be quarterback. The falling action is when Scott takes a jersey and the resolution is him leaving the try-outs as a new, happy quarterback.

Each of these stories has

• an exposition as characters and conflicts are introduced
• a rising action which brings the character to the climax as conflicts are developed and faced, and
• a falling action and resolution as the story concludes.

III. Types of Plot

There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most of them fit some pattern that we can see in more than one story. Here are some classic plots that can be seen in numerous stories all over the world and throughout history.

a. Overcoming the Monster

The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world’s most universal and compelling plot—the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker Joseph Campbell.

  Examples:

Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

b. Rags to Riches:

This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some point, the protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all back by the end of the story, after experiencing great personal growth.

The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.

c. The Quest:

The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures in order to find treasure or solve a huge problem. Usually, the protagonist is forced to begin the quest but makes friends that help face the many tests and obstacles along the way. This is also a version of Campbell’s monomyth.

The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon

d. Voyage and Return:

The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place, facing danger and adventures along the way, returning home with experience and understanding. This is also a version of the monomyth.

Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz

A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over difficulties and adversities.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone

f. Tragedy:

The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending, typically death.

Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth

g. Rebirth:

The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience of the story’s conflict.

The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch

As these seven examples show, many stories follow a common pattern. In fact, according to many thinkers, such as the great novelist Kurt Vonnegut, and Joseph Campbell, there are only a few basic patterns, which are mixed and combined to form all stories.

IV. The Importance of Using Plot

The plot is what makes a story a  story. It gives the story character development, suspense, energy, and emotional release (also known as ‘catharsis’). It allows an author to develop themes and most importantly, conflict that makes a story emotionally engaging; everybody knows how hard it is to stop watching a movie before the conflict is resolved.

V. Examples of Plot in Literature

Plots can be found in all kinds of fiction. Here are a few examples.

The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham

In The Razor’s Edge, Larry Darrell returns from World War I disillusioned. His fiancée, friends, and family urge him to find work, but he does not want to. He embarks on a voyage through Europe and Asia seeking higher truth. Finally, in Asia, he finds a more meaningful way of life.

In this novel, the plot follows the protagonist Larry as he seeks meaningful experiences. The story begins with the exposition of a disillusioned young man who does not want to work. The rising action occurs as he travels seeking an education. The story climaxes when he becomes a man perfectly at peace in meditation.

The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could … Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim … And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. … I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” has a very clear plot: The exposition occurs when a man stands at the fork of two roads, his conflict being which road to take. The climax occurs when he chooses the unique path. The resolution announces that “that has made all the difference,” meaning the man has made a significant and meaningful decision.

VI. Examples of Plot in Pop Culture

Plots can also be found in television shows, movies, thoughtful storytelling advertisements, and song lyrics. Below are a few examples of plot in pop culture.

“Love Story” (excerpts) by Taylor Swift:

I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air. See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. See you make your way through the crowd And say, “Hello, ” Little did I know… That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles, And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet” And I was crying on the staircase Begging you, “Please don’t go”   So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew So close your eyes… escape this town for a little while. . . . He knelts to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…   “Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone. I love you, and that’s all I really know. I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress It’s a love story, baby, just say, ‘Yes.'”

These excerpts reveal the plot of this song: the exposition occurs when we see two characters: a young woman and young man falling in love. The rising action occurs as the father forbids her from seeing the man and they continue see one another in secret. Finally, the climax occurs when the young man asks her to marry him and the two agree to make their love story come true.

Minions have a goal to serve the most despicable master. Their rising action is their search for the best leader, the conflict being that they cannot keep one. Movie trailers encourage viewers to see the movie by showing the conflict but not the climax or resolution.

VII. Related Terms

Many people use outlines which to create complex plots, or arguments in formal essays . In a story, an outline is a list of the scenes in the plot with brief descriptions. Like the skeleton is to the body, an outline is the framework upon which the rest of the story is built when it is written. In essays, outlines are used to help organize ideas into strong arguments and paragraphs that connect to each other in sensible ways.

The climax is considered the most important element of the plot. It contains the highest point of tension, drama, and change. The climax is when the conflict is finally faced and overcome. Without a climax, a plot does not exist.

For example, consider this simple plot:

The good army is about to face the evil army in a terrible battle. During this battle, the good army prevails and wins the war at last. After the war has ended, the two sides make piece and begin rebuilding the countryside which was ruined by the years-long war.

The climax occurred when the good army defeated the bad army. Without this climax, the story would simply be a never-ending war between a good army and bad army, with no happy or sad ending in sight. Here, the climax is absolutely necessary for a meaningful story with a clear ending.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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• How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

Published on November 23, 2020 by Shona McCombes . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Summarizing , or writing a summary, means giving a concise overview of a text’s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text.

There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:

• Read the text
• Break it down into sections
• Identify the key points in each section
• Write the summary
• Check the summary against the article

Writing a summary does not involve critiquing or evaluating the source . You should simply provide an accurate account of the most important information and ideas (without copying any text from the original).

Table of contents

When to write a summary, step 1: read the text, step 2: break the text down into sections, step 3: identify the key points in each section, step 4: write the summary, step 5: check the summary against the article, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about summarizing.

There are many situations in which you might have to summarize an article or other source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to show you’ve understood the material
• To keep notes that will help you remember what you’ve read
• To give an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review

When you’re writing an academic text like an essay , research paper , or dissertation , you’ll integrate sources in a variety of ways. You might use a brief quote to support your point, or paraphrase a few sentences or paragraphs.

But it’s often appropriate to summarize a whole article or chapter if it is especially relevant to your own research, or to provide an overview of a source before you analyze or critique it.

In any case, the goal of summarizing is to give your reader a clear understanding of the original source. Follow the five steps outlined below to write a good summary.

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The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

You should read the article more than once to make sure you’ve thoroughly understood it. It’s often effective to read in three stages:

• Scan the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape.
• Read the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read.
• Skim the article again to confirm you’ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passages.

There are some tricks you can use to identify the key points as you read:

• Start by reading the abstract . This already contains the author’s own summary of their work, and it tells you what to expect from the article.
• Pay attention to headings and subheadings . These should give you a good sense of what each part is about.
• Read the introduction and the conclusion together and compare them: What did the author set out to do, and what was the outcome?

To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller sections.

If the text is a scientific paper that follows a standard empirical structure, it is probably already organized into clearly marked sections, usually including an introduction , methods , results , and discussion .

Other types of articles may not be explicitly divided into sections. But most articles and essays will be structured around a series of sub-points or themes.

Now it’s time go through each section and pick out its most important points. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article?

Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article. Your goal is to extract the essential points, leaving out anything that can be considered background information or supplementary detail.

In a scientific article, there are some easy questions you can ask to identify the key points in each part.

If the article takes a different form, you might have to think more carefully about what points are most important for the reader to understand its argument.

In that case, pay particular attention to the thesis statement —the central claim that the author wants us to accept, which usually appears in the introduction—and the topic sentences that signal the main idea of each paragraph.

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Now that you know the key points that the article aims to communicate, you need to put them in your own words.

To avoid plagiarism and show you’ve understood the article, it’s essential to properly paraphrase the author’s ideas. Do not copy and paste parts of the article, not even just a sentence or two.

The best way to do this is to put the article aside and write out your own understanding of the author’s key points.

Examples of article summaries

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, we summarize this article , which scientifically investigates the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Davis et al. (2015) set out to empirically test the popular saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples are often used to represent a healthy lifestyle, and research has shown their nutritional properties could be beneficial for various aspects of health. The authors’ unique approach is to take the saying literally and ask: do people who eat apples use healthcare services less frequently? If there is indeed such a relationship, they suggest, promoting apple consumption could help reduce healthcare costs.

The study used publicly available cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were categorized as either apple eaters or non-apple eaters based on their self-reported apple consumption in an average 24-hour period. They were also categorized as either avoiding or not avoiding the use of healthcare services in the past year. The data was statistically analyzed to test whether there was an association between apple consumption and several dependent variables: physician visits, hospital stays, use of mental health services, and use of prescription medication.

Although apple eaters were slightly more likely to have avoided physician visits, this relationship was not statistically significant after adjusting for various relevant factors. No association was found between apple consumption and hospital stays or mental health service use. However, apple eaters were found to be slightly more likely to have avoided using prescription medication. Based on these results, the authors conclude that an apple a day does not keep the doctor away, but it may keep the pharmacist away. They suggest that this finding could have implications for reducing healthcare costs, considering the high annual costs of prescription medication and the inexpensiveness of apples.

However, the authors also note several limitations of the study: most importantly, that apple eaters are likely to differ from non-apple eaters in ways that may have confounded the results (for example, apple eaters may be more likely to be health-conscious). To establish any causal relationship between apple consumption and avoidance of medication, they recommend experimental research.

An article summary like the above would be appropriate for a stand-alone summary assignment. However, you’ll often want to give an even more concise summary of an article.

For example, in a literature review or meta analysis you may want to briefly summarize this study as part of a wider discussion of various sources. In this case, we can boil our summary down even further to include only the most relevant information.

Using national survey data, Davis et al. (2015) tested the assertion that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and did not find statistically significant evidence to support this hypothesis. While people who consumed apples were slightly less likely to use prescription medications, the study was unable to demonstrate a causal relationship between these variables.

Citing the source you’re summarizing

When including a summary as part of a larger text, it’s essential to properly cite the source you’re summarizing. The exact format depends on your citation style , but it usually includes an in-text citation and a full reference at the end of your paper.

You can easily create your citations and references in APA or MLA using our free citation generators.

APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator

Finally, read through the article once more to ensure that:

• You’ve accurately represented the author’s work
• You haven’t missed any essential information
• The phrasing is not too similar to any sentences in the original.

If you’re summarizing many articles as part of your own work, it may be a good idea to use a plagiarism checker to double-check that your text is completely original and properly cited. Just be sure to use one that’s safe and reliable.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words. Want to make your life super easy? Try our free text summarizer today!

A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depends on the length of the article you’re summarizing, and on the purpose of the summary.

You might have to write a summary of a source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material
• For your own use, to keep notes on your reading
• To provide an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review
• In a paper , to summarize or introduce a relevant study

To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:

• Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphrasing the author’s ideas.
• Cite the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.

An abstract concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a thesis , dissertation or journal article. It should summarize the whole text, not just introduce it.

An abstract is a type of summary , but summaries are also written elsewhere in academic writing . For example, you might summarize a source in a paper , in a literature review , or as a standalone assignment.

All can be done within seconds with our free text summarizer .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, May 31). How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-summarize/

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, what is the plot of a story the 5 parts of the narrative.

General Education

When we talk about stories, we tend to use the word "plot." But what is plot exactly? How does it differ from a story, and what are the primary features that make up a well-written plot? We answer these questions here and show you real plot examples from literature . But first, let’s take a look at the basic plot definition.

What Is Plot? Definition and Overview

What is the plot of a story? The answer is pretty simple, actually.

Plot is the way an author creates and organizes a chain of events in a narrative. In short, plot is the foundation of a story. Some describe it as the "what" of a text (whereas the characters are the "who" and the theme is the "why").

This is the basic plot definition. But what does plot do ?

The plot must follow a logical, enticing format that draws the reader in. Plot differs from "story" in that it highlights a specific and purposeful cause-and-effect relationship between a sequence of major events in the narrative.

In Aspects of the Novel , famed British novelist E. M. Forster argues that instead of merely revealing random events that occur within a text (as "story" does), plot emphasizes causality between these events:

"We have defined a story as a narrative of events arranged in their time-sequence. A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality. 'The king died and then the queen died,' is a story. 'The king died, and then the queen died of grief' is a plot. The time-sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it."

Authors typically develop their plots in ways that are most likely to pique the reader’s interest and keep them invested in the story. This is why many plots follow the same basic structure. So what is this structure exactly?

What Is Plot Structure?

