I was browsing the various categories of story a short time ago and was astounded at the number of people who have no concept of the phrase 'Brief Description' that we are all invited to add to our works when posting them. Some contributors tell virtually the whole story in that one section, leaving the potential reader nothing to get excited about! Hopefully, the following advice will help...
The key word in the section is the word Brief. That means keep it short and to the point! You want to draw people to your work so give them something to be hooked onto. If your story is about an alien invasion on the night of the school prom the last thing you should be writing is:
'Aliens land in Dumpsville on the night of the Junior prom and about fifty kids get abducted and experimented on!' They are all turned into zombies and kill everyone else!!
Sound over-the-top? Look through the story categories yourself and you will see 'brief' descriptions not unlike the made-up example above.
I would suggest the following as a descriptor:
"Unexpected visitors pay a visit to Dumpsville on Prom night and invite several kids back to their place...'
What you then have is several 'hooks' or (as I call them) 'teasers':
Who are the visitors?
Where are they from?
Do they mean harm?
Where is 'their place'?
Did the kids go willingly?
Did they hurt any of the kids?
and, most crucially,
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
You want your readers to engage-with and be excited by your story. If you give them all of the 'juicy bits' in your teaser there is nowhere left for them - or for you - to go with your story. Remember the old showbiz adage "Always Leave Them Wanting More!" It works in writing as well, especially when you are trying to draw people into your literary world. Give people a reason to read your story.
Once you've got folks to your story the rest is up to you: to tell the best story (or poem) your are capable of.
Another ABSOLUTE no-no is telling people what their reaction to your work is going to be! This sort of thing is not advisable:
'A hilarious story that is guaranteed to make you laugh' or 'Be prepared to sob your heart out at this story. It's a real tear-jerker'
To be frank, when I see stuff like that in the descriptor I give the story a miss. Why? Because I want to make up MY mind about the story. I do not need to be told how to react, and you should not be making that decision for your reader before they have even looked at your story. Remember: you want to entice readers to your story, not drive them away!
Lastly: the brief description is all about your story. It is for you to introduce your story. It is not the place to put autobiographical details or any other comments. They should be reserved for the 'author's notes' section at the end of the story.
I hope you'll find this useful and helpful.
Good luck!
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United Kingdom • 63 years old