comps [sigh]

I hate comps. More than queries, more than synopses, I hate comps.

Book comps are other works (ideally books or authors, but movies or tv shows are ok) that compare in tone/genre/theme to your manuscript. These are those “x meets y in z” descriptions that demonstrate you know your genre and suggest an already-existing audience for your book.

Rose from Golden Girls: We do have a lot in common

In an effort to spruce up my query for RevPit I tried to come up with a few for “Fool’s Gold”. I didn’t find anything I thought suitable.

Half the reason I wrote the book was that I couldn’t find anything else like it. It’s the story of a man who discovers he can’t trust his own perceptions and how much he’s willing to overlook that if the voices in his head feed his ambitions. The overarching theme is the subjectivity of experience itself. This doesn’t compress neatly into an elevator pitch.

The best fit is gothic horror, but it’s missing a lot of the tropes: no haunted houses or monsters, no damsels in distress. Supernatural activity aplenty, but it might be all in Edward Kelley’s mind. So Dracula, Frankenstein, Haunting of Hill House, etc. aren’t good comps.

Bits of some books might work: the ghost (or not) of The Lost History of Dreams, the unexplained omniscience of the miniaturist in The Miniaturist, the “supernatural or fraud?” of Affinity (minus the resolution), the eastern European travels of The Historian. But the closest thematic comparison I’ve found is a movie.

girl in pilgrim costume playing peekaboo from The VVitch

The VVitch is a psychological horror movie in which it’s never clear whether a Puritan family is being terrorized by a witch or by their own fears. I loved this movie! Coincidentally* it has a number of things in common with Fool’s Gold: the subjectivity of reality: check, speaking in tongues, check, religious paranoia, check, inappropriate lust objects, check. I don’t have an evil goat in my book, but one can’t have everything.

A few elements of A Beautiful Mind work: science, math, and a man obeying the voices in his head (though Kelley never gets a formal diagnosis).

Soo….I guess my novel is “The VVitch meets A Beautiful Mind, but with alchemy” (but the comps are movies so do they still count?)?

Seriously, if you know of any novels with slippery realities tell me because I am here for that…and might be able to use them in my elevator pitch.

*And it is a coincidence – I started writing my novel before the movie came out.

in the hopper

I’m trying to get back into a regular practice of writing. It’s been a depressingly easy habit to break so I’m pursuing almost anything that catches my fancy just to keep the momentum going.  To those ends I’ve got several different writing and writing-related things going on:

Researching:

(Note, these are not all for the same book.)

Writing:

  • Chupacabra short story
  • “discovery writing” characters for both book ideas
  • this blog post

Though I didn’t get a mentor through PitchWars I found some pre-revision “homework” that I’m applying to Fool’s Gold to uncover any glaring failings I missed because I didn’t know any better a year ago.

Regarding the next book: I’m going to have to pick one eventually as I find that I do my best work if I focus on one thing at a time.  I don’t know what I’ll do with the short story – maybe just post it as a download on the blog because I can’t imagine where I’d submit it.

What have you got going this fall?

Boosting my Bio for Pitchwars

In the spirit of participating in the Pitchwars mentorship contest, I’m going to share a bit about how casual writer like me came to be hammering out a full-on novel about an obscure sixteenth-century charlatan/mystic.

I’ve always written. I filled out a childhood diary every day whether anything happened or not and kept a sketchbook during my teenage years. By college, I was writing the occasional record review for the school paper and enrolled in the journalism program.

Kermit the Frog typing frantically

Keep in mind all of this was non-fiction writing. Growing up I read mostly history and weird stuff (UFOs, ghosts, cryptozoology). Ideally, both, when I could find them.

Clip from Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible: We do the weird stuff!

As such, I encountered John Dee fairly early, or at least the cliché/legend: a pious genius conned into letting mustache-twirling villain sleep with his wife or obsessed magus willing to trade his wife’s virtue for magical power. I found it interesting but not noteworthy, as nothing genuinely weird was going on.

Or was it?

Leonard Nimoy's Spock raising his eyebrow

I encountered Dee again in a biography of the “mad” Emperor Rudolf II, who collected alchemists, scholars, and charlatans from everywhere. I learned that Dee and Kelley were in each other’s pockets through seven years and at least as many countries. Huh. So, an incredible con if Kelley managed to keep Dee snowed for seven years.

Or maybe not so incredible, because Kelley tried to leave several times. Unsuccessfully, even though one would think that asking to sleep with the boss’ wife would be a sure route to being fired.

