Writing the blurb?

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Sue Vincent

Image: Coyote walking by Sue Vincent

The book was done, all that remained was to get it up on Amazon and write the blurb. It is not an easy task to encapsulate a story in a few words, hoping to capture the interest of potential readers, while giving some flavour of what waits between the covers. It is a task dreaded by many writers and, at least where our books are concerned, usually left to me. With An Imperious Impulse, though, apparently, I had nothing left to do.

“We already have the blurb!”

“We do?”

“We do!” My companion passed me the blurb and I began to read aloud.

“‘Coyote is a Native American culture hero, buffoon, and trickster figure who mixes animal and human traits to mostly comic, often catastrophic, and sometimes salutary effect.’ Not quite how I’d have phrased it, but… ‘The world in which Coyote moves can be conceived as a parallel to the Aboriginal Australian Dreaming and to the worlds of most other early indigenous mythological story cycles and systems’ …this is the most boring blurb ever… ‘including those which are native to our own shores.'”

My companion was holding his head in his hands. It was difficult to determine whether the shoulders were shaking with laughter or tears. Nevertheless…

“…’Wherever and whenever our world is perceived as a sentient being’ … it’s a graphic novel… ‘and the pervading ontology’… pervading ontology?” He howled. I hoped it was laughter. “‘… is animistic in nature; wondrous, perplexing, and highly imaginative, yet nonetheless, instructive tales such as these are to be found. Long may they continue to be enjoyed…'”

“It’s accurate…”

“Yes, perfectly accurate, but more suited to a scholarly work than a graphic novel. Who is the target audience… and how many of them will know that ‘pervasive ontology’ is not some kind of virulent disease?”

We started again.

Phrase by phrase.

***

“That took longer than I expected…”

“But it is better…”

“That’s why you write the blurbs…”

***

An Imperious Impulse

Loreweavers: Coyote Tales ~ Stuart France and Sue Vincent

“Couldn’t you make me into a Bull?”

In a time before Man walked the Earth, the Great Spirit breathed life into the land. Coyote was the First. Playful, subversive, curious and sometimes comical, he and his fellow creatures shaped the world for those who were to follow.

Coyote is a Native American Trickster and hero of many adventures. Tales of his exploits were passed down and shared with the young to illustrate the dangers of being human. Wilful, headstrong and always in trouble, Coyote journeyed through the spirit worlds, stealing fire and outwitting Death.

When the Earth was loved as a living being, the rocks sang and the trees danced. Animals uttered Nature’s wisdom and the sun rose and set upon a wondrous world. The echoes of this magical landscape can still be found in the myths and legends of many cultures. They represent the weaving of the human spirit and the silent lore of creation.

“Be careful, Coyote, never perform this trick more than four times in any one day.”

Image: Coyote shaman by Sue Vincent

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.

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