My real name sucks. So I write under TL Kincaid.

Terroja equates sadism and pessimism as being "dark".

I did no such thing. I, in fact, said the exact opposite of that. Keep trying though, you might just get something right one of these days.

Mickey: I meant to say couldn't, not could.

Stop.

Just kidding. 

I don't really know what you're talking about. I think most authors are just clamoring to be part of one genre or another. It seems like every writer I talk to these days is writing 'vampire cyberpunk' or 'post-apocalyptic new age hyper speculative semi-fiction' and endless other meaningless variations of meaningless labels.

I consider these people to be in love with the idea that they're a writer to the point that they cease to actually be one.

What's more, the premises for most books these people come up with are ludicrously simple and overdone. Things like: "A vampire falls in love with an alien who eats the brains of children to survive. Together they travel the universe, solving mysteries and sampling the sentient cuisine of various planets."

That would probably be called, "metahorrorenigmapunk,' by the way.

 

 

I'd like to see more books that don't fit into any genre.

I think that most writers that think they're dark are just not very versatile. If I ever wrote a book that couldn't be "bright" on minute and "dark" the next, I think I'd throw away my pen forever.

Usually books that are just nonstop pessimism or sadism are just incredibly boring. How many consecutive tortures and deaths can you read before they lose any and all impact? The only time purely dark writing is ever actually disturbing is if there is something twisted about it. Someone getting decapitated with a rusty table saw is not nearly as interesting (or funny) as someone getting decapitated with a rusty tablesaw by Santa Clause while their children watch.

For the most part, you're better off going with 'he said/she said,' letting the context take care of the tone. You've find that often times everything that comes before a sentence will tell the reader how to read it. It's not neccessary to write

"I hate you all," he spat viciously.

Chances are that when such a sentence comes up in your writing, your readers will read the sentence just fine if you write

"I hate you all," he shouted/said.

Often times it's not neccessary to put a 'he said/she said' at all. Such as in the following example (ignore the occurences of my name--my screen name is the name of the character in the story).

"Aren't they pretty?" said Naomi.
 
"Aren't what pretty?" asked Terroja, cracking his neck without the assistance of his hands.
 
"The clouds."
 
Terroja shot a quick glance at the fluffy globs of perfect white floating lazily across the stark blue of Avalon's sky. "I don't see anything special about them," he said, returning his gaze downwards.
 
"There isn't, I guess."
 
"Isn't what?"
 
"Anything special about them," she said. "It's just that I haven't seen the sky in a long time."

What's your NIPP (mines the same way) about?

Two people have used NIPP now. I wonder if that will become a popular term among writers on the internet and I'll know for the rest of my life that I created it. If that does transpire, I hope it's not the most significant achievement in my life!

*inhales*

Anyway, to answer your question, my book is entitled The Plague Of Meaning and is the story of a young thief of galactic renown on a quest to uncover the truth behind the destruction of his entire species at the hands of the human race. All the evidence points to the metacorporation, Sradkur Mediations Inc. and their president, The Exalted--a being of supposedly flawless rationality--being responsible, but if he is, then the question becomes: is one person's revenge worth the probable economic collapse and social upheaval that the death of such an important person would trigger?

The parallel story is that of a homeless beggar with little recollection of his past who discovers, after an attempt on his life by local authorities, that he has both an unquenchable hatred for all living things and the power to do something about it. He goes on a killing spree, murdering indiscriminately with his nearly endless powers.

Allow me a lame tageline:

That which ties their destinies together, may tear their souls apart.

Then, I throw in a giant sentient lizard with a penchant for eating people whole, a samurai, numerous implausibly large-breasted girls and women, a black fog made of pure despair that sucks the ife out of anyone it touches, a faceless creature with an elastic body and fingers sharper than a razorblade, psychics, bounty hunters, cannibals, an array of neat gadgets and drawn out descriptions of the most gruesome deaths my mind can imagine.

And hopefully the whole thing's got heart. I hate reading books without heart.