Definition
Summary compresses time by telling the reader what happened rather than dramatizing it moment by moment. It is useful for transitions, backstory, and routine events that do not need full scene treatment.
Example
For three weeks she filed reports, avoided the break room, and went home late covers days in one sentence instead of three weeks of scenes.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Summarizing the climax or other moments that deserve full scene weight.
- Using summary so often that the story feels reported instead of experienced.