So I'm finally ready to start writing my book… but I feel like it's useless if nobody would be interested.
It's called Trigger Warning. I'm thinking the cover would be completely black with the title off center and in typewriter font. A couple of white liquid splatters right below the title. Either that or a picture of a gun with smoke drifting out of it, but I'm not sure where I would place the title or where I'd want the font to be.
I don't have an official summary written, but the book revolves around gun violence, mental health, LGBT struggles, and abuse. The main character is Julian, a 17 year old with undiagnosed anxiety. It starts off with a scene of Julian snooping through a friend's files on their laptop. He finds something that's so disturbing and violent it makes him physically sick. These files are actually journal entries which describe the person's plan to shoot up the high school that Julian attends.
After this scene, the book travels to the past, telling the story of how he met his friends and a girl named Pandora. He develops feelings for Pandora and gets into a relationship with her, but throughout the book he starts to see a different, more manipulative and violent side of her.
The book also gives glimpses into the present/future, where Julian is desperately trying to stop the shooting. The shooter isn't revealed until the end of the book (spoiler alert: it's two people teamed together).
I was inspired to write this book after listening to Thoughts & Prayers by Grandson. I reccommend giving it a listen if you have the time.
What do you think? Is this a book you'd be interested in?
I may be a bit biased but ABSOLUTELY YES I WOULD.
Really? Thanks guys :)
do you have any suggestions on it?
I WOULD TOTALY READ THIS!
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Both cover ideas are equally great, in my opinion, so whichever one you like the best and that will attract readers is what you should choose.
Thank you @SleepySnake !!!
And yeah I personally really like the off center title. Idk why but going minimal on covers, titles, and even with my writing style is what I like best lol
I would absolutely read this. I think these themes are all things that need to be addressed. I can trust you'll research well? And I like the idea of switching between past and present, it sounds like this story has an interesting dynamic. I'm definitely hooked. About the cover concepts, I for one am very attracted to more of an unpolished, innocent indie style with lighter color schemes. I think they kind of throw the reader off a bit once they find out what the book is really about and catch them off guard, if you want it to be off-putting like that. So maybe a white or cream cover with an innocent and perhaps childlike sketch of someone holding a gun. Kind of like saying something grim in a sweet way. It unsettles people and makes them pay more attention.
That's actually a really good cover idea, I'll keep it in mind :)
this sounds really interesting!
oh i would love to read something like this! let me know when its finished :P
I'm glad you guys like the idea! I'm currently working on writing out the timeline and outlining the chapters, so within a few weeks I should be cranking out a bunch of chapters. Hopefully I'll be finished with the first draft by the end of the year, and after a few months of editing I'll design a cover and publish it :)
I'd be very interested in this! Good luck with it!
As long as you correctly portray a synopsis so it's not "wow spooky mystery11!" like a lot of people do, you should get a lot of people interested in this.
As long as you correctly portray a synopsis so it's not "wow spooky mystery11!" like a lot of people do, you should get a lot of people interested in this.
What exactly do you mean by that?
Also, I'm looking for a beta reader/cowriter so if anybody's interested, hmu
As long as you correctly portray a synopsis so it's not "wow spooky mystery11!" like a lot of people do, you should get a lot of people interested in this.
What exactly do you mean by that?
When I look at the back of a book with a slight similarity to this it's always so bland.
"Jermy Blankface was a normal kid. He lived his life out peacefully going to the same old high school his whole life. Then one day he stumbles upon something horrifying (so spoopy :o). can he save everyone in time??"
You know the kinds, they're everywhere. So boring, no emotion. As long as you keep it original and enticing while still making it completely honest to the story, you should be fine.
10000/10 would read this!!
Also I love the slight mythology thing where Pandora seems nice but is, in reality, full of some bad stuff.
As long as you correctly portray a synopsis so it's not "wow spooky mystery11!" like a lot of people do, you should get a lot of people interested in this.
What exactly do you mean by that?
When I look at the back of a book with a slight similarity to this it's always so bland.
"Jermy Blankface was a normal kid. He lived his life out peacefully going to the same old high school his whole life. Then one day he stumbles upon something horrifying (so spoopy :o). can he save everyone in time??"
You know the kinds, they're everywhere. So boring, no emotion. As long as you keep it original and enticing while still making it completely honest to the story, you should be fine.
Yeah, that's not how I'm going about it lol
The MC starts with no friends, no life, family issues, and internalized homophobia. Also, the big spoopy horrifying thing is built up rather than it just being a twist that completely changes the MCs life? If that makes any sense?
Sounds interesting, but you should probably change the title to not get associated with another (recently published last year) book that's about a school shooting. It's also called Trigger Warning, and it's essentially a serious alt-right fantasy about 'liberals'.
No, keep the title to bury that horrendous '''''book''''', it's a good title that deserves a great book like one you would write, Jensen!
I just looked it up and I had no idea that "political thriller" was a thing
