Wednesday, June 18, 2014

What I Write

I never blog about my actual stories, so I figured I should fix that, even if for a mere blog post. Since it's taking me so dang long to finish writing my current novel, I'll just use my little corner of the cyberspace universe to chat about what sort of writer I am and what I've been writing since last August.

Does this make writing seem really cool, or what? Tell everyone you know that this is what you do for a living!!

So, what do I write, since I'm a writer? 

I write stories that appeal to me and hope they are going to appeal to other people with the same interest in fiction that I have. It means I hope I'm in my target audience. 

I have a few, maybe more, unfinished manuscripts lying around on my laptop's hard drive that I feel have become the stepping stones for the stories I write today. That's just a nice way of saying they suck, but if I hadn't written them, or partially written them, I wouldn't have the skills to write what I can write these days. 

I might be approaching forty--as I leer at it--but don't be fooled. I am not much of an adult and probably still think too much like a teenager or college student. I usually read Young Adult fiction, thus I usually write Young Adult fiction. Anything that dramatizes fantasy or paranormal elements floats my boat. Just as long as the fiction isn't stuck in the overly realistic mundane world, I'm happy. I like to escape when I read! 

My current work-in-progress is a Young Adult vampire novel. I know, that sounds like the stupidest kind of novel to write in this day and age. As if this genre hasn't already been beaten to death thousands of times over. Despite this, vampire lore and the fascination humans have with these paranormal creatures lives on, my friend. If a real life vampire were to approach you tomorrow on your way to work, would you simply tell him, "I'm so sick of your kind. Just go sparkle somewhere where I can't see you...!" I think not. 

And, why not? Perhaps you know intrinsically that vampires can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways. You would probably bombard the poor fellow with a slew of questions about what makes him a vampire and how he lives from day to day, and whether or not you happen to be his next meal. They are basically creatures who prey on humans for their blood, sometimes even turning humans into more of their kind. That's all that is needed to create a fictional vampire. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless..... 

My WIP (work-in-progress) is about aristocratic vampires, enslaved humans and the Roman Empire all wrapped up in an alternate history of the 19th century. Yep, that about sums it up. Any questions?

15 comments:

  1. George R R Martin wrote a novel called Fevre Dream before he became the huge phenomenon he is. It was about vampires in antebellum America, because, as he said, it was a time and place where they could simply buy slaves, drain them and nobody would know or care.

    Kids are still reading their vampire romances, believe it or not, so if that's what you enjoy writing and reading, go for it! But I very much doubt a vampire outside of Stephenie Meyer would let you ask him questions. He'd bite you, drain you and go back to his grave till tomorrow night. ;-)

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    1. @Sue: I didn't know that about G.R.R. Martin! I know vampires are still very popular because, well... when have they NOT been popular since they were conceived of?

      LOL, of course most vampires would just attack you rather than ask questions. Unless he really just wanted to chat. You never know, I guess......

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  2. Will there be gladiators? Or would that be too much?
    Vampire lore has been around for a long time. Doubt it'll fade away anytime soon.
    And I also read to escape. Unless it's non-fiction, I want to be taken away from the real world.

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    1. @Alex: If there are ever to be gladiators, they would appear in a later volume. Thanks for you comment!

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  3. I do love alternate history and the Roman Empire. Sounds like a great twist to your vampires' world. :)

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  4. But 40 is the new 29! I have never read a novel involving vampires, believe it or not. Have a great weekend!!

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    1. @Optimistic: I really hope you're right about that!

      I suppose not everyone has read about vampires, but we've all seen them depicted in the media. Have a great weekend, too. ;)

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  5. Yeah, if I met a real vampire, I wouldn't turn him away - I'd have a thousand questions to ask! Vampires enslaved by humans in ancient Rome? That's really unusual, and sounds like kind of a bummer for the vampires, but a fun premise for a book. Good luck!

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    1. @Lexa: No, no, the vampires have enslaved the humans! It wouldn't make sense for humans to enslave vampires, since they can't, really. Thanks. ;)

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    2. Really, when you think about it, traditional vamps should be easy to ward off. They can't enter without being invited. They can't cross running water. They can't handle garlic and daylight at the very least restricts their powers or maybe kills them. They can't handle holy water or religious objects. They're WEAK!

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    3. @Sue: Traditional vamps do have a lot of weaknesses. But, I guess no more than humans do!

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  6. You have to write about what you feel like writing or else the story won't be as good. I like to write stories about magic and castles with a whimsical and humorous feel. Does that mean it has to be MG? Or would older reader enjoy that kind of story? I don't know, but I'm going to write it and find out.

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    1. @Ken: Yeah, you definitely do have to write what you want to write. I think stories about magic and castles are the BEST! I love castles so much, I put one in my novel, the one I wrote about in this blog post. Of course older readers would enjoy that kind of story. That's what high fantasy is all about, well, usually. ;)

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