Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Blurbs vs Openings

This is topic Blurbs vs Openings in forum Fragments and Feedback for Short Works at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :

I have to admit that I'm having some difficulty with the "13-line rule" that this group seems very keen on, in terms of getting the editor to turn to the second page of a manuscript. For short stories I can certainly understand the need for a hook, since you aren't dealing with a story that has a lot of space. But mostly, I write novels (or novellas, in a few cases - I'm really bad at finding an idea I can treat and complete in sub-7500 word time), and I'm not happy at always throwing people right in to the action, or offering an immediate hook; there's much to be said for letting both the story, and the atmosphere, build.

Novels (particularly genre novels) almost invariably have a blurb on the back, designed to give the casual browser some idea of what is going to be in the book, ideally without giving too much away. To my mind, in a novel, you're more likely to try and hook using the blurb than using the first few lines of text.

If I were to post such a blurb here, rather than the first 13 lines, would that be acceptable? Or would people want a blurb AND the first 13 lines? Or should I just change my novel style, and ensure that I try and get a hook into those first 13?

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

Having the uncanny ability to write pieces under 2500 words and over 70000 words and nothing in between, I think it's safe to say I understand the difference. The first 13 is a completely different animal than the back cover copy. (A blurb is a quote from someone else that graces the cover to help sales.)

The first 13 lines is there to set up the story, introduce the reader to your world, and get the reader's attention. The more of that in a few lines as possible, the better.

The back cover copy is to make the reader interested enough to sell the book, and it must stand on its own. It doesn't matter what it says after the book is paid for. A very strong back cover blurb will also help sell the manuscript because you can use it in your query letter.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

I would go for the hook, myself.

I went through a useful exercise over at LH. I made a list of all my WIPs and wrote brief blurbs for each. The intent was to help me decide which to complete first. I had also asked for feedback from the Submittals Club, so that made it easier for them as well. In essence, I was trying to sell the stories to myself, and to them.

Posted by abby (Member # 2681) on :

tchernabyelo, I tend to agree with you. Last week, I went back and read the first page of all my favorite books, sci-fi, fantasy, classicsn and even non-fiction. All of my favorites build the character first, then the action. Others I like, but less so, because they start with more action. (Of course Dickens was my favorite writer as a teen, so that says something about my writing style too).

For me I need an introduction paragraph at least, before I get to dialog. Even then, unless it is a sequel, and I know the characters, I get lost too easy.

I think there are two different groups on this board, and in their readership circles (well more than two). Mostly those who begin with action, then develop character, and those who begin with character and have a reason for the first bit of action. Neither is wrong, they will just attract different audiences.

So the question becomes: Are you trying to draw a reader from the television screen? Or are you trying to attract readers who avoid the television screen? Then write for the audience you want.

Oh, and some have said the same about my stories. In fact, my character building chapter (3 pages) may end up a prologue. It has to be there, otherwise, how would anyone realize how much this character changes, and just when she starts to change?

Best of luck!

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

If the opening is dull, I'm just going to put the book down and buy something else. It's very simple.

You don't need to start with some ginormous battle scene or something, but you need to capture the reader's interest. There are a lot of ways to do that; starting with action is only one of them.

The purpose of the first page is to get the reader to continue reading. That's all. If you write static descriptions of scenery that are so beautiful and compelling that I can't put it down - great. I'll keep reading. But it's usually easier to start with an interesting character doing something.

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

And the 13 line rule is as much about protecting your publication rights as it is about enforcing any kind of discipline about writing compelling openings.

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

No one is required to post the first 13 lines in order to ask for volunteers to give feedback. You are certainly welcome to provide something similar to a back-cover blurb, if you like. (You should know, by the way, that publishers use their own blurb writers and rarely, if ever, use a blurb written by the author of the book.)

I think people who prefer a bit of the text (that is, the first 13 lines) prefer to see that because it gives them a clue about what they are going to be reading if they do ask you to send them the rest of your manuscript for feedback. But they also like to know more of what a story is about, so you can post both, if you like.

When I pick up a book by someone I've never heard of before, I read the back-cover (or inside-jacket-front-flap) blurb AND the first bit (13 lines, paragraph, or page) before deciding if I want to read it.

Posted by dee_boncci (Member # 2733) on :

The "hook" at the opening doesn't have to be something blatant like a cliff-hanger scene or something. But there should be something there to get the readers attention and curiosity right from the start.

