IWSG
Lately, I've been insecure about a lot of things . . . one of them is that I'm afraid I've written a manuscript 15 years too late. When it's all said and done, I'll have something that no one is going to want to touch because the paranormal genre is saturated and I haven't brought anything new or ground breaking to the table. So, there you have it . . . I'm insecure . . . or maybe I'm just now facing the facts and not liking what I see. And yet, there are couple people who believe in my ms and honestly, that scares me a bit. I don't want to disappoint them . . . I wish I could feel the same way they do. Why can't I?
Lately, I've been insecure about a lot of things . . . one of them is that I'm afraid I've written a manuscript 15 years too late. When it's all said and done, I'll have something that no one is going to want to touch because the paranormal genre is saturated and I haven't brought anything new or ground breaking to the table. So, there you have it . . . I'm insecure . . . or maybe I'm just now facing the facts and not liking what I see. And yet, there are couple people who believe in my ms and honestly, that scares me a bit. I don't want to disappoint them . . . I wish I could feel the same way they do. Why can't I? 
Hi Elise, I'm sure, from what I've read over the last year or so, that you have an enormous contribution to make to the publishing world. 15 years ago would not have been the right time for you, so don't look back except to learn from your experiences.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sally. I appreciate it. Can you believe it'll be almost 1 year since we've 'met' on line? (: Time flies but sometimes it's hard not to look back as say "If only . . ."
Delete15 years ago was not the right time, otherwise it would have happened. I wouldn't worry about the 'market'. Write what you want and what you believe in. I know everyone says that, but it's true. Trends come and go, and they're stared often by those who don't pay attention to them.
ReplyDeleteThank you. (: It's hard not to look at trends though. But you're right. I just need to write what I like and forget the rest.
DeleteIt's never too late.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
I hope not. (:
DeleteI agree, you were a different person 15 years ago... your life experiences helped create the ms, so just go with your gut and write for you - I ain't going to read it if *you* don't like it :)
ReplyDeleteI do like it, I guess I'm just . . . scared. . . I guess. I don't know.
DeleteDoesn't matter the trend - keep working on it.
ReplyDeleteThink of all you've learned since then. You are in a better position now to see that story through to a book.
Thanks Alex. (:
DeleteTiming is everything. I truly believe this.
ReplyDeleteYou were not meant to write and publish the story 15 years ago... now is your time!
The market trends change constantly, so you never really know for certain, what's in and what's out. Sometimes, what's in at the moment could be out within the next 6 to 8 months.
I think that the market is fickle... changing at a whim...
Just go with your gut... write what you feel you should... just my five cent piece... :)
I agree that timing is everything but sometimes I feel like I keep missing the boat, lol! You're right though, the market is fickle. Thanks M. (:
DeleteOMG. I just realised that if you feel like you keep missing the boat, then imagine the trouble I'm in, with my non-paranormal, non-werewolf, non-fantasy, non-sci-fi, non-vampiric (do these words exist...?), boring, run-of-the-mill styled stories?
DeleteI might as well settle for the dinghy... LOL
I just read that the trick of good stories is to tell something new in the old way or something old in a new way. The most important thing is that you do like what you write. If you don't, it is unlikely someone else does. Find the sparkle, make the necessary changes and keep writing. :)
ReplyDeleteI do like what I write, I'm just afraid no one else is going to like it because the genera has been completely saturated. And what other people think is important to me because I write not only for myself but for others as well. I want to bring some kind of enjoyment to others through my writing. But I realize my writing journey has really only begun, I still have so much to learn.
DeleteI love the cat!
ReplyDeleteEverything is a rehash of something else...even in the tiniest way. How you tell it makes all the difference.
I agree with Michelle, above...to everything a season. Fifteen years ago wasn't the season. Now is. God times everything with perfection.
Thank you Mr. Swift. (: Fifteen years ago sure wasn't the right time for me, and maybe I need to wait a little longer. I sure as heck don't have all the answers.
DeleteFifteen years ago...you were only five or six years old back then. So, now is the time. And no matter what genre it is, there's always room for a new, well-written book.
ReplyDeleteRichard you are so sweet. Fifteen years ago I was 21, scary how fast time flies.
DeleteOh, Grumpy Cat. How do I love thee?
ReplyDeleteI worry about the same thing. I mean, I write fantasy, only I didn't bother to invent my own language or something to help set me apart. I like what M.L. said... that how you tell it makes the difference.
