Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old - Guest Post by Sarah Noffke

I recently had the pleasure of reading Suspended by Sarah Noffke. Since I've also written a book about a dark circus (The Nightmare Birds), I was especially anxious to read her story. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. :)

The more I discovered about Sarah, the more I was intrigued by this "superwoman". She's written fifteen books and is currently working on two more! I'm delighted that she found the time to share this guest post with you today.  Enjoy!

Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old

Scroll the feed on Instagram and you’ll come to a few conclusions. They might be: she definitely shouldn’t be wearing that, is that dude out of his mind, and holy batman young adults love their books. I follow more than a few book addicts on Instagram and they all happen to be ones who are obsessed with taking pictures of their bookshelves, rather than their freckled faces. When was the last time that you saw Helen, the retired widow, arranging her books in the garden so she could take a pretty picture to post on social media? So what’s my point? It’s that we need to be catering to this hungry market. Young adults crave the actual pages of books. They use the hashtag for cover love more than anyone else. Young adult fantasy is especially hot right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. And if we know this knowledge, then we might should be using it.

When I was a young adult, I didn’t think I liked to read. Stop gasping and listen to me. It’s because the books I was forced to read were Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein. Now before you forever loathe me for complaining about being exposed to classic literature, please hear me out. While those novels are amazing in their own way, they aren’t something relatable for a young adult. I know, you’re shocked, I’ve never, not once, sailed down the Congo. It wasn’t until later that I accidentally picked up a young adult novel that I fell in love with books. I remember the exact moment. It was like Prince Charming walked into the room and I was instantly in love. That passion for young adult literature then grew and now I read books of all genres. However, too often I think we force the classics before we’ve hooked the young reader. I think we cater to the adult readers, not realizing that it’s the teens of the world that are going to break down doors to get a fresh paperbacks. They are obsessed with covers. Obsessed with collecting spicy fantasy novels. And most importantly, they are consumers who have decades of reading ahead of them.

Having written five young adult and new adult series, I’ll claim to know a little bit about the genre. New adult is this relatively recent category that is just starting to emerge. It has less rules than young adult and is relatable to a larger audience. However, I will disclose that most of the readers of my young adult series are thirty-something-year-old women. The reason for the wide appeal is that young adult characters have more potentials and I’ve polled readers and found there’s an irresistible draw to that. It’s fun when a character is still developing and doesn’t know who they are, what they want or who they love. The key to good young adult fiction is exploring these potentials. And the key to happy readers is to find the stories that they can relate to, while also creating surprising potentials. Finally, because I like sets of three, the key to success for authors, libraries and retailers is tapping into this hungry market. Hooking the young and young at heart readers is a great strategy. From my experience there aren’t more loyal followers than those who post their TBR lists on social media.

I keep hearing a rumor that the book market is over saturated. Honestly, I can’t find relevant data to support this. If my Instagram feed serves as antidotal evidence then young adults actually don’t have enough books. If I see another picture in my feed of the Harry Potter series with a newly released cover then I’m chunking my phone across the room. #coverlove

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Bio:
Sarah Noffke writes YA and NA sci-fi fantasy and is the author of the Lucidites, Reverians, Ren and Vagabond Circus series. She holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. Noffke's books are top rated and best-sellers on Kindle. Currently, she has fifteen novels published. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. To get a free book from the author, go here: http://www.sarahnoffke.com/free-book/

Connect:

www.sarahnoffke.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2n0rnJO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsarahnoffke?ref=hl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9830676.Sarah_Noffke
Twitter: @RealSarahNoffke
Instagram: @sarahnoffke

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Have you checked out these other articles? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

Mass Book Giveaway and Book Bash

OMG! Free Books!!!

Join Brain to Books and GoIndieNow for a three day book bash and holiday giveaway on December 16, 17, and 18th!

Day 1 - December 16, 2016
Slush Brain Holiday

If you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, free stuff, and all things nerdy, join here.


Day 2 - December 17, 2016
Mass Book Giveaway - GoIndieNow Prize Pack

Every year Brain to Books hosts a holiday book giveaway. This year,  you can score signed paperbacks, tons of free e-books, GoIndieNow swag, and other awesome goodies. Click here to check out the prize pack. Did I mention that Strange Luck is one of the prizes??? While you're there, you can also enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card. You have until December 17 to enter.

