Purple Prose:
trends

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.
(Jack Kerouac)

We constantly hear that we’re supposed to write what we are passion about. Only then will you achieve success. But what happens when the types of stories you prefer to write aren’t what agents and editors are looking for? For most of us, we are so driven to be published, we bow to their words of wisdom and follow their rules. We’re told, for example, that if your main character is eighteen years old and in college, your story is not YA and no one is publishing New Adult. The only time NYC will look the other way is when you’re already an established author, then you can do pretty much anything. And it’s not just Young Adult stories that are affected. I’m sure you know numerous examples in your genre that go against the “rules”, because of who the author is.

Fortunately, among us are the defiant and determined. They step out of the box, gain a following, and show NYC how wrong it is. And then a beautiful thing happens. Publishers, both big and small, start listening to the cries of the readers demanding more, and agents start scurrying to benefit from this new trend. A trend a few brave souls knew there was a market for. A few brave souls who introduced us to our newest (reading or writing) passion and proved that there is a demand for these quality self-published books.

And to you, brave authors, I say THANK YOU. Thank you for embracing your passion when others told you not to bother.

What do you think of the current trend of NYC publishing self-published books that have hit the major bestselling lists? Do you feel this will open doors for those pursuing traditional publishing? Do you shy away from writing genres that are considered niche, because NYC isn’t publishing them?

Giveaway

I’ve recently read the above New Adult novels* and thought they were great (there have been others but NYC has already grabbed them). If you are interested in winning one of these ebooks, let me know which one in the comments, and I’ll pick two lucky winners this weekend. Just click on the picture for more information about the book. If your email address is not on Blogger, please include it in the comments.

*I haven’t read Rouge yet. It’s on my TBR pile. Down to You comes with an adult content warning.

For more info on this blogfest, click on the picture.

All genres have rules and expectations. But look what happens when we push beyond them and create something fresh.

Ballroom dancing + amazing choreographer + Take It Off by Kesha = One kick-ass dance (This is definitely not your mom's ballroom dance)

Or in writer’s terms:

Genre + amazing writer’s imagination + desire to break the rules = Agents beating down your door.

Now go and see how you can challenge the boundaries of your genre.

<<<3
This weekend I was doing the above dance (though I didn’t look quite so sexy in my barely-there angel costume) as part of my HAPPY DANCE. Why? Because my awesome CP, Christina Lee, signed with a wonderful agent.
I love Christina's books and can't wait to cheer for her during the submission process. I've even had my pom-poms fluffed.



Before you become overwhelmed with excited thinking I apprenticed with Anne Geddes, I didn’t. But man, what I would give to spend a day in her studio, watching her work. (Hint hint, Anne, if you happen to be reading this.)

Because Anne and her photos are so fabulous, photographers poured out of the camera lenses in droves trying to emulate her. But in truth, they were nothing more than copycats, with no unique style of their own. A few did succeed, but there is truly only one Anne Geddes.

But Anne didn’t take this copycat business lying down. She challenged herself and her photos to be even more fabulous. Again, leaving those copycats behind. Only those who developed their own style were able to carve a niche of their own and gain recognition. They weren’t known as another Anne Geddes wannabe.

©Me as a Anne Geddes Wannabe

The same is true for writers. We all have favorite authors we aspire to be like. But the world already has a Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King. We already have sparkling vampires and angel stories galore (okay, I still have a thing for angel stories). What the world is now looking for is YOU.

So quit trying to follow the trends or write like your favorite authors. Instead, become the trend setter and leave writers scrambling to follow YOUR newly created trend. And create your own style that other writers will one day look up to and say they wish they wrote like you. Learn from your favorites (whether it be for writing or photography). Develop a style and keep challenging your writing (photos). But most of all, BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

(But, hey, if you want to tell me which authors (photographers) you admire, go for it. I’d love to hear who you’d pick.)

<<<3

And the winner of I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler is . . .

Marilu

Congratulations, Marilu. I’ll be emailing you later today for your address.