What do you think???

As I’ve been researching the YA fantasy market over the past year, I’ve run across a few interesting things.  First, a lot of fantasy in the “children’s” section is focused on middle grade.  Yes, there’s YA also, but it seems to me that a lot skips from middle grade all the way to adult. 

The second thing I’ve noticed as I’ve read agent blogs is that a lot of them want fantasy, but some only want urban fantasy, which really seems to be almost all the YA fantasy these days.  There are quite a few who don’t rule out the traditional quest fantasy, but then they stipulate it has to be new or different.

That leaves the question:  what really is new or different in traditional fantasy?  Many of these same agents, or others like them, also make comments that there are really only five or so different basic storylines.  What makes one book stand out, is the way that age-old story is told.

That leaves me to the question I’d like to know (and I used the cool new poll feature on wordpress).  For those of you who like fantasy, does it bother you to see the same story over and over again (you know, magic, overcoming the evil ruler, kingdom is at stake, etc.)?  I personally don’t mind it.  I mean, you always know the good guy is going to win, but how that ends up happening can be so different and if it’s interesting enough, I keep reading.

A few thoughts…

I know, I know, I haven’t posted for…well, for forever.  I’ve had a couple of reasons.  One, my kids are on year-round school and they’ve had the last three weeks off.  I just don’t get as much done when the kids are home all day, everyday.

Another reason I haven’t done much is because I’ve been on a school boundary change committee.  We have so many kids in my area (my kids attend an elementary school with an enrollment of 1224!!!), that they’re building a new school.  A group of parents are on a committee to decide where the boundaries of that new school should be.  It’s been hectic, and honestly, a bit ridiculous.  Sometimes I feel that there just aren’t enough logical thinking people in the world.  But…that’s not really that important to this blog.

Finally, and this is a good reason not to have done much, I’ve finished my query letter.  I’ve gone through dozens and dozens of drafts.  I’ve submitted on AW.  I’ve asked other authors to read it.  And I think I finally have a great version that not only gives all the pertinent details, but also sounds good.  Yeah!!!

For anyone interested, I’ve added a brief summary of my book.  It’s under the book tab, or listed on the side column on the left.

I’ll post more later, and sooner, next time.