by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
After a really nice vacation to Alaska (where it wasn’t even close to the 100 degrees F we’ve had here in NC), I had a few things to deal with. A lot of unpacking, a suitcase that decided to hang out in Dallas, TX, instead of following us home, and a book to finish.
I’d hoped to finish the book during my vacation. I did get a lot written, but it wasn’t quite finished. I finally knocked out the last bit yesterday and then quickly cleaned it up to send it along to my freelance editor.
This book was an interesting project for me. It was an attack book…one that forced me to write it. It’s been bugging me for three years. I’ve got several other things to work on right now, but I scheduled time to work on this one.
I’d no idea how difficult it would be to write. I ran a couple of weeks over my self-imposed deadline. I’m happy with the finished product, but…it was a bear to write.
Why the book put me behind:
The zombies. I’ve never written zombies. I’ve had to read a lot of zombie stuff recently.
The fact that this was a gore-free zombie book with mild thrills. Not a lot of those out there.
The multiple POVs. I’ve never written multiple POVs. As I was writing them, I remembered scores of articles I’d shared on social media about challenges writers encounter with them. Now I know what those authors meant.
The first person POVs. I’ve never written in first person. It was awkward at first.
The epilogue. This book felt as if it needed one. I’ve never written/wanted one before.
What I learned while struggling through the project:
Although the book was difficult for me to write, I felt a lot of creative energy while writing it. This manuscript was good for me and helped me grow in areas I needed to work on.
Zombies are like many other conflict generators….it’s not about them. It’s about what happens to and within the characters, as with any other story.
For some reason, when writing multiple POVs, there is this tremendous urge that overwhelms one to recount the story we’ve just narrated from a different viewpoint. Resist! Rarely is this a good move. I knew this from a hundred articles I’ve read in the past…but somehow, when you’re writing, it seems like an amazing idea at the time.
When writing multiple POVs, timelines become an issue. I started tracking what day the different characters were on. When the characters’ timelines intersected, it was important to make sure one character wasn’t on day three and another character on day five. :)
Other things I was reminded of:
Crappy, unskilled work can be fixed during our edits.
It’s vital to schedule time to read the new genre.
It’s easy to get carried away with research. A timer is helpful.
If we feel like we’re blathering on and on, it’s best to start wrapping things up quickly.
Sometimes, it’s best to skip to the ending and write backward. This helped me out tremendously.
Challenges and lessons learned from writing a new genre: Share on XImage: Death to the Stock Photo
I’ve written in a few different genres, mostly in first-person (which I love for the intimacy afforded the narrator; however, it can be quite limiting and requires the POV character to find ingenious ways to “feed” necessary information into the narrative). I wrote a two-novel saga of the Civil War/Reconstruction era where I had three narrators sharing the storytelling, all in first-person. In another book (my only third-person POV novel) I had several characters sharing their parts in the overall story-line. The one POV I’d never attempt (never say never?) would be second-person. I find it odd and distracting to read, and can’t imagine writing that way.
Nice post, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing!
All best, Michael
Hi Michael, Thanks for coming by. I see what you mean about limitations of first-person. :) It got me frustrated, since I’m so used to a 3rd person limited (but a deep POV). This book seemed to demand a lot of things, ugh.
Second person is totally distracting, I agree. Unless it’s a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Remember those amazing stories? Can’t imagine 2nd working as well in anything but game software, etc.
Those elements would’ve all been new to me as well. I find first person just as awkward.
Still can’t believe you wrote a zombie book! Can’t wait to read it.
Alex–I can’t believe I wrote a zombie book, either! :)
Oh, Elizabeth, I give you so much credit for experimenting with a new genre. I really respect you for that. I can see how it’d be difficult, too. I know it would be hard for me, for instance, to do a romance. But as you say, trying something new really does unlock the creativity, doesn’t it? And you can bring that energy back to your other projects. Oh, and I hope you’ll post ‘photos from your trip!