How can anyone not love Grumpy Cat? (;
DeleteMaybe Grumpy Cat can help me write my book? Then again, I bet I already know what her response would be. :D
I've had the same insecurity, but because I really started hitting this writing gig hard at 46 years old. Did I start too late? You read all the time how it took 20 years for some author to REALLY break into the industry. Good grief, I don't have 20 years! Or do I? Sure I do. Everyone here is right-- you are writing as you feel lead. Keep following your heart and put blinders on to all the noise trying to shout that you're too late. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. Blinders and maybe some ear plugs just in case. And really, I've only just begun this writing journey and I know the road is long. Maybe I'm just being to impatient. . . (:
DeleteThe market can never be oversaturated by great writing. I hate reading books that follow the current fad because I know it's going to be sub-par. Seeing a good book that doesn't follow whatever stupid trend is popular piques my interest much more! Keep on writing what you want, because at the end of the day you have to look in the mirror and decide if you are proud of what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteThanks CB, I guess I'm just worrying about things I can't control, and you're right, I just need to write something I can be happy with.
DeleteYou can't worry about what other people think all the time. You have to believe that no one can tell a story like you regardless of the genre.
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to embarrass you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bust out my pom poms. *grabs the pink & purple pom poms and starts the battle cry*
"Give me an "E!" I know you know this cheer. Come on. "Give me an L!"
Okay, you get the point. I swear I'm your biggest fan. :)
LOL! You are awesome - *grabs pom poms*
Delete"Let's get fired up
Get rough, get tough, get mean
Let's get fired up
and roll over that Insecurity!
GOOOOO MINA!" *gets tangled up in pom poms, trips and knocks self out*
:D
Just because there is a lot of the 'same' out there doesn't mean that yours still can't shine. Even if you have a bucket full of diamonds, you'll still have those that stand out above the rest.
ReplyDeleteI think you should keep at it. If it's a story you feel worth telling, don't let a saturated market keep you from doing so.
Thanks Mark. I'll keep at it and finish it no matter what. I'm stubborn like that. (;
DeleteJust keep going Elise. Saturated or not books are being recognised and topping lists in the genre all the time.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheena-kay! That is a good point, I guess there is room for everyone. (:
DeleteThe paranormal genre is shrinking, but it will never go away. There will always be good books in the genre that will be published. And, since it takes a couple years from shopping the book to when the publisher gets it out, the public will be ready for your book.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. I guess the only way to tell is to keep writing and get it out there.
DeleteThe paranormal genre is saturated? Ummm, Elise, in 2002 there were something like 15000 books total published in the U.S. alone. In 2012 there were 12 million books published in one year. Saturation of every genre like happened. So you can feel safe about your paranormal. That tsunami rolled into town and drowned every genre there is already.
ReplyDeleteSo, that being said, write the best book that you can. The cream always rises to the top, and you miss Elise, are the cream of the crop. Trust me, you will float upon a sea of millions of paranormals and people you've never met will say, "This is the first paranormal I've ever read and I love it!"
Ayep, have courage my French GF
LOL, well crap, I am 15 years too late! :P
DeleteMy only option, is to finish and try to
write the best damn book I can. And then
I'll move onto the next and make that even better.
Thanks Michael. Courage, this FGF has. (;
Bit of advice: bare-chested man candy on cover of paranormal will sell sell sell.
DeleteGRUMPY CAT :D
ReplyDeleteSo you're in a genre that a lot of people have written in and maybe you have a similar topic. But maybe yours is better. Maybe the characters are more real and I'm truly invested in them. Maybe I stay up until 3am because I HAVE to finish it. Maybe.
Won't know if you don't keep trying :)
Thanks Sam. (:
DeleteI bet that MS you have is amazing, and you just can't see it yet. I have similar insecurities from time to time, where others commend my work and I can't find even a sentence I like.I say have faith in those around you who love you enough to encourage you and, more importantly, tell you the truth: that you have something worth publishing :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Randi, you're right and I do trust the people who read my work, I guess it's just hard not to let these insecurities get the best of me.
DeleteI honestly don't believe in market saturation. If your work is good and tells a unique story then there will always be room for it!
ReplyDeleteGood point Johanna, and I agree. There will always be room for a good book. (:
Delete"They" say that paranormal is on the way out, and they say that dystopian is on the way out, too. But honestly, I think they're both way hot right now. It's what people like, why not give it to them? These genres are not going away, any more than sci fi. So just keep moving forward and get your book out there. And then write the next one, then the next one....
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good to me. Thanks Gwen! (:
DeleteThe thing about the market is no one really knows what will hit big. Keep working on it. Books will find their audience (that's the nice thing about ebooks = no shelf-life). And there are still people reading and enjoying paranormal.
