So...who wants to read my novel?

[rabid1st]

Thought I would hop off of my rant train for a bit and talk about RL stuff for a change. I am working on my original novels, trying to put an hour in each night, before I start in with fanfiction. It is tedious work at the moment. But mostly I think that's because...unlike with fanfiction...I'm not really focused. I tend to piddle with original fiction. Not that I lack ideas...I'm just not passionate about them. Still, I need to focus on ONE of the five books on my hard drive if I mean to publish in the next year or two.

So...I thought...hey...let's have a poll...(but not an official LJ poll because I don't know how to do them)...involving my current readers.

All the ideas are equally sound...characters equally fleshed out...would you rather read...

a) Straight SciFi...spacetravel, new ideas, gadgets?

b) Romantic Fantasy...smut, supernatural edge, weird love interests?

c) Chick Lit Mystery...serial style, female detective stuff?

d) Sword and Sorcery...cursed amulets, elves, pirates, dragons?

...by me? So, playing to my strengths as a writer...but, also, interested in what it was that drew you, my readers, to my work...so, in a way...it's all about YOU! ;->

Rae
who is probably going to be writing Dr. Who stuff on a carrot-basis for a bit, yet...because I love Rose/Ten...and have two stories in the pipe.

Comments

[darksylvia.livejournal.com]

I'll read most things. But I definitely gravitate toward Romantic Fantasy...smut, supernatural edge, weird love interests

[swankkat.livejournal.com]

Although I like to partake in a variety of things, I'm definitely a romantic fantasy type (given that I was beta for X-Files shipper fic long ago), so (B)! But a close second would be (C), because I'm just that way.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

A or B for me.

[(Anonymous)]

Is there a way for you to do romantic sci-fi?

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Actually...there is a way to do romantic scifi. Both of my SciFi novels have strong romantic subplots but the central theme of the story is a splashy new world idea. I did have three stories of this type...but one of them was duplicated almost exactly by another author...so, letting it go.

Rae

[binah1013.livejournal.com]

That sounds good to me. And I'm pleased to hear that you've got at least a couple more DW stories in ya. That kinda news makes a reader happy. :)

You know I'll read your novel no matter what.

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

B.

Then C, A, D.

D draws the short stick mostly because the description sounds... common. I know you wouldn't write it that way, but I'm betting publishers are inundated with that genre after HP and the LotR and PotC movies.

[squeeepatrol.livejournal.com]

That's a big B from me please, miss.

[beck1.livejournal.com]

I too would pick romantic fantasy. On a side note though, are you going to update Minotaur, I loved that fic?

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Truthfully...my Minotaur vibe did come back a bit after Unfinished Business. I wonder why? ;->

And so I won't say NO...never, ever! But, currently, I want to keep the Dr. Who love alive and work on the original stuff. My creative fire's only burn for so long each day. But I will keep watching BSG for now...and if my muse comes roaring back...well...SWEET!

Rae

[beck1.livejournal.com]

Truthfully...my Minotaur vibe did come back a bit after Unfinished Business. I wonder why? ;->

And so I won't say NO...never, ever!

That's a shame, I hope the vibe does come back. Anyway I'll look forward to reading some of your original fic.

[omega85.livejournal.com]

With YOUR talent? I would read anything and everything you wrote! Keep on rockin'!

[padawanpooh.livejournal.com]

A or B for me, but I have a weakness for pirates (D) - absolutely NOTHING to do with Captain Jack Sparrow you understand...

Oh what the heck - I love everything I've read of yours - I'm sure you could do justice to any genre ;-)

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Did you know I have a Captain Jack Sparrow/Spike slash ficlet?

Not that I'm saying you are into that sort of thing...not that SPIKE was into that sort of thing...but I just had too much root beer one night...and my Jack Sparrow came out.

Go to this link if you are interested...but don't use any feedback forms from there...the site is long overdue for a facelift.

http://www.geocities.com/rabid1st/pressganged.htm

Rae

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I vote (b).

And I'm glad your writing Doctor Who fic because I love it.

[serenelystrange.livejournal.com]

Dude... ALL of it, lol. Although I'm partial to Romantic Fantasy meself... and swords are cool.. can there be dragons? Lol, :)

[rainblows.livejournal.com]

choice b would be most interesting to me, i think.

and i'm not sure if i've mentioned this before, either, but i have an english degree, and as such am rather well trained as an editor. so if you feel like posting excerpts or something, i can definitely give them a double check for you to make sure everything's grammatically sound, etc. ;)

Ooooh, you have many talents, Flav!

[(Anonymous)]

I may very well take you up on your offer of grammatical soundness checking.

I do have a very good editor. Though, you may not be able to tell from my finished work because there is a bit of a comma war going on between my beta babes...and also...I post material they never get to check...because I'm an impatient fool. Something I can't be in RL...again...we talk about the slogging of my original work. :sigh:

Oh, well...it must be addressed first with passion. Then, with an editor's knife. Then...sadly...we must do that whole process again...and again. Did you know that Dean Koontz goes through his books about a gazillion times? It shows but...still...my muse is already whining.

