[I forgot today was Friday! Sorry. Excerpt Friday will be held on Saturday this week!]
A few days ago, fellow NCP author Laine Morgan wrote in her blog about a crisis of faith.
While Laine’s crisis was truly more spiritual in nature, I can identify with her feelings in regards what I’ve been going through this week. I decided to take a week off from working on an anthology story that’s giving me trouble, and I’ve been floundering around wondering what I should be putting my energies into.
Much like Laine, I’m trying to build a career while at the same time trying to remain true to myself and my interests and not start churning out just the stuff I know will sell. It occurred to me today, after finally hitting on an interesting new science fiction plot, that I’ve been somewhat led astray also.
I’ve been trying to do everything: paranormal, erotica, contemporary, [or all three at once, which seems to be what the market is screaming for right now,] and I’m not enjoying it that much. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE vampires, werewolves and steamy, sexy stories and I’m not going to stop writing them, but my first love, even before romance, was science fiction. I grew up on it. Those wild stories of other worlds nourished me. It occurred to me today as I devoured the Science Fiction Book Club newsletter/catalog that those are still the stories I love most.
Maybe my muse will stop deserting me so often, if, like Laine, I concentrate more on what I was meant to write. I’m meant to grow from my sci-fi roots so that’s the genre I’m going to explore for the time being.
Don’t worry – I still plan to write about Vance Garrett, and Lucas Vitale and maybe even Graciela and Lord Varrick and Anya, but you can expect to see a lot more of Bernadette’s other worlds and alien warriors as well.
Thanks, Laine, for making me think about what it really means to be true to yourself. We have to write what moves us, no matter what that is and if the market isn’t really, willing and able, so what?
3 comments:
Man, it is the week for it isn't it! I don't want to say that I've lost my passion for writing historicals (because I don't think I have) but I have a deeper passion for action. I've just decided today also to just let it go and not force myself to write what I think I need to write, but write what I want.
Hi Jodie and Laine! In this business, we're in a bind if we try to write what sells. By the time it's ready for submission, it's not what's selling anymore and the same editors who wanted it are flooded and can't stand to look at it anymore.
I'm all for action, too Jodie! I want a great ride when I read a book.
Genre is important; but more important strategy is to keep writing what one can churn out--just now, before the muse deserts. Writing is not about being a specialist, definitely not in the sense of being a specialist surgeon or opthalmologist. Specialists tend to repeat and repetition is loathsome in literature.
I'm reminded of an oxymoron now: the rule is that there is no rule!
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