How can you effectively summarize a story with a kicker?

1 Know your purpose

The first step to writing a good summary is to know why you are summarizing and who you are summarizing for. Are you writing a headline, a blurb, a social media post, or a pitch? What is the main message or angle of your story? Who is your target audience and what do they care about? Your summary should reflect your purpose, your story, and your audience, and use clear and engaging language that captures their attention and curiosity.

2 Identify the key elements

The next step is to identify the key elements of your story that you want to include in your summary. These are usually the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your story, or the 5 Ws and H. Depending on your purpose and length, you may not need to include all of them, but you should at least cover the most important and relevant ones. For example, if you are writing a headline, you may only need the who and the what, while if you are writing a blurb, you may need the when and the where as well.

3 Use the inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is a classic structure that organizes information from the most important to the least important. It helps you prioritize and condense your information and make sure that your summary covers the main points of your story. You can use the inverted pyramid to arrange your key elements in order of significance and relevance, and then trim or eliminate any unnecessary details or repetitions. This way, you can ensure that your summary is concise and informative, and that it does not reveal too much or too little of your story.

4 Write a catchy lead

The lead is the first sentence or paragraph of your summary that introduces your story and hooks your reader. It is often the most challenging part of writing a summary, as it has to be catchy, clear, and concise. A good lead should summarize the main idea of your story, arouse curiosity or interest, and set the tone and style of your writing. You can use different techniques to write a catchy lead, such as starting with a question, a quote, a statistic, a fact, an anecdote, or a contrast.

5 End with a kicker

The kicker is the last sentence or paragraph of your summary that ends with a surprising or memorable twist that leaves an impression on your reader. It is often the most rewarding part of writing a summary, as it can make your summary stand out and resonate with your reader. A good kicker should relate to your story, your lead, and your purpose, and use humor, emotion, irony, or insight to deliver a punchline or a message. You can use different techniques to end with a kicker, such as ending with a quote, a question, a call to action, or a paradox.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?