Rae

Re: Ooooh, you have many talents, Flav!

[rainblows.livejournal.com]

lmao. i answer to carla most days, but i suppose flav works too. :P

yeah, i'm a writer also (english degree, so that's kind of a no brainer, i guess), but i will never write a novel unless it's memoirs simply because it is so. much. work. ><;

It is! :Rabid nods sagely:

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

It IS a lot of work. And boring, neck-cramping, lonely work at that. You can't get chapter feedback like you can with fanfiction...so you work on and on and on...in your lonely Bronte-sisters' style turret...the cold wind howling outside your window.

Okay...maybe not!

But it feels like that sometimes.

Rae
pleased to meet you, Carla. I will now promptly forget your name...no need to thank me for the speedy service...all part of the job when you are losing your mind...as I am. ;-> See: today's post about artwork and forgotten artists!

[gobi-rex.livejournal.com]

Hmm, this is hard. I'd say B. Not so much D. And weirdly enough, not A (says she, a self-professed Arthur Clarke fan).

Hey, Gobi!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

There you are! Thanks for the input. Hope you've been doing well out there in Gobi-land.

Rae

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

For me, I would say, B & D. Slashy stuff isn't normally my thing, but I've read most of your stuff and enjoyed it, even the unfinished ones *evil stink eye* no really *winks* suffering from a lazy muse myself, I now totally understand what writers go through.

What ever you put out, I'll give it a try.

[larathejock.livejournal.com]

howbout a smutty Chick Lit Mystery with weird love interests?

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Sure! I could do that!

Come to think of it...my Chick Lit mystery is pretty weird. I have a very strange protaganist...and I'm sure she could hook up with some mighty odd folks. I was going to have her be gay, originally...but then I thought that would limit the audience...weird love interests could work though...

Rae

[larathejock.livejournal.com]

lol. yay! i will definately be reading this.

[tanzachick.livejournal.com]

Ummm...B or A. But quite honestly, I would read anything you wrote because you are a fantastic writer. B is more likely to appeal to me though.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

You are a sweetheart. Thanks for the vote of confidence. I tell you I certainly will put it to good use in the whole carrot/stick arrangement with my muse. She is not a happy muse about leaving the Doctor...she wants her Ten/Rose. And she knows I want it, too.

She's not above holding a chapter hostage if I piddle around too much on things she finds boring.

Rae
who had already started on the B book...a few weeks ago...I'm gratified that my instincts tended to go where the audience appears to be.

[dualbunny.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna go with B or A. :)

[queenrikki-hp.livejournal.com]

I'd read any of the above, though I lean towards SF and Romantic Fantasy (S&S and CL MYS usually depends on who wrote it). I just love a good book, genre be damned.

[fiona-squid.livejournal.com]

thought looks like i'm kinda alone with this option i'm gonna go with c) Chick Lit Mystery...serial style, female detective stuff?

btw, about making that LJ poll. when you are updating there is this greyish box on the right and there is a link called make a poll or create a poll or something similar. if you have a plus account or a payid account, you should be able to get a poll to your LJ thru that link. ^^

You may be alone, squidy...

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

...but you are most likely to have your wishes granted.

Well...no, I think that I will work on the Romantic Fantasy first. I, too, feel that my current writing strenght lies in this genre. But my chick-lit mystery series is more mainstream publisher friendly and so has a good chance of seeing the light of day at the local bookstore before my other work makes it off of an editor's desk.

Rae

A or B for preference, but C is good, too

[(Anonymous)]

Maybe it's because I know you as a fanfic writer, but A and B seem like natural fits for your style and approach. But I would be interested to read C. Actually, quite a bit interested.

D I would read because you wrote it, but I've rather gone off that genre. It's been a long time since I read anything that I would call original in that genre -- novel or ingenious, yes, but original, no.

~ np-complete ~

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

A or B ... but pretty please don't leave us hanging with Disheveled, please!!! I am hooked. :)

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

How is it that I didn't reply to this???

Honestly, I'd read anything you write. But given what I know of your style (granted, it's only the one example of "Disheveled"!), I'd be inclined to vote for Romantic Fantasy first, followed by SciFi and Sword n' Sorcery. I can't tell about Chick Lit Mystery, though I'm sure you'd do it justice!

Things that have drawn me to your writing include the complex emotions and relationships, the way you look at the standard and find something new/unexpected/deeper in it (alien sex w/the Doctor, your reimagining of canon scenes), wonderful imagination, careful attention to detail and continuity, well-established characters (really wonderful depth). Oh and the smut don't hurt. ;)

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

BTW, if you're looking at potentially publishable type stories, CLM would be good (I personally read a lot of them) and Romantic Fantasy. SciFi and Sn'S are harder to sell, I think, but it's such a hit and miss thing...who knows what would catch a publisher's eye?