Hey All,
What is the story blurb there for? Why should the author of a story write it? Why do readers read them?
All good questions, I'm sure, but I'm also sure there are at least hundreds more.
Personally I enjoy writing story blurbs - with humour - that have little or nothing to say about the story that follows. This penchant of mine has had the effect that at least one person here at BC - HATES - me. I say, so what? I think it is up to ME to decide what to write for MY stories. If that costs me readership, well, I guess that is just how it is. BTW, I have also had some VERY positive comments about my blurbs, thanks.
Could we here from some of the popular writers please? Theiir thoughts on what they DO write and maybe also on what they would LIKE to write as story blurbs.
Thanks all for your indulgence.
with love,
Hope
I used to write all the story blurbs
Back when I could and did read everything posted because I did all the posting of everyone's stories. I found it a lot of fun. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Thanks Erin
I guess that was before I joined or at least before I began posting here. I think it adds a huge amount to the diversity here that all the blurbs are authored by the writers who write the stories or maybe by the posters of the stories.
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
The "blurb"s?
I like to tease BUT I do NOT want to lie either.
If it might be a controversial topic I warn readers fairly, I hope, but without spoiling the plot.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S IE it is okay to have fun but don't deceive the reader.
There is a BIG difference between ---
Hi John in Wauwatosa,
I'm quite sure teasing people about all maner of things, such as posting the next episode of "TimeOut", is NOT actually lying. One tactic I would like to try someday is to write a completely different story AS the blurb for a story. That WOULD be in line of my usual tactic of saying nothing about the story, right?
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
I could see why a reader may not want a blurb
that isnt related to the story. If I do a blurb at all, its usually a warning about content, or I might say something about how the story came about.
Dorothycolleen
Dorothycolleen, member of Bailey's Angels
I was going to...
I was going to comment, but then I recalled that you restricted your request to popular writers...
As a result, I thought I'd focus my response on what it is in blurbs/teasers or whatever you want to call them in my more common roll as a reader.
If the story is by an author who's work I tend to enjoy, the blurb is rarely of great importance to me, and I may even "skip" it (depends on how busy I am/how much time I have to read). On the other hand, when I run out of things to read - by authors I've come to really enjoy - I do skim the list - looking for a story idea that "sounds interesting" and doesn't sound like it implies that the story has elements I don't enjoy in stories (for me, it's things like forced fem, bondage, gratuitous sex, etc. For others, I'm sure it's other things. And, for me, I will admit that - at least in the forced fem area - a few years ago, I read those a lot too.)... If it strikes my fancy I may give the story a try.
You suggest that some of your "blurbs" have little or nothing to do with your story (or that's what I read anyway). I've seen that in others stories - and more than once, I've ended up NOT reading the story when that becomes apparent. To be honest, it feels like "false advertising".
Some folks write awesome blurbs. Some (that person named Annette is among them) have very mundane blurbs that probably turn away as many readers as they pull in. Blurb writing is a skill! Some really have it.
Anne
To blurb or not to blurb
Hi Annette,
I MEANT writers who are more popular than me, which includes EVERYONE at BC.
Thanks for posting. As to "advertizing", the question is what is the purpose of advertizing? It is to get the product noticed, right? I mean WHAT has a scantily clad female model to do with 'Rigid' plumbing tools? Yet their yearly calender is full of them.
I accept the hit on readership I get from not synopsizing my stories in the blurb. I write for fun, MY fun, first, then for the interaction with the people who DO get past the blurb to actually send me a comment. THANKS EVERYONE WHO DOES!!!
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
No.
No - not everyone at BC is more popular... :-) But, one think I like about this place is that even those of us who still have a LOT to learn about writing, are able to write and post here, without to much fear of flaming.
I wasn't disagreeing that you had the right to put whatever you want in your blurb. I was just trying to explain what I felt, when I started a story - that seemed to be totally unrelated to the blurb. That you recognize it (and from your reply it's obvious you do) is all I was trying to accomplish.
Best of wishes,
Anne
I doubt I count as popular...
And only have three chapters of a single story up so far...
But my blurbs are just the first paragraph or so of the chapter. I figure, that's where I'll draw or turn away readers if I were writing a normal book, so that's where I'll do it here. I usually treat blurbs that are individual from the main story content as just that, whether they're at all related or not, I'll read them, or skip them, find humor in them, but not expect them to guide me too much in choosing to read the story or not. Only the actual story content can make that decision for me.
Abigail Drew.
Abigail Drew.
The only way to 'get' a story is to read the story
Hi Abigail Drew,
Thanks for your comment. I hope you find a little humour in my blurbs, THAT, after all, is their 'raison d' etre'.(So much for my French)
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
Blurbs
Sometimes I write blurbs, and sometimes I don't. If I don't write one, it's because it didn't occur to me to do so at the time.
I try to use a moderate number of the key words on top. Too few, and the reader has nothing to use to decide whether to read the story. Too many, and it all starts to become meaningless. I try to avoid giving away any surprises, though.
Hey, you already know that someone is going to become a girl, or at least want to. I make no bones about my stuff being SF, since it will attract those who like SF, and not waste the time of those who dislike it.
