Friday, April 10, 2009

Stepping Out of the Real World

Thanks to the people who commented in last week’s post! Since the vote was unanimous, I’ve now jumped into the world of juggling two stories. While Lost and Found is set in the real world, my new story (right now I’m calling it Parlor) is set in a split universe- despite the world being what we know today, there are paranormal aspects. This is a new road for me, as everything I’ve written up to this point could easily happen in the real world.

I’ve found myself staring at my plot notes for Parlor, not knowing what direction I want to move the world into. Instead of just focusing on the plot, I must build a world that all characters can live cohesively. There are too many possibilities at my fingertips since the universe has no written rules. I don’t have the sticking point of “that can’t really happen” holding me back. It’s exhilarating, yet scary all at the same time.

As I venture into the paranormal world of teen fiction, I wonder just how far I will let myself go. I still want to hold on to real world aspects, but at what point does the fantasy part of the universe I’ve created feel haphazardly stuck on? When do people start to get pulled out of the world the author has created, saying “That can never happen” before putting the book down for good?

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