My favorite chick lit author is Sophie Kinsella ('Can You Keep a Secret?' really spoke to me more than any novel published before the 1800s ever has), but my business role model as a novelist is MaryJanice Davidson. As far as I'm concerned, she really did invent the paranormal chick lit subgenre and did a damn good job.
Anybody writing paranormal chick lit?
My very rough title, 'Beauty and Her Were-Fox Beast', (is stupid but I can't think of anything better for now), is a contemporary beauty and the beast with a were-fox (bet you never would have guessed that from the crappy title).
If you are writing paranormal chick lit, I would love to hear:
-Do you do a lot of worldbuilding?
-Are your paranormal elements accepted in your story world?
-Do you have religious and spiritual elements in your story, especially that influence your world?
-What are your influences?
My answers:
Yes, I am writing paranormal chick lit.
I tend to figure out just as much as I need and then find what really sparks my interest. I'm not a worldbuilding geek (but applaud those of you who are) but rather focus on taking the place I've lived the longest and having it affected by the presence of my demon-y thingies.
The paranormal elements are still hidden, not out in the open and accepted facts.
My paranormal world is heavily influenced by Wicca.
My biggest influence is the Buffyverse.
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www.jessiefitzgerald.com
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Oct 19, 2009 - 06 53
Hey! Haven't been by the Chick Lit forums in a few days because I sorta changed my focus, but I do (did?) have an idea fleshed out that I suppose would be paranormal chick lit. So, here's my answers for what I had swimming in my head, it's just not likely I'll write it for Nano this year.
-Do you do a lot of worldbuilding?
Yes...and no. Worldbuilding in the fact that I have to build in the paranormals and the fact that the 'supers' are out. But no in that I do a lot of twisting for the real world.
-Are your paranormal elements accepted in your story world?
Sorta answered in the first question I guess. But yes, they are accepted. Though I can think of interesting twists where they wouldn't be known and accepted and the fumbling that could go along with it.
-Do you have religious and spiritual elements in your story, especially that influence your world?
Not that I'm aware of so far. I already have some heavy ideas floating through my head, so this was striking me as 'lighter' with lighter themes.
-What are your influences?
That's a good one. Jim Butcher, early LKH. I have other authors I enjoy but I can't say they have necessarily inspired. At least not in the genre of the paranormal. I should note however, that I am more of a fan of urban fantasy (which can contain some elements of romance) than I am of strict paranormal romance. I remember when I first got interested in urban fantasy and when I went to look for more feeling confused and ambushed by a lot of the paranormal romance books.
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Oct 19, 2009 - 11 13
My threads were beginning to feel downtrodden and depressed. Ha, I jest. I do enjoy urban fantasy but I'd like to add that the romance isn't what makes it chick lit. I don't mean to sound insulting, but rather to say that chick lit is primarily focused on character growth, which may or may not include a romance. I happen to find that a refreshing promise to a reader. Paranormal romances can be cheese factories some times. And sometimes their great. I can't read urban fantasies that revolve around sex for orgy purposes, but I damn sure love an alpha female.
----------www.jessiefitzgerald.com
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Oct 24, 2009 - 00 07
I’m a new writer and totally new to NaNoWriMo. I’m doing this as a BD present to a friend who really is a fabulous writer, but needs some support to get her novel going. So if I’m in for a penny, I’m in for a pound.
I'm having a hard time deciding what my genre is. It’s paranormal for sure, but is it chick lit or romance or just plain fantasy?
I haven’t quite developed plot or trifling things like that yet. The main idea is my MC is accidentally made a vampire, and she realizes that it’s not a free pass to being svelte. One of the jokes is going to a 24 hour gym because she can’t be out during the day. It’s more about her development as a person and learning to cope with this new society as their redheaded stepchild. Although there will be some steamy bits thrown in for good measure.
1. I’m not planning on doing a lot of world-building. It’s going to be set in modern times.
2. No. Paranormal elements are not know/acceptable in the general populace. So far only Vampires and Zombies exist. It sounds random, but they are similarly contracted.
3. The only religious group I may allude to is Vodou because of the Zombies.
4. I could spend forever talking about my influences. I’m been interested in Vampires since I was about ten. I have read some chick lit, but it’s only been in the past two years. I’m not such a fan of the glamazon ideal, but I like the whole bildungsroman thing. Also, there is romance without it being overly about the one love interest.
