Paranormal is dead, and New Adult is about to thrieve!

Yes, that is what agents and editors are telling me. Paranormal has drown the market to the point that no one wants any more...for now.

So what do I do with my paranormal/supernatural thriller story? I either shelf it for awhile until the market dries out again or I change it. After three years of never-ending work I'm not ready to shelf it. I am now reworking my ending and making it a full Psychological Thriller...a few more months of work, but it'll be sellable.

Another new term that I am learning about and is a HUGE controversy is New Adult (main characters that are between the ages of 18-25 and is a second coming of age story.)

Our culture encourages greater time spent in college, prolonged dating periods, etc there is a gap between young adult and adults that have a career, house, spouse, and kids.

One agent said that we don't need to target that market because those age of people don't buy books. They may not buy books but I know I like reading about that age the most. Between 18-25 is when most people make their important decisions: what career they will have, who they marry, etc. and is many ways is the most interesting time period.

I also feel that way too often we force books into the YA genre when they really belong in a little older genre. Many times when I am reading a YA book the voice is older than 16 or 17 yrs old, and the relationships as well as the mentalities are more mature than high school kids. Why don't we just make a  new genre that fits??

Anyone else agree with me??  Any Thoughts on this subjects?

Conferences are priceless!!

If you are an aspiring writer the best advice I could give you would be GO to Conferences!! As many as time and money will allow. They are worth every cent.

I took this advice and went to my first Writer's conferences--The Las Vegas Writers Conference in April and the LDStorymakers Conference last weekend. (Not to mention I also painted my new house, moved, and went to the Health & Nutritional Conference as well! Yes, I've been very busy, which is why I hope you'll excuse my absence on my blog--it won't happen again--I hope)

At these conferences I met at ton of amazing people, learned about the industry and writing, found the best critic group, made what I hope to be life-long friends, and I'm inspired more than ever to become a great writer.

By comparing and contrasting my two conference I hope to help you glean a little insight on how to choose your conferences...I'm not an expert, so if you have knowledge of other wonderful conferences PLEASE share.  I can't wait to go to others!

The Las Vegas Writers Conference was unique from many others because they only allow 150 attendees. I never felt like a number in a massive crowd and I was able to meet almost everyone. It was very intimate...in fact I was invited to 'have drinks' for 2 hours 2 different times with Peter Joseph (Sr. Editor of Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin Press), Jeff Kleinman (Agent & founding partner of Folio Literary Management), Sara D'Emic (Agent of Talcott Notch Literary) and Rachel Ekstrom (Agent at Irene Goodman Literary)...tell me if there's another conf. out there where you can do that?!

The Vegas Conference is also where I found amazing writers to form a Critic Group; April Khaito, Jenny Ballif, Allysa Shrout, and Amanda Skenandore. I love these ladies!! They are so talented and make me better just by being associated with them.

The LDStorymakers Conferences was much bigger (500+ I'm told), but I learned so much in the classes, met people I will never forget, and even had a famous author read my first chapter and gave me feedback on it!

So research conferences and GO, but tell me about them too!

A Writers Bucket List

Every Writer should have a bucket list for their writing as well as their life.

Here's mine in no order of importance:

As a Writer:
1-Sell a million copies of my book
2-Find an agent that is a good friend
3-Become the best writer I'm capable of becoming
4-Never take criticism too personal, but accept it for what its worth
5-Publish at least 10 books
6-Travel to all the places I want to write about
7-Do a book signing in every State
8-Reach International markets
9-Have my book translated into 8 languages
10-Be recognized for my writing

My Life's Bucket List:
1-Learn to fly a plane
2-Drive a race car around a speedway
3-Drive a Lamborghini Diablo 120 m.p.h. on the auto bond in Europe
4-Visit every Continent
5-Go on a Mediterranean Cruise
6-Compete in a ballroom dance competition
7-Ride a horse on the beach
8-Go sailing
9-White river raft in Costa Rica
10-Backpack through Europe
11-Ski in the Alps

Commitment

“The first thing you must understand about Spiritual things is that there is in every culture, society, religion, and person the battle between light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong.  To embark on a Spiritual journey you must be aware of a dark side: black magic, witches, the devil, etc, but mostly the darkness inside yourself. 

The secret to life’s questions, doubts, and fears is to be consistently committed.  It is that simple.  You decide what matters—what you care about, then commit yourself absolutely and unconditionally, while consistently reminding yourself of that commitment.  Never question its worth.  Never doubt its importance.  Never give up on it. 

The greatest attribute this generation has forgotten is commitment. It’s lost has left all promises broken, all obligations unfulfilled, all bounds breached, all loyalty neglected, all faith empty, all responsibility eliminated.  Without commitment there is no purpose. 