Margot–You know, it was a fun change in some ways after 17 mysteries, but wow…I wish I’d been expecting the workload.
I’ve tried to include elements of other genres in some of my books: romance, for instance. But it’s really tough for me to write.
What fun! A zombie book – I’m curious as to what the impetus was? I’ve written in different genres – literary, mystery and now YA but, as you’ve discovered, it isn’t all that different – characters, plot, setting – telling a story. Okay – my YA protagonist is a zombie nut – here’s a joke her therapist asks her.
What was the zombie Beethoven doing?
Answer – Decomposing.
ha.
Jan–Love the zombie joke!!!
This was a very weird thing for me…it was a storyline that wouldn’t leave me alone. For YEARS. You know how sometimes we all get shiny new ideas? I ordinarily just jot them down in a Word file to write *someday* and then promptly forget about them since I’m working on a couple of series still. This plot wouldn’t let go so I had to write it. Bizarre.
Brains…
Lovely to hear the book is done! Very inspiring to see craft applied to disperate genre.
Vacation and writing? You fell for that? Red Herring! Never works out for me either. The writing gets better but it doesn’t advance as planned.
I’ve got a thing for aliens. I keep thinking its a garbage idea but someday these short stories of odd culture clashes will have to be exorcised. After all, _Tastes Like Chicken_ is too good an anthology title to pass by!
You’ve provided inspiration.
Jack–Over confidence on vacation writing is a killer! Somehow I forgot that my almost-14 year old really likes hanging out with me on trips (my husband and 18 year old son frequently do things together, leaving my daughter with me). Loved spending time with her, but didn’t get all the pages done that I’d planned on. It’s all good–it’s done now.
Write that alien book and it will leave you alone! My mind is now blissfully zombie-free. :) Love the title–*definitely* put the anthology together.
I bet it was a shock to come back to this super-hot weather.
I’m writing in a new genre and enjoying it. Although if I look back to what I wrote as a teen, it’s a genre I’ve tried before.
Diane–The heat and humidity during our layover in Dallas was a total shocker. :) When we finally arrived in Charlotte, it was after midnight so it had cooled…into the upper 70s. :)
Good luck with the new (ish) genre!
I’ve always found the familiarity of 1st person comforting when writing. It is, after all, how we all go through life, right?
I’m looking to write some 3rd person just to nudge me toward protagonists who aren’t so much like me. Differentiating between the three leads in my three series takes a lot of interview notes and judicious adjective choice.
Doing something totally new is healthy for your art. Next time you write in your old familiar genre, watch what’s changed.
Joel–I love it as a reader. And it’s good to try it out as a writer, too.
Good point about watching what’s changed when I start my next mystery!
Love that you wrote a zombie book! Congratulations on stepping out of your comfort zone and writing that story that was consuming you.
I write mystery and romance together, but I’m also adding a paranormal element to my current project. It’s a little different, but not totally like you did.
Carol–Smart thinking to weave in a paranormal element to your mystery. Those are selling like hotcakes right now!
Congrats on finishing a new genre work, especially a story that’s been bugging you for so long. It’s sorta fitting that you worked on it during your vacation, in the sense of taking a break from regular routine. So what will happen next? Will you resume cozies with renewed vigor, or will you discover that zombies are your new calling?
Meg–I didn’t think of it that way, but you’re right! Very fitting, for sure.
Oh, I’m back on cozies. Because….when you realize you don’t know what the heck you’re doing at some point in the story (I fixed it, but still…), there’s a longing to return to something you could do in 1/4 of the time with likely better results. :)
Elizabeth–
If you can, would you please offer a little more detail on what led you to write a zombie novel. You say it wouldn’t leave you alone. How and why do you think it “infected” you?
Like you, I’ve always written in close third-person, but last year I started a new story in my Brenda Contay suspense series, and am using first-person narration. As Michael says, it’s very confining, but also energizing. Since there will be four books in the series that come before it, I have to dream up an explanation for why my central character is all at once telling her own story. Or, then again, maybe I won’t explain it at all.
