Fanfic Summary Cheat List
Summaries are hard. Here’s some templates to help you out:
1) When [this event happens], [this person] takes [this action] until [antagonist threatens]
When a renowned surgeon ends up in a car crash that ruins his hands, he seeks to harness magical powers until an inter-dimensional entity threatens his reality.
2) After [shocking backstory happens], a person or people pursue a difficult goal.
After a brilliant physicist is in a gamma radiation accident that causes him to turn into an angry beast, he goes on the run from the government in order to find a cure.
3) An interesting person purses a familiar goal in an unexpected way.
A billionaire weapons designer decides to protect the world by building a powerful suit of armour.
4) Driven by motivation, a person or people pursue a goal to do something completely unique.
When half of all life in the universe is destroyed, a group of heroes plan a time heist to retrieve the six magical stones needed to bring their loved ones back.
5) Special circumstances in a main character’s world force that character to engage in morally ambiguous behaviour.
After her true love dies in battle, a powerful witch takes a small town hostage in order to live out her sit-com fantasies.
6) A group of interesting people face a variety of obstacles as they pursue a collective goal.
A group of heroes with various talents need to overcome their differences in order to defeat a vengeful god who is determined to rule Earth.
7) A group of interesting people much choose between their personal need and the collective good as they face a common enemy.
A group of space-based anti-heroes must overcome their selfish desires and join together in order to save the galaxy.
8) An anti-hero makes it their mission to rise to power with a certain methodology.
After learning about his origins in the hidden land of Wakanda, a prince returns to take the throne and spread the kingdom’s wealth to those in need.
9) Two opposite people with limited resources must unite to accomplish a ridiculous mission.
A retired entomologist teams up with a recently released ex-con in order to complete a heist using ants.
10) A negatively changed world can only be fixed with the accomplishment of an impossible task performed by a unique person.
When a terrorist organisation designs an algorithm to eliminate all of their opponents at once, a man out of time with enhanced abilities must run from the law and his brainwashed best friend in order to save the world.
Logline templates are from the podcast ‘On the Page’ hosted by Pilar Alessandra.