All plots follow a logical organization with a beginning, middle, and end—but there’s a lot more to the basic plot structure than just this. Generally speaking, every plot has these five elements in this order :

• Exposition/introduction
• Rising action
• Climax/turning point
• Falling action
• Resolution/denouement

#1: Exposition/Introduction

The first part of the plot establishes the main characters/protagonists and setting. We get to know who’s who, as well as when and where the story takes place. At this point, the reader is just getting to know the world of the story and what it’s going to be all about.

Here, we’re shown what normal looks like for the characters .

The primary conflict or tension around which the plot revolves is also usually introduced here in order to set up the course of events for the rest of the narrative. This tension could be the first meeting between two main characters (think Pride and Prejudice ) or the start of a murder mystery, for example.

#2: Rising Action

In this part of the plot, the primary conflict is introduced (if it hasn’t been already) and is built upon to create tension both within the story and the reader , who should ideally be feeling more and more drawn to the text. The conflict may affect one character or multiple characters.

The author should have clearly communicated to the reader the stakes of this central conflict. In other words, what are the possible consequences? The benefits?

This is the part of the plot that sets the rest of the plot in motion. Excitement grows as tensions get higher and higher, ultimately leading to the climax of the story (see below).

For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , the rising action would be when we learn who Voldemort is and lots of bad things start happening, which the characters eventually realize are all connected to Voldemort.

#3: Climax/Turning Point

Arguably the most important part of a story, the climax is the biggest plot point , which puts our characters in a situation wherein a choice must be made that will affect the rest of the story.

This is the critical moment that all the rising action has been building up to, and the point at which the overarching conflict is finally addressed. What will the character(s) do, and what will happen as a result? Tensions are highest here, instilling in the reader a sense of excitement, dread, and urgency.

In classic tales of heroes, the climax would be when the hero finally faces the big monster, and the reader is left to wonder who will win and what this outcome could mean for the other characters and the world as a whole within the story.

#4: Falling Action

This is when the tension has been released and the story begins to wind down. We start to see the results of the climax and the main characters’ actions and get a sense of what this means for them and the world they inhabit. How did their choices affect themselves and those around them?

At this point, the author also ties up loose ends in the main plot and any subplots .

In To Kill a Mockingbird , we see the consequences of the trial and Atticus Finch’s involvement in it: Tom goes to jail and is shot and killed, and Scout and Jem are attacked by accuser Bob Ewell who blames their father for making a fool out of him during the trial.

#5: Resolution/Denouement

This final plot point is when everything has been wrapped up and the new world—and the new sense of normalcy for the characters—has been established . The conflict from the climax has been resolved, and all loose ends have been neatly tied up (unless the author is purposely setting up the story for a sequel!).

There is a sense of finality and closure here , making the reader feel that there is nothing more they can learn or gain from the narrative.

The resolution can be pretty short—sometimes just a paragraph or so—and might even take the form of an epilogue , which generally takes place a while after the main action and plot of the story.

Be careful not to conflate "resolution" with "happy ending"—resolutions can be tragic and entirely unexpected, too!

In Romeo and Juliet , the resolution is the point at which the family feud between the Capulets and Montagues is at last put to an end following the deaths of the titular lovers.

What Is a Plot Diagram?

Many people use a plot diagram to help them visualize the plot definition and structure . Here’s what a basic plot diagram looks like:

The triangular part of the diagram indicates changing tensions in the plot. The diagram begins with a flat, horizontal line for the exposition , showing a lack of tension as well as what is normal for the characters in the story.

This elevation changes, however, with the rising action , or immediately after the conflict has been introduced. The rising action is an increasing line (indicating the building of tension), all the way up until it reaches the climax —the peak or turning point of the story, and when everything changes.

The falling action is a decreasing line, indicating a decline in tension and the wrapping up of the plot and any subplots. After, the line flatlines once more into a resolution —a new sense of normal for the characters in the story.

You can use the plot diagram as a reference when writing a story and to ensure you have all major plot points.

4 Plot Examples From Literature

While most plots follow the same basic structure, the details of stories can vary quite a bit! Here are four plot examples from literature to give you an idea of how you can use the fundamental plot structure while still making your story entirely your own.

#1: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Exposition: The ghost of Hamlet’s father—the former king—appears one night instructing his son to avenge his death by killing Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and the current king.

Rising Action: Hamlet struggles to commit to avenging his father’s death. He pretends to go crazy (and possibly becomes truly mad) to confuse Claudius. Later, he passes up the opportunity to kill his uncle while he prays.

Climax: Hamlet stabs and kills Polonius, believing it to be his uncle. This is an important turning point at which Hamlet has committed himself to both violence and revenge. (Another climax can be said to be when Hamlet duels Laertes.)

Falling Action: Hamlet is sent to England but manages to avoid execution and instead returns to Denmark. Ophelia goes mad and dies. Hamlet duels Laertes, ultimately resulting in the deaths of the entire royal family.

Resolution: As he lay dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to make Fortinbras the king of Denmark and to share his story. Fortinbras arrives and speaks hopefully about the future of Denmark.

#2: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Exposition: Lockwood arrives at Wuthering Heights to meet with Heathcliff, a wealthy landlord, about renting Thrushcross Grange, another manor just a few miles away. While staying overnight, he sees the ghost of a woman named Catherine. After settling in at the Grange, Lockwood asks the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to relay to him the story of Heathcliff and the Heights.

Rising Action: Most of the rising action takes place in the past when Catherine and Heathcliff were young. We learn that the two children were very close. One day, a dog bite forces Catherine to stay for several weeks at the Grange where the Lintons live, leading her to become infatuated with the young Edgar Linton. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Heathcliff runs away for three years, and Catherine and Edgar get married. Heathcliff then inherits the Heights and marries Edgar’s sister, Isabella, in the hopes of inheriting the Grange as well.

Climax: Catherine becomes sick, gives birth to a daughter named Cathy, and dies. Heathcliff begs Catherine to never leave him, to haunt him—even if it drives him mad.

Falling Action: Many years pass in Nelly's story. A chain of events allows Heathcliff to gain control of both the Heights and the Grange. He then forces the young Cathy to live with him at the Heights and act as a servant. Lockwood leaves the Grange to return to London.

Resolution: Six months later, Lockwood goes back to see Nelly and learns that Heathcliff, still heartbroken and now tired of seeking revenge, has died. Cathy and Hareton fall in love and plan to get married; they inherit the Grange and the Heights. Lockwood visits the graves of Catherine and Heathcliff, noting that both are finally at peace.

#3: Carrie by Stephen King

Exposition: Teenager Carrie is an outcast and lives with her controlling, fiercely religious mother. One day, she starts her period in the showers at school after P.E. Not knowing what menstruation is, Carrie becomes frantic; this causes other students to make fun of her and pelt her with sanitary products. Around this time, Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers.

Rising Action: Carrie practices her telekinesis, which grows stronger. The students who previously tormented Carrie in the locker room are punished by their teacher. One girl, Sue, feels remorseful and asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to the prom. But another girl, Chris, wants revenge against Carrie and plans to rig the prom queen election so that Carrie wins. Carrie attends the prom with Tommy and things go well—at first.

Climax: After being named prom queen, Carrie gets onstage in front of the entire school only to be immediately drenched with a bucket of pig’s blood, a plot carried out by Chris and her boyfriend, Billy. Everybody laughs at Carrie, who goes mad and begins using her telekinesis to start fires and kill everyone in sight.

Falling Action: Carrie returns home and is attacked by her mother. She kills her mother and then goes outside again, this time killing Chris and Billy. As Carrie lay dying, Sue comes over to her and Carrie realizes that Sue never intended to hurt her. She dies.

Resolution: The survivors in the town must come to terms with the havoc Carrie wrought. Some feel guilty for not having helped Carrie sooner; Sue goes to a psychiatric hospital. It’s announced that there are no others like Carrie, but we are then shown a letter from a mother discussing her young daughter’s telekinetic abilities.

#4: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Exposition: Bella Swan is a high school junior who moves to live with her father in a remote town in Washington State. She meets a strange boy named Edward, and after an initially awkward meeting, the two start to become friends. One day, Edward successfully uses his bare hands to stop a car from crushing Bella, making her realize that something is very different about this boy.

Rising Action: Bella discovers that Edward is a vampire after doing some research and asking him questions. The two develop strong romantic feelings and quickly fall in love. Bella meets Edward’s family of vampires, who happily accept her. When playing baseball together, however, they end up attracting a gang of non-vegetarian vampires. One of these vampires, James, notices that Bella is a human and decides to kill her. Edward and his family work hard to protect Bella, but James lures her to him by making her believe he has kidnapped her mother.

Climax: Tricked by James, Bella is attacked and fed on. At this moment, Edward and his family arrive and kill James. Bella nearly dies from the vampire venom in her blood, but Edward sucks it out, saving her life.

Falling Action: Bella wakes up in the hospital, heavily injured but alive. She still wants to be in a relationship with Edward, despite the risks involved, and the two agree to stay together.

Resolution: Months later, Edward takes Bella to the prom. The two have a good time. Bella tells Edward that she wants him to turn her into a vampire right then and there, but he refuses and pretends to bite her neck instead.

Conclusion: So What Is the Plot of a Story?

What is plot? Basically, it’s the chain of events in a story. These events must be purposeful and organized in a logical manner that entices the reader, builds tension, and provides a resolution.

All plots have a beginning, middle, and end, and usually contain the following five points in this order:

#1: Exposition/introduction #2: Rising action #3: Climax/turning point #4: Falling action #5: Resolution/denouement

Sketching out a plot diagram can help you visualize your story and get a clearer sense for where the climax is, what tensions you'll need to have in order to build up to this turning point, and how you can offer a tight conclusion to your story.

What’s Next?

What is plot? A key literary element as it turns out. Learn about other important elements of literature in our guide. We've also got a list of top literary devices you should know.

Working on a novel? Then you will definitely want to know what kinds of tone words you can use , how imagery works , what the big difference between a simile and a metaphor is , and how to write an epilogue .

Interested in writing poetry? Then check out our picks for the 20 most critical poetic devices .

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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How to Write a Summary (Examples Included)

Ashley Shaw

Have you ever recommended a book to someone and given them a quick overview? Then you’ve created a summary before!

Summarizing is a common part of everyday communication. It feels easy when you’re recounting what happened on your favorite show, but what do you do when the information gets a little more complex?

Written summaries come with their own set of challenges. You might ask yourself:

• What details are unnecessary?
• How do you put this in your own words without changing the meaning?
• How close can you get to the original without plagiarizing it?
• How long should it be?

The answers to these questions depend on the type of summary you are doing and why you are doing it.

A summary in an academic setting is different to a professional summary—and both of those are very different to summarizing a funny story you want to tell your friends.

One thing they all have in common is that you need to relay information in the clearest way possible to help your reader understand. We’ll look at some different forms of summary, and give you some tips on each.

Let’s get started!

What Is a Summary?

How do you write a summary, how do you write an academic summary, what are the four types of academic summaries, how do i write a professional summary, writing or telling a summary in personal situations, summarizing summaries.

A summary is a shorter version of a larger work. Summaries are used at some level in almost every writing task, from formal documents to personal messages.

When you write a summary, you have an audience that doesn’t know every single thing you know.

When you want them to understand your argument, topic, or stance, you may need to explain some things to catch them up.

Instead of having them read the article or hear every single detail of the story or event, you instead give them a brief overview of what they need to know.

Academic, professional, and personal summaries each require you to consider different things, but there are some key rules they all have in common.

Let’s go over a few general guides to writing a summary first.

1. A summary should always be shorter than the original work, usually considerably.

Even if your summary is the length of a full paper, you are likely summarizing a book or other significantly longer work.

2. A summary should tell the reader the highlights of what they need to know without giving them unnecessary details.

3. It should also include enough details to give a clear and honest picture.

For example, if you summarize an article that says “ The Office is the greatest television show of all time,” but don’t mention that they are specifically referring to sitcoms, then you changed the meaning of the article. That’s a problem! Similarly, if you write a summary of your job history and say you volunteered at a hospital for the last three years, but you don’t add that you only went twice in that time, it becomes a little dishonest.

