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Post by Becca Mills on Feb 24, 2014 0:30:40 GMT -5
This has been a timely thread, thank you, everyone. I've barely reached the middle and already I'm sagging. I'm on the second draft of a supposedly 60K story - which ended up at a mere 36K after the first. Apart from one scene (the denouement) yet to be written, I'm struggling to up the word count all round. Like Shawn, I considered making it a novella, but there is so much story to tell, it really does need to be longer. (Love the sound of Rock and Roll Heaven, btw. Good luck with that.) Ah, well, if nothing else, the title of this thread has given me a cracking idea for a joke.  Maybe I can just send you some words, Lynda. I'd hoped Solatium would be about 80K, but it's at 110K and climbing. I can send you a saggy middle while I'm at it. Would be happy to get rid of that!  |
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Post by shawninmon on Feb 24, 2014 0:36:12 GMT -5
I knew it would be a bear to categorize when I first decided to write it, which is why the first draft of this is from 1993.
Still, it was one of those passion projects that I had to get out of my pipeline before I could focus on something that made more sense to my career. Next up - a romance! (That makes much more sense for me!)
Thanks again for all the help and good thoughts. I really appreciate it, and I will go the keywords route.
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Post by Becca Mills on Feb 24, 2014 0:53:09 GMT -5
My pleasure! I have to say, not only does it sound like a great story, but I don't think it sounds commercially impractical. I wouldn't be surprised if it sells like gangbusters.
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Post by Suzy on Feb 24, 2014 3:29:06 GMT -5
I wonder if writers worry too much about the sag in the middle. It's naturally gonna be the low point. Things will look hopeless, or so messed up that you get the feeling the reader might give up on it. But if the reader made it that far, he's gonna know there comes SOME kind of a turning point, and will probably hang in there to see what happens. I dunno. Maybe I'm in denial because I need to spruce up my middle, too. Someone hold me and tell it'll be okay. I agree that authors worry too much about the saggy middle. There's no reason for it to be saggy. It's the transition that readers have been waiting for. It's the "I've had enough and I'm not going to take any more!" moment. One of the reasons I prefer to follow the theory of fiction as "four parts" rather than "three acts" is because three acts leave the middle suspended without support. There's no reason the middle has to be saggy. It is of critical significance because that is where the protagonist shifts from defense to offense. It's an exciting moment! Or should be. I think saggy-ness happens to pantsers and not to plotters. |
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Post by Daniel on Feb 24, 2014 8:15:31 GMT -5
It's the story of Jimmy 'Guitar' Velvet, who dies in a bus crash and goes to the titular R n R Heaven, where he meets the greats: Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Jim Morrison, etc. There's a problem in heaven and Jimmy solves the problem, before being resuscitated and getting a second chance at fixing his own messed-up life. I know who my audience is - music loving boomers that remember who Buddy Holly is - but I sincerely don't know the genre. It's not sci-fi, because there's no sci. It's not fantasy because there are no elves or dragons. It's not a romance because the romance is at best a secondary plot line. It's not literary fiction because I write very simple, happy stories. I sincerely have no idea. Suggestions? I like the sound of your story. Be sure to post in the new releases section of this site when it goes live so we can check it out. I agree with Becca that it could very well be commercially viable. Breakout novels don't follow the herd. You might look at how Lovely Bones is categorized for ideas. It's a different kind of story, but shares some of the same genre characteristics. |
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Post by shawninmon on Feb 24, 2014 11:14:11 GMT -5
It's the story of Jimmy 'Guitar' Velvet, who dies in a bus crash and goes to the titular R n R Heaven, where he meets the greats: Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Jim Morrison, etc. There's a problem in heaven and Jimmy solves the problem, before being resuscitated and getting a second chance at fixing his own messed-up life. I know who my audience is - music loving boomers that remember who Buddy Holly is - but I sincerely don't know the genre. It's not sci-fi, because there's no sci. It's not fantasy because there are no elves or dragons. It's not a romance because the romance is at best a secondary plot line. It's not literary fiction because I write very simple, happy stories. I sincerely have no idea. Suggestions? I like the sound of your story. Be sure to post in the new releases section of this site when it goes live so we can check it out. I agree with Becca that it could very well be commercially viable. Breakout novels don't follow the herd. You might look at how Lovely Bones is categorized for ideas. It's a different kind of story, but shares some of the same genre characteristics. The Lovely Bones is an interesting idea. Good thinking, Daniel, and thank you for the idea. I haven't been able to come up with any comparisons at all for it. That one is a thriller, but has a lot of DNA in common with RnR Heaven. |
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