Welcome S.J. Clarke

About This Rumour that Paranormal Fiction is on the Downward Slide

I'm here to confess a great sin. I write paranormal fiction.

I can here the gasps from here.

Why would you paint yourself with that particular brush? What will you do when interest in the paranormal fizzles? Don't you know some artist will come along and create a new, hot trend?

Sure I do. She's already here, blurring the edges, creating something new from something past its prime.

Demystifying the Paranormal

Should I be worried? Will my chosen genre abandon me as I'm creating my platform as a paranormal writer? I don't have the answers. No one does. But I can narrow down the parameters a bit.

When people hear the word paranormal their minds fill with images of a familiar world, altered from current reality by the existence of vamps, shifters and demons. Quite often these elements describe a sub-genre of paranormal that fall into the category of Urban Fantasy. Urban Fantasy has plenty of monsters, as well as kick-butt heroines intent on taking them out. (Until our heroine comes across a monster that stirs her sympathy along with her hormones and she's attracted to the very aberration she hunts.)

Fighting for humanity's survival takes a toll on a body. It can't endure the fight forever. It's a subtle change at first. Creatures recede into the shadows and tormented souls wreaking vengeance for humanity, instead seek therapy. Can a world without the paranormal be far behind?

Of course not. They're great stories, and I read a lot of Urban Fantasy. But I also read a host of other paranormal tales. Paranormal encompasses so much more than nightmares given life on the page. There's the psychic component as well, and this is the element I use in my stories.

The list of psychic abilities is long, often obscure and difficult to pronounce. Most of us are familiar with common psychic gifts like visions, telepathy and telekinesis, but there's a world of other psychic abilities to explore. Some lesser known skills include clairaudience, bilocation, psychometry, retrocognition, transvection and remote viewing. I'm having a lot of fun right now with the power of remote viewing in my current work in progress.

But is having fun enough to keep your readers reading? Aren't you afraid they'll abandon you for the next go-to genre?

Hidden Dangers in Genre Writing

By writing in a genre category, one risks slapping a label on their work and forever linking their writer's identity with that genre. Can a writer survive with so labelled? Visit any writer's or reader's forum and you'll find both sides of the argument well represented.

Fans derive their name from the word fanatic. They possess an intense interest in the subject matter, yes, but also in the way the story is told. But even a great story premise falls flat with lacklustre writing. Readers crave entertainment while they escape the harsh reality of their lives for the brief time they immerse themselves in a story. If those needs aren't met, the reader will go elsewhere for their fix. But is it poor craftsmanship, or the promise of a new, hot genre that lures a reader away? Everyone strays to investigate the new and interesting, but fans come back to those who deliver with consistency.

But how will you get away with sticking with a dying genre?

Paint my own picture

Will I write to the masses and change genres to follow up and coming trends? No. I might include aspects of new trends in my writing, but at their core, my stories will remain paranormal in nature. My first story, written at the age of eight, was a paranormal time-shift. I'm drawn to the genre. It's what I read. It's what I write. It's in my pores.

I'll continue to weave paranormal elements amongst romance, mystery and suspense, mainstream genres that endure the test of time.

I'll paint my word pictures on my canvas. Those readers who share my interest and find my stories entertaining will stick around to see what my brush strokes create next. New trends may feather over the image, altering it slightly, but I will always deliver on my original promise to my readers by providing entertaining escapism with a touch of the paranormal.

My new release, Mind Over Matter, is a paranormal romantic suspense.Rebecca McKenney grieved the loss of her daughter for three years. Now, a vision showing Sabrina three years older, suggests her baby is still alive, and the FBI agent who gave up the search is the only one who can help find her.

Special Agent Dan Cooper is haunted by a tragic mistake made early in the investigation of Sabrina's disappearance. Now to ease his conscience he agrees to help Rebecca search.

Together they fight inner demons, all to real bad guys, and an attraction neither wants to admit to. Each step closer to finding Sabrina is a step deeper into deception and evil.

Can Rebecca and Dan save Sabrina before it's too late?

Here's a short excerpt from Mind Over Matter:

Rebecca swallowed her shame, remembering what happened the last time they were in this room together, the day Dan left. No excuse justified their behavior. Not the two bottles of wine they shared, not the news that the rest of Dan's team were already packed up and gone, and certainly not her grief. Closing her eyes couldn't block the memory of the anger in that first kiss, or the desperation in what followed. Her lack of inhibition in those moments still tormented her, pushing her toward another drink every day since then.

Dan shook his head. He kept his expression neutral, but the clenched jaw gave him away.

“What are you doing here, Rebecca?” He kept his voice low and controlled.

Rebecca squared her shoulders and met his accusing stare. “Whatever it takes to get through each day without my daughter.” She walked over and grabbed the glass from his hand. “This has nothing to do with anything. You're here to help me find Bree, not to judge me.”

He looked at her and the pity on his face pushed her back to the wall.

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