4. Summaries shouldn’t contain personal opinion.

While in the longer work you are creating you might use opinion, within the summary itself, you should avoid all personal opinion. A summary is different than a review. In this moment, you aren’t saying what you think of the work you are summarizing, you are just giving your audience enough information to know what the work says or did.

Now that we have a good idea of what summaries are in general, let’s talk about some specific types of summary you will likely have to do at some point in your writing life.

An academic summary is one you will create for a class or in other academic writing. The exact elements you will need to include depend on the assignment itself.

However, when you’re asked for an academic summary, this usually this means one of five things, all of which are pretty similar:

• You need to do a presentation in which you talk about an article, book, or report.
• You write a summary paper in which the entire paper is a summary of a specific work.
• You summarize a class discussion, lesson, or reading in the form of personal notes or a discussion board post.
• You do something like an annotated bibliography where you write short summaries of multiple works in preparation of a longer assignment.
• You write quick summaries within the body of another assignment . For example, in an argumentative essay, you will likely need to have short summaries of the sources you use to explain their argument before getting into how the source helps you prove your point.

Regardless of what type of summary you are doing, though, there are a few steps you should always follow:

• Skim the work you are summarizing before you read it. Notice what stands out to you.
• Next, read it in depth . Do the same things stand out?
• Put the full text away and write in a few sentences what the main idea or point was.
• Go back and compare to make sure you didn’t forget anything.
• Expand on this to write and then edit your summary.

Each type of academic summary requires slightly different things. Let’s get down to details.

How Do I Write a Summary Paper?

Sometimes teachers assign something called a summary paper . In this, the entire thing is a summary of one article, book, story, or report.

To understand how to write this paper, let’s talk a little bit about the purpose of such an assignment.

A summary paper is usually given to help a teacher see how well a student understands a reading assignment, but also to help the student digest the reading. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand things we read right away.

However, a good way to process the information is to put it in our own words. That is the point of a summary paper.

A summary paper is:

• A way to explain in our own words what happened in a paper, book, etc.
• A time to think about what was important in the paper, etc.
• A time to think about the meaning and purpose behind the paper, etc.

Here are some things that a summary paper is not:

• A review. Your thoughts and opinions on the thing you are summarizing don’t need to be here unless otherwise specified.
• A comparison. A comparison paper has a lot of summary in it, but it is different than a summary paper. In this, you are just saying what happened, but you aren’t saying places it could have been done differently.
• A paraphrase (though you might have a little paraphrasing in there). In the section on using summary in longer papers, I talk more about the difference between summaries, paraphrases, and quotes.

Because a summary paper is usually longer than other forms of summary, you will be able to chose more detail. However, it still needs to focus on the important events. Summary papers are usually shorter papers.

Let’s say you are writing a 3–4 page summary. You are likely summarizing a full book or an article or short story, which will be much longer than 3–4 pages.

Imagine that you are the author of the work, and your editor comes to you and says they love what you wrote, but they need it to be 3–4 pages instead.

How would you tell that story (argument, idea, etc.) in that length without losing the heart or intent behind it? That is what belongs in a summary paper.

How Do I Write Useful Academic Notes?

Sometimes, you need to write a summary for yourself in the form of notes or for your classmates in the form of a discussion post.

You might not think you need a specific approach for this. After all, only you are going to see it.

However, summarizing for yourself can sometimes be the most difficult type of summary. If you try to write down everything your teacher says, your hand will cramp and you’ll likely miss a lot.

Yet, transcribing doesn’t work because studies show that writing things down (not typing them) actually helps you remember them better.

So how do you find the balance between summarizing the lessons without leaving out important points?

There are some tips for this:

• If your professor writes it on the board, it is probably important.
• What points do your textbooks include when summarizing information? Use these as a guide.
• Write the highlight of every X amount of time, with X being the time you can go without missing anything or getting tired. This could be one point per minute, or three per five minutes, etc.

How Do I Create an Annotated Biography?

An annotated bibliography requires a very specific style of writing. Often, you will write these before a longer research paper . They will ask you to find a certain amount of articles and write a short annotation for each of them.

While an annotation is more than just a summary, it usually starts with a summary of the work. This will be about 2–3 sentences long. Because you don’t have a lot of room, you really have to think about what the most important thing the work says is.

This will basically ask you to explain the point of the article in these couple of sentences, so you should focus on the main point when expressing it.

Here is an example of a summary section within an annotation about this post:

“In this post, the author explains how to write a summary in different types of settings. She walks through academic, professional, and personal summaries. Ultimately, she claims that summaries should be short explanations that get the audience caught up on the topic without leaving out details that would change the meaning.”

Can I Write a Summary Within an Essay?

Perhaps the most common type of summary you will ever do is a short summary within a longer paper.

For example, if you have to write an argumentative essay, you will likely need to use sources to help support your argument.

However, there is a good chance that your readers won’t have read those same sources.

So, you need to give them enough detail to understand your topic without spending too much time explaining and not enough making your argument.

While this depends on exactly how you are using summary in your paper, often, a good amount of summary is the same amount you would put in an annotation.

Just a few sentences will allow the reader to get an idea of the work before moving on to specific parts of it that might help your argument.

What’s the Difference Between Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Using Quotes?

One important thing to recognize when using summaries in academic settings is that summaries are different than paraphrases or quotes.

A summary is broader and more general. A paraphrase, on the other hand, puts specific parts into your own words. A quote uses the exact words of the original. All of them, however, need to be cited.

Let’s look at an example:

Take these words by Thomas J. Watson:

”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t as all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.”

Let’s say I was told to write a summary, a paraphrase, and a quote about this statement. This is what it might look like:

Summary: Thomas J. Watson said that the key to success is actually to fail more often. (This is broad and doesn’t go into details about what he says, but it still gives him credit.)

Paraphrase: Thomas J. Watson, on asking if people would like his formula for success, said that the secret was to fail twice as much. He claimed that when you decide to learn from your mistakes instead of being disappointed by them, and when you start making a lot of them, you will actually find more success. (This includes most of the details, but it is in my own words, while still crediting the source.)

Quote: Thomas J. Watson said, ”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.” (This is the exact words of the original with quotation marks and credit given.)

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the hardest parts about summarizing someone else’s writing is avoiding plagiarism .

That’s why I have a few rules/tips for you when summarizing anything:

1. Always cite.

If you are talking about someone else’s work in any means, cite your source. If you are summarizing the entire work, all you probably need to do (depending on style guidelines) is say the author’s name. However, if you are summarizing a specific chapter or section, you should state that specifically. Finally, you should make sure to include it in your Work Cited or Reference page.

2. Change the wording.

Sometimes when people are summarizing or paraphrasing a work, they get too close to the original, and actually use the exact words. Unless you use quotation marks, this is plagiarism. However, a good way to avoid this is to hide the article while you are summarizing it. If you don’t have it in front of you, you are less likely to accidentally use the exact words. (However, after you are done, double check that you didn’t miss anything important or give wrong details.)

3. Use a plagiarism checker.

Of course, when you are writing any summary, especially academic summaries, it can be easy to cross the line into plagiarism. If this is a place where you struggle, then ProWritingAid can help.

Just use our Plagiarism Report . It’ll highlight any unoriginal text in your document so you can make sure you are citing everything correctly and summarizing in your own words.

Find out more about ProWritingAid plagiarism bundles.

Along with academic summaries, you might sometimes need to write professional summaries. Often, this means writing a summary about yourself that shows why you are qualified for a position or organization.

In this section, let’s talk about two types of professional summaries: a LinkedIn summary and a summary section within a resume.

How Do I Write My LinkedIn Bio?

LinkedIn is all about professional networking. It offers you a chance to share a brief glimpse of your professional qualifications in a paragraph or two.

This can then be sent to professional connections, or even found by them without you having to reach out. This can help you get a job or build your network.

Your summary is one of the first things a future employer might see about you, and how you write yours can make you stand out from the competition.

Here are some tips on writing a LinkedIn summary :

• Before you write it, think about what you want it to do . If you are looking for a job, what kind of job? What have you done in your past that would stand out to someone hiring for that position? That is what you will want to focus on in your summary.
• Be professional . Unlike many social media platforms, LinkedIn has a reputation for being more formal. Your summary should reflect that to some extent.
• Use keywords . Your summary is searchable, so using keywords that a recruiter might be searching for can help them find you.
• Focus on the start . LinkedIn shows the first 300 characters automatically, and then offers the viewer a chance to read more. Make that start so good that everyone wants to keep reading.
• Focus on accomplishments . Think of your life like a series of albums, and this is your speciality “Greatest Hits” album. What “songs” are you putting on it?

How Do I Summarize My Experience on a Resume?

Writing a professional summary for a resume is different than any other type of summary that you may have to do.

Recruiters go through a lot of resumes every day. They don’t have time to spend ages reading yours, which means you have to wow them quickly.

To do that, you might include a section at the top of your resume that acts almost as an elevator pitch: That one thing you might say to a recruiter to get them to want to talk to you if you only had a 30-second elevator ride.

If you don’t have a lot of experience, though, you might want to skip this section entirely and focus on playing up the experience you do have.

Outside of academic and personal summaries, you use summary a lot in your day-to-day life.

Whether it is telling a good piece of trivia you just learned or a funny story that happened to you, or even setting the stage in creative writing, you summarize all the time.

How you use summary can be an important consideration in whether people want to read your work (or listen to you talk).

Here are some things to think about when telling a story:

• Pick interesting details . Too many and your point will be lost. Not enough, and you didn’t paint the scene or give them a complete idea about what happened.
• Play into the emotions . When telling a story, you want more information than the bare minimum. You want your reader to get the emotion of the story. That requires a little bit more work to accomplish.
• Focus. A summary of one story can lead to another can lead to another. Think about storytellers that you know that go off on a tangent. They never seem to finish one story without telling 100 others!

To wrap up (and to demonstrate everything I just talked about), let’s summarize this post into its most essential parts:

A summary is a great way to quickly give your audience the information they need to understand the topic you are discussing without having to know every detail.

How you write a summary is different depending on what type of summary you are doing:

• An academic summary usually gets to the heart of an article, book, or journal, and it should highlight the main points in your own words. How long it should be depends on the type of assignment it is.
• A professional summary highlights you and your professional, academic, and volunteer history. It shows people in your professional network who you are and why they should hire you, work with you, use your talents, etc.

Being able to tell a good story is another form of summary. You want to tell engaging anecdotes and facts without boring your listeners. This is a skill that is developed over time.

Take your writing to the next level:

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How to Summarize a Plot

5 Components of a Plot in Narrative Essays and Creative Nonfiction

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Every story that you read follows a series of events that range from the introduction of a conflict to begin the story and a final resolution at the end; this is the plot of your story. Basically, it’s what happens throughout the narrative, and it appears in in both fiction and non-fiction work. When you write a plot summary, you’ll essentially condense a novel into a short essay, touching on the key points of the material. You’ll want to introduce the main characters, setting of the story, and the main conflict of the narrative, including the five basic components of the plot: introduction, rising action , climax, falling action , and finally, a resolution.

Some outlines will break down a plot into more segments (exposition, inciting incident, central conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) but the premise is the same - a pattern of rising and falling action that looks essentially like an arc or a bell curve when you consider the level of drama the characters experience.

Understanding and Introducing the Conflict

To properly summarize a plot, start by figuring out the main problem that the story will solve. This could come from understanding the main characters, who are crucial components of the plot. Who are they and what are they trying to achieve? Most characters have a mission to accomplish, often it is finding, saving, or creating something or someone. Understand what drives the main characters, and that will help you in the first step to summarize the plot.

