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I'm struggling. I've never written a proposal for an urban fantasy/fantasy before. Talk about info-dumping from hell. It's like the never-ending back-to-the-past stuck-in-the-future story, but I don't think that description is going to be "the hook." Argh.
Why can't I just say, "Here is Viking Dude and he's stuck in the future, hiding from bad guys from the past"? No, I have to explain the past, the world-building part, and that's where everything gets convoluted. Usually, in a proposal for a romantic suspense, I don't need to explain the world of spies too much, since everyone understands what black ops. mean and the time-line is usually in the present. But with fantasy, I have to explain the world I built, and with a time-traveling element that goes back to way, way in the past, to Greek mythology even, I get tied up in details that have nothing to do with the plot. Argh.
I hate writing proposals. I actually prefer to talk about it one-on-one with the editor. For some reason I don't feel lost when I'm explaining my vision in person.
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Been trying to set up Big Bad Wolf for Amazon's Kindle. It doesn't take PDF files! It wants the files to be set up in HTML. I suck at HTML. So...another week without BBW for Kindle people, so sorry.
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My book count this month is pathetic. Here's what I read:
The Host by Faith Hunter (Engrossing; I loved it. Read it twice. Just cannot believe there's no fourth book!)
Dark Matter by Cameron Cruise (evil twin story with a psychic twist that turns into full-blown mind-sucking out-of-body visit to Atlantis for the ultimate power. Lost me a bit in the middle. Not enough romance for me.)
Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann (Totally heartbroken. Just imagine if Alex Diamond and T end up with other people in one book. Yes, I'm bitter, heartbrokenly bitter.)
Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner (Interesting beginning; strong first three chapters. A bit of an odd vampire book that can't decide whether it's dark or funny (a ten thousand year-old vampire calling a thirty thousand year-old vampire "dad" cracked me up) with very little happening in the middle chapters while the heroine goes through her "change," but the characters kept my interest.)
So, what's your book count?
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Writer's Blues
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16 comments:
The only book I've read so far was Julie Garwood's Fire and Ice. I loved it =].
"Just imagine if Alex Diamond and T end up with other people in one book. "
I would not like that at all!! I'm glad I really haven't encountered that in the books I've read. I would've been really disappointed.
Genn! Did you see your Amazon rank today? :D #8000!
So far I've read Simon Green's Nightside 6, Stephanie Lauren's A Secret Love, Greywalker 2 by Kat Richardson, and Inspiration and Motivation by Paul Martin.
Of course now I have a bunch of RITA books to read and one book for quote purposes, so I'll be busy adding to the list over the next month. :)
You're overthinking your proposal. For the WIP I turned last month, I didn't mention much of the worldbuilding or the past or the society in the original proposal, and this was set in a fantasy world with totally different societies from ours, and two heroes for the heroine.
You can so say, "Here is Viking Dude and he's stuck in the future, hiding from bad guys from the past"--that's your "hook." But why is he hiding, what's he going to do about the bad guys and where's the romantic interest in all this?
Just my opinion, of course. The Greek mythology part may or may not be a hook; depends on whether you think it might appeal to Sherrilyn Kenyon's DH fans. =)
Current book count is FOUR, but they're RITA books. I don't think I can talk about them.
Alex and T ending up with someone else, even for 1 book, would be total ick! It's not a matter of whether they eventually end up with each other, it's that they are emotionally devoted to each other and that would be ruined.
As for books I've been reading Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling books and I've read almost all of the free Harlequin e-books for their 60th anniversary thing.
you can go to "Harlequincelebrates.com" and download 16 amazing books. They are really good.
Cara
Hang in there Gennita! I'm working on a proposal too and it's killing me! Why can't the editor just read my mind?????
My book count? Three RITA books down six to go!
Jordan and Kath,
Happy reading RITA books ;-). Those are always fun, especially with the variety of books each box brings.
BTW, Kath, thanks for giving me much needed advice.
Your time-traveling Viking has precedent. I want to read your take on it. =)
I'm reading Megan Heart "Stranger" I like it, shes kinda involved with two guys at the same time. Kept me woundering which one she'll pick. Also read S E Phillips "Glitter Baby" I didn't know this was a reissue, but it was ok. Carrie
Argh. Found out Patricia Briggs' newest Mercedes Thompson book is out and it's in hard cover. Argh. Can't afford. Must resist. Argh.
Anonymous,
Yes, I was excited to see the Amazon ranking that high! ;-)
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Karen T,
I'm having a heck of a time with this proposal, I tell you. Pulling my hair out, yelling at myself, moaning a lot. Yes, why can't the editor just read my mind? ;-)
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Carrie,
"Stranger" sounds interesting. I'm going to put it on my list!
I actually read a futuristic story from the least likely author. Lori Foster's SBC story My Man Michael turned out to be set in the future. However it did not have a high-tech futuristic feel to it. Dunno how I feel about it. Ever read a book like that?
The only other one I've read all January is Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. That was pretty good, better than Cade's book.
Lady Z: Better than Cade's book? Really? Cause I liked Cade's book a lot. And so far what I've read about Rydstrom's hasn't gotten me excited, then again... there was something in there about tying people to beds. ;)
As far as PDF->Kindle, have you tried converting your book using Mobipocket Creator or pdf2lrf? Or soPDF or PaperCrop? In your copious spare time?
Wayne,
This is all new territory to me, so I'm not even sure whether I know how ;-). I do know that Kindle specifically wanted HTML and yes, I'm trying to find the spare time to do this right so that I can offer my book through Kindle. This is a learning process for me, since BBW is a side project for me while I wait as editors in New York read and discuss my new proposals. ;-P Yes, I NEED HELP.
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