The Books That Sent Me Down This Path

1990

This week's topic in the soon-not-to-be-a-bordello anymore - new title and contest winner to be announced soon! - is the book(s) that got us started on our genre.

This is always a hugely difficult question for me to answer because it feels like squeezing decades of reading into less than a thousand words.

Probably because that's exactly what we're trying to do.

But I'm trying this topic's particular focus on which books really sent me towards my niche genre of fantasy romance. I've discovered an interesting trend through this reflection on my past.

1991

A bit of history first. I trace my decision to become a writer to November of 1991. This is easy for me to look up, because my epiphany hit in the middle of the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans. (They have a convenient and nicely organized sidebar of past meetings that I check any time I need to confirm the exact date.) Actually, as epiphanies sometimes do, mine came in the form of a complete meltdown, in which I burst into tears in front of my PhD adviser and ran from the building.

At this point I discovered that pursuing my life's ambition should probably not make me that crazy. And that maybe what I really wanted out of life was something else entirely. To my vast surprise, it turned out that the "something else" was to be a writer.

1994

During that convention I was reading Anne Rice's The Witching Hour. I remember it vividly because my mom, who went with me to that convention, was reading it also. We even hunted down the house in the story and discovered Anne Rice actually lived there. I'd been a fan of Rice's since I received a copy of Interview with the Vampire in my Science Fiction Book Club shipment. This book, though, it wrapped me up, masticated my heart into tiny pieces and tucked them back inside me, totally changed. Yeah, I was already an emotional wreck - a lot happened to me that year, including meeting David, who turned out to be the love of my life - and that book was part of it.

It planted the seed of what I really wanted to write, without me even knowing it.

1995

Because I'd *always* loved to read anything paranormalish. From the time I picked up Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong in 5th grade - not coincidentally the same year I read Interview with the Vampire - I consumed everything along those lines that I could find.

Two things, however, kept me from writing in that genre at first. Actually, I should say publishing. I did start writing this fantasy THING. It involved terrible fragments that went nowhere because I had zero craft or support in that direction. This is key, I think. My first publication was an essay, in 1997, and I came to write it because I took a class called Essays on Self and Place in 1996.

1998

Note how many years it took me from epiphany to publication.

1996

So, because I didn't know anyone who wrote genre, and there weren't visiting writer classes I could take in it, I didn't get focused on writing fantasy. Also, being in an academic environment, I thought I needed to write "important" things, not genre.

Alas.

But all during these years, that's what I was reading. It's interesting to review the books and series that pop into my head as formative - and then see the progression of dates. I've added them in as captions so you can see, too.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I *did* become an exhaustive reader. I didn't read all of these exactly when they came out, but pretty damn close. I haunted my local Hastings Book Store (because the indie book stores didn't carry genre), which had a rack of these books. I picked up Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart based on the cover and started in on Anita Blake because a colleague and similar fan of romance/paranormal crossover recommended them. And we'd both glommed onto Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books.

2002

A couple of things happened in the early 2000s. "The turn of the century" I liked to call it, but nobody thought I was funny. My first collection of essays (Wyoming Trucks, True Love and the Weather Channel) came out in 2004, to critical acclaim and practically zero income.

2002

Also, I became very aware of my unadulterated addiction to a number of series. I spent vast amounts of money on my autobuy books - JD Robb's In Death books, Gabaldon, Carey, Laurell K Hamilton and a few others. A good friend who'd begun to manage one of the local indie bookstores - and who was savvy and unpretentious enough to recognize book buyers like me - fed my addiction. She knew when my next autobuy book was coming out before I did and would have it ordered and waiting for me.

2005

Of course I couldn't resist.

Then, one day, she handed me Twilight. I wasn't interested. She said, no, really - my editor friend in NYC said she just spent the weekend reading this book and was spellbound. My friend thought I should at least read it, because early indicators were that it would be big. Then she asked me why wasn't I writing this kind of book, as much as I loved them.

At least I didn't cry that time.

But it was a second epiphany. I dug out those horrible fragments and began to play with them. It took several more years - and a lot of learning the craft of both writing novels and learning genre - but here I am, with my books right in there.

Pretty cool!

A Year of Writing Influences

Writing influences this year?

1. A dream
2. An editor
3. My CPs

Oh. You wanted more than that? Well, then. Grab your festive, seasonal beverage of choice, a fist full of holiday cookies (with frosting!) or candy and have a seat.


The Dream: Not gonna make you read through a retelling of a dream that only matters to me. Suffice it to say, there was a dream. It was one of those half dream/half nightmare affairs where someone or something else has control of you. Your protests and determination make no difference whatsoever. One line from the dream stands out because it made it verbatim into an Urban Fantasy called Nightmare Ink, which is due out in April from Intermix. The line was: "You are a work of art. Don't make me destroy you."

An editor: So, it may not have escaped your notice that I had been writing science fiction romance. And now I'm not. (Well. I am but we'll talk about that later. As in second quarter of 2014 later.) I adore my editor. She is spectacular at what she does - identifying issues and communicating those clearly. I never have any doubt how to fix something after she's sent me her notes. She's that clear. Well, when she asked me if I had any urban fantasy kicking around that she could take to the Intermix line, of course I said yes. I got to keep working with her!

