'Flannery O'Connor said that a good story "resisted paraphrase," by which she meant that a simple summary of a plot or story line would not have the same emotional impact as the whole story. We'll add creative nonfiction to this, too. To understand what she means, think about trying to paraphrase, or describe, a Chopin sonata without actually playing any music. It simply cannot be done. The music stands for itself. Nothing can substitute for it with the same effect -- not the notes on the page, not a verbal description of the melody and harmony, not even a playing of a simplified version of the main theme. This is also true of the kind of fiction and creative nonfiction we are trying to write: simply stating what the piece "is about" should not be able to convey the complexity and subtlety of the piece as a whole. Some essential mystery, or emotional subtlety, will be lost in the paraphrase.'
-- The Making of a Story, by Alice LaPlante