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Fanfiction for the Soul

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Fanfiction has been in existence since 1939; you read that right. 1939. Now, fanfiction has served as an outlet for many to read and write as they please within a world the original storyteller has already created. It can be broken down into many subcategories as well, like: angst, crossover, fluff, darkfic, fix-fic, hurt/comfort, shipping, self-insert, smut, songfic, and WAFF. We’ve discussed some places where fanfiction can be found on the internet (Wattpad, FicWad, Tumblr, etc.) but another outlet which some can profit from is Kindle Worlds – Amazon’s fanfiction service.

Are you a writer of fanfiction and don’t like to admit it? Well, E.L. James and Anna Todd are two successful fanfiction writers and some writing professionals have taken to fanfiction as well. We all know E.L. James – writer of 50 Shades of Grey, and currently rewriting her best-selling series in Christian Grey’s point of view. Everyone knows the original 50 Shades was Twilight fanfiction. If you’re just learning this now, you read that right – Twilight fanfiction. Another author on the rise is Anna Todd. We’ve talked about her previously as a Wattpad star, but her original series After is based on some fanfiction she wrote about the British boyband sensation, One Direction. Embrace your love for writing fanfiction…these ladies did and they’re bestselling authors now!

Moving on to a more touch-y subject, many authors who rose to their fame the old-fashioned way don’t necessary enjoy fanfiction, especially of their own works. Authors like Stephanie Meyer, George R.R. Martin, J.D. Salinger, and Diana Gabaldon see fanfiction in a similar way: some form of plagiarism, discrediting the author of original story, and not a good way to write if you want to make a career out of it. But let’s break down why fanfiction is good for the soul, according to AutumnMooncakes (a fanfiction writer) and another source:

  1. To clear the air, fanfiction is not technically a form of plagiarism. It isn’t a form of trademark infringement until someone decides to make profit off it. This is exactly why E.L. James drastically changed her fanfiction to become an original piece of work.
  2. The writing of fanfiction helps embrace the creativity within an individual. Not all writers have a sense of what they wish to write about, all they know is – they want to write. So by using a world already created by published authors, the writer can exercise their own writing capabilities.
  3. Fanfiction has proven to be a form of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The connection people have to reading LGBTQ+ type fanfiction can change a person’s life in a way. So, why wouldn’t you want to helping people not feel alone?
  4. And find a way to deal with the bumps in the road of writing. Fanfiction sets creative limits with the characters already made by the author, getting the minor details right, and there needs to be plenty of research to make the character accurate. Even when the original author has added onto the series (i.e. spin-off, prequels), it makes the writing process more interesting to revisit the fanfiction piece to include new details.

I respect any author who dislikes fanfiction; they’re entitled to their own opinion and demand respect for their work. It should always be remembered a piece of fanfiction can save a life, can serve as an outlet for their fans who are facing their own struggles and a way for writers to embark on their journey of writing.

The Publishing Journey: The Slush

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Oh yes, we are briefly discussing the writer’s worst nightmare: the slush pile. If you’re new to the writing world and haven’t heard about the slush pile, it’s essentially the place where unsolicited query letters/manuscripts go to be read by assistants-to-the-editor.

Many will say a writer doesn’t want to end up in the slush pile, and there’s more truth to that than fiction. Once in that pile, one will never actually know if their manuscript ever made it onto the editor’s desk. But maybe, just maybe, there’s a world out there where the slush pile could potentially become a good thing. For example, an open slush pile.

The idea of an open slush pile may scare some, but if used correctly it can begin your journey as the writer-turned-published-author. The traditional slush pile is private to the publisher or agent the manuscript has ended up with, but the open slush pile exposes work everywhere. The downfall is, the work won’t be private anymore; anyone can access it, read it, and comment on it. If this is not the road you, as the writer, want to travel down, here are a few ideas to entice people, editors, and agents to read your writing and make use of the open slush pile:

  1. Short stories.
    Posting short stories on open slush pile websites can expose your audience to your writing style: how you execute the plot, how you build characters in a short span of writing, etc.
  2. Excerpts from your main manuscript.
    Just like if you were reading an excerpt at the end of a book for the sequel or to another book the author is working on, use your favorite or strongest excerpt from your manuscript to see if it peaks an audience’s interest. If it’s in high demand, then maybe you’ll end up getting picked up by an agent rather than you searching for one.
  3. Spin-off stories of your mysterious manuscript.
    Does your main character in your novel have another quick little tale they want to share? Get your audience excited by reading a prequel story of your main squeeze. It might make the character the more lovable one.

So maybe sitting in the slush pile in the editor’s storage unit (come on, we know there’s a lot and you need a place to put them) isn’t the ideal place to be, but there are other ways to use the wonderful resource of the internet and to make the best of being in the slush pile.

