Welcome to 40 Days of 3 Questions!
For the next few weeks, meet here every morning with a notebook or document to answer three questions about writing, about your status quo as a writer, or about the writing life. You can answer briefly and go about your day, or you can use this as a warm up exercise before your regular writing schedule. Whatever works for you, works for me.
Day 13 Questions
- What works are similar to your current project?
- How is yours alike and different?
- What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project?
You may post answers in comments or keep your thoughts private–your choice!
And here is today’s pretty picture:
Ramona DeFelice Long 
1.) What works are similar to your current project? I write in a sub-genre of cozy mystery featuring crafts & hobbies.
2.) How is yours alike and different? There are lots of knitting, scrapbooking and witchcraft series. Mine is set in a stained glass shop and highlights a different glass art in each book.
3.) What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project? Sarah Atwell (aka Sheila Connolly) wrote the Glassblowing Mystery Series. She kindly blurbed my first book.
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I really had difficulty with these questions today. I’m not really sure what other books are out there that are similar to the one I’m writing, but it made me see I should be more aware.
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What works are similar to your current project? The Nightingale, The English Patient, Prince of Tides
How is yours alike and different? Mine will probably be labeled Military Fiction. There are so many genres; I think people just make some up to fit their book.
What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project? The Nightingale.
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I’m in agreement with Kimberly. I’m not sure what other books are similar to my WIP but that will now be another piece of research that I need to do. It will certainly help me with my Amazon marketing when that time comes!
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The literary agents and editors may change your genre. They often do. But you have to know your comps.
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This is a hard one for me, but here goes: 1. Political thrillers. 2. Mine takes place in the near future. 3. Macbeth meets House of Cards.
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Wow, these were hard. I’m not good at comps. But I guess I should answer in the context of the book that comes out this summer.
What works are similar to your current project? Probably the works of Annette Dashofy and Julia Spencer-Fleming. Both feature small towns and male LEO/female non-LEO sleuthing pairs.
How is yours alike and different? See above for similarities; in addition, like Annette, my book is set in southwestern PA, albeit in the very real Laurel Highlands as opposed to the fictional Monongahela County. I believe Julia’s are a fictional setting as well. Differences are setting (duh) and the fact that while Sally Castle is not a police officer, she is in the “system” as a criminal attorney (assistant public defender).
What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project? I think I’d have to go with the Zoe Chambers Mysteries because of location and although Zoe is not a cop or attorney, she is a professional in that she is a first responder.
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What works are similar to your current project? Although I expect there are some, I don’t know what they are. Because my protagonist and spouse are over 60 and retired, I suspect they may fall into a category I’ve heard affectionately called “geezer lit”. My protag doesn’t like that characterization, so we’re steering away from it. My book has drug trafficking in it as well. I’m not sure if it will be categorized by which theme — drugs or an older couple. That will be something else that comes out as I plot it.
How is yours alike and different? I haven’t read any geezer lit, but probably should find an author that does it well. Likewise I haven’t read any with drugs as an issue. Otherwise, it’s a mystery!
What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project? I don’t know. Interesting to find out.
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1. What works are similar to your current project?
Every cozy out there, (laughing). Seriously, I’m intending to appeal to the cozy reader so I want to keep my cozy novels within the parameters of what they expect.
2. How is yours alike and different?
It’s the small town, the sleuth who returns home after being away and opens her own shop. I’m using some characters that push out a bit from what might be expected. The best friend’s sister is in the process of coming out to her parents and brings her girlfriend to town the day of the murder. The MC’s brother is a Lothario who seems to be getting smitten with a local woman. Also, the parents of the MC are world-traveling performers and have a bit of a shady past.
3. What one book/story would you hold up as the most like your current project?
Maybe my other cozy series? The Fat Cat mysteries that (grrr) got canceled in the Berkley Prime Crime slaughter.
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Day 13
1.Similar works—Perhaps early Laura Lippman when Tess Monaghan is a reporter who turns P.I.
2. How different—Lippman does a tremendous job making Baltimore alive for the reader. Me, not so much. On the other hand, my protagonist’s family ties are closely connected to the plot, while Lippman’s usually aren’t.
3. Similar book—This exercise proves I have to look for one.
Interesting questions, Ramona. Thanks.
Evelyn
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