Cover by Alison Hunt
There’s the cover for Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Fantasy Writing Tips) and the blurb is below. I had trouble with this because the book itself has a casual, humorous tone to it. If I made a serious blurb then it felt like a lie and didn’t match what I was going for on the inside. So, I threw caution to the wind and went wild. Figured I might get a few readers by being blunt and myself instead of trying to come off like a stuffy, pompous professional.
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Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy story? Not sure about the rules? Well, look no further!
Hidden within these pages are opinions and observations that MIGHT help you with your literary adventure. Boiling fantasy and writing in general to their most basic principles, I have devised a litany of short essays . . .
Do you get intimidated by colorful jargon and language in ‘how to write’ books? I mean, if you’re just starting out, your head is probably already spinning with all of the advice you’ve received. That’s why I tried to use simplicity and humor to help authors along. I’ve been that nervous, easily confused fledgling author and remember how all of the flowery language and cliché adages didn’t really help. So, I wrote this book in my own voice as if the entries were posts on my blog.
Is this only about writing fantasy? Mostly, but you can transfer a lot of the advice to other genres. I touch on being an author, designing characters, world-building, and various plot devices, which can be universal. Sure, I talk about magic and monsters, but I also discuss creating a believable world and various character types that you see throughout fiction. That means much of what I talk about is transferable if you simply replace the fantasy specific words with those of your chosen genre.
Will everything in this book work for you as an author? Maybe, but you never know what will click and what will fall flat. As I state several times in this book, what works for one author might fail for another. So give this guide a shot and see what works for you. At the very least, you might get a laugh at my expense.
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There you have it. Really not sure what else to do here. Been a long time since I wrote a blurb and this one was tougher than writing about fiction. I don’t know where else to go besides ‘Me give fantasy writing advice. Please buy book!’
Legends of Windemere 
I think that cover will draw a few eyes. The blurb tells exactly what’s going to be inside. If someone is shopping for this, I think it will work well.
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Thanks. Just went with whatever came to mind for the blurb. Glad it works.
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I love, love that cover! What an enticement!
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Thanks.
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Very cute cover! I think the copy may be a little long, though. Casual readers browsing on a web site may not get through it all. Just my two cents.
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The blurb? I wasn’t sure about length. Saw some pretty big ones for other how to books. Earlier attempts at making it short had me worried that people will go in expecting the usual college textbook style of things.
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Great cover, and the blurb really explains what to expect – well done Charles 👍😃
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Please leave your thoughts in Charles’ original blog post comments 😃
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Thanks for sharing.
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You’re welcome, Charles 😃
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The cover is striking with a fun element. Your blurb is light-hearted and has an honest tone that makes it compelling. I think it all works.
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Thanks. I’m going to try and tinker with it to see if I made it too long and rambling.
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Love the cover and your post thanks Charles.
Oh, and I have an answer for you.
Do I need to use a Dragon?
No, but it can’t hurt.
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Dragons can hurt though. Especially if they’re mad. 😁
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Reblogged this on Kim's Musings.
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Thanks for sharing.
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Great cover BUT – the blurb is too long.
I can’t see that fitting on the back cover of s book in a font size that is legible.
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Didn’t think about the paperback. I’ll have to see about chopping it down. Maybe have this for the eBook and a shorter one for the paperback that will never sell anyway. The trick is to chop it down without making this sound like a standard ‘how to’ book.
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I love the cover, Charles. Although I have several books published, now, there is always something else to learn. I look forward to the release of your book.
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Thanks.
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Charles, your cover is amusing and enticing. As for our blurb, I like that you mention your tips are not only for fantasy writing. I like the idea of short essays and using humor. There is not enough of this. So much of writing is dark and depressing. Blurbs are often much more difficult to write than the book but, I think you’ve done a good job of capturing the essence of your book. 🙂
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Thanks. People have said the blurb is too long. I might tinker with it to see if I can make a shorter one for paperback. I keep finding long blurbs for other books, so I can’t figure out if there’s a universal preference.
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Charles, I wouldn’t bother so much about a universal preference. Sometimes it makes the blurb look like a stereotype. It’s really your voice that counts. 🙂
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Good point.
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