Noticing that many writers/bloggers release excerpts of their books, manuscripts, and WIP’s, I wanted to join in! And then I thought, what is the purpose of an excerpt? The obvious answer is a short extract from a piece of work to show as an example. But I think there is another reason: to share your work without having to put the whole thing out there, and to grab interest. Popular authors release excerpts to drum up readership among people who already follow them on social media or have read their books previously. Occasionally, agents or contests want an excerpt, although they usually want a synopsis.

A synopsis of a book is like a movie trailer, touching on the important points while also drawing your interest. An excerpt is more akin to a scene. You get to see the characters emotion more clearly. So with that in mind, here is an excerpt from my Young Adult Speculative Fiction/SciFi novel, The Timekeeper Trials:

Chapter 4 – Chosen

My own face appeared on screen for a few brief seconds that lasted lifetimes, as all the faces in the room turned towards me.  Foxx was saying something as the screen switched to the list of internships and field positions for community members who turned seventeen or eighteen in the past month, presumably followed by wedding and birth announcements, but I wasn’t seeing the words.

Suddenly I was being swept up in hugs and cheers as my family erupted around me. Why were they yelling? Oh, right. My name. My face. Projected for the entire Time Community to see. I was completely and utterly overwhelmed.

Trudy seemed to be the only one able to get over her astonishment quickly enough to say anything coherent. “Alright, calm down everyone. This is amazing news, but I think Elise needs to be alone for it to sink in. Why don’t we clean up while she goes in the other room?”

I looked at her with gratitude and she gave me a knowing smile. Sometimes I forgot she had the aptitude for nurturing and parenting, since I hadn’t really needed her in years. I gave Belle, Max, and Ames each a last hug amidst their congratulations before retreating with my port-screen into my room.

Switching from Family time to Free time, I started to open a book, hoping to escape the swirling thoughts fighting amongst themselves in my head. But I was so shocked at the news I couldn’t even do that – I glanced down and noticed my finger still hovered over the screen without touching it even though three minutes had passed. I kicked off my shoes, switched it to Rest and lay down. My mind seemed a tangible thing. Thoughts were black wraiths fighting to come to the forefront, only succeeding in confusing me further. This hadn’t happened in years, since the panic attacks that followed my father’s death. I could see the jumble of words when I closed my eyes, “How? What was going to happen? Why me? There must be a mistake. No, I’m smart, I deserve this. I’ll never make it to be queen. Do I even want to be queen? I couldn’t handle that responsibility. I could die.” It was with those dark thoughts that I drifted to sleep in my own bed for the last time. 

I chose a scene that would show a bit of the world, the plot, my character’s personal and external conflict, and a few of the supporting characters. But as the creator, it is so hard to know what will grab a stranger’s attention!  Have you ever read an excerpt from a book that made you want to read it? Did my excerpt make you want to read it?