Writerly Ways
Apr. 20th, 2025 11:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessTo my friends who celebrate Happy Easter 
I had a thing planned but I had a critical low sugar event (on a day where I ate chocolate eggs, peeps and had couscous for dinner, why?) and then trying to get my sugar up I aspirated some food into my lungs. I feel like crap so here have this question instead.
How do you handle blurbs? Especially my indie author folk? I'm reading Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis and the point of view character is either mentally ill and hearing voices, like real people, (like her brother and father) or something else is going on. Regardless, the blurb spoils the fact her would-be girlfriend is murdered and the character can't be sure that she is innocent of the crime and I'm like way to totally take away ALL the tension of multiple scenes while we're working up to where did Mila go, did she ghost Neely after their one night together? etc. If you want to have a tense, teasing blurb, murder is a way to do it but wouldn't something like 'after the night of the bonfire that leaves one of them dead' be better? It leaves the tension in the story instead of the reader ticking off time until this character dies (and there are multiple people working at this cavern so it could have been any of them)
I'm not sure I have wisdom as to writing blurbs but I know that wasn't the way to do it (btw this is a NY bestselling author and a biggish publishing house and no I wasn't brave enough to ask her about the blurb when I was talking to her last weekend)
OPEN CALLS
Spook Hollow: Tales of Ozark Horror Horror stories set in the Ozark mountains
NonBinary Review #41 Solarpunk
Cosmic Roots And Eldritch Shores May 2025 Window Well written original work in science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form, and from around the world.
Anomaly May 2025 Window Science fiction stories under 300 words
Gen-X Flash Fiction Anthology Scifi, speculative fiction, fantasy, not horror that showcases Gen-X
Starship Blunder 2 Shared Universe set on the Starship Blunder, most genres welcome, you DO need to read the guidelines for details and characters
56 Traditional Children’s Book Publishers Seeking Submissions (No Agent Required)
5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in April 2025
Folklore Review—Now Seeking Submissions
From Around the Web
What Is Romantasy?
The Key to Creating Suspense Is...
How to Sell Your Book (Online and In-Store)
A Peek Inside the Mind of a Developmental Editor
Lessons From a Writer and Her Rejections.
How to Play The Subtext Game with Your Dialogue
I had a thing planned but I had a critical low sugar event (on a day where I ate chocolate eggs, peeps and had couscous for dinner, why?) and then trying to get my sugar up I aspirated some food into my lungs. I feel like crap so here have this question instead.
How do you handle blurbs? Especially my indie author folk? I'm reading Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis and the point of view character is either mentally ill and hearing voices, like real people, (like her brother and father) or something else is going on. Regardless, the blurb spoils the fact her would-be girlfriend is murdered and the character can't be sure that she is innocent of the crime and I'm like way to totally take away ALL the tension of multiple scenes while we're working up to where did Mila go, did she ghost Neely after their one night together? etc. If you want to have a tense, teasing blurb, murder is a way to do it but wouldn't something like 'after the night of the bonfire that leaves one of them dead' be better? It leaves the tension in the story instead of the reader ticking off time until this character dies (and there are multiple people working at this cavern so it could have been any of them)
I'm not sure I have wisdom as to writing blurbs but I know that wasn't the way to do it (btw this is a NY bestselling author and a biggish publishing house and no I wasn't brave enough to ask her about the blurb when I was talking to her last weekend)
OPEN CALLS
Spook Hollow: Tales of Ozark Horror Horror stories set in the Ozark mountains
NonBinary Review #41 Solarpunk
Cosmic Roots And Eldritch Shores May 2025 Window Well written original work in science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form, and from around the world.
Anomaly May 2025 Window Science fiction stories under 300 words
Gen-X Flash Fiction Anthology Scifi, speculative fiction, fantasy, not horror that showcases Gen-X
Starship Blunder 2 Shared Universe set on the Starship Blunder, most genres welcome, you DO need to read the guidelines for details and characters
56 Traditional Children’s Book Publishers Seeking Submissions (No Agent Required)
5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in April 2025
Folklore Review—Now Seeking Submissions
From Around the Web
What Is Romantasy?
The Key to Creating Suspense Is...
How to Sell Your Book (Online and In-Store)
A Peek Inside the Mind of a Developmental Editor
Lessons From a Writer and Her Rejections.
How to Play The Subtext Game with Your Dialogue
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