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class="vector-toc-link" href="#What_plot_summaries_are_not"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>What plot summaries are not</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-What_plot_summaries_are_not-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>How are plot summaries used on Wikipedia?</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle How are plot summaries used on Wikipedia? subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Ways of organizing a plot summary</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-What_to_cut" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#What_to_cut"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>What to cut</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-What_to_cut-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle What to cut subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-What_to_cut-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Length" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Length"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Length</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Length-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maintenance_over_time" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maintenance_over_time"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Maintenance over time</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Maintenance_over_time-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Characters,_locations,_etc." class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Characters,_locations,_etc."> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Characters, locations, etc.</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Characters,_locations,_etc.-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Spoilers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Spoilers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Spoilers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Spoilers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Citations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Citations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Citations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Citations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Case study: Little Red Riding Hood</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Case study: Little Red Riding Hood subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-How_to_begin" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#How_to_begin"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.1</span> <span>How to begin</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-How_to_begin-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Establishing_the_premise" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Establishing_the_premise"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.2</span> <span>Establishing the premise</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Establishing_the_premise-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Getting_to_the_good_stuff" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Getting_to_the_good_stuff"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.3</span> <span>Getting to the good stuff</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Getting_to_the_good_stuff-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Putting_it_all_together" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Putting_it_all_together"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.4</span> <span>Putting it all together</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Putting_it_all_together-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" 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screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}</style><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Twemoji_1f527.svg/30px-Twemoji_1f527.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Twemoji_1f527.svg/45px-Twemoji_1f527.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Twemoji_1f527.svg/60px-Twemoji_1f527.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div style="padding-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 5px;"><b>This help page is a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Project_namespace#Wikipedia_how-to_and_information_pages" title="Wikipedia:Project namespace">how-to guide</a>.</b><br/><div style="font-size: 90%;">It explains concepts or processes used by the Wikipedia community. It is not one of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">Wikipedia's policies or guidelines</a>, and may reflect varying levels of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">consensus</a>.</div></div></td><td class="mbox-imageright"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1252059228">.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain{float:right;margin:0 0 0 1em;border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);background-color:var(--background-color-base,#fff);padding:0.3em 0.6em 0.2em 0.6em;text-align:center;font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxleft{float:left;margin:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutlist{display:inline-block;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);margin-bottom:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain ul{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutanchordiv{position:relative;top:-3em}.mw-parser-output li .module-shortcutanchordiv{float:right}.mw-parser-output .mbox-imageright .module-shortcutboxplain{padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 1em;line-height:1.3;margin:0}</style><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:PLOTSUM"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTSUM&redirect=no">WP:PLOTSUM</a></span></li></ul></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238436933"><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/40px-Information_icon4.