The conflict that we discover at the start of the narrative will get kicked off by an inciting incident that triggers the rising action, which grows over time. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” we are introduced to two characters from feuding families who ultimately fall in love. The conflict comes from their love for each other despite their families’ disapproval.

Rising Action and Climax

The rising action will introduce key components of a story that build upon the drama and conflict. This is where we see Romeo & Juliet marry in secret, and Romeo & Tybalt engage in a duel that ultimately leads to Tybalt’s death.

Eventually, the action and conflict hit what is called the climax, the point of no return. This is the peak of excitement, fear, drama, or whatever the emotion is that relayed through the narrative. You’ll want to tie together the rising action and the catalyst for conflict. The climax could lead us on a journey of positive resolution or even a journey of tragedy, but it will often change the characters in some way and is the reason why the problem can now start to be solved. In Shakespeare ’s story, there are essentially two points of climax: Romeo is banished and Juliet refuses to marry Paris.

Falling Action and Resolution

Finally, as you work your way back from the climax to the resolution, you’ll want to focus on how the main characters respond to the peak of action. Some aspect of the climax will trigger a response in the main characters which will drive them towards the final resolution. Sometimes, you’ll even find that the main characters learn a lesson and grow as individuals, but either way, the resulting actions shift the story and begin the falling action. Juliet drinks the potion which causes Romeo to believe she has died and kills himself. Upon awakening and discovering that her love has died, Juliet does the same.

Eventually, the story will return back to the original baseline resulting in a final resolution. In “Romeo & Juliet” the resolution isn’t that they both have died, but rather, the action their families take in response to their deaths, the end of the feud.

Creating the Summary

Remember that the plot is not the same as the theme of the narrative . If you’re not sure what the difference is between the plot of a story and the theme, you’re not alone. While the plot is what happens, the theme is the underlying idea or message within a story. The plot is concrete occurrences within the narrative, but the theme can be more subtle and even at times, implied. The theme can be harder to discern whereas the plot is more obvious. In Romeo & Juliet, we see themes of love and hate that appear throughout the plot.

Don’t forget, the key part of summarizing a plot is that you’re summarizing. You don’t need to include every detail that you encounter. When you read the text, it’s important to pay attention to what happens and where you see action coming into play, and write down key moments. Look for the basic information of who is involved, what are they doing, when are things happening, where is the action happening, and why?

Take notes and even write down things that you’re not sure if they are vital at that moment, but seem interesting or important. When you finish the story, you’ll be able to review your notes and better understand what aspects of the narrative were most important and start to eliminate the notes that don’t enhance the plot. That way, when it comes time to summarize the plot , you can easily pare down your notes and have an outline of what happens and the crucial moments that represent each of the five components of the plot.

• Falling Action in Literature
• How a Narrative Arc Structures a Story
• What Is Resolution in Literature?
• How to Find a Narrative’s Climax
• How Denouement Is Used in a Narrative
• What Are the Parts of a Short Story? (How to Write Them)
• Writing the Parts of a Stage Play Script
• How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story
• Definition and Examples of Narratives in Writing
• How to Identify the Theme in a Literary Work
• Use a Concept Map for Your Literature Midterms and Finals
• 50 General Book Club Questions for Study and Discussion
• How to Write a Great Book Report
• Rising Action in Literature
• How to Identify a Shakespeare Comedy
• What Is Drama? Literary Definition and Examples

• How to Write a Summary

Proficient students understand that  summarizing , identifying what is most important and restating the text (or other media) in your own words, is an important tool for college success.

After all, if you really know a subject, you will be able to summarize it. If you cannot summarize a subject, even if you have memorized all the facts about it, you can be absolutely sure that you have not learned it. And, if you truly learn the subject, you will still be able to summarize it months or years from now.

Proficient students may monitor their understanding of a text by summarizing as they read. They understand that if they can write a one- or two-sentence summary of each paragraph after reading it, then that is a good sign that they have correctly understood it. If they can not summarize the main idea of the paragraph, they know that comprehension has broken down and they need to use fix-up strategies to repair understanding.

Summary Writing Format

• When writing a summary, remember that it should be in the form of a paragraph.
• A summary begins with an introductory sentence that states the text’s title, author and main point of the text as you see it.
• A summary is written in your own words.
• A summary contains only the ideas of the original text. Do not insert any of your own opinions, interpretations, deductions or comments into a summary.
• Identify in order the significant sub-claims the author uses to defend the main point.
• Copy word-for-word three separate passages from the essay that you think support and/or defend the main point of the essay as you see it.
• Cite each passage by first signaling the work and the author, put “quotation marks” around the passage you chose, and put the number of the paragraph where the passages can be found immediately after the passage.
• Using source material from the essay is important. Why? Because defending claims with source material is what you will be asked to do when writing papers for your college professors.
• Write a last sentence that “wraps” up your summary; often a simple rephrasing of the main point.

Example Summary Writing Format

In the essay Santa Ana , author Joan Didion’s main point is ( state main point ). According to Didion “… passage 1 …” (para.3). Didion also writes “… passage 2 …” (para.8). Finally, she states “… passage 3 …” (para. 12) Write a last sentence that “wraps” up your summary; often a simple rephrasing of the main point.

• Provided by : Lumen Learning. Located at : http://lumenlearning.com/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Authored by : Paul Powell. Provided by : Central Community College. Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Authored by : Elisabeth Ellington and Ronda Dorsey Neugebauer. Provided by : Chadron State College. Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (Access Requires Login)

• Overview of Instructor Resources

An Overview of the Writing Process

• Introduction to the Writing Process
• Introduction to Writing
• Your Role as a Learner
• What is an Essay?
• Reading to Write
• Defining the Writing Process
• Videos: Prewriting Techniques
• Thesis Statements
• Organizing an Essay
• Creating Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Editing and Proofreading
• Matters of Grammar, Mechanics, and Style
• Peer Review Checklist
• Comparative Chart of Writing Strategies

Using Sources

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting the Works Cited Page (MLA)
• Citing Paraphrases and Summaries (APA)
• APA Citation Style, 6th edition: General Style Guidelines

Definition Essay

• Definitional Argument Essay
• How to Write a Definition Essay
• Critical Thinking
• Video: Thesis Explained
• Effective Thesis Statements
• Student Sample: Definition Essay

Narrative Essay

• Introduction to Narrative Essay
• Student Sample: Narrative Essay
• "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
• "Sixty-nine Cents" by Gary Shteyngart
• Video: The Danger of a Single Story
• How to Write an Annotation
• Writing for Success: Narration

Illustration/Example Essay

• Introduction to Illustration/Example Essay
• "She's Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D" by Perri Klass
• "April & Paris" by David Sedaris
• Writing for Success: Illustration/Example
• Student Sample: Illustration/Example Essay

Compare/Contrast Essay

• Introduction to Compare/Contrast Essay
• "Disability" by Nancy Mairs
• "Friending, Ancient or Otherwise" by Alex Wright
• "A South African Storm" by Allison Howard
• Writing for Success: Compare/Contrast
• Student Sample: Compare/Contrast Essay

Cause-and-Effect Essay

• Introduction to Cause-and-Effect Essay
• "Cultural Baggage" by Barbara Ehrenreich
• "Women in Science" by K.C. Cole
• Writing for Success: Cause and Effect
• Student Sample: Cause-and-Effect Essay

Argument Essay

• Introduction to Argument Essay
• Rogerian Argument
• "The Case Against Torture," by Alisa Soloman
• "The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin
• How to Write a Summary by Paraphrasing Source Material
• Writing for Success: Argument
• Student Sample: Argument Essay
• Grammar/Mechanics Mini-lessons
• Mini-lesson: Subjects and Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Subject Verb Agreement
• Mini-lesson: Sentence Types
• Mini-lesson: Fragments I
• Mini-lesson: Run-ons and Comma Splices I
• Mini-lesson: Comma Usage
• Mini-lesson: Parallelism
• Mini-lesson: The Apostrophe
• Mini-lesson: Capital Letters
• Grammar Practice - Interactive Quizzes
• De Copia - Demonstration of the Variety of Language
• Style Exercise: Voice

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How to Summarize a Story

Last Updated: April 18, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins . Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 419,273 times.

When you're writing a summary of a story it needs to be short, sweet, and to the point. Fortunately, this isn't hard if you follow certain guidelines.

Sample Summaries

As You're Reading

• Concentrate fully on the book. Don't get distracted by anything, not even music.

• For example: for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone you would write down Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, because they are the main characters. You might even note down Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Quirrell, and Voldemort because they figure importantly in the story.
• You wouldn't need to write down Peeves the poltergeist, or Norbert the dragon, because while they are important in their places in the story, they don't influence the main storyline enough to be part of the summary.
• A shorter story like "Little Red Riding Hood" is easy because you only have to note down Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the wolf, and the woodcutter (depending on the version).

• Continuing the Harry Potter example: the main action takes place at Hogwarts, so you could write down something like 'the magical school Hogwarts in the United Kingdoms.'
• Now for a story like Lord of the Rings, which takes place over a large amount of territory, you can mention that it's Middle-Earth, and note some places of important like the Shire, Mordor, and Gondor. You don't have to go too specific (like mentioning the forest Fangorn, or the tower Minas Morgul).

• For Harry Potter, the main conflict is Voldemort's attempt to steal the Sorcerer's Stone and return to menace the Wizard World (and kill Harry).
• For example, if you're summarizing The Odyssey, the main conflict is Odysseus trying to get home to Ithaca. Everything about the story is driven by his desire to get home and all the obstacles standing in his way.

• For Harry Potter, some main events would be Harry finding out he's a wizard, or Harry meeting the three-headed dog and, of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione defeating Voldemort.
• It might seem easier for a shorter story like 'Little Red Riding Hood,' but you should only note down the most important moments like Riding Hood meeting the wolf, getting eaten after she mistakes the wolf for her grandmother, and the appearance of the woodcutter.

• For Harry Potter the conclusion is defeating Voldemort. The story after that isn't important to the summary, even if it is important to the overall story. You won't need to go into the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry at the end, or even the Gryffindor House winning points, because it isn't really part of the main Voldemort storyline.
• For Red Riding Hood, the conclusion is the appearance of the woodcutter to save her and her grandmother.
• For something like Lord of the Rings, the conclusion is complicated for a summary, because you may want to stop off at the destruction of the Ring, but (especially if the central idea of the story is the importance of the the deeds of one insignificant person) you will want to mention the Scouring of the Shire, and Frodo's departure from the Grey Havens.

Writing Your Summary

• To continue with the Harry Potter example, you'll need to look at how Harry went from learning he was a wizard to defeating Voldemort.
• For something like The Odyssey you'll need to look at how Odysseus gets from his losing all his men and washing up on Calypso's island to defeating the suitors and convincing Penelope of his identity.
• A short story like Red Riding Hood, you'll need to look at why Riding Hood was going into the woods, how she was fooled into being eaten and how she was saved.

• Make sure that you only focus on the main plot of the story. Don't get side tracked into Harry's Quidditch playing, or his feud with Malfoy.
• Likewise, don't quote from the story itself. You don't need to replicate conversations from the story in the summary. You might need to briefly mention the key point from a conversation (like 'When Harry and his friends discover from Hagrid that the Sorcerer's Stone might no longer be safe, they go to stop the thief themselves.')