Winners will be announced HERE.

Day 3 - December 18, 2016
Ani Manjikian Stars of Heros Release

Ani Manjikian is preparing to release the 2nd book in her series "Stars of Heros" (Heros as in Thracian Heros from Greek mythology) is a Science Fiction novel. They'll be prizes, games, giveaways, and so much more! Join Here


Good luck and Happy Holidays :)

Science And Other Scary Words: On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by YA sci-fi author Belinda Crawford. Coincidentally, I just started reading my first sci-fi book (yes, of all time) and am really enjoying it, so when I connected with Belinda, I wanted to know more. The thought of writing sci-fi had always seemed really intriguing...and kinda scary, so, I asked Belinda if she would share some tips on how to write science fiction. Enjoy!

Science And Other Scary Words: On Writing Science Fiction

Here’s a little secret, there’s not a lot of difference between writing science fiction and writing any other genre. Sure, there are some new words (wormhole, nanotech, mecha, thingy-ma-bob, dohickey) and a proliferation of acronyms to learn (AI, FTL, OMG, WTF) but that whole bit where you write a great story with interesting characters…That doesn't change.

It’s all about the worldbuilding

What makes a story sci-fi is not the narrative, but the world it’s set in. In general, sci-fi is any story where science enables extraordinary things to happen, much the same as magic does in fantasy. Usually it’s set in the future (or at the very least, the author’s future—A Princess of Mars was set in 1912 and written prior) and features advanced technology, such as spaceships, robots and lightsabers. There are some notable exceptions, such as the steampunk and superhero subgenres, but for the most part, the above remains true.

The key to creating a great world is making it believable, which can be daunting if you’re just getting started in sci-fi and/or aren't the kind of person who reads Scientific American.

The Science in Science Fiction

A lot of people have the misconception sci-fi must be scientifically accurate, which can be a barrier for readers and writers alike. The truth is, just because the genre has science in the name, doesn’t mean you have to include any in the narrative.

There’s a spectrum to the scientific accuracy of sci-fi, often referred to as its ‘hardness’. It starts with science fantasy, which doesn’t worry about the scientific details (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), progresses to soft sci-fi, which worries just a little (Dune), and makes its way to hard sci-fi, which worries a lot (2001: A Space Odyssey).

The ‘hardness’ of a work of sci-fi is directly proportional to it’s scientific accuracy, and one of the first things you need to consider when writing sci-fi is where you want to fit on that scale.

What Sort of Sci-fi Should You Write?

First decide what sort of story you want to tell. If you want to tell a story about space knights who roam the galaxy kicking butt and dispensing justice with glowy swords and mental powers (The Lost King), science fantasy is probably your gig. If you want to explore how planets could be terraformed for human habitation (Red Mars) then hard sci-fi might be for you.

Second, look at your bookshelf. What sort of books do you like to read? What is it about those books that you enjoy? Is it powered armour (Armored), living spaceships (Warhorse), ecological apocalypse (The Windup Girl) or alien invasion (Battlefield Earth)? Is it none of them or several of them? Whatever it is, that's what you should write.

Third, ask yourself how much you like science and research. If you really, really want to write a detailed, realistic story about a man stranded on a hostile alien planet (The Martian), but the thought of cracking open a book or seeking advice from experts makes you want to throw up, you have a problem. That’s not to say that the softer end of the spectrum doesn’t also require research, but it (and when I say ‘it’, I mean the readership) is more forgiving.

You don’t need to be a science buff, professor or nerd to write sci-fi, even hard sci-fi, but you do need to be prepared to get your hands dirty and ask for help when you need it.

Research

So, how do you research things like faster-than-light travel, honking-big robots and astrophysics?

Google and Wikipedia are excellent first steps. Depending upon how close to the ‘soft’ end of science scale your story is, it may be all you need. If you want something more in-depth you’ll need to hunt down academic websites, books, journals or an actual expert.

Your local library, or an online one, should be your next step, and don't forget to ask the librarian if you need help. Often, if you need the advice of an expert, you can email the author of a particular book or journal article. You’ll be surprised how often people are willing to help, and quite flattered to be asked. You can also try talking to your local doctor, vet, car mechanic or any other professional whose expertise fits with what you’re trying to research.

