My WIP had the working title of "Gangster Gothic" the first draft. "Hardboiled Gothic" the second draft.
The third draft is going to be titled: "Shadows over Summer House," with the tagline "A Hardboiled Gothic novel."
It literally is half hard-boiled heist story and half Gothic romance, including a big, mysterious Victorian Mansion.
But it is also probably neither. I worry that those who like one genre will be turned off by the other genre.
But it is meshing so well that it is meant to be, I figure.
My hard-boiled stuff is probably silly. I mean, it feels kind of dated even as I write it, but that's the "tone" I'm looking for. Set in current times, but with a fifties hard-boiled feel. Probably not enough blood and gore.
The Gothic romance is probably incredibly tame by today's standards. Probably not enough sex.
But I really like the mix; it isn't awkward at all.
Trying to work out the timing of the coming chapters. For once, it might do me some good to diagram them out a little.
I
worry a little that I'm enjoying myself so much that I'm settling into
this world a little too much. I never want my pacing to be slow; I don't
want to bore people. Then again, I'm enjoying fleshing out things,
making the world a little more real, the characters a little more full.
This
truly is a fantasy for me. I'm the main narrator to this particular
story so in a sense I'm living it. Of course, I'm in no way similar to
the protagonist, except in my dreams.
Which is the point.
Someone on Facebook asked what weakness you worry most about in your writing.
I think mine is pacing.
On one hand I want to develop and flesh out my story. On the other hand, the worse crime is to be boring.
I can't account for how people read books, though. I've recommended books that people have come back and said they got bored. If people can be bored by "Snow Crash" or Heinlein juveniles, well, I just have to throw up my hands.
I think there has been a change from when I was a kid. Younger readers don't seem to have the patience that we had. I don't know. I can't prove it.
But just look at the pacing of movies and TV and figure the same thing is probably happening in writing. Cecil B. DeMille movies are glacial in pacing say, compared to Spielberg, and that's not even going into M. Bay movies (which I loath by the way.)
But I still enjoy a nicely developed spun out story. I truly believe that more development, the bigger the payoff.
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I used one of my netdonyms to join a few facebook writers groups:
• Authors of the Apocalypse - for post-apocalyptic and dystopian authors
• Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Writers
The first one, the admin Jon, went to some London 20by50k or something. But what some of these people are writing and producing -- I just can't believe it. 5k-10k words a day? Pumping out a new novel every two months!
But, they had some interesting notions, things like shared author universes, and the appeasement of the rabid readers through quick iterations. Those and boxsets and constant, almost serial releases.
Here's some woman's notes on that London thing:
http://www.helenahalme.com/20booksto50k-london/
It's just information. But, they depict a writer's world I've never heard of.
Yeah, there's the volume thing.
I was writing a lot of books, but only because I was in a manic phase or something. Starved up creative urge.
I will say this. My first half dozen books hit a certain level that as long as a book came out every 5 months or so kept at that level. When my publisher fell through and another book didn't come out for a year, that level dropped and never recovered.
I kind of knew that might happen. I'd researched it. But instead of throwing one of my completed novels up, I waited. Looking back, that was a big mistake.
So I do think a consistent production has an effect on sales. But really, has the word "hack" lost all meaning?
I could do a book every two months. In fact, I have.
But doing even 2000 words a day will do that. 45 days x 2000 = 90,000. Two weeks of rewriting and editing. Up it goes.
Thing is, that's all you'll do. I mean, it will be about the same level of quality, whatever that is.
I liken that kind of aggressive marketing as being an annoying insurance salesman who knocks on a thousand doors to get a single sale.
Fuck that.
Taking more time to write doesn't necessarily make it a better book. My theory was to go with the flow, learn by doing. I don't think that was a mistake.
Then I was careful not to publish until I thought the book was ready, which means that a dozen of my stories are still not published.
My problem with taking more time is:
1.) getting bogged down. Losing track of the story.
2.) getting into a rewriting trap of grinding the same words until they have no meaning.
Lately, I've decided to purposely limit my writing to 1500 words a day, to allow myself the occasional day or two off especially if I'm stuck. Allowing my subconscious to catch up rather than forcing it.
And with this latest book I'm trying out the idea of setting aside a first draft and not referring to it and writing a whole new fresh version of the same story. This keeps it fresh for me, rather than obsessing on word choice and word order, getting tangled up in changes. But, wow, it's double the work. If it improves the book by say, 15%, I'll feel it's worth it. Maybe.
I was trying to fathom -- what is this market? I've never heard of this set of rabid readers.
I couldn't imagine pumping words that fast -- and yeah "hack" sounds like the appropriate word. But, I found it curious that this even exists as a "thing".
I envy your schedule and ability to focus on writing. I can see myself getting there, if I could find a sugar-momma to pay for my habits (oxygen, water, food, shelter, oh, and internet).
~~~
One of the issues even I'm having with edits/original writing is keeping some of the stories clear in my mind. "Um, what is this story about again? What's the world and special features?"
I can't imagine having more than my current three going on, much less your, what six, eight or more?
Yes, but I only do one book at a time and I try to finish them.
Remember, I wrote some books, then bought a business and didn't write for 25 years. It's only because I finally hired a full-time manager and my basic "habits" are covered that I can be so focused.
To me, what's amazing are those people who have full-time jobs and can get things finished.
Just think how much attention you'd have to give to that "rabid" process.
It's all outward motion, nothing really to do with creativity.
Yuck.
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