Writing a story description
As a writer, you know how important it is to hook your reader in your first few chapters - but when you post your story to a site like Wattpad with so many stories, you also need to consider how to hook your reader in the first place. After your cover, your logline and story description are your best chance to convince a reader this story is for them, so it’s important to be very clear when describing the basics of your story.
What is a description for?
You can think of the description as an expanded version of your logline: if the reader’s curiosity is peaked by the logline, this is your chance to expand on it and build out the ideas you’ve hinted at, so the reader gets a clear sense of what your story is going to be about.
A logline is the short pitch to hook reader interest, the description is where you can get a bit more detailed. A reader should know the basics about your story from just the logline so make sure to include the story’s GMCS. The description can expand and add even greater specificity to the ideas introduced in the logline.
What does a story description need?
- 900 words or less
- The GMCS (Goals, Motivations, Conflict, and Stakes) of your main character
- Key tropes to help readers understand what kind of story it is
- Optional - content warnings
How to write a story description
- Begin by filling out our GMCS template
- Write your logline. View our crafting the perfect logline resource for help!
- Expand your logline by considering: What information is vague in the logline? What information is missing? What are the specific details that make my story and use of tropes different or unique?
- Use these ideas to expand and rework the logline into a full description.
Description checklist
Once you’ve reworked your logline into a description, consider if the following is clear in your story description:
- Main Character(s): Name one or both of your main characters
- What is their Goal: State what their goal is
- What is their Motivation: Why do they want to achieve their goal?
- What happens if they fail (Stakes): What changes for them if they cannot accomplish the goal?
- What are the main obstacles preventing them from accomplishing it (Conflict): What are the antagonists/antagonistic forces of the story working against the protagonist?
- What questions will the reader want answered when they read your story? These are often included at the end of a description, as in The Hookup Pact: “But is either ready to face the consequences when the lines blur and strings start to get attached?”
Add content warnings (optional)
Wattpad's rating system is sorted into Everyone and Mature (17+). When it comes to mature stories, we have thorough content guidelines in place to help you properly rate your story. But stories are nuanced, and adding specific warnings to your description will attract the readers you want, while avoiding potentially surprising others in a negative way. Adding content warnings for things like graphic violence or sexual content to your stories is a responsible and courteous way to categorize your work. Learn how to write a content warning.
Examples
Here are two examples from hit Wattpad Originals stories. We’ll start by looking at their loglines, then move on to their story descriptions. [Text in bold and square brackets] indicates analysis to show you exactly what to look for and what we mean.
Example 1: The Hookup Pact by Fleur Mell (Hot Encounter)
Logline:
When Evelyn and her long-term enemy, star hockey captain Atlas, are forced to work together on a university media project, sparks fly as resisting their attraction becomes a far bigger challenge than their opposing opinions.
Description:
Evelyn Hayes has hated Atlas Griffin, the golden boy of their university hockey team, since their very first conversation three years ago. [Expands on the enemies-to-lovers concept, shows how long they’ve known each other] To Evelyn, he's the womanizing, arrogant epitome of rich privilege and everything she despises. [Explains why Evelyn hates Atlas - establishes nature of the romantic conflict] So when a university-funded media project for the hockey team throws her into Atlas' orbit, she fully expects them to be at each other's throats. [Expands on the vague concept of ‘university media project’ - university establishes NA age group of main characters]
What she doesn't expect is for the snarky comments and daring glares to turn into sparks of undeniable attraction [Conflict: falling in love with enemy while working together]. With Atlas' sights set on the NHL and Evelyn desperate to keep the media lead position she's worked so hard for, neither is interested in anything complicated [Goal, motivation, and stakes: this establishes why this is a problem for Evelyn AND Atlas - there’s more at stake than a broken heart and a very good reason to remain in forced proximity]. Soon, a heated one-night stand leads to an enemies-with-benefits hookup pact [Establishes HOW Eveyln and Atlas are going to attempt overcome this conflict and achieve their goals]. But is either ready to face the consequences when the lines blur and strings start to get attached? [A question that establishes the romantic expectation and how it will complicate their initial goals]
Example 2: Strip for the Devil by letsgohomehidee (Dangerous Love)
Logline:
In a district where danger lurks around every corner, Isaac North tries to live a normal life, but quickly finds himself entangled in a perilous romance with one of the most notorious figures in the Red District.
Description:
In a world filled with darkness and desperation, Isaac North fights to escape his past. [Notice how this line modifies the logline - Issac isn’t just trying to live a normal life, he “fights to escape his past” GOAL] He finds himself drowning in debt, fighting off loansharks, and struggling to keep his head above water. But when his best friend proposes a daring solution to his financial situation, Isaac is thrust into a seductive and dangerous world he never expected. [MOTIVATION/STAKES that drives the perilous situation that leads to the romance. Explains how Isaac will try and achieve his goal]
When he enters the enticing realm of strip clubs, Isaac collides with Lucien Royce, a figure both feared and revered in The Red District. [Expands on the mention in the logline, introduces the name and the specifics of the setting/premise: Isaac will be working at a strip club] Intrigued by Isaac's tenacity and resilience, Lucien is immediately drawn to him. Isaac plans to escape Lucien's treacherous world the first chance he gets, but as their relationship deepens, Isaac realizes Lucien isn't who he thought he was. [Conflict: Isaac wants to escape, Lucien wants Isaac, Isaac has feelings for Lucien] As tensions simmer and desires ignite, Isaac must decide if breaking free from Lucien's hold on him is really what he wants. [Stakes: achieving his goal means losing Lucien] But is he ready for the danger that comes with it?
