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nebulein · 9 days

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Types of AO3 Summary

Option 1 - The Excerpt:

The quickest, the easiest! Find a section of your fic that contains the main premise of said fic and also showcases your writing. Copy paste that into the summary box. BOOM! Done.

Best used for any fic, unless it's so short the excerpt would be the whole fic.

Option 2 - The No Frills:

Just a description of the fic. No need for drama. No need to complicate matters. Keep it simple, keep it safe.

Example: "A short character exploration of Blorbo's thoughts after Daisy leaves."

Best used for short fics, poems and fics where the style/format is more important than the plot. Or fics that tie directly into a scene/episode from canon or another fanfic.

Option 3 - The Hook:

Draw the reader's interest by giving them a set up with no conclusion. Introduce the main character(s), introduce the status quo, describe an inciting incident, leave a question in the reader's mind.

Example: "Blorbo is a barista at a coffee shop, struggling to pay their bills, but after handsome rockstar Obrolb walks into their coffee shop they find that they have to decide whether a chance at love is worth the cost of fame."

Best used for mid to long fic where there's a strong premise and follow through. Especially good for AUs. Can be expanded for more complex plots or used multiple times in one summary for multiple characters or subplots.

Option 4 - The Sitcom One-Liner:

"The one in which [over simplified description of one of the main plotlines]" This is essentially 'boil your plot down to the very simplest statement you can, oversimplify if possible. The more bizarre or unhelpful the better.

Example: "The one in which Blorbo learns to like cake".

Best used for fics with at least a little humour in them.

Option 5 - The Rule of Three:

Three is a magic number. Find three key moments in your fic and just list them. That's it. Often ends with 'not necessarily in that order' if used for comic effect. If it's an AU, establish that quickly (i.e. 'Star NHL player Blorbo…').

Example: "Blorbo makes a friend, falls in love, and almost burns to death, not necessarily in that order."

Best used for anything, really. Three is a magic number. The human brain loves things that come in threes.

Option 6 - The Trope Lure:

Why bother describing the plot? We all know AO3 readers are here for the tropes. Similar to The Sitcom One-Liner just using tropes instead of plot. Often followed by the phrase 'that nobody asked for'.

Example: "The Space western/ABO/Mail Order Bride fic that nobody asked for."

Often tacked on to the end of The Hook or The Excerpt as a tl;dr.

Best used for fic that plays its tropes straight with no shame or second guessing.

Option 7 - The Pre-emptive Strike:

(Not recommended) You just wrote this fic, the self doubt is consuming you. You feel the need to apologise profusely for your existence for no apparently reason. You feel cringe, you think the fic is cringe, you want everyone to know that you think the fic is cringe in case they don't like it and judge you for it.

Example: "So I fell in love with this pairing and had to write this. It's weird and terrible. Lol! I suck at summaries! Sorry!"

Best used for no fics ever. I cannot stress this enough.

(Seriously, I am begging you, don't do this. If you're planning to use this option, rethink it and do one of the others. I guarantee you more people will want to read your fic.)

Sometimes added on to any other summary as a strange disclaimer. (srsly. don't.)

Option 8 - The Unapology:

Embrace the mayhem, embrace the deep dark depths of your soul. The opposite of The Pre-emptive Strike. A combination of The No Frills and The Trope Lure that truly gives no fucks.

You have committed crimes and you are proud of them. You know what your USP is and you're going to make sure your target market finds you. Look upon my works, ye readers, and despair!

Example: "There aren't enough tentacle fics in this pairing, so I had to write one myself!"

Best used for fics with controversial/polarising tropes with all relevant details already clearly stated in the tags.

Option 9 - The Interrogation:

What if you wrote a summary entirely in questions? What if your readers had to read the fic to discover the answers? Who knows what will happen if you do this?

Example: "What happens when Blorbo McBlorbo gets his wish and Daisy doesn't make it to the plane on time? What happens when Obrolb finds out? How will this change Daisy and Blorbo's friendship?"

Best used for... I honestly don't know. This style of summary does not vibe with me. Mystery fic maybe? Sorry guys.

Option 10 - The Multipack:

Got a bunch of shorter fics in one work? No way of summarising them all without a wall of text larger than the Great Wall of China? This one is similar to The No Frills in that you're not describing the plots themselves and similar to The Trope Lure in that often broader genres and tropes are mentioned. What links those fics? Are they all in the same fandom? The same pairing? The same challenge? Just slap that right in the summary. A chapter list with 1-2 word trope/pairing summaries can be included or not.

Example: "A collection of Blorbo/Daisy/Obrolb fics based on Tumblr prompts. Chapter 1: Regency AU Chapter 2: Werewolves vs vampires Chapter 3: Ghost!Daisy Chapter 4: Space pirates!"

Best used for (obviously) works that are compilations of fic.

Option ? - The Void:

I said The Excerpt was the quickest and easiest summary to do. I lied, well... I didn't exactly lie. What is quicker and easier than not having a summary at all? After all, that's what the tags are for.

Example:

Best used for... nothing? Write a summary, guys. Please?

