Write What You Know or Write Romance

Write what you know. The old cliché, so often seen on writing sites but now I am reading that is not necessary to know what you write.  Instead, it has become a world of write what people want to read. You know, the jump on the bandwagon, as soon as something makes a big splash, write three or four similar books as quickly as you can and become rich and famous. Some authors are making a living at it, but I wonder if other than financial, how happy they are with their creativity and writing life.

So, if a writer can write and wants to write only for the money – here it is Romance. Romance books make up 40% of Amazon’s eBook sales. There it is, if you are in it for the money, write romance. Oh, and no need to write steamy erotica books, they are a tiny portion of the romance books for sale on Amazon.

Speaking of Romance, this lovely couple is heading for
Anniversary number 48 in a few months.
Some say high school sweethearts never last
Jan and I beg to differ.

Sounds tough for someone like me and old guy that writes historicals and western fiction. But as one of my all-time favorite TV characters, Colombo used to say, “One more question.” Only, in this case, it’s one more thing, and pretty exciting at that. Westerns were on the rise last year. Yes, more westerns selling. Up as much as 7% and a few good western movies came out as well.

Now if I can just figure out how to write a bit of romance into my westerns. Never mind, I already have. Here is a cut from my western, Commitment.

    Blade’s dream flashed ahead and the couple walked hand in hand under a canopy of overhanging elms, the heavy branches filtering the silver glimmer of a half moon. An eerie yellow circle of light cast from one of the new city gas lights illuminated each street corner.  The two walked as if no one and nothing else mattered. And nothing and no one did. They walked, they smiled, and they talked about everything and then talked of nothing at all. The couple passed from the filtered moonlight to the yellow of the street corners, watched buggies and saddle horses pass and held hands letting the troubles of the world find others on this perfect night.

    Blade had never been in love before, didn’t know what it felt like and wasn’t sure what it should be. But he knew it that night, and it scared him worse than he had ever been scared in his life. They had kissed for the first time on their fifth date several weeks before. The first kiss extended Blade’s stay in Kansas City from one month to six months and as the time had worn on their relationship deepened, growing stronger and stronger by the day.

Not too steamy, but it works, at least in my world, because I write what I know.

Sometimes a great western setting is all the Romance needed

Writing For The Brand

With a new year, nearly a week old. I thought it might be time to take a look at what is selling in the world of books. First, and something that all of the experts I studied agreed upon, was that fiction far outsells nonfiction.  Eight of every ten books sold in America last year was fiction. But, I don’t think that is a surprise to anyone.

Surprised and Away they Go

What I found, as far as bestselling genres, surprised me. Not so much in the lists, but in how much they varied. Seems people are not using the same data to come up with their facts as to what sells best.

I thought the following list was interesting because it uses only one factor, money made, for this list. This list, and I am not sure why, left out the bestselling fiction category, children’s books. It is likely they were only writing this for authors and readers of adult literature.

List 1 –  By how much money was taken in -

1.             Romance / Erotica

2.             Crime /Mystery/Thriller

3.             Religious/Inspirational

4.             Science Fiction/Fantasy

5.             Horror

When I write fiction, (of my five books four are fiction one is nonfiction) it falls into two distinct categories, Children’s Chapter Books and Historical Fiction/Western. Does not look to me like I will fit very well into the above list. With that in mind, I believe I will attempt to write a book in each of the top five categories this year. I am started to picture the money $$$$ coming in already.

My Five Books 

Here are my working titles, all westerns, aligned with the list of 5 above.

1.   50 Breeds of Horses (Romance/Erotica)

2. Who Was That Cowboy That Broke Prison and Disappeared (Crime/Mystery/Fantasy)

3.   The Parson Draws Two (this one I am working on, so far I like it)

4.   When Dragons Ruled the West (Science Fiction/Fantasy)

5.   Dripping Blood and Silver Rowels (Horror)

Well maybe not, but it was a thought.

