Absolute Write's NaNoWriMo shelf -- your back cover.

bsolah · Oct 9, 2008

Take this scenario, a potential reader walks into a bookstore and finds a shelf it reads 'Absolute Write's 2008 National Novel Writing Month works' and on it are all of the completed novels for this years NaNoWriMo from Absolute Write members.

The potential reader picks up your book, turns it over and reads to back cover blurb. What does it say?

DamaNegra · Oct 9, 2008

It says:

"Don't read this book. Seriously. It sucks."

bsolah · Oct 9, 2008

Hadeon, a slave tortured both by the disappearance of his parents and the violence of his master, has had enough. Believing he's strong and wise enough to escape too and find the man who will lead him to his parents, he rebels and sets off walking...

800 Years later, an archaeologist, has already written his obituary at 20, and in it, it says he was known for discovering something. The What doesn't matter. The discovery and the fame does. When the people around him believing he's dreaming run away or get in his way, he runs off on his own, to start a blank slate and follow one chance he gets.

But what he finds might have been better left undiscovered -- and is definitely not worth the cost.

Deccydiva · Oct 10, 2008

Liz has finally found the great love of her life, Nick, and can't wait to start a new life with him. There's a slight hitch though - she's already married to Richard who believes they have a perfect marriage. Richard must go - and Liz plans the perfect murder. Then her brother Andy turns up unannounced with a few problems of his own and Liz suddenly finds herself in danger from an unexpected quarter...

GeorgieB · Oct 10, 2008

In his first attempt at publishing his NaNoWriMo output, GeorgieB strikes a blow against self-publishing with this marvelous story about three penguins, a mule, two ducks and a goat.

The penguins, a quiet group of bi-sexuals, are interrupted during their yearly yelling and pushing mating dance by the two ducks, who have been knocked off course from their own downy beds by the mule and the goat who have entered into a sinful relationship involving a feed bucket, a watering trough and the farmer's daughter.

Disregard the frequent mispellings, the grammatical errors and the shifty points of view that will leave you breathless and looking for your reading glasses.

The price of this book is well worth the twenty or thirty minutes of enjoyment you will receive before throwing it across the room.

A wonderful achievement.

TheIT · Oct 10, 2008

"Switchback"

Fifteen years ago, Gideon Kestoney, journeyman mage and estranged heir to House Kestoney, inherited the lordship when his family was murdered by assassins.

Now, fifteen years later, a messenger arrives on Lord Gideon's doorstep with a desperate plea for help from a small mining village beholden to House Kestoney. Not an unusual occurence, except for a few points. According to Kestoney records, the village and all the villagers were destroyed in an avalanche fifteen years ago. The message is addressed to Lord Victor Kestoney, Gideon's murdered father, yet dated this year. And the messenger is completely insane...

DamaNegra · Oct 10, 2008

Ok, I'll try. Fulano Pérez is not the name of my MC, it's like John Doe because I don't have a name for him yet.

Fulano Pérez has known pain. He's lost a wife forever, but even after thirteen years, he's not giving up hope on finding the son that was stolen for him. As he approaches revenge, however, he will learn that not only is the abyss staring back, but that he has become the abyss.

Yeah... I suck at this.

benbradley · Oct 13, 2008

"OMG, are YOU ever in Deep Trouble!"

WittyandorIronic · Oct 28, 2008

I didn't look for this thread before I started my own, so I will just copy Annie and mine's contribution here.

WittyandorIronic said:
I am eager to start on NaNo, but instead of cheating I decided to write a synopsis/back cover blurb for my story. I have to say, it helped in unexpected ways as I decided to change the crime to have more immediate impact on the plot, and I like it a lot better. So, here is my blurb:

(Working Title) Living with the Dead:
Sarah Baxter's latest case involves a dead junkie that didn't OD, and a vampire suspect. Inter-species murders are nothing new, but the more Sarah investigates, the more she upsets everyone around her - vampire and humans alike. Her partner thinks she is wasting her time, her chief is drowning her in new assignments, and the vampire community has retreated into nervous silence. Suspiciously, the only person who seems to be on her side is a darkly handsome vampire. When Sarah stumbles into a disturbing ritual, she finds herself the center of more than just his hungry attention, and that's when the real danger starts. As Sarah comes to accept the changes in her life, she is forced to decide between vampires that might want to kill her, and humans that definitely do.

What is your Back Cover Blurb / Synopsis?

AnnieColleen said:
Didn't we already have a thread on this?

Kian Polestar Ulysses is clear on his role in life: be ready to step into his mother's rank (and his late father's) as ruler of the world-ship Ulysses. Guild squabbles, inter-ship diplomacy, and a bride-to-be he hardly knows are all part of the job -- and, as far as Kian is concerned, so are street theater festivals and rishi games against all comers.

Then a dagger in the shadows and a whispered warning bely all that: "Polestars defy probability, in their living and in their dying." An accident while pursuing the assailant leaves Kian stranded on a hostile planet with the young assassin, who swears she meant no harm, and with no way to get word to Ulysses unless he carries the message himself.

Among the world-ships, desertion is a capital crime. And there are those close to the Polestar who mean to see that sentence carried out, when -- and if -- Kian ever makes it home.

Here's what I put up on the NaNo forum:

cklayne · Oct 28, 2008

Nocturne

Natalia Parrish has always been interested in history, thanks to her father who is a former archaeologist and Catholic priest, but nothing could prepare her for meeting a living, breathing piece of history face to face, in the form of an 80 year old vampire! There is a civil war brewing among the remaining vampires and it seems that Natalia's past has thrust her right in the middle of it. Faced with destroying the love of her life or allowing the human race to be enslaved, Natalia's future is beginning to look like ancient history as well.

dgiharris · Oct 28, 2008

Silly-con Valley

Kevin (an engineer working in one of those top secret places that doesn't exist) suffers a horrible fate--he is promoted to program management! But if he is to sell his soul, he figures why not get the best price? He goes to work for a Silicon Valley company poised to change the world with its Solar Technology. If only the company weren't run by morons, no wonder the previous manager commited suicide. Or did he? Kevin discovers an intricate plot to deny the world this revolutionary technology. Can a lowly program manager and his engineers overcome the idiotic bueacracy and thwart the evil that would prevent Solar Tech from changing the world?

larrypotter · Oct 28, 2008

Compelling... A Must-Read... A Thrill-Ride...

If you do one thing in 2008, read this book. It doesn't have a point, in fact, it is completely devoid of plot, characters, or purpose. But it's great. Potter has really out-done himself this time.

Thrillride · Oct 28, 2008

larrypotter said:
Compelling... A Must-Read... A Thrill-Ride...

If you do one thing in 2008, read this book. It doesn't have a point, in fact, it is completely devoid of plot, characters, or purpose. But it's great. Potter has really out-done himself this time.

Hey..hey...hey...no using my name to further your career.

D).

Karen Duvall · Oct 28, 2008

MYSTIC TAXI

Coal is king and steam is the dream in a twenty-first century where the internal combustion engine never caught on. The latest technology is demonetics, a unique kinetic energy produced by demons. Henry Paine, a half-demon taxi driver in New York City, is the go-to guy when you need a demon to possess your machine. He can get the blackmarket Imps, Snits and Vox demons to automate most any mechanical gizmo with or without an engine. The creatures are tame as pets. Or at least they have been, until now.

Wanda Snow is an exorcist who grudgingly admits to having a few drops of demon blood herself. She's come to New York to rid the city of demonic vermin, both good and bad. Wanda starts out as Henry's nemesis, but the two become partners in a mutual goal to round up the rogues biting the Big Apple.

Henry's former best friend Jasper has created an army of robots powered by the rogue demons. Jasper's goal is to wipe out the humans and make Hellspawn, the half-demons like he and Henry, the dominating race. It's up to Henry and Wanda to take down the robots and keep humanity intact.