#life advice #writing

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nebulein · 2 months

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That au is gonna end with 1988 having sex in the car isnt it? 😳

anon is asking about the tags on this post and, well...

"it's already color-matched to the jersey swatch you brought in, and the hood ornament has been replaced with an 88, per your request. we're waiting on your license plate to come in, but other than that, i don't really know how much more customizing we can do, sir."

jonny was struggling to keep the irritation and judgment out of his voice, but it wasn't easy. this guy had been driving him crazy for the last 6 weeks with his requests for the souped up sports car he was buying. for someone who lived in downtown chicago, the car was impractical- useless in the snow, and the constant stop and start of city traffic was going to burn the motor out, but who was jonny to tell the blackhawks' star player he was wasting 250 grand on his vanity project. his manager would fire him for sure, and it wasn't worth the trouble. once they had the custom license plate kane was waiting for, jonny would finally be done with him.

"it just doesn't feel... complete," kane said, almost whining, and jonny forced himself not to roll his eyes.

"what else are you thinking of, mr. kane?" jon asked, hearing the monotone in his own voice and not caring. 90% of the car was already paid for, and with the customizations, there was no way kane could back out now, so he put his customer service voice away to let kane know jonny thought he was being ridiculous.

"it needs another 88 inside, i think," kane said. "and don't call me mister kane, jesus- i think you're older than i am."

"there's no age limit on respect, sir," jon answered, and it took kane a few beats to realize he was joking.

"oh you can smile!" kane exclaimed, and jonny didn't resist the eyeroll this time.

"i've been able to this whole time, actually," and kane laughed out loud. it was a clear, bright sound, and jonny found himself pleased to have caused it.

"well now that i know you can, i want to see some more of it," kane said, voice dropping lower as he leaned in close to jonny. jonny swallowed hard. kane had flirted with him on a few of his other visits to the shop, but jonny had always ignored him, figuring it was just the way the guy was. this time, though.. there was something intent in kane's eyes as they roved down jonny's body, and he felt himself flushing.

"let me see about the interior upholstery," jonny said, voice breaking in the middle of the sentence, and he turned and broke for the office, feeling kane staring at his ass as he went.

a week later, the car was finally done. there were now 88s sewn into the headrest on the driver's side and the seatback of the passenger side. there was no way that would be comfortable to lean against, but kane hadn't seemed to care, running his fingers over the embossed numbers, eyes lidded and looking satisfied.

"i guess this is the last time i'll be seeing you, jonny," kane said, leaning up against the side of the car, twirling the key obnoxiously on his finger. jon was a little surprised kane knew his name, and it must have shown on his face, because kane laughed.

"dude, come on. you've spent like 7 weeks making me the perfect car, of course i know your name!"

jonny didn't know what to say to that, so he just shrugged. "i'm glad you like it," he said, in favor of actually responding to kane's comment.

"i love it," kane said. "and now i think i need to break it in. you wanna come for a ride?"

jon just stared at him, mouth slightly open. was patrick kane actually inviting him for a ride in his ridiculous sports car?

kane waited patiently for jonny to get his shit together, just staring at him, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

jonny wasn't one to back down from a dare, not even an unspoken one, so he swallowed hard and tried to project an aura of nonchalance, like this was something he did all the time.

"sure thing," he said, and kane broke into a smile.

"sweet! come on, get in."

jonny couldn't do anything but head to the passenger side, folding himself up to get into the car. it wasn't that spacious on the inside, but at least he could sit up all the way. kane, of course, had more room, and looked perfectly comfortable.

"where are we headed, mr kane?" jonny asked, and kane turned to stare at him.

"dude, we're joyriding in my new ride. call me pat." for someone who hadn't even gone to college, kane's vocabulary was certainly fratty, but it was something of a comfort, reminding jonny of stupid parties with tj and the team, before he fucked up his knee and lost his scholarship.

shaking his head to clear it, jonny just agreed. "whatever you say, pat," he said, and pat smiled big and bright at him.

barely a minute into the drive, pat took one hand off the wheel, dropping it onto jonny's knee. jonny startled, but pat wasn't even looking at him, still staring straight ahead. jonny forced himself to remain still and keep up the conversation they were having about where jon was from.

pat upped the ante a few blocks later, running his hand up the seam in jonny's dress pants. jonny's breath caught in his throat, cutting off the explanation he was giving about how he ended up working at the car dealership. pat still wasn't looking at him, but there was a smile playing at his lips, like he was enjoying this. jonny could feel his breath coming faster as he tried to find his place in the story, but pat's fingers kept creeping up closer to his cock, which was hardening quickly in his pants.

"you ok there?" pat asked, all solicitousness, as his fingers finally played over the hard length of jonny's cock, finding the head easily and stroking over it. jonny's hips jerked against the pressure and he couldn't bite back a moan. he had no idea how he'd gotten here; 30 minutes ago pat was signing the last of the paperwork in the shop, and jonny was sure he'd never see him again unless it was while jonny was watching a playoff game on tv or something. instead, he's getting jerked off while pat is driving, the low carriage of the car putting them at risk of anyone passing by seeing them.

