 DavidBCoe
read all posts by DavidBCoeIn case this is not clear from the literally dozens of market-oriented posts all of us have written here at MW over the past several years, publishing is a truly crazy business. Publishers and editors seem to want one thing, until they get it and then realize that they’re not so sure they wanted it after all. They are hungry for “something new,” until new appears before them and they brush it away as if it were a venomous spider and run away, screaming like frightened children. If they weren’t the arbiters of my professional futures, I would tell you that all of these people are certifiable. But you didn’t hear that from me.
As today’s example of what I’m talking about, I present for your consideration the genre-bending novel. Now, I should pause here to say that Thieftaker is actually a cross-genre novel. (Yes, I’ve mentioned Thieftaker in [...]
Continue reading On Publishing and Marketing: Crossing Genres, or not
 Misty Massey
read all posts by Misty Massey“Texts where fantasy and the mundane world interact, intersect, and interweave throughout a tale which is significantly about a real city.” – John Clute and John Grant’s Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997)
Urban fantasy, while once merely a subgenre of fantasy, has become its own genre. Once upon a time, it was an offshoot of contemporary fantasy, and indicated that the story took place in a city. It still means that, but has become so much more, as anyone who’s wandered into a bookstore lately can tell you. Urban fantasy has an unusually wide audience, appealing to not only fantasy readers but also to romance readers, which grants it successful crossover strength. Yes, I said romance. I know a few of you are sneering at the idea of yucky romance, but one thing urban fantasy does well is make a monster romantic. Think about it…before the rise of urban fantasy, vampires [...]
Continue reading Genres Part Four – Urban Fantasy
Misty Massey
read all posts by Misty MasseySo you want to be a writer, to see your name on the cover of a New York Times bestselling hardcover book and be invited to sit on Oprah’s couch and regale the world with your brilliance, but you just don’t know where to start. Don’t let that blank page get you down! Come with me and we’ll ask the stars to help you!*
Aries Aries tend to live adventurous lives and enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Action adventure is the way to go for Aries. A fairly simple mystery complicated by the addition of heavy weaponry and possibly a hot scientist babe for the action hero to continually rescue. Or a hot scientist hunk for the action heroine to continually rescue. Hey, wouldn’t that be a twist? Taurus Stubborn Taurus likes to do things his own way. His science fiction novel will be in present tense, second person [...]
Continue reading The Sun Sign Guide For Writers
DavidBCoe
read all posts by DavidBCoeOur special guest star today is British-born writer A.J. Hartley, author of the bestselling thrillers On the Fifth Day, The Mask of Atreus, and What Time Devours. Andrew has now turned his talents to fantasy. His first novel, Act of Will, has recently been released by Tor, and a sequel, Will Power, is in the works. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theater and Dance at University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus. Pretty impressive resume, eh? Yeah, well, you should hear his accent. That really completes the effect.
We met Andrew at ConCarolinas and knew immediately that a) he was going to be a lot of fun to sit with in the bar, and b) he’d be a terrific guest for MW. He is charming, brilliant, funny, and one helluva a writer. Please join us in welcoming him to Magical Words. [Cue wild applause.…]
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Continue reading Special Guest Star, A. J. Hartley: Tragical-Historical-Comical-Pastoral
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