For topics you're unlikely to find in a research book, such as cyborgs or Godzilla-sized monsters, consider TV Tropes–a website that categorises and discusses all sorts of weird and wonderful things–read other sci-fi books to see how they deal with it, or delve deep into Internet discussion boards.

Do It Your Way

Writing sci-fi is just like writing any other genre. There is no right or wrong way to do it and you don't need to be a super-duper library person, nerd or PhD of Future Sh— err, Stuff. All you need are a few characters, an interesting story and a little bit of the future, sprinkled with just as much research as you need to write a great book. How you go about doing that is up to you.

A Few More Resources

• Curiosity.com isn’t that good for in-depth research, but it’s full of fun little facts to expand your mind and inspire you.
• If you have a specific question (like ‘Could superpowers be scientifically possible?’) Quora is the place to find an answer, or at least a discussion.
• The Worldbuilding Stackexchange is great for discussions about worldbuilding topics, like ‘Would the human body support living on planets with a greater gravity than Earth?’. 
• Listopia on Goodreads is your resource for finding books in specific genres or about certain topics.
• The Tools section on this site has a handy-dandy faster-than-light travel calculator, among other things.

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Wow! These are great resources and book recommendations, Belinda, especially for someone like me who doesn't know a thing about the sci-fi literary world. That faster-than-light travel calculator is quite nifty by the way. Maybe writing sci-fi isn't so scary after all. :) Thanks so much for sharing.

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Bio:
Physics makes Belinda’s brain hurt, while quadratics cause her eyes to cross and any mention of probability equations will have her running for the door. Nonetheless, she loves watching documentaries about the natural world, biology, space, history and technology (Megafactories is one of her favourite TV shows). Oh, and she writes science fiction.

Hero is the first book in The Hero Rebellion, a science fiction trilogy about a girl with a plan to get a life. There are alien steeds, AIs, illegal street racing and a conspiracy to change the world. The second book, Riven, will hit shelves on September 25 this year.

You can keep in touch with Belinda, or just pick her brains about sci-fi, via her website, Facebook or by sending her an email (she loves email).

Don’t Write For The Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

I'm excited to share a new guest post by the very talented J.D. Estrada. Communications specialist, Public Relations strategist, creative copywriter, translator, brand strategist.... these are all terms used to describe J.D. Estrada in his day job setting. The fact is that these are all masks he has worn at some time to earn a living and he's done pretty well for himself, focusing on results rather than awards. Yet still something inside him begged for attention... the desire to write... not functionally or strategically but creatively. 

After years working in advertising, J.D. decided there were better ways to write fiction. Where some people choose to invent new products, he has chosen to invent worlds through words. He has since published multiple books in the fantasy/sci-fi vein. 

J.D.'s post below chronicles his quest to remain true to his writing and to himself. Hopefully his words will inspire you to do the same. 

Don't Write for the Market

You know that job you hate, the one you do just to pay the bills? The one that sucks your soul? If you’re in high school, do you know that class you are FORCED to take? That feeling of helplessness, of doing something that’s not worth the time or the effort?

That’s what it means to write for the market.

Or at least that’s what it means to me.

People have often said I made a smart move by including vampires in my book because obviously vampires sell like hot cakes. This line of commentary has led me to clarify that my novels aren’t vampire books, they simply have vampires. Might I add that they are not your typical vampires because I focus much more on the character traits that make them unique rather than the unifying elements of blood drinking and other vampire specific themes. To be honest, the vampires I write about are as heterogeneous as they are disparate, two seeming synonyms that imply different things. To me, the main thing that unites vampires is the drinking of blood. The Human Cycle is a lot more about the aspects of humanity and how they manifest in different races and species and ends up being an intense mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, philosophy, etc. It is also one of the most personal works I will probably pen in my life, even being full on fiction. That’s because I wrote for me, obeying the vision I have of my exploration of humanity and the human aspect.

The first book (Only Human) is 164,000+ words long and the second (Shadow of a Human) is around 89K. When asked about the difference, my answer is simple: the story is as long as it has to be. Period. I’ve been told the first one is too long and although I can see why some people would think that, a lot of people haven’t minded and it allowed me to set the stage to do exactly what I want to do.

