tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post1397048489081963482..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: When World Events Intrude on Your PlotJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70000009224112758412022-04-13T11:42:31.337-04:002022-04-13T11:42:31.337-04:00Back in the dawn of time, as it pertains here, whe...Back in the dawn of time, as it pertains here, when friends said I should try writing for real; I came up with an uber plan.<br /><br />It would be about the rise of my main character. Three thrillers would show his growth from an environmental field person, to an inventor, to forming the Company, numerous iteration of the name have come and gone, currently named Bridger.<br /><br />Then I would step off into sci-fi. The Company would start that with creating a new dawn of transportation.<br /><br />Then the thriller market flooded. I went to the sci-fi thing. The main contention was between the main guy and a new President, because setting up that new dawn of transportation took longer then the friendly Prez was in office.<br /><br />That new Prez looked way to much like our past Prez, and the contention looked contrived.<br /><br />Time for a new uber-plan.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-452091485900967912022-04-13T10:20:23.399-04:002022-04-13T10:20:23.399-04:00It seems to me this is too subjective an issue to ...It seems to me this is too subjective an issue to give clear one-size-fits-all guidance. A recent survey says that only 9% of Americans believe the pandemic is still a serious issue. From that, you may think it's okay to query pandemic-themed novels. However, you don't know how many of that 9% are in publishing. And it might also depend on the nature of the pandemic novel. If your story involves a deadly pathogen on Carkoon... sorry, bad example. Carkoon *is* a deadly pathogen. Let's say, a deadly pathogen on Xeron 5 that makes inhabitants break out in boils, that may be removed enough from Covid to be acceptable.<br /><br />It's also true that some people will never be comfortable with some topics. New York-based agents who lived through 9/11 may never want to read a 9/11-related novel. They may be okay with thrillers involving different kinds of terrorism, as long as it's not too close to that particular event.<br /><br />Bottom line? I don't know that you can predict how an agent is going to react to your novel. It's not your business to know the various traumas and triggers for each agent. I'd say (and I'm not an agent) write a great novel and an excellent query, and don't be offended if an agent rejects it immediately because it's not a topic they want to read.<br /><br />That's my 10c (sorry, inflation...)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49272980914657598952022-04-13T09:16:43.388-04:002022-04-13T09:16:43.388-04:00Unknown, do you watch the BIG BANG THEORY? Then yo...<b>Unknown</b>, do you watch the BIG BANG THEORY? Then you might recall Amy Farrah-Fowler reciting this bit of Chaucer:<br /><br />"'Thus swyved is the carpenter's wyfe;<br />And Absalon hath kist hir nether ye<br />And Nicholas is scalded in the towte<br />This tale is done, and God save al the rowte'"<br />Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09868642232827730189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-90566427830284003592022-04-13T09:04:53.486-04:002022-04-13T09:04:53.486-04:00"Whil that iren is hoot men scholden smyte.&q..."Whil that iren is hoot men scholden smyte." - Chaucer ~1300Mister Furkleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336026412036211172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83327978992112350032022-04-13T08:29:14.749-04:002022-04-13T08:29:14.749-04:00Or should I forget about COVID in a story that'...Or should I forget about COVID in a story that's written in the present? I mean, if it doesn't affect any of my characters, why bother?Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09868642232827730189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-62695570271634051252022-04-13T08:27:28.467-04:002022-04-13T08:27:28.467-04:00I've been wondering about stories written '...I've been wondering about stories written 'in the present.' There are still various COVID restrictions around the world. Do I acknowledge COVID in a story or push the timeline back to pre-COVID days? <br /><br />Speaking about Haynes & being consulted by the government... In 2005 I read about a group called Analytic Red Cell, an elite group of writers and artists who dream up terrorist scenarios for the Department of Homeland Security. Brad Thor was one writer who participated in that group back then.Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09868642232827730189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27046429984574080502022-04-13T07:58:30.828-04:002022-04-13T07:58:30.828-04:00So if a couple of grouchy dragons wake up and star...So if a couple of grouchy dragons wake up and start destroying the world, I am SOL with my current book? Give it a week. It'll happen. I had to shelve my post-apocalyptic fantasy because well...2020 and so forth. I do wish the world would just stop all this non-sense and sit down for a couple of decades and create and relax. Let's have a little boring for a while, shall we? <br /><br />E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78581162305065179652022-04-13T07:44:26.120-04:002022-04-13T07:44:26.120-04:00Ugh, if I'd written a book in that circumstanc...Ugh, if I'd written a book in that circumstance, I'd want clarification too. Glad to hear you can happily hit the trenches, OP. Good luck!!AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.com