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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Da High Concept. Da High Concept.

In my heated pursuit of high concept this time around, I'm always on the lookout for book-deal blurbs that scream "I-left-dozens-of-editors-salivating-at-auction-for-this." I think I found it today; and-what do you know?-it's time travel. Shocking, isn't it? Here it is:

Michael Sullivan’s Necessary Heartbreak, an inspirational time-travel novel about a single dad who has lost his faith and is struggling to raise his 14-year-old daughter when they discover a portal leading back to first-century Jerusalem during the tumultuous last week of Christ’s life.

Now that's an author who married two unlikely genres. Fist bump to you Mr. Sullivan for creating your own little Christian time travel high concept. What else can I marry time travel with? Time travel women's fiction? Done. Time travel mystery? Done. Time travel cookbook? No, really, the world doesn't need anything I cook. Past, present or future.

Speaking of high concept...

Last month while brainstorming said high concept novel, I ran across a list of odd occupations that included "Fantasy Broker." Apparently, there are people out there who pay obscene amounts of money to these brokers to orchestrate everything required to make one fantasy come true. It all smacks of Mr. Roarke, does it not? Imagine my delight when I learned Fantasy Island is being turned into a reality show. I am SO not a reality show person, but I cannot deny my youthful affinity for this post-Love Boat morsel. Mark Burnett and other developers are shooting for emotion-driven fantasies (does Josh Holloway count?), but it leaves me wondering if they'll preserve the darkish themes of be-careful-what-you-wish-for and the twisted moodiness that made it wicked-better than Gopher in high-waisted pants. If it smacks of Extreme Home Makeover or a Sally Jessie Raphael reunion show, I'm out.

What would your completely-P.G.-rated-I-won't-embarass-the-resident-Laura-Ingalls fantasy be?

10 comments:

the walking man said...

Marry time travel to noir fiction. You know write of a past from a past gone forward.

What the hell I am living a fantasy life already so I suppose I'll just stick with it.

Charles Gramlich said...

I always enjoyed fantasy island. Great concept and carry through on it. I have a book about a time traveler who goes back to the crucificion. It's not this one though.

Barbara Martin said...

I, too, liked Fantasy Island. I have a manuscript about a time traveller who goes back to the 12th century.

Jen FitzGerald said...

Necessary Heartbreak sounds great; can't wait for it to come out.

I wasn't much of a Fantasy Island or Love Boat fan, myself, although I watched a fair share of episodes.

P.G. fantasy...would have to be ultimate homemaker me in a Walton's farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere.

R+ rated fantasy would involve Jonas Armstrong ;)

Katie Reus said...

I would totally pick up that book based on the blurb!

Hmm, my fantasies aren't PG so I'm gonna pass ;)

Stewart Sternberg (half of L.P. Styles) said...

High concept? Only if it leads to believable character development.

laughingwolf said...

pg fantasy: getting a book published, regardless of genre ;) lol

Michael J Sullivan said...

Thank you for mentioning my upcoming novel. I do appreciate it. I hope you have a chance to read it and give me your honest thoughts.

Thank you Jen. :)

L.A. Mitchell said...

@walkingman-paradise, indeed ;)

@Charles-really? That just goes to show there really are no new plots. Both of the premises sound great, though.

@Barbara-I remember you talking about it. What happened to it?

@Jen-OMG...one of my PG ones was to take my family and join the PBS experiment for 6 months. I'm pretty sure I'm living in the wrong century sometimes.

@Katie-for Mr. Roark's ears only, eh? I get that.

@laughingwolf-one we share. A writer's island would be a fun place. Only Tatoo would shout "The contract, the contract" from the lookout point :)

@Michael-I'm so happy our discussion came up on your radar. I wish you much success with your release :)

Mic said...

Thanks L.A. :) I'm glad I found your website too and do appreciate the interest.