tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post1746608625786675547..comments2023-06-11T06:01:10.185-04:00Comments on My Dog Ate My Manuscript: What's next?N. Gemini Sassonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00561583704477654856noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-22059973721772962452013-03-19T22:52:18.378-04:002013-03-19T22:52:18.378-04:00My reading tastes are very eclectic, too! Keeps th...My reading tastes are very eclectic, too! Keeps things interesting.N. Gemini Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561583704477654856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-50775264536787417192013-03-19T17:46:12.993-04:002013-03-19T17:46:12.993-04:00That's why I self publish, so I can have all t...That's why I self publish, so I can have all the freedom of choosing what I want to write, even if it's not the most popular thing. I love writing historical fiction and military adventure, but I also have ideas for time travel books and even a paranormal one that I'm not quite sure about yet. As I like to experiment in the books I read, I like to do the same with the stuff I write. Hazel Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01234157921832851920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-84775024813457069722013-03-19T15:25:34.360-04:002013-03-19T15:25:34.360-04:00(^ I should say his publishers were less than enth...(^ I should say his publishers were less than enthusiastic about the idea.)N. Gemini Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561583704477654856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-15990038916775623892013-03-19T15:24:27.982-04:002013-03-19T15:24:27.982-04:00Hi Hazel! Yes, I think we're on the same wavel...Hi Hazel! Yes, I think we're on the same wavelength. I often marvel at authors who can produce dozens of novels in the same very defined genre over many years. But I do think it's important to keep things fresh as a writer, so that you're excited about them. If your heart's not in it, it will show and your readers will know.<br /><br />This brings to mind an interview I once saw of Ken Follett with Oprah. He told her when he came up with the idea of a novel about building a cathedral in medieval England, they were less than enthusiastic. They tried to dissuade him, but he wrote it anyway. That novel was Pillars of the Earth. I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of the top ten, if not THE biggest, selling historical novels of all time.N. Gemini Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561583704477654856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-54702636725999814242013-03-19T15:00:28.894-04:002013-03-19T15:00:28.894-04:00This is exactly what happened to me. I got so burn...This is exactly what happened to me. I got so burned out with research with all the early novels (some, annoyingly, not even published) that I became more of a fan of the 'character driven' story than the plot driven one even if it's talking about historical events and people. That way you can glance over dates if you have to (aka, lazy). That's why I have gone to Victorian England to write a steampunk novel now. I think it's really important authors try something different, and it's always really exciting. First I dabbled in ancient Rome, which is a time period and setting I never would have thought of writing about until I read Rosemary Sutcliff's books, and now I'm pretty much crossing into the fantasy genre with a steampunk novel. <br /><br />I wish you luck in your next writing venture =)Hazel Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01234157921832851920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-27251937007574327882013-03-19T11:50:39.491-04:002013-03-19T11:50:39.491-04:00Thanks, Anita. You gave me confidence when I had n...Thanks, Anita. You gave me confidence when I had none. I am forever indebted to you.<br /><br />The historicals arose from my desire to create heroes with substance. This probably stems from a childhood spent in search of someone who would protect me. But whatever their origins, I'm glad I've been able to make them equally real for others.<br /><br />I've always been a sucker for a story dripping with emotion, no matter what the setting. Good stories remind us what really matters in life. Geesh, just last night I got all teary-eyed over Karen McQuestion's A Scattered Life.N. Gemini Sassonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561583704477654856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5019340552131325259.post-73284094605003114132013-03-19T10:53:03.405-04:002013-03-19T10:53:03.405-04:00It's definitely that first 'epic' that...It's definitely that first 'epic' that takes the longest because you have so much to learn about the historical background, techniques of writing etc. I would really look forward to your change of direction and feel you could handle the human emotions really well as you give your historical ones such heart. Anita Davisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13068890701803582595noreply@blogger.com