Commitment is the basis of all relationships, all causes, all principles, all ambitions, all faiths.  If you are not willing to commit yourself entirely you will never have or be anything of lasting value.  Let go of your desire to run through the dark void, aimless and alone. 

Find a path with a destination you aspire to, commit to that path with everything you possess until you obtain it.  No matter the obstacles in your way remain committed to your course, and you will reach your destination. 

The way you overcome obstacles is not by some grand effort—one colossal triumph; it is by being constant, simply pressing forward whether you thrive or diminish along the way.  Consistency is an eternal uplifting law which divides the average from the exalted

A Platform of Philosophy

Every writer needs a platform--a direction--a purpose.  My platform is Philosophy. 

In the dictionary it states that Philosophy is:
     the branch of knowledge or academic study devoted to the systematic examination of basic concepts such as truth, existence, reality, causality, and freedom
Or:
     a precept, or set of precepts, beliefs, principles, or aims, underlying somebodys practice or conduct.

I am fascinated by truth, reality, freedom and both individual as well as societies belief system.  I am not an engineer, nor do I think like one.  Building and creating things with my hands, or taking things apart and putting them back together to figure out how they work--well let's just say it doesn't come naturally for me. 

However, I love dissecting how society works, how people choose to live their lives, and what lies at the center of everything--Truth.  I work hard at being open-minded and knowledgeable in order to discover the roots of ideas and emotions.  Philosophy embraces all my passions: knowledge, religion, politics, family, and normal everyday life.

The next few post will be excerpts of my book which contain some of my Philosophy.

Forgiveness

            I am learning more everyday that one of the most important things in life and especially in being a Mother is forgiveness.  I'm not perfect and I’m never going to be in this life.  I have to be okay with that.

I have to forgive myself for having a bad moment when I yelled at my kids.

I have to forgive myself for having a bad hour when I put on another movie for my kids and went back to bed…or when I locked them out of my room so I could take a bath in peace.

I have to forgive myself for having a bad day when we didn’t leave the house, or even get dressed, or accomplish anything at all.

I have to forgive myself for having a bad week when my bad day turned into seven in a row.

Instead I have to focus on my good moment when I didn’t yell at my son, but calmly asked him for the umpteenth time to put his shoes away or brush his teeth.

I have to focus on my good hour when I began teaching my daughter to read.

I have to focus on my good day when I got all of us dressed, the house clean, errands ran, went to the gym, and played with my kids—I ignore the fact that we weren’t wearing matching clothes, the laundry is still in the washer, I forgot the main thing I went to the store for, my husband made dinner-Again!  And playing with the kids and making dinner messed up the house I spent hours cleaning…that’s just life!

I have to forget and forgive myself practically every moment of every day because I’m just a mom.  But I’m a mom that gets out of bed everyday—even if it’s at 9 or 10 am sometimes.  I’m a mom that adores her children even when they ignore me.  I’m a mom that teaches her children they can and should be better than their mother.  I’m a mom that tries and tried and tries again because that’s how much I fail, but I will NEVER give up—that’s just NOT what mom’s do.

I forgive myself all day until late at night when everyone else is sound asleep I beg my Heavenly Father to forgive me and ‘Please, PLEASE help me to be a better mother.  Help me to stop yelling—I can’t do it on my own.  Help me prioritize and do the essential first.  Please help my children know I love them especially when I’m not showing it as I should.  And Father, please help my children not remember all my bad, but remember the good.  But if they must remember some of my bad, please, PLEASE help them to forgive me too!

Inspiration is the currency of life

Inspiration is a gift--the highest and greatest which must be received, acknowledged, and shared or it will be lost.

I write because I'm inspired.  I'm inspired because I seek truth.  Truth is the currency of life--the more one possesses the more inspired they will be.  Inspiration is the key to every development, every technology, idea, conquest, victory and accomplishment.  Inspiration weaves truth into our lives.

It is not answers I seek, but understanding.  I seek to understand as well as to be understood.  I wish to share myself openly and honestly without shame or ridicule.  I desire to know and understand without fear of rejection.

Writing is never easy for it requires reveling a part of yourself that can not be seen any other way.  If its not vulnerable it's not real.

We all fear the mundane, the average, being forgotten.  We want to matter--we NEED to matter--somewhere, sometime, to someone.  The degree to which we matter is the quest--the endeavor we pursue recklessly throughout our lives.  The path we take in this pursuit is the one which determines the outcome.  The course evolves step by step.  No path, no destination is the same.

What shall win the battle for my soul--my mind or my heart, the light or the dark, fear or faith, ME or me?