We are really lucky to have Marianne Delacourt on the Guest Blog, today! She started out writing fantasy, then dabbled with some chapters about a ‘kick-arse’, feisty crime fighter, with an ability to read peoples auras! Loving the characters from the Tara Sharp series so much, she kept writing about them, as well has her speculative fiction books.
Marianne uses the social-blogging network, Facebook, to keep her characters in touch with all of their fans. Tara Sharp has her own page, as does her science fiction character Parrish Plessis, and often blogs about small mysteries and mishaps she has during the week. You’ll often find laugh-out-loud conversations between to the two! Marianne’s thoughts behind this is that:
‘It’s a long time between books. I like Tara, and I’d like to have her around in my life regularly, the way I enjoy catching up with the characters in my favourite TV series every night. I hope you’ll feel the same way.’ (excerpt taken from Marianne Delacourt’s website.)
Today, Marianne talks about writing different genre’s and how to be successful at it.
Her second Tara Sharp book is due out in September 2010 and she will be around to answer any questions you have, if you’d like to leave a comment here.
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Hi Fleur fans,
I thought I’d chat to you about switching genres. I’ve been writing and publishing science fiction for five years (and 5 books!) now. Though I love working in that genre, I had a hankering to write something light and contemporary and sleuthy. Probably because my writing world was filled with such tortured characters and mind-bending ideas.
In my spare time (hah!), I started flirting with a new character. I wrote a couple of chapters and found that I was enjoying my flaky private eye and her cast of hilarious friends so much, that I couldn’t stop. It became as addictive as the SF. So I guess, switching genres for me has been like changing clothes – just something you do. I put it down to my very eclectic reading tastes. I grew up on a weird mixture of pulp novels and literary fiction, and I appreciate both equally.
The main thing, if you’re considering doing this yourself, is to make sure you read widely. I don’t believe that any writer can do a genre justice if they aren’t aware what has come before them, and what the customs and idiosyncrasies are for that readership. If you wrote a science fiction novel assuming that you were only person who’s ever written about faster-than-light travel, then you’d be laughed outta town.
On the other hand, I don’t believe a writer should be limited creatively – as long as they approach each project with the same excitement and passion.
Good luck!
Marianne Delacourt (aka de Pierres) www.tarasharp.com www.mariannedepierres.com
Fascinating blog! Thanks 🙂
Love the site too Fleur!
Marianne, I actually have a question! I write fiction, as you know, but I also write childrens’ books and have had problems in getting them placed. I was told by someone, it’s actually quite hard to write two different genres, and yet you seem to do it with ease. What would your suggestions to me, be?
Hi Ken, I don’t know that I have any meaningful suggestions to make, other than to say that a top agent helps a lot.
It’s hard to publish successfully in different genres because establishing yourself and building a readership takes time. Publishers will also be a little nervous of taking you on if they think you might be more committed to another area of your writing.
In general though, it’s just damn tough to get published in any area of fiction – let alone in different genres. I’ve been a little lucky, and worked REALLY hard.
I guess my foremost advice would be to say ‘don’t give up’ – NEVER give up. If your stories are good and you persist, they will find a publisher.