As many of you may know, I’ve been writing a YA dystopian novel with Brianna from the Instagram @snowflakesandwine. Others of you might be aware that this November we decided to participate in the popular National Novel Writing Month competition (aka NaNoWriMo). Over the past year I’ve had a certainly strong inspiration to continue the project we have been pursuing. I always held a lingering amount of doubt, but what writer doesn’t? My doubt mostly laid in a single question – Am I writing the right thing?
Tonight on the NaNoWriMo several participants were having a conversation that grabbed my interest. The members were talking about dystopian for the YA genre. Certainly I decided to read the thread for Brianna and my book which resigns within the dystopian genre.
The thread was anything but comforting at first. Let me also point out that I most definitely am not writing this due to problems with the members critiquing the genre. No, see that isn’t the problem – they were plain and simply destroying the genre. Ripping it to shreds is the most accurate term I can find within my vocabulary.
“The genre is dead. You really had to write it three or four years ago to actually have a chance of publication.”
“I will bet you any money publishers and agents just throw away the manuscripts as soon as they see the word dystopian…”
In the beginning, I never had expectedly high hopes for our project mostly because it seemed to be experimental at the time of development, but over time I began to view it in a differing perspective. As we dug deeper and deeper within the story, perhaps without knowing, the hopes for the novel was risen substantially.
“They take one characteristic of society and blow it out of proportion.” Oh, you mean like our novel?
“Why does the MC [main character] always have to lead a revolution and be special?” Hey, you’re talking about our MC there…
“At the end of the first book they always run away and leave a vague cliffhanger.” I wrote one of those last night, would you like to read it, kind sir?
As I watched the dozens upon dozens of messages trickle in, I couldn’t help but feel as though they were directed towards Brianna and my book in one way or another. Now of course I realize that these fellow writers most likely meant no harm by these words (and were definitely directed towards us), but in more then one way it hit home for myself.
So we come to this road-block of sorts where we evaluate the situation. I for one have read dozens upon dozens pieces of advice from very accomplished writers where they advised to always listen to others because they have good advice to provide.
I found myself asking what happens if I don’t agree with said advice? Do I agree with it?
At a standstill, I began opening up the large document that compiles all of our writings from over the past year. Scrolling through, I asked myself – Is it special? To me, yes. Do I love it? Yes, I do. Do I just love it because I wrote it? This was the most difficult question for me to answer for who does not praise their own work? But eventually, after a read through, I decided the answer was no. No… I would still love it if I did not read it.
If I have ever been sure of anything, it is this – No matter how many times dystopian is deemed ‘dead’, it will always be my favorite and first genre. Is this a bad thing? Perhaps from a publishing stand-point (which, if I’m completely honest, is something I’ve daydreamed of more then my fair share of times).
In admitting these things to myself I’ve come to realize something pretty relieving. Even if others do not read our creation, it is still ours and I am proud of it.
I am now certain I am writing the right book. Thank you dystopian haters. 😉
Bae's Book Blog 