Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Graham Cracker

While chomping on a graham cracker a couple days ago, enjoying its slightly sweet, crunchy goodness, it occured to me how remarkable it was. Thinking about the cracker genre, I could not name another sweet cracker. Everything I tried to compare it to was in the cookie category. The graham cracker, amongst all the multitude of crackers, has something unique.

It reminded me of a presentation I attended at a conference last year where an editor said one of the key things that stands out to her in a query letter is if the story offers something that makes it different than other books out there in the same genre.

I would assume there is a fine line between the unique attribute and a gimmick, but if it's something that really enhances the story, then all the better for marketing purposes. Some examples that come to mind from best sellers are: vegetarian vampires, the story of the rape and murder of a young girl told from the dead victim's perspective, and World War II England seen from the perspective of Winston Churchill's dog.

My current story doesn't have a graham cracker angle. Does yours?

4 comments:

  1. When I read this title I thought for some reason that you were talking about Graham. Not so much the cracker and the friends of ours. I wondered what he had done to get his new moniker.

    About the cracker though. I think you're right. My graham cracker angle is my setting. I like to see peoples faces when I tell them which urban setting I picked. So fun. Now if I can just get it finished.

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  2. Good thought. Since I have many WIP's (and nothing done) I have a few. I think my time travel is a bit graham crackery, not quite new, but different enough to hook ya.

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  3. Dr. Horrible was really graham-crackery--a musical superhero story from the villain's point of view, where the villain wins.

    I want to say my current WiP has one, but it's hard to identify...maybe in the sense that it's about a secret hi-tech society descendant from Amerindians, that not only evaded annihilation, but grew stronger and polices the rest of humanity. Hmm...

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  4. I'd say the graham cracker of my current WIP is the non-linear format.

    Graham, I love that you brought up Dr. Horrible. Love that show!

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