Some of the writers that have influenced me:
~Christopher Pike’s Last Vampire series
~I don’t much care for Anne Rice’s style, but I love the movies adapted from her books. ~Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series
~Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series
~Charlaine Harris’s Sookie series
~Andrew Fox’s Fat White Vampire Blues: it is one of my favorites!
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips! Thanks!
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Oct 28, 2009 - 06 27
I've read bits and pieces of MaryJanice Davidson's books (I work in a library and get to catalog those books, but we don't have the entire series... I know, it makes no sense to me either), and I've really enjoyed what I've read. Also great is The Mediator series by Meg Cabot.
Anyway, I'm testing out the waters of paranormal chick lit this year. I'm working on the last book in a triology where I haven't written the first two books. Basically, I'm just begging for catastrophe. But I've started the first two books and felt like I would be cheating if I worked on either one of those. The series is called "June in Kentucky". I have no title for the first book, the second is called "Blue Moon" , and the one that I'm working on for NaNo is "Fangled".
And, to answer your questions...
- I don't really have a lot of worldbuidling. The story takes place in a small town and, quite frankly, the small town I'm using is it's own special little world in reality.
- The paranormal elements are kept hush-hush. With the exception of the main character and a few others, the paranormal is ignored and written off as environmental oddities or kept totally in secret.
- The story takes place in a very Catholic-centered town, but aside from an old curse in the first book, religion is kept to a minimum.
- My influences range from paranormal experiences in my own life (though none reach the extreme I'm writing to) and my new found love in the Buffy series.
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Oct 31, 2009 - 08 00
I'm sure I fall on more of the sub-genre of chick lit/fantasy, but I think I can answer these questions about my story.
-Do you do a lot of worldbuilding?
My story takes place in New York City and another realm. So, no and yes.
-Are your paranormal elements accepted in your world?
Yes, I believe that they are.
-Do you have religious and spiritual elements in your story, especially that influence your world?
Yes, very much so. Although, I am not going to follow the basic spiritual beliefs that have been set.
-What are your influences?
----------I'm very much influenced by mythology, especially Greek mythology. I love that they told stories to explain the changing of the seasons and how day turns to night.
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Nov 7, 2009 - 20 13
-Do you do a lot of worldbuilding?
No, not really because my characters in the United States (Wisconsin, and then Western Washington State) they are witches and are living under the radar of regular society. My MC went to college at UW-Madison and was a sorority girl, just some normal stuff but with magical powers
-Are your paranormal elements accepted in your story world?
Yes, every witch "specializes" or creates a link with an element (air, water, fire, earth, and spirit) and these elements also have weapons assoicated with them. My MC has not specialized even those she is well past that normal age. Plus the witches can of course work spells and create potions. I think I may add Big Foot into the story line some time since most of the action is happening in Washington but then again I may not.
-Do you have religious and spiritual elements in your story, especially that influence your world?
Mostly the influence of the witching world. Perhaps there are some that I have seen yet.
-What are your influences?
I've been reading alot of vampire novels lately, also I am a big fan of Janet Evanovich, MaryJanice Davidson is also good. I just finished reading Friday Night Bites by Cloe Neill, which was pretty good in my opinion.
Thoughts or suggestions welcomed.
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Love is a battlefield!
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Nov 8, 2009 - 16 21
Yes! Or at least that is about as close a label as I'm likely to get I think.
-Do you do a lot of worldbuilding?
Not as yet - I'm working things out as I go along, more or less. That said, my story is based firmly in the real world with only one main character not really belonging there.
Not so much accepted or not as not noticed - my paranormal character also has the talents to cover his tracks. When another of the main characters finally out it is entirely because he allows it to happen.
-What are your influences?
Well, my paranormal character is an angel, so yes. I'm not completely sure what is going on - making things up as I go along (I never intended this to be anything other that straight chick lit so...). That character is good, and has been involved in some way in protecting my MC (who is the 1st person narrator) from danger, but I don't think I'm likely to go into it more than that.
And if I were to list all the things that may or may not have influenced me I'd be here forever - the obvious one to me in terms of my angelic character is Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers, just because of the role he has taken on in the story, but whether anyone else would notice that that book has had an influence I don't know.
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