Creative Writing In School

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A few articles have surfaced recently discussing the assessment process of creative writing and how to properly do that without having an opinion. My brain started to question, why in the world would you want to be opinion-less with something that NEEDS opinion?

In a school setting, creative writing projects ultimately need to be written for its intended audience (a.k.a your professor or English teacher). Sure, people recommend grading these assignments with the intention to purely assess for structural flaws or grammatical errors but we all know that often times the graders own personal preferences could also influence their grading process. With assignments which have deadlines, writing capabilities are challenged. It’s hard to adopt your own creative process when you have another person’s personal preferences and deadlines looming out in front of you.

Instead of making every short story project (or whatever story form you are practicing at the time) mandatory in a writing class or course, what if creative writing is used as a source of extra credit? Students are always looking for options for extra credit and teachers are always looking for ways to get their students more involved with their work- seems like a win-win for everyone. It would encourage writers to come forth and own their passion for putting their fingers to a keyboard. It also encourages writers to participate and challenge themselves if they choose to; there is no pressure of a week-long deadline or need to write a particular type of story. The best part is that grading isn’t an opinion here. If a student does the extra credit assignment, then BAM…check mark next to their name –  that’s it. Of course, if the grader chooses to give detailed feedback on how to improve sentence structure, character development, setting description, etc. they can.

A class also doesn’t have to have a creative writing focus to have this extra credit option. A teacher can still grant their students this freedom to challenge their writing skills when they please and not feel pressured on the grading system. It also puts more of a focus on themes within creative writing and/or creative writing altogether, which we all know we can use a little more of in our lives.

So, maybe we should see a transition of creative writing courses into groups, sessions, and after-school activities. It also doesn’t hurt to have a concentration in creative writing with that English degree though…

Writing Revelation

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Jonathan Franzen:

“It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.”

The Feminist Romance

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As an author of romance herself, Alisha Rai spoke in an interview about her experiences incorporating feminism into her writing. In her novels, her lead female is the one in power, such as being a billionaire with a huge company in the palm of her hands. Matter of fact, most of her female leads take on some form of dominant position (and no, I’m not talking about in the bedroom!) where she is “overpowering” her male counterpart. That’s the not the usual trope you see. From reading many of the romance novels on the market today, one would think that  women like to be controlled and compliant. But, authors like Rai are telling us that’s not always the case and why it shouldn’t always be that way.

In a way, romance novels can be feminist works even without Rai’s juicy switch. Romance is a special genre already. But, we can revolutionize the genre even more by adding in more feminist elements to the stories and characters. This is important if we want to keep the genre evolving and relatable. It will also keep the genre ‘special,’ for more than one reason. One writer points out why romance is special, in 7 ways:

  1. Just like Rai’s protagonists, other authors choose to include strong female protagonists.
  2. Romance is a genre filled with female/women’s voices.
  3. Women’s needs are placed first. Inside the bedroom and out.
  4. The genre allows women to explore their fantasies.
  5. Regardless of how she is in real life, a romance novel allows a woman to take control of her sexuality.
  6. Romance allows topics that have been outcast as “taboo” to be explored in depth.
  7. And finally, it is a genre which allows many voices to get their foot in the door.

Seeing women that have it all may be refreshing and encouraging to read, but if none of that appeals to you, there will always be authors writing about the classic romance between two individuals- which we definitely don’t want to lose either.

Fighting With Your Writing

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Getting into an argument with your SO is definitely not ideal. Which is why I’m here to tell you: it is OKAY to fight with your writing. Many famous published authors admit to fighting with their keyboard regularly. So, if you are sitting behind your computer staring at a blank Word document fear not… your writer’s block will pass.

John McPhee recently published a book titled, Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process, and spoke in an interview about his personal relationship with his own creative writing. If you think that just a few hours after from your writing will inspire  the next “Great American Novel”, think again. McPhee commits to a “five-day walk.” He takes a step away from his writing and will leave it for days on end. Take the time to rethink your argument, plot line, character development- whatever it may be and take your five-day walk. You may think you don’t have that time to waste, but the refreshed outlook and new ideas will more than make up for lost time.

I discovered a blogger who wanted to remind her readers about accepting the unknown and the uninhibited. It’s one of the many duties of being a writer and trying to get published. She also said, “Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was rejected 10 times before it was published, and Rowling suffered depression and anxiety. Stephen King was broke without a phone line when he wrote Carrie, thought the draft was terrible and only sent it in for publishing after his wife fished it out of the bin. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, the writers of a warm little page turner called Chicken Soup for the Soul, received 33 rejection letters before their manuscript was accepted.” This just serves as a little reminder that your relationship with your writing should still hold strong long after the manuscript is done. Without a little confidence and persistence, the manuscript may never see the light of day in the publishing industry.

