Tag Archives: paranormal

Got Cliche?

July 12, 2008   dee   3 Comments


As I’m working on my own paranormal series, I was interested in story elements/characterization stereotypes. In other words cliches that I wanted to avoid. I have a couple of articles posted on the website regarding romance cliches, but damn if there don’t seem to be more in fantasy.

'thopter on the horizon
For me this bears a bit of irony since of the two genres romance is the more restricted. In fantasy you can make your own world in ways you can’t with romance. You can go to the past, the future, a parallel world or one that exists only in your own mind. You can have a love interest if you want, but you don’t have to. You can have a happy ending if you want, but you can also be a bleak son of a bitch if you desire. Your characters can be shape-shifters, vampires, invisible pixie-like ‘droids if you want them to. So why so much conformity?

Part of the reason, I’m sure, is that unlike pure fantasy, fantasy publishing exists in the real world where what is expected to be a success tomorrow is the thing that was a success yesterday. The mantra tends to be give me exactly what I had yesterday, except just different enough not to incite cries of plagiarism. I mean how many versions of The Incredible Hulk do we really need.

I think it’s also true that people write what they’ve seen and liked and thought they could put their own spin on. Hey, the Bard of Avon did it. His Romeo and Juliet is based on another work Romeo and Giuliet (I think that’s how it was spelled, but it’s been a long time since I took that Shakespeare course). To the Elizabethan (and other minds) the true merit of a story was not its originality by the skill the author showed in telling their version of the tale.

vs.
Same couple, different centuries?

Given the recent spate of remakes of previous works everywhere from the movie theatre to the bookstore to Broadway, it appears the do-over is de rigeur.

So that begs the question, what to steal and what to leave behind? Here are a few websites to help you decide. Each features cliches to avoid.

What cliches do you hate seeing in science fiction/fantasy/paranormal works? What would you like to see more of? Inquiring writers want to know!

Read More

The freak in me

June 28, 2008   dee   6 Comments

I have always been interested in the paranormal–things for which the five senses we credit ourselves with have no explanation. I couldn’t help it. With Halloween for a birthday, what else can you expect? I read tarot cards during my bohemian teenage years and to this day own a couple sets. In my dotage here I’ve finally started writing on the first book I’ve ever wanted to write–a story about witches and ancients and the fate of the earth. It’s damn slow going since it means so much to me, but most fulfilling.

It’s scary really–not because there are any spooks or goblins running around in the story, but because this book is something I haven’t found in a while–a true book of the heart. My first book, Spellbound (which will be reprinted in October by Parker Publishing), was my first book of the heart, a labor of love for the island (Martha’s Vineyard) that I loved, for the people who’d shared part of my youth (many of whom assumed they were someone in the story) and for the occult lover in me (are the women in this family witches? Only their familiar knows for sure).

As the average writer and they’ll tell you a book of the heart is a rare thing. If you’ve ever had the feeling that you were put on this earth to do a particular thing, that’s close to how a writer feels about that “heart” book. Or maybe it’s like salmon returning to their home stream to spawn–produce or die trying. But finishing this story feels like a biological imperative; the fingers to the keyboard are the labor pains.

Anyway, I’m back to writing now. But if you’ve got a book of the heart you’re working on, tell me a little bit about it. What makes it a book you just have to write?

Read More

  • Calendar

    May 2012
    M T W T F S S
    « Jan    
     123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    21222324252627
    28293031  

  • Archives