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 Google+ or 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