"someone could see," jonny groaned, not an answer to pat's question, but he didn't know how to answer it, anyway. was he ok? maybe not, but he didn't want pat to stop.

"i know," pat said, licking his lips and looking like the cat who got the cream. "should i stop?"

"no, fuck," jonny moaned, feeling the precome soak into his boxers. pat wasn't doing much more than toying with him, but he was already so turned on he couldn't imagine asking pat to stop.

pat made a pleased sound in his throat and then got hold of jonny's zipper, dragging it down slowly over jonny's dick. with just the light fabric of his boxers between his hard-on and pat's hand, jonny was struggling not to come right then. pat seemed to sense it, because he pulled back, just teasing lightly, fingers rubbing the fabric where it was damp.

"almost there," he said, and his voice was low and heated. jonny finally pulled his gaze away from pat's hand on his cock to look out the window and realized where they were- the player parking lot of the blackhawks practice rink. at this time of night, it was completely deserted.

pat pulled into a space, and jonny glanced up and almost laughed. they were in pat's parking space, huge sign proclaiming "Reserved For 88" above it.

"you really like having your number on things, don't you?" jon asked. it was pretty much rhetorical at this point, but pat answered anyway.

"sure do. and now i want it on you." he unbuckled his seat belt and somehow crawled over the gearshift to settle himself on top of jonny. he unbuckled jonny's belt, as well, and then got to work on jonny's shirt.

"wha?" jonny tried, but pat was leaning down from where he was propped over jonny's hips, tilting jonny's mouth up to claim him in a searing kiss. jonny had seen pat running his tongue over his mouthguard when he watched the hawks, but he'd never imagined getting to feel it for himself. it was too easy to lose himself in it, and pat had worked his hands under jonny's shirt and was tugging it off before he knew what was happening.

"off," pat said, and jonny leaning forward unthinkingly.

pat drew back, not hiding his stare this time. "god damn you're hot. i kept adding shit to the car just so i could come back and look at you. you have no idea how good you look in those pants, the way they pull over your thighs." jonny could see that pat was hard, too, and this whole night was bordering on surreal.

before he could get too distracted, pat was kissing him again, hands ranging over jonny's chest, tweaking a nipple and making a delighted sound when jon moaned into his mouth at it.

"oh you like that, huh?" he asked. "we're gonna have to explore that later." jonny wanted to ask him to explore it now, actually, but pat was pulling back again, making space between them to get his hands on jonny's hips. "now we need to get these off."

jonny went with it, letting pat tug his pants down. he could feel the sweat beading on his skin in the cramped space of the car, but pat didn't seem to care, leaning back down and licking a stripe up his neck. jonny arched up into it, and the movement gave pat room to slide his pants and boxers most of the way down.

"gonna fuck you," pat murmured in jonny's ear, and all jonny could do was nod, driven beyond words for the moment. pat snuck a hand into his own pocket, fishing out a packet of lube and a condom and got to work.

it had been a while for jonny, but pat worked him open efficiently, still kissing him, and dropping his hand to jonny's cock to play with his foreskin, keeping him hard and leaking. finally, jonny couldn't help but beg for it.

"fuck, please, pat, i'm ready. just fuck me," he panted, and pat seemed happy to oblige. he rolled the condom on and entered jonny in one smooth stroke.

pat's cock was perfect, filling jonny up exactly the way he wanted. pat had one hand on his shoulder, one on his chest, and he was pushing jonny back into the seat while fucking into him. it was just on the right side of painful, the lube barely giving enough friction to keep things smooth, but each stroke was hitting jonny right where he needed it, and he could hear himself moaning.

"you gonna come for me?" pat growled into his mouth, and jonny was answering before pat was even done asking.

"yes, yes," he gasped. "so close, come on," and pat took it as a challenge, fucking him even harder. he still wasn't moving his hands from where they were, pressing jonny back, but it didn't matter. pat's cock was rocking against his prostate, and jonny arched once more into it and then felt his orgasm hit him, taking him hard and fast, striping come halfway up his chest.

"god you look like that," pat panted, and then jonny felt him shudder, hips stalling out as pat's mouth dropped open with pleasure, head dropping on his shoulders.

they breathed together in the humid air in the car for a long minute before pat was leaning back, scrabbling at jonny and pushing him forward.

"wanna see," he said, insistent, and jonny grumbled but leaned up, following pat's hands.

"fuuuck," pat groaned. "knew it would be hot, holy shit. can i take a picture?" he asked.

"the fuck're you looking at?" jonny slurred, feeling like it was a monumental effort just to look up at pat from where he was leaning forward. pat reached down, and that's when jonny felt it.

pat was trailing his fingers over jonny's back, and jonny could sense the pattern he was tracing- the double 8s sewn into the passenger seat were now imprinted right into jonny's back.

"you can take a picture if you want," jonny said, "or you can just fuck me here again tomorrow," and pat huffed out a startled laugh.

" 'm gonna take you up on that," he said. "you look fucking good with my number on you."

"you better," jonny told him. "but for now, just take me home."

#fuck that was hot #Pat is so amazingly ridiculous #and i saw that neck lick Dixie 👀🔥#1988 #fic recs #hockey baby

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