Woohoo! I’m finally starting to feel better, so I’m typing this from my desktop – but I’m really, really, behind so I’m still getting help from some awesome guest bloggers! Today, the talented Sibel Hodge, who writes romantic comedy and mystery.
Well, first I think that’s a very personal thing and that every author will have their own take on this. There’s no right or wrong way. As W. Somerset Maugham said: ‘There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no-one knows what they are.’
Basically, I prefer the Stephen King approach as set out in his ‘On Writing’. You know, the book he wrote after he was hit by a truck when he was out walking to clear his mind after a writing session. The truck that nearly killed him. You get the idea that he felt he had to put it all in that book, just in case.
Over the years I’ve found the subject of genre to be rather puzzling, especially as nowadays the line between genre often appears to ‘bleed’ between two, three or even four different genre. Genre is a French term and although it can be used as a “kind” or “sort” of virtually anything, the most common usage is of course for categorizing stories by television, film, theatre and prose and applies to both fiction and nonfiction books.
But because genre is nothing more than a loose, fuzzy logic way of categorizing these things I often find it difficult to place a certain book or film in one category and if you’re honest I’m sure there are many people who feel the same way.
A book genre is a particular class or type of book. Books can be divided into a broad assortment of genres, and people often use genre as a criterion when selecting a book to read and because of this, if you’re an author, ensuring your book is correctly listed is most important.
In typical fashion, last week I announced the title of my upcoming book, “Toxic Ash,” and this week I announce that it might well be delayed.
It’s time to dig in my heels and really take a big bite of the work currently on my plate (yay or something). Over the last few days besides valiantly battling my bodies desire to remain sick, all the time, I have been working tirelessly (blatant lie) to come up with a title for my next book as well as for the series because the ‘Ash series‘ hurts my delicate writer’s ear.
It’s a new year and with it comes time when I take stock over some of the things I’ve learned, wish I’d learned and hope to learn. One of those things is: when to start marketing your book.
Blargle Splect: Writerly Musings & Blather 