Young Writers Society

So in a nonexistent novel of mine, the main character is a werewolf and her mom is a suburban drug dealer. Is that a little to abstract? I fear it is and it will push readers away from my novel. (I once tried to read a book but the plot was weird I couldn't, so that's why I'm worried about this.)

It really depends on how your story goes. I have read stories with the strangest characters thrown in, but somehow, the author made it work beautifully. Don't condemn your ideas simply because you don't think the characters would work. If you're truly worried about it, try writing down the basic plot of the story and looking it over carefully.

But overall, you're the one who makes the story. If you think it's a bad idea once you start the story, then either change it or scrap the whole thing and start over. If I wrote my stories on paper, I'd probably be turning out a dumptruck of drafts a week!

Keep on writing!

-ajruby (The Silver Lady)

I love it!

The problem I find in a lot of novels is that I end up feeling like I've seen the character set-up a thousand times before. I can only read the same bunch of characters so many times before I feel like I'm watching paint dry.

Abstract characters and relationships are brilliant in novels. The more abstract, the better. They create interest and diversity and give your novel a unique twist that makes it stand out from the rest.

There aren't many novels that are too abstract, and in most circumstances it's the fear of being too adventurous that limits a persons potential. I'd highly recommend going with this idea.

If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out, but at least you'll have tried and done something daring, which is far better than the alternative of falling into the undercurrent of modern fiction.

Here's the thing.

"Abstract" is relative.

Everything in fiction can work. Everything in fiction can be terrible. The same work can have elements of "it works" and "it's terrible" because people are individual and we all have different tastes.

So, yeah, it might be too abstract for some people.

But it could be exactly right for others.

The important part is: you want to write it. Sure, if you want to get published then you have to do some things for readers, but the ideas, the plots, the characters... those come from what you want to see. Audience related stuff? Keeping tension up, keeping it interesting, making sure things are internally consistent, all these things that make the story readable. That doesn't really have much to do with the characters.

Write what you want. Worry about the audience later.

If you're looking for a simple answer of interest, I'd read it. 8D

It sounds like a mash-up between Weeds and Teen Wolf, so other than the obvious cliched pitfalls, I think you could have a really cool story on your hands. Let me know if you decide to write it--I'd love to read and critique it. :]