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/60px-Information_icon4.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/80px-Information_icon4.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text">This page is not considered a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines"> Wikipedia guideline</a> on Wikipedia, but <b><a href="/wiki/MOS:PLOT" class="mw-redirect" title="MOS:PLOT">MOS:PLOT</a></b> and <b><a href="/wiki/MOS:FAIR_USE" class="mw-redirect" title="MOS:FAIR USE">MOS:FAIR USE</a></b> are. Whenever possible, the guidelines should be followed. But most importantly, the point is that plot summaries shouldn't swamp an article. This <i><b>is</b></i> <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:PLOT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:PLOT">policy</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>As explained in <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Plot-only_description_of_fictional_works" title="Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works">Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works</a>, an <b>encyclopedia article</b> about a <b>work of fiction</b> frequently includes a <b>concise summary</b> of the plot. The description should be thorough enough for the reader to get a sense of what happens and to fully understand the impact of the work and the context of the commentary about it. On the other hand, however, the plot summary must be concise because Wikipedia's coverage of works of fiction should be about more than <i>just</i> the plot. Plot summaries that are too long and too detailed can also be hard to read and are just as unhelpful as those that are too short. Finding the right balance requires careful editorial discretion and discussion. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc"/> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="The_purpose_of_a_plot_summary" data-mw-thread-id="h-The_purpose_of_a_plot_summary"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-The_purpose_of_a_plot_summary"></span>The purpose of a plot summary<span data-mw-comment-end="h-The_purpose_of_a_plot_summary"></span></h2></div> <p>The purpose of a plot summary is to condense a large amount of information into a short, accessible format. It is not to reproduce the experience of reading or watching the story, nor to cover every detail. For those who have not read or seen the story, it should serve as a general overview that fills in on the major points. For those who have, it should be detailed enough to refresh their memory, no more. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="What_plot_summaries_are_not" data-mw-thread-id="h-What_plot_summaries_are_not"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-What_plot_summaries_are_not"></span>What plot summaries are not<span data-mw-comment-end="h-What_plot_summaries_are_not"></span></h2></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:PLOTSUMNOT"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTSUMNOT&redirect=no">WP:PLOTSUMNOT</a></span></li></ul></div></div><p> A plot summary is not a recap. It should not cover every scene and every moment of a story. </p><p>Not only should a plot summary avoid a scene-by-scene recap, but there's also no reason that a plot summary has to cover the events of the story in the order in which they appear (though it is often useful). The point of a summary is not to reproduce the experience—it's to explain the story. If the original is nonlinear or experimental in its structure, then the article should state that fact in prose, not through regurgitation of the plot.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In fact, for a confusing story, we should assume that some of our readers will look the story up because they didn't understand it. Just repeating what they have already seen is unlikely to help them. </p><p>Do not attempt to re-create the emotional impact of the work through the plot summary. Wikipedia is not a substitute for the original.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?" data-mw-thread-id="h-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"><span id="How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia.3F"></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"></span>How are plot summaries used on Wikipedia?<span data-mw-comment-end="h-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"></span></h2></div> <p>A plot summary is generally used to provide a concise description of the work in question, to allow the reader to understand the discussion related to that plot, and to illustrate points within an article. Where a specific plot point has been commented upon by academics or the media, it is necessary to describe that plot point. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary" data-mw-thread-id="h-Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"></span>Ways of organizing a plot summary<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Ways_of_organizing_a_plot_summary-How_are_plot_summaries_used_on_Wikipedia?"></span></h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:PLOTPRESENT"></span><span id="WP:PLOTTENSE"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTPRESENT&redirect=no">WP:PLOTPRESENT</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTTENSE&redirect=no">WP:PLOTTENSE</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>The most common organization of a plot section is generally a self-contained section (designated by <span class="nowrap"><code>== Plot ==</code></span> or sometimes <span class="nowrap"><code>== Synopsis ==</code></span>). By convention, <a href="/wiki/Story_plot" class="mw-redirect" title="Story plot">story plots</a> are written in the <a href="/wiki/Narrative_present" class="mw-redirect" title="Narrative present">narrative present</a>—that is, in the <a href="/wiki/Present_tense" title="Present tense">present tense</a>, matching the way that the story is experienced.