RJK · Oct 28, 2008

Hey Georgie, my story is almost identical to yours. Except the 3 penguins are one 3 foot crane and the 2 ducks are 20 coy and there is no mule. Oh, and the goat is the neighbor's dog. I guess the stray cat could be the goat. Mine is a thrilling story of a serial killer where the dog ends a horrible series of pisciscides.

larrypotter · Oct 30, 2008

Thrillride said:
Hey..hey...hey...no using my name to further your career.D).

Oh yeah? Well, no using my back cover to further your name!

Kidding. I'll speak with my publisher after Nano and make sure we re-word the back cover blurb!

Alpha Echo · Oct 30, 2008

SOLITARY STRENGTH

Avery Robinson lives in the past. Ten years ago, her high school sweetheart and first husband Cadan Miller left to pursue his photojounalist career, a decision she never fully understood. Her years with him were filled with love and happiness, and his abandonment pushed Avery into a depression she tries to hide. Now she's married to a controlling man she will never love, and the only joy in her life springs from her ten-year old daughter Adriana.

One morning Avery receives a frantic phone call, and three hours later, she's paralyzed with the news - Cadan has cancer. She decides to visit him in the hospital, and seeing him for the first time since he left simultaneously lifts her spirits and deepens her depression.

As his disease worsens, they both struggle with the love between them that only grew with distance and time, and Avery's guilty conscience fights its way to the surface. Cadan deserves to know the truth about Adriana, but the effects would be devestating to everyone.

Alphabeter · Oct 30, 2008

This book is hazardous to your brain.

If you like the way you think, PUT IT DOWN.

WittyandorIronic · Oct 30, 2008

(snipped)

Alpha Echo said:
SOLITARY STRENGTH
As his disease worsens, they both struggle with the love between them that only grew with distance and time, and Avery's guilty conscience fights its way to the surface. Cadan deserves to know the truth about Adriana, but the effects would be devestating to everyone.

Woah...heavy.

Alpha Echo · Oct 30, 2008

WittyandorIronic said:
Woah...heavy.

Is that a good thing?

(I could use some validation...

)

WittyandorIronic · Oct 30, 2008

Compelling plot? Check. Internal and external conflict? Check. 3-D Characters? Check. Big dramatic twist? Check. Sounds like a winner so far! Plus, I really want to know if they end up with a happy ending or not... and if he dies. And what happens to the ex... And is she angry at him for leaving or just sad... And what does the daughter think of everything... lol. As a girlfriend of mine regularly says, "Hurry up and write it so I can find out what happens!"
Besides, Nicolas Sparks makes a pretty decent living off of 'heavy', so I think you are good.

Alpha Echo · Oct 30, 2008

Yay! Haha. Thanks! You just gave me some confidence I needed!!!

BBShopMom · Oct 30, 2008

I'm thinking about something like this:

"Am I Dreaming?"

Penelope was a dreamer. She grew up dreaming of all the things young mid-western girls dreamed of and as an adult, she dreamed of a better, more exciting life. One day, her dreams started coming true, quite literally. It was then that she began to wonder if a person could influence their dreams and create a whole new life for themselves.

Absolute Write's NaNoWriMo shelf -- your back cover.

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

DamaNegra

Mexican on the loose!

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

Deccydiva

Back from the dead

GeorgieB

Almost a wannabe writer

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

DamaNegra

Mexican on the loose!

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

WittyandorIronic

cklayne

dgiharris

Disgruntled Scientist

larrypotter

Thrillride

A Suburban Farmer

Karen Duvall

Chalice the Hatchet Knight

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

larrypotter

Alpha Echo

I should be writing.

Alphabeter

Player of the Letters

WittyandorIronic

Alpha Echo

I should be writing.

WittyandorIronic

Alpha Echo

I should be writing.

BBShopMom