I'm writing this post on Halloween, but it's time to welcome you to November. If anyone reading this is participating in National Novel Writing Month, good luck to you! I'll be happy if I finish the first draft of Restaurants and Revenge this month. (I'm well over 50,000 words, but I've changed my mind a couple of times about who the murderer is.)
Since this is the month for writers, it's a good time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group Post. Learn more about them on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. Our hosts this month are Kim Lajevardi, Victoria Marie Lees, Joylene Nowell Butler, Erika Beebe, and Lee Lowery.
Our question for November is What's harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?
In general, I find it easier to come up with a book title than a blurb. Most novel titles come to me either before I start the story or during the first draft. Sometimes they change, but not often. In contrast, I have to finish the book (not just the first draft, but also revisions) before I tackle the blurb. As a pantser, I don't know all the twists and turns before I start writing, so I need to know the entire story before I can write the blurb. It's also easier to be pithy with a phrase than a paragraph. I feel I need more feedback from readers when writing the blurb, since it's targeted at them.
What do you find harder to write, titles or blurbs? Please let me know in the comments.
4 comments:
Some people write a blurb first, using it as the guide to writing the story. I'd think that would be very difficult.
Hope you find your murderer.
Titles come to me relatively easy. Blurbs are harder because you have to make it sell your book and anticipate your target audience's needs more (kind of like what you said in the end there). But asking for feedback from readers about the blurb is a great idea! I think I might do that with the current book I'm working on. Thanks for sharing!
Blurbs certainly take a lot more work.
Titles are hard, but blurbs are harder! I laughed when you said you hadn't decided who the murderer is yet. Hopefully that will make it that much more difficult for the reader to figure out, too. :)
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