Angle, Spin and Flip - It's not a dance

[T.J. Killian]

Most people understand one thing about me; I believe you should reach higher and stretch your imagination broader. You should always push the envelope - that isn't just in your genre but for yourself. If you don't, then how do you know what you are able to accomplish.

Okay - so it's a risk, and though I might love to take a risk, you may not. I'm going to also explain a few things about how to sell a book that has a lot of risk. A little - well, if a publisher doesn't like the aspect, they'll tell you so.

First - angle - an angle is when you shift a common element of a plot. In other words, you aren't completely reinventing the wheel - just freshening it up a bit.

If you read my blog post on how to write your break-out book, I went over this there. For those of you who didn't, I'll go over it again.

My writing group's challenge for last fall was - short, hot, time travel (15K - 20K)

First - I added heat to this challenge because some women think if they write one sex scene into their story its erotica. It isn't, but sometimes you have to break bad habits by making people do.

Plot - one of the basic plots
Departure point - the present
Destination point - any time in the past (no future travel was allowed for this - it also had to be historically correct)
Vehicle - The Veil - It's a random anomally that can pick you up and carry you to any time in the past.

Kicker or Angle - once through - the traveler could not return to the present. In other words - they were stuck in the past.

The kicker may not seem so unusual for people who don't write time travel, but for people who do - this is on the level of 'oh my - say it ain't so'. This forced the writers who took part in the challenge to really think about the emotional drive - 'if your character was stuck in the past - what would he/she do?'.

Spin

I do a lot of plot spinning. Spinning is taking a plot and adding a unique (and I'm not talking cliche here) twist or spin to it. A good example of this is my upcoming release from Whiskey Creek Press.

Blood Orchid is a Beauty and the Beast story with a twist - the hero is cursed, but this curse has no cure. You can go over to my website to read the Curse of the Blood Orchid.

The spin is how I created the Happily Ever After with this plot driver in place. Believe me, it wasn't easy. That's the fun thing about using spin. It stretches and exercises your imagination.

Don't think you can't spin characterization. You can take a paranormal and create a whole new sub-species within the species. I'm not talking over done halflings - I'm talking original. Using Blood Orchid as an example - I created a new form of Vampire. Truthfully, they aren't really vampires but something totally different. I had to call them something, so they became the Royal Vampires and they do have a few characteristics of a good old blood-sucker.

Flip

Flipping is something else I do a lot of. To flip a plot is literally to use a plot predominantly seen in another genre and use it in your story. (The basis of cross-genre writing here) It's turning your genre upside down thus the term flip.

Northern Skye (please don't buy this book from New Concepts - it is a tragedy) is flipped. I used the adventure plot for the fantasy sequence. Night Beauty is also flipped with a fantasy quest in it.

Many plot flips require the writer to pay real attention to what is going on. It's easy to get caught up in the intricacies of the plot and forget the fact you are writing a Romance.

Flipping is specifically risky. Spinning a story can be, depending on how far you take your spin. The thing to do when you start selling these types of stories is don't play up the risk. You can tell all your friends, neighbors, family about your fantastic concept, but don't tell who you're selling it to. Let them figure it out on their own. You can always add the line - this is my interpretation of Beauty and the Beast or my take on an Urban Legend.

Well there you go - that's the basics of angle, spin and flip.

If you want to test me out - put up a romance plot and see if I can angle, spin or flip the plot.

Until next time,

T.J.

[Sandy]

Great post, T.J.
As you well know I was the failure in that little exercise. lol If anyone needs help on angle, spin and flip, T.J. is the one to go to. She can make you think like no one else I know. It may hurt your brain, but it works. lol
Sandy

[T.J. Killian]

Thanks Sandy.

Once you figured it out, it wasn't so painful.

T.J.

[Chiron O'Keefe]

Hmmmm.... Fascinating.

Unfortunately I didn't get enough sleep last night to focus. I'll have to come back later and see if I can add something more coherent.

I'll be thinking of a romance plot to angle, flip or spin...

--Chiron

[Sandy]

T.J. darlin', I haven't figured it out anything yet. lol And, it's still painful.
Hugs,
Sandy

[Sandy]

I meant, I haven't figured out anything yet. Where is my head? It's not screwed on right yet. Bang! Bang!

[Lee Lopez]

I'm working on this...But I'm a bit confused.

[T.J. Killian]

What part are you confused on, Lee?

Hand over the question and I'll see if I can help you out.

T.J.

[Sommer Marsden]

I always find it fascinating to see how other people work. :)
XOXO
Sommer

[Catherine Bybee]

I'm always amazed at how some people work. Thanks for the insight on how things work for you. I'll have to take the challenge.

[Aithne Jarretta]

Ooh TJ,

I loved this post! I'm wondering if I could run something by you in a private message? (It's too big to post here. ;o)

Would love to hear your take on something I'm working on, but am a bit stuck.

Aithne