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Welcome Guest Blogger Natale Stenzel!
A Peek Inside Pandora's Box
Growing up, I was always the good girl, the kid who made good grades, didn't get in trouble, generally practiced good manners (I typed "bad manners" first -- Freudian slip?) and delivered what was expected of me. Maybe that's why writing Pandora's Box was such a liberating experience. It felt like I broke every rule in the book, not because I deliberately set out to do so, but because it felt right. Not that right is always the most comfortable choice. 'Right' very often is the scariest of all options.
So why on earth did I suddenly decide that the "right" thing for me to do was to write about a puca cursed by an angry Druid daddy to live inside a tiny cornerstone for two thousand years?
You know, I actually hesitate to answer this question. If I take the mystery away, do I also take the magic away? The spark that makes writing this stuff so much fun? That would be bad, because Pandora's Box is only the first book in a series, and I'm (gulp) only a chapter or two into my third one. (The second one, The Druid Made Me Do It, comes out in August 2008. It picks up where Pandora's Box leaves off, but with a new romantic couple and new difficulties.)
Okay, be a big girl, Natale. Ditch the neuroses and answer the question. How about . . . I wrote it because it was fun? Seriously. I love paranormals. I read them almost obsessively, and every time I considered writing one . . . wow. Talk about a challenge. Maybe that's what intrigues me most. The inherent challenge, to make something out of anything -- anything! -- at all. The world is larger than reality, the possibilities limited only by the breadth of my imagination and my ability to justify the impossible. Plus, I was a Superfriends freak growing up. I wanted Wonder Woman's bullet-repellant cuffs, Superman's strength and flying talent, Aquaman's ability to breathe underwater, and Batman's dark mystique. (Although I really wanted to be Catwoman. Now that woman had some fun.)
And then there was the Greek mythology course I took in college that left me riveted -- and wishing for more wiggle room in my schedule to take more myth classes. Honestly, it was like plopping the Superfriends on Mount Olympus, giving them love lives and feuds, all kinds of motivations and baggage, and adding gorgeous architecture and cool rituals. I wanted more!
So I guess I created my own 'more'?
In spite of its title, Pandora's Box is not based on Greek or Roman mythology. Actually, the puca's more of a Welsh or Irish sprite, although most cultures have something of the kind incorporated into their folklore. My puca's name is Riordan and he's a larger-than-life (and myth) trickster with a hot body, a bawdy sense of humor, the ability to shape-shift, and an unexpected noble streak. Mina, his human guardian, has her hands full, what with her hot puca ward constantly talking in her head, even during tricky moments (e.g., while she's flirting with her new love interest or managing the cheating ex who wants her back). I'll admit I took the sketchy nature of the puca myth and built on it, warped it to suit my purposes, just let my imagination fly. I frequently wondered, however, if I was taking the myth too far from its roots and the story world too far from reality.
That's the tricky part of writing a paranormal. You wonder if your perspective is skewed, since this world is so familiar to you but is strange to anyone reading the story for the first time. And, sure, your options are limitless, but sometimes it's as bad to have too many choices as it is to have too few. Especially for indecisive types. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Making a choice feels so much like limiting my options, you know? (Nobody said I had to be logical about all this.)
So what about you? Do you have a Mount Olympus to scale? A Pandora's Box to open? Or just come talk to me, maybe tell me what you like best about romance or which subgenre is your favorite and why. I love to chat (promotes that whole procrastination proclivity and all). I'll be giving away a free copy of Pandora's Box to one randomly selected commenter here. [Please note that you have to be registered with Love is an Exploding Cigar to win.] Check back in the comments section tonight, where we'll announce a winner.
Thanks for having me today, Cigars!
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Welcome Natale!
So nice to have you here today, and what a great blog!
I'm making a similar shift in my writing recently, and it is a bit scary. I hooked into your comment about being afraid to talk about it -- as if that will kill the spark or the mystery. I've been very closed about talking about my new writing, and I think it's because I need it to really take hold in my own head first, before I can even hope of sharing it, but it is also because it's new, and sort of fragile for that reason. We have to protect things, but it looks like you've hit that point of being able to share -- maybe because the book is real now, and in print? It looks wonderful! Love the bomb wrapping paper on the front -- very cute. ;) It's a really striking cover.
