It's like a scavenger's hunt. An evil evil scavenger's hunt
Something I have discovered since starting medical school is that my brain does not turn off. I get in bed to try to get my precious sleep, and suddenly I’m going over the brachial plexus, or the generation of oxaloacetate, or the embryologic development of the heart. This is a serious issue because, unfortunately, I am human and need to sleep.
Thankfully, I figured out that giving myself half an hour to read was rather helpful, so I started poking around for books. I’m an escapist reader, which means that unless it’s something truly and completely epic, I will not read stuff just set in ‘real life’. Because I live in real life… and that is quite enough, thank you very much. I like my little fantastical elements. So that’s been one requirement.
Another requirement recently has been to look mostly at young adult fiction. I know, I know… but when I took my fiction writing class in the spring, one of the gals in my group asked if I had ever thought about targeting that group. I honestly hadn’t, but it really did make a lot of sense. My sensibilities are probably more appropriate in that area… because I am honestly a huge sap. Surprise surprise.
So! The thing they say over and over again is “know the market”, thus the reason I have been reading so much of it. But oh my gosh. I am getting SO sick of some of the things that pop up over and over and over and over. I'll spend half an hour looking through stuff on amazon, and at the end of it I'm like:
The reason for this reaction? Lots of things... but I can narrow it down a bit.
1) The brooding hottie. This, more than anything, makes me groan/roll my eyes/shake my fists angrily at the heavens. I am sick of these attractive guys popping up with all their mysteriousness, and then, lo and behold! falling for the main character. Just… WHAT?? This is so romance formula that it makes me want to cry. I wish there were some guys with a bit less predictable and cookie-cutter. How about a guy who has some dramatic/tragic past BUT is stronger for it and turns out normal and well-adjusted? Or even a guy who seems like a loner, but still has a select circle of friends and has some healthy hobbies? I dunno. Just… asdfghjkads.
2) The wtf romance. I do enjoy romance, but there needs to be some foundation for it. Not just some random attraction, some magical celestial draw. Blegh. That’s just lazy writing. Destiny, providence, meant to be… no. Can some of these romances like… grow? Can I see why the people end up loving each other? What keeps them together? There have been a few I’ve stumbled upon where there is some foundation provided, but most of the time they just get slung together with some half-assed explanation. Couples aren’t interesting. It’s how they become a couple and what keeps them together that is interesting.
3) The girl having something epic going on. Oh my, she’s really connected to/part of the world of the fae. She has psychic abilities. She is discovering that she has a role to play in some conflict. Whyeee does everything need to be approached this epically all the time? I don’t might epic. Give the girl something awesome to do - heck, at least she’s DOING something. But… *sigh*. The black-white element of this stuff might be what chafes me… because it always ends up being something only she can do or take care of. That’s not so bad if it’s something she grows into over the course of the story, but I dislike it when it starts that way and then the rest of the story is her trying to get her romance to workout while (number 1 in importance) while taking care of business (number 2).
Hm. Well… I think that was a satisfying rant.
Thankfully, I figured out that giving myself half an hour to read was rather helpful, so I started poking around for books. I’m an escapist reader, which means that unless it’s something truly and completely epic, I will not read stuff just set in ‘real life’. Because I live in real life… and that is quite enough, thank you very much. I like my little fantastical elements. So that’s been one requirement.
Another requirement recently has been to look mostly at young adult fiction. I know, I know… but when I took my fiction writing class in the spring, one of the gals in my group asked if I had ever thought about targeting that group. I honestly hadn’t, but it really did make a lot of sense. My sensibilities are probably more appropriate in that area… because I am honestly a huge sap. Surprise surprise.
So! The thing they say over and over again is “know the market”, thus the reason I have been reading so much of it. But oh my gosh. I am getting SO sick of some of the things that pop up over and over and over and over. I'll spend half an hour looking through stuff on amazon, and at the end of it I'm like:
The reason for this reaction? Lots of things... but I can narrow it down a bit.
1) The brooding hottie. This, more than anything, makes me groan/roll my eyes/shake my fists angrily at the heavens. I am sick of these attractive guys popping up with all their mysteriousness, and then, lo and behold! falling for the main character. Just… WHAT?? This is so romance formula that it makes me want to cry. I wish there were some guys with a bit less predictable and cookie-cutter. How about a guy who has some dramatic/tragic past BUT is stronger for it and turns out normal and well-adjusted? Or even a guy who seems like a loner, but still has a select circle of friends and has some healthy hobbies? I dunno. Just… asdfghjkads.
2) The wtf romance. I do enjoy romance, but there needs to be some foundation for it. Not just some random attraction, some magical celestial draw. Blegh. That’s just lazy writing. Destiny, providence, meant to be… no. Can some of these romances like… grow? Can I see why the people end up loving each other? What keeps them together? There have been a few I’ve stumbled upon where there is some foundation provided, but most of the time they just get slung together with some half-assed explanation. Couples aren’t interesting. It’s how they become a couple and what keeps them together that is interesting.
3) The girl having something epic going on. Oh my, she’s really connected to/part of the world of the fae. She has psychic abilities. She is discovering that she has a role to play in some conflict. Whyeee does everything need to be approached this epically all the time? I don’t might epic. Give the girl something awesome to do - heck, at least she’s DOING something. But… *sigh*. The black-white element of this stuff might be what chafes me… because it always ends up being something only she can do or take care of. That’s not so bad if it’s something she grows into over the course of the story, but I dislike it when it starts that way and then the rest of the story is her trying to get her romance to workout while (number 1 in importance) while taking care of business (number 2).
Hm. Well… I think that was a satisfying rant.