Writing Journey: Mashups and Percentages
Out of all the possible posts I could write, this is the one I almost didn’t. It’s hard to explain, and very emotional, but it seems scary to put into words the road it took for me to get to the completion of Demon Rodeo.
Initially, it was written as a short story to be included in an anthology, but it didn’t work out. I knew I wanted to do something with this story from the beginning. After months of pondering and being lost, it finally began coming to me. Make no mistake. It didn’t come easily. I kept getting stuck—probably at least once a week and would remain stuck for weeks. However, once I had it written, the really difficult part began. “What do I call this?” I didn’t mean a title. I meant how should I classify it? It was a mashup of my favorite genres, and I didn’t know how to express it.
Calling it a romance is accurate, but it leaves a lot out. Romance is a huge category. If I say someone has transportation, it’s assumed that person has the means to get from one area to another. But how? It could be by plane, train, boat, car, scooter, or even a ski lift. There are many modes of transportation. It’s vague and nondescriptive. The term romance is similar in that it’s so broad that it yields information. I think most readers want to know more than a broad category because there are so many options—regency romance, inspirational/Christian romance, sweet romance, dark romance, etc.
If I called it a paranormal romance, I feared some readers would argue it didn’t focus enough on paranormal elements. I toyed with the term occult, but is it really? Maybe a little but not really. Could it cross into fantasy? I don’t think so, but then again, it depends on how loose of a definition one uses. If I called it a cowboy romance, my concern was that readers would expect it to be a traditional cowboy romance style with ranching and herding. It is a sports romance, but I know many people do not think of bull riding as a sport. It’s one of those events that just sort of hangs out by itself, sort of like sledding—something most people think of as an activity unless they are watching it in the Olympics. After much thought, I came up with a description that I think gets the job done.
If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural all had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.
Mashups are hard because they do not neatly fall into pre-carved categories, and so many people want everything nice and tidy. When it’s not, people say they feel deceived, and that’s hurtful. Authors (well, most because I’m sure there are exceptions) do not intentionally mislead readers. Clickbait is at the top of my pet peeve list. I wouldn’t deliberately inflict that on anyone.
Another hurdle that I had to jump with Demon Rodeo was that it strayed from my “typical.” Readers who have followed me for a while, know that isn’t true. A lot of my early work, especially short stories, dipped into the paranormal, and Demon Rodeo did begin as a short story. However, I’ve not written a full-length paranormal novel. Plus, when I told people I was working on another book, most assumed it was another hockey romance. I love my hockey players, and I haven’t abandoned them. As I mentioned previously, Demon Rodeo had been sitting on my computer (along with a few others) for a while, and I wanted to do something with it. Thus, I had to get into my own head that I still had it in me to write paranormal and that I could do it beyond a short story. Let me tell you, imposter syndrome will yeet a writer onto the struggle bus faster than anything.
I already mentioned storyblock a little, but… Oh! My! Gracious! I learned the term storyblock several years ago. Unfortunately, I can’t remember who coined the term. Storyblock is different from writer’s block.
According to Merriam-Webster, it is a temporary psychological condition in which a writer is unable to proceed with a piece of writing. However, the broader definition is a condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. It is the latter definition that makes writer’s block distinct from storyblock.
Storyblock, on the other hand, is an inability to write a particular story. The distinction between the two is important because, with storyblock, the author can write or work on other projects. When I would get stuck on Demon Rodeo, I would reset by writing a blog post, working on another story, or even editing a previous chapter of DR. My creativity was still there. However, there have been times when I have experienced writer’s block when I struggled to write anything. In some ways, storyblock is more frustrating because one questions if the story has any value. With writer’s block, the writer may question his/her own talent but will eventually realize the irrationality of these thoughts. But questioning the validity of a story is more complex because stories can be bad. Some stories, unfortunately, are unsalvageable.
I always revert to the movie The Big Chill. It is one of my favorite movies and a classic. It hits on every level. However, if the same movie, with no changes to script or plot but a change in date from 1983 to 2024, was produced now, it would not work. Too much would need to be updated. This was seen in the movie About Alex, a remake of The Big Chill in 2014. In 1983, the characters’ problems were relatable to audiences. In 2024, many of those problems have solutions that weren’t available 40 years ago. Thus, the new audience would not be able to relate and likely would become bored. The 2014 remake updated the problems and the characters. According to those who if are to be believed, some consider the remake a failure because in attempting to remain closely related to the source material, too much had culturally changed in society to make the story likable.
Finally, I knew that I wanted this story to push my boundaries beyond anything I’ve previously written. I’ve written about many sports, but never bull riding. Sports romance is a delicate balancing act. Not only does it require almost (almost being key) equal parts of romance and sports, but it must balance novice with advanced. What does that mean? To start, the romance must be the main focus of the story. If the romance is not the center point, it is not a romance. It is some other kind of genre with a romantic element (e.g., fantasy with a love story, mystery with a romantic subplot, science fiction with a romantic interest, etc.). While the sports aspect of the story will play an important role in the story, it will be secondary to the romance. Likewise, the story can’t be so focused on the romance that the sports is forgotten.
The second tricky part is what I refer to in Little House on the Prairie schoolhouse writing. The schoolhouse in Walnut Grove served as a school, courthouse, meeting place, and church. And the students, basically from first grade to twelfth, were all educated in one room. In short, the build had to be everything for all. Sports romance can be the same. Some readers are very prolific in sports and sports history. They do not need anything explained. Others are novices who would be lost without explanation.
For example, in Future Goals, the fifth book in my Locker Room Love hockey series, I used the term redshirt. My editor flagged it. Truth is, and I said to her, I don’t know a single person who was unfamiliar with the term redshirt. But that is because I grew up around sports and so did more than half of the people I know. When I moved beyond those inner circles, I learned differently. Some readers will be annoyed having terms like redshirt being defined. Honestly, I’ve been guilty of this. A former neighbor who assumed “girls couldn’t talk football” began explaining a safety to me. Almost immediately, I snapped, “I know what a safety is.” For readers well-versed in sports, they don’t want to feel that their intelligence is being belittled. On the contrary, some readers may know little about a sport but are interested in learning. For them, explanations and definitions may be necessary to prevent them from becoming lost in the story. Therefore, a balance is needed between the two.
However, Demon Rodeo isn’t only a sports romance. It’s a paranormal sports romance. A paranormal romance means, once again, the romance is the center focus, and the paranormal element plays a significant role. If I were to take a stab at numbers (and this is by no means official), I would guess the breakdown would be somewhere between 51% – 60% romance and 40% 49% paranormal for a paranormal romance. The same figures would apply to a sports romance (between 51% – 60% romance and 40% 49% sports). Having both sports and paranormal makes it a bit trickier. In either instance, the romance would remain the center (at least 34%). Sports and paranormal would be equally divided (at a minimal 33% each). Thus, the romance would be between 34% to 60%, and the sports and paranormal would be between 20% – 33% each.
That brings this post to a close. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.
Buckle up and get ready.
My contemporary M/M paranormal sports romance, Demon Rodeo, is releasing on September 5, 2024, and is available now for preorder on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.
Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you. Also, expect a lot of goodies and giveaways.
Preorder
⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852
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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.
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[image error]LOCKER ROOM LOVE[image error]
[image error] Locker Room Love Series [image error]
Are you searching for a sexy book boyfriend? You’ve come to the right place.
Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out. Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game. Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin. Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin. Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.About the Author:
Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.