So then I got a biography of Dee and went down the research rabbit hole. I came to two conclusions:

  1. Something more than simple con artistry was going on with Kelley, making him more interesting than Dee by far.
  2. Dee must have been a pain in the ass to live with.

So why am I not writing a straight-up biography of Kelley? Because I’m not a historian, so there’s nothing I can add to that conversation. I’m not even a journalist, having switched from journalism to fashion merchandising my junior year (another story, for another time).

But I can make stuff up.

Dr. Evil holding his pinky to his lip

Because over the years I did discover fiction, both reading and writing. The latter mostly in the form of fanfic, first for myself and then for friends. A way to have fun with other fans, but nothing serious. Nothing original, and nothing that would make sense anyway outside the in-jokes of particular fandoms.

And then the Kelley bug bit me, and I found that fanfic had inadvertently been my first training ground for fiction writing.

So I wrote “Fool’s Gold” (a lousy name, and subject to change): Kelley as a con artist who got in over his head and started hearing voices, Dee as an obsessive who bulldozed everyone in his path, and Jane Dee as an overworked, stressed-out wife with (justified) anger management issues. It’s speculative, filling in historical holes. It’s creepy, with seances and spirits. It’s ambiguous, because those spirits might be angels, demons, Kelley’s imagination, or something else. It’s got necromancy, heresy, sexual tension, and uneasy alliances.

Stefon: This place is gonna have everything: ghosts, ghouls,m goblins, my son.

I’ve learned craft over the five years in which I wrote this. Classes, conferences, and a critique group helped me herd “Fool’s Gold” through 3+ edits. I think it’s a good, solid manuscript, good enough to query, as good as I can make it. But, I’ve reached the limits of my own abilities and resources, which is why I’m seeking mentorship through Pitchwars.

Maybe nothing will come of it. Maybe I’ll discover that “Fool’s Gold” is just a learning exercise that belongs in the bottom of a drawer. Maybe I’ll unravel the problems I have with it myself. Or maybe something I can use to become a better writer, of this book and those that follow.

All they can tell me is “no”, right?

 

the inevitable

My querying is really rolling now. Know how I can tell? I got my first rejections.

Hand with stamp with big red letters REJECTED hammering down repeatedly on a piece of paper

“Pleased” isn’t exactly the word – every query goes out with the hope of success. I can’t even say I’m relieved, which given that I hate not knowing where I stand is a novel experience.

But I feel like I’ve passed some kind of writerly milestone. It’s one thing to write for myself, another to share it with people I know, but sending it out into the world for a chance at having it be a printed and bound book I can put on a shelf seems a step beyond.

Rejection is part of the process. Just as I can’t fence hoping to medal/make gold every time, I can’t expect every query to end in offers of representation. Most of them won’t.

I just hope I can maintain my good humor as the rejections stack up.

HNS recap

This isn’t going to be your usual conference recap.

If I try to list names or sessions I’ll forget someone and I don’t want to risk leaving someone out or appear to play favorites. If you were there, you know who you are, and you made my third(!) HNS conference everything I dreamed it would be and more!

The weekend itself was a delightful, overwhelming blur. Many people met and re-met, many sessions attended, many ideas spawned and shaped.

I’ve not even typed up my notes yet but a few notions stand out:

Make shit up. Hammering a story arc out of Kelley and Dee’s peripatetic activities sent me down research rabbit holes that did nothing to help the story, so “permission” to focus on the fiction in historical fiction in the next book* was supremely freeing!

Do what scares you. If a project seems out of your league, you’re probably on the right track.

Say yes. To ideas, to opportunities, to something or someone you’ve not considered before. You might learn something.

Be flexible. In terms of describing your work, marketing, etc. ‘Cos my manuscript has fingers in multiple pies but doesn’t fit in any one pie tin.

Go gothic. See “be flexible” above. I always thought of “gothic” fiction as something set in the Victorian era that explored the tension between man and technology. Not so – check out these tropes. At HNS 2017 I learned I was writing historical fantasy; this year I further honed that down to gothic fiction. Makes it easier to describe this thing, that’s for damn sure!

Avoid burnout. Because I’ve been skating on the edge of it for months, and enjoy riding that edge until I hit a wall. I may turn off social media apps or designate certain times or days social media-free just for my own sanity. I may also set aside a day a week to NOT work on book-related stuff.