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Provide a comprehensive plot summary. For articles that do not have a dedicated cast section, as key characters are introduced in the plot of a film or play with a known cast, list the actors' names in parentheses after them, Character (<a href="/wiki/Actor" title="Actor">Actor</a>), where applicable. If it makes the plot much easier to explain, events can be reordered; for instance, a <a href="/wiki/Backstory" title="Backstory">backstory</a> revealed later in a novel can be put first, or an <i><a href="/wiki/In_medias_res" title="In medias res">in medias res</a></i> opening scene of a film can be described where it would occur later. A nonchronological narrative structure can be made chronological; for some works of this nature, the original nonchronological structure of the plot is of interest to commentators, such as for <i><a href="/wiki/Pulp_Fiction_(film)#Plot" class="mw-redirect" title="Pulp Fiction (film)">Pulp Fiction</a></i> or <i><a href="/wiki/Memento_(film)" title="Memento (film)">Memento</a></i>. In these cases, it can be useful to include a brief out-of-universe summary to explain how the nonchronological narrative is presented in the work before presenting the chronological summary. Plot summaries should be written from the real world perspective by referring to specific works or parts of works ("In the first book", "In Act II") or describing things from the author or creator's perspective ("The author introduces", "The story describes"). This gives the summary a more grounded tone and makes it more accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. </p><p>This section may contain commentary on the work, as in <i><a href="/wiki/Candide" title="Candide">Candide</a></i>, though this is not required and great care must be taken to avoid <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:OR" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:OR">original research</a>. For example, to describe an alleged deficiency in a plot as a "gaping <a href="/wiki/Plot_hole" title="Plot hole">plot hole</a>" expresses an opinion that cannot be included in Wikipedia as if it were an established fact; it requires <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:ATTRIBUTEPOV" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:ATTRIBUTEPOV">attribution to a source</a>. In general, commentary is better suited to a Themes or Reception section. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="What_to_cut" data-mw-thread-id="h-What_to_cut"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-What_to_cut"></span>What to cut<span data-mw-comment-end="h-What_to_cut"></span></h2></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:PLOTSUMMARIZE"></span><span id="WP:PLCUT"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTSUMMARIZE&redirect=no">WP:PLOTSUMMARIZE</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLCUT&redirect=no">WP:PLCUT</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Michelangelo" title="Michelangelo">Michelangelo</a> is said to have created <i><a href="/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)" title="David (Michelangelo)">David</a></i> by "taking a block of marble and cutting away everything that was not David". Writing a plot summary is a similar process—you take a long work, and you cut out as much as possible. The question is, what do you cut? </p><p>The basic structure of many narrative plots includes a lengthy middle section during which characters repeatedly get in and out of trouble on their way to the climactic encounter. Many episodes of <i><a href="/wiki/Doctor_Who" title="Doctor Who">Doctor Who</a></i>, for instance, involve the main characters getting captured and escaping repeatedly in the middle portion of the adventure. Although such events are exciting to watch, they often clutter a plot summary with excessive and repetitive detail. Cutting less important ones can make the plot summary tighter and easier to understand. </p><p><i>Necessary</i> detail, however, must be maintained. A summary of <i><a href="/wiki/Odyssey" title="Odyssey">Odyssey</a></i> as "Odysseus, returning home from the Trojan War, has many adventures which he uses his wits to escape until he reunites with his wife and kills the men who were trying to take over his kingdom" would omit almost all of the important passages and confuse the readers. Even though they may know how the <i>Odyssey</i> ends, it's hard to say that they understand the work well enough to appreciate its context and impact. </p><p>The <i>Odyssey</i> contains various scenes where people recount myths to each other which have little importance to the main plot. If most of these are left out or consist of only a sentence or two, that is not a problem as long as they help to keep the focus on the main story. In works less vital to the foundations of academia and the founding of the Western literary tradition, details and lengthy subplots could be left out due to being relatively unimportant. </p><p>The three basic elements of a story are plot, character and theme. Anything that is not necessary for a reader's understanding of these three elements, or is not widely recognized as an integral or iconic part of the work's notability, should not be included in the summary. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Length" data-mw-thread-id="h-Length-What_to_cut"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Length-What_to_cut"></span>Length<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Length-What_to_cut"></span></h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="MOS:PLOTLENGTH"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MOS:PLOTLENGTH&redirect=no">MOS:PLOTLENGTH</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>There is no universal set length for a plot summary, though it should not be excessively long. Well-written plot summaries describe the major events in the work, linking them together with fairly brief descriptions of the less-important scenes or paraphrase dialog. </p><p>While it is difficult to quantify a strict word limit since no two articles are equal, however, the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_style" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Manual of style">Wikipedia Manual of style</a> offers some general recommendations to editors. The <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Film#Plot" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Film">Film style guideline</a> suggests that "plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 and 700 words". The <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Television#Plot_section" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Television">TV style guideline</a> recommends "no more than 200 words" for television episodes in episode lists, or "no more than 400 words" in standalone episode articles. The <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Novels#Plot" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Novels">Novels style guideline</a> says "A summary for a full-length novel should be between 400 and 700 words." The <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:VG/CONTENT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:VG/CONTENT">Video game style guideline</a> states "no more than approximately 700 words to retain focus". However, particularly complex plots may need a more lengthy summary than the general guidance. </p><p>While longer descriptions may appear to provide more information, a concise summary may be more informative if it highlights the most important plot elements. By focusing attention on the larger structures of the plot and leaving out unnecessary trivial detail, a shorter summary can often be helpful to enable the reader to better understand the work. </p><p>Overlong plot summaries can pose a problem in terms of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:NPOV" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:NPOV">neutrality</a>. A plot summary must not give <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:UNDUE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:UNDUE">undue weight</a> to one perspective at the expense of others. A plot summary that relies on a single <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research#Primary,_secondary_and_tertiary_sources" title="Wikipedia:No original research">provenance</a> may lack an adequate perspective that could be obtained through the use of additional sources. </p><p>Excessively detailed plot summaries may also infringe on copyright and fair-use concerns. See <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Plot-only_description_of_fictional_works#Copyright" title="Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works">Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works § Copyright</a> for more. </p><p>As a rule, try to expand other sections of the article providing a real-world perspective before adding to the plot summary. The best fiction articles tend to have more real-world information than plot summary, not the other way around. If no more real-world information can be found then consider omitting some details of the plot. Similarly, if you find a summary that already overshadows the real-world information in the article, consider trimming it down to size. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Maintenance_over_time" data-mw-thread-id="h-Maintenance_over_time"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Maintenance_over_time"></span>Maintenance over time<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Maintenance_over_time"></span></h2></div> <p>Having written a concise plot summary, authors must be wary of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:OWN" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:OWN">excessive attachment</a> to their golden prose. At the same time, "plot bloat" is a serious problem. Plot bloat is the gradual expansion of a plot summary over time by well-meaning editors who do not have the advantage of the prior discussion about the preferred level of detail for this particular work. Periodic reviews and reassessments by new editors are essential to maintaining Wikipedia articles and to maintaining plot summary sections in particular. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Characters,_locations,_etc." data-mw-thread-id="h-Characters,_locations,_etc."><span id="Characters.2C_locations.2C_etc."></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Characters,_locations,_etc."></span>Characters, locations, etc.<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Characters,_locations,_etc."></span></h2></div> <p>For especially large or complex fictional works, certain elements may be split off into sub-articles per <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:SS" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:SS">WP:SS</a>. Such related articles should be clearly cross-linked so that readers can maintain their understanding of the full context and impact of the work. </p><p>In the cases where we have articles on characters, locations, and other parts of a fictional work, we often have a section that amounts to a fictional biography. These sections are, essentially, just a different kind of plot summary. For instance, an article on <a href="/wiki/Prince_Hamlet" title="Prince Hamlet">Hamlet the character</a> as opposed to <a href="/wiki/Hamlet" title="Hamlet"><i>Hamlet</i> the play</a> would just summarize Prince Hamlet's individual plot arc through the play. This works just like any other summary – again, you come up with a thesis statement, and defend it with evidence from the play. Perhaps you might begin the section with something like, "The play charts Hamlet's tragic downfall as he pursues revenge against his uncle Claudius", and then you'd summarize the events that contribute to that tragic downfall, using all the same guidelines you would in general. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Spoilers" data-mw-thread-id="h-Spoilers"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Spoilers"></span>Spoilers<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Spoilers"></span></h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main page: <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Spoilers" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Spoilers">Wikipedia:Spoilers</a></div> <p>By the nature of being an encyclopedia covering works of fiction, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:DISC" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DISC">Wikipedia contains spoilers</a>. It is traditional for Wikipedia articles on fiction (including <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:FA" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:FA">featured articles</a>) to summarize the work's plot in the section fairly early on (often immediately following the lead, though in other cases after a background section or list of characters and the actors who play them). Information should not be intentionally omitted from summaries in an effort to avoid "spoilers" within the encyclopedia article. (Spoiler warnings were used early in the project, but the consensus of editors was that this practice was unencyclopedic so their use has been discontinued.) </p><p>However, when summarizing a plot and choosing what details to include, editors should use discretion. The advantages of exhaustive coverage of the work are in dynamic tension with the desire to preserve the artistic qualities of the work for readers.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Wikipedia should contain potentially "spoiling" detail where it substantially enhances the reader's understanding of the work and its impact, but be omitted when it merely ruins the experience of the work of fiction for our readers. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Citations" data-mw-thread-id="h-Citations"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Citations"></span>Citations<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Citations"></span></h2></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:PLOTCITE"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PLOTCITE&redirect=no">WP:PLOTCITE</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:PLOTSOURCE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:PLOTSOURCE">WP:PLOTSOURCE</a></div> <p>Citations about the work of fiction generally (that is, cites addressing the commentary, impact or other real-world relevance of the work) are <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research#Primary,_secondary_and_tertiary_sources" title="Wikipedia:No original research">secondary sources</a> no different from citations of non-fictional topics. All interpretation, synthesis or analysis of the plot must be based upon some secondary source. </p><p>Citations about the plot summary itself, however, may refer to the primary source—the work of fiction itself. For example, primary source citations are appropriate when including notable quotes from the work, citing the act/chapter/page/verse/etc. of the quote within the work. For consolidated articles discussing a work published or broadcast in a serial form, a citation to the individual issue or episode is appropriate and should be included to help readers to verify the summary. Plot summaries written purely from other summaries risk excessive loss of context and detail. While consulting other summaries may be helpful in narrowing down on what the major plot elements are, be sure to consult the primary source material to make sure you get it right. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood" data-mw-thread-id="h-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span>Case study: Little Red Riding Hood<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span></h2></div> <p>Let's go through an example: <i><a href="/wiki/Little_Red_Riding_Hood" title="Little Red Riding Hood">Little Red Riding Hood</a></i>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="How_to_begin" data-mw-thread-id="h-How_to_begin-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-How_to_begin-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span>How to begin<span data-mw-comment-end="h-How_to_begin-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span></h3></div> <p>The first thing we should ask is "What is <i>Little Red Riding Hood</i> about?" If you had one sentence to describe what it's about—not summarize it, just describe it—what would you say? Probably something like "<i>Little Red Riding Hood</i> is the story of a young girl's encounter with a dangerous wolf in the woods." This short summary would generally go in the lead of the article. Now that we have that, the next step is to figure out what the parts of that claim are that we're going to have to explain. There are three major ones—there's a young girl, a dangerous wolf, and an encounter. We're going to have to explain what all of those are. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Establishing_the_premise" data-mw-thread-id="h-Establishing_the_premise-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Establishing_the_premise-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span>Establishing the premise<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Establishing_the_premise-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span></h3></div> <p>We should start, probably, with the young girl—she does, after all, come first in our description and in the story. What is there to know about the young girl? Well, we'll want to know her name, what she's like, and what she's doing. So perhaps we'd continue "The girl, Little Red Riding Hood, is described as 'a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her.' She begins the story by trying to take some food to her ailing grandmother in the woods." This is good for a couple of reasons—the brief quote from the text serves to provide good evidence that the summary is being honest, and gives a good sense of her character. The basic premise of the story is described. </p><p>The only problem is that the name of the girl might be a bit confusing—"Little Red Riding Hood" is an odd name. We don't want to have things in the summary that will make the reader feel that they don't know what's going on. So perhaps we should rephrase: "The girl, called Little Red Riding Hood because of the clothes she wears, is described<span class="nowrap"> </span>..." These few words quickly clear up a source of confusion. </p><p>Let's move on. We've already got the girl. Now we need the wolf. What can be said about him? Well, he's another main character, so we'll want to get the same basic information—what do we call him, what's he like, and what does he want? Again, this can be done quickly: "She is noticed by a wolf in the forest, who wishes to eat her." Again, everything is there—we've got a wolf, and we know what he wants—he wants to eat Little Red Riding Hood (which happens to be a pretty good description of what he's like, too). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Getting_to_the_good_stuff" data-mw-thread-id="h-Getting_to_the_good_stuff-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Getting_to_the_good_stuff-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span>Getting to the good stuff<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Getting_to_the_good_stuff-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span></h3></div> <p>Now all we need is a description of the encounter. Since, here we'll want to figure out what the major parts of the encounter are. Obviously the highlight is the "My, what big teeth you have" sequence in the grandmother's house. But as with Red Riding Hood's name, if we just drop the conflict in the house in without context it will just confuse people. So we're going to have to unpack it a bit. On the other hand, we don't need everything in the story—we just need to get enough that the big events make sense. </p><p>So what do we need to know? We'll need to know how the wolf gets into the house and in the grandmother's bed, mainly. But here we have a choice—do we want to relate the story chronologically, or not? In this case, since the story has such an iconic scene, it might be best to start with that and work backwards. So we might write, "The wolf's plans come to a head when he encounters Red Riding Hood in her grandmother's house, having tricked her into revealing her destination and into stopping to pick flowers, giving the wolf time to get there first and capture her grandmother." What we've done here is clearly flagged the encounter in the house as the climax of the story, then gone back and filled in how we got there. </p><p>Now all that remains is to play out the encounter. Here, since we're describing a pretty short portion of the story, we should probably just be chronological. "The wolf, dressed in the grandmother's clothing, lures Red Riding Hood closer. Red Riding Hood grows suspicious, noting that the wolf does not look like her grandmother, remarking "Oh, what big eyes you have" and "Oh, what large ears you have." The wolf explains all of these things tenderly, noting that the eyes are so she can see Red Riding Hood better, until Red Riding Hood remarks on the wolf's teeth, at which point the wolf springs forward to devour her." This is, of course, much more detail than we've gone into elsewhere, but in this case it's worth it—the "what big eyes you have" dialog is an iconic moment of the story, and this encounter is one of the major events of the story. Simply put, this scene is a vital piece of information about the overall work. All the same, we have attempted to be concise—we've given only two examples of Red Riding Hood's questions, and only one of the Wolf's answers before jumping to the big one, the teeth. </p><p>Are we done? Well, no; we've still got a major part of our short summary unfulfilled—we've got some of the encounter, but the encounter isn't over, yet. Thankfully, the ending here is quick and, really, less important than the scene before it. All we need is "She is saved when a woodcutter happens by the cottage and hears the wolf, charges in, and kills the wolf to rescue her and her grandmother." The woodcutter is really a bit of a <a href="/wiki/Deus_ex_machina" title="Deus ex machina">deus ex machina</a> to clear up the ending, and all we really need him for is to make the reader understand that we've come to the end of the encounter. </p><p>And at that point we've got it—we have all of the elements we laid out in our first sentence explained. The reader knows who the girl and the wolf are, and knows how their encounter plays out. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Putting_it_all_together" data-mw-thread-id="h-Putting_it_all_together-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Putting_it_all_together-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span>Putting it all together<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Putting_it_all_together-Case_study:_Little_Red_Riding_Hood"></span></h3></div> <p>So what does that give us? </p> <blockquote><p><i>Little Red Riding Hood</i> is the story of a young girl's encounter with a dangerous wolf in the woods. The girl, named Little Red Riding Hood for the clothes she wears, is described as "a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her". She begins the story by trying to take some food to her ailing grandmother in the woods. She is noticed by a wolf in the forest, who wishes to eat her. The wolf's plans come to a head when he encounters Red Riding Hood in her grandmother's house, having tricked her into revealing her destination and into stopping to pick flowers, giving the wolf time to get there first and capture her grandmother. The wolf, dressed in the grandmother's clothing, lures Red Riding Hood closer. Red Riding Hood grows suspicious, noting that the wolf does not look like her grandmother, remarking "Oh, what big eyes you have" and "Oh, what large ears you have." The wolf explains all of these things tenderly, noting that the eyes are so she can see Red Riding Hood better, until Red Riding Hood remarks on the wolf's teeth, at which point the wolf springs forward to devour her. She is saved when a woodcutter happens by the cottage and hears the wolf, charges in, and kills the wolf to rescue her and her grandmother.