You Are What You Read

Okay, maybe that isn't entirely true.  I'm fairly sure I'm not a vampire, FBI Agent, ghost hunter, Sidhe-seer or Anne Boleyn.

Although, being any one of those things would be wicked cool . . . except for maybe Anne Boleyn. Definitely not a Happily Ever After for that one.

I guess as you can see, I have a tendency to be a little over the map when it comes to my reading (though I will give a definitive edge to paranormal/urban fantasy), but I prefer it that way.  I know some people, however, are diehards for one genre and one genre only.

Personally, I think the more widely you read, the better you can round out and strengthen your writing within your genre. For instance, I'm totally digging romantic suspense these days. And if it's romantic suspense with a fantasy element to it.  Sign. Me. Up.

Those sub-genres had to get started somewhere, right?

But I can also see how, for some, it can be hard to pull yourself away from what you enjoy most to give others a try.

So, I'm curious to get an idea for what kind of reader you are. Do you like a little of everything? Do you like to stick to one (maybe two) genre only? Do you not typically read at all? (Promise I won't holler at you, but I may give some gentle nudging on this last one).

Anyway, after you leave your thoughts here, please swing over to the left and answer the poll. It'll help guide me when I select a story for February's Forever Endeavor Online Book Club selection.

Seriously, so glad you guys like the idea, and I can't wait to get it started. Yay for "low pressure" book clubs! :D

Confession: I'm totally not feeling Monday right now . . .

Ain't No Party Like a West Coast Party...

I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a whole lot of time for partying while I'm in Cali. That's the problem with these darn business trips, they always want you to WORK while you're there. What's up with that?

Got another rejection on a query last night, though it was one of the remainders from the last batch I sent out. I really do feel like it's best to take a little step back, adjust my first chapter, let the lovely Miss Jessica read it over for me (and anyone else who's interested -- I'm not a snob) for a little extra help and then jump back into query hell.

Though I know it probably means nothing in the grand scheme of things, I feel better that only one of my ten rejections (including the partial) was address "Dear Author" everyone else actually included my name and the story title. Easy enough to do, but at least I feel like they did read it, even if the rejections themselves are most likely really nice forms.

Oh and I think that I'm having another round of "What's My Genre Again" happening. This would be the 3rd time I've changed it -- for those of you following along at home -- if I do in fact decide to lean that way.

A friend who's recently read my ms suggested that my story is more paranormal women's fiction, than paranormal romance. (See, this is what happens when you just write the story first without giving a thought as to what you're actually writing).

There is a large portion of the story that revolves around the romance of the main character and the love of her life ... but as was pointed out to me, since the story covers a larger arc -- including her becoming a mother, etc. -- it's a little more women's fiction than straight romance. Not to mention my story is written in first person (which is a tough sell in adult romance -- though YA is cool with it, go figure) AND written from the female protag's point of view only (so again, not very romancy).

Dammit! THIS is why I need an agent. I can't even decide what genre I really belong to. I'm just going to start telling agents that my story is what happens when you combine Nicholas Sparks and Anne Rice, and let them figure out where it belongs!  ;o)

Genre Roulette

Just when I thought I could take a deep sigh of relief that (thanks to even more research & great advice) the query letter has become less confusing to me, I run into another issue - what the heck is my genre?

I seriously thought I had it all figured out - otherwise I would never have sent out four queries already - but then (as if they plan it this way on purpose) several of the agent blogs I follow starting talking about how to properly classify your genre. This is where my trouble began.

As with a lot of current fiction, there is a blending of genre's that happens quite often. For example : urban fantasy was created, because so many fantasy writers decided they liked putting their creatures in the "real world". Erotica came along, because there were readers who wanted more of the gritty stuff and less of the will they - won't they of traditional romance, etc.

The problem for new writers (those of us still trying to land their first agent & publish their first novels), agents want you to be real clear on what genre you see your book fitting into. Many specialize in a couple particular ones and want to make sure they aren't wasting their time reading your work if it isn't what they represent - which is understandable. Only, what are you supposed to do if you aren't one hundred percent sure anymore?

This whole time, I thought I was pretty safe in labeling my story as a paranormal romance.

Yes, part of it does take place in Tudor England, but it's more about seeing how much time has passed since the characters were mortal (not vampires by the way, in case you were wondering), so there isn't enough focus on the time period to make it historical. There are some tense moments where everything the main character cherishes is on the line, but not hardly enough to label it as suspense. And while parts of the story do take place in a modern day setting, there really isn't enough to label it urban fantasy.

But here's what it does have. Two characters who start out human and become immortal, they are madly in love with one another, and outside factors keep trying to rip them apart from one another. So I thought ... paranormal romance it is. Except, just last night, I read that in order to be considered romance it must end with a "Happily Ever After" sort of closing.

Son of a *****! My story ends with the possibility for happiness, but there is also the chance for uncertainty. So now I don't really know what to do. I guess I could always change the end of the story and make it more "happily ever after", but that would make me feel kind of cheap (not terribly, only 'kind of') . . . but if I don't change it, then what would I call it?

Anyone run into this problem themselves or have any suggestions on what I should call it? (I thought about cheating and still calling it paranormal romance, but I'd hate to be rejected by an agent when they got to the end of the synopsis and didn't see the "Happily Ever After")