| by Winter Lawrence |
You may have noticed or recognized the title, but just in case you missed it, here it is again:
For sale, baby shoes, never worn . . .
Did you know that those six words are actually considered a novel? I know, it sounds impossible, but it’s true, and much to my delight, those six little words are often credited with beginning the short-story craze, or as we like to call it today, flash fiction.
You’re probably wondering why I’m so excited about that, especially because we all know how thrilled I am about my upcoming YA novel. Eve 2.0: The Ultimate Gaming Experience is a full-length, action-packed fantasy adventure that readers and gamers abound will truly enjoy, and while I adore writing novels of all varieties, I also have a thing for flash fiction.
Why am I mentioning this, you ask? Well, the other day I was talking to a good friend of mine and we were discussing the importance of “branding,” as in, I’m publishing a YA novel so I should make sure that everything about Winter Lawrence screams YA fiction. I pondered that for a few days, my mind all the while thinking up cool little flash fiction pieces, like the ones I’ve already shared online. I even considered deleting those, because while they’re definitely science fiction, they aren’t YA . . . well, The Moment might be able to squeak into that category, but definitely not The Duffel Bag. So I pondered on, wondering about “my brand” and the proverbial box that puts me in — and if truth be known, I’m not entirely claustrophobic, but I’d rather not be typecast. After all, Stephanie Meyers did write The Chemist and that definitely isn’t YA!
So where’s this all going, you ask? Good question! Here’s the answer: I think branding is important to authors — especially new ones like me, so I’ve decided to go with just being a science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal author — no age limits; minimum genre restrictions, because then I don’t feel as though I’ve busted the box wide open, but instead, I’ve just made “my brand” a little roomier. In that way, I’ll be able to give my readers a chance to see the many sides of Winter Lawrence, and not only one little part.
So what do you think about branding? Should authors, in the beginning, just stick to one thing, or is it better to go for broke? Let me know on my Facebook pages, and if you have a great six-word novel that you want to share, go for it! I’m always up for a great short story!
Cheers!
Winter