Writing an Objective Story Summary

Summarize a story's key events and conflict without personal opinions.

An objective summary gives the essential events of a story in your own words, without opinions, judgments, or personal reactions. It is shorter than a retelling: it skips minor details and dialogue and focuses on the main character, the central conflict, the key turning points, and the resolution. Words like 'amazing,' 'boring,' 'I think,' or 'the best part' don't belong. Compare. Subjective: 'In this awesome story, a really brave girl named Ada does the coolest thing ever.

' Objective: 'When a flood cuts off her village, Ada, a twelve-year-old, leads her younger cousins to higher ground and signals rescuers with a mirror. The experience convinces her she can lead. ' The objective version names who, the problem, what she does, and how it ends, in two sentences. A useful frame is: Somebody (character) wanted (goal) but (conflict) so (action) then (result). Check your summary by deleting any word that judges.

• 1Include main character, conflict, turning points, and resolution
• 2Leave out opinions and judging words
• 3Use Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then as a frame