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How2 Find the Perfect Horror Fit 4 You - Cathy C. Hall

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FINDING YOUR GENRE

Do you ever wonder exactly where your genre fiction falls? Many of us know what genres we like to read, and perhaps, that’s influenced our writing quite a bit, but with all the new genres and subgenres that seem to be popping up monthly, it’s hard to keep up as a reader, let alone a writer.

When I first started writing fiction, genres like “Steampunk” and “Wuxia” didn’t exist. What in the heck are they? Where did they come from? Does my writing fall into this category? What authors write in these genres? How can I write for and sell to these markets? This issue tackles these questions and more.

I used to think I could just write anything and when I was finished, someone would put it into a neat little category for me. This isn’t true. If you’re serious about becoming an author, you’ll need to arm yourself with all the knowledge the writing world can provide before you set out to market your book or story. Keeping up with the latest genres and relevant titles will only help you become better prepared for when it comes time to pitch your novel to an editor or agent.

In this issue, we explore many of the genres we haven’t tackled yet (Fantasy, Horror, Magical Realism, etc.) and break down their subgenres. The experts in this issue provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to break into these fascinating markets. You may even discover your true calling.

Ready to find your genre or a new one? Let’s go exploring!

A big, warm, thank you goes out to our freelancers and staff members:

We welcome back freelancer Sue Bradford Edwards and thank her for introducing us to the wonderful world of fantasy writing. Her article, Navigating the Fantastic: Rules for Writing Fantasy, guides us through the fantasy subgenre labyrinth and provides us with the basic rules we need to craft a magical tale of our own.

A big thank you goes to WOW! columnist Margo L. Dill for providing us with her insightful article, Five Historical Fiction Pitfalls and How To Avoid Them. If you’re in the midst of crafting a historical novel, be sure to take note of the common traps into which writers in this genre often fall.

We welcome back freelancer Allena Tapia and thank her for introducing us to the passionate genre of Magic Realism. Allena provides a lot of great resources in this article, including a mentorship opportunity from published magic realism author and editor Tamara Kaye Sellman, so be sure to check out all the great links at the end.

If you’re a fan of the Southern Gothic genre, then our 20 Questions column is for you. We welcome back Marla Cordle and delight in her interview with Amanda Stevens, who calls her novels “creepy, southern suspense.” If they are anything like the book trailer in the interview, yikes! I’m scared, yet intrigued!

As a Mystery/Thriller short story writer, you may have noticed that many of the markets for this genre have bitten the dust. Now it’s time to get creative and Break Out of the Mystery/Thriller Slush Pile. We welcome back freelancer Susanne Shaphren and thank her for providing us with innovative ideas for placing our stories in a seemingly dry marketplace.

Are you interested in writing horror? Then you may want to find out How 2 Find the Perfect Horror Fit for You. We welcome back freelancer Cathy C. Hall and thank her for going in-depth to bring us many of the terrifying subgenres horror has to offer, complete with resources to market and mingle with like-minded authors. Keep the lights on!

By now, you must be ready for a bit of inspiration! How about 92 year’s worth? We welcome freelancer Carol Ayer to the WOW! family, and thank her for interviewing Betty Isabel Ferguson, a ninety-two-year-old creative dynamo with a vibrant sense of humor. Betty is a poet, an actress, a sculptress, a painter, and a playwright who has the energy of a woman half her age. We can all learn from her insight and positive outlook!

We also announce the Winter 2009 Flash Fiction Contest winners! Read their winning stories and find out what they won! A big thank you goes to literary agent Janet Reid for choosing this season’s top winners.

I’d also like to thank our lovely graphic intern Amy Robertson for the fabulous headers she created this month! Amy is moving to New York to intern with US Weekly, so this is her last month with us. Although, I guarantee it won’t be the last time we see her gracing WOW’s pages. With any luck, we’ll have her freelancing for us in no time. Good luck, Amy!

As always, I’d like to thank Annette Fix for her wonderful editing skills, and for making this issue sparkle!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

WOW! Women On Writing launches Online Writers’ Classes and Workshops. We’ve hand picked talented instructors and classes we know you will love. Head over to our classes page and see what’s available. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter (upper right hand corner gray box) to keep up with the latest offerings. Invest in yourself, write now!

WOW! Women On Writing is listed as one of Writer’s Digest 101 Best Sites for Writers 2009! It’s our second year in a row and we’re thrilled. You can see us in the May/June issue of Writer’s Digest, under the Genre/Niches category: “WOW! Women On Writing is designed to support women throughout all stages of the writing process.”

We’d like to thank all of our readers for supporting us. This is a great honor for all women writers!

Now, on to the issue...enjoy!

   

 

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THE EDITORS

Angela Miyuki Mackintosh is Publisher, CEO, and Art Director of WOW! Women On Writing. She has been published in Maxim, Transworld Surf and Skate, Vice Magazine, and numerous trade publications for the action-sports industry. She is an award-winning artist whose works have been commissioned for public art by the city of Long Beach, and has received grants from Funds for Women.

Angela lives in Placentia, California with her husband, Michael, and her cat, Noodle.

 


Annette Fix is Senior Editor of WOW! Women On Writing. She began her writing career hawking her feature film spec scripts in Hollywood, nearly killed her muse by working as a freelance copywriter for various boring companies, and finally found her way to narrative writing, which feels like “dancing naked in a field of flowers” compared to her previous writing ventures. Annette is an author and a spoken-word storyteller who regularly performs in L.A. theaters. Annette's memoir, The Break-Up Diet is available in bookstores and online.

She lives in Southern California with her husband, her son, and two dogs.


 

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