Philip P. Ide

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blog:articles_on_writing:description_or_teaser [2019/02/18 13:35] Phil Ideblog:articles_on_writing:description_or_teaser [2021/06/17 10:12] (current) Phil Ide
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 ====== Description or Teaser? ====== ====== Description or Teaser? ======
-{{blog:book-flat.png }}+{{blog:book-flat.png?128 }} 
 +When you write the blurb that goes on the back of the book, should you write a **description** or a **teaser**? This article explores that question, explaining why each of them work and what their effects are, and why sometimes one is a better choice than the other. 
 + 
 +//I wrote this article back in June 2017, and it has become one of my most popular articles on writing. I've moved it here to give it a wider audience.// 
 +---- 
 +=== ===
 Back when I was at school and bereft of money, I used the public and school libraries to sate my thirst for things to read, and managed to get through about a hundred and fifty books a year. Luckily, both libraries were close to hand. Thanks to the genius of my English teacher, fresh from teacher training college, reading suddenly became immensely popular and so the libraries were well stocked and frequently updated with fresh books. Back when I was at school and bereft of money, I used the public and school libraries to sate my thirst for things to read, and managed to get through about a hundred and fifty books a year. Luckily, both libraries were close to hand. Thanks to the genius of my English teacher, fresh from teacher training college, reading suddenly became immensely popular and so the libraries were well stocked and frequently updated with fresh books.
  
 You have to remember that this was at a time when there were only three channels on the TV, there were no cell phones (let alone smart phones), and computer games were limited to a rudimentary form of tennis. It was either read or do something that would likely get you in trouble, and I chose to read. You have to remember that this was at a time when there were only three channels on the TV, there were no cell phones (let alone smart phones), and computer games were limited to a rudimentary form of tennis. It was either read or do something that would likely get you in trouble, and I chose to read.
-=== ===+
 So the question was (and still is), how did I choose which books to take home with me? You might think that the cover art played an important part, but the truth is the art only got me to look at the back cover to read the blurb, and I was just as likely to read that blurb no matter how good or bad that art was, until I had picked out the three books I’d be taking home with me that week. So the question was (and still is), how did I choose which books to take home with me? You might think that the cover art played an important part, but the truth is the art only got me to look at the back cover to read the blurb, and I was just as likely to read that blurb no matter how good or bad that art was, until I had picked out the three books I’d be taking home with me that week.
  
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 Let’s examine the same book using both methods. I’m going to use a story that is well known (and sadly, not written by me), both as a bestselling novel and a major movie: The Martian. Let’s examine the same book using both methods. I’m going to use a story that is well known (and sadly, not written by me), both as a bestselling novel and a major movie: The Martian.
  
-**DESCRIPTION** +**DESCRIPTION**\\ 
-- - - +- - -\\ 
-Mark Watney is an astronaut, partway through a mission to Mars, when a major sandstorm forces them to abandon both the surface and the rest of the mission. Critically injured during the evacuation, he is left for dead by his crewmates.+Mark Watney is an astronaut, partway through a mission to Mars, when a major storm forces them to abandon both the surface and the rest of the mission. Critically injured during the evacuation, he is left for dead by his crewmates.
  
-Alone on a hostile planet, he must learn how to survive for four years using every ounce of his training as an astronaut, an engineer and a botanist. An uplifting story about overcoming insurmountable odds.+Alone on a hostile planet, he must learn how to survive for four years using every ounce of his training as an astronaut, an engineer and a botanist. An uplifting story about overcoming insurmountable odds.\\
 - - - - - -
  
 Admittedly, the description could be a bit longer, but you get the drift. Andy Weir, the author, wisely went with a teaser instead. Admittedly, the description could be a bit longer, but you get the drift. Andy Weir, the author, wisely went with a teaser instead.
  
-**TEASER** +**TEASER**\\ 
-- - -+- - -\\
 I’m stranded on Mars. I’m stranded on Mars.
  
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 If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.
  
-So yeah. I’m screwed.+So yeah. I’m screwed.\\
 - - - - - -
  
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 There are other ways to write a teaser. This the teaser I wrote for a story called “The Ghost Gun”. It works by introducing you to the strange weapon, two of the leading characters, some of the complications, and then throwing in a plot twist that grabs your attention: There are other ways to write a teaser. This the teaser I wrote for a story called “The Ghost Gun”. It works by introducing you to the strange weapon, two of the leading characters, some of the complications, and then throwing in a plot twist that grabs your attention:
  
-**The Ghost Gun** +**The Ghost Gun**\\ 
-- - - +- - -\\ 
-The Armshadd-650 is known to the military as the game-changer. On the streets it's known as the ghost gun. Nobody ever got wounded by it. If you get hit, you die. It doesn't even leave a body.+The Armshadd-650 is known to the military as the game-changer. On the streets it's known as the ghost gun. Nobody has ever been wounded by it. If you get hit, you die. It doesn't even leave a body.
  
 Shay Burton, caught in the crossfire between rival street gangs, is killed by a ghost gun. Shay Burton, caught in the crossfire between rival street gangs, is killed by a ghost gun.
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 Daz is on the run. The police, the army and rival gangs are all hunting him. So are intelligence agencies and a group of mercenaries, not to mention a crazy girl. Things look bad for him right now, and he has no idea how to get out of this mess. Daz is on the run. The police, the army and rival gangs are all hunting him. So are intelligence agencies and a group of mercenaries, not to mention a crazy girl. Things look bad for him right now, and he has no idea how to get out of this mess.
  
-Only one thing is certain. Shay Burton is dead. The problem is, she's really not happy about it.+Only one thing is certain. Shay Burton is dead. The problem is, she's really not happy about it.\\
 - - - - - -
  
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 Whether you write a description, a teaser or mix the two is up to you, but remember that something that excites is always going to have more pulling power. Whether you write a description, a teaser or mix the two is up to you, but remember that something that excites is always going to have more pulling power.
 +
 +~~socialite~~
 +
blog/articles_on_writing/description_or_teaser.1550496930.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/02/19 12:15 (external edit)

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