• 'J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" tells the story of eleven-year-old orphan Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard and goes to study magic at the British school for wizards, Hogwarts. While there he discovers that his parents were killed by the evil wizard, Voldemort, who was destroyed by Harry when he was a baby. With his friends, Ron Weasley, who comes from a large family of wizards, and Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in their year, Harry figures out that the Sorcerer's Stone, which gives eternal life, is hidden on the off-limits third floor. When Harry and his friends discover from Hagrid that the Sorcerer's Stone is no longer be safe, they go to stop the thief themselves, who they think is Professor Snape, who hates Harry. When Harry finds the Stone, he discovers that the thief is Professor Quirrell, who is possessed by Voldemort. Because of a spell cast by Harry's mother, he is able to defeat Quirrell and Voldemort is forced back into hiding.'
• 'Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey" tells the story of the Greek hero, Odysseus, and ten-year voyage to get home to the island of Ithaca where his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus waited. It begins with Odysseus imprisoned by the nymph Calypso until the Greek Gods force her to free him. The god Poseidon, who harbors a grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son the Cyclops Polyphemus previously in his travels, attempts to wreck his ship, but is stopped by the goddess Athena. Odysseus makes it to Scheria, home of the Phaeacians, where he is given safe passage and asked about his journeys to this point. Odysseus tells them of the variety of adventures he suffered through with his crew, the trip to the Land of the Lotus Eaters, his blinding of Polyphemus, his love affair with the witch-goddess Circe, the deadly Sirens, the journey into Hades, and his fight with the sea monster Scylla among them. The Phaeacians take him safely to Ithaca, where he enters the hall disguised as a beggar. In Ithaca, supposing Odysseus to be dead, suitors have taken over his hall, tried to kill his son and tried to convince Penelope to choose one of them. Penelope, believing Odysseus to be alive, has refused. She arranges a contest with Odysseus's bow, that only he can string. Once he's strung it, he shoots all the suitors and is reunited with his family.'
• These summaries cover the main plots of the stories that they're summarizing. They use sentences like "When Harry finds the Stone..." instead of explaining exactly what it took to find the stone, which is not the point of a summary. They are brief and they focus only on the most important main characters, like Odysseus, Penelope, the gods, etc.

Community Q&A

• Make sure you keep your summary short. It shouldn't be longer than the original story! [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

• If you're writing an essay, you shouldn't only summarize the text. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 1
• Don't include your opinions when writing a summary unless you are explicitly prompted to by your teacher. Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/correctly-summarize-short-story-5031.html
• ↑ Richard Perkins. Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator. Expert Interview. 1 September 2021.
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/taking-notes-while-reading/
• ↑ https://fs.blog/2013/11/taking-notes-while-reading/
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/parts-story-introduction-body-conclusion-6472733.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/major-conflict-story-8483658.html
• ↑ https://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/04/the-efficient-writer-using-timelines-to-organize-story-details/
• ↑ https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151/chapter/how-to-write-a-summary/index.html
• ↑ https://www.eecis.udel.edu/~carberry/Papers/Mani-revision-99.pdf
• ↑ https://study.com/learn/lesson/what-is-a-summary.html
• https://public.wsu.edu/~mejia/Summary.htm
• https://www.lbcc.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/summarizingparagraph.pdf

About This Article

To summarize a story as you read, take notes about the characters, plot, and setting. When you’ve finished the story, organize your notes chronologically so you can see how the story develops from beginning to end. Then, write a paragraph describing the characters, followed by one dealing with the basic plot points. Next, note the time period, the setting, and the main takeaways from the story. When you’ve touched on all these elements, go back and revise your summary so there are no errors. For sample summaries and ways to use them when you’re writing your own, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Summary: Using it Wisely

What this handout is about.

Knowing how to summarize something you have read, seen, or heard is a valuable skill, one you have probably used in many writing assignments. It is important, though, to recognize when you must go beyond describing, explaining, and restating texts and offer a more complex analysis. This handout will help you distinguish between summary and analysis and avoid inappropriate summary in your academic writing.

Is summary a bad thing?

Not necessarily. But it’s important that your keep your assignment and your audience in mind as you write. If your assignment requires an argument with a thesis statement and supporting evidence—as many academic writing assignments do—then you should limit the amount of summary in your paper. You might use summary to provide background, set the stage, or illustrate supporting evidence, but keep it very brief: a few sentences should do the trick. Most of your paper should focus on your argument. (Our handout on argument will help you construct a good one.)

Writing a summary of what you know about your topic before you start drafting your actual paper can sometimes be helpful. If you are unfamiliar with the material you’re analyzing, you may need to summarize what you’ve read in order to understand your reading and get your thoughts in order. Once you figure out what you know about a subject, it’s easier to decide what you want to argue.

You may also want to try some other pre-writing activities that can help you develop your own analysis. Outlining, freewriting, and mapping make it easier to get your thoughts on the page. (Check out our handout on brainstorming for some suggested techniques.)

Why is it so tempting to stick with summary and skip analysis?

Many writers rely too heavily on summary because it is what they can most easily write. If you’re stalled by a difficult writing prompt, summarizing the plot of The Great Gatsby may be more appealing than staring at the computer for three hours and wondering what to say about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of color symbolism. After all, the plot is usually the easiest part of a work to understand. Something similar can happen even when what you are writing about has no plot: if you don’t really understand an author’s argument, it might seem easiest to just repeat what he or she said.

To write a more analytical paper, you may need to review the text or film you are writing about, with a focus on the elements that are relevant to your thesis. If possible, carefully consider your writing assignment before reading, viewing, or listening to the material about which you’ll be writing so that your encounter with the material will be more purposeful. (We offer a handout on reading towards writing .)

How do I know if I’m summarizing?

As you read through your essay, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I stating something that would be obvious to a reader or viewer?
• Does my essay move through the plot, history, or author’s argument in chronological order, or in the exact same order the author used?
• Am I simply describing what happens, where it happens, or whom it happens to?

A “yes” to any of these questions may be a sign that you are summarizing. If you answer yes to the questions below, though, it is a sign that your paper may have more analysis (which is usually a good thing):

• Am I making an original argument about the text?
• Have I arranged my evidence around my own points, rather than just following the author’s or plot’s order?
• Am I explaining why or how an aspect of the text is significant?

Certain phrases are warning signs of summary. Keep an eye out for these:

• “[This essay] is about…”
• “[This book] is the story of…”
• “[This author] writes about…”
• “[This movie] is set in…”

Here’s an example of an introductory paragraph containing unnecessary summary. Sentences that summarize are in italics:

The Great Gatsby is the story of a mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who lives alone on an island in New York. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the book, but the narrator is Nick Carraway. Nick is Gatsby’s neighbor, and he chronicles the story of Gatsby and his circle of friends, beginning with his introduction to the strange man and ending with Gatsby’s tragic death. In the story, Nick describes his environment through various colors, including green, white, and grey. Whereas white and grey symbolize false purity and decay respectively, the color green offers a symbol of hope.

Here’s how you might change the paragraph to make it a more effective introduction:

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald provides readers with detailed descriptions of the area surrounding East Egg, New York. In fact, Nick Carraway’s narration describes the setting with as much detail as the characters in the book. Nick’s description of the colors in his environment presents the book’s themes, symbolizing significant aspects of the post-World War I era. Whereas white and grey symbolize the false purity and decay of the 1920s, the color green offers a symbol of hope.

This version of the paragraph mentions the book’s title, author, setting, and narrator so that the reader is reminded of the text. And that sounds a lot like summary—but the paragraph quickly moves on to the writer’s own main topic: the setting and its relationship to the main themes of the book. The paragraph then closes with the writer’s specific thesis about the symbolism of white, grey, and green.

How do I write more analytically?

Analysis requires breaking something—like a story, poem, play, theory, or argument—into parts so you can understand how those parts work together to make the whole. Ideally, you should begin to analyze a work as you read or view it instead of waiting until after you’re done—it may help you to jot down some notes as you read. Your notes can be about major themes or ideas you notice, as well as anything that intrigues, puzzles, excites, or irritates you. Remember, analytic writing goes beyond the obvious to discuss questions of how and why—so ask yourself those questions as you read.

The St. Martin’s Handbook (the bulleted material below is quoted from p. 38 of the fifth edition) encourages readers to take the following steps in order to analyze a text:

• Identify evidence that supports or illustrates the main point or theme as well as anything that seems to contradict it.
• Consider the relationship between the words and the visuals in the work. Are they well integrated, or are they sometimes at odds with one another? What functions do the visuals serve? To capture attention? To provide more detailed information or illustration? To appeal to readers’ emotions?
• Decide whether the sources used are trustworthy.
• Identify the work’s underlying assumptions about the subject, as well as any biases it reveals.

Once you have written a draft, some questions you might want to ask yourself about your writing are “What’s my point?” or “What am I arguing in this paper?” If you can’t answer these questions, then you haven’t gone beyond summarizing. You may also want to think about how much of your writing comes from your own ideas or arguments. If you’re only reporting someone else’s ideas, you probably aren’t offering an analysis.

What strategies can help me avoid excessive summary?

• Read the assignment (the prompt) as soon as you get it. Make sure to reread it before you start writing. Go back to your assignment often while you write. (Check out our handout on reading assignments ).
• Formulate an argument (including a good thesis) and be sure that your final draft is structured around it, including aspects of the plot, story, history, background, etc. only as evidence for your argument. (You can refer to our handout on constructing thesis statements ).
• Read critically—imagine having a dialogue with the work you are discussing. What parts do you agree with? What parts do you disagree with? What questions do you have about the work? Does it remind you of other works you’ve seen?
• Make sure you have clear topic sentences that make arguments in support of your thesis statement. (Read our handout on paragraph development if you want to work on writing strong paragraphs).
• Use two different highlighters to mark your paper. With one color, highlight areas of summary or description. With the other, highlight areas of analysis. For many college papers, it’s a good idea to have lots of analysis and minimal summary/description.
• Ask yourself: What part of the essay would be obvious to a reader/viewer of the work being discussed? What parts (words, sentences, paragraphs) of the essay could be deleted without loss? In most cases, your paper should focus on points that are essential and that will be interesting to people who have already read or seen the work you are writing about.

But I’m writing a review! Don’t I have to summarize?

That depends. If you’re writing a critique of a piece of literature, a film, or a dramatic performance, you don’t necessarily need to give away much of the plot. The point is to let readers decide whether they want to enjoy it for themselves. If you do summarize, keep your summary brief and to the point.

Instead of telling your readers that the play, book, or film was “boring,” “interesting,” or “really good,” tell them specifically what parts of the work you’re talking about. It’s also important that you go beyond adjectives and explain how the work achieved its effect (how was it interesting?) and why you think the author/director wanted the audience to react a certain way. (We have a special handout on writing reviews that offers more tips.)

If you’re writing a review of an academic book or article, it may be important for you to summarize the main ideas and give an overview of the organization so your readers can decide whether it is relevant to their specific research interests.

If you are unsure how much (if any) summary a particular assignment requires, ask your instructor for guidance.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Barnet, Sylvan. 2015. A Short Guide to Writing about Art , 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Corrigan, Timothy. 2014. A Short Guide to Writing About Film , 9th ed. New York: Pearson.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Zinsser, William. 2001. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , 6th ed. New York: Quill.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Write a Plot Essay

The plot of a play, novel or other work of literature is the basic structure of the story. It encompasses the chain of events and character actions that lead to the conclusion or plot resolution. When writing an essay on the plot of a story, there are several different angles you can take, so long as the overall focus is on the structure.

Write a basic plot outline of the story for your essay. Include every action the characters take that affects the plot and every point of conflict. Conflict can be between characters, within characters (self-conflict), or with nature or the world in general.

Decide what you want your essay to focus on within this plot. A plot essay can be a study of one character's actions and how he caused the outcome of the story, or a study of how the characters overcame all of the obstacles that stood in their way. You could study the plot from the angle of the protagonist, who has a goal and strives throughout the story to achieve it, or from the angle of the antagonist, who's goal is to stop the protagonist and how he does so.

Write an outline for your plot essay. Include an introduction and conclusion, as well as three to five points of study. For each point, include not only a description of what happened in the plot, but tailor it to the focus you chose in Step 2. Was this a character vs. character or character vs. self conflict? How did it affect the outcome, or the antagonist? Study each point from all angles to tie your points together cohesively.

Write an introduction to your essay. Open with an attention-grabbing sentence, such as a powerful quote from the story, then follow with an explanation of the focus of your essay. Inform the reader in exactly which way you are criticizing or analyzing the plot.

Write a paragraph for each point in your outline, expanding on the ideas you wrote in Step 3. Allow yourself to make new connections and ramble a little bit, as you will go back later to revise and edit your essay.

