a very strange neighbor

[aamcnamara]

58 / 350

Spring has begun springing, and with it my ability to wake up ridiculously early. However, I did not get this memo to myself a couple of days ago, so I am overall a little short on sleep. Which meant I was tired in critical social thought today. Me tired mostly means my filters on what's a good idea to talk about slip, so I ended up talking about quantum mechanics. I may or may not regret that, now.

But the good part is--well, that spring break is next week--that I got up at five-thirty this morning and wrote before breakfast. I intended to get up and write on something, but was a little surprised to find myself going back to The Urban Fantasy Novel. I had forgotten how wholly self-indulgent it is! It is lovely.

Also, as an unexpected bonus, it has tension and plot and things like that. Of course, my characters are probably all Mary-Sues, and I'm sure the chronology is wonky. But hey, what are second drafts for? And writing a draft of a novel with an actual plot and structure and tension would be a big step forward for me.

(It helps that The Urban Fantasy Novel is exactly what it says on the tin; I've read enough urban fantasy novels to know how one goes. It also means I will probably end up falling into the same pitfalls that most urban fantasy novels do. But all together now: next draft!)

Comments

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Now you've got me thinking about a Rural Fantasy Novel. What with my brother being a farmer and all...

Which makes the icon so much better.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

I think there is great value in deliberately writing A Book Which Is In This Genre. Provided you engage with the genre, of course.

Also: cow tongue!

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Just curious, but how do you mean "engage with the genre"? Does this mean playing with Urban Fantasy tropes?

Thanks.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

It can, yeah. I was considering saying "read the genre", which is part of it too--but I mostly mean having an emotional connection to the genre. Thinking that this trope is awesome and this kind of character is used all wrong most of the time and this plot element is okay but if you just tweaked it here it would rock. And part of that is distaste or dislike or hatred, and part of it is love and affection, but it's an emotional thing either way.