Stay on site, if possible. This is specific to conferences, but not just HNS. This year HNS was in my own back yard but I got a hotel room so I wouldn’t have to cut interesting conversations short to hit the road. Because guaranteed-all the really good conversation takes place after hours.

This publishing thing is incremental. I am thrilled to report that I pitched my novel and got some interest! I’ve sent pages to the relevant parties and while of course I’m hopeful I keep reminding myself: this is just a foot in the door. If it goes nowhere, that’s ok – these pitches were practice for future pitches. If this book goes nowhere, it’s ok – this book was practice for future books. If this book does get representation, that’s only one step in the long process of getting a book on shelves. It’s a cliché but overnight success is never, ever overnight.

picture of an iceberg. Exposed section is the success that people see. All the stuff underwater is the invisible stuff that goes into success: hard work, determination, disappointment, sacrifice, dedication, good habits, failures.
Credit where credit is due: this is Katelyn Shelby‘s. Read the post as well.

As I type this I’m prepping for the final loop in this summer’s roller coaster: Nationals. So it’s going to take me awhile to digest everything I learned last weekend. Maybe I’ll make some headway on my to-read stack between competitions, so there’s that.

*For the next book I am going to avoid real historical figures for this reason. I’m also likely going to write the pitch/synopsis first to keep the story foremost in my mind.

publicity vs. privacy

Ever since I got serious about writing I’ve become more comfortable with self-promotion than I ever thought possible.

Which is good because the modern publishing world expects authors to handle much of their own publicity, especially online. Kristen Lamb’s book really pushed home the need for a blog separate from social media because I own all the content. To my surprise there’s an audience for my blatherings so not only is this necessary but if done right it’s fun…

Except for one bit. And Lamb’s not the only one making the recommendation:

Did you catch it?

I blog under my real name. A whimsical bio follows every post. You can subscribe by email. I’m still sorting out a secure contact form. I’ll list my books as they come out and publish a newsletter once I’ve got bona-fide hardcore news.

generic placeholder icon

I can’t bring myself to post an author photo.

Yeah, part of it is vanity. I’ve never met a camera that likes me. My greater concern is privacy though. Like every woman online I’ve had my share of unwanted attention but that was back in the days of IRC chatrooms and Livejournal: nowhere near the speed and fury and transparency of Twitter,  Facebook, and the like. Social media platforms don’t permit aliases and industry experts don’t recommend them. Even blogging under my real name was a psychological hurdle it took me a year to jump. Having my face out there as well feels like I’m painting a big red target on my back.

The early text-based internet spoiled me in another way as well. Under an alias people judged me not for what I looked like but by what I wrote and how well I wrote it. My name and appearance didn’t matter if I gave good brain.

Including a photo will end that neutrality. I fear that once my face is out there reactions will devolve to what I look like to the exclusion of all else.

Note I say “once.” Author photos are part of the game and I’ll have to get a proper headshot and post it at some point, especially if I take the traditional publishing route. But I’m just not There yet. Bear with me.

historical fiction: where the boys aren’t(?)

Evidently I’m writing a fantasy novel.

This is news to me.

via GIPHY

So how did this happen?

Of all the sessions I attended at the HNS conference last week, the one about male protagonists was the most surprising. As far back as 2015 I’d heard murmurings that my choice of a male protagonist was unusual but I didn’t realize just how unusual.

Industry logic goes like this: historical fiction is written primarily by and for women. Women prefer to read from the points of view of other women. Hence, a female protagonist is all but required in order to market a book as “historical fiction”*. Hence, having Edward Kelley as my protagonist creates a hurdle to publication, at least in this genre.

Of course, historical fictions with male protagonists do exist, though they’re often marketed as something else. This results in oddities like “Wolf Hall” being shelved in literary (even though Hilary Mantel clearly thinks of herself as a historical fiction writer) and books from the POV of a male spy having women on the covers to meet reader expectations.

Which makes little sense because readers don’t actually expect this. Anecdotes aren’t data but the panel attendees–men and women alike–enjoyed reading male protagonists and want to see more of them. Authors enjoy writing them, even though some editors warn them off (!).

The trope persists due to a risk-averse publishing industry based on what I suspect are very old stats. This does a disservice to readers and authors alike in terms of publishability and findability.

Interestingly, fantasy/sci-fi has the opposite problem. Which led to my asking whether I should pitch the Work in Progress as fantasy, given my male protagonist and fantastical elements. The panelists replied with a resounding “yes”.

