Babel Clash

I have to agree with Jeaniene in many ways. Before I wrote my first vampire novel, I read anything in the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres that I could get my hands on. I couldn’t fill my mind enough with warlocks, vampires, faeries, and werewolves. I loved it all. And it was this love that drove me to write my own urban fantasy novel. I wanted to be enveloped in that fantasy world of my creation.

However, this is where Jeaniene and I diverge. I forced myself to put down most of the urban fantasy and paranormal romance books I had been reading when I started the writing process. There were two reasons for this course of action. The first being my deadline and my fear of writing on a deadline. I’ve never had a deadline for a book before so I wrote I at my own pace. I wasn’t sure that I could finish a book in a few months as was expected. So, to save time and what was left of my sanity, I put all books down and wrote. I actually felt guilty readings books in my spare time because my brain would argue that I should be writing and not reading. So for me, the first step away was a deadline related issue.

The second reason is that I wanted to feel that the Dark Days series was wholly my idea. I had spent enough time reading in the genre to get a feel for the storytelling style and other requirements of the genre. However, I didn’t want to be unconsciously influenced by anything I had read while I was working. Call me paranoid. I was just terrified of being accused of copying someone else’s idea.

Now, I will admit that I snuck in the occasional book that I just couldn’t wait to read, but those tended to be so distinctly different from what I was writing that my paranoia didn’t kick in.

At the moment, I am taking a brief writing break before I head back in for revision of Book 6 of the Dark Days series and I am trying to get a little reading done. Of course, the problem now is that I am grossly behind on all my paranormal reading. Could someone add a few more hours to the day for me?

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