Shifting Gears: A Spec Fic Writer’s Journey to Contemporary

If you follow my blog, or twitter account, or know me even a little bit, you’ll know that I’m a speculative fiction writer. I mostly write alternate history but I have been known to dabble in scifi and fantasy. As I’ve surely said before, I enjoy these genres because they allow for easy escapism. The worlds do not exist but while writing or reading them, they feel real and for a short time I can lose myself in wondrous places and it doesn’t cost me a dime 😉 After all, I’m a dreamer. Being able to explore different historical, technological, or magical elements in a given story excites me. Sometimes I do all of the above! What I’m saying is, I’m pretty much wired to write spec fic.

I also looove to read spec fic and enjoy experiencing the imagination of others. There’s so many incredible stories out there! I’ve read quite a few spec fics over time, but within the last year I’ve started to read a lot more contemporary. GASP, I KNOW. It was never an interest of mine before, to be honest. I live in a contemporary setting and I didn’t find the stories I picked up stretched my brain much, if any.

But then I started finding more and more contemporaries that really spoke to me. So I explored the genre further and further and further — and now I’m hooked. So hooked in fact that I’m WRITING A CONTEMPORARY. Okay, I’ll give you a moment to catch your breath. I realize that was quite a revelation, but it’s a good thing!

Reflecting on my reading habits from days gone by, I think I didn’t connect with contemps was because I hadn’t really found the right STUFF. I didn’t see me on the page and so I didn’t bother looking for others, but now after reading the likes of Jandy Nelson, Tess Sharpe, Jenny Han, Andrew Smith, AS King, Rainbow Rowell, etc., I finally GET IT.

Writing contemporary is a whole different animal from writing spec fic. First of all…THERE’S TEXTING. I cannot express how much this excites me! After writing stories with no cell phones, or no phones period, it’s nice to have this communication of convenience available to me. I also find the voice can blossom more from personality and less from the time period. There’s also the ability to reference pop culture (of course, not so much to date the story– or me!) and current events which is wicked awesome. The whole thing is like exploring the real world from behind the scenes!

Although right now this story is primarily an exercise in craft and fun, it’s a challenge that’s helping me grow as a writer and maybe some day (*fingers crossed*) it’s a story I can share with others 🙂