So, shall I pitch as fantasy and betray the sisterhood/fall under histfic readers’ radar, or pitch as historical fiction and possibly never publish at all? It’s a conundrum. Fortunately, I find this funny as well as frustrating.

I invite readers to share their favorite genre-bending media (not just books! Movie, tv, comic, game, etc. recs are all welcome!), particularly historical fiction not marketed as such. How did you find it? Did you have trouble finding it?

*Not that historical fiction can’t be about men: it often is, just through the eyes of the women around them. The notion is that women don’t mind reading about men, they just don’t want to walk in their shoes.

writing and the day job

I don’t talk much about my day job online.

It’s a deliberate decision. My 9-5 has nothing to do with writing and I don’t like discussing private office goings-on in a public place. Nonetheless, the day job does affect the writing and likely always will.

This doesn’t surprise me. Only award winners and best sellers stand a chance of making a living purely for their art and even some of them keep day jobs: Hugo award winner Kameron Hurley has been unusually candid about her earnings. Which is all cool – I didn’t get into this to get rich. But it does mean that when something happens to the day job I have to divert attention from the writing.

My current contract is up in October, so I find myself seeking new employment for the first time in fifteen years. No matter how convenient it is to apply with a mouse click I still have to check listings, tailor the resume, interview, return emails etc.

Short version: it uses my writing time. Which is somewhat vexing, but very necessary. I’m more creative when I’ve got a regular income to keep the lights on and food on the table.

This also means I won’t have time to blog as I’d like – hence last week’s warning that I might go silent.

shit getting real: taxes

So, since I got out of my perfectionism tail-chasing the writing has gone very well – a scene a day rather than a scene a week. At this rate I might have my fifty pages within a month [crosses fingers]!

But I’m also working on the business end of things.

Writers should be able to fully deduct from their taxes all writing-related expenses, including alcohol, parking tickets, court judgments, fines for lewd public behavior, Zoloft, and cigarettes- Chuck Palalniuk
Via likesuccess.com

Not including quite what Palahniuk is, but I am going to try to deduct the Prague research trip from my taxes.

Even though I’m not published.

Even though I can’t guarantee that I will ever be published.

Though my writing acquaintances assure me this is all above board it still makes this adventure that little bit scarier, that little bit more real. I’m naturally risk-averse and images of the IRS breathing down my neck if I don’t get a book deal steal into my head unbidden.

But still.

For the past 3+ years I’ve raided libraries, taken classes, gone to writer’s conferences, purchased craft books and now traveled internationally in pursuit of the possibility of hammering this WIP into something suitable for print.

I’d not have gone to this much time, effort and expense if I weren’t serious.

So I’ll see what they say.

And keep (re)writing.

everything, everything: the HNS conference

Wow.

This past fantastic weekend was my second writing conference and my first (and certainly not the last!) Historical Novel Society conference. I’m still digesting it all, but here are some highlights:

  • The camaraderie. Socially awkward me had spontaneous conversations everywhere: on light rail, in the elevator, at every meal and in every session. The entire HNS membership is as kind and welcoming as my local chapter. Thank you all!
  • Keep Calm: Gabba gabba we accept you one of us!
    Via http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk
  • Others who “get it”. Who understand how you can’t NOT write, no matter how difficult it gets. Who grok the indescribable relief/joy of the perfectly turned phrase. Who talk to and channel their characters. Who appreciate the addictiveness of research. So much nodding in agreement my teeth are still rattling.
  • The readers. After all, we all started as readers, and without them authors would just be talking to themselves. I look at my “to read” pile and weep with envy at their luxury of time to read all these wonderful books! Many blog their enthusiasm for their chosen genre and they know what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s coming next. Hats off!
  • Hearing what brought authors to their stories. Often their plots are years in the making, based on childhood obsessions or family histories. Everyone is so passionate about their work!
  • The hard to hear but much-needed blue pencil cafe critique of my first 10 pages. The sting only lasted until my little black heart smiled at my mentor’s suggestions for tightening the screws on my characters…
  • Reassurance that I’m on the right track.
  • Valuable information about the responsibilities of authors, editors, agents, and publishers, and how they intersect.
  • A reminder that published authors are still responsible for the bulk of their publicity, and that it doesn’t have to be a chore.
  • The impetus to finally create my author Facebook page.
  • Tips on how to read in front of an audience without turning into a panicky train wreck.

Somehow I’m both more terrified AND more hopeful about the long revision process to come. It’s time to get to work.

What was your favorite part of the conference?