Write the conclusion for your plot essay, summarizing the connections you made and explaining the conclusions you came to based on your study.

Read your essay all the way through, making notes in places you think need improvement. Ask yourself if the essay stayed clearly focused on the angle you chose throughout, and if each sentence is in some way related to the plot of the story you are studying. Revise and edit as necessary.

Things You'll Need

• OWL: Purdue Online Writing Lab - Essay Writing

Kara Page has been a freelance writer and editor since 2007. She maintains several blogs on travel, music, food and more. She is also a contributing writer for Suite101 and has articles published on eHow and Answerbag. Page holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas.

The plot of a story defines the sequence of events that propels the reader from beginning to end. Storytellers have experimented with the plot of a story since the dawn of literature. No matter what genre you write, understanding the possibilities of plot structure, as well as the different types of plot, will help bring your stories to life.

So, what is plot? Is there a difference between plot vs. story? What plot devices can you use to surprise the reader? And how does plot relate to the story itself?

In this article, we go over the elements of plot, different plot structures to use in your work, and the many possibilities of narrative structuring.

But first, what is the plot of a story? Let’s investigate in detail.

Elements of Plot

• Common Plot Structures

What is Plot Without Conflict?

Common plot devices.

• 8 Types of Plot
• Plot-Driven Vs. Character-Driven Stories
• Plot Vs. Story

Plot Definition: What is the Plot of a Story?

The plot of a story is the sequence of events that shape a broader narrative, with every event causing or affecting each other. In other words, story plot is a series of causes-and-effects which shape the story as a whole.

What is plot?: A series of causes-and-effects which shape the story as a whole.

Plot is not merely a story summary: it must include causation. The novelist E. M. Forster sums it up perfectly:

“The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then the queen died of grief, is a plot.” —E. M. Forster

In other words, the premise doesn’t become a plot until the words “of grief” adds causality. Without including “of grief” in the sentence, the queen could have died for any number of reasons, like assassination or suicide. Grief not only provides plot structure to the story, it also introduces what the story’s theme might be.

The plot of a story must include the following elements:

• Causation: one event causes another, and that cause-and-effect unleashes a whole chain of plot points which formulate the story.
• Characters: stories are about people, so a plot must introduce the main players of the plot.
• Conflict: a plot must involve people with competing interests or internal conflicts, because without conflict, there is no story or themes.

Combining these elements of plot creates the structure of the story itself. Let’s take a look at those plot structures now, because there are many different ways to organize the story’s events.

Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion—that’s Plot. —Leigh Brackett

Some Common Plot Structures

There are many ways to develop the plot of a story, and writers have been experimenting with plot structures for millennia. Consider the following structures as you attempt to write your own stories, as they may help you find a solution to the problems you encounter in your story writing.

Plot Structures: Aristotle’s Story Triangle

The oldest recorded discussion of plot structures comes from Aristotle’s Poetics (circa 335 B.C.). In Poetics , Aristotle represents the plot of a story as a narrative triangle, suggesting that stories provide linear narratives that resolve certain conflicts in three parts: a beginning, middle, and end.

To Aristotle, the beginning should exist independent of any prior events: it should be a self-sustaining unit of the story without prompting the reader to ask “why?” or “how?” The middle should be a logical continuation of the events from the beginning, expanding upon the story’s conflicts and tragedies. Finally, the end should provide a neat resolution, without suggesting further events.

Obviously, many stories complicate this basic plot triangle, and it lacks some of the finer details of plot structure. One way that Aristotle has been developed further is through Freytag’s Pyramid.

Plot Structures: Freytag’s Pyramid

Freytag’s Pyramid builds upon Aristotle’s Poetics by expanding the structural elements of plot. This pyramid consists of five discrete parts:

• Exposition: The beginning of the story, introducing main characters, settings , themes, and the author’s own style .
• Rising Action: This begins after the inciting incident , which is the event that kicks off the story’s main conflict. Rising Action follows the cause-and-effect plot points once the main conflict is established.
• Climax: The moment in which the story’s conflict peaks, and we learn the fate of the main characters.
• Falling Action: The main characters react to and contend with the Climax, processing what it means for their lives and futures.
• Denouement: The end of the story, wrapping up any loose ends that haven’t been wrapped up in the Falling Action. Some Denouements are open ended.

For more on Freytag’s Pyramid, check out our article. https://writers.com/freytags-pyramid

Plot Structures: Nigel Watts’ 8 Point Arc

A further expansion of Freytag’s Pyramid, the 8 Point Arc is Nigel Watts’ contribution to the study of narratology. Watts contends that a story must pass through 8 discrete plot points:

• Stasis: The everyday life of the protagonist , which becomes disrupted by the story’s inciting incident, or “trigger.”
• Trigger: Something beyond the protagonist’s control sets the story’s conflict in motion.
• The quest: Akin to the rising action, the quest is the protagonist’s journey to contend with the story’s conflict.
• Surprise: Unexpected but plausible moments during the quest that complicate the protagonist’s journey. A surprise might be an obstacle, complication, confusion, or internal flaw that the protagonist didn’t predict.
• Critical choice : Eventually, the protagonist must make a complicated, life-altering decision. This decision will reveal the protagonist’s true character, and it will also radically alter the events of the story.
• Climax: The result of the protagonist’s critical choice, the climax determines the consequences of that choice. It is the apex of tension in the story.
• Reversal: This is the protagonist’s reaction to the climax. Reversal should alter the protagonist’s status, whether that status is their place in society, their outlook on life, or their own death.
• Resolution: The return to a new stasis, in which a new life goes forth from the ashes of the story’s conflict and climax.

If the plot of a story passes through each of these moments in order, the author has built a complete narrative.

Watts expands upon this plot structure in his book Write a Novel and Get It Published .

Plot Structures: Save the Cat

The Save the Cat plot structure was developed by screenwriter Blake Snyder. Although it primarily deals with screenplays, it maps out story structure in such a detailed way that its many elements can be incorporated into all types of stories.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, we’ll point you to the great breakdown of Save the Cat, including a worksheet you can use to draft your own story. Find it here, at Reedsy .

Plot Structures: The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey is a plot structure originally crafted by Joseph Campbell. Campbell argued that the plot of a story has three main acts, with each act corresponding to the necessary journey a hero must undergo in order to be the hero.

Those three parts are: Stage 1) The Departure Act (the hero leaves their everyday life); Stage 2) The Initiation Act (the hero undergoes various conflicts in an unknown land); and Stage 3) The Return Act (the hero returns, radically altered, to their original home).

In his screenwriting textbook The Writer’s Journey , Christopher Vogler expands these three stages into a 12 step process. To Vogler, the hero’s journey must pass through these parts:

The Departure Act

• The Ordinary World: We meet our hero in their mundane, everyday reality.
• Call to Adventure: The hero is confronted with a challenge which, if they accept it, forces them to leave their ordinary world.
• Refusing the Call: Recognizing the dangers of adventure, the hero will, if not reject the call, at least demure or hesitate while considering the many probable ways it will go wrong.
• Meeting the Mentor: The hero decides to go on the adventure, but they are much too inexperienced to survive. A mentor accompanies the hero to help them be smart and strong enough for the journey.

The Initiation Act

• Crossing the Threshold: By leaving for their adventure, the hero crosses a liminal threshold. They cannot go back, and if they return home, they won’t return the same.
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero enters a strange new world, with unfamiliar rules and dangers. They also encounter allies and enemies that broaden and complicate the story’s conflicts.
• Approach (to the Inmost Cave) : The “inmost cave” is the locus of the journey’s worst dangers—think of the dragon’s lair in Beowulf or the White Witch’s castle in The Chronicles of Narnia . The hero is approaching this cave, though must locate it and build strength.
• Ordeal: This is the hero’s biggest test (thus far). Sometimes the climax (but not always), the ordeal forces the hero to face their biggest fears, and it often occurs when the hero receives unexpected news. This is a low point for the hero.
• Reward: The hero receives whatever reward they gain from their ordeal, whether that reward is a material possession, greater knowledge, someone’s freedom, or the resolution of the hero’s internal conflict.

The Return Act

• The Road Back: The hero ventures back home, though their newfound reward raises additional dangers, many of which stem from the Inmost Cave.
• Resurrection: The main antagonist returns for one final fight against the hero. This is a test of whether the hero has truly learned their lesson and undergone significant character development ; it is also the other climax of the story. The hero comes closest to death here (if they don’t actually die).
• The Return: The elixir is whatever reward the hero accrued, whether that be knowledge or material wealth. Regardless, the hero returns home a changed person, and their return home highlights the many ways in which the hero has changed—both for better and worse.

Plot Structures: Fichtean Curve

The Fichtean Curve was originally crafted for pulp and mystery stories, though it can certainly apply to stories in other genres. Described extensively by John Gardner in The Art of Fiction , the Fichtean Curve argues that a story plot has three parts: a rising action, a climax, and a falling action.

In the Fichtean Curve, the rising action comprises about ⅔ of the entire story. Moreover, the rising action isn’t linear. Rather, a series of escalating and de-escalating conflicts slowly pushes the story towards its climax.

If you’ve ever read one of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, then you’re already familiar with the Fichtean Curve. In Murder on the Orient Express , for example, Hercule Poirot continues to stoke the flames of the story’s many suspects: he uncovers every passenger’s flaws, insecurities, and secrets, each time generating a little more conflict, and each time narrowing down the murderer until the story’s explosive climax.

In a moment, we’ll look at some common plot devices that authors use to keep their stories fresh and engaging. But first, let’s discuss a central element of all plots: conflict. Is it always essential to good storytelling? What is plot without conflict?

First, let’s define conflict. Conflict is not necessarily two characters bickering, although that’s certainly an example. Conflict refers to the opposing forces acting against a character’s goals and interests. Sometimes, that conflict is external: an enemy, bureaucracy, society, etc. Other times, the conflict is internal: traumas, illogical ways of thinking, character flaws, etc.

Typically, conflict is the engine of the story. It’s what incites the inciting incident. It’s what keeps the rising action rising. The climax is the final product of the conflict, and the denouement decides the outcome of that conflict. The plot of a story relies on conflict to keep the pages turning.

So, a word of advice: if you’re developing a story plot, but don’t know where to go, always return to conflict. Each scene should stoke a conflict forward, even if the conflict isn’t readily apparent just yet. Anything that doesn’t explore, expand, or resolve the elements of a story’s conflict is likely wasting the reader’s time.

If you’re developing a story plot, but don’t know where to go, always return to conflict.

Before we move on, it’s worth noting that the centrality of conflict in plot in literature is a very Western notion. Some forms of storytelling don’t rely on conflict. The Eastern story structure Kishōtenketsu, for example, involves characters reacting to random external situations, rather than generating and resolving their own conflicts. A conflict might be featured in this kind of storytelling, but the story engine is the characters themselves, their own complexities and dilemmas, and how they survive in a world they can’t control.

To learn more about conflict in story plot, check out our article:

What is Conflict in a Story? Definition and Examples

The plot of a story is influenced by many factors. While plot structures give the framework for the story itself, the author must employ plot devices to keep the story moving, otherwise the rising action will never become a climax.

These plot devices ensure that your reader will keep reading, and that your story will deepen and complicate the themes it seeks to engage.

Aristotle’s Plot Devices

In Poetics , Aristotle describes three plot devices which are essential to most stories. These are:

1. Anagnorisis (Recognition)

Luke, I am your father! Anagnorisis is the moment in which the protagonist goes from ignorance to knowledge. Often preceding the story’s climax, anagnorisis is the key piece of information that propels the protagonist into resolving the story’s conflict.

2. Pathos (Suffering)

Aristotle defines pathos as “a destructive or painful action.” This can be physical pain, such as death or severe wounds, but it can also be an emotional or existential pain. Regardless, Aristotle contends that all stories confront extreme pain, and that this pain is essential for the propulsion of the plot. (This is different from the rhetorical device “pathos,” in which a rhetorician seeks to appeal to the audience’s emotions.)