I know people who are writing something in the vein of [ENTER WELL KNOWN NOVEL OR SERIES HERE] because they want to make it big. Although I’m of the mind that everyone is entitled to their path towards happiness, let me be the one to say that this method will more often than not lead to misery instead. This happens because writing became a means to an end, rather than a true passion.

Every writer wants to make it big. Every single one. Some people write something that sells and on occasion, some people meant for that to be the case. But when you look at JK Rowling, look at how many times she was rejected before she was given a break. Tell me Neil Gaiman’s trajectory makes any sense and you’ll need to bring some hard evidence to support that because it is as crazy a journey as I think you can imagine. That’s because in both examples, they write from the heart, what they believe in, their vision, what drives them. They weren’t thinking about likes, hits, or bending their story to fit to what sells.

So why not you?

Why do you have to settle for writing the next Twilight, the Next 50 Shades of Gray, the Next Lord of the Rings? Why can’t you just write the next great novel? YOUR great story.

By the way, the reason why I suggest this is far from altruistic. (altruism: (n) the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).

It’s actually the opposite.

I suggest you write with passion and what drives you because if you depend on external validation, writing will be a brutal road and odds are you won’t make it. Many a day I need to lose myself in my work, hoping beyond hopes that I am true enough, unique enough, and genuine enough for people to give me a chance and possibly find something they like. But I don’t write thinking about them. I write following what my heart compass dictates and walking that path, whatever it may bring and wherever it may take me.

I am well aware at how blessed I am at the luck I’ve had that my work either appeals or resonates with people, but that wasn’t intentional. I didn’t say, “let me do this so people enjoy.”

I wrote for me.

I write for me.

I will write for me.

I do this because by doing so I guarantee myself that even on the tough days of life, writing will be something I love and enjoy. It means I won’t have to push through something I hate to get to what I love, because the act of writing itself is what I love so much.

I am far from a point in my life where I can live off of my writing alone… but I am also in a point in my life where writing has become such a part of my genetic makeup, that I have basically guaranteed I’ll write for the rest of my life. So I wish upon you to do the same in spirit if not in method or route. Be true to yourself. Write to what speaks to you. Dare to dream and then dare to capture that dream on paper and share it with us.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

J.D. Estrada's obsession with the human aspect of who we are is deeply embedded in all his work and his first book is no exception. Though still starting its journey towards the top 100 Amazon books, Only Human is the first link within the Human Cycle, a three book exploration of humanity through fiction.

He recently released his second installment of the Human Cycle, his first bilingual compilation of essays, poetry and short stories, and his first Spanish poetry collection. He is currently working on a sci-fi novella and a young adult adventure of a boy who dreams of flying. In addition, he consistently puts out free material on his blog (jdestradawriter.blogspot.com) and rants with zest on Twitter via @jdestradawriter. He also has instagram and youtube if you want to see what he’s getting up to or what delicious cuppa tea he may recommend.

It's extremely important that authors write for themselves, to remain passionate about their art; otherwise, what's the point? As soon as I stop thinking about what I think I should write, and write what I want to write, all the pieces fall into place. Just let it go. Seriously...Let it go. Now. You won't be sorry.

Thank you for sharing such an inspirational post, J.D.! I wish you, and all writers out there, success with your writing career.

Categorizing Your Novel - Genre Definitions

You wrote a book (hooray!). It’s got a little bit of everything and will appeal to multiple audiences, so it’s absolutely, positively impossible to categorize into one genre. Sound familiar? Getting your book into the hands of your intended audience can be quite tricky, so it’s important to understand how to properly categorize your book before you begin querying an agent, or share your self-published novel with the world. Check out this high-level snapshot of popular fiction genres, including info about average word count, protagonist age, and common themes:

Chick Lit: These books strictly appeal to chickens. Just checking to see if you’re paying attention. :) Chick lit is about all things girly. We’re talking dating woes, romance, climbing the career ladder, finding your passion, and personal antics. The protagonist is usually in her 20-30’s looking for the right ________ (fill in the blank). Career. Man. Attitude. These stories are fun, quirky, and entertaining. You’re good to go in the 70-80k word range.