Barry–It was actually sort of strange. Maybe I *was* infected! So…when I was trying to write a Myrtle or a Beatrice book and was brainstorming that, I’d get an idea for the zombie book. Then I’d be staring out the window, and I was thinking about the zombie story. I was sitting at a stop light and I wondered what if I’d been stopped because of a traffic jam resulting from fleeing citizens. Like that. Frustrating in some ways because I was under a contract to work on mysteries. So I’d just jot down the zombie ideas and think, “Okay, so that’s that. I can jump right into my mystery again.” And then the darn thing wouldn’t leave me alone! Three+ years. The most persistent storyline ever. And I don’t even really read or watch zombies! But boy, I sure did when I started working on this book.
I ended up enjoying the change to first person, but I don’t think I’ll do it again for a while. So, so easy to do 3rd. For some reason, writing in first also triggered weird past tense/present tense issues that I’ve never had and which I had to edit out.
If you don’t come up with a cool reason for Brenda to tell her own story (defending herself/her actions? ), then you could always just leave it. Readers might just enjoy the change.
Fascinating. Thank you. I associate people in the car in front of me, at a stoplight staying put when the light turns green, with texters. I will now have to add “zombie novelist” to the possibilities. Three years is definitely a long time. What will be interesting to see is how you’ve taken a genre associated in everyone’s mind with blood and guts, and tidied it up in your inimitable style. Doing that could actually expand the genre for others. Zombie cozies, whoda thunk it?
Barry–I got honked at once or twice. :( Another reason I needed to write the darn book and exorcise it!
Elizabeth, I have read about zombies but not a “gore-free zombie book with mild thrills” and I’m looking forward to your new-genre book.
Prashant–Thanks! I looked for something similar out there and aside from children’s books (which might even have been more gory than mine!), I didn’t find much. But “Red Hill” was quite a success and is a women’s fiction take on zombies. Mine isn’t women’s fic, but I found it interesting that the author was able to appeal to women readers with a zombie book.
Congratulations on your finishing your book, Elizabeth! A couple of questions on the career side of your decision:
Are you planning to make this into a series, or is this stand-alone? (Or maybe you haven’t decided yet?) I’ve often read advice about the difficulties of cross-genre writing–or, rather, the marketing side of it. Do you plan to try to use your cozy mystery career to promote your zombie book? Do you think that cross-genre marketing works? Do you think independent stand-alone books work for indie writers?
Sorry, lots of questions. Feel free to choose only one or two:)
Rebecca–Thanks!
It’s a one-off. I’m planning to simul-launch it on Wattpad at the same time as my Amazon launch.
I’ve mentioned the book to my mystery subscribers with a warning that it’s not my usual fare and that I’m publishing it as Liz Craig. Right now, I’m so heavily branded as a cozy writer that I’d prefer for an experiment like this to go under a linked, but separate, name. I think, because of my approach (no profanity, off-stage violence, and happyish ending), it’s going to appeal to *some* of my readers, but I’m thinking maybe only 25% of them. Since my readers aren’t (for the most part) on Wattpad, that’s the reason I’m going to start off there. And I may do a Goodreads giveaway. So with the newsletter, the Wattpad exposure, and the giveaway, I think that’s going to be the extent of my marketing unless I go for a Facebook ad. I need to jump into the next Myrtle book.
I think indie standalone books *can* work for indie authors. If this hadn’t been an Attack Book and I’d been in my right mind, I’d have made a more gentle departure….maybe, as Carol mentioned, paranormal mystery. Or even a police procedural that’s light on forensic detail. I think those would have been strong cross-genre offerings that could rope in readers. Then you just use your newsletter list…send them ARCs for review and get a nice launch/also-boughts, etc. I might still do it, after I recover from my zombie exhaustion, ha!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply, Elizabeth!
:) Thanks for coming by!
