Born Wicked Blog Tour: Top Genre Writing Tips - Fantasy and Paranormal
It's a huge pleasure to have the amazing Jessica Spotswood here with us today, author of the brilliant Cahill Witch Chronicles. I'm super excited for everyone to read this, and also super excited about this gorgeous paperback edition of the book - I'm totally in love with it! And this book, well, excuse the pun, but it's pure magic! If you don't believe me and haven't read it yet, check out Jessica's awesome site and Twitter account, as well as Cahill Witch Chronicles'Amazon and Facebook page! Now, enjoy the awesome post Jessica's whipped up for us! :) My top two tips for genre writing apply to
both paranormal and historical writing, I think, and truthfully I suspect
they’d apply to science fiction and fantasy too.
1. Make
your setting specific. Transport your reader there. Whether your book takes
place in a world where magic exists or a hundred years in the past, we want to
feel like we’re right there alongside the main character. What does her house
look like – and better yet, what does it smell like? What does she hear on the
street outside? The young writers I work with (ages 8-11) often forget to
include other senses besides sight, but they can help bring your world more
fully alive. One of my favorite notes from my editor was that she wanted me to
“ruffle my corsets” more, i.e. add more description about the world of the
Cahill sisters. I did loads of research into the late Victorian era to find out
what the dresses looked like, what the interior design was like, and what
technology existed at that time. Since Cate’s a passionate gardener, I also did
lots of research into different flowers and plants. Even though it’s an
alternate history where witches first settled New England and the country is
now ruled by a group of patriarchal priests, I wanted readers to feel
transported back to 1896, to get caught up in the sensuousness of a time of
candles and carriages and corsets.
2. Make
sure your main character’s emotional wants and fears are relatable. No matter
whether she’s a girl who lived during the Renaissance or a fairy queen, she’s
probably got the same things driving her as you or I. The exterior plot may be
different – for instance, Cate’s a witch who’s promised her mother that she’ll
keep her magic and that of her sisters a secret. If the Brotherhood finds out
they’re witches, they could be sentenced to a prison ship or an insane asylum –
or worse. That probably isn’t a predicament that you or I have ever faced. But
on the emotional level, Cate is worried that she isn’t enough. She’s been
trying to mother and protect her sisters since she was twelve. She knows she
can’t replace their mother; she knows sometimes she goes about it all wrong. I
think we can probably all relate to feeling that way sometimes. She’s also
feeling very torn about her future. Should she marry for security, to the
friend she’s grown up with but who would take her away from her sisters? Should
she marry for love, even if it means turning the Brothers’ attention toward
her? Or should she embrace her magic and try to help other girls like her, even
if it means casting her lot with some unscrupulous people she doesn’t trust?
Everyone is telling her what she should do, which she finds
incredibly frustrating. Again, I think (hope?) a lot of modern girls can
relate, even if we aren’t (thankfully) forced to choose husbands by age
17.
Hope you all enjoyed the post! I know I did! And don't forget to check out the book and everything! Oh, and don't forget there are chances to win a copy of Born Wicked - check out the ThingLink banner!! :D
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