Another blog post made a list of all genres of fiction. This list was based on numbers sold, and it looked like this

1.   Children’s

2.   Fantasy

3.   Mystery

4.   Classic Literary fiction – up to the 1950s

5.   Modern Literary fiction – after the 1950s

6.   Magic realism

7.   Historical fiction

8.   YA fiction

Still doesn’t look like I fit very well, but I will forge on.

I am 50,000 words into my newest western, it is my first that could be classified as Young Adult. I plan to market it as a western/mystery and as a young adult western/mystery. I think it fits both areas. The book is set in modern times in Wyoming with two Arapaho teenagers trying to discover their past and themselves.

It has been my experience that there are two kinds of writers. Those who write for the market, and those who write for the genre. Guess my love of reading and writing westerns and historicals makes me one who writes for the brand.

Old Cowboys and New Westerns

Last evening I finished reading, A Texas Ranger, by William Macleod Raine, written more than 100 years ago but still a very good tale. Some of these older westerns seem to be somewhere in between all the pulp westerns that were so well read a half century ago and the newer, truer western of a few years ago.  The difference between the new and the traditional westerns was summed up by Elmer Kelton, an all-time favorite of mine, when he said that Mr. L'Amour's characters ''are always seven feet tall and invincible, mine are 5 feet 8 and nervous.''
Seemed to me that much of the action, in westerns today, is still the seven foot tall and invincible style but grittier in modern westerns. That’s why I read them, love the action, that’s why its fiction, it’s over the top. If I see any big changes in newer western novels it might be the removal, at times, of stereotypes of Indians, women, Mexicans and some religious groups. (See Zane Grey)The so called formula western is still alive with a fair following, the one that puts the good guys against the bad guys. More and more westerns seem to be of the romance variety and these new westerns seem to be dominated by women writers, nothing bad about that, just an observance.
Type in “Westerns,” into an Amazon book search – most interesting. You will find a mix of new and old, romance and traditional and many very cheap or free on Kindle stories. 

And like any good cowboy in the end I will ride off into the sunset.

Great Sunset Over the Laramie Range December First 2014

A Western Bestseller

I still read many traditional westerns each year. Seems like not too many of us still do, although there seems to be enough of a niche market for old time shoot-um-up westerns.     

Today’s westerns, at least after perusing the Amazon bestselling lists, seem to lean more to modern time stories set in the west, usually more mystery than conflict of characters.  Historical, Romance and Young Adult westerns all seem to still be popular and in some demand today. None are bad areas and all seem to sell.

Oddly it seems when westerns are listed in categories of mystery or romance they are more acceptable to the mainstream – just my thoughts.

Now I am going to set down and start writing my, all new, young adult, mysterious historical western – hope it will become a best seller. Tentative title, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. 

She Disappeared in the Mountains, Just Like Her Grandma –Aliens?

Early Snow in Wyoming - Anywhere from an Inch to a Few Feet.

 

A Western For Everyone

Much like the murder mysteries I also love, you can be certain that one thing will happen in a traditional western novel, someone will wind up dead and someone is going to pay.

Many of today’s best sellers are based on social problems, relationships, sex, stress of work and daily lives. Readers like this type of material as best seller lists will prove. But traditional western readers, like me, probably would have a tough time reading a western based on working too hard and trying to buy better things than the neighbors.

But one of the things that make the genre so special is that there is room for almost anything in westerns. Romance, mystery, sci-fi, steampunk, fantasy, historical and shoot-em-ups all have a place on the western shelf. I have read some western-science fiction, many historical, one steampunk, a western fantasy or two and yes, a few that were classified as western romance, but I still like the shoot-em-ups best.

My personal choice in westerns – something with a good mystery element, set in mountain man or cattle drives, now that’s some fine reading.

-And On Another Note-

Just finished reading Lawrence Block’s, The Burglar Who Counted Spoons, I am a huge Block fan and this was another terrific book in the series. He is my favorite mystery writer, great stories, told with humor and remarkable writer imagination.

Just started Richard S. Wheeler’s, An Accidental Novelist - A Literary Memoir, this is a must read, can’t put it down.