</p></blockquote> <p>Not half bad. Obviously when you're writing a plot summary, you probably won't go into as much careful detail in thinking about every decision—for the most part, some aspects, such as picking what is important and what's not is intuitive, and doesn't require a lot of analysis. However, this example gives a sense of the logic that underlies a good summary. </p><p>Some argument could be had here about what to include: Should we have mentioned "The better to eat you with"? Is everything clear? Does only including two of the wolf's responses to the questions confuse the reader? Multiple versions of this story exist, and we've only described one of the many endings. Some sourced discussion and expansion of this part would help generalize the plot summary. However, these sorts of things are where collaborative editing and discussion come into play. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="See_also" data-mw-thread-id="h-See_also"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-See_also"></span>See also<span data-mw-comment-end="h-See_also"></span></h2></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_(writing_about_fiction)" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style (writing about fiction)">Wikipedia:Manual of Style (writing about fiction)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:What_Wikipedia_is_not#PLOT" title="Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not">What Wikipedia is not</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Plot-only_description_of_fictional_works" title="Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works">Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Film/Style_guidelines/Copy-editing_essentials#Don't_lose_the_plot" title="Wikipedia:WikiProject Film/Style guidelines/Copy-editing essentials">Copyediting Essentials – Don't lose the plot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_streamline_a_plot_summary" title="Wikipedia:How to streamline a plot summary">Wikipedia:How to streamline a plot summary</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Notes" data-mw-thread-id="h-Notes"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Notes"></span>Notes<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Notes"></span></h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">For some stories—<i><a href="/wiki/Memento_(film)" title="Memento (film)">Memento</a></i>, for instance, or <i><a href="/wiki/If_on_a_Winter%27s_Night_a_Traveler" class="mw-redirect" title="If on a Winter's Night a Traveler">If on a Winter's Night a Traveler</a></i>—presenting events in the order of the original would not be helpful. The events in these stories are presented nonlinearly, and much of the experience is based on untangling the plot. For the purpose of an encyclopedia, we do not want to add to mystery—we want to explain it. <br/> For something like <i><a href="/wiki/Memento_(film)" title="Memento (film)">Memento</a></i>, where the original order is there for a dramatic reason, we might note that the story is structured in a particular way, and we'll surely want to explain what parts of the story are treated as big revelations.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">As emotionally moving as the end of <i>Hamlet</i> is, the final fight does not need to be described in exquisite detail that attempts to re-create every emotional beat of the scene. Our article should not try to be a replacement for actually reading the play.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">At any particular point of the story, as it unfolds, there is <i>now</i>, and hence a <i>past</i> and a <i>future</i>, so whether some event mentioned in the story is past, present, or, future changes as the story progresses; the entire description is presented as if the story's <i>now</i> is a continuous present.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">This standard parallels the dynamic tension between the policy that <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:NOTCENSORED" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:NOTCENSORED">Wikipedia is not censored</a>, and the practice of not tolerating sensationalism or offensiveness for its own sake.</span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:How_to_write_a_plot_summary&oldid=1255781796">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:How_to_write_a_plot_summary&oldid=1255781796</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_how-to" title="Category:Wikipedia how-to">Wikipedia how-to</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_essays_about_media" title="Category:Wikipedia essays about media">Wikipedia essays about media</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden category: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_semi-protected_project_pages" title="Category:Wikipedia semi-protected project pages">Wikipedia semi-protected project pages</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 6 November 2024, at 17:11<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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