Writers in the Storm

by Melinda VanLone

Here on Writers In The Storm we’ve talked about putting the promise of your genre on the cover and how vital it is for selling your novel. As I've said before, a good cover is a contract with the reader that this story fits in the genre they’re looking for.

Note: For more information see Book Covers 101: Your Cover Sells Your Book.

But what if you’ve written a cross-genre story? 

Here’s the short answer: it’s almost impossible to do both at once. You have to lean one way or another, or you’ll miss both sides.

Let's say, for example, you've written a sci-fi/romance novel. Think carefully about the main story elements. Is the romance really front and center? Or is it more interstellar shenanigans with strong romantic elements?

My latest series, Raegan Reid, is a blend of urban fantasy and sci-fi. When I look at it objectively I see that it’s heavier on the urban fantasy elements. If I put a typical urban fantasy cover, a badass female protagonist standing in a sinister city landscape, and then tried to insert a futuristic element into the background, I would end up with a confused cover and no one would buy my book. It would leave both urban fantasy and science fiction readers scratching their heads, and their main thought would be: “I don’t know what that is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not for me.”

You do not want that reaction for your book.

Steps to a successful cross-genre cover.

1. Take a step back and analyze the major story elements in your novel.

• What genre do they belong to?
• Which reader is it going to appeal to more?

Typically, you’ll find you’ve got more elements of one genre than the other.  

For instance, I did not lean into the science elements hard enough in my story to market it to science fiction readers. If your cover incorrectly promises your genre, you’ll end up with angry readers, bad reviews, and a mental cross beside your name when it’s seen on future books.

As a side note, some genres are more accepting of experimentation, while other genres are more purist. If you’ve read within the genres you’re publishing in—as you should have—you’ll know which is which.

2. If your story is truly evenly balanced and you can tip either way, consider which genre has the biggest audience. You are seeking the largest pool of potential readers, because a bigger pool means more potential customers.

For instance, if your sci-romance is equal parts science fiction and romance, I’d lean romance. Biggest. Genre. Ever.

If you're still not sure, take a look at the covers from your comp authors, and see which genre they've chosen to highlight. If they've been selling well...it's a smart move to mimic their approach.

3. Once you’ve picked the genre you think is the primary focus of your story, cover your book accordingly (see previous Book 101 posts for more advice on what graphics go with which genre).

Keep in mind, if your book isn’t selling you can always change your cover to lean into the other genre. Maybe you got the dominant genre wrong. Maybe the smaller genre is hungrier and more willing to try a new type of story. 

Remember, the two basic mottos of indie publishing are: if at first you don’t succeed, try again, and don’t be afraid to change your approach. The power is in your hands.

Have you seen a cross-genre book with a great cover? Share it with us in the comments!

About Melinda

Melinda VanLone writes urban fantasy, freelances as a graphic designer, and dabbles in photography. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and furbabies.

When she's not playing with her imaginary friends, you can find Melinda playing World of Warcraft, wandering aimlessly through the streets taking photos, or hovered over coffee in Starbucks.

Her elementary fantasy series, House of Xannon, begins with Stronger Than Magic. For more information on covers, visit BookCoverCorner.com.

by Jenny Hansen

In case no one ever told you this... You are a writer, and you are also a badass. Yes, you. The hard-working, dream-chasing reader of this writing blog.

You have a dream, and you care enough about that dream to chase it down. Enough to get up early or stay up late to write, to put your butt in that chair day after day. Enough to take the time to learn what you need to know to write the best stories you can.

You are the brave soul who is mastering the writing equation:

Dream Chasing + Hard Work = Writer + Badass

The Writing Equation in Action

These last few years, I've entered the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition. Partly for the usual reasons -- it's fun, it makes me stretch as a wrier, etc. -- and partly because it makes me feel like a badass.

Here's how the contest works:

• Each round, you receive a genre, a story element and a character
• The word count and timeframe are set
• The title and 1-2 sentence synopsis aren't included in the wordcount
• Only 5 people from each "heat" move on.
• Round 1: 8 days to write 2,500 words

This round, I was assigned the following story elements:

• Genre - SciFi
• Story element - a career
• Character - a tracker

Every year it is a slap-dash careening ride to The End but the big-picture story requirements are familiar.

