Saturday 21 October 2006

am I a cynical, money grubbing hyena?

Yes, am I one of those because I'm thinking about writing paranormals because that's what my publisher seems to be most interested in at the moment? Or should I stick to my high ideals of being a contemporary specialist... and get dropped by the wayside in the consequence?

It's a tough one. Mainly because I despise bandwagon jumping as a rule, and writers who think, 'oh I must have some of that genre, or that imprint, just because I can't bear not to have a slice of everything!' There are some about... there's one culprit that springs to my mind right now... But the thing is, I know I've sort of been a bit guilty of the same thing myself, because I've written for a whole bunch of imprints, and sometimes just because - like Everest - they're there!

But back to the paranormal thing. I suppose I can justify this in terms of sheer survival, but also, in that it's not new to me of course... There's good old Gothic Blue, that's due to be reissued next Feb, I think. I can't remember what prompted me to write that... it may have been editor encouragement then, too. But even then, I'd written a few paranormal shorts. In fact, come to think of it, my first ever, ever short story was a paranormal! A series of five stories in fact [if a trilogy is three, what's a bunch of five? I should know I suppose...] Yep, five short stories about zombies, of all things... These stories were never published, mainly because I never submitted them anywhere as I was just writing for pleasure at the time. And they were probably the direst crap anyway, but at that stage, just to write anything at all was a titanic achievement and gave me the most astonishing glow! Later, I did rewrite the first of these stories, and it was published... but only after a lot of reworking and refining.

And while I'm strolling down memory lane, I've just realised that my second attempt, still for fun, was a sort of sexy space opera, an ongoing futuristic thing about a woman with special powers and a hero who was sort of reincarnated from the zombie stories. In fact, come to think of it, she was too, so it was also a timeslip! So again, I was already writing the futuristics that are almost as popular as paranormals nowadays... and all this was back in the early to mid eighties.

So, basically, I'm not a cynical money grubbing hyena. Well, not totally... I'm just been nudged by editorial and market forces back towards my earliest roots as a writer! In my heart of hearts, I think my comfort zone is still contemporary romantic erotica, but maybe I can make room in there for something fanciful and out of this world too?

Anyway, after all this remeniscing and soul searching, I should actually buckle down to this paranormal wotsit of mine, shouldn't I?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

*strolls past whistling*

Actually, though, Wendy I'm pretty sure Madelynne and Nikki are working on non-paranormals, so there is still ground there.

val said...

Not a bunch of five, Wendy, but maybe a bunch of fives...
Like you say, you wrote Gothic Blue. How about a sexy psychic detective?

ann said...

would it be a quilogy...

Wendy more importantly, on your recommendation, I have just opened a bar of Tesco's Finest Espresso Chocolate... heaven. If you have a moment I wrote a poem about chocolate on my London-Love-Verse blog... you may enjoy it... maybe not, I am rubbish.

lotsa luv ann xxxx

p.s. yes Val's got it, or a ghostly Goren who gets up to the most awesome dirty little trick

Vincent Copsey said...

Seems to me you're just hunting around for a next project having just finished Suite. If something paranormal is bubbling, I say roll with it.

Tilly's right, I'm working on two historicals. Although I do have a paranormal idea on simmer too.

Too much in my head - probably why I'm getting sod all done.

Saskia Walker said...

I write for different imprints and in several sub genres, because I want to, and I love the challenge the new genres/themes bring. You have to go where your imagination is taking you, but if you can let it loose in the playground of a different sub genre or whatever, you shouldn't see that as a negative thing. Have fun with whatever you're writing and it shows. I love your paranormal idea and as you say, you've done it before. There are no rules in this game ;-)

Anonymous said...

You're up for the challenge, Wendy, you can do it, have done it, will do it. Go for it. If you have something bubbling and fancy stretching yourself, going back to your roots and trying something a little different again, you can. Good luck.

Love,
Mags

Portia Da Costa said...

Thanks to everyone for their observations on this topic. I don't feel so guilty now... I actually feel *entitled* to try something paranormal for a change.

Have been kicking my ideas around all day, and a paranormal 'head' has been surprisingly easy to get into. Maybe I am, really, a latent paranormal author, but just got out of the habit because for a long while it was 'discouraged' in BL?

Val and Ann... mmm... sexy psychic or ghostly detective? I've filed that one away for future reference... at the moment I'm toying with a rather big and strapping fairy... of the magical kind. Oh, and Ann, your poetry is awesome!!!