Monday, April 11, 2011

Genre Hopping Characters and Author led rewrites.


The exercise for us this week is to explore the possibility of switching genre with characters already fully formed, who have their setting (backdrop) and, plotted purpose in their very existance. Maybe we're thinking new trend in reader taste, maybe it's an old manuscript we've discovered languishing in a drawer or cupboard and written yonks ago and in need of revamp. So how can we move these characters from say one genre to another and maybe a different era? 



L-hand Image: Let’s imagine a young female agent sent to infiltrate a drug-smuggling gang, her assignment that of getting close to Mr Big. She’s attended a special training course in preparation for every eventuality in respect of things she might have to do in order to achieve her goal. She’s already accepted she may end up emotionally scarred post-assignment. She also knows she must never drop her guard, even in the unlikely event of finding herself seriously attracted to her target, that of Mr. Big’s side-kick. And, she’s well aware intimacies can play cruel tricks on the unwary. But, nothing is quite as it seems.

R-H Image: Now imagine the Island of Jersey under German occupation, and a secretary with remarkable skills beyond that of mere typist. Recruited by British Intelligence prior to invasion of the island - fluent in German – she sees it her duty to respond to a request to frequent a local bar-cum-café, which a specific German officer (second in command) is known to favour. She agrees she will try to ignite interest from him and endeavour to lure him into pleasurable liaisons. She knows it imperative to remain detached despite the officer’s handsome appearance. But, the intimacies that are likely to occur might prove unbearable. However, nothing is quite as it seems.               

There you have it: the same character in genre leap from Modern Romantic Thriller to that of Modern Historical Romance, or perhaps vice versa. It can be done, I should imagine, but I’ve never written the former so have no idea if rewriting it to latter would be worth the effort!  Maybe I’ll write both, now that I’ve seen both movies in consecutive dreams and know the outcomes . . .

See, it's easy! Images often inspire my imagination, and the subconscious goes to work while I sleep.  ;)

12 comments:

  1. Wow, great examples there, Francine. Wish I could dream something sensible and useful like that instead of the Monty Python-eque dreams I usually have!

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  2. Hi Paula,

    Oh, believe it . . . I have weird and wonderful dreams as well, and once found myself in none other than an apocalyptic setting, and all because I'd watched one episode of Neighbours (Aussie soap), which supposedly featured the car from a Mad Max movie.

    best
    F

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  3. My daughter is like you, Francine. She has vivid dreams, each with complete film or print possibilities. Such a gift to be able to tap into your sub or super conscious!

    I don't remember many dreams. I try to pay attention to what's in my mind as I am waking.

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  4. I can remember some of my dreams but they are such a confused mish-mash that I don't think I could ever find any ideas for novels in them. I obviously have a totally cluttered and befuddled subconscious!

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  5. Wow, Francine...great example. Now, which one of these stories are you going to write?! Or maybe both.....

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  6. Hi,

    Ana: hope you've got a notebook handy for jotting down daughter's vivid recaps! ;)

    Debra: decisions, decisions, which one shall I pick to write first? At the moment, I feel like a kid in a ye olde sweet shop with too many jars to choose from. I have premise' coming out of my ears at the mo, and not a chance in hell of getting them on hard-drive or that of paper for at least a year or two. I've just startd a historical sequel, and embarked on edit of a contemporary. There are not enough hours in a day. :(

    best
    F

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  7. Those are great! They kind of remind me of when TV shows sometimes try to put their characters in a different time and see what happens--the stories are similar but the situations are different. Always fun to watch and now they're fun to read too! Good luck.

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  8. Hi Jennifer,

    Welcome to the Happy Winsome Harlots, and good to have you aboard! ;)

    It's a fun topic, and I'm itching to know what Paula and Debra have in store for us. :o

    best
    F

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  9. Ha-ha, I love your new epithet for us, Francine - well, happy and winsome anyway, not so sure about the harlots LOL.

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  10. Hmmn... I'm itching to know too! (I'm sure something will come to my by Thursday!)

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  11. I'll be a harlot. It could be fun!

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  12. I think I'm going to call myself a happy winsome harlot, just to see everyone's reaction! Thanks!

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