Author Archives: Colette Black

2016 phoenix comicon booth I’ve harped on this before. Where in the middle ages did we come up with the term “space opera” to refer to soft science fiction? Is it a derogatory term? Did it make sense at the time? What were they thinking?

Space opera. It sounds like soap opera, so what are readers going to think when they hear the term? I know what I thought; Days of our Lives aboard the USS Enterprise. Now, I admit, that would fit a fair number of Star Trek episodes, but it definitely does NOT define the genre. So, what should we call it instead? What term would fit a genre that incorporates adventure, romance, horror, and/or mystery in a futuristic setting that has scientific elements but does not strictly adhere to known scientific fact? My vote? Galactic Fantasy.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term before. I’ve heard it here and there, though not consistently, and it’s rarely used by the die-hard sci-fi gurus. And maybe I’m wrong. If the experts are okay with the term then why change an established genre.?

Why? Fans. Space opera may be established in the writing community, but it is not widely established among the fandom. And I have proof.

I shared tables at the 2016 Phoenix Comicon with a group of writers called AWW (Amazing Wycked Writers), which is a group of local Arizona sci-fi/fantasy authors who band together on occasion for conventions and such. I ran my section of the tables, showing my books to passing fans and talking about them. When describing the genre of my “Mankind’s Redemption” series, I used the proper term, space opera. Some fans knew what that meant, the avid readers and those who knew their sci-fi stuff, but most just smiled and nodded. You know the look. Sure, I’m going to pretend like I know what that means so you don’t try to explain it and so I don’t have to show my ignorance. A few people just admitted that they had no clue, and a few were familiar with the term, but not many. About halfway through the convention, I switched my genre label to Galactic Fantasy.

Now, did the readers recognize the term galactic fantasy any better than space opera? No, but I saw their eyes light up as their interest sparked. Maybe they thought the same thing I did when I first heard the term; a fantastical adventure in an outer space setting. Now, being a fantasy and soft science fiction fan, that idea appeals to me a lot more than a soap opera in space. And it appealed to the fans at Comicon, too. I garnered more interest, sold more books, and spent more time explaining my stories rather than defining the genre in which they take place.

If Galactic Fantasy makes more sense to the fans then that’s the road I’m going to travel, even if it is less worn. (Reference to famous poem intended). I hope you’ll join me and we can all be part of the Galactic Fantasy revolution. Isn’t it about time…and occasionally, time travel?

Colette Black Bio:

Colette Black lives in the far outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona with her family, 2 dogs, a mischievous cat and the occasional unwanted scorpion. She loves learning new things, vacations, and the color purple. She writes New Adult and Young Adult sci-fi and fantasy novels with kick-butt characters, lots of action, and always a touch of romance. Find her at www.coletteblack.net

Genre Mish-Mash

July 1, 2016

Colette Black

Colette Black Genres No Comments

This month is all about genre:

What is it? Why do we have genres? When does it frustrate us, excite us? How does an author write in multiple disparate genres? How do we merge genres successfully? Who do we consider the genre-play masters?

I think most writers have experienced that moment when someone asks about a story and as writers, we may have difficulty placing the plotline into a box. Agents and publishers expect that box, practically demand the box. Should we, as writers, accede to their demands or do we have another option?

The first novel in my Mankind’s Redemption series, Noble Ark, met up with similar opposition. Now, genre-wise, it was pretty cut and dry; it’s a space opera. The problem everyone had was with the protagonists’ ages. I had set them up as young adults–not YA, mind you. Experienced writers told me there was no selling a book like that. Either I needed to add sex or I needed to make it YA with teen protagonists.

So, I made it YA. A wonderful agent said she loved it, but it was too difficult selling YA sci-fi to publishers. It didn’t fit into their genre box. I decided to put everyone back to their rightful age and place the novel in the NA category–New Adult–where it belonged. There, I ran headlong into another box. New Adult isn’t yet widely accepted as a genre classification.

I ended up self-publishing, with great reviews, and little marketing power. What’s the solution? What are the best ways to handle genre demands versus writing inspiration? I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to hearing what our Fictorians authors have to say on that subject and everything else genre. July is looking to be a fun month.

Colette Black Bio:

Two to Three Novels per Year…Yeah, Right.

