Indie e-Con 2018 Author Panel - Contemporary
And welcome to today. And I do mean today, as we are dealing with contemporary, the genre of the here and now.
Don't forget, we have a word war going down - so be keeping track of your writing!
The person who leaves the most comments across ALL of the Indie e-Con posts will win a special prize package.
If you leave a review on the book of any Indie e-Con author THIS WEEK on your blog or on Goodreads, you can enter it towards another giveaway.
Sharing the posts via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect.) gives you a chance to enter for MORE prizes!
Don't forget to vote in the Book Awards!
I have a couple authors here to put in their word, and then we'll plunge into all the lovely articles!
Why do you write Contemporary?
Angie Thomson:
I write contemporary because it’s the setting that fit the story I believe the Lord gave me! As corny as that sounds, it’s true; the story came to me as a contemporary, so that’s the way it was written. I’ve never planned to write contemporary fiction to the exclusion of other genres, and I’ve worked on (and am continuing with) projects ranging from biblical and historical fiction to dystopian and sci-fi. However, one of the reasons that I chose to write my first published book in a contemporary setting relates to one of my favorite aspects of contemporary fiction in general. In other settings, it can take some thought and extrapolation to apply the theme or lesson of a story to your life, especially when you have to find a scenario that’s similar to a historic (or futuristic) situation. That’s not bad, it just means that there’s an extra layer or two between the reader and the application. Contemporary, on the other hand, removes the unfamiliar surroundings and applies the theme to a “real-life” scenario. It’s a lot harder to miss the way a certain lesson might apply to your life when the setting and characters come so close to home! Jesus’ parables used the everyday realities of first-century life to communicate an unchanging message, and my goal in writing contemporary fiction is to use my own everyday realities to get people thinking about the same message. I hope it’s working because ultimately, it’s the message, not the setting, that matters.
Erika Mathews:
I write clean Christian contemporary because there's something to the old advice, "Write what you know." My favorite historical fiction was written during the time period it was set in and it's my favorite because it's immersive almost without trying. Similarly, contemporary can give an immersive feel more easily and therefore communicate the story clearly. Contemporary is relatable - it can handle topics and situations that today's readers face in their own lives.
Don't forget, we have a word war going down - so be keeping track of your writing!
The person who leaves the most comments across ALL of the Indie e-Con posts will win a special prize package.
If you leave a review on the book of any Indie e-Con author THIS WEEK on your blog or on Goodreads, you can enter it towards another giveaway.
Sharing the posts via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect.) gives you a chance to enter for MORE prizes!
Don't forget to vote in the Book Awards!
I have a couple authors here to put in their word, and then we'll plunge into all the lovely articles!
Why do you write Contemporary?
Angie Thomson:
I write contemporary because it’s the setting that fit the story I believe the Lord gave me! As corny as that sounds, it’s true; the story came to me as a contemporary, so that’s the way it was written. I’ve never planned to write contemporary fiction to the exclusion of other genres, and I’ve worked on (and am continuing with) projects ranging from biblical and historical fiction to dystopian and sci-fi. However, one of the reasons that I chose to write my first published book in a contemporary setting relates to one of my favorite aspects of contemporary fiction in general. In other settings, it can take some thought and extrapolation to apply the theme or lesson of a story to your life, especially when you have to find a scenario that’s similar to a historic (or futuristic) situation. That’s not bad, it just means that there’s an extra layer or two between the reader and the application. Contemporary, on the other hand, removes the unfamiliar surroundings and applies the theme to a “real-life” scenario. It’s a lot harder to miss the way a certain lesson might apply to your life when the setting and characters come so close to home! Jesus’ parables used the everyday realities of first-century life to communicate an unchanging message, and my goal in writing contemporary fiction is to use my own everyday realities to get people thinking about the same message. I hope it’s working because ultimately, it’s the message, not the setting, that matters.
Erika Mathews:
I write clean Christian contemporary because there's something to the old advice, "Write what you know." My favorite historical fiction was written during the time period it was set in and it's my favorite because it's immersive almost without trying. Similarly, contemporary can give an immersive feel more easily and therefore communicate the story clearly. Contemporary is relatable - it can handle topics and situations that today's readers face in their own lives.
I write children's contemporary specifically to provide children with clean, happy, exciting stories of real-life Godly families and the ups and downs as young characters learn, grow, and experience life together. I believe daily life stories with good morals and examples are essential for young children. It's what my parents provided for me growing up, and it's what I desire to provide for my own children.
Thanks for offering your perspectives! I don't write contemporary myself, but I enjoyed hearing why you do!
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