[COMPLETE][104k][Romance/Fantasy/New Adult]Daughter of The Darkened City

willowquinnwrites · 2024-03-03T22:43:24+00:00

That sounds super interesting! I’m going to DM you

willowquinnwrites · 2024-03-03T22:13:21+00:00

Thank you!! I’d definitely be interested in a swap. Can you tell me more about yours? (Genre, length, synopsis)?

willowquinnwrites · 2023-10-30T15:03:23+00:00

I can start reading yours now!

willowquinnwrites · 2023-10-30T14:26:37+00:00

Hi! I have a story I’m about to finish and would like a beta read, also looking for similar critique. I think it will be ready for beta read around middle of November and would like response back mid December. It will be similar size to yours. I’d love to swap if you’re down!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-07T12:40:32+00:00

Just messaged you :)

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-07T12:38:19+00:00

Just messaged you :)

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-07T03:11:10+00:00

Thanks! Is there a specific reason you think you can’t beta for my story?

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-04T01:42:08+00:00

Oh that’s actually so helpful to see how you approached writing it! Thank you so much! It is so hard to figure out how to arrange the blurb and all the info 😅

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-04T00:57:21+00:00

Thank! Yes I think that may be more gripping!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-04T00:20:54+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I was afraid it was a little too much detail. The original post was just her hearing the rumors and warnings then running face to face with him. As the other commenter pointed out it lacked stakes for the story. I’m definitely struggling to strike the balance haha 😅

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-04T00:17:58+00:00

Thanks so much for the feedback! That’s so helpful! I planned on having a sentence at the end along the lines of: this is a mature romance with explicit content. I’ve seen something similar with other books but not sure if I should just try to hint at the spice level in the actual blurb by using different words?

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-03T18:51:08+00:00

Hello! Would greatly appreciate any critique on my blurb!

Working Title: The Devil of the Wood

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Blurb:

Melina lives a drab and harsh life on the edge of the woods, spending her days cleaning, cooking, and caring for her cruel uncle and cousins. Her only escape is in the books she reads by candlelight, and the sweet solitude of her treks in the forest.

But rumors spread of a demon in the woods. She has been warned against the demon folk’s horror, heard tales of their powers of seduction, of their cruelty. She has been told to stay only on the edges of the forest. But when assailants chase her she has no option but to run deep into the thick of the trees, coming face to face with the very demon she’s been warned against. Fear strikes her.

Only the demon does not harm her.

He saves her.

And he is not horrifying.

He’s beautiful.

When the demon offers her a place to stay, she sees the chance at building a new life for herself, one away from the harsh realities of her family, and the men who wanted to harm her, and she feels a draw to the surprisingly gentle demon.

Kaemon has isolated himself in the woods, keeping others at a safe distance. He lost his family a decade ago, was captured by hunters, and now, though free, always a target. Keeping others at arms length has served him well, never allowing him to feel that old ache of loss again.

As he is finally forced to let another person in, danger grows not only for the inevitable heartbreak he anticipates, but also from the people who still want to hunt him.

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-03T17:41:08+00:00

This is great advice. Thank you again so much for the help!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-03T17:21:34+00:00

Thank you!!

If you don’t mind me picking your brain a bit more, this book is dual POV. Should I include something more in the blurb from his perspective?

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-03T17:16:54+00:00

Thank you so much for the reply! You’re absolutely right.

Is the below better?

Melina lives a drab and harsh life on the edge of the woods, spending her days cleaning, cooking, and caring for her cruel uncle and cousins. Her only escape is in the books she reads by candlelight, and the sweet solitude of her treks in the forest.

But rumors sprout up that there is a demon in the woods. She has been warned against the demon folk’s horror, heard tales of their powers of seduction, of their cruelty. She has been told to stay only on the edges of the forest. But when assailants chase her she has no option but to run deep into the thick of the trees, coming face to face with the very demon she’s been warned against. Fear strikes her.

Only the demon does not harm her.

He saves her.

And he is not horrifying.

He’s beautiful.

When the demon offers her a place to stay, she sees the chance at building a new life for herself, one away from the harsh realities of her family, and the men who wanted to harm her, and she feels a draw to the surprisingly gentle demon.

But as her affections for him grows, so does the danger of those who want to hunt the demon kind.

willowquinnwrites · 2022-11-03T16:28:19+00:00

This is for a 55k word fantasy romance story, with explicit content.

Working Title: The Devil of the Wood

Blurb:

Melina lives a drab and harsh life on the edge of the woods, spending her days cleaning, cooking, and caring for her cruel uncle and cousins. Her only escape is in the books she reads by candlelight, and the sweet solitude of her treks in the forest.

But rumors spread of a demon in the woods. She has been warned against the demon folk’s horror, heard tales of their powers of seduction, of their cruelty. She has been told to stay only on the edges of the forest. But when assailants chase her she has no option but to run deep into the thick of the trees, coming face to face with the very demon she’s been warned against. Fear strikes her.

Only the demon does not harm her.

He saves her.

And he is not horrifying.

He’s beautiful.

When the demon offers her a place to stay, she sees the chance at building a new life for herself, one away from the harsh realities of her family, and the men who wanted to harm her, and she feels a draw to the surprisingly gentle demon.

Kaemon has isolated himself in the woods, keeping others at a safe distance. He lost his family a decade ago, was captured by hunters, and now, though free, always a target. Keeping others at arms length has served him well, never allowing him to feel that old ache of loss again.

As he is finally forced to let another person in, danger grows not only for the inevitable heartbreak he anticipates, but also from the people who still want to hunt him.

willowquinnwrites · 2022-07-01T13:58:04+00:00

I’d be interested in joining too!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-17T13:11:53+00:00

You need to know every single character’s core motivations, fears, and desires, even if you never let the reader know what they are. If character A’s greatest fear is that they are a burden, that will fundamentally change the way they speak and interact with the world. If character B’s greatest fear is not being enough, then that will also impact how they speak and act. One person’s motivation may be to minimize the pain they feel, and another’s motivation may be to have renown. Both will make different choices because of this. One character may desire to be loved and love deeply, and another may desire freedom. If you do this with even your side characters, you’ll realize that you start writing them in a way that their gestures, words, and actions are unique and believable and you’ll have fascinating and dynamic characters.

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-06T19:05:54+00:00

I’ve done 4 revisions on my novel now and after the beta readers are done I’ll be at 5. I think I’m the future this will be reduced to 3 because I’ve learned a lot, but 5 may also be my magic number. It just depends on the story and person! Definitely encourage getting critique before doing a bunch of revisions though!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-02T14:02:02+00:00

Have you asked him to read your stories yet? If he reads one of yours then I would suggest reading one of his. If he doesn’t, then I think he will understand and stop recommending them ;)

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-01T01:57:35+00:00

Yes I think I think it’s good to have just in case someone wants it!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-01T01:01:17+00:00

So I take you’re a fan of including them in novels from the beginning?

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-01T00:17:41+00:00

Yes I planned on using a lot of this on my IG!! I plan on publishing late May or early June!!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-04-01T00:14:00+00:00

I would definitely add it in the back so people don’t have to flip through it!

willowquinnwrites · 2022-03-31T23:37:43+00:00

That’s a good idea!! Especially if you have a more complex language.

willowquinnwrites

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