Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.
This Week's Topic: How far would you go to get published?
If you head over to YA Highway, you'll see a picture of a baseball field and these words at each base: First Base- Jumping on the trend train, Second Base- Switch to a well-selling genre, Third Base- Minor revisions requested to sign with an agent, and Home Run- Major revisions requested by editor.
Which bases would you hit?
So... funny enough, if it was my version of baseball/getting published, I would jump straight to third base, and then on to the home run. Revisions I'd do, no problem. Well, I say no problem right now... I suppose if it came down to making huge major changes, I might balk. And I mean HUGE MAJOR CHANGES. Example of HUGE MAJOR CHANGES? lnstead of Jessica in Daze going back to medieval times to learn how to swordfight and kick some butt and fall in love, Jessica goes back to medieval times, teaches the peasants the dance numbers from West Side Story, and then the aliens come and she gets body snatched. (If some of you think that would make a great book... you go write it!)
The reason I'd jump straight to third base? I'm not into writing to trends. I mean, obviously. I'm writing YA time-travel and chick lit. Not exactly hot trends right now. Although I did write YA, I did it because it seemed right and natural for Jessica's story, not because YA is hot right now. I just don't think I could write something just because it's "selling" or "popular". I wouldn't have a story. When Vampires were the huge thing, and I love them, I still couldn't write my own vampire story. I never had one. And to force myself? Only crap would ensue from forcing.
So basically? I'm willing to do revisions, lots of revisions because I know I'm not the best writer out there, the most experienced, and I've got lots to learn. I'm willing to put in the work I know it takes to get the best of me into my novels. But to change myself or the story completely just to make some bucks or see my name in print? I don't think so.
What about you? How far would you go?
I also made heavy revisions on one of my ms and that means changing the end completely and adding another 7k words because of that ...
ReplyDelete"Only crap would ensue from forcing." Totally agree with that ;)
Great post!
I agree. I wouldn't do anything I felt extremely uncomfortable with. And I wouldn't write to a trend, unless it wasn't on purpose. Sometimes what people LOVE to write end up becoming trends and that can't be helped. And yes, I'd do many, many revisions because, like you, I know I'm not the best writer ever. And I know a lot of work goes into making a great novel.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I'm pretty flexible with revisions, too. And I agree with you about jumping on trends. It never works.
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished my novel, I had no idea what genre it fit. Then I stumbled across YA (I'm not exactly sure how), and a lightbulb went off--that's it! Someone on the one of the forums in WriteOnCon suggested it was YA Contemporary. And then when I started on my WIP, I went straight for YA again because I so much fun with my completed novel. Then I found out it was the hot genre of the moment! So I relate to what you're saying. Of course, by the time I'm published, everyone will have moved on to something else. But like you, I wouldn't switch genres just to sell a story--it wouldn't be a story worth selling.
ReplyDeleteMajor changes can be scary but when my old writing class made a suggestion that radically changed the plot of my novel, when I stopped fighting it I realised how right they were. My story changed for the better.
ReplyDeleteSo, asked to change. Sure! Chase a genre? Probably not... except maybe zombies. I do love a good zombie story.
Completely agree. I only change something if I can understand why the change was suggested, and if I think it makes the story stronger as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAnd I DEFINITELY wouldn't try to follow a trend. Most of the time I don't even like the trends. >.< Plus, they always say that by the time you write the book and get it published, the trend is already long gone.
I agree with you. I only can write what I feel comfortable with otherwise it would indeed probably be crap :-))
ReplyDeleteRevisions: I know I will need to do a lot of them after I am done with my first draft.
By the way: I love time travel :-)