Meditations on what I like in stories
Sep. 19th, 2023 03:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainwatersparkLately, I've been reading some queer manhwa, and there's one that I can't get out of my head, even though there is a deeply problematic aspect to it (that I really wish had not been included!!). Basically, it's one of those rebirth stories that seems surprisingly common in East Asian media; there's a queer romance involving the main character and the Korean emperor, and there's a lot of angst involving the main character ruminating on how the current emperor (or crown prince) isn't the same man he knew in his previous life, as well as the emperor/crown prince having had a very traumatic childhood that caused him to become quite twisted.
And...I just can't help it. I absolutely eat those stories up.
I've been reflecting on my initial fanfic days, my first forays into publishing original stories that were heavily influenced by my fanfic days, and my indie publishing disappointments that led me to try to write more commercial stories (Novel #3 and Novel #4). And while I do love Novel #3 and Novel #4, my current novel project has become a return to my fanfic-influenced days, and...I just really love it?
I absolutely adore the mix of romantic angst with other plots, be they fantasy adventures, mystery investigations, or political intrigue. I'm a sucker for yearning and pining (*waves in asexual*). And to the extent that I have a brand, that brand is probably "sad, traumatized men eventually getting their happy ending."
Novel #5 is exactly that. It's a demon-hunting adventure combined with a murder mystery (actually several!) and a deep romantic subplot. I wish I could classify it as "romantasy," since traditional publishers are eager for that right now, but it doesn't follow romance genre beats since it's a second-chance romance. It has lovers who reunite under impossible circumstances and get to have their sweet, fluffy moments after grieving for so long, but also gradually realize that they've been changed by the loss and hardships that they've had to endure.
I'm writing this story for me, but...I'm also deeply scared.
While Chinese danmei novels have been successful, I'm not sure that success has led to traditional publishers taking any notice. They're the closest successful published analogues to Novel #5. But traditional publishers frequently shy away from genre blends.
I can't completely blame them, either. Novel #1 was a genre blend influenced by my time in the Captain America fandom; it was a sci-fi mystery/suspense with a second-chance romance (...are you noticing a pattern?). And it flopped hard, not only when I was querying, but also when it was published by my indie publisher, in terms of reader reception and sales. Somehow, I ended up with a lot of reviews from sci-fi readers who were mad that there was a romantic plot. Which, like...yeah, if you don't like romance, this book is definitely not intended for you.
So...I'm somewhat scarred by my past experiences with stories like these.
And yet. And yet. I'm so in love with the characters of Novel #5. And I'm writing exactly the kind of plot I love to read. The kind of story I never get tired of reading or writing.
Sigh.
And...I just can't help it. I absolutely eat those stories up.
I've been reflecting on my initial fanfic days, my first forays into publishing original stories that were heavily influenced by my fanfic days, and my indie publishing disappointments that led me to try to write more commercial stories (Novel #3 and Novel #4). And while I do love Novel #3 and Novel #4, my current novel project has become a return to my fanfic-influenced days, and...I just really love it?
I absolutely adore the mix of romantic angst with other plots, be they fantasy adventures, mystery investigations, or political intrigue. I'm a sucker for yearning and pining (*waves in asexual*). And to the extent that I have a brand, that brand is probably "sad, traumatized men eventually getting their happy ending."
Novel #5 is exactly that. It's a demon-hunting adventure combined with a murder mystery (actually several!) and a deep romantic subplot. I wish I could classify it as "romantasy," since traditional publishers are eager for that right now, but it doesn't follow romance genre beats since it's a second-chance romance. It has lovers who reunite under impossible circumstances and get to have their sweet, fluffy moments after grieving for so long, but also gradually realize that they've been changed by the loss and hardships that they've had to endure.
I'm writing this story for me, but...I'm also deeply scared.
While Chinese danmei novels have been successful, I'm not sure that success has led to traditional publishers taking any notice. They're the closest successful published analogues to Novel #5. But traditional publishers frequently shy away from genre blends.
I can't completely blame them, either. Novel #1 was a genre blend influenced by my time in the Captain America fandom; it was a sci-fi mystery/suspense with a second-chance romance (...are you noticing a pattern?). And it flopped hard, not only when I was querying, but also when it was published by my indie publisher, in terms of reader reception and sales. Somehow, I ended up with a lot of reviews from sci-fi readers who were mad that there was a romantic plot. Which, like...yeah, if you don't like romance, this book is definitely not intended for you.
So...I'm somewhat scarred by my past experiences with stories like these.
And yet. And yet. I'm so in love with the characters of Novel #5. And I'm writing exactly the kind of plot I love to read. The kind of story I never get tired of reading or writing.
Sigh.
