Comments | fangs_fur_fey: I have an interesting problem.

rkvincent in fangs_fur_fey

I have an interesting problem.

May 06, 2009 11:03

My publisher has asked me to write a short story prequel to my Soul Screamers books. They want to release this story as an e-short in July, so I’m in a bit of a time crunch and I’ve run across a couple of interesting problems. The first is a familiar dilemma (at least for me), but the second is something… else.

[My questions mostly pertain to other ( Read more... )

rachel vincent

Comments 20

swan_tower May 6 2009, 21:00:24 UTC

You have just nailed all the reasons why I've never gotten around to polishing and doing something with the prequel story to Warrior (formerly known as Doppelganger). It's the same thing: referenced in the book, before the character knew what was going on, etc . . . plus the damn thing's a novelette, so a lot of words to be polishing.

I don't have any good answers, but I wish you luck.

rkvincent May 7 2009, 02:11:18 UTC

Thanks. ;-)

nalini_singh May 6 2009, 21:59:12 UTC

I did this for my Guild Hunter series. I decided to tell the story of another character in the same world, but slightly ahead in time.

Angels' Pawn (novella) introduced the world and this character was one you meet in Angels' Blood (book), so it tied in to the main story while not spoiling things. Could you do something like that?

rkvincent May 7 2009, 02:12:20 UTC

I probably could, but they want me to show something that was mentioned in the first book. Tough, huh? But I think I've figured it out. Assuming I can get it right.

pikestephenson May 7 2009, 00:09:33 UTC

Okay, reader chiming in so my thoughts are worth about 1/3 a cent,before taxes. It almost sounds like you could come at this like a pure horror story seeing how your MC doesn't have a clue as to the world she's about to fall in to. Could be Lovecraftian with things hinted and just out of sight. Her perception of the world would be jaded even more then the novel (well, maybe not so much). But it sounds like it would be fun to toss out little Easter Eggs, even some sketchy foreshadowing for the future books.

But like I said, this is my less then two-cent take.

rkvincent May 7 2009, 02:14:24 UTC

Oh, your thoughts are worth just as much as mine. Probably more. ;-)

And actually, there's quite a bit of things hinted at, and just out of sight in the first novel, and there will be in this one too. I'd never thought of classifying it as horror, though. The series is actually young adult.

pikestephenson May 7 2009, 12:59:04 UTC

I'm seeing your dilemma. I didn't know the book was YA so my Horror nod was due to your past work with Were's and such. But if you've already played on the hinting in the book what about giving her a "friend" to hang with, someone that might be a character that plays an important role in the future or a new one that could pop up later as a surprise? The short might come across more coming-of-age but fans should enjoy seeing a slice of your MC's life prior to reality taking a hike.

Now I'm spent on creativity, if you can call it that. ;)

"i have an interesting problem" anonymous October 25 2009, 07:55:54 UTC

I firstly want to say Rachel, I absolutely love your werecats series! I work in a bookstore and have been trying desperately to get them in, but being in australia i haven't found any accessible distributors :'(

Secondly, I fully like greylady's idea, or if the character's not in ur existing book it could be a really distant character she isn't aware of, an organization watching her or someone who actually ends up dead by the end of the prequel.... thus allowing a certain amount of movement....

I'm in the last 3 weeks of a uni degree, but after that I'm planning on really falling into the book iv been writing.- so i'm a reader and an (aspiring) author :P