Why I Hate Comps: Analyzing Vague Writing Influences

When I'm querying, I have an incredibly difficult time with "comps" - comparisons to other works. I have written the books I wanted to read because they didn't exist - that's why I wrote them. Of course, when I complain about this, it sounds pretentious. "Oh, yes, I'm sure you're sooooo original." (No more or less than any other writer on average, I suppose.) When I have a hard time with comps, it's not about how "unique" my book is. I simply haven't read anything I can compare it to; I'm sure someone else has somewhere.

Comps are not generally going to be influences per se, but the only other stories I feel like I can find traces of in my own work are vague influences. They just don't directly compare to what I write in terms of plot, world, or even general scenario. The way I've been influenced by other works in my science fiction and paranormal writing is far too obscure to accurately translate to a "comp." While I certainly admire plots, worlds, and scenarios in the countless stories I've enjoyed, my writing has been influenced by the way other writers create - not what happens, but how things happen.

Today, I've compiled a list of the stories that have had the strongest influence on the way I write. These aren't always all-time favorites, and this list is definitely not even close to including all my favorites. To be fair, some of my favorites are too intimidating to necessarily inspire anything other than blank awe. This list isn't even indicative of the kind of stories I write - again, we're focused on method here. These stories have disproportionately affected the way I write.

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause.

Under two hundred pages but thematically huge, The Silver Kiss is a very different YA paranormal fantasy about a girl facing the fact that her mother is dying of cancer. Naturally, she finds the emotional support she needs from a centuries-old vampire. What struck me about The Silver Kiss is how it's simple in so many ways: The writing is beautiful but the plot moves along quickly, and there's something about the flow and atmosphere that feels incredibly contemporary despite the book falling into a completely different genre. I've found myself hoping to replicate this flow and feeling in my own paranormal work (none of which includes vampires - lots of ghosts, though).

The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

The Host is amazing and I will die on this hill. This novel, focusing on an alien "soul" who forcibly invades and inhabits a human body, solidified my love for science fiction (and the power of an intriguing concept). One thing this book accomplishes that I always strive to accomplish in my science fiction is managing a great blend of engaging plot and thematic content - kind of like what Underworld inspired me to strive for, but more specific to speculative science fiction. After reading The Host, I was determined to read more and write science fiction. The genre remains the literary love of my life.

"The Midnight Sun" episode of The Twilight Zone, directed by Anton Leader.

My fixation on creating speculative science fiction stemmed from this specific episode of The Twilight Zone, which I saw for the first time as a teenager. "The Midnight Sun" examines the remnants of humanity after Earth's orbit has suddenly changed and started moving toward the sun. There are actually some vague climate/environmental parallels to the scenario of my first completed manuscript, although the specific circumstance is different. I don't think I fully realized what an impact this episode had on me as a writer until I rewatched it earlier this year - it exemplifies the kind of wonder I'd like to create with my speculative work.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

Before I am accused of being pretentious: I am not David Mitchell. I will NEVER accomplish anything close to what he accomplished in this book, in which the reader follows one soul through multiple incarnations, with each incarnation exemplifying a different genre. Rather, the connections between the various lives of the soul intrigued me, and I believe this is ultimately what inspired me to connect the different books of my science fiction cycle even though each book is in a completely different time. Seeing Sonmi-451 fight against tyranny in one life and be worshipped as a goddess in another is one of the most beautiful moments in literature - seeing the major impact of characters, and people, is beautiful.

The Underworld film franchise, directed by Len Wiseman.

Yes, two vampire stories in a row, except Underworld doesn't have the sweet, contemporary flow of The Silver Kiss. Underworld focuses on a vamypre death dealer who is tracking down Lycans (werewolves) to kill them, and it has a dark atmosphere like no other. My takeaways from these films have translated more into my science fiction: Balance action with emotional stakes, and make the final kill the most memorable.

The Omen, directed by Richard Donner.

I barely touch horror, yet this horror classic about Damien the antichrist made a huge impression on me as a kid. I believe this film started my fascination with the concept of the end of the world, which has evolved and trickled into my science fiction. This connection is by far the most loose of the list, but when I think about why I put my main science fiction set of books in a post-apocalyptic scenario, this seems to be the root of where it stemmed from.

Perhaps an eclectic list, and I'm not sure anyone would have guessed that these pieces influenced me so much based on my work, as my style is altogether mine. But when I consider the way I write and what I'm trying to accomplish, it all goes back to these stories. The logic behind what I do traces back to these stories in some vague way or another, in ways that are far too vague to make them comp contenders.

In the meantime, I'll continue to sit here struggling with comps and wishing I didn't have to create them.