 I haven't blogged here in so long, I had to look up my website's password. Not good. But, hey, I'm baaack! How is everyone? More imortantly, what are ya'all writing? I have been busy these past two months on two projects. One, a dark YA contemporary, STARS IN MY POCKETS. After some awesome edits via the incomparable Judi Lauren, I believe my story's truly alive. It's out in query-form to a few agents. Fingers crossed. My second project was my NaNoWriMo2016. Yes, I won. Woohoo! But you can sense the lack of enthusiasm there, I'm sure. I didn't get a chance to plot the story before writing, so it's just a bunch of formless words on the page right now. More than 50,000 formless words, nonetheless. It's my first attempt at historical fantasy. Working title: JACKY INDIANA WEARS PURPLE POLISH. It's for the middle grade or younger young adult audiences. Like my 2015 NaNo, this will sit for the next few months, marinating in its magical juices, until I return to it for major revision work. Unlike bears who are preparing for their winter hibernation about now, I'm preparing to come out of my writing cave because this time of year always makes me want to connect more. So here I am, and I really did miss you all!  Right now, I'm revising my 2015 NaNo : MAGENTA WISE: PLASTIC WRAP. It's a young adult mystery--also my first attempt at this genre.
Although I spent all last summer plotting the story, after I finished it last November, I realized it wasn't what I'd expected. I revised it some, shared it with my critique partners and beta readers. Then I let it sit again while I worked on those above stories. This week, I spent time at OneStopForWriters where I plotted it again. And let me just say, people, I love Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. If you don't know OneStop, get over there! These ladies have put together an amazing closet of tools to prep and preen your pretty baby and make her shine. So, enough about me. Tell me what you're working on. If you use OneStop, I'd love to hear what sparkles the most for you. That's my story, what's yours?
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 How often have you stopped to look at your story only to realize it jumped genres somewhere between the inciting incident and the midpoint?
Fiction genres are transforming as fast as technology. In fact, computers in a story once indicated the tale was science fiction. Today, it's realistic fiction. Unless, of course, that computer talks or exhibits human features. However, we all know, soon that will be commonplace as well. Most of my stories have elements of magic. They aren't fantasy. They aren't fully magical realism, but they do contain allusions to magic, sparkly moments of serendipity, unbelievable coincidences. Isn't that what fiction is? Isn't our job as writers to infuse a story with a little bit of that "wow, what?" or "wait, huh?" Some books are poster children for genres: Harry Potter-dragons, magic, and trolls, oh my! (Fantasy) Carrie-blood, creepy events, fear of turning the page (Horror) The Lunar Chronicles-androids, outerspace beings (Science Fiction) Some books leave us wondering where they'd be shelved: Breakfast of Champions-referred to as metafiction since the author's alter-ego dances across the pages. Plain weird. Plain awesome. The Bone Clocks-funny, dramatic, grounding, dark. This is where new genres emerge. Most recently, writers are buzzing about magical realism. The best examples of this genre can be found in the writing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Magical realism is very much like folklore or mythology. The story might begin in this present world but all of a sudden you find yourself with strange characters and stranger events. Magical realism is lyrical and lovely--exactly what writing should be. Take a look at your story. Determine its main genre and delve deeper. Are there elements of mystery, romance, dark fantasy, or other genres? When you're ready to query, be sure you've asked beta readers or critique partners what they think. You might be surprised. Just remember, your book is more than a label. However, you need to market it to agents and readers, so they know which audience might be the best fit. From there, hopefully, you can draw in a wider readership through reviews. You are a storyteller. Tell your story in its truest and best form. That's my story, what's yours?  If you seek an agent, you must know about #MSWL.
However, beware its lethal lure... There are many places to find what agents seek. 1. Agency sites. 2. Personal Twitter and Tumblr feeds. 3. The #MSWL. Smart writers will check out the updates on the Twitter feed. You might also be interested in two different websites. This simple one. This curated site with more info and archives. If you are a serious querying author, you will want a free or paid account at Query Tracker. Don't forget to polish your query. Always seek a second (or third) pinion from critique partners or friends. Learn even more here about what makes a good query. This week, I'm busy heavily revising ON THE ROAD TO MARTY MCFLY after an agent who requested the full manuscript suggested I tighten the plot. I'll be busy with that for several weeks. As for the rest of you, write on! |
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