*Not necessarily to be confused with what Dave or Lesley is looking for.
After emerging from the cream of our slushpile, I felt a vague disappointment. Not because of the caliber of the stories at all, but because of the genres. I just somehow didn't see what I wanted this time around.
So I started asking, "Self, what kind of stories do you want?"
"I dunno. Something...different."
"I call bullcrap. You don't get to say you're disappointed without knowing why. What are you looking for anyway?"
"How would I know? Grr meta-cognitive bullcrap grumble grumble pain in the--" Though, on second thought, it was a good point I brought up there. What am I looking for?
I'm not a huge reader of those urban fantastical first person kick-ass supernatural slayer novels. I tend to find that no matter how intrigued I am at the start, I tend to lose interest in about 3 chapters. That said, I think it's an oft-neglected genre/POV for short fiction. Some of those kick-ass stories are fun, they just don't seem to carry a whole novel for my taste. So yeah, I'd like to see some Urban Fantastical First Person Kick-Ass Supernatural Slayer stories. I'd like some action, please, easy on the voice. Your snarky just might equal my annoyance.
Some different protagonists. I like hot youngish straight white guys as much as the next girl, but sometimes even they get boring. Gimme your LGBT, your multi-cultural, your cross-dressers and your gangstas, your 50 year old punk rockers, your unlikely assassins and spies, your gods from other countries, your MILFs... you get the picture.
Some decent horror. Scare me. And you know what really scares me? Bad things happening to smart people. Protag walking upstairs in an axe murderer's deserted house during a lightning storm without so much as a Maglight or a shotgun = instant reject.
Mysteries. Yeah, you heard me. I'd love to read mysteries with a supernatural bent. Caveat: I'm pretty well-read in mystery and I've even written a couple, so you'll have to do better than that to keep me guessing.
And, as always, I love me some military SF. Never see enough of that.
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6 comments:
I have kick-butt super-slayer heroine-loaded short stories in progress. If I ever get them finished, I shall think of you. :)
"heroine-loaded" doesn't look right, does it? :/
I think it sounds brilliant, Wyrdd.
Funny, you should mention voice. I've been thinking about turning a flash fiction contest piece from a Thriller-Mystery First Person Kick-Ass FBI Chick into an Urban Fantastical First Person Kick-Ass Supernatural Slayer novel. Problem is, I don't know if I can, or want to, keep up the voice.
Betsy, Have you read _Finch_ by Jeff VanDermeer yet? It reads like a noir mystery/detective story, but it's... different. It might be right up your alley.
Thanks for the recommendation, Nick. I'll look for it.
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