I love paranormals too, though I've read more paranormal mystery and urban fantasy than romance. For me, the problem has been making distinctions between the genres -- for instance, I listen to you, and it sounds like you are almost more in a fantasy realm than a paranormal realm, according to how I hear people define them, and then again, does it really matter? It's mattered for me, simply because I've had a problem with genre mixing, and I'm ending up with messes that are part one thing, part something else, but it sounds like you managed to avoid that genre swamp -- any thoughts about that?
I've been a lifelong superhero freak, and I did my first superhero book with Untouched, my Extreme Blaze, and that's the other area where I think it gets muddy...IMO, ghosts/psychics --> paranormal; dragons/faeries, etc --->fantasy; Superman---> ??? LOL Where do Superheroes fit in, things like Heroes, on TV? Superheroes are really tightly tied to myth, and I know there's a lot of writing based on myths these days, but I don't think they're paranormal, but not fantasy either -- there must be another designation, and if there is, then that's where I am lately. The comic book tradition, of course. I just keep calling it "Superhero stuff" LOL
I hope this makes some sense...
Sam
Thanks!
Sam, thanks for all the kind comments. Yes, it's a seriously cool cover -- I'm so thrilled. And I had absolutely nothing to do with the concept, just got lucky.
I hear you on the weird genre labels. I call mine paranormal because that's what's on the spine of the book. Also, contests tend to have "paranormal" be the umbrella category for all the other categories (e.g., fantasy, futuristic, etc.). I do consider mine more of a fantasy than a paranormal. Paranormal, to me, equates to goose bump material. Anything that goes bump in the night, you know? Still, at least to me, "fantasy" implies a completely alternate world. My story's set in the real world, but with the addition fantasy elements. So basically, I'm not sure where I'd categorize it. I generally tell people it's a funny paranormal romance, or a romcom fantasy (but then this implies sexual fantasy, and that's not accurate either). What can you do?
As far as sharing the story . . . I kept this one very close to the vest for the longest time. Picked it up, put it down, couldn't resist coming back to it . . . Paranormals and fantasies are such a departure from reality that you really feel like you're walking out on a limb. You're asking people to believe the impossible. If you succeed, great. If you don't, wow do you ever bomb. It's never a bland reaction.
I think it would be fun to write a superhero romance! Blaze seems to be branching out into the "paranormal" (there's that word again*g*) lately. When did yours come out?
My superheroine Blaze was
My superheroine Blaze was Untouched, in Jan '07. :) I loved that book...
I agree with you about the genre confusion, and it sounds like what you're saying is as long as you are writing the story in a way you understand (fantasy, in your case) that it's less important how it get characterized out in the world for sales purposes? Sorry if I'm sounding dense on this... I still have trouble with the distinctions (I feel the need for them for some reason! LOL) -- I just had a convo with my agent this afternoon and was telling her what I'm working on is not paranormal so much as superhero... I do think there's a difference. I just don't know how to account for it, LOL.
If you succeed, great. If you don't, wow do you ever bomb. It's never a bland reaction.
So true. Just trying not to think about it, LOL
Sam
categorizing
Sam, I didn't sweat the categorizing so much because it would still be marketed as a romance. There would be no shelving confusion in my case.
And I do believe there's a difference between the paranormal/fantasy and the superhero. Paranormal action? Fantasy action? Supernatural? Still, I would hesitate to create a new category for marketing purposes. If they don't know where to put it, it's so tempting to set it aside, you know? Is yours a romance? If it is, then I'd let that stay front and center. No shelving confusion. And, if it makes you feel any better, paranormal is generally defined as unexplainable by scientific methods. That generally works, since most of the superpowers would go against universal laws.
Okay, I'm geeking out now*g*.
If it's not technically a romance, then I would tend toward urban fantasy. Just my opinion and heaven knows I'm not the last word on any of this*g*.
Interesting point, though. I wonder if we have a new subgenre in the defining. Heroes has been very popular, after all. Manga leans toward that kind of thing, too, I think.
