Comments on: The Face of Fiction

By: Tracey Jackson

Tracey Jackson — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:30:45 +0000

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I write time travel romance, and I had an agent tell me about a year ago that the Civil War did not sell. One of the reasons I’m writing that era is because I have been unable to find books IN that era. Ah, lovely Catch 22 for me

By: Ocieanna Fleiss

Ocieanna Fleiss — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:25:10 +0000

That’s so interesting because I was just talking to some college girls at church about a graphic novel they’re writing that would qualify as dystopic fiction! I had no idea they had keyed into a trend. Cool.

By: Julie Saffrin

Julie Saffrin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:47:02 +0000

If my sons are an indicator of what young male adults are reading, then you’re spot-on in the dystopian reads. Cormic McCarthy is an excellent writer but his books are dystopian. They are read but so much of society failing them, but because they are based on what they see as reality now and what the world will look like. The books are honest assessments of what many feel right now, that humans can’t stop being inhuman to each other.

“The Help” is flying from Barnes & Noble’s shelves so it makes sense Southern books would be trending.

By: Lyla

Lyla — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:35:47 +0000

Ooh, dystopian! I love those! Good news for my WIP, as well, since it’s a dystopian… although I guess I shouldn’t get impatient trying to send it before its time!

By: NikoleHahn

NikoleHahn — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:29:43 +0000

How sad about what the young people are looking for in a book. That is good to know though…maybe something I can insert into my work in progress. The opposite of utopia.

By: Robin Jones Gunn

Robin Jones Gunn — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:23:52 +0000

Janet, It’s always such an interesting balance between our passion as writers and what the market indicates will sell. I appreciate the way you’re always giving an ear to both sides.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot the past few days after reading an interview with Beverly Cleary. She turns 94 next week.
The interviewer asked, “Is there anything you wish you had written about, but didn’t get to?”
Her reply: “I no longer write. I wish I had written about Ramona in the fifth grade, but didn’t wish hard enough to actually do it.”

With one ear to the market, how do we, as artists, still get to the end of our days and say that we wished hard enough to write what we wanted?

By: Martha Artyomenko

Martha Artyomenko — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:20:32 +0000

I think that there is more of a desire for real to life fiction and some chick lit, I mostly hear moans that there is not enough good historical fiction published without alot of romance in it.

By: janetgrant

janetgrant — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:08:02 +0000

Thanks for all your comments; I love hearing your feedback.
Lynn Dean, next year might see a number of Civil War novels, but a hallmark such as the 150th anniversary of an event will come and go quickly. Everyone who wants to take advantage of such dates should immediately check to see what anniversaries are coming up in 2012. It would take a publisher at least that long to read a project, offer a contract, and fit the novel into their publishing list.Wouldn’t hurt to look at 2013.
Judy, thanks for confirming, from a librarian’s perspective, the likely uptick in southern fiction.
Judith, yes, the dystopian novels are very like Mad Max and Steampunk. Thanks for mentioning them. When I was writing my post, I tried to recall those titles, but they eluded me.
Teri, southern fiction can be historical or contemporary.

By: Janet Ann Collins

Janet Ann Collins — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:30:13 +0000

From what I heard at Mount Hermon the next trend will be Amish vampires from Outer space.

By: Brian T. Carroll

Brian T. Carroll — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:33:15 +0000

If readers want southern, my Central California city is a latitude-peer with Memphis, and the whole state is a poster-child for dystopia. Quilting seems to be a favorite craft among the ladies in my church, and the guys will sometimes take a Saturday to go see the Angels play in Anaheim. I can’t get my junior highers interested in anything historical, but that’s because of all the romance in the air. Looks like I’m in the right place at the right time. All I need now is a vampire.