More On Writing (Yawn)

One of my good friends recently confessed she sort of gave up reading my blog when I started talking a lot about writing. (Shrug) I try to mix it up--and I try to make the writing parts interesting to non-writers, but...well, you can't please everyone, yada, yada. Judging by how often my best friends don't have a clue what I've been up to, I guess I'm succeeding more with the writer-readers, than the others. Again, shrug.

Having said that, guess what today's topic is? Yeah, writing (so, move along, friends).

It's been awhile since I judged a contest. Last year some time, I guess. So I've got five entries in the Single Title category (okay, friends...just go with me, here) and I'm struck with how things have changed. Used to be, you pretty much got traditional romance in these submissions. With a touch of suspense, comedy, and/or drama thrown in. This time around, only two of the five can be described that way; the others are paranormal...y'know, with werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and the rest of your average non-human types.

So when did these books stop having their own category? (okay, I know, I know--some contests still DO make paranormal a separate category, but not this one). Have otherworldly stories really overtaken traditional romance?

I had to put on my best non-judgmental judge's hat for this which, as you might guess, isn't easy. I mean, I don't normally read the stuff so, for example, in answer to the question does the author use a unique twist in her story, I had to be careful, because...hell, yeah. Unique to me! But is it unique to paranormal? Maybe not.

I avoided showing favoritism to the traditional entries--and at the same time refrained from judging them to a higher standard. After all, a story is a story is a story. I concentrated on the qualities shared by good writing, no matter the sub-genre.

Besides, in the end, no matter what, you know in your gut when you're reading a winner. In the case of this particular set of contest entries, I read maybe one that I deemed publishable. Not that the rest weren't well-written, and full of good characterization and well-constructed scenes, still...they just didn't grab me, y'know?

Which takes me back to my own current personal task: editing Leftovers. How do I think it stacks up against the contest entries I'm judging?

Definitely a winner.

But then I'm a little impartial.