Love this article!
Way to go for writing outside your comfort zone :D
I did an interview with The Big Thrill this month and spoke about why I think it’s a great idea for writers to try different genres. It definitely gives your brain a workout and makes you a better writer overall, I feel.
I’ve written two horror shorts now while writing my action thrillers and I was amazed by the response I got from my beta readers and editors. One is already out and the second will be released in an anthology this year. Writing the latter one freaked me out. At one point, I turned all the lights on in the house and watched Guardians of the Galaxy, I was so creeped out by what I was writing. Funny fact? I am NOT a fan of horror movies!
Thanks, AD! I think of you as someone who stays creative with writing and marketing by trying different things out, so this is praise, for sure!
The brain workout definitely happened. :) And if you can scare yourself, I think that’s a *good* sign!!
First of all, I missed you. Secondly, zombies are one of my favorite things. Finally, I am excited for you.
Teresa–I missed you, too! And I love that you love zombies! Hope your summer and writing are going really well so far.
Hi Elizabeth – congratulations on cramming everything in and achieving at the same time – glad you remembered you had kids and hubby while on holiday!! Alaska must have been glorious … and certainly a setting for a murder or two, or mystery in one of the towns frequented by the imposing cruisers …
Interesting post to read … comments and replies … cheers Hilary
Hilary–Ha! I know, it’s like we set goals based on what we can do at *home* and it has nothing to do with life on vacation! But they all stayed up late…and I went to bed at 10. Then they all slept in…and I got up at 5ish. So I did get work done without compromising family time–except at night, which was when they would have (probably) liked me to go with them to see these different shows (we were on a cruise ship).
Myrtle Clover will be investigating murder on a cruise ship in 2016! I took lots of pictures of possible points where passengers could be forced overboard. May have alarmed some of the crew… :)
I’m so glad I followed the Tweet link to the blog. I haven’t visited in a long time – I don’t do the blog visits like I used to, but I needed to read this post. I, too, am working on a very different book, and your tips are most helpful. But my book has no zombies. LOL
Hi Maryann! Thanks for coming by. :) Glad the tips helped and good luck with the new book! Maybe you could throw a couple of zombies in for good measure. They’re very good, I’ve found, to liven up some scenes!
LOL, Elizabeth. My book is a mainstream fiction based on my mother’s life. She never saw a zombie.
Maryann–And that’s a good thing! Ha!
Zombies! I bet you had a blast writing that! A new genre is a lot of fun to write. I’ve done a few steampunks that were so much fun!
Jemi–You are a lot more experimental in your writing than I am! I’m going to continue trying to branch out…after I write the next 4 or 5 mysteries. :)
Sure glad you had such fun (and probable stress, too, o’course) with the little dead guys and gals — oops; I mean undead, I guess, to be PC. It is so much fun to try new stuff and push boundaries.
In the second novel in my series, I included an erotic scene with the POVs done almost entirely with the thoughts of each of the three participants, revolving, with no quotation marks, nothing other than context to transition from one to the next. Great fun and very tricky to write, especially in a spy/assassination-type thriller. I also didn’t put it IN the book; I put it online, with a link in the book, so people who want to read it can choose to and prudes can skip it.
Third book, all dialogue, no narrator at all. Fourth in the series, my WIP, all present tense, and narrator, author and characters all argue with each other.
Nice to hear about other experimenters out there. Hope yours takes off amazingly.
Found this post thanks to @SteveCampbellFL (thanks, Steve).
Jake–I think it’s cool that you were both looking out for the reader (being sensitive that they might not be interested in the extra material) and that you now also have bonus material that you could use for subscribers, etc (and drive readers to your site).
I think that experimentation helps to keep the process fun for writers.
Thanks for coming by!
I believe that you should study a genre first before hopping into it.
Dayle–Absolutely! Each genre has tropes and certain reader expectations. In addition to books, I read a lot of forums about what readers liked and didn’t like in zombie novels/media.