So far, this blog has been less about my actual writing projects and more about the behind-the-scenes decision-making and questioning about my writing projects, and this post isn't going to be any different.
Man cannot live on zombie movies alone. I know . . . I know . . . Strange thing for the producer of Mail Order Zombie to say, eh?
Here's the thing - I've got a handful of other "geek loves." Non-zombie horror movies. Star Trek. Indiana Jones. Robert E. Howard. Lovecraft. Comic books. I'm a little all over the map when it comes to some of this stuff.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that . . . far from it. Sure, sometimes it's hard to blend Captain Kirk with Captain Rhodes, but I keep it all fairly compartmentalized in my head.
Where it does start to become a stumbling block is when start putting pen to paper.
I'm not a known commodity. I don't have a well-known brand. So is it wise to throw something like a dark fantasy story into the mix while working toward building a horror/zombie brand? A superhero story (of all things)? At what point is it okay to diversify my output?
I don't have an answer to that. Do you?
4 comments:
It's fine to mix things up in your writing. If you're working on a zombie brand, let that be your focus, but don't be afraid to stretch your legs in other genres.
Joe Hill said at a recent signing that he thinks every writer should try different outlets to strengthen their over-all writing skills--journalism, scriptwriting,poetry, comic books, etc.
Harlan Ellison hates being called a science fiction writer for a reason. Less so for the pigeon-hole effect than the restriction a title would have on reader's perceptions of his body of work. He's written well out of the science fiction genre too.
Stephen King writes more than just horror. Shawshank Redemption, The Body aka Stand By Me, and The Green Mile are amongst his most acclaimed works and they are in no way horror. I love The Talisman, which happens to be a fantasy.
Writing outside of your focus will only serve to strengthen your focus-- bottom line. Doing so before you're fully established will help to stave off the pigeon-hole effect too.
DZ
Hey Derek. Good questions. I think that the actual response is to write, write, write, write. Do whatever comes into your head and flows out through your pen. I listen to a bunch of writing podcasts and some writers of genre work never hit paydirt on their original love (ex: Brother D hearts zombies) but they hit on a side project that they weren't much passed the "you know what would be interesting" phase. I remember hearing that the graphic novel/into the move "30 Days of Night" wasn't even completed nor anywhere ready to pitch. The author wanted to pitch something like a big foot/yeti story and the publisher was like "eh, not at this time. You got anything else?" and he said, "well, I have this story about zombies in Alaska for a month of darkness". Guess which one got made?
What I would suggest, and this is coming from a wanna be fiction author as well, if you have a universe that you love and that comes organically to you and the characters and tales live through you, then run with it and make it the best you can. If you don't have one yet, then try your hand at as much different stuff as you can. Work the short story route with the new ideas. That way you don't put too much into something that you really don't want to run with.
Just my two cents.
Write on!
Dave
aka Unholy Dave
I have a thought on it but this thought probably doesn't qualify as an answer.
Now knowing as you do that adding to much to the pot has a tendency to spoil the stew I think that it's also safe to say, to continue the metaphor, the right ingredients make the meal.
My answer to your question is focus on the story you would like to tell and bring in only the elements necessary to do that. No adding anything just because.
Also I would have no problem reading about a superhero set in a darkly fantastic world that has undergone a zompocalypse.
Captain Kirk and Captain Rhodes?
"Scotty! Choke.....on them!"
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