witter (ˈwɪtə)
vb – (often foll by: on) to chatter or babble pointlessly or at unnecessary length
n – pointless chat; chatterCollins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
I’ve been re-reading my friend Melissa Wright’s Frey Saga again lately and I can honestly say Rise of the Seven might have to take top favorite slot for me. Since I’m also a writer, I don’t just read books anymore (blessing & curse), I tend to analyze them. I try to learn from them. Here is why I think Rise of the Seven works so well as a story:
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Frey has her memories back. Critics of this series have pointed out her lack of memories in the first two books proved too annoying. I harbored some serious frustration with and for Frey but I wanted to unravel the mystery too. Rise of the Seven gives you everything you knew you were missing in the first two books. So Melissa managed to give us a completely immersive experience with her MC. Not every author is brave enough to do this, and seeing Frey come into her own in Rise makes it all worthwhile.
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Elf Avengers in action. I love Frey’s “Seven”. There are so many little moments with this motley crew and I just loved the dynamics, and insight into Anvil, the wolves and the brothers. There is a lot more widespread action in this book dealing with rowdy rebels, nasty fey and Asher’s children. Melissa gave everyone some pretty epic one-liners too.
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Veil…oh my goodness his “sexy” as Wright calls it at one point had me laughing and grinning like I was high on fairy glitter (in-series reference 😉
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Bringing it home. Everyone comes together in this book in a way you knew they could all along. With Frey in her right mind, struggling with the weight of her power, dealing with Chevelle. It’s everything you could want in a trilogy. I’m so happy this series is not a trilogy because now we get more adventures with our favorite Elf Avengers!
I’ve been paying extra close attention to The Frey Saga, because while I’m a fangirl and a reader & friend first and foremost, I’m also a writer. I’m currently working on the third book in my Wylder Tales trilogy and really want to make it as bombastic and epic and satisfying to y’all as Rise of the Seven has been for me. (If you’re reading this Mel, don’t be embarrassed, cause your books rock!)
I’ve been studying the market I’m trying to write in a lot more closely of late, if you couldn’t tell from all the marketing-related blog posts. I’ve realized my Wylder Tales series is somewhat of a niche read, for fairy tale re-telling and gothic/dark fantasy readers. I’m one of these readers, and I write what I love. Hence my decision to write an epic Beauty and the Beast for high fantasy fans. I didn’t write heavy romance, because I wanted to focus more on a few bigger messages. I am writing a series I love, but not necessarily one that’s geared to current market trends. In the beginning I was okay with this, but now that I’m a mom and trying to make as much extra money as I can to buy those diapers, I wish I had planned better from the get-go.
But I can’t dwell on the past. I’m two books and a novella into Wylder Tales and I still love this series. I’m excited to write Bound and the other potential books in this series. For now, however, I’m planning to stop after this third installment. We’ll call it a trilogy and maybe one day, after I try out a few other projects on my desk, we can revisit Vynasha, Resha and Erythea’s world.
Now if you don’t know what I’m talking about and love cool fantasy chicks, you should totally check out Craving Beauty today. It’s free everywhere ebooks are sold! (my soft pitch ;p). If you loved Snow White & the Huntsman and Jane Eyre you should love Wylder Tales. It sounds strange when I put it like that, but this story is something of a mix between the two.
Mixing two genres is fun for me as a writer because I get to combine things I love, Gothic Romance and Dark Fantasy. I love legends and the idea of uncovering the truth behind fairy tales. Clearly there isn’t a hidden fantasy world on the same plane as our own…or is there?
So back to the marketing thing. It’s one thing to write what you love, and another to write to market. One way may satisfy you and sell no books, the other may not satisfy you but sell like hotcakes. I like to think I’ll uncover some magical in-between with Wylder Tales, but maybe not. While I strive to write the best possible book I can each time, they aren’t going to be perfect. I will take what I’ve learned from writing Wylder Tales and apply it to my next series. And I will do my best to pay attention to reader’s expectations in the genre I’m writing. If you want to know more about how to do that, I recommend Chris Fox’s “Write to Market”. It’s pretty awesome, and it has little exercises you get to do at the end of each chapter.
Hope y’all are writing and creating and dreaming. Don’t be afraid of failure or disappointment. You’re going to make mistakes and that’s not always bad. Learn from them instead of just taking them personally. If you’re an author, you’re a business and it pays much better in the long run if you stay open minded. Also good luck!
Goals for this week
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Finish Tamn Draft 1
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Connect with social media more (so bad about this one)
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Get some serious sleep instead of punishing myself staying up until an ungodly hour. (any other night owls out there?)
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Pre-market Silver Hollow re-release.
Helpful Links
“How to Sell Your Ebook” – by Ruth Harris (great tips in here)
“7 Questions to Ask When You Lose Desire to Finish Your Book” – Jane Friedman
Jennifer Silverwood 