The Writer's Advantage - Laurie Scheer

          The premise of Laurie's book, to my eye, is that a writer’s project will at some point be identified by its genre. It may be an agent, a publisher or a producer – it may be the end consumer, the reader or viewer, but someone will say, “That’s action-adventure fare,” or “So you’ve written a cozy mystery?” It behooves us as content creators to be prepared for that turn of events and to arm ourselves so that we can communicate intelligently with said observer. Having a well-informed answer to their questions may be the difference between success and failure in “birthing” your oeuvre, getting it out into the world.

          Laurie’s book encourages the writer to identify the traits common to his or her genre and then to identify the “quintessential text” within that genre. How did the writer of said quintessential text employ those traits within her work and how did she tweak one or more of them so that her work stands above the rest? Do those traits appear in your work? Which of them, if any, have you turned on its head to create something that, while still familiar, is fresh and creative?

          I would guess that “The Writer’s Advantage” will be most useful to me as I prepare for pitching. The notion of arming myself for the questions that may arise during a pitch resonates with me strongly. Clicking here will take you to Laurie's "Writer's Advantage" page on Amazon.