Okay, I Need YOUR Help.
Jan. 11th, 2010 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseI'm sitting at the coffeeshop this morning banging my head. I'll tell you why. I've got about three days to write an article about "the Wiccan aspects of [Tate's] series..." for the German equivalent of Romantic Times to help promote NICHT SCHON WIEDER EIN VAMPIR (Not Another Vampire) aka TALL, DARK & DEAD.
First of all, I *suck* at writing non-fiction. They only want 500 words, which is really, nothing, but it might as well be 500,000 for as difficult as I'm finding this. Secondly, Wicca? Really? Next to vampires, that's probably the subject I'm most bored of (particularly in its promotional aspect of Wicca 101). Third, the topic is too broad, and this is where I really would love some advice.
I'm sure there are a ton of you folks out there who are not only good at writing articles, but are experts. What's a good element of "Wiccan aspects" I could focus on and make snappy/interesting? If you were a German reader, what would you want to know to make you run out an buy TALL, DARK & DEAD (or Not Another Vampire, as the case might be)?
Someone at the coffee shop suggested I surf the Interwebs for similar articles. Good advice, only I just wasted a half hour reading about things that interest me and not really finding anything to inspire this little promotional piece.
Help!!
First of all, I *suck* at writing non-fiction. They only want 500 words, which is really, nothing, but it might as well be 500,000 for as difficult as I'm finding this. Secondly, Wicca? Really? Next to vampires, that's probably the subject I'm most bored of (particularly in its promotional aspect of Wicca 101). Third, the topic is too broad, and this is where I really would love some advice.
I'm sure there are a ton of you folks out there who are not only good at writing articles, but are experts. What's a good element of "Wiccan aspects" I could focus on and make snappy/interesting? If you were a German reader, what would you want to know to make you run out an buy TALL, DARK & DEAD (or Not Another Vampire, as the case might be)?
Someone at the coffee shop suggested I surf the Interwebs for similar articles. Good advice, only I just wasted a half hour reading about things that interest me and not really finding anything to inspire this little promotional piece.
Help!!
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 04:54 pm (UTC)1. Fake interview with Tate asking about her own personal practice of Wicca and how it informed the books. (You could tell your story about using magic to try to sell your first book, and how it backfired.)
2. Astrology specifically and how you find it useful / entertaining and how you tied that into the book.
3. Alchemy and how totally cool it is, with some bits about Sebastian and how he used alchemy to make himself a vampire.
4. Modern day prejudice against Wiccans in America (Europeans love to see Americans saying negative things about America) and how this inspired your evil Vatican witch-hunters. If you include a little bit of bonus info about crazy Christians who burn books like Harry Potter, I have heard Germans are a little fascinated by America's insane Christian wing.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 05:16 pm (UTC)Speaking as someone who can only write non-fiction, because I suck at writing fiction, I think the obvious solution is to make the essay fiction. I presume that the people who would be influenced would be interested in reading fiction anyway, it would be easier to reach them with a fiction piece.
Some combination of the description on the back and the first few paragraphs of the book would work fine, I think.
I speak German very badly and you may already know this, but I think it would work well to keep in mind that German is a language of double and quadruple meanings. I expect that this book translates really well, and I think that the essay should include several of the polysemantic bits that are built into the story.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 09:23 am (UTC)