Buffy and Me

If you’re an author I’m sure you’re used to people asking you what writer has inspired you the most and/or which author do you compare to. The last one is rumored to be very important because it basically dictates who your potential audience is.

I could never answer that question (which most likely explains my very low readership). There are so many writers that have inspired, entertained, and wowed me throughout the years. Some are still very much alive while others have died many years ago.

The problem is that none of the writers that I have read or read currently–no matter how much I absolutely love their books–write along the same lines as I do. I’ve always been sure that it’s not because I am particularly talented or original, so why have I never been able to find my comp authors?

I think I have finally solved the mystery–or at least I have a possible explanation. TikTok, of all places, was where I found the clues to solve this conundrum.

Let me explain.

Apparently there is talk–rumors–of a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reboot and with it there has been a flooding of posts from Buffy’s fans discussing all kinds of things from certain episodes to character arcs and everything in between. I am a huge Buffy groupie. Unlike some of you who might have been about the same age as Buffy at the time of the series, I was already a mature woman in my early 30s, a mother of two boys and an aspiring writer.

After watching many interesting discussions about the series, it hit me; that’s my comp. And yes, it’s not a book but that’s where I get my style of writing and even many of my tropes.

I’m not comparing myself to the screenwriters who were absolute geniuses. I have always been in awe of the writing behind Buffy’s episodes. It was a perfect blend of drama, humor, romance, and even social commentary. At least in my eyes.

Without even realizing, almost every story I have written since my first book was published in 2016, has a definite “Buffy” imprint in them. If you’ve read a few of my books you know that the large majority of them are peppered with humor even sometimes amidst serious drama. Another thing I write into pretty much all my books is a scooby gang, a group of friends that are so much more than just company, they’re your anchor, a shoulder to cry on, your cheerleaders, your second brain. And most of all, just like in Buffy’s stories, in mine the underdog, the misfit, the rebel always wins at the end.

I never wrote vampires into my stories though. But it so could happen…

Now, the question is, how do I market my stories to those of you who, just like myself, fell in love with Buffy and her crew and that even after all these years still remember each detail of each episode with a fondness that very much resembles a bookish hangover?