Best on the horizon...

I want to write a book like this!

Holly Thompson's ORCHARDS, a novel in verse with a haiku feel, exploring the complexities of fourteen-year-old Kana's Japanese / Jewish / American identity and the ties that bind family and friends through tragedy, to Francoise Bui at Delacorte, in a six-figure deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Jamie Weiss Chilton at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (World) jamie@andreabrownlit.com

So why do I write in this genre?

A friend asked me about introducing magic into her biotech fantasy world. Here is my response.

Yes, magic can be introduced hot and heavy or light and creamy, it's your world.

The problem with sci fi is that it comes in 5 sub genres--and nobody or very few cross the line into the others. They like this type, but strongly dislike that type. That's why sci fi rarely takes over the top ten list all over the world of publishing like a juicy romance can. (Jim Butcher and Harrison being the exception, not the rule.)

This was the last break down I saw or remember: Hard core Sci-fi (where yours is now and I clump military sci fi in here), Fantasy--whole new worlds created often with magic overtone, but light on tech, heavy on magical quests through mythical lands--yours could fit here too, Urban Fantasy--HP, Jim Butcher where the magical exist among us and we mundanes don't see it or the society is just now learning about those things, Paranormal Romance--romance with vamps, shape shifters, ghost love stories etc, and finally something called Steam Punk sci fi--which I've never read, nor probably care to read.

HC-SF upchuck with PR; PR upchucks with HC-SF, UF folks can usually handle light into HC-SF, F, PR depending on their inclination and sex. (Yes male and female numbers are widely different in %s in those various 5 sub genres.) Fantasy folk break down by sex and by interest--Fantasy involving war vs Fantasy involving lighter topics and within that subgenre never the twain shall mix.

With your imagination, I don't know why you'd want to throw in magic. You've got a lot going on already and with your bio tech approach that is sci fi magic at its best you can create any 'magic' you wish. Tossing in straight magic might overwhelm and confuse the reader, especially HC-SF fans. Sci fi calls for a suspension of belief the same way that theater does. Your audience member agrees to set aside the real world and enter this as if it were the real world. Suddenly changing your world to include magic is tossing a new ingredient to be accepted. Does that make sense? One other thing, you've chosen a male protagonist. ... that tilts your future readers to the science end not the magic end. HP being the rare exception.

Frustrated in the Heartland

I never thought I would ever write that I was exhausted simply from writing, but I am. It's discouraging and sad. This eight week workshop class is killing me trying to keep up. I don't have time to read my comments or to edit. I barely get my pages written and my crits for everyone else. I'll have to print off their comments on my pages to use later when I have time.

I really wanted this first draft done by the end of class and I'll be lucky if I'm 3/4 done. Yes, it is all charted out, but the words are not going to be on the pages in that time frame. What is worse, is that my work and my writing have been tidily kept apart and neither interfered with the other, but now I'm so short handed due to the flu and the economy at my office. We need to hire someone, but my college staff don't want me to because it'll cut their hours over the summer, and my office manager doesn't want to train anyone. As a result, I'm getting home so tired, I just want to curl up and read a book. (Pat me on the back, I'm not reading.... just writing)

So that's enough pity time.... Here's my question. I'm a night writer, and I love it. I tell myself what the next scene will be and then I write it that night. By the following evening I'm usually so excited to write it up. Recently though? I'm dreaming stupid local city politics and two nights ago it was a really long complicated adult murder mystery. So my YA muse has fled. Then a break through last night.

I'm working with six, yes it's my learning goal for the WiP, characters. I realized in my sleep that I'd left my main character's heartline drifting away AND my series heartline wasn't being addressed in the rush to crank out pages.

Do you find that when you have to struggle the most and are really exhausted is when you are off track on your writing? Can it be that easy? If it's forced, it isn't right? What do you do if that's the case? Keep plugging away or stop and figure out what's wrong?

Forgive my zen of writing posting... Sometimes, I think I have to look into some sort of flexible MFA program. I HATE taking side paths that I should have realized immediately. I don't have the time to screw up... (And I don't even have kids at home! arghh!)

Frustrated in the heartland...