3. Peripeteia (Reversal)

A peripeteia is a moment in which bad fortunes change to good, or good fortunes change to bad. In other words, this is a reversal of the situation. Often accompanied by anagnorisis, peripeteia is often the outcome of the story’s climax, since the climax decides whether the protagonist’s story ends in comedy or tragedy.

Plot Devices for Story Structure

The plot of a story will gain structure from the use of these devices.

Backstory refers to important moments that have occurred prior to the main story. They happen before the story’s exposition, and while they sometimes change the direction of the story, they more often provide historical parallels and key bits of characterization. Sometimes, a story will refer to its own backstory via flashback .

Deus Ex Machina

A deus ex machina occurs when the protagonist’s fate is changed due to circumstances outside of their control. The Gods may intervene, the antagonist may suddenly perish, or the story’s conflict resolves itself. Generally, deus ex machina is viewed as a “cop out” that prevents the protagonist from experiencing the full growth necessary to complete their journey. However, this risky device may pay off, especially in works of comedy or absurdism.

In Media Res

From the Latin “in the middle of things,” a story is “in media res” when it starts in the middle. On Page 1, word 1, the story starts somewhere in the middle of the rising action, hooking the reader in despite the lack of context. Eventually, the story will properly introduce the characters and take us to the beginning of the conflict, but “in media res” is one way to generate immediate interest in the story.

Plot Voucher

A plot voucher is something that is given to the protagonist for later use, except the protagonist doesn’t know yet that they will use it. That “something” might be an item, a piece of information, or even a future allegiance with another person. Many times, a plot voucher is bequeathed before the story’s conflict properly takes shape. For example, in the Harry Potter series, the Resurrection Stone is hidden in Harry’s first golden snitch, making the snitch a plot voucher.

Plot Devices for Complicating the Story

What is the plot of a story, if not complicated? These plot devices bring your readers in for a wild ride.

Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger occurs when the story ends before the climax is resolved. Specifically, the story ends mid-climax so that the reader experiences the height of the story’s tension, but doesn’t see the outcome of the climax and the fate of the protagonist or conflict. Cliffhangers will generally occur when the story is part of a series, though it can also have literary merit. In One Thousand and One Nights , Scheherazade ends her stories on cliffhangers so that the king keeps postponing her execution.

A MacGuffin is a plot device in which the protagonist’s main desire lacks intrinsic value. In other words, the protagonist desires the MacGuffin, which causes the story’s conflict, but the MacGuffin itself is actually valueless. Many times, the protagonist doesn’t even obtain the MacGuffin, because they have learned what lessons they were supposed to learn from the chase. An example is the falcon statuette in The Maltese Falcon . This statuette is never obtained, but it drives the novel’s many murders and double crossings.

Red Herring

A red herring is a distraction device in which the author misleads the reader (or other characters) with seemingly-relevant details. (The MacGuffin is a form of red herring.) Red herrings are primarily found in mystery and suspense stories, as they string the reader down different possibilities while distracting from the truth. Although this plot device can complicate the story and even build symbolism , it can also fracture the reader’s trust in the author, so writers should use it sparingly and wisely. (This is slightly different from the logical fallacy “red herring,” in which irrelevant information is used to distract the reader from a faulty argument.)

For more plot devices and storytelling techniques, take a look at our article The Art of Storytelling.

https://writers.com/the-art-of-storytelling

8 Types of Plot in Literature

Certain types of plot recur throughout literature, especially in genre fiction. These stories build upon the previously mentioned plot devices, and they have their own tropes and archetypes which the author must fill to tell a complete story.

Some, but not all, of the following plots were originally defined by Christopher Booker in his work The Seven Basic Plots . (We’ve omitted some of the plots he mentions if they are rarely seen in contemporary literature.)

The plot of a story might take the following shapes:

1. Plot of a Story: Quest

Often resembling the Hero’s Journey, a quest is a story in which the protagonist sets out from their homeland in search of something. They might be searching for treasure, for love, for the truth, for a new home, or for the solution to a problem. Often accompanied by other allies, and often embarking on this journey with hesitation, the protagonist comes back from their quest stronger, smarter, and irreversibly changed—if they make it back alive.

Examples of the quest include: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , and The Harry Potter Series .

2. Plot of a Story: Tragedy

A tragedy is a story of a well-meaning protagonist who, due to their flaws or shortcomings, fails to resolve the story’s conflict. (The hero’s tragic flaw is known as hamartia .) Tragedies often highlight the terrible circumstances that the protagonist finds themselves in, or the impossible moral quandaries that they must resolve (but don’t). Readers come to love the tragic hero both despite and because of their flaws, and their inability to resolve the conflict often comes as a great moral or personal loss, even resulting in the protagonist’s death.

Examples of the tragedy include: Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

3. Plot of a Story: Rags to Riches

A rags to riches story involves a protagonist who goes from dire poverty to excessive wealth. In addition to navigating issues of class and identity, these stories often showcase the protagonist’s inner world as they adjust to drastically new life circumstances. The plot of a rags to riches story will follow the protagonist’s relationship to wealth, and the things that protagonist chases precisely because of that wealth.

Examples of the rags to riches include: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas, and Q & A by Vikas Swarup.

4. Plot of a Story: Story Within a Story

The story within a story, also known as an embedded narrative, one of the less-structured types of plot. Essentially, the author embeds a second story, complete with its own narrative and conflict, to bolster the progression of the main story. Embedded narratives often reflect the themes of the main narratives, but they can also complicate and challenge those themes, providing additional layers of meaning to the story. This is not to be confused with parallel plot, because the story within a story is an invention solely for the sake of advancing the main narrative, whereas a parallel plot has multiple, equally important narratives.

Examples of the story within a story include: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hamlet by Shakespeare, Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld, and Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.

5. Plot of a Story: Parallel Plot

A parallel plot is a story in which two or more concurrent plots are told side-by-side. Each plot influences the course of the other plot, even if those stories happen on opposite ends of the world. Every narrative that occurs in a parallel plot is equally vital to the story as a whole.

Examples of parallel plot include: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

6. Plot of a Story: Rebellion Against “The One”

A story of rebellion follows a hero who actively resists the oppressive force of an omnipotent antagonist. Despite working tirelessly to defeat that antagonist, the protagonist is ill-equipped to do so as a singular and powerless entity. So, the story often ends with the protagonist submitting to the antagonist, or else perishing altogether.

Examples of rebellion against “The One” include: 1984 by George Orwell, The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

7. Plot of a Story: Anticlimax

The anticlimax is a story that details the falling action after a climax has already occurred . In other words, the anticlimax does not have a climax itself: the climax is merely provided as backstory, and the novel is dedicated to the events of the story’s denouement. This not to be confused with the plot device anticlimax, which describes a story’s resolution that is actually incredibly simple.

Examples of the anticlimax include: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, Encircling by Carl Frode Tiller, and Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood.

8. Plot of a Story: Voyage and Return

Stories of voyage and return involve protagonists who journey into strange worlds. Often, a story of “Quest” is also a story of voyage and return, but not always. For the protagonist to return home from their voyage, they must achieve some sort of daring act that resolves the story’s conflict, such as finding treasure or vanquishing an antagonist. Both the voyage and the return teaches the protagonist life lessons and pushes them to make difficult decisions.

Examples of voyage and return include: The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Candide by Voltaire, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Plot-Driven vs. Character-Driven Stories

A common distinction between different types of fiction is whether the story is “plot driven” or “character driven.” This refers to whether the plot of a story defines the characters, or whether the characters define the plot of a story.

Specifically, this distinction is made to differentiate literary fiction vs. genre fiction . Generally, a piece of literary fiction will have the characters in control of the plot, as the story’s plot points are built entirely off of the decisions that those characters make and the influences of those characters’ personalities.

Genre fiction, by contract, tends to have predefined plot structures and archetypes, and the characters must fit into those structures in order to tell a complete story.

While this general distinction helps organize the qualities of fiction, don’t treat them as absolutes. Literary fiction borrows plot devices from genre fiction all the time, and there are many examples of genre fiction that are character driven. Your story should build a working relationship between the characters and the plot, as both are essential elements of the storyteller’s toolkit.

Your story should build a working relationship between the characters and the plot, as both are essential elements of the storyteller’s toolkit.

Plot vs. Story

Finally, what is the difference between plot vs. story? The two terms are often used interchangeably, and indeed, something that affects the plot will usually affect the story. But, the two do not share the same precise definitions.

Plot definition: The story’s series of events. Think of plot as the story’s skeleton: it defines the What, When, and Where of the story, which allows for everything else (like characters and themes) to develop. What happens (and what is the cause-and-effect), when does it happen, and where is it happening?

Story definition: The entirety of the work, including its conflicts, themes, and messages. In addition to plot, the story answers questions of Who, Why , and How . Who is involved (and who are they psychologically), why does this conflict happen, and how do the characters resolve the conflict?

To learn more about writing a cogent story from a compelling plot, read our article on the topic.

https://writers.com/stories-vs-situations-how-to-know-your-story-will-work-in-any-genre

Plot vs. Story Venn Diagram

The differences between plot vs. story are summarized in the following Venn Diagram.

Explore the Plot of a Story at Writers.com

There are two types of storytellers: plotters and pantsers. A pantser “writes by the seat of their pants,” making snap decisions about the story’s events on the spot. Plotters map out everything in advance, setting up the plot of a story before setting down the first word.

Whether you’re a plotter, a pantser, or anything in between, the courses at Writers.com can help! Plot your novel or simply write it in any of our upcoming writing classes .

Sean Glatch

Excellent summary of a very overwhelming and confusing subject!

Thank you for the excellent help on plot. Although I’ve written for many years, I learned some good stuff which I will use! Happy Holidays, Dave Beaty

[…] What is the Plot of a Story? […]

I am so delighted to see that my late husband, Nigel Watts PhD’s work is still in the world and being referenced 22 years after his death. Some of his novels are still available on Amazon, including the republished Twenty Twenty, published in 1995, predicting a global pandemic and warnings of climate catastrophe. But ‘Writing a Novel and Getting it Published’ is the longest in print book of his work. I’m so proud and pleased that he continues to help writers. Writing was his passion, vocation and career.

This is really helpful. Thanks, Sean!

This was really well done! Thank you. Cor

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Six Easy Steps to Writing Plot Summaries

Table of Contents

Have you been tasked to write a plot summary but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re left wondering, How do I write a plot summary ? Well, this article is here to help you out. We’ve laid out some simple steps to help you write a comprehensive and exciting summary.

A plot summary should briefly summarize the story’s main elements, including the main characters, setting, and conflict. It should also include an overview of the plot, focusing on main events and leaving out non-essential details.

It doesn’t need to be all that complicated. Follow the few easy-to-remember steps in this article to outline your plot in a way that keeps your reader engaged.

Main Elements of a Plot Summary

The plot summary starts with a summary explaining the story’s premise. This is where the protagonist and other main characters are briefly introduced. The setting and the central conflict are also briefly introduced at this point.

Make a list of the major characters that will be a part of your story. Consider their backstories, physical descriptions, motivations, relationships with other characters, and the role they will play in the story. You don’t need to make this for every minor character unless they have a substantial role in the plot.

Note where and when your story is going to take place. You can even create a list of critical locations complete with their descriptions.

Scene-by-Scene Breakdown

Your plot summary is determined mainly by what will happen in your story. This will provide you with a valuable overview of your narrative. And it will allow you to plan the drafting process and spot any inconsistencies.

How Do I Write a Plot Summary

Now it’s time to answer that question that’s been bugging you: How do I write a plot summary?

The summary of your plot needs to cover all the main points in the storyline . Here are six simple steps that you can follow when making a summary of your plot.

