tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post784658297911303954..comments2024-03-27T02:56:19.634-06:00Comments on Melissa Amateis: Trends and FictionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-51063332201343452302009-01-09T04:55:00.000-07:002009-01-09T04:55:00.000-07:00Well, I would use a masculine pen name. Write a st...Well, I would use a masculine pen name. Write a story with a male main character who has female "mental sex." In other words, he is a man with intuition and rapport. Such characters can be very popular because they defy expectations and suprise the reader.<BR/><BR/>There is not point in fighting the trends. Instead, use them to your advantage.<BR/><BR/>Best Wishes,<BR/>Barnaby WildstoneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-40926238510158992532007-11-06T14:55:00.000-07:002007-11-06T14:55:00.000-07:00Christine - Oooh, good luck!Christine - Oooh, good luck!Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-837581278732564892007-11-06T12:42:00.000-07:002007-11-06T12:42:00.000-07:00Melissa -- yes, I'm just starting another YA set i...Melissa -- yes, I'm just starting another YA set in WWII. I have no idea if the publisher will want it or not. But here goes...Christine Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350760019997430843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-41825208035295861582007-11-05T15:08:00.000-07:002007-11-05T15:08:00.000-07:00Toni - No, I didn't know that about the paranomal ...Toni - No, I didn't know that about the paranomal trend - wow. How interesting! I'll put The Zookeeper's Wife on my list of TBR books. :-)<BR/><BR/>Therese - Determination is definitely something I need to stock up on. ;-)Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-57401783688013033852007-11-05T14:43:00.000-07:002007-11-05T14:43:00.000-07:00Great discussion to pop in on--I love historical f...Great discussion to pop in on--<BR/><BR/>I love historical fiction of any period, and from what I can tell, you need only do what you've said is your goal: write a great book.<BR/><BR/>(<I>"Only," she says...</I>)<BR/><BR/>The key, if there is a key, may be to create a story that is not just historical but which shows the enduring sameness of humankind--that is, to make your story universal in terms of time and place. Shakespeare's work continues to hold up so well because his themes are always current.<BR/><BR/>Your determination to succeed is the other "key." Keep it up. :)Therese Fowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14947928823404887883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-63171200319954608772007-11-05T11:52:00.000-07:002007-11-05T11:52:00.000-07:00One thing you might not (or might :) know is that ...One thing you might not (or might :) know is that there has traditionally throughout history been a rise in interest in paranormal things around the change of centuries. Now I've forgotten most of the details but I remember reading a fabulous article outlining the phenomena. So maybe that trend is linked to some deeper human psychology. <BR/><BR/>I saw a book The ZooKeepers Wife that looks great, set in WWII.Toni Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348843511453338339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-32130706509098322232007-11-04T19:18:00.000-07:002007-11-04T19:18:00.000-07:00Great discussion, everyone!Robin - I'll have to ch...Great discussion, everyone!<BR/><BR/>Robin - I'll have to check out the author you mentioned. Thanks!<BR/><BR/>Diane - I think that time period is more prevalent in UK books than in the US - and I think it boils down to the fact that the British were much more affected by WW2 than America. After all, Great Britain stood alone against Hitler there for awhile! I am going to check into the UK, though. <BR/><BR/>Patslist - Ooh, I am intrigued! Would love to chat with you sometime about your work. Thanks for visiting!<BR/><BR/>Kate - Hmmm...multi-generational. Thing is, I don't think I could write it - wouldn't be my forte, so to speak. But I am going to check out some of those authors you mentioned. :-)<BR/><BR/>Kelly - Timeless advice - thank you. Sometimes I need to hear that - write what you love, not what's selling. So I guess that's what I'm gonna do. *grin*<BR/><BR/>Shirley - I would love to read your book! Did you ever have any other plans to write more WW2 books?<BR/><BR/>Tess - I've heard nothing but good things about Foyle's War. I'll have to rent it at Blockbuster sometime. I think the UK has a TON of great WW2-era series and movies that I need to watch!<BR/><BR/>Pauline - Yes, I agree - small, independent publishers are more willing to take a chance on this time period. I'm hopeful that the "big boys" in publishing will sit up and take notice.<BR/><BR/>Ell - Right on! ;-)<BR/><BR/>Elise - Thanks for visiting! And good food for thought. I think that's largely what drives the sales of some of the male writers of WW2 - the explosions and life or death situations. Of course, I love those types of situations, and I have ideas for both types of stories - more homefront, day-to-day life centered and then the fast-paced, life or death stuff. <BR/><BR/>Bailey - Wasn't your father a WW2 vet? I seem to remember you saying that. <BR/><BR/>Christine - So glad you visited! And I'm so happy for you that you have a YA book coming out set during WW2. How awesome is that??? <BR/>Like you, I don't get the whole paranormal stuff, but that's just me. Another of those trends, I suppose! Do you have plans to write any other WW2-set books?Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-92123320967689942892007-11-04T14:23:00.000-07:002007-11-04T14:23:00.000-07:00Melissa, I found your blog via the Fedora Lounge. ...Melissa, I found your blog via the Fedora Lounge. You're dead-on right about trends being set by agents/editors willing to take risks. Which means that we writers have to risk writing what we love, rather than what might sell.<BR/><BR/>I write young adult fiction. THE hot trend in YA is paranormal and more paranormal, with a little more paranormal on the side. Not what I want to write (honestly, what IS it people find so fascinating about vampires?) I wanted to write about a WWII-era teenage dime-a-dance girl. So I did. BloomsburyUSA is publishing it next spring. There ARE editors out there willing to gamble. (Now, whether they'll pick up my next WWII book is a whole 'nother question...depending on how this one does. Fingers crossed for a new trend!) <BR/><BR/>You're right -- the only solution is to write what you love and make it as good as you can. <BR/><BR/>BTW, have you read Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy? Came out several years ago, but it's WWII fiction, and I think it did pretty well...Christine Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350760019997430843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-10835646977844342992007-11-02T20:57:00.000-06:002007-11-02T20:57:00.000-06:00Wild Rose Press is publishing WWII romances, I kno...Wild Rose Press is publishing WWII romances, I know because my friend Marty Kendall has written one.