Some creatures not cool enough?

Roly · Jan 14, 2010

In the ya urban fantasy, do you think it isn't worth writing about supernatural creatures outside of vampires, were-things, faeries, demons and angels? My novel currently querying now is about gods. I wonder if that's too out of date or should I work on something more commercial?

The hardest part is trying to find an agent who would be interested in more adventure-like Ya urban fantasy rather than the paranormal romance-esque YA fantasy. After all, the concept matters just as much as the writing, if not more.

Are there any examples of some really good urban fantasy adventures out there?

Oh and Bonus Question - contemporary fantasy vs. urban fantasy. I mean, urban fantasy carries a certain connotation. When we think of it, we usually think the gritty urban Patricia Briggs or Melissa Marr type of stuff. But if your stuff is more of a magical adventure type, would it be wiser to call it contemporary fantasy or is that term not as powerful?

bclement412 · Jan 14, 2010

Roly said:
In the ya urban fantasy, do you think it isn't worth writing about supernatural creatures outside of vampires, were-things, faeries, demons and angels? My novel currently querying now is about gods. I wonder if that's too out of date or should I work on something more commercial?

Write what you want to write, don't write what you think is hot at the moment.

Momento Mori · Jan 14, 2010

Roly:
In the ya urban fantasy, do you think it isn't worth writing about supernatural creatures outside of vampires, were-things, faeries, demons and angels? My novel currently querying now is about gods. I wonder if that's too out of date or should I work on something more commercial?

Yes, it is worthwhile.

I made up the creatures in my WIP but I draw on bits of folklore (think faerie), demonology and bits of were mythology (think shapeshifter) to form the story. The contributing bits aren't original but what I do with them is and it was enough to snag my an agent.

Don't write about something that's hot at the moment unless you really want to because what's hot right now might not be hot in 2 years + time (which is when your book will come out if you get published).

Roly:
I mean, urban fantasy carries a certain connotation. When we think of it, we usually think the gritty urban Patricia Briggs or Melissa Marr type of stuff. But if your stuff is more of a magical adventure type, would it be wiser to call it contemporary fantasy or is that term not as powerful?

Don't worry about exact labels right now - call it a YA fantasy and that'll be enough for people to know what it is.

MM

Saltier · Jan 14, 2010

Roly said:
In the ya urban fantasy, do you think it isn't worth writing about supernatural creatures outside of vampires, were-things, faeries, demons and angels? My novel currently querying now is about gods. I wonder if that's too out of date or should I work on something more commercial?

The Percy Jackson series (though, MG) is a good example of god/demi-god mythology being used in an urban fantasy. I've read somewhere that Rick Riorden got a contract to do an Egyptian series next...

Also, Diane Wynne Jones has some - I can't remember the title of the one I'm most specifically thinking of.

Z0Marley · Jan 14, 2010

In the ya urban fantasy, do you think it isn't worth writing about supernatural creatures outside of vampires, were-things, faeries, demons and angels? My novel currently querying now is about gods. I wonder if that's too out of date or should I work on something more commercial?

If you're writing things outside of the commercial line, then I think you should think of yourself as being ahead of the game. I think heavy commercial things right now will be two-years in the future's burn outs.

The hardest part is trying to find an agent who would be interested in more adventure-like Ya urban fantasy rather than the paranormal romance-esque YA fantasy. After all, the concept matters just as much as the writing, if not more.

While I agree with you that most agents are looking for that, not all of them are. Search long and hard to find agents who are a perfect fit.

Oh and Bonus Question - contemporary fantasy vs. urban fantasy. I mean, urban fantasy carries a certain connotation. When we think of it, we usually think the gritty urban Patricia Briggs or Melissa Marr type of stuff. But if your stuff is more of a magical adventure type, would it be wiser to call it contemporary fantasy or is that term not as powerful?

I prefer to call my work Urban Fantasy. I think Contemporary fantasy is more-so a story with a bit of fantasy instead of a story that revolves around fantasy-elements. So it depends on your work.

suki · Jan 14, 2010

There's actually been quite a few YA manuscripts discussed on AW and elsewhere involving gods in one way or another...so many that I'd actually start saying the field may be a bit crowded if querying a YA with gods or demi gods in 2010.

And I'll second the advice write what's calling to you, rather than trying to decipher the trends. Not only because you'll be happier and write it better, but also because it takes at least a year, and sometimes (often?) more like 18 months to 2 years from contract with a publisher to the day the book goes on sale. And that doesn't include the time to write and then polish the book, find an agent, polish the book some more, etc. So you can't know what will be the trend next year, or the year after, or even the year after that. And if you are still working on the book and don't yet have an agent, it could be another 3, 4, 5, 6 months....maybe even a year until you're ready to query, yet alone have signed with an agent...and even if the agent sold the manuscript at lightening speed, the book likely wouldn't come out until 2012.

So...for now, don't worry about figuring out the trends...because you have no idea what the trends will be between now and whenever your book is being shopped.

~suki

Geek_Pride · Jan 14, 2010

Saltier said:
The Percy Jackson series (though, MG) is a good example of god/demi-god mythology being used in an urban fantasy. I've read somewhere that Rick Riorden got a contract to do an Egyptian series next...

Also, Diane Wynne Jones has some - I can't remember the title of the one I'm most specifically thinking of.

Yup!

Here is an exclusive

free_cashews_on_me · Jan 14, 2010

My new WIP is kind of Urban Fantasy, and it revolves around water nymphs and spirits.

Agents are always looking for snazzy (love that word) new ideas and creatures.

