BioBooksAwardsComing NextContactBlogFun StuffHome

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Still Trying to Learn

Demon Kissed is up at Amazon! This is my short story from Nocturne Bites and it's available in ebook format. Right now, Kindle owners can preorder, but it should be available in many more places, many more formats on May 1st. I'll keep you posted and if I miss an ebookstore that has my Bites, please let me know.

This week I've been listening to an Urban Fantasy (UF) story on my iPod. I'm really enjoying the story a lot (it helps that it's in third person (she/he) rather than first person) and I've already gone and bought the second audio book so I can continue on as soon as I finish book 1. I could do a whole post on the experience of reading a book versus listening to one, but I haven't figured out the whats and whys yet. I do know that when I listen, I have a much easier time turning off my internal critic.

But while I'm not studying the book/writing/plot (just enjoying it), I have been (in the back of my mind) trying to figure out the structure for a UF story.

To me, every genre or subgenre of fiction has a rhythm to it. I've read thousands and thousands of romance books, so I've internalized that tune, but UF is different and I haven't been able to grasp this song yet. I don't think of it consciously while I'm in the story. I'm too busy paying attention to what's going on. But when I hit pause or quit listening for the day, my mind starts twisting itself, trying to grasp the structure.

I guess the best way to learn it would be to read many, many UF books--something I don't have time to do. But I do want to figure out the rhythm of Urban Fantasy. Maybe it's because writers are always students, but I like to pick up new things. And I like to understand (or at least get a grasp (I don't think I'm ever going to understand String Theory or M Theory, but I was able to grasp the main bits)) on everything I come in contact with. So in the meantime, my brain will keep working on the puzzle of UF.