What has come before ... or rather, who

[HareBrain]

As well as a glossary in the back of book 2 in my series, I want a concise plot recap. But my efforts to write one have been frustrating, partly because for the summary of book 1 to include the details that would help readers of book 2, it needs to be too long. Plus I hate writing synopses anyway.

So what I decided to try was to have short (about 150 words each) character outlines of the five main characters, these between them including all the relevant plot points from book 1. These were much more fun to write, and seem to work. But I don't think I've seen similar done in any published novel. Can anyone give examples, so I can look at formatting and placement and so on? (For example, would they be better going at the back, with the rest of the glossary, or at the front, where a plot recap would be?) Or are they not used because there's some massive drawback I haven't spotted?

 

[Luiglin]

To be honest I always skip over these recaps. I find that they often, due to necessity of being concise, they read rushed (even though I know that they aren't).

I'd rather rely on my own memory to connect book 1 contents as I'm reading book 2. Those little sparks of 'oh yes' and 'of course' make the reading of the tale, for me anyway, more fun.

Contradicting myself in someways though where stories contain many characters / locations / organisations outside of the norm then I have found glossaries very useful.

 

[The Judge]

I can't recall seeing anything like this in a published book, but if it works and it shows the plot, go for it. However, if the character profiles are taking the place of the Book 1 plot summary, to my mind they ought to be at the front of Book 2 where they'll be easily seen.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I can't recall seeing anything like this in a published book, but if it works and it shows the plot, go for it. However, if the character profiles are taking the place of the Book 1 plot summary, to my mind they ought to be at the front of Book 2 where they'll be easily seen.

I agree with The Judge.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I can't think of any book I've read that has a recap (although there are niggling doubts that there is something somewhere...) and a bit like Luiglin I solely rely on the main text. And will gloss over any glossary too.

However after a quick Bing or Google, it appears that JK Rowling might put recaps in all her Harry Potter books, so maybe have a look at them? I tried 'looking inside' the book on the Amazon website to see if they reproduced the recap there...but it didn't show up. So maybe that's misinformation. Anyway you could pop into a book store and investigate.

However, there must be someone on this site that can confirm of JK does this

 

[Phyrebrat]

I’m a completist so I’d read it even if I had read the first book. But in these kind of discussions, I’m always the permissive one without placing strictures or expectations on a book (but, if there’s an opah on the cover, there damn well better be an opah in the story!).

I think it’s best to go with what you’d like to do rather than what you should do. So if you hate synopses then do the character thing instead.

My only advice otherwise would be to make sure there’s a note at the start directing new readers to the appendix

Edit. @Venusian Broon - might you be thinking of The Dark Tower books? SK starts them with recaps.

pH

 

[Luiglin]

I can't think of any book I've read that has a recap (although there are niggling doubts that there is something somewhere...) and a bit like Luiglin I solely rely on the main text. And will gloss over any glossary too.

However after a quick Bing or Google, it appears that JK Rowling might put recaps in all her Harry Potter books, so maybe have a look at them? I tried 'looking inside' the book on the Amazon website to see if they reproduced the recap there...but it didn't show up. So maybe that's misinformation. Anyway you could pop into a book store and investigate.

However, there must be someone on this site that can confirm of JK does this

My old copies of the Belgariad by David Eddings have them. As to the glossary/appendix idea, I'm so glad that the Silmarillion had one. Love that book but even after numerous rereads I still flick to the back every now and again.

 

[HareBrain]

I've found plenty of books with plot recaps (Tolkien, Donaldson etc), it's the character-sketch version I haven't seen anywhere.

Putting them at the front would make sense as that's where a plot recap would go, but that also feels wrong, because really they're expanded glossary entries, and the glossary is at the back. Or do people think that would be OK?

 

[The Judge]

It's OK. Stop over-thinking it.

By the way, do you recall I did something similar with a submission for Judge1 when character summaries were required? I managed to get each one to lead into the next, and the last led back to the beginning, which I think made it more of a story than a plain character study of them all. Is there any way you can do the same, since that might make it feel less glossary-like and more plot-precis-ish.

 

[HareBrain]

By the way, do you recall I did something similar with a submission for Judge1 when character summaries were required?

Vaguely. Sounds a good idea, if I can do it.

 

[Luiglin]

@HareBrain for me, if you're going to have them then they lend themselves to be glossary/appendix at the back. It's where I'd turn to for such content.

However, each to their own. If you fancy putting them at the front then go for it.

Rules are there to be broken

 

[Venusian Broon]

+1 on both TJ and Phyrebrat's general arguments.

@Phyrebrat I haven't read the Dark tower, so no . I think actually because I routinely completely ignore all extras as described above (unless it's an introduction oddly enough) I just don't remember them

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Rowlings’, at least in my versions, are just written into the book, as are many others. The first chapter contains reminders, sprinkled into the new stuff, to get the previous readers or new readers up to speed. Most of the mysteries that I read do that, too, because they’re books that people may pick up in any order and it helps to pass along a bit of “where we are now” in the MC’s life.

I don’t know if I would recommend that for you or not, but I love the idea of the individual update paragraphs. Go for it.

 

[zmunkz]

Rowlings’, at least in my versions, are just written into the book, as are many others. The first chapter contains reminders, sprinkled into the new stuff, to get the previous readers or new readers up to speed.

This is what I was going to say. Rowling does nothing like the OP is describing, she just makes a point of re-explaining certain things when they come up. And even that was annoying. She spent like 300 words having Harry correct Colin Creevey on the fine points of Quidditch in order to remind the reader of the rules, and it felt more like 3000 words.

Obviously you need to do whatever you thinks serves your book and series best, but I would suggest this sort of thing is not nearly as necessary as it may seem.

 

[HareBrain]

Yes, I'm not so keen on recapping within the text.

I think what I might do, on reflection, is just slot the longer character outlines into the glossary, for readers to find them if they want to. They should be fairly obvious, as the rest of the entries are quite short.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Ralph Kern does a quick recap before the text in Expedition. I found that very useful for getting re-acquainted with the characters from Unfathomed.

The danger with character outlines is that they may end up running longer than a recap actually needs to. Additionally, dealt with in isolation, they may not adequately convey the dynamics you want to.

If you're not keen on writing a summary, perhaps ask someone who's read it to have a go?

 

[The Big Peat]

The idea sounds fine.

I strongly urge you to, should you go ahead with this, signal its existence at the front of the book somewhere. Because a recap of the book before that's only read after you read the book you're on is so utterly pointless as to be absolutely enraging. Genuinely I would shout at the author/publisher enraging. Its possible that I'm alone in that belief, or overreacting (I never do that of course), but I believe my quirk aside, logic dictates it has to be offered to the reader before they commence reading. Which means it could be in the back if there's a contents page that advertises its existence, or it could be in the front, or anything else that works.

 

[Cathbad]

What's an opah?

 

[HareBrain]

If you're not keen on writing a summary, perhaps ask someone who's read it to have a go?

You volunteering?

Genuinely I would shout at the author/publisher enraging.

I don't want to get shouted at during a LonChron, so I'll do my best to follow your advice.

For which (and to everyone else too) thanks very much. I'm probably more undecided than I was to start with, but that might be a good thing ...

 

[The Big Peat]

As long as I don't see you for three days after such an event, you're safe.

But it really does bewilder me to the point of madness. I think maybe the index page is the best way to go.