Roly · Jan 14, 2010

Thanks guys. I think I feel a bit better about it now

Sage · Jan 14, 2010

Agents love if you have a "new" fantasy creature for UF. But gods aren't that new (but obviously played with less than vamps and werewolves and angels)

Another recent gods book is Oh. My. Gods and its sequel

Phoebe · Jan 14, 2010

UF is considered hot right now, but agents are looking for the next big thing. Anything that fits their list of usual UF is pretty much off-limits (vampires, werewolves, angels).

That's not to say that agents are turning down all UF. Bringing something new to the table is definitely refreshing.

Sage · Jan 14, 2010

I wouldn't say they're off-limits. But for the most part, it needs to be unique in some way.

Tuuli · Jan 14, 2010

My last novel was an urban fantasy with Norse gods. It landed me tons of requests because it was a novel take on a Norse myth (and there were some pretty heavy weight agents requesting it). So the answer is: Start your own trend. Just be careful if you're dealing with Greek gods and myths, as they the most frequently used ones.

amlptj · Jan 15, 2010

personally i'm sick and tired of the over used vampire and warewolf thing right now. I cant wait for the silly fad to end. So be creative!

Zoombie · Jan 15, 2010

My current novel has the most creative creatures being the regular people around us every day.

The MC is getting attacked by homophobes when her ability to See wakes up and the world starts to look like this...

The laughing boys are covered with rulers, stapled to their skin. Blood oozes from around the rulers, making silvery edges rusty red. Their fingers have rulers at their tips, sharpened to sharp claws, gleaming as they grin chuckle, their teeth sharp. But the flesh under the rulers is red raw and bleeding, torn up tight, puss and green making it rot, rotten to the core. Hate-flash red gleams from their eyes, smelling like charcoal brimstone… but they’re scared silly terrified.

And then walking home...

Walk past a guy. Overlaid his middle age is gleaming armor, spiked and covered with gold and gemstones, but its cracked, hollow, dry like wrinkled paper and he’s clinging to a thousand books that are shredded bits of memory, drifting down like teardrops that move like leaves. Each teardrop holds a face and a memory and they’re all hitting the ground with the squish-plop of bodies dropping from the 42nd story window.

Walk past a girl, my age. Cracked helmet with downward facing horns, she’s got swords across her back that drip the crackling popping sound of sizzling eggs and bacon. Her hands are gauntleted, but covered by pillows that sound like downy soft fabric getting tumbled in a rumble-bumble tumble drier. Her eyes flash lightning and her teeth are sharpened tight, and her tongue coils up and hisses, snake twisting with sucking fangs for stealing your blood away, and sticking a knife in your back.

Walk past a boy, young, following a covered gray boredom ooze mother robot. He’s a bundle of pink flowers, tied around a simple red sash. As he walks, he drops behind flower petals that hit the ground, bloom into little dinosaurs, robots, spaceships, action figures. They scamper about his ankles and bite and shoot pew pew phasor beams, all of them clamoring and flying in front of his lilly-eyes. He tries to watch Caption Anderson shout orders, but his bordom-bot mom just jerkdrags him away.

The dragon she is about to meet is so shocking because he's really normal.

He's just a dragon, afterall.

Glenakin · Jan 15, 2010

@ OP, I'm certain you can write about whatever you wish, so long as it's interesting. Agents don't mind, really. In fact, I think they're starting to get bored of the whole vampire thing. Not that they won't accept an MS that's about a vampire or werewolf; it's just that, you've got to have something pretty darn good about your vampire/werewolf, or else you'll hardly find representation

Geek_Pride said:
Yup!

Here is an exclusive

Nice. But it looks like Percy Jackson, only this time, he's fighting egyptian gods.

Poetoffire · Jan 15, 2010

I, myself, like to take a new look at the mythos if it's a well-used creature. For instance, instead of beings or the night or sparkling sex gods, explore vampirism in real life and show me a vampire I haven't seen before.

The work I'm just about to edit is chock full of grim reapers and revolves around the greek myths of Thanatos, Charon, Sisyphus, and Merope, though.

ChimeraBell · Jan 17, 2010

I'm glad to see someone who isn't wriitng about your typical monsters.
Things like vamps and were-creatures have been way over done.
Ya should write what ya want to write.

Shadow_Bee · Jan 17, 2010

There are lotsa books about MCs connected to Greek Gods, so it's not out of date or anything. Personally, I have an uncompromising love for werewolves but I do believe the vampire, werewolf genre has almost reached saturation point. One of the reasons I've shelved my werewolf book for the time being.
But write what you believe in. Block out the trends when you're writing.

shaldna · Jan 20, 2010

to be honest, i wouldn't worry too much about pinning it down in a genre.

the bookstore will decide where to place it.

i write urban fantasy and I class it as a fantasy in Contemporary setting. this could mean werewolves, or it could mean magic.

my advice is not to dwell too much on this and just write the book.

Roly · Jan 20, 2010

ya definitely. people just gotta write what they gotta write

Some creatures not cool enough?

Roly

silly puppy monster

bclement412

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned

Saltier

Small towns fuel escapism

Z0Marley

suki

Opinionated

Geek_Pride

Fight For Your Right To Party

free_cashews_on_me

Insanium in the cranium

Roly

silly puppy monster

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Phoebe

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Tuuli

Research Addict

amlptj

Speling & grammer murderer, Sorrie!

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Glenakin

Poetoffire

Professional Cynic

ChimeraBell

The chimera's mistress

Shadow_Bee

Meddling with the Muse

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Roly

silly puppy monster