Monday, June 4, 2012

Waste of time... Maybe.

I just got a critique back from an author I met at a conference last year. She said the same thing everyone has said about my book. The history is questionable, and my voice is too modern for historical fiction. Although I love my book which is about the Salem witch trials, I think I am going to chalk it up to a learning experience. I don't have the voice for historical fiction so don't waste my time writing them. I feel good to have learned this after only one book I guess, and I still have many other books inside of me screaming to get out. I read something in Jennifer Echols book Love Storythat gave me great encouragement last night. "If you want to make writing a career you will get rejected again, and again, and again, and again. You have to learn not to take no for an answer." It inspires me to keep going and someday I will find success.

4 comments:

  1. I'm excited to see what you come up with. :)

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  2. I thought I posted this yesterday, so if you've deleted it, fine. But my computer has been acting weird, and things that I thought are going out, are not, so:

    Andrea, your "friend's" comment really makes me mad. Who is he/she to say what the right voice is for historical fiction? Why should a writer feel constrained to write in a style based on another writer's?

    Genres are increasingly narrow fields these days, but breakout novels are those that defy conventions and do something new.

    Don't try to write like other people tell you. Listen to that voice inside you. If you're honest with yourself, you'll write true.

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    1. I really appreciate this. I have been thinking of sticking with the project, and just making some changes. I think there might be an audience for this type of modern twist on and old story. Thanks.

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  3. Andrea, your reply reminded me of some books that I have read recently that are modern/historic. I've been on a Jane Austen kick lately, but I have chosen to go with novels that are based off of the time period. Those books were: "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" (About a modern lady who suddenly wakes up in the time period that Jane Austen was a young author.) and "Definitely Not Mr. Darcy" (About a divorce who thinks that she has signed on to doing a documentary in which she will live as the people did in Jane Austen's era for a few weeks. She has been tricked into being part of a victorian style "Bachelor" reality TV show.) It's much better than it sounds.

    Two friends that I mentioned these books to also happened to be reading Jane Austen spin offs. I'm not suggesting you have to go off of Jane Austen etc..., but I definitely think that there is a relatively large audience that is ready to be tapped into.

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