The Art Of Blurbing

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Vikki Thompson

I spent some time yesterday morning writing a blurb for the novel I’m just about to start work on. A good exercise to get me focused on what the story is actually about and at least i now know the MC’s name!

I know some people get confused between a blurb and a synopsis, so we should probably start there..

Blurb = Found on the back of a book and used to entice a reader to buy it. Usually two or three paragraphs in length. No spoilers.

Synopsis = A summary of the whole story from beginning to end. Usually about a page long (unless told otherwise) and sent to agents/publishers. Must include spoilers.

So now we’ve cleared that up lets get to the nitty gritty…what should a blurb actually do? What needs to be included?

Wet the readers appetite.
Convey atmosphere.
Indicate what kind of book it is, genre.
Short and sweet, draw the reader in quickly.
Introduce the protagonist.
Describe the theme, if the book has a strong one.

Right, so now i know what a blurb is and what i should include, i must be able to write a great one yeah? lol….you be the judge. This is the blurb i wrote for my new WIP Pressence 🙂

“It just feels so right.” Was the thought that escaped Beth Adams lips as she stood outside number 10 Button Lane with the Estate Agent.

Having battled her ex-husband Michael for nearly two years in their bitter divorce she was looking forward to a fresh start and rebuilding her life. An unloved Victorian house in a picturesque Kent village was exactly what she needed.

But behind the dirty stained glass in the front door lurks a dark force. Beth’s search for recovery soon turns to terror as she is forced to confront her fears and the pressence, with whom she is convinced she shares her new home.

Does beth have the strength to win this last battle? Or will the strain be enough to tip her over the edge?

Do you ever buy books on just the basis of the blurb? I know i do, so i guess its important to get it right 🙂

Open to suggestions and opinions…does this work or do i go back to the drawing board? lol

S Is For…

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Vikki Thompson

We had a lovely sunny day yesterday here in Kent. It was so nice that we had the first Barbecue of the year, all sitting out in the garden, Albie doing laps around the table looking for scraps. And then i get up this morning and its grey, dark and raining. Who stole Spring? 😦

Anyway, today is “S” day on the A-Z Challenge. Im very proud of myself already that I’ve managed to get this far, but i will get to Z 🙂

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Tangled – The Synopsis

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Well, its gone off in the post to The Romantic Novelists Association *bites finger nails* So i thought I’d share the synopsis.

It’s not exactly a synopsis, more like a blurb lol

Tangled is a novel about love, loyalty and the consequences of betrayal.

Anna Scott is a middle aged housewife who is bored with her life. Marriage and the pressures of bringing up children have left her overweight and tired. What happened to the fun loving girl she used to be?

Her husband Tim, several years older and recently retired, is content to potter around his garden and spend the rest of his days relaxing. Anna feels that life is slipping her by and whilst on a girls night out with her best friend she meets Harry, who she once knew as a twelve year old boy when she was involved in his case in her professional capacity, as a social worker.

Against her friends advice she agrees to meet him for a coffee, just to catch up with how his life has changed. But Harry makes it obvious that he wants more than just a mutual friendship. Flattered, Anna soon finds herself involved in a passionate affair with a man 12 years her junior.

Harry tries to persuade her to leave Tim and after she stalls he visits Tim and tells him of the affair. Unbeknown to Harry, Anna has recently aborted his child and Tim takes great pleasure in telling Harry so..

Anna decides to stay with Tim but Harry starts to stalk her. He becomes aggressive and even sets fire to Tim’s car. As Anna and Tim start to rebuild their marriage Tim is found dead on the living room floor, stabbed by a knife that is missing from Anna’s expensive knife block. But who are the suspects? Harry seems the obvious choice, but did Anna really want the boring housewife life after experiencing the excitement of Harry? Or could Tim’s first wife Fay (the one he left to be with Anna) hold the key to Tim’s final hours?

Yeah, ok, it’s definitely more like a blurb isn’t it lol 😉 But that might have something to do with the fact that I haven’t really decided who did kill Tim lol. I have a theory, I know who I’d like to see as the killer, and I know how I want the book to end. It’s completely finished, so at the moment the reader is kind of left wondering who the murderer is.

Photo courtesy of Master isolated images at Freedigitalphotos