Mine is mystery...
So I know that much, w/romantic subplots. LOL Just what kind of mystery -- I assume it would be grouped with paranormal. It's all crazy. I think of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files as paranormal mystery (wizard in Chicago who is a detective and solves crime...seems pretty straightforward), and yet you don't find it in the mystery section here at our bookstores, but in the fantasy area... Who knows?
I like the Paranormal Action idea -- that catches the "comic book" tradition better...
Sam
I see what you mean
Take out the romance and you do need to define what you have. I think a wizard does sound like fantasy.
Amazon places Batman novels with Science Fiction and Fantasy. There's also an action/adventure category that I saw. Otherwise, it's all graphic novel and comic book. Paranormal action probably does capture what you're going for best. If it were me, I'd let my agent call it whatever she thought would sell it to publishers better. The elaborating can come later.
Thoughtful comments, Natale!
What a wonderful peek into a writer's mind and process! Thanks for sharing!
I haven't really gotten into paranormals, but I do love mythology and archetypes, the way a well-written book taps into something inside we may not even know was there. I'm really pretty dorky - love to watch The Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers talking deep-seated truths about the journey of being human.
I'm still trying to figure out why I love romance, LOL (thinking through unanswerable questions is my favorite procrastination activity, and if I can drink tea and eat chocolate while doing so, so much the better...too much time in grad school, LOL) because the answer to that question has changed over the years, and continues to change as I write. I love relationships - is that a good answer? Love them. Love watching people get to know each other, learn from each other, fall in love with each other, and sometimes fall back in love with themselves. My current hero has to learn to respect himself again...that's a big, cool, fun thing.
Fav sub-genre...don't have one, really. I tend to choose by writers - if someone I like writes something, I'll pick it up but don't often choose by genre.
Me, too!
Yeah, subgenres aside, it really does come down to the romance for me. The twists and turns, the complications, the tender moments, and above all, the characters. If that's lacking, no amount of storybuilding can save it for me.
Good luck with your hero! He sounds wonderfully challenging.
I love paranormal romances
As you said paranormal is only limited to your imagination. I have read some pretty amazing paranormal books. The worlds that authors have come up with boggle my mind. The main thing I like about paranormal romance books is that you have danger, action, and romance all tied into one. I like a book with danger and action, it gives me a chance to escape into a dangerous world while I am still sitting in the safety of my own home. With a great book you are no longer the house wife raising three children. When I'm reading I battle homework no more, but get to battle monsters, witches, vampires, and so much more. I just love escaping into a book and and have outragious adventures. Raising three kids is definitely an adventure, but sometimes you just want to escape to a different reality.
Escapism
I tend to avoid books with kids in them, probably for the same reason. It's too close to home and when I read, I'm looking for something different than my own reality. (Not that my own reality is so grim -- far from it! -- but I have ready access to that without the aid of a book*g*.)
Although, I must admit, there are times when childrearing really does resemble the paranormal. Just think of the diapers . . .*eg*
Hi
I love paranormal, and I think one of the reasons is because pretty much anything goes. I love seeing something new and different. The same story can be told a hundred different ways, and I love that. Course, sometimes once is enough but I can ignore that sometimes lol
Ashley
Hi:)
Exactly. It's just opening a whole new world (so to speak), so I think it's harder to guess the different twists and turns. New challenges for the reader as well as the writer.
Paranormal
Hi Natale,
Great blog post :o)
Right now my fave sub-genre is paranormal hands down. There's just so much variety there and lately I've been going down the paranormal mystery route. Found a lot of great books :)
Yours sounds great, will have to keep an eye out for it!
Thanks!
Thanks, Lissy! All this talk about paranormal mystery . . . I'm going to have to check some of these out*g*. What am I missing? Which authors do you recommend?
Hey Natale
For para mystery check out Tanya Huff, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), Charlaine Harris (particularly the Grave series), and Wendy Roberts. Also, Katie McAlister has a new mystery name with Kate Marsh and a para mystery, as well.
:)
Sam
Thanks!
