LTUE - Current Trends + The Problem With Writing Sequels

Saturday's discussions at the LTUE Symposium were filled to the brim with interesting tidbits of information to help the aspiring author to improve their skills as a writer and to achieve their dreams. I hope that passing on my notes from those discussions will help inspire you to continue on in your dream as well.
Good Luck!

Current Trends in Fantasy & SF
Panel Discussion with:L.E. Modesitt Jr., Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, Eric James Stone

- YA Fantasy is overwhelmed at this time and many published are booked out for three years in advance.
- Editors/Agents are eager to find strong science fiction to balance out the large amount of fantasy forthcoming.
- No matter what the current trend literature is in a state of constant flux. Two years ago Vampire books were considered dead...now look at Stephanie Meyers.
- It is important to write from your heart and what you want to read. If a book is written well and the story is compelling, then it won't matter what the current trend is.
- Slipstream literature is literature that fuses several genres within one story.
- Currently there is a lot of crossover between YA and Adult Fantasy.
- An average agent/editor can tell you what is currently selling. A first rate agent/editor can tell you what will sell that hasn't sold yet.


The Problem with Writing Sequels
Panel discussion with: James Dashner, David Farland, Paul Genesse, mette Ivie Harrison, Laura Hickman, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Brandon Sanderson

- Sequals are easier to write in that you already know the characters, but harder in determining what information to repeat in order to remind the reader what went on in the first book without boring them with too many details. - A sequel also gives you a chance to help the reader fall in love with your characters even more. How do you keep a sequel fresh?

 - Use different characters (i.e. build up one of the minor characters from an earlier book or introduce a new character)

 - Use a different cultural background

 - Use a different setting

 - Introduce bigger/more difficult problems that force the characters to grow