As was alluded to above, simply introducing an interesting character, or interesting situation, can be enough to pique a readers interest. Get them to care or be interested in what they're reading on page 1, don't make them wait to page 5.

Too blatant of an opening hook can be turn-off. You can save the big action/suspense hooks for chapter and scene endings.

I think the emphasis on the opening hook is more to get the attention of an editor who is quite possibly jaded and cynical from wading through a mountainous slush pile. If you bore her/him on the first page, she/he will know there is a 99% chance the work is no good. If they get interested right away then they might know there is a 20% chance the work is good. Which would you invest time in reading (especially when it's novel-length stuff)?

A "customer" reader will probably give you some more slack, but just a little. Most books I've started and not finished were abandoned in the first chapter. Not because they were bad per se, Just not interesting enough to successfully compete for my time.

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

I agree with most of what has been said, but tchenabyelo has a point in that for a novel, I give more than the 1st 13 lines to catch my interest (half a chapter if I'm generous, 2-3 pages else). Insisting that the reader be hooked in the first 13 lines just doesn't matter as much for a novel. That said, I don't have any good ideas of how to remedy the problem. A blurb (less dramatic than most blurbs I see) plus some text might be a better idea than just 13 lines. As Kathleen pointed out, most people use both blurb and text before deciding whether to read a book.

Posted by Dandelion (Member # 2582) on :

quote:
You should know, by the way, that publishers use their own blurb writers and rarely, if ever, use a blurb written by the author of the book

Hm, that would explain why sometimes the blurb totally misses the point.

Lisa

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

I never read blurbs because they always give the plot away.

It might be true that I'll give a book more than thirteen lines, but if the first thirteen lines are dull, I won't even give it that. By dull, I do not mean that I'm looking for a book that begins in the middle of a fight. I'm looking for something intriguing, be that language, setting, character or situation.

Besides that, I'll reiterate Kathleen's point that the thirteen line rule here is to protect your rights.

Posted by dee_boncci (Member # 2733) on :

I've seen blurbs on the back of novels that lead me to conclude whoever wrote them never read the book.

I never use them in deciding to buy a book. I occasionally look at them when having trouble figuring out where a book fits in a series

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

It doesn't have to start in action, but it does need to start someplace interesting.

Posted by NewsBys (Member # 1950) on :

People sometimes post info about thier story along with thier frag, but I tend to skip the info and read the frag. If I am hooked by the frag, I ask to read the story. I only read the blurby info after I have read the story.

I do that because, when someone tells me the plot ahead of time, it biases the way I read the manuscript.

I would rather read the story, and then read the blurby info, so I can offer comments on whether or not the story conveys the idea the writer intended to express.
If what I understood does not match what the writer intended, then I can tell the writer why I came to unintended conclusions.

[This message has been edited by NewsBys (edited July 21, 2005).]

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

One of the most useful pieces of information I've gathered from this board is the importance of the first 13. Blurbs are just mini infodumps about the plot, and generally within a genre like sci-fi or fantasy they are nearly interchangeable. ("Young boy/girl finds artifact/power/unexplained event that changes his/her life and puts her in a position where he/she is forced to mature so he/she can save the world/universe.")

However, when I am book shopping I DO read the first 13 to determine if the writing style agrees with me. I can tell a lot about the author in that first 13. I am not judging the story as much as I am the style. I am looking to see if the writer seems to be able to write in a clear manner? Is the dialog too rigid and archaic? Does it sound stupid? Is it trite? Are there ANY intriguing hooks here whatsoever? If the 13 line hook looks promising, I'll flip to a few random pages deeper in the book to make sure the good style didn't fade. If the style seems intriguing, and the premise of interest, I'll buy. Otherwise it goes back on the shelf.

The cover blurb and art make me pull it off the shelf for closer examination. The 13 lines make me buy.

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

Yeah. All that.

On a more practical note, you'll probably get volunteers to read and critique a first chapter, but probably nobody will volunteer to crit an entire novel right off. Don't worry, you can send a reader the rest later if both of you are convinced that would be a good idea.

This works in your favor in two ways. One a reader that has volunteered to read a chapter rather than to give you an opinion on your whole novel is much more likely to actually read a whole chapter before sending you the crit. Second, you'll be in a better position to decide who you want critting your entire novel after you've gotten a chapter's worth of criticism back from the candidates.

I won't point out any downsides, since I'm not aware of any.

Really, just offer the first thirteen and ask for readers of one chapter. It works.