And most importantly, don’t forget to learn from your mistakes. Rather than be angry at the wrong turns you have made, embrace them. YA author Alice Oseman serves as an example of learning from her writing. One of the biggest things she’s learned is diversity. Oseman said it best herself, “It’s important that all people are able to see themselves in literature.”

Bottom line is, don’t be afraid to scream and shout at your computer. When nothing else seems to be working- walk away, learn from the mistakes you made, and go forth with a stronger relationship with both your writing and yourself. These are the simple ground rules to a wonderful and successful union.

And of course, don’t forget to apologize to your computer.

Meet & Tweet

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Since 2006, Twitter has been a functioning website and application used by millions. There are accounts for everything: large businesses and businesses still in the process of starting up, notable figures/celebrities, and average people like you and me!

For everyone involved in publishing, whether you are the writer or work behind the scenes, it looks as though Twitter has become a way to keep these two worlds in touch.

Reaching out to fans is already relatively easy with Facebook or through an author’s website. But if reaching out to publishers, agents, editors, or any other publishing professional is your main objective – LinkedIn or regular e-mail might not be cutting it for you. If you are finding yourself at a standstill, you might want to consider putting Twitter to use.

Over the past 11 years, Twitter has deterred from being a platform to keep your friends updated with your latest pizza choice from Dominoes and more of a place to stay updated with  political views or some feisty celebrity feud. It’s quick, effective, and to the point – which makes it a perfect communication tool to really sell yourself and your work. You only have 140 characters which means you really need to think about what you want to get across and what you want the person at the other end to know. It forces you not to get bogged down in all the gritty details and really think about what sets you and your story apart from other authors and books already out there.

If you choose to give Twitter a twirl, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Follow the people who have helped make your books a reality!
  2. Post memes; everyone enjoys memes.
  3. Use hashtags to broaden your audience and fanbase.

HRM’s School Survival Guide

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Old or young, going back to school can always be hard. High school can be vicious and college or graduate school can be intimidating enough to keep you cooped up in your dorm or off-campus apartment/house. But, here at HRM we want to alleviate some of the pain of back-to-school shopping and the hefty price tag of purchasing textbooks from your university store. It’s easier said than done, but sometimes you need to find an outlet for all this stress in order to survive the year. The perfect book could just be your perfect escape when the real world has you down.

For high schoolers, there is a book for everyone in your local or school library or bookstore- whether you’re a wallflower (I’m looking at you, Perks of Being a Wallflower), a heavy gamer (pick up The Feed). If you are dealing with a particular issue at school or have a unique interest that no one else seems to have, there’s likely a book about it. Check out this diverse list of books from Brightly for young readers; there’s a book for everyone on this list!

For the ones going off to college for the first time or returning for another year, there will be many challenges you will face throughout the year: professors being dull during lectures, exams starting just one week into the semester before you even had time to settle down, or having nothing to do during the weekends if the nightlife scene is not your cup of tea. Again, books make the perfect survival tool because there’s a book for everything. Since there were so many options to choose from, I chose to highlight this long list of book essentials for every college student to indulge in.

So hang around by your locker, study hall, university quad, dorm room, or coffee shop with your newest book and let us know how it helps you cope with the school year!

Can We Go Thrift Shopping?

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Keep Calm.jpgIf you haven’t heard of Thriftbooks.com, then you’re missing out on one of the best ways to feed your book addiction. I recently did a little binge shopping and purchased three books I was hoping to read for a while now. With no shipping costs (on regular shipping- get your wallets ready for expedited shipping!), my check-out total was $10.00. That’s right, you read that correctly. For two paperbacks and a hardcover: $10.00.

But does this prove to be an issue for publishers and authors?

Publishers sell mass market books for a reason: to schools and libraries. Mass markets also come into play when there are new editions re-printed. Essentially, it’s out with the old and in with the new. Thriftbooks.com takes those titles which have already been utilized and re-sells them at a cheaper cost. The website even has collector items, such as first or second editions of classic novels, or even Game of Thrones items which you can’t find on Amazon anymore. So, publishers aren’t really missing out on anything. In fact, it’s another way for them to sell-off products that might be a hard sell for them anywhere else.

And authors? They’ll get more exposure this way. For example, you could read their first novel from 2006 through Thriftbooks and fall in love with their writing. You then might discover the author is releasing a new title in the Fall, therefore you can go ahead and pre-order it because you just can’t wait any longer than you need to- a new favorite author for you and a new reader for the author.). With paperbacks and hardcovers rising in price, cheaper prices are always appealing to book lovers. Newer authors won’t appear on Thriftbooks right away either, so you may be forced to take that $15 hit to the bank account for debut authors. At the end of the day, we should still really consider buying from bookstores and helping authors receive their well-deserved paychecks from their publishers. But, Thriftbooks.com just makes it easier to not feel guilty about large book binges, especially if you aren’t really sure if you are going to like the book or author in the first place.