UniWiki:Manual of Style/Writing about fiction: Difference between revisions

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 == Contextual presentation ==
 === Plot summaries ===
-{{shortcut|MOS:PLOT}}
+{{hatnote|For further information, see [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Plot summaries|Wikipedia:Plot summaries]] and [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary|Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary]].}}
-{{hatnote|For further information, see [[Wikipedia:Plot summaries]] and [[Wikipedia:How to write a plot summary]].}}
 Generally there are two possible issues to be considered: the ''context of the production'' and the ''context of the original fiction''. Whenever the original fiction itself is the subject of the article, all out-of-universe (that is, real world) information needs to be set in the context of that original fiction (e.g., by including a plot summary). When the article concerns, e.g., a documentary about that original fiction, it is not necessarily important to discuss the content of the original source material.
-Details of creation, development, etcetera, relating to a particular fictional element are more helpful if the reader understands the role of that element in the story. This often involves providing plot summaries, character descriptions or biographies, or direct quotations. By convention, these synopses should be written in the present tense (known in this use as the [[narrative present]]), as this is the way that the story is experienced as it is read or viewed (see also [[WP:FICTENSE]]). At any particular point in the story there is a "past" and a "future", but whether something is "past" or "future" changes as the story progresses. It is simplest and conventional to recount the entire description as continuous "present".
+Details of creation, development, etc., relating to a particular fictional element are more helpful if the reader understands the role of that element in the story. This often involves providing plot summaries, character descriptions or biographies, or direct quotations. By convention, these synopses should be written in the present tense (known in this use as the [[Wikipedia:Narrative present|narrative present]]), as this is the way that the story is experienced as it is read or viewed (see also [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Tense|Wikipedia:Tense]]). At any particular point in the story there is a "past" and a "future", but whether something is "past" or "future" changes as the story progresses. It is simplest and conventional to recount the entire description as continuous "present".
 Plot summaries and similar recaps of fictional works (like a character's fictional biography) should be written in an out-of-universe style, presenting the narrative from a displaced, neutral frame of reference from the characters or setting. While an in-universe style may be more engaging for prose, it may also bias the work and be overly wordy. For example, instead of starting a plot summary with "It is 2003," (which puts the reader in the frame of reference of the work), start with "In 2003, ..." (which extracts the reader from that frame).
-Plot summaries can be written from the [[WP:Real world|real-world]] perspective by referring to specific works or parts of works ("In the first book", "In Act&nbsp;II") or describing things from the author or creator's perspective ("The author introduces", "The story describes"). This gives the summary a grounded tone that is accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. Real-world perspective is the preferred style for plot summaries that encompass multiple works, such as broadly describing a series of novels, describing key events that might have happened in earlier works that impact the present work, or the biography of a fictional character over multiple works. Such conventions are not as important for plot summaries of single works that are not part of a series; nevertheless, real-world language at the beginning of summaries is often good style. A long singular work that has natural divisions (for example, the three Books within ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]'', or the acts of a play or musical) can be used to create subheadings under the plot to provide real-world framing without introducing it in text. A singular work itself might necessitate a real-world perspective due to its structure.  Summaries written in a real-world perspective do not need to stay true to the fiction's chronological order if going out of order improves the summary. A work with two concurrent running storylines where the narrative switches back and forth between them (for example, the film ''[[Memento (film)|Memento]]'') is likely better told by summarizing one storyline in full, followed by the second storyline, as long as this narrative structure is explained to the reader.
+Plot summaries can be written from the [[#Real-world perspective|real-world perspective]] by referring to specific works or parts of works ("In the first book", "In Act&nbsp;II") or describing things from the author or creator's perspective ("The author introduces", "The story describes"). This gives the summary a grounded tone that is accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. Real-world perspective is the preferred style for plot summaries that encompass multiple works, such as broadly describing a series of novels, describing key events that might have happened in earlier works that impact the present work, or the biography of a fictional character over multiple works. Such conventions are not as important for plot summaries of single works that are not part of a series; nevertheless, real-world language at the beginning of summaries is often good style. A long singular work that has natural divisions (for example, the three Books within ''[[Wikipedia:A Tale of Two Cities|A Tale of Two Cities]]'', or the acts of a play or musical) can be used to create subheadings under the plot to provide real-world framing without introducing it in text. A singular work itself might necessitate a real-world perspective due to its structure.  Summaries written in a real-world perspective do not need to stay true to the fiction's chronological order if going out of order improves the summary. A work with two concurrent running storylines where the narrative switches back and forth between them (for example, the film ''[[Wikipedia:Memento (film)|Memento]]'') is likely better told by summarizing one storyline in full, followed by the second storyline, as long as this narrative structure is explained to the reader.
-The length of a plot summary should be carefully balanced with the length of the other sections. Strictly avoid creating [[WP:PLOT|pages consisting only of a plot summary]]. For some types of media, associated guidelines may offer advice on plot length; for example, [[WP:Manual of Style/Film#Plot]] suggests that plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 and 700 words.
+The length of a plot summary should be carefully balanced with the length of the other sections. Strictly avoid creating pages consisting only of a plot summary. For some types of media, associated guidelines may offer advice on plot length.
-The plot summary for a work, on a page about that work, does not need to be sourced with in-line citations, as it is generally assumed that the work itself is the primary source for the plot summary. However, editors are encouraged to add sourcing if possible. If a plot summary includes a direct quote from the work, this must be cited using inline citations per [[WP:QUOTE]]. Sometimes a work will be summarized by secondary sources, which can be used for sourcing. Otherwise, using brief quotation citations from the primary work can be helpful to source key or complex plot points.
+The plot summary for a work, on a page about that work, does not need to be sourced with in-line citations, as it is generally assumed that the work itself is the primary source for the plot summary. However, editors are encouraged to add sourcing if possible. If a plot summary includes a direct quote from the work, this must be cited using inline citations. Sometimes a work will be summarized by secondary sources, which can be used for sourcing. Otherwise, using brief quotation citations from the primary work can be helpful to source key or complex plot points.
-Presenting fictional material from the original work is allowed, provided passages are short, are given the proper context, and do not constitute the main portion of the article. If such passages stray into the realm of interpretation, per [[WP:PRIMARY]], secondary sources must be provided to avoid [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]]. Plot summaries '''cannot''' engage in interpretation and should only present an obvious recap of the work. For example, we cannot state anything about whether the top remains spinning or topples at the end of ''[[Inception (film)|Inception]]''. Even small details that might be clear on a word-by-word or frame-by-frame analysis – steps well beyond the normal act of reading or watching a work – should be considered original research and excluded from such articles. If a vague plot element is later clarified by the work's creator, this can be included in the summary as long as a citation to this clarification is provided. Independent secondary sources that make analysis or interpretation of a work  but without any correlation with the creator should be discussed in a separate section outside of the plot summary and not confused with the presented plot summary.
+Presenting fictional material from the original work is allowed, provided passages are short, are given the proper context, and do not constitute the main portion of the article. Plot summaries '''cannot''' engage in interpretation and should only present an obvious recap of the work. For example, we cannot state anything about whether the top remains spinning or topples at the end of ''[[Wikipedia:Inception (film)|Inception]]''. Even small details that might be clear on a word-by-word or frame-by-frame analysis – steps well beyond the normal act of reading or watching a work – should be considered original research and excluded from such articles. If a vague plot element is later clarified by the work's creator, this can be included in the summary as long as a citation to this clarification is provided. Independent secondary sources that make analysis or interpretation of a work  but without any correlation with the creator should be discussed in a separate section outside of the plot summary and not confused with the presented plot summary.
 === Summary style approach ===