Add the transformations and kitty girls tags, and you have a pretty good idea what is going to happen. Still, no surprises are given away.
But, that's just me. I write my stories to be read and enjoyed, and that appears to be the best way that I can accomplish that. I don't get any money out of it, so it's all about the joy of writing it and the joy of giving to others.
OK, so I'm a bit of a comment whore, too. Which writer isn't?
We all do it for free. Advertise your writing or don't -- it's up to you. If someone isn't interested in what you write, they don't have to read it. It's not like they paid good money for a paperback, only to get it home and hate it.
I check out the key words and, if included, the blurbs. If I think I might be interested in reading it, I open the link in a new tab and check it out. If it doesn't grab my interest, I just close the tab and move on.
What amazes me is how some people can be, shall we say, less than gracious. If I buy something, I expect a good value. If something is offered for free, I am not going to insult that gift, and therefore the giver. I feel that I have no right to tell someone what they should or should not write. Even if I hate what they write, I hold my tongue. Nobody deserves vitriol for offering up their creations.
Wow, great comment
Thanks Ray,
Much to ponder, too. I learned a long time ago, I think it is even a rule somewhere; If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
In reply to hopeeteralreigns"If you have nothing nice to say..."
...
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. -- grin --
P.P.S. Todays word or phrase is Trick or Treat! Say the secret word and win a bag of candy.
It's a treat to see the REAL John, I hope it's not a trick or...
Hi John of Wauwatosa,
You were quite geeky at one time apparently, good thing you have such a great personality.
with love,
Hope, who has no hope of having EITHER great looks or winning personality
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
you know, I see this picture
and now I got the song "I'm against it." In my head. Thanks John
Oh, Mr. Flywheel....
....I do believe the magic word is Wauwautosa?
Martha Phelps:
Tell me, Wolfie dear, will we have a beautiful home?
Wolf J. Flywheel:
Of course. You're not planning on moving, are you?
Martha Phelps:
No, but, uh, I'm afraid after we're married awhile, a beautiful young girl will come along, and, uh, you'll forget all about me.
Wolf J. Flywheel:
Don't be silly. I'll write you twice a week.
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
and then you still have to decide what to do. ― C.S. Lewis
Love, Andrea Lena
Let's see how well my internal translator works
Hey Drea,
Is it "God bless you. With lots of love and affection." ? My translation is based on the roots of English words that are similar to the Italian ones you have used. (And a little bit of Italian learned on construction sites - Though I had to try to filter out all the FIRST things one learns in a new language on construction sites.)
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
Story blurbs, yay!
I like story blurbs. There are types of stories I'm into and others I don't want to read, and the blurb can give me ideas about which category they fall into. And some idea of the author's skills, if the blurb is chock full of typos and such I'll steer clear, if I like the blurb I'll check the story out. I'm skittish about checking out authors I haven't read before, which is bad on my part but it's how I am, and a good blurb can draw me in and I'll take the chance. A good blurb gives me something more than the category tags to work with, and how the category tags are interpreted does vary so very much between authors. If there's no blurb I've no idea what the story is really about, titles often don't really help figure that out. Although some authors I got into because they had well written blog entries, and I went looking to see what they had written, the blog entry serving as a blurb-like object in those cases (Hi Annette!). Anyway, blurbs are good.
Yours,
JohnBobMead
Yours,
JohnBobMead
Oooh, I like your idea of 'Blurb as a test of writing skill'
Hi John,
I suppose my blurbs HAVE to fall into that catagory, because most of them say absolutely nothing about the story content. I'll try to watch my 'P's and 'Q's in my blurbs even more from now on.
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
I started off adding Blurbs and Images to my headers
I originally thought that was just how it was done here. My publisher also wanted a blurb for my novel... can't say whether or not they work though...
Hugs,
Diana
The way things are 'done here' under Erin's watchful eye
Hi Diana,
Thanks for commenting. If you read Erin's comment you can tell that there has ALWAYS been change in the way things are being done here. (Even more than I knew) Mostly everyone does things their own way. Many are influenced by the way others do things, which is a great way to learn 'the ropes'. I have a LOT more respect for someone who KNOWS the rules in intimate detail before attempting to break them, than someone who disreguards all rules. Case in point; Pablo Picasso. He painted photo-perfect paintings before he expanded into impressionism.
I also had a PM from Erin today that caused me to re-evaluate (up-ward) my already very high opinion of Erin and the crew who keep all these sites running.
Thank you Erin for these free, SAFE places to interact and share with others of similar natures.
with love and respect,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
The Content of a Story Blurb
Me, I wonder about a story without the "blurb"
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Blurbless story
Hey Stan,
A story without a blurb would personify the whole concept of not giving away any secrets ahead of time. I guess in that case the potential reader would have to base the potential of the story on more nebulous factors such as the phase of the moon? or maybe whether it is raining - or not? etc. (Rain being one factor in favour of my opening a new story to be read.)
There are at least a dozen writers whose stories I will open as soon as my brain has processed the identity of the author, with a "Blurb? Who cares?" attitude. Then about a dozen more that will definitely be on my reading list, but I read the blurb to see HOW high on the list they will go. Then I start looking at blurbs, yes I know this makes me a hypocrit, and comments of other readers.
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.