Stumped?
On DeviantArt I was looking at two possible novel ideas to write next. One's SF, involving firemen on a seastead. One's fantasy, involving kitsune in Japan ca. 1700. And I'm kind of troubled.
I'd like to write SF: near-future (say now-to-2100), plausible, and upbeat. But I'm having trouble seeing a plausible future meeting those requirements unless there's also some kind of upheaval in America, or the whole thing is set on a seastead where people have the freedom to innovate and create. A couple of stories I've done have assumed either that the innovation is coming from a seastead, or from an independent Texas or something. Not to say that that's the only plausible kind of "good future", but since I have a tough time seeing another, I'm limited in what I can write. I said this in a stupid way elsewhere, but I'm not qualified to write a story where the world's big problem is consumerism.
Why not write fantasy, then? Well, I just got through with a fantasy novel, so it's partly burnout. But also, I keep saying there isn't enough SF out there to inspire people, in contrast to fantasy and far-future SF stories that have no bearing on reality. Yeah, maybe in the year 2600 the Galaxy Lords will grant humans the chance to explore space on the condition of becoming scantily-clad ottergirls, but how does that affect anyone in the real world? I get kind of impatient with that kind of thing, and more so with fantasy where wizards or werewolves have been around forever and somehow no one's noticed. If I did the kitsune story it'd specifically avoid that "Masquerade" trope and lead to an alternate history where Ben Franklin studies fox magic or something. (Do you realize how many people believe in a real "Masquerade" re: angels, aliens, and/or government agencies?) And I don't even like most of what I've been reading in "Fantasy & Science Fiction", which suggests that the kind of fantasy I'd want to write is not what they're buying.
I was also cautioned by a friend that I sounded cynical, by feeling obligated to (1) crank out another novel and (2) make it furry so I have some hope of selling it to a small press. If I don't genuinely enjoy and believe in what I'm writing it's not going to be good anyhow.
So, I'm having trouble figuring out what to write, that I would enjoy writing, that I could conceivably market.
I'd like to write SF: near-future (say now-to-2100), plausible, and upbeat. But I'm having trouble seeing a plausible future meeting those requirements unless there's also some kind of upheaval in America, or the whole thing is set on a seastead where people have the freedom to innovate and create. A couple of stories I've done have assumed either that the innovation is coming from a seastead, or from an independent Texas or something. Not to say that that's the only plausible kind of "good future", but since I have a tough time seeing another, I'm limited in what I can write. I said this in a stupid way elsewhere, but I'm not qualified to write a story where the world's big problem is consumerism.
Why not write fantasy, then? Well, I just got through with a fantasy novel, so it's partly burnout. But also, I keep saying there isn't enough SF out there to inspire people, in contrast to fantasy and far-future SF stories that have no bearing on reality. Yeah, maybe in the year 2600 the Galaxy Lords will grant humans the chance to explore space on the condition of becoming scantily-clad ottergirls, but how does that affect anyone in the real world? I get kind of impatient with that kind of thing, and more so with fantasy where wizards or werewolves have been around forever and somehow no one's noticed. If I did the kitsune story it'd specifically avoid that "Masquerade" trope and lead to an alternate history where Ben Franklin studies fox magic or something. (Do you realize how many people believe in a real "Masquerade" re: angels, aliens, and/or government agencies?) And I don't even like most of what I've been reading in "Fantasy & Science Fiction", which suggests that the kind of fantasy I'd want to write is not what they're buying.
I was also cautioned by a friend that I sounded cynical, by feeling obligated to (1) crank out another novel and (2) make it furry so I have some hope of selling it to a small press. If I don't genuinely enjoy and believe in what I'm writing it's not going to be good anyhow.
So, I'm having trouble figuring out what to write, that I would enjoy writing, that I could conceivably market.