{{ombox|text=This page is not considered a [[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines|Wikipedia guideline]] on Wikipedia, but '''[[MOSWikipedia:PLOT]]'''Manual andof '''[[MOS:FAIRStyle/Writing about USEfiction]]'''areis. Whenever possible, the guidelines should be followed. But most importantlyFurthermore, the[[WP:PLOT|policy]] pointstates isthat thata plot summariessummary shouldn'tshould not swamp an article. This '''''is''''' [[WP:PLOT|policy]].}}
An encyclopedia article about a work of fiction typically includes, but should never be limited to, a summary of the plot. This will give context to the sourced commentary that should also be present. The plot summary should be thorough yet concise, distilling a large amount of information into a brief and accessible format.
As explained in [[Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works]], an '''encyclopedia article''' about a '''work of fiction''' frequently includes a '''concise summary''' 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 ''just'' 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.