I'll have to check those out -- thanks! I knew that about Katie MacAlister, just thought they were YA, but she has a different pseud for those, doesn't she . . .
I have one here, and it's definitely not YA...
Though I don't know if she's using the same pseud? I found this one today completely by random, and it hooked me. :)
Sam
pseud
Her YA pseud, I believe, is Katie Maxwell. I don't read YA, but I'll have to check out the other one. Love her books.
Paranormal romance is my
Paranormal romance is my favorite genre---though I read just about anything. I like that the paranormal worlds are similar enough to my own that I can relate but different enough where it takes me away from reality for a little while. Congratulations on Pandora's Box ..it looks like a fun read!!
Kendra
Thanks!
Thanks, Kendra! I kind of need that firm connection between the real world and the imaginary, too.
Fun!
Hi, Natale,
Thanks for such a entertaining and thought-provoking blog today :) I have only recently begun to branch out into reading paranormals, mostly because there are WAY too many romances to read as it is without this whole subgenre, and also because I'm kind of a scaredy cat and sometimes it's hard to say whether a particular story will be too creepy for my faint-hearted self. ;p The neat thing about paranormals is that it seems that the whole world is open--it seems like authors can be free to create their own worlds and rules (both exciting and scary, I guess!) The whole Superfriends thing sounds fun! (Yes, totally watched that as a kid, and the original Wonder Woman episodes...) I admit I'm pretty intrigued by the premise in Pandora's Box--I've always had a soft spot for things Irish and Welsh (don't know why--that accent helps! ;))
scaredy cats and accents
Yeah, you really can't beat that accent, can you? *sigh* And I confess to being a total weenie about books and movies that get too gritty. I have a hard time getting into stories with violence or kids in danger. It's not that these aren't worthwhile stories; it's just not a place I choose to go when I'm escaping into a book or movie.
I haven't really read too
I haven't really read too many paranormals but the few I did, I enjoyed. Lately I've been getting curiouser and curioser about the genre lol.
curiouser
That's how I started, too. I used to, er, be a little icked out by vamp books, refused to read them. Now I'm hopelessly hooked on Sherrilyn Kennyon, Christine Feehan, and way too many to list here*g*.
Suspense
Hi Natale,
My favorite genre is romantic supsense. I love a good mystery filled with action. Paranormals are next on the list. I love a fantastical read where anything is possible. With paranormals, I like ghost and psychic stories. It's hard to believe we're alone in this world.
Not alone
I agree. I think it's a little arrogant to think we know everything about this world. How could we? We learn something new every day, and science, frankly, can't define everything. (Please don't tell my geek husband I said that. Science is All to Mr. Stenzel*g*. He's just cute that way.)
Love the title!
Hi Natale,
Thanks for sharing some of your thought processes! The cover of the books is really cute too. I love mythology - and read a lot of Classical myth growing up. I'm a big fan of paranormals too, but haven't been reading too many of them recently. Puca's in generally sound really cute (I'm thinking of a puckish creature) - and Riordan sounds like a great hero!
puckish
Hmm. If you're referring to Shakespeare's Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream, you're right on. That's supposed to be the bard's version of a puca. Actually, some say Robin Hood is rooted in the puca myth as well. I consider Riordan to be a beefed-up*eg* mix of these two. Thanks for commenting!
Romance
Glad to see you here Natale. The reason I read romance is because I love the happy endings. Historical is my favorite because I like going back in time. But I do enjoy a good paranormal too. I like to switch around alot to keep my interest up.
"Pandora's Box!"
Hello, What a wonderful sounding paranormal book! Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks very much.....Cindi
Winner!
Had my daughter draw names for me*g*. Our winner is Ashley! (Ashsheroine) Ashley, please send your snail addy to Natale@natalestenzel.com and I'll send you a copy of Pandora's Box! Congratulations*g*.
Thanks, everyone, for participating, and thanks to Cigars for hosting me! I had fun:).
Congrats, and thank you!!
Congrats, Ashley! Sounds like a fantastic read!
And thank you for spending the day with us, Natale! Looking forward to reading your writing!
yay :D I can't wait to get
yay :D I can't wait to get it.
Ashley