The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Jokes, Anyone? and Back-of-the-Book Blurb #83

        Well, it's day three of NaNoWriMo. I've written all three days, but am already two-days' worth of words behind. By the end of today I should have written more than 4,8000 words. Instead, I have 1,788 words...

      ...which is okay, because I like the gauzy as cotton candy plan I've created. I'm writing a middle-grades novel. The main character: Nathan, an 8th grader who loves to pull pranks and tell jokes. When he finds out a teenager was lynched in 1955 all because of a joke, Nathan does some research... and gets immersed in a horrible historical moment.

       I began from a different perspective, but it didn't feel right. At all. So, today I switched, and the story's being told from Nathan's perspective... and it feels right.

      Will I be able to rack up 20-25,000 words by the end of November? Will I be able to write the story from beginning to end by November 30? Only time will tell. However, one thing I know for sure: I will have made more progress than if I hadn't even started NaNoWriMo.

      But I need your help. If you have a favorite joke or two--they need to be kid-friendly--I'd love to hear them. Pranks and jokes are going to pepper the story. One of my students was reading over my shoulder on Thursday, gave me a sly look and knowingly said, "That's an interesting story, Mrs. R," and then he laughed. However, Nathan doesn't know (yet) that he's the star of this WIP...

         And now onto the business of the book blurb...

         Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your bookYou choose the genre. Is it a coffee table book of fashion trends? Is it a photo collection of mentally-ill patients and their clothing choices? You decide.

        Write an enticing blurb--150 words or less. (The title doesn't count in the word count.) Blurbs are those enticing bits that prod you into buying the book. Sometimes they're on the back cover of the book. Sometimes they're on the inside front cover. What they always try to do is lure you into purchasing the book. 

          Lisa Ricard Claro was the original creator of this writing challenge. She moved to Florida, and is too busy to host a weekly book blurb. Her first romance novel, Love Built to Last, just came out as an audio book.  She's quite busy these days. One thing she's been stuck with lately is using an electric cattle prod on me, since I'm late (almost always) with this Friday post (like I am late this week). Maybe some day soon, I can consistently post on a timely basis...
         
          Okay, back to book blurb stuff.
     
          Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. Also, link your post to Mr. Linky. Mr. Linky is easy. If you've never done it, you'll be impressed with how simple he is. And then, check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.

           Here's the book cover, along with my blurb:



The Power of Words

Adara was silent. Always. Being a woman, she knew her place. The men in her life spoke for her. They told her what she wanted. They gave her what she needed. They told her what she thought.

Her father. Her brother. They were the center of Adara’s universe. They were her universe. They eclipsed everything, to the point there was no room for Adara.

But when her application for a fellowship in London was accepted, Adara knew her world was going to change… forever. Her family was not happy, but they told her to contact her London cousins when she got settled… and they could take over for Adara’s father and brother.

However, Adara plans on disappearing. She isn’t going to let any of her family know of her new address.

Soon, she is going to be able to think her own thoughts and create her own universe… with words. (150 words)


And for those dozens of writers who play along each week (ha), here is the photo for next week, so you can work ahead:





9 comments:

  1. I love your story line about Nathan and hope you share the story you come up with! As for Adara, I can imagine her desire for freedom. I grew up in a strict Chinese home where I was expected to get married to a Chinese man and have children and work in a Chinese restaurant. Instead, I forged my parents' name on my college application (I was only 17), got scholarships and loans, and went 800 miles away to college. I eventually married a Caucasian and became a teacher. It was very hard on my family.

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    1. Pat--I would like to read YOUR life story. A forger... a rebel... a rogue.

      Wow!

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  2. Good for Adara! I didn't know where to go with that picture.

    As for jokes...I heard one on the radio for Halloween. "What kind of a boat does a vampire prefer?" A blood vessel!

    One of my favorite jokes is from a Laffy Taffy wrapper. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before. "What does a pig put on a burn?" Oinkment!

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    1. Val--Yeah, I had nothing when I chose that photo. But that's one of the reasons why I like doing this. It's a way of nudging myself out of my box.

      Thanks for the jokes. I might use them.

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  3. Congratulations on committing to NaNo. You've got this! And though you might feel set back with your word count, you're still off to a great start. As for a joke...um, well, I'm blanking on any good ones. The only one that popped into my mind: What is the best time to go to the dentist? Tooth-hurty. (Yeah, I know. *sigh*)

    Your blurb is terrific. That is a book I would read for sure.

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    1. Lisa--Well, a full-blown NaNo is probably overstepping things. I will be happy to get 25,000 words by the end of November. Or December. Or mid-January. It's going to be for middle-grade kids, so 50,000 would be way too much.

      Thanks. That part of the world intrigues me. Women who have been marginalized for centuries... What stories they could tell.

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  4. Oh, Sioux, I don't have a joke but I have the best book rec for you! It's called STEERING TOWARD NORMAL by Rebecca Petruck--MG and lots of pranks in it. Will give you a great feel for MG and what kind of jokes they like! And yes, reading counts for Nano! :-)

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  5. Not sure if this joke will do, but I find it hilarious... it's more of a pun.
    I was having a really rough day... a bunch of books fell on me... and I only had my shelf to blame.

    Also, went to this really emotional wedding... even the cake was in tears.

    I could see myself working in a mirror factory.

    Durp.

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