Commercial Fiction: Full of face-paced, high-concept hooks and plots which will attract a broad, mainstream audience, commercial fiction has strong narrative story lines and usually falls into multiple genres. Stories contain lots of events, high stakes, and dangerous situations. Think Stephen King, Dan Brown, and John Grisham. 70-90k words is ideal; however, there are exceptions. There are no hard and fast rules about the protagonist’s age, but they tend to be adults. Book titles are straight to the point, perfectly encapsulating what the novel is about.

Fantasy: One of my favorite genres! Magic, supernatural powers, strange kingdoms, sorcery, other worlds, spells, talking animals, fairies, wizards, dragons, goblins, mythical creatures, and monsters are all common elements in fantasy stories. Themes usually include a quest for something or battle against good and evil. Think Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. There are dozens of sub-genres such as urban, historical, epic, and dark fantasy. Word count varies from 70-120k. The protagonist’s age will vary largely based on your sub-genre.

Horror: Boo! The goal of a horror novel is to scare the reader. This can be accomplished with blood and gore, graphic violence, monsters, crime and murder, psychological terror, supernatural elements, or even something innocent like children or dolls. Think H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. There are tons of sub-genres like dark fiction, dark fantasy, cutting edge, erotic, extreme, occult, gothic, psychological, supernatural, paranormal, etc. The horror genre often incorporates folklore and fantasy to create manifestations of evil. 80-100k words is a good rule of thumb. No strict rules about the protagonist’s age.

Literary Fiction: Appeals to a smaller audience and can fall into any sub-genre such as literary thrillers, mysteries, or epics. Notable qualities of literary fiction include excellent writing, style, multi-layered themes, descriptive introspective narratives, complex characters, and originality. These are books you might've read in high school like The Great Gatsby or To Kill A Mockingbird. Literary fiction ranges anywhere from 60-120k words. Covers and titles tend to be more obscure or artistic. Just like commercial fiction, there are no rules for the protagonist’s age.

Middle Grade: The protagonist is typically 10-years-old for a younger MG novel, and up to 13-years-old for older, more complex books. Themes are generally broad like trying to fit in or save the world, with the protagonist’s mindset on friends, family, or the immediate world. Word count is generally in the 30-50K range, although this can vary based on your theme/sub-genre. There shouldn’t be any profanity, graphic violence, or sex. Voice is usually in the third person. Examples include The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Charlotte's Web.

Mystery: Mysteries focus on solving a crime, usually murder, rather than the details of the crime itself. The puzzle behind the crime is central to the plot with the climax usually occurring towards the end. The protagonist is usually a witty investigator or detective thirsty for justice. Common sub-genres include cozies, spy, detective, hard-boiled, and supernatural. On average, word count ranges from 70-90k. Check out Mystery Writers of America to learn more.

Young Adult: The protagonist is in the 12-18 range and deals with adult-like problems such as grief, revenge, death, or love. Themes include the hero discovering how they fit into the world beyond their immediate surroundings (friends, family, etc.) and reflection on what happened to them and why. The voice is usually internal, and some swearing and minor violence is acceptable. Word count is generally in the 50-85K range. Sub-genres include fantasy, historical, LGBTQ, mystery/thriller, steampunk, mystery, paranormal, and contemporary. Popular YA books include Harry Potter, Divergent, The Hunger Games, and Lord of the Flies.  
 
Science Fiction: Incorporates scientific and technological elements into the story’s setting, characters, and their challenges. Scientific rules are bent or defied in some way. 100-120k words is standard; however, there are exceptions. There are dozens of sub-genres such as apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk, time travel, science fantasy/future fantasy, etc. No rules about the protagonist’s age.

Remember, these are general guidelines and agents/publishers may categorize differently depending on their needs/wants. Regardless of which publishing route you choose; my advice is to write the story you have to tell. If it ends up being a little bit longer or shorter than your intended genre but you’ve given it your all, then accept it and go for it! You may be an exception to the rule. Also, ALWAYS get feedback from your friends and family before you share your book with the rest of the world. For example, if you think that your book falls into the YA category, give it to your friend’s teenage daughter to read and ask for honest feedback. If she says it was boring, maybe you’ve got a MG book instead.