ReplyDeleteThe market is crazy, but that is one of the things that appeals to me as well about ebooks. (:
Deleteevery tale has already been written: you job; tell the story well, your way
ReplyDeleteThanks wuff, will try. (:
DeleteKeep going, Elise. You can do this!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie. I'll give it my best shot. (:
DeleteI have have doubts every day but you never know until you try. I'm sure your ms is better than you think.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melissa. (:
DeleteI guess having doubts is just part of the whole writing experience. *sigh*
Just keep writing, Elise. When you've got that MS to the point where it's as good as you can get it, write another one. As long as you never give up, you can never fail.
ReplyDeleteThanks Matthew. (:
DeleteElise, just so you know, I called dibs on you for one of my A to Z Minions!
ReplyDeleteSome of the hosts will need help before the Challenge and some during. I'll be one of those 'during' hosts. That cool?
Cool! :D Honored to be a minion to the Captain Ninja!
DeleteI think everyone hits this stage during editing. I know it's happened to me where I suddenly doubt the worth of my story terribly. Genres come and go, sort of, but I don't think paranormal is over at all. I'd be much more worried if your novel was a dystopian/post-apocalypse. Werewolves, fairies, etc. have been around longer than we have and true fairytales still haven't grown old, right? As long as you have strong characters and a good plot, genre won't matter.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shell. I guess I really just need to focus on plot and character, to hell the market, at least for now. (:
DeleteI know I'm not supposed to laugh, but your statement about being 15 years too late did raise something more than a chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI go through that with everything I write. Shortly, I'll be releasing a YA novel which I wrote in 2004. Since that time, I've had an inferiority complex about it. My character can't do magic and is 100% human. She isn't a superhero, just a kid facing adversity and a Caribbean kid at that.
I wonder what people will think about it when it comes out. But you know what? I believe in the story. Still working on it and even now, I have doubts even though this story won a local award.. But you know what? We all fear failure, but no writer ever got anything published by backing out halfway through the process. That same thing you're experiencing? I go through that with EVERY story I write, so keep going. If you love your story, get it done and sent out into the world! Onward and upward, as they say!
I'll take my soapbox and go, now that I'm done preaching. ;)
You believe in your story and that's awesome! And honestly I think your 2004 novel will be breath of fresh air. I believe in my story too, but it also scares me. Sometimes it just depends on what day it is, lol!
DeleteI totally hear where you're coming from on this--I worry about it all the time. My wip is fitting in with the current pick-up in sci-fi and I'm sitting here going "and why didn't I have this ready a year ago to actually get the jump on this?" I think we all worry about this, which doesn't make it any less daunting, but maybe puts it into some perspective. And honestly, I pretty much only read paranormal and adore it, so I sure as heck hope it's not going anywhere!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's going anywhere, but I do play the "what if I had written this . . . " game. It drives me crazy sometimes.
DeleteYou enjoy it ... that's what's important. Heck, the stuff I write is probably 40 years past it's prime ... but I enjoy it ... I starve ... but I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Chris, I just need to get back to that place. (:
DeleteLike everyone has said....trends aren't the issue. If the writing is strong and your voice unique enough...well I won't say the subject doesn't matter (because it does)...but any manuscript has a fighting chance with that going for it. Like I say a lot...don't give up on yourself...make them say no first...then if they do, move on to something else. You're a writer....not a booker. :)
ReplyDelete"You're a writer....not a booker." <===this. (:
DeleteAgree with DL. Good writing is good writing. Hang in there and see where this goes. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Melissa. (:
DeleteDear Elise,
ReplyDeleteMy friend, you have the passion and the magic of the written word dances within your heart and soul. It's never too late and others believe in you. Your belief, your determination can be energised. Dare to dream and make that dream a wondrous reality. Some live in fear of failure and some live in fear of success. Perhaps you can understand what that means. Like all the others, dear lady, I cheer you on.
In kindness and happy thoughts,
Gary :)
Thanks you so much Gary. I do fear failure, I admit. But I'm also determined . . . or maybe stubborn. . . hummm (;
DeleteI would go ahead and release anyway if its ready to go. Otherwise you might want to consider releasing a few short stories gonintroduce your characters to the world.
ReplyDeleteHumm, I hadn't thought about that Stephen. Writing a few short stories would be interesting to do.
DeleteJust go for it, babes! It is never going to be too late, only if you never get your ms out there. :)
ReplyDeleteGahahahah! You're right! I just need to quit moaning and get it out there! (:
DeleteI think many writers must go through this phase, even commercially successful ones! Ride it out by getting back to writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, writing and more wine. (;
DeleteFear? Fear of failure; death of a dream; admission you wasted years of your life? I think we all feel it...just pretend confidence. No one will ever know the difference!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand the fear, but I do believe this genre is here to stay and will have readers even if some other genre outshines it for a little while. The biggest key is to have a presence, and you've developed that in spades. Why? Because you are genuine and people can see that. Readers will, too! Hugs.
ReplyDelete