Paying for fan fiction rant...sort of.

Apparently there's an erotic book series out there that is based on Twilight. Well, I haven't read the book (not that I'm a prude) but I've heard that if it is, it's a stretch.

I've recently purchased an e-book for a series that sounded a lot like a certain motorcycle TV show that I'm obsessed about watching. Now, while I can't seem to stop purchasing the books in the series (I've only bought 2 out of like 10) I can't help but wonder, should I really be paying for fan fiction.

I have nothing with people that write FF. I mean, there is some really creative stuff out there. I did, years ago, stumble across a racy story pulling characters from Twilight and placing them in a rather juicy story. Now, while the character names where the same the story line was WAY different and not YA at all. And I didn't pay for it. It was a free read. The writer told a very good story that sucked me in and it was free. There is an entire website (or 2) that offer FF for free.

And maybe I loved the story because of my Twi love, who knows but now, I can't help but wonder if I should pay for FF. They aren't made to be completely original ideas, especially the story I've currently read. Should I continue to pay when there are hundreds of thousands of original works out there? Is it fare to those of us who struggle with writing new stories that grab a readers attention.

And don't get me started on the price of the very short story. Let's save that for another day.

What are your thoughts? Are you a FF fan? Should writers charge for non-original words?

I'm all ears.

So You Think You Can Write

Have you ever heard of WattPad? Its this place where you can read free books, but unpublished free works. Authors can use it as a marketing tool or newbies can use it to hash out ideas. The concept is interesting.

Harlequin is running a contest on WattPad where they are looking for the next New Adult book to sign. I'm participating and I could use some votes. 

Here's the linky-poo to my submission, Need To Know. 

 Jessica Crispin, survived her first year of college, only to return home to discover a long lost grandfather has died, leaving her with a large inheritance. The only catch? She needs to find her mother and go through her criminal father to get the answers.

 A box of letters sends her out on a string of road trips to find her mother. In steps Jackson King to change a flat tire and her entire love life. With him at her side and in her bed, she discovers more secrets and the strength she needs to face her mother.

So if you find your self with something to do, head on over, give a read and a like. I'd appreciate your support! 

November is approaching fast.

I know what you're thinking. You think just because I mentioned November that I'm actually going to chat about the holidays. Well, you'd be wrong. Who wants to think about spending more money on things we don't really need when we can't afford the stuff anyway?

No, I'm thinking about NaNo. You know, write a novel in a month. I'm already receiving emails about kick-off parties and group sessions. I've never attended and don't plan on it because, honestly, I'm not sure what good it does to sit around talking about how I plan to pull a 50K word novel out of my butt in 30 days. But hey, some do and more power to ya.

This will be my third year, if I participate. Year 1 book is now sitting with a friend who's giving it a read-through. A rough read because I haven't touched it. My thought? Does the idea suck? Is it editing worthy?

Book 2 is my August release, My Brother's Wedding. I cranked that baby out and then edited my butt off for the 9-month turnaround. It was also my first attempt at anything other than YA.

As I write this, I'm still not sure I want to play again. The baby is a year older but it seems my other family commitments have grown. The boy is playing on two soccer teams, both kids are doing volleyball and then there's the homework which is never stops coming ( I thought the kids were in school; not me).

But the pull of challenging myself and seeing if I can still do it is strong. I have a story idea brewing; something I've wanted to start for awhile but do I have the time. Do I have desire to stay up late and stress out when the numbers fall short one day?

While I hash out my pros and cons list, I have to know. Are you participating this year? Do you have an outline ready to go? How many years have you played? Any after success?