• You must follow the genre rules.
• It must be an engaging read.
• The majority of loose ends must be tied up.
• You have to finish.

Every year when I do this competition, I think of what Neil Gaiman says about writing.

(Gaiman urges you to think of your writing like dandelion seeds.)

"Dozens will go out into the world, but for every five failures that float on the wind, perhaps one will find some success. The more you send out, the more success you will have. The more types of things you try, the greater the chance of finding that success."

I think of the NYC contest as a way of floating my dandelion seeds and expanding my craft, all at the same time. Plus, even if I don't win the money, I have the work.

Every year when I see the thousands of writers who show up for this competition, I'm amazed at their fortitude, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. A bunch of badasses hang out in those forums.

How To Get Through the Maze of Your Story

Plotter, pantser, plantser, story quilter, or outliner...none of that really matters as long as you get a story done. I am a firm believer that even though no two writers have the same process, we all have the power to get to The End.

There are four qualities possessed by almost every writer that are, in my humble opinion, more important than good writing craft.

1. Hope
2. Courage
3. Perseverance
4. Blind faith

The Big Four

It's nearly impossible to be a successful writer without the qualities above. Let's break them down...

1. Hope

We hope our story comes out great.
We hope someone will buy it.
We hope readers will like it.

The writing craft and our own discipline to get the story down are the only things we can control in this crazy writing life. Everything except the work is beyond our control.

And yet we sit down to write. We submit our writing to agents and editors who often reject us. We keep going in the face of rejection.

Hope is hard. Hope is brave. Writers who hang onto their hope long enough to achieve their dreams are badasses.

I encourage you to stockpile your stores of hope, so you have plenty available when you need it.

2. Courage

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.”

— Raymond Lindquist

Every writer must have the courage to embrace the unknown. Story after story, we jump in and stumble our way through the maze of a story. We meet new characters, try new genres, embark on a whole new research journey.

That's a lot of unknowns we face. Some of my writer friends see that quality as insanity or stupidity. I see it as flat out guts and courage.

We face the blank page, the unknown, and the fear that we suck. Then we send our work to others for honest feedback.

We are astonishing.

3. Perseverance

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”

— Mary Anne Radmacher

Call of the Wild author, Jack London, received 950 rejections before someone bought the book. Our own Laura Drake has 400+ rejections under her belt. Bestselling author Debbie Macomber had an agent stand in front of her, tap the manuscript Debbie had submitted for her to critique and advise that she "throw it away."

These are three writers that we've heard of because they didn't give up in the face of adversity. Plus they did the work, and learned how to write a great story.

I always try to remember: it only takes one 'yes' to open the door to opportunity wide enough for me to squeeze on through.

4. Blind Faith

This last one is the real reason I think writers are the bravest superheroes on the planet. The sheer courage of diving into the unknown with every new story, and persevering until that story is told? Of believing that story will be told? That takes a massive amount of hope, discipline, and blind faith.

Especially for the pantsers. They sit down knowing a character or two, possibly a setting or a few plot points. Then they spin a story, line by line and chapter by chapter. At least the plotters get the chance to mentally immerse themselves in their story before they get started.

Final Thoughts

If you haven't congratulated yourself for your badassery lately, I hope you take a moment now.

You. Rock.

Seriously, y'all. I've said it before, the sheer act of taking that leap of blind faith and showing up for your writing, day after day, year after year, is an incredible act of courage and will.

These four qualities that save us -- hope, courage, perseverance and blind faith -- are also often a heavy burden to bear. To me, this is why writing stories is so damn exciting, and so damn scary. You just never know how long it's going to take or how it's going to turn out...and you do it anyway.

You wonderful badass, you.

Do you agree or disagree? What part of the writing scares you the most, or requires more blind faith. Please share with us down in the comments!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny provides corporate communications and LinkedIn advice for professional services firms. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 18 years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Facebook at JennyHansenAuthor or at Writers In The Storm.

by Kris Maze

My last post at WITS went in-depth on the aspects of Flow and how to use the psychology of writing to get into the Creative Zone.  How does that apply to our misconceptions about getting into the mood for writing?

Here are a few scenarios common to writers.  What do you think? Do you agree?

Take a look at this video, if you want a quick refresher on How to Enter the Flow State . If you are ready for a mini quiz, see how Getting Into Flow can get you past these common writing issues.

