My MG book's plot arc is: MC inherits something and discovers it’s in peril so needs to find it and protect it’ (sorry to be vague but agent doesn’t want me mentioning idea anywhere!). If I ever get published, I imagine the nature of this ‘find it and protect it’ quest will be clear on the blurb – like the fact Percy Jackson needs to recover the lightening bolt is clear from the book’s blurb.
Or does it? In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, his ‘quest’ isn’t really on the blurb, it’s all just about the fact he’s a wizard with no mention of the philosopher’s stone (apart from in the title). So he doesn’t find out he needs to stop the philosopher’s stone from getting into the clutches of Voldermort until later in the book and the main reveal in Act 1 is that he’s a wizard.
So… in current ms, MC discovers her ‘quest’ around ch8/9. She discovers she’s inherited something by ch3, like HP.
I was chatting to a friend last night and we re-arranged my plot so it fit the 3 plot arc with 9 turning points, and she suggested moving the ‘reveal’ of the MC’s duty to even later – so more like ch 13/14 (or, on the 3 act plot arc, the mid turning point of act 2).
I don’t know whether to reveal the quest early and have it on my blurb / hook when agent subs, or reveal is later, and only hint at it in blurb / hook?
When do you first introduce your MC’s quest? And do you make it clear in your blurb / hook?
Or does it? In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, his ‘quest’ isn’t really on the blurb, it’s all just about the fact he’s a wizard with no mention of the philosopher’s stone (apart from in the title). So he doesn’t find out he needs to stop the philosopher’s stone from getting into the clutches of Voldermort until later in the book and the main reveal in Act 1 is that he’s a wizard.
So… in current ms, MC discovers her ‘quest’ around ch8/9. She discovers she’s inherited something by ch3, like HP.
I was chatting to a friend last night and we re-arranged my plot so it fit the 3 plot arc with 9 turning points, and she suggested moving the ‘reveal’ of the MC’s duty to even later – so more like ch 13/14 (or, on the 3 act plot arc, the mid turning point of act 2).
I don’t know whether to reveal the quest early and have it on my blurb / hook when agent subs, or reveal is later, and only hint at it in blurb / hook?
When do you first introduce your MC’s quest? And do you make it clear in your blurb / hook?
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) be enough to break up the big chunk of explanations at the beginning?