Due to the Economy...

We all do nutty things to earn money when we have to. I'm giving serious consideration to writing a paranormal romance and trying to sell it. To that end, I got one of the Silhouette paranormals via Paperback Swap: Last Wolf Standing. Now, I know these vary quite a bit in quality. I've got some 'rookie cards', Silhouette-type romances written by some of my fav romance authors before they became bestseller types, and they are quite effective stories. This one... I don't think I can finish. :| And the longer I put it down, the harder it gets to pick up again, a fresh new experience for me.

But that's good right? I can write stuff like this: "Hunger clawed its way up his spine, ripping through his system with such force that he expected to look down and see the blood seeping through the thin cotton of his navy T-shirt and dark gray flannel, spreading like death... " Well, you get the idea. Note the way the writer cleverly fit that bit of wardrobe description in there. Wow. So, no need to avoid cliches, to create new ways of describing universal experiences. I can have my couple move in the 'age-old rhythm,' hunger can claw, eyes can be steely...

Frankly, it reads a lot like run-of-the-mill fan fiction--with excellent editing. And, I'm starting to think a lot of this pulp romance IS fan fiction. This werewolf story clearly borrows from a number of paranormal bestselling series: Destined life mates, protagonists that hunt 'rogues' that prey on the general populace. I've read excerpts from others that were clearly Angel the series, if Angel were completely gay, that is. Fan fiction. I can do fan fiction. Now, if only I can finish one...