Mysterious beginning clued by blurb?

zahra

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Hi. I'll try and make this succinct.

I have a start to my novel that some people 'get' and some find too mysterious. I've scattered hint throughout the scene that speak to the main theme and plot of the story and about half the readers I've had pick up on the hints, but I'm concerned that some are just confused.

I know most people will just say, well, make it more clear, but I do think the scene will lose a lot if I do. (One reader, I told her what the theme was, implored me NOT to cut a line she found confusing before she knew and she loves the scene now she knows what she's looking for).

OK, I trust you all and I've been working on this for about 100 years, as you can see here - the plot of the story is to do with a village that believes, totally and religiously, in old British superstitions. All of them. Walking under ladders, saying hello to lone magpies, touching wood, etc, the lot.

If I can illustrate my dilemma for a mo: The first scene references a lot of superstitious fears without a character coming out and saying, 'Oooh, I really want to line granddad's bed up with the floorboards so he stops lingering in his last illness, but my husband won't let me.' Instead the character comments ruefully on the coffin-maker maybe not needing to hurry with it so much, but says, 'Granddad needs to die', to which he internally dialogues that her husband will never let her do it and he's boss in his home (referencing an old superstition about who will be boss in a marriage).

My question is, should I get that far, the plot would be revealed to agents, publishers, editors etc, before they even proceed to read the 10 pages or whatever, so - flights of fancy indeed - wouldn't the main plot of a book not be blurbed so the reader knows what the background is before s/he decides to peruse or buy?

Basically, am asking should I not take that into consideration? Or should I still aim to make the subject of their conversation absolutely clear and lose the mystery?

Thanks for reading and for any and all advice.
 
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WeaselFire

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This might be one you have to post in share your work so people can understand the exact issue, but sometimes the writer gets too clever for the readers. Easy to do, you already know the story, they don't. And if they're confused, they may just move on to a different book.

Jeff
 

zahra

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This might be one you have to post in share your work so people can understand the exact issue, but sometimes the writer gets too clever for the readers. Easy to do, you already know the story, they don't. And if they're confused, they may just move on to a different book.

Jeff

Yeah, that. I think I will make it clearer, I don't think I can afford to lose this many hearts and minds...! Thanks.
 

mccardey

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Are you concerned about whether you should clarify the plot for agents and publishers (in your query letter, for instance) or for readers?

If readers - and agent or editor will help you decide that.

If agent or publisher - you'll make it clear in your query letter.

I'm a big fan of write the book you want to write and then do the write-for-publishing part of it once the agent and editor are onboard.