Whaaat??? TWO Flash Fiction challenges in one week?

Posted byDan Alatorre AUTHORPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , , ,
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Your humble host.

Sure, why not?

 

Let’s learn to write a blurb!

 

We all need to do it, and practice makes perfect!

But.

Let’s write one for a book or movie we all know, to learn the process. Because while we’re all slapping down words in volume to build a story, a blurb is baiting the hook to get readers to read the story. Completely different.

 

It’s a tease, a sales pitch, a… baited hook.

 

In her book Gotta Read It, Libby Hawker says there are 5 steps to a good blurb.

  1. A Character, who
  2. Wants something, but
  3. Something stands in her way, so she
  4. Struggles against that force, and
  5. Something important is at stake

 

We’ve seen something similar to this before.

In December 2013, Digital Book World’s Beth Bacon posted “4 Easy Steps To An Irresistible Book Blurb” Which we used to make some fun  stuff. 

(1) Situation.

(2) Problem.

(3) Hopeful possibility.

(4) Mood, tone or spirit of the story.

 

The next things Bacon recommends are:

  • Make it short.
  • Make it dramatic.

 

Readers want tension in a blurb.

If your blurb doesn’t hook your readers, they’re going to assume your book won’t hook them either.

 

And we did some of that for my new story. But like anything else, the more you practice it, the better you’ll get.

 

Let’s try it. Write your own blurb for a well-known movie or book. We will probably all come up with something similar, but we can see who’s we like the best. Vote for the best one by clicking LIKE or just saying you like it. (Write yours before looking at the other ones, or just go ahead and improve on somebody else’s, no problem.)

 

Here are your movies or books:

1 Titanic

2 Hansel And Gretel

3 Schindler’s List

4 The Little Red Hen

5 Jurassic Park

Savvy Stories – Oops! How did that get in there?

6 Chicken Little

7 Tom Sawyer

8 Noah’s Ark

9 The Hunt For Red October

10 The Terminator

 

Use the Random Number Generator, HERE  to select your story. (Spin again if it gives you one you don’t know.)

randomnumbergenerator2

Pick one and have at it. I’m curious to see what we come up with, and I’ll be posting my latest BIP (Blurb In Process) for The Water Castle soon!

 

Invite your friends to play along, especially if they are good at blurbs.

.

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Your humble host.

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Got a QUESTION? ASK IT! Hit the Contact Me button and I’ll see what I can do. (I have lots of smart friends.)

 

Dan Alatorre is the author of several bestsellers and the hilarious upcoming novel “Poggibonsi: an italian misadventure.” Click HERE to check out his other works.

Published by Dan Alatorre AUTHOR

International bestselling author Dan Alatorre has 17 titles published in over a dozen languages. From Romance in Poggibonsi to action and adventure in the sci-fi thriller The Navigators, to comedies like Night Of The Colonoscopy: A Horror Story (Sort Of) and the heartwarming and humorous anecdotes about parenting in the popular Savvy Stories series, his knack for surprising audiences and making you laugh or cry - or hang onto the edge of your seat - has been enjoyed by audiences around the world. And you are guaranteed to get a page turner every time. “That’s my style,” Dan says. “Grab you on page one and then send you on a roller coaster ride, regardless of the story or genre.” Readers agree, making his string of #1 bestsellers popular across the globe. He will make you chuckle or shed tears, sometimes on the same page. His novels always contain twists and turns, and his nonfiction will stay in your heart forever. Dan resides in the Tampa area with his wife and daughter. You can find him blogging away almost every day on www.DanAlatorre or watch his hilarious YouTube show every week Writers Off Task With Friends. Dan’s marketing book 25 eBook Marketing Tips You Wish You Knew has been a valuable tool for new authors (it’s free if you subscribe to his newsletter) and his dedication to helping other authors is evident in his helpful blog.

20 thoughts on “Whaaat??? TWO Flash Fiction challenges in one week?”

      1. Should have done, but I ended up spending three hours in the Emergancy department with my child, so still wouldn’t have got it done. Still haven’t, what a failure! Got sidetracked by something else. December might turn out to be my least productive month of all (outside of the day job… If that’s not productive, I’m screwed!)

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

          1. Best made plans… hmm. Luckily it’s just a bad sprain to her ankle, but she’s limping around feeling sorry for herself! This time last year my youngest sprained her wrist, the year before, just after new year, she broke her other wrist. I should wrap them in cotton wool for all of December and January!

            I had hoped to get the first draft of LA2 finished by the end of the month! Booooo!

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

  4. A heroic tale of a German factory boss in the Warsaw ghetto, Oskar Schindler, who risks his own life by formulating a plan to save the lives of a thousand Jews from being exterminated in during World War II. – Schindler’s List.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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