<BR/><BR/>I love anything WWII.Bailey Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639029254352011915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-76857247603968662132007-11-02T11:00:00.000-06:002007-11-02T11:00:00.000-06:00I love historical fiction--writing some WWII based...I love historical fiction--writing some WWII based myself. And there's not a lot to choose from on shelves of the big-box retailers. Trust me, I work in one. More needs to be written on the homelife, and that, from what I've seen, isn't what sells. It's the battle strategy and fight-to-the-last that gets picked up off the shelves--snore. So maybe we could get something up there that covers the day-to-day, a book that doesn't have bombs ad explosions to keep today's short attention spans happy. But that is a maybe.Elisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465701591264109108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-86655220648806334792007-11-01T22:18:00.000-06:002007-11-01T22:18:00.000-06:00Well, since I too am writing WWII fiction and I to...Well, since I too am writing WWII fiction and I too am a woman, I am 100% behind you! We shall change their minds!Ello - Ellen Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-62117684125466926592007-11-01T12:36:00.000-06:002007-11-01T12:36:00.000-06:00I love the period, too, and fell more in love with...I love the period, too, and fell more in love with it when I wrote OUT OF TIME, my WWII/time travel. I think its just a case of cart having to push the horse. Small/indie presses have pushed other genres into prominence. The hard part is letting readers know where to find the books. Your blog helps, but in end, we need better word of mouth!<BR/><BR/>Good blog!<BR/>PaulinePaulinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06673963438671468441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-25801061240278003762007-11-01T10:43:00.000-06:002007-11-01T10:43:00.000-06:00Yes, I'd forgotten RP's 'Coming Home'. A truly wo...Yes, I'd forgotten RP's 'Coming Home'. A truly wonderful read.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05938431508430656253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-55057941938100888312007-11-01T10:39:00.000-06:002007-11-01T10:39:00.000-06:00I like WWII fiction as well - though more of the c...I like WWII fiction as well - though more of the character driven, women's stuff than the spy stuff. Rosamund Pilcher's Coming Home is one of my fave books of all time.<BR/><BR/>Have you seen a Brit tv series called Foyle's War? It's wonderful.Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15636189059910920978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-51875534386504269052007-11-01T08:50:00.000-06:002007-11-01T08:50:00.000-06:00I agree with Diane and Kate; try the UK publishers...I agree with Diane and Kate; try the UK publishers. Personally, I love WWII fiction. I think that era provides a wonderful setting for drama/emotion.<BR/>I've only written one set at that time, Wings of Hope, and although it was supposed to be part of a series, the publishers pulled it shortly after publication. Only a very small number of copies ever saw light of day. Having said that, however, I still (7 years on!) get letters from readers who a) found it and b) enjoyed it.<BR/>Go for it!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05938431508430656253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-29634340507336777872007-11-01T07:28:00.000-06:002007-11-01T07:28:00.000-06:00Go for it, Melissa. I say write what you love. If ...Go for it, Melissa. I say write what you love. If you aren't doing that, there seems little point in writing to me. Westerns are a hard sell, but its one of my favorite time periods to write and I know I'll never stop.Kelly Boycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15459592836145655997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-10594061833757200252007-11-01T05:36:00.000-06:002007-11-01T05:36:00.000-06:00I'd agree with Diane - try UK publishers (Piatkus ...I'd agree with Diane - try UK publishers (Piatkus springs to mind).<BR/><BR/>Mary Wesley wrote several books set in WW2 - they were all v popular too.<BR/><BR/>Then you have Beryl Kingston, Harry Bowling (I know he's male but it's saga/romance), Laurie Graham (actually... hers were probably more in the 50s but I think of them as WW2 books). Then there's the guy who wrote the WW2 romances. Robert R...? can't remember his surname and the book was OK but clearly didn't make enough of an impact on me for me to remember his name or the title, but he was up-and-coming 2-3 years back. <BR/><BR/>I've heard the big thing in women's fiction right now is multi-generational. So there's a thought. Start with WW2...Kate Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367918727779245526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-74242276529565739632007-11-01T04:33:00.000-06:002007-11-01T04:33:00.000-06:00As an aficionado of the history of military women ...As an aficionado of the history of military women in WW-2 (and since) I say go for it! <BR/><BR/>That, BTW, is a quote from the late Frieda Mae Hardin, World War I Yeoman (F), at the dedication of the Women's Memorial in 1997.<BR/><BR/>PJUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04210634029251163955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-34945849793470229282007-11-01T04:09:00.000-06:002007-11-01T04:09:00.000-06:00Have you tried the UK publishers? We have loads of...Have you tried the UK publishers? We have loads of books set in WW2 here. And quite a few that span before and after too.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06430125606844410229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-53747390641360241732007-10-31T12:13:00.000-06:002007-10-31T12:13:00.000-06:00I just picked up a mystery by Kathryn Miller Haine...I just picked up a mystery by Kathryn Miller Haines set during WWII and featuring a female sleuth. I can't wait to read it! So, the precedent is there, even if there are less women authors of war fiction. :)Robin Lemkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254896327174187893noreply@blogger.com