3-Year Blogoversary Party ~ Guest Post: From Chick Lit to the Apocalypse by Krista McGee (with giveaway!)

From Chick Lit to the Apocalypse

By Krista McGee

“What did you find most challenging when switching from contemporary fiction to futuristic?”

I’ve gotten several variations of this question over the last few months. My first three books were humorous modernizations of biblical stories. I loved writing those. I read lots of “chick lit” and enjoy a good laugh, especially when paired with a Christian message. And I would have been very happy to keep writing those stories.

But my publisher wanted me to branch out and explore another love – science fiction. With the popularity of the Hunger Games, the folks at Thomas Nelson asked if I’d be willing to write a YA Christian dystopian novel. I love dystopian – Brave New World has been a favorite of mine since college. And, though I was a bit nervous at the prospect of tackling a new genre, I was excited about the opportunity to stretch as a writer.

So what was most challenging? Creating a world that doesn’t exist. In my contemporary novels, the setting was “real” – Tampa, Nashville, Orlando, Long Island, Spain, Costa Rica…all real places, where I have spent time and could describe, based on firsthand experience. But in Anomaly, I had to “create” the world. What would it look like? What materials would be used? Where did people sleep? What did they eat? So many unknowns!

I found, as I began brainstorming, that this was actually quite fun. Because my contemporary novels were based on biblical stories, even those plots and characters were already created for me. My creativity came into play moving those into the modern world, making Esther, Rebekah, and Ruth 21st Century teens. With Anomaly, I had a blank slate when it came to characters and plot. I could go anywhere I wanted, do anything I wanted. There is great freedom in that!

With my contemporary books, I wrote out detailed plot summaries before I began writing the novels. I knew exactly where I was going and how I would get there. With Anomaly, I had just a basic outline. I’d sit down every day and just pray for the next chapter, the next twist. Some days, it would come as I was writing! It was an exhilarating, faith-building experience.

The dialogue was different, as well. The Anomaly trilogy is written in first-person, and reflects a futuristic world. Thalli doesn’t speak like Addy, Kara, or Natalia spoke. She doesn’t use slang, doesn’t even use contractions. Her speech reflects her education, which is focused and formal, detached. There’s not much humor in the State, either. That was hard for me. I love humor. But I had to be true to the characters and the world in which they live.

While I am the same writer for both genres, I had to tackle them each in different ways. But I found it to be far more exciting than intimidating, and I am grateful my publisher trusted me enough to let me make that change. So what’s next…? Who knows!

~

About the author:

When Krista McGee isn't living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she lives in Tampa and spends her days as a wife, mom, teacher, and coffee snob. She is also the author of Anomaly, First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong. Twitter: @KristaMcGeeYA Facebook: Krista Abney McGee

http://www.kristamcgeebooks.com/

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