Discussion Time: Spoilers vs. Surprises

Are you the type of person who likes surprises when you read, or do you prefer to know what's coming?

Personally, I don't mind the odd spoiler. It doesn't ruin the story for me if I know what's coming :) I know - I'm totally weird, right? But if I'm reading a book or watching a movie and there's going to be something bad in the works, I want to know it's coming. When my friend read, "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, she was so devastated by the ending, that she gave me a heads up before I started reading. I'm SO glad I knew. I enjoyed the book so much more, because I was emotionally prepared. I could put the book down totally satisfied rather than completely shocked.

Now - I don't always want to know, especially if it's a who dunnit type book. I like to be surprised then, but if something shockingly tragic is going to occur, I want to know about it! I'm also guilty of skipping to the end to make sure a couple end up together. Even just reading one little sentence to make sure I get me HEA is enough to settle my nerves and then I can go back and enjoy the rest of the book without stressing :)

How about you?

Do you mind spoilers?

Discussion Time: Clear Picture vs. Impression

I am in the throes of writing the second book of my new Elements Trilogy - Unseen, plus editing the first book - Unknown.

As I work my way through the text, I have been thinking about descriptions. Because this is a fantasy series, I am having to spend more time describing things than I would in a contemporary novel.

I have never been one for much description. I always prefer to get an impression of what's going on and draw my own picture in my head. I don't need to know characters' hair or eye colour, I'd rather know about the way these characters wear their hair or the habitual expressions on their faces. That will tell me more about them than the specific details.

Same goes with the environments. I like a vague picture, something that gives away the mood of the scene. Is it a dark, spooky alley or a wide open field. Is there sunlight or is the space filled with shadows. Things like that. I don't need to know the shape of a house or how many bay windows it has.

But that's just me, everybody's different.

There is an art form to painting a good picture that's not overloaded with details, but also gives enough description to place the reader in the scene. I still have a long way to go in mastering this skill, but for now, I err on the side of less is more.

What's your opinion?

As a reader, what do you prefer?
As a writer, how much description do you think is necessary?

Discussion Time: Is is okay for an author to write in multiple genres?

I have written about this topic before. If you'd like to read my previous post on Indies Unlimited, you can check it out here.

The post generated quite a bit of discussion among other writers, most of them saying that writing in multiple genres is completely fine.

But I want to know what readers think.

You see, as an author, I don't want to get trapped into only writing one genre. I'm happy playing with YA at the moment. I love it actually, but I have some adult stories up my sleeve that I hope to write one day. Also, within YA, I have a plethora of stories I'd like to write ranging from paranormal/fantasy through to contemporary and some action/thrillers. I can promise my readers that no matter what genre my story falls into, it will always have a strong romantic element running through it, be fast paced and filled with lots of dialogue.

As a reader, I quite like it when authors branch out and try new things, as long as they don't lose their voice too much.

As a reader, do you mind if an author strays into different genres? Or do you prefer knowing that when you reach for a book by a particular author that you will get exactly what you expect?

I'm fascinated by what people think about this and I would love it if you could leave your opinion in the comments section.

Discussion Time - Paranormal vs. Realistic Fiction

As part of the face lift of this blog, we thought it'd be fun to bring in some discussion times. It's fun to find out what other people think about different aspects of YA and we welcome your thoughts in the comments section.

The argument I've put forward is: Paranormal vs. Realistic Fiction.

Which genre do you prefer reading?

Most of the stories I used to dream up were always contemporary/realistic in nature, but then Twilight came out. This was my first experience of paranormal and I loved it. I devoured the books and so far, have enjoyed every movie.

It was after seeing Twilight that I wanted to give paranormal writing a go. I wrote the Time Spirit Trilogy and had so much fun with it. Since then, I have basically only read paranormal books and I am now working on a fantasy trilogy.

Now - this does not in anyway suggest that I no longer enjoy contemporary/realistic fiction. The honest truth is, I prefer reading realistic stories. I'm all about the relationships in books and there's something about the realism of contemporary novels that I really love.

I have some contemporary stories in my head that I hope to write some day, but for now I'll keep playing with the magical realms of paranormal and fantasy. I definitely think there is room for both in my writing career, but I didn't realise until planning this post how much I do love reading a realistic love story.

Do you like the realism of contemporary or the magic of paranormal?
What makes you prefer one over the other?