Is there a person in America who hasn’t seen Law & Order? I don’t think so. Their shows are routinely Ripped From the Headlines! This is completely understandable because they have to produce so many shows each year. Plus, it keeps their content timely. Going as far back as 1889, Oscar Wilde said: Life imitates Art far more often than Art imitates Life.
So, Life and Art hold a longstanding, symbiotic relationship. Agreed? Great. Just don’t hold me responsible for what’s happening in the real world when my novel is published.
I started A Reasonable Price about two years ago. In fact, the germ originated nearly three years ago with phrase “the blue-eyed twin.” Four little words that never left my Swiss cheese brain. That’s how I knew the idea was a good one. It gnawed at my grey-matter until I sat down and started typing it. A Reasonable Price (originally called The Blue-Eyed Twin) is a high-concept novel; I didn’t start out thinking, “I’m going to write a high-concept novel, something seemingly ripped from the headlines.” I just wrote.
Well, more and more and more, I keep hearing about science and studies and controversies and medical advancements that are SO PERTINENT to my novel that it feels like Life is imitating my Art!
Sorry for all the exclamation points, but I practically get sick to my stomach every time I hear each new news story about (my high-concept idea)(I can’t actually tell you what it is; that would take all the fun out of it for you). I want to shout, Agents! Publishers! You want my novel NOW! Now is the time! We’ll be ahead of the inevitable trend!
Agents advise writers NOT to follow a trend in publishing because by the time a decent novel is written, edited, printed, and distributed, the trend will surely be over. But I’m ahead of the game on this one. And, if you’re in my camp, you’ll be happy to hear that I am working feverishly at getting an agent and selling my novel to a publisher. In fact, if we all knock on wood, I can tell you a little secret. (knock, knock, knock) Five, count ’em, FIVE agents have asked to read my manuscript in the past month. I’m getting closer. I’m getting excited. I’m trying very hard not to use my exclamation point key.
All right. Back to work. But wait, want even more good news? I’ve recently started my next novel, and I’m FREAKING OUT because I’m so excited about it. It’s gonna be a juicy one.
Now, if we can just get this industry to step it up a bit, you’ll finally be able to read my work for yourself. I thank you for your patience.