I haven’t written about writing for a couple of weeks. In fact, I haven’t written much at all. I’m in–I was in–the writing doldrums.
After cutting 12,000 words from my completed novel, I sat back and took stock. I really believe in my paranormal romance, but getting it out there is going to be harder and take longer than I thought it would.
My editor emailed that she loved the cuts and would get the proofed document to me soon. Meaning there’s more work to be done. Sigh.
So instead of going full steam ahead on my work-in-progress–also paranormal romance–I’ve been pecking away at it. A chapter here. A half-chapter there. A page. A half-page. Hmm…
I keep checking Duotrope to see which of my pending queries needed to be updated as REJECTED. I had one email rejection from an agent. I had one contract for a short story to appear next month.
But then, this morning, I had an acceptance for a short story I wrote in response to a submission call. That changed my attitude fast.
Except, here’s the thing. My short fiction is almost entirely horror. I’ve had relatively good success with horror. Maybe I should be writing horror and not romance.
Something to think about.
What do you think about changing genres mid-stream?
Well, this is interesting. I have been in a long bout of the doldrums too. (That’s not too surprising.) The funny thing is, I’ve decided to step away from horror and work on a romance featuring a witch (that doesn’t know she’s a witch.)
I hesitate to say it’s a paranormal romance, exactly, because the world is “normal” … magical people are rare and their existence is not common knowledge. Perhaps it’s a bit more magical realism, ala Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman.
Hmm… Guess one of the things I learned querying this novel (so far) is that the market is full of paranormal romance. Magical realism sounds like the way to go.
Perhaps it’s not mid-stream, more like coming to a fork in the stream..?
Great way to look at it.