June 18, 2016

Colette Black

The Writing Life 1 Comment

empty handed I didn’t think I had anything to write about for Misconceptions, but then i realized that I had a common misconception staring me in the face. I’d planned on putting three books out in 2016. I’ll be lucky to get one. I think that’s due, in part, to a common misconception by writers and readers; for some insane reason, we believe that life will go as planned. Even though it’s proven to us again and again, that life will NOT go as planned, we still seem to believe that it will.

Take my story for instance. I already had Moon Shadows written, the first in a series of six, and so I was sure it would go out in 2016. Nope. Taking a closer look, I realized this is a series that needs a publisher. It has great potential as a YA novel, but changes need to be made and it needs the marketing and backing that a pubolisher, even a small one, can give it. So nope, not coming in 2016.

I was partway done with two other novels, but medical issues within my family and extended family took time as well as money. I needed to get a consistent income which meant getting a regular job. Now, most authors work and write so what’s the big deal? Most aren”t the mother of five, active in their church and community, and spending 3-6 hours a week with dr. appointments. Is that an excuse? Yes! I should manage my time better, get less discouraged, and I should make writing more of a priority. I watch TV to escape the stress, I worry about things I can’t change then can’t focus on my stories, and my priorities occasionally get completely screwed up.

I’ve gone off on a tangent a little bit here, but I think the point is valid. Life happens. Excuses happen. Recognize it, deal with it, and keep writing. Let your readers know that you’re still working. Change timelines. It’s okay. And if you can only get a book out every other year for a while, or even longer, that’s okay. After a couple of those, you may be able to get four out in one year. Will missing self-imposed deadlines affect your career and your fan base? Maybe, but not detrimentally. Don’t believe the hype that you HAVE to have X number of books out per year. Believe in your fans, believe in your art, and believe in yourself.

Captain America: Civil War. Great Art?

May 12, 2016

Colette Black

Character Colette Black Conflict Craft & Skills Life Philosophies Our Favorite Fiction POV Social Combat No Comments

*Warning: Spoilers in the form of 2 pictures, but that’s all*

They say that great art invokes emotion. If that’s the case then Captain America: Civil War must qualify. It invoked emotion for me, much more impactful than entertainment awe.

First, I have an admission. I’ve noticed that many of our blogs this month are focused on Fictorians’ favorite movies or TV shows. As much as I love Marvel and Captain America, that’s not why I chose it. It sounds a bit shallow, but it may or may not be true that I just wanted an excuse to see the film as soon as it came out and knew that even if taking the whole family wasn’t in the budget, my having to write a post would give me “permission” to go see it anyway. We did take the whole family and at the end of the movie, the emotions and viewpoints leaked into our little family to create another civil war.

One of the great aspects of fantasy and science fiction that I love is the ability to present real world problems and perspectives in less threatening ways. By using a fantastical backdrop and alien characters, we get our audience–whether readers or viewers–to let down their guard. There’s a reason that religion and politics are often a taboo subject in our society. People tend to have very set views in those areas and arguments can heat quickly.

Whether we realized it or not, I believe that Civil War took down mental walls and then slammed us with a very real-world question, one that is both philosophical and political: Is it better to have more oversight in an effort to protect or have less in order to safeguard personal autonomy? How much do we want our police policed and how much do they need freedom to make split-second decisions? It’s a question that comes up in stories of every kind, from traditional westerns to post-apocalypse young adult novels. But I think it’s rare for both sides to be so well balanced. Civil War did a great job representing both sides. Which is what led to the Black family civil war of May 5th, 2016.

After the movie, we started talking about the parts we liked most; my teenage girls really enjoyed Captain America holding Bucky’s helicopter so he couldn’t take off and my tween son thought Ant-man going giant was pretty awesome. But then my college-daughter expressed how Iron Man had the right of it. Captain America should have just signed the accords. I disagreed. They were too stringent and would get the Avengers caught up in too much red tape. We argued all the way home and it only escalated. Ridiculous, right? And yet, this movie evoked thought, emotion, and real-world comparisons. Which is one of the reasons that I will call Civil War great art.

I think we, as writers, can follow Civil War‘s example. In our own stories, do we evoke emotion from our readers? Does each character’s perspective ring true? Do we present each character’s beliefs like a good lawyer in a courtroom, giving the best representation that we possibly can whether we agree with it or not? As we strive for that level of authenticity, rather than push our own agenda, I think our art can help the world come closer to understanding one another…even if we must wade through difficult disagreements.

Colette Black Bio: