There are various and sundry complaints about the “prequel” trilogy (PT, or POS to some) in comparison the the “original” trilogy (OT), but one misstep has always stood out to me (I know you’re thinking “Jar Jar!” but that’s not it… just hear me out). The Force is treated very differently from trilogy to trilogy.
When someone asks for “description,” do you answer with “leave nothing to the imagination?”
Well, as you may know, this isn’t too classy, and although some folks may enjoy that, most probably don’t.
Research is, in the end, borrowing or reusing ideas for a different end goal. So, when perusing the dusty halls of human experience, remember to bring your notebook.
So, trying to will your book into viral popularity is like the guy I saw driving down the freeway with a mattress strapped to the top of his car and one hand out the window, as if he could stop a freakin’ mattress (read: fluffy, spring-loaded SAIL) from flying off his car.
The spray of arterial blood showered me in steaming droplets. Like a broken bowl, the head wobbled across the floor until it came to rest at my feet.
Even if your prose would make McCarthy cry with jealousy, your book will not see the light of day without a well-crafted query.
Place yourself in a writer’s shoes, and you find yourself in an interesting situation. First of all, why’d you steal those shoes? Do they even fit you? Secondly, a person asks you “what’s your book about?” the primary modus used to explain books is by genre. And that’s where I answer “well, it’s a fantasy book,” and already people jump to conclusions about the book and the quality of the story.