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Congrats, Sheriff.

Writers Workshop: Four elements every mystery needs   http://liamodonnell.com/feedingchange/2 … ery-needs/

These are different things, all useful in their proper place.

Blurb--A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a creative work. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others.  Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dust-jacket of a book, and are now found on DVD and video cases, web portals, and news websites.(Wikipedia)
Not a technical term, this is what you write to pique a potential reader's interest in your book.

Summary--Abridgement, the act of reducing a written work, typically a book, into a shorter form  (Of the several types listed by Wikipedia, I felt this was the most applicable)
A three-page summary is what an agent/editor may request. (Some of you may have had a different experience.) This includes the entire plot and ending. Too long to be a blurb, it would be a spoiler if it were to be presented to potential readers.

Synopsis--A book synopsis is simply a very short description of the main theme of a nonfiction work. The synopsis deals with the novel’s central characters, their conflicts and their relationships. However, it does not get into any subplots unless they directly affect the central plot.
The book synopsis is typically used by editors to determine if they want to work with a new (or seasoned) author. Though editors (and agents) will probably read a sample chapter or two of a novel first, they’ll then want to skim the synopsis to get a feel for the whole work. (Explore Writing)
http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/what-sy … e-one.html
Again, TMI for a blurb.

Review--A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece, summary review or scholarly review. (Wikipedia)
This is what someone else writes about your book. It might claim that your book will be a bestseller, or it may not. Ii's entirely up to the reviewer.

Sorry--I can't help it. I went to a school for pre-law where every discussion began with "define_____." Hope it helps.  JP

It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.
– Robert Benchley

A long time ago. when I first started the Cop Shop, I vacillated between the two designations. I went from 'points' to 'no points'and back again. Sol made the changes for me, because after the initial setup I didn't have access. I don't know if that's still how things work. The group's founder or a moderator would probably have to request the change.

However, if you publish to the Premium group along with the Historical group, your work will award points to reviewers, so it's not an issue. Go through your portfolio to edit and change the 'Publish Settings' to include the Premium group. It's a good temporary fix, unless you don't want everyone else to read what you've written.

Hope this helps.   JP

C'mon, Norm --

Are you kidding me? The classics are written from the POV of just one, whether it's a character in the story or the omniscient narrator. The multi-POV claptrap is a recent pretension, ostensibly used to impart the attitudes and emotions of more than one character. This is something the great writers did using only one POV. Of course it can be done.

Yes, I employed the multiple-POV artifice in one of my stories as an experiment. I didn't find it any more effective than anything else I've tried, just for the heck of it.

Now, what is your real motivation for starting this discussion?

JP

Thanks, Sherry. I'll check it out.  JP

lolololol  jp

Hello, Janet! My favorites were so different from yours! I like my crime with a side of laughter, though not all of these have funny moments.
1. Clint Eastwood -- True Crime
2. James Gandolfini -- 8MM
3. Samuel L Jackson -- Pulp Fiction
4. Brad Pitt -- The Devil's Own
5. John Travolta -- Get Shorty
6. Chazz Palminteri -- Analyze This
7.  Steve Buscemi -- Fargo
8, Harvey Keitel -- Reservoir Dogs
9. Willem Dafoe -- White Sands
10. Edward Norton -- Primal Fear
11. George Clooney -- Ocean's Eleven
Extra Credit: Marlon Brando -- On the Waterfront
Luckily, nobody's wrong--we just all have different tastes. Anyone else?

I think you will find most successful authors claim the conflict and the stakes are the heart of a story.

That being said, there is no one who says that word choice is unimportant. I choose my words very carefully, so that my stories read naturally. I hate it when it's obvious the author didn't take the time to choose the best words for the job.

Which means an "artist" who is obsessed with selecting the most erudite-sounding word on the palette is wasting the reader's time. In some cases, the reader won't know the word, and will be driven to the dictionary. In many, many others, the writer has chosen an ill-fitting word (or, God forbid, a homonym), so that his prose looks like donation day at the Good Will. I used to tell my students, "If you don't know that word well enough to use it in fifty different sentences, don't use it in your writing."

In other words, fancy word choice does not equal a good story. Just read Mark Twain.

I wish you would write your memoir! I'd love to read it.  JP