My Critique Partners: I have multiple critique groups. Okay. Two. Those two groups encompass a wide array of writers. Every one of them liked the Nightmare Ink concept and worked with me in a lovely way whenever I struggled with feeling like I might be in over my head, which was often. I had a steady stream of encouragement, ideas, and suggestions. Emergency reads in the eleventh hour before I handed it off to my editor may also have happened. Then the cycle began again because the second book in that series is due just about any day now. Because *this* time around, I am doing my darnedest to give my excellent CPs plenty of time to work their red pencil magic before I have to hand it over to my editor.

How's that? Did I time my post to coincide with your need for a refill on that drink of yours? I hope so. And I hope you and your family and friends all have a tremendous holiday, and a happy new year filled with everything good.

Top 3 Writing Influences of 2013

by Allison Pang

Apologies for the slight lateness of this post - holiday madness has set in, which apparently includes copious amounts of food, sleeping, and staying up exceedingly late to wrap things. >_<

At any rate - writing influences this year for me were fairly slim. In fact, I'd call them non-writing influences. If you thought I withdrew in a major way, you'd be right - mostly because I was so overwhelmed with physical issues, I could barely handle a lot of my normal day to day.

1) Pain - sad to say, but pain was probably my biggest influence this year - in my lack of productivity and just my general disinterest in anything other than not hurting. Over the years I've tried to explain to people what chronic pain feels like - and it's one of those things that can be hard to grasp. If you take a pain scale of 1 to 10 - stubbing your toe might be a 9...but that's going to go away in five minutes or less. Imagine being at a 5 or 6, where it never, ever stops. It is debilitating and eventually it does lead to depression (for me, at least.) I'm probably the only one I know who enjoyed getting her last tattoo because the pain on my arm distracted me from the pain in my back for a couple of hours. It felt GOOD.

So, yeah. Between the pain itself and the painkillers blitzing me out of my head, writing was rather craptacular, but I also pulled away from most social media, blogging, etc. I just didn't want to be bothered and also, listening to someone do nothing but bitch about how much they hurts gets boring after a while. So, it was just easier to NOT be involved. Hopefully now things will be better.

2) Comics - it's not that I read a huge amount of them so much as I learned more about the side of things that I need to do when it comes to collaboration. Having something creative to do without being responsible for the ENTIRE thing (like a novel, ha ha) was nice. It kept my toes in the pool and allowed me to work in small chunks as I was able. Aimo was and is an ongoing part of that, but I also credit her with always being able to pop in with something cheerful to say at some of my worst lows this year. (Or a naughty drawing, because frankly, who *doesn't* like getting naked elf pictures on their phone from time to time?) *nods sagely*

3) Family - part of not feeling great for me meant unplugging from the world (as noted above) and trying to do more with the kids. There's a certain time frame that parents have - a limited window, before kids hit those teenage years and then they're busy trying to figure out who THEY are. (And want nothing to do with parents, thanks.) I'm on the cusp of that with the oldest, so my window is closing. (Not to mention he was diagnosed with ADHD and both depression and anxiety disorders this year - it's been pretty stressful, overall.) So, part of my pulling away from things was about trying to deal with that AND try to work on the inter-family relationships.  But again, we are starting to get a handle on a number of these issues - and hopefully that will turn into a more productive me. :)

That being said? I'm really looking forward to kicking 2013 to the curb.

Three Profound Impacts on My Writing in 2013

This week's topic is really quite interesting to contemplate. We ask each other, what are the Top Three Influences on Your Writing in 2013?

I have to say I'm answering this question differently this year than I might have in the past. My top three?

1) My CPs

I am blessed to be a part of an amazing group of writers who have been absolutely crucial to me this last year. Many thanks to Carolyn Crane, Marcella Burnard and Laura Bickle. Without their feedback, brainstorming and explaining my stories to me, I would have been lost. We meet weekly via Instant Messenger and maintain an accountability worksheet. Laura has had to back off to focus on her own work, but I cannot ignore the very important role she played in the books I wrote this year. I miss her greatly.

Also pinch hitting with answers, advice and last-minute reads were sister Word Whores Allison Pang and Kristine Krantz. Always there when I need them!

2) Reader Feedback

This was the year that I really started hearing from readers. From the blow-by-blow tweeted reactions to my books to long, detailed emails giving me their responses, these amazing people greatly influenced how I see my stories. Some very special ones: Carien Ubink - who also beta read for me twice when I needed it most - E and Has from The Bookpushers, who've been amazing with their insights into my stories, and Amy Remus from So Many Reads, who always asks interesting questions.

3) My agent

I signed with Pam in August 2012, so her influence started that fall. Still, my work in 2013 is largely in response to her. I wrote Master of the Opera (coming out January 2, eep!) at her suggestion. My Twelve Kingdoms trilogy will release starting this summer, because she sold it. While she has never directly edited my writing, her enthusiasm for my work and savvy guidance has had a profound impact on me. Much love going out to her.

I'll be interested to hear what my bordello mates say. Cheers all!