Nothing New Under the Sun by Tara Tyler

Taking Back Beast World, Phase 2. Disney/Pixar's Onward comes out Mar 6 with a setting eerily close to BEAST WORLD. It's time to speak out again--in a positive way!

Diane is a hard worker and a wonderful promoter of books -- not to mention a busy publisher! I don't know how she does it all! Thanks for having me today, Diane.

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
by Tara Tyler

Seriously. Every story has been written, over and over again throughout the ages. Yet millions of books and movies are produced each year. Like, how many Spiderman and Batman movies do we need? Yet they keep coming! So how do we stand out in this world of re-dos?

KEEP IT FRESH!

Storylines may have similar bones: lonely detective solves a murder mystery, star-crossed lovers, hilarious misunderstandings, or the hero saves the day. But what makes each story special are the alternative settings, the unexpected twists, inventive technology, mash-ups, and most importantly, a unique voice.

Beast World is a fantasy adventure where teenagers rebel against the rules and stand up for themselves to make their world a better place--a familiar theme--but these teenagers are fantasy creatures! I came up with this concept while watching my youngest at football practice (2012). I loved how the smallest guy on the team was also the toughest. He wasn't afraid of the bigger guys and surprised them with his ferocious drive. And Gabe the goblin was born.

I also teach awkward teens. Newsflash: every generation of teenagers is the same: going through growing pains, figuring out who they are, making dumb mistakes, and hoping to make a difference. Assigning a species to the different cliques, I created Beast World--where Gabe the goblin wanted to break the stereotype barriers assigned to his nerdy species. I thought it was a pretty unique concept: Fantasy creatures in high school.

Until...

Disney/Pixar made their own "suburban fantasy" world--with basically the same setting as Beast World--six years after BROKEN BRANCH FALLS was first published.

Seeing the trailer came as quite a shock to me (and my readers). I didn't want to whine or complain, but I did decide to do something about it. After their lawyer basically told me I was nothing since the stories weren't the same, I felt like I was onto something. And I wouldn't let that stop me. I just had to work harder to get noticed.

Last summer, I made a lot of new contacts and had a successful Taking Back Beast World campaign. Now that the movie is coming out in a couple of weeks, I'm at it again.

It's a David vs Goliath story. I'm a tiny teacher writing (and re-publishing) on the side VS a mega-monster movie corporation. It's really no contest, so I'm promoting my books alongside their movie... Win-Win!

If you like fantasy adventure as in Disney/Pixar's Onward,
you'll love reading Tara Tyler's Beast World Series!

Maybe some day, I'll get one of my screenplays picked up--there are sure enough new media outlets. And then I'll see where the adventure takes me from there.

Just like my plucky characters, I won't give up!

What obstacles have you come across in your writing/publishing? 

Ever see a book or movie suspiciously close to your manuscript? 

Any advice for me??

Tara Tyler has had a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After moving all over the US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her husband and one boy left in the nest. She has two novel series, Pop Travel (sci-fi detective thrillers) and Beast World (fantasy adventures), plus her UnPrincess novella series where the maidens save themselves. She's a commended blogger, contributed to several anthologies, and to fit in all these projects, she economizes her time, aka the Lazy Housewife—someday she might write a book on that... Make every day an adventure!

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