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Warning: stupid post ahead.
I got totally stuck with Project D, so I decided to take a breather and work on my contemporary/psy thriller for a while. And of course I'm sure it sucks, but moving past the usual creative insecurity--it feels like I'm taking things too slow.
Now before you tell me to go read some contemporary YA.
Here's the thing.
I've read some books that belong to the thriller/mystery type of contemporary: DANGER0US GIRLS, PRETTY LITTLE L1ARS, THE UNNATURAL$, C0NFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT, HEIST SOCIETY, TEN, TRULY MADLY DEADLY, HYSTERIA, etc.
The list is actually longer, because I like this type.
Their pacing is mostly fast and energetic, with a lot of high-tension external events.
And mine is slower. Granted, it has no heists or police procedure, but still. It's atmospheric, slow, a lot of time spent describing the emotional side of events. Yet's it's not a "true contemporary."
As in:
I've read some books that were what I call true contemporary (without any crossgenre stuff or spec twist or mystery elements, pure drama)--books that had plots like "Anna moves to a new town and makes friends while she's fighting her artist's block after her sister's death." [made it up] They seemed to be mostly about soul-searching, thus, very slow and introspective, often lacking any big events.
So I'm starting to wonder if my story is going to fall through the middle crack: too slow and boring for the lovers of the first type, and too plotty and not introspective and realistic enough for the second group.
I don't want to spoil the whole concept because it's not completely written yet, but the core of the plot is that MC is investigating strange circumstances surrounding a boy she falls for, and there is murder and blackmail and stuff. So the basic structure is closer to the first type. But it's a dreamy, gloomy story. Not a high-octane investigation with chases and fights.
Of course, I could just make it shorter, cut out a lot of words, insert more sound and fury. But well... it's already on the short side. I'm a planner, so I usually have a good idea of the final length, and this time I'll get lucky if I manage to hit 60k. Maybe even 55.
So, if anyone is still with me here =) what do you think?
I got totally stuck with Project D, so I decided to take a breather and work on my contemporary/psy thriller for a while. And of course I'm sure it sucks, but moving past the usual creative insecurity--it feels like I'm taking things too slow.
Now before you tell me to go read some contemporary YA.
Here's the thing.
I've read some books that belong to the thriller/mystery type of contemporary: DANGER0US GIRLS, PRETTY LITTLE L1ARS, THE UNNATURAL$, C0NFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT, HEIST SOCIETY, TEN, TRULY MADLY DEADLY, HYSTERIA, etc.
The list is actually longer, because I like this type.
Their pacing is mostly fast and energetic, with a lot of high-tension external events.
And mine is slower. Granted, it has no heists or police procedure, but still. It's atmospheric, slow, a lot of time spent describing the emotional side of events. Yet's it's not a "true contemporary."
As in:
I've read some books that were what I call true contemporary (without any crossgenre stuff or spec twist or mystery elements, pure drama)--books that had plots like "Anna moves to a new town and makes friends while she's fighting her artist's block after her sister's death." [made it up] They seemed to be mostly about soul-searching, thus, very slow and introspective, often lacking any big events.
So I'm starting to wonder if my story is going to fall through the middle crack: too slow and boring for the lovers of the first type, and too plotty and not introspective and realistic enough for the second group.
I don't want to spoil the whole concept because it's not completely written yet, but the core of the plot is that MC is investigating strange circumstances surrounding a boy she falls for, and there is murder and blackmail and stuff. So the basic structure is closer to the first type. But it's a dreamy, gloomy story. Not a high-octane investigation with chases and fights.
Of course, I could just make it shorter, cut out a lot of words, insert more sound and fury. But well... it's already on the short side. I'm a planner, so I usually have a good idea of the final length, and this time I'll get lucky if I manage to hit 60k. Maybe even 55.
So, if anyone is still with me here =) what do you think?