Pop Quiz Time!  Let’s see what your opinions are on these typical writer ideals about getting into the Flow Zone.  Fact or Fiction?

1. Writer’s Block doesn’t really exist.  It’s only in your mind.

FACT

The parts of the brain that use to function daily can trip up our flow in many ways.  Research shows that we override our self-consciousness, worry and anxiety, and social expectations, we are more likely to experience Flow than when we sit at our desks with those thoughts competing for our mental bandwidth

2. Writers are creatures of habit and need a perfect writing space for optimal flow.

FICTION

According to the studies on Flow, it turns out that having the perfect setup isn’t as important as we may think. The way to get into Flow is to understand what makes your mind relax, focus, and find a balance between the task at hand and the skills you apply to it.

Some authors are very successful at catching a creative wave spontaneously and can tease out the words on the spot. But when a creative burst doesn’t drop out of the sky into our literary laps, we can and should intervene to create those circumstances. 

We all relate to when the words are just not flowing.  Consider this mini-checklist of common factors writers can use to optimize their chances of Getting into the Flow:

____ Healthy Snacks on hand

____ Warm or cold beverages near by

____ Slight caffeine boost

____ Ambient music or white noise

____ Sound cancelling headphones (a new favorite of mine)

____ A ‘do not disturb’ sign on the literal and digital door

3. When writers stick to one genre or type of writing, they experience more flow.

FACTION Yes, both. Let me explain! This can depend on a few factors.

FACT

There is a reason genre fiction writers seem more prolific than their literary counterparts.  Writing within the constraints, tropes, and requirements for the genre can free the writer's mind of some of the heavy decision making.  The framework has been largely created for them and they are carefully constructing new stories from those rules.

Literary novelists, who by contrast may take years to produce works have more pieces of the creative puzzle to solve in order to create something new and palatable to readers.

In an article on Creative Blockages, assistant professor of Psychology, Baptiste Bardot, describes well-known authors and how prolific they are.  For example, horror writers like Stephen King and Anne Rice have limited choices as to themes, setting, and plot.  Their literary counterparts have fewer formatting constraints leading to more solutions to resolve in their novels.

FICTION

Creativity by definition is not just creating new ideas, but the novel creation of ideas that make sense. Creativity requires lateral thinking and when writers tackle new types of writing they approach the new rules and constructs in ways that expand their thinking.

This study by Arne Dietrich, dives into the types of thinking writers use.  They may be deliberate and follow prescribed steps or follow decisions made in a more spontaneous way. This may sound more familiar to those who consider themselves Plotters of Pantsers, since those preferences demonstrate a writer's favored type of thinking.

The key to using flow to be more creative is to understand that writing lots of words does not equate creative output.  There are several computerized idea generators available to writers, but these apps cannot craft best sellers without the gifter authors who knit plots and characters into meaningful works of art.

4. Writers should feel the emotions in order to write a convincing emotional work.

FICTION

According to the research on Flow, emotions can block a writer's access to Flow since emotions are one of the cognitive processes that can detract from unfettered thinking that characterizes freedom of thought.  

Other ways emotion blocks our writing are due to possible affliction from one's inner critic. It can also project one’s self more onto the page, which has an adverse effect on using Flow.

Channeled emotional energy can help a writer if they are able to “make sense” of the words and build up the rest of their work. If it does, add that spice and make it naughty or nice.

How did you do? Did you agree with all of these?  I hope your writing life is productive and fulfilling, but if not I hope you find ways to get back into your writing groove soon!  What hacks and helps do you have for our writing community today?

About Kris

Kris Maze is an author, freelance writer, and teacher. She enjoys writing twisty, speculative fiction with character driven plots.  After years of reading classic literature, mysteries, and thrillers, she began to write and publish her own  books. She also writes for various publications including a regular post at the award winning Writers in the  Storm Blog. 

When she isn’t spending time with her favorite people and pets, Kris Maze is taking pictures, hiking, or pondering the wisdom of Bob Ross. You can follow her author journey at her website at KrisMazeAuthor.com

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My Free short story, The Detour, has had a makeover! Not only has the text version been updated and beautified, there is now an audio edition.

Many of you have joined the newsletter to try out the audio version. If you prefer the PDF and haven’t gotten it yet, this link will take you to your free PDF download.