Short Story Summaries

S
 What should I do when I’m
asked to write a short story
summary?

S In this power point you will learn tips to write a summary

of a short story.
S Your teacher will look at how well you:

 Identify and discuss the characters, conflict and setting

 Retell the important events of the plot in your own words,

except for quotations
 Express the underlying meaning (theme) of the story
Steps to Writing a Short Story

1. Read and understand the prompt or writing directions.

2. Read, think about, and understand the text.
3. Take notes
4. Write an introduction
5. Write the body paragraphs
6. Write a conclusion
 What should you have in an
introduction?

S Title of work, author’s name

S Describe the setting

S Describe the main characters

S Give an explanation of the conflict

How should you write the body
paragraphs?

S Retell the story in your own words

S Describe the most important events including the climax-

the suspenseful moment in the story

S The length of your summary depends on the original text

What should you include in the
conclusion?

S Describe how the conflict is resolved

S Explain the theme

 More Steps

7. Revise

8. Proofread and edit

9. Write your draft

10. Read your summary one last time before you turn it in