1. Thoroughly Review the Material.

Whether it’s your story or another author’s, review it thoroughly. You must understand the plot, the characters, their motivations, and the overall message that the author attempts to convey. This will make it easier to summarize the story.

2. Make a List of the Critical Points.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when summarizing a long story. The best solution to this is to make a list of all the critical points. Once you’ve created your list, review it to ensure you haven’t missed anything.

Concentrate on the main points. You can use short phrases or bullet points to fill in details of the content that you know is essential to understanding the plot.

3. Summarize the Exposition

The exposition refers to the first few parts of the story. You can consider it as an introduction, setting the stage for what’s about to happen.

In this part, the protagonist meets their problem, their central struggle. There’s a lot of information in the prologue and the first chapter, and it’s essential to showcase the protagonist’s struggle in your summary. The elements of the exposition should support the protagonist.

4. Define the Inciting Incident

After a summary of the exposition, shift focus to the inciting incident that changes the story’s direction. An incident like this kicks off the story and brings about the central conflict within the novel. This leads to rising tension that continues to build the story.

Eventually, it will come to a point where the main character may have to take drastic action — or miss an opportunity. A comprehensive plot summary describes the inciting incident briefly and outlines the events that lead to the highest point of action.

5. Discuss the Climax

The climax of the story is a significant turning point in the plot. It could be a major setback or challenge that the protagonist needs to overcome. This event changes how a story plays out, for better or worse. In your summary, try to discuss the climax and cite how it affects the overall plot.

6. Tie It up With a Conclusion

The conclusion is where the protagonist’s journey comes to an end. Your conclusion won’t always be the happy-ever-after ending that many readers expect and hope for. Instead, it is more of a finale, which causes the fate of a plot to be determined.

The protagonist usually comes to a new understanding or realization that they did not have at the start of the novel. Make sure to highlight the lessons they learned in your summary.

It is essential to discuss the events in the story and demonstrate how the characters are interrelated and driven by the events.

Consider the main points of the narrative arc when summarizing events in a story. Follow these six easy steps, and you’ll be well on your way to an excellent plot summary .

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Exploring Chris Mccandless: a Brief Summary of His Journey

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Guest Essay

A Promise to Grads With ‘No Promise’

By Megan K. Stack

Contributing Opinion Writer

It’s high school graduation season. Time to cheer the teenage achievers (especially the overachievers) and send them off to campus adventures and incipient adulthood. This year, though, I want to talk about the other graduates. The ones without honor society stoles or academic medals or college plans. The ones who still don’t know what they could or should do, who taste a tinny dread when the band strikes up “Pomp and Circumstance.”

I’m talking about students who flailed academically, never discovered any particular talent, drifted unnoticed in the halls. The kids who got into trouble and now think of trouble as their natural habitat. The poor kids, the dwellers in volatile homes, the abusers of substances. The college rejects and even the high school dropouts.

If I could give all those kids a graduation gift, it would be this plain but important truth: Everything can still be fine. Not easy, necessarily, but fine. This is almost certainly true, no matter what seemingly hopeless mess they have made of their affairs or bleak vision they’ve developed of their abilities and future. Virtually all American 18-year-olds have more options and more time than they’ve been led to believe. Teenagers’ biographies (whether promising or ominous) should not be interpreted as dispositive proof of years to come.

This is clear to me now, having lived long enough to watch old friends rebound from seemingly ruined lives to happy, stable and prosperous adulthoods, and on the other end, noticing that some of my most promising classmates fizzled out on contact with the world beyond our little town. There are plenty of kids, of course, who turn out more or less the way you’d expect. But the whole process strikes me as infinitely less predictable than suggested by the mechanical churn and sort of the K-12 assembly line.

I’m not in denial. It’s a tough world. Turning things around — changing one’s trajectory — is difficult and daunting. Factors beyond our control, like economic class, race and lack of family support, can pile on extra disadvantages. Even the happiest endings are usually preceded by times when it all looks too hard and hopeless. And people do, tragically, fall through the cracks.

Still, young people should be told — and should believe — that their destiny is not shaped in high school. Their personalities are still coming together in the tissues of the brain; time is on their side, and (say what you want about Americans) we like underdogs, cheer come-from-behind wins and are generous with second chances.

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The winners and losers in the 2024 New South Wales budget

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has vowed not to impose austerity on the state despite the NSW budget remaining in deficit for the next four years.

With an $11.9 billion write-down of GST revenue blowing a hole in the budget there are no large-scale cost-of-living sweeteners for households.

These are some of the biggest announcements that could affect you.

Winner: Social housing

The government is making a $6.6 billion investment in what is being billed as the largest state-based investment in social housing in NSW history.

Of this, $5.1 billion will go to building 6,200 new homes and replacing 2,200 homes in disrepair.

Half of these new homes will go to women escaping domestic violence.

There will be $1 billion spent repairing 33,500 existing social homes.

The government has already announced that essential workers are being looked after this year with a $650.1 million injection of funding to house key workers like nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers and fire fighters.

This scheme will provide 400 homes for essential workers in Sydney and 500 for health workers in regional areas.

Neutral: Cost of living

NSW residents hoping for a cash injection to help with cost of living will be disappointed with this budget.

Last year, the government announced new $250 energy rebates, toll and daycare relief.

There are no new rebate measures in this year's budget.

This year, the scheme that saw eligible seniors, university students and apprentices in regional areas receive $250 prepaid travel cards will wind down.

Instead, Mr Mookhey will rely on a helping hand for GPs in the form of payroll tax rebates, with the expectation that bulk-billing GP appointments will be easier to find.

Winner: Housing supply

The government has promised to deliver 21,000 new homes by releasing surplus government land.

The homes will be built by a mixture of government agencies and the private sector. 

The government agencies will get first choice of the sites to deliver social, affordable and essential worker housing.

Other sites will be developed in partnership with the private sector but the government has not said how the sites will be allocated.

Forty-four sites have been identified.

Most are located in Sydney but the exact locations have not been revealed.

The government is also spending $520 million to speed up the planning system.

Councils will be incentivised to meet and beat their housing targets with a $200 million sweetener to help councils deliver roads, parks and community facilities.

Loser: Property investors

Land tax thresholds will be increased for the 2024 land tax year and then maintained at that level.

The halt in indexing will mean people who own investment properties and holiday homes will need to pay land tax once their property values exceed $1.075 million.

These measures are expected to deliver an additional $1.5 billion in budget revenue over the next four years.

Foreign investors will now have to pay a 9 per cent duty surcharge, up from 8 per cent, and a 5 per cent land tax surcharge, up from 4 per cent on residential properties.

These two measures will raise $188 million in additional revenue.

The new land tax threshold, together with a strong property market has delivered $4.1 billion more in revenue for transfer duty and $5.6 billion in land tax.

Winner: GPs and patients

The government is helping to increase bulk-billing for patients by continuing with a GP payroll tax rebate at clinics that meet a bulk-billing threshold.

Past unpaid payroll tax liabilities for GPs will also continue to be waived until September.

This will cost the budget $189 million and aims to reduce financial pressures on GP practices so they don't pass on additional costs to patients.

RACGP NSW and ACT chair Rebekah Hoffman welcomed the government exempting GPs from retrospective payroll tax.

"This gives GPs across NSW certainty that they can continue to operate and keep their doors open for patients, without fear of being hit with a huge tax bill that will shut them down."

Winner: Public transport

More than $22 billion has been allocated to building and improving public transport.

The centrepiece item announced earlier is $2 billion to Labor's election commitment to construct Stage 2 of the Parramatta light rail.

The 12-kilometre project will link the Parramatta CBD with Sydney Olympic Park, via Camellia, Rydalmere, Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point, with 14 new stops and three new river crossings.

The government will also invest $447 million to keep 55 Tangara trains on the tracks for 12 years longer than originally planned. The move is necessary to keep services running until a new fleet of trains is constructed.

Around $17 million has been set aside for the Future Fleet Program to revive the state's domestic train manufacturing industry.

Winner: Western Sydney Airport

The new Western Sydney International Airport will get $1 billion for roads linking to the site at Badgerys Creek.

They include a four-lane upgrade to Elizabeth Drive, the next stage of construction on Mamre Road, and four lanes along part of Mulgoa Road.

More than $10 million will also be invested in Appin Road to build a stronger connection from Wollongong and the South Coast to Campbelltown and the Western Sydney airport precinct.

"Our investment in roads in this region, in lock-step with the Federal Government, will provide industry the assurance to co-invest and get development moving. We are transforming and building the roads and the jobs will follow," Mr Mookhey said.

Loser: GST revenue

As previously flagged, NSW will be $11.9 billion worse off owing to reduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) income.

Rather than 92 cents from every dollar of GST paid in the state, NSW will now only get 87 cents in the dollar.

Mr Mookhey said the Commonwealth Grant Commission's decision had cost NSW more lost revenue than the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For every dollar that Victoria will give to the smaller states next year, NSW will give upwards of four," he said in his budget speech.

He said the government would absorb the $11.9 billion hit to the bottom line, but it would lead to deficits over the four years of forward estimates.

Without the cut, treasury estimated NSW would have returned to surplus next year.

Neutral: Women

As in previous years, the budget includes a gender equality statement.

The government highlights several measures that proportionately benefit women, including $5.1 billion in social housing and $528 million for crisis accommodation and homelessness support services.

There is $245 million for domestic, family and sexual violence services, including $48 million for specialist workers and $45 million to improve bail laws and justice system responses.

The government has allocated $131 million for family support in the form of maternal and child health programs.

But there are no women-specific health packages or initiatives that directly address gender inequality, as there was in last year's budget.

These included programs to improve women's participation in the workforce, facilities to encourage women to play sport and more funding for breast cancer nurses and sexual assault nurse examiners.

The budget papers highlight that there is still an 11 per cent gender pay gap favour of men in NSW and a 6.2 per cent NSW public sector gender pay gap.

Winner: School students

The government has announced $8.9 billion in funding for building new schools and upgrading existing ones.

The government will spend $3.6 billion on schools in Western Sydney, though all apart from a new public school and high school at Box Hill have previously been announced.

More than 60 new schools are being delivered in Western Sydney.

Existing schools will benefit from $1.08 billion for maintenance, $200 million more than last year, including $600 million for school maintenance, $150 million for disability access and safety and $200 million for small upgrades and refurbishments.

Regional students will also benefit, with $1.4 billion allocated to building new and upgraded schools in regional areas.

To ensure regional schools have teachers, the Priority Recruitment Support Program will be expanded.

It allows regional schools with long-standing vacancies to offer a $20,000 recruitment bonus and a $8,000 relocation package.

Winner: Hospital patients

Hospital patients will benefit from $3.4 billion of spending on upgrading NSW's hospitals and health facilities.

Nearly $1 billion will go to rural and regional capital works projects, including in Eurobodalla, Temora, Moree, Cessnock and Shellharbour hospitals, with $265 million to Port Macquarie Hospital.

Nearly $48 million will go to the Ryde Hospital upgrade.

Around $480 million will be spent on easing pressure on emergency departments, by expanding access to virtual health delivered by Healthdirect, urgent care clinics and emergency department short-stay units.

NSW hospitals will also benefit from $274 million being spent on recruiting 250 healthcare workers for new and upgraded hospitals, including Prince of Wales, Tweed, Bowral, Sutherland, Wentworth, Cowra, Cooma, Glenn Innes and Griffith hospitals.

Health Minister Ryan Park said new hospitals needed staff to adequately run them.

"We need a fully staffed healthcare system that is responsive and well-resourced, because when we back in our health workers, we improve patient outcomes, and that's exactly what we're doing."

Winner: Flooded communities

The government is spending $3.3 billion to help communities affected by floods to recover by repairing local and state roads.

More than $630 million goes to delivering new and safe housing in the Northern Rivers and Central West, including $525 million to support voluntary buy-backs, raisings, repairs and retrofits.

There is also $207.3 million available for emergency responses, including more firefighters and $2.4 million for the state-wide Disaster Response Legal Service.

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