She Walks the Line, but does she wear all black too?
http://www.leagueofreluctantadults.com/blog.html
Much goodness in the way of the comedy in urban fiction discussion that was the topic of the League this week. I think they all did a wonderful job and enjoyed all their posts! Lots of good insite.
Today is wise and wonderful Jill Myles, her first book is coming out this November I believe (check her profile out on the site to confirm). She makes some very valid points concerning taste and why comedy will always be the most subjective. When you pick-up a romance, you know there will be gushy lovin' and probably some sex. When you pick-up a fantasy, you expect to be transported into a whole new world without really much or any technolgy and magical stuff. When you pick-up an urban fantasy, you expect some familiarity with the world but with magicness thrown in. And when you pick-up science fiction, you expect gadgets galore, probably some space, and to be in the future. But when you pick-up a comedy, you expect it to be funny.
So who defines funny? Well, first the author, then the editor, then the public. There is some pandering that can be done, but there is no 'majority rules' such as 'well, a banana needs to be slipped on or someone should say something witty concerning the weather'. Romantic comedy isn't too hard. It usually tends to be situations that pull the main love interest closer together. But JUST comedy? Who knows... maybe they need to come up with their own genres like 'pie in the face' or 'squimish social situations' or 'all verbal witt' or 'bodily functions' but those just wouldn't look pretty on the spine of your book.
Much goodness in the way of the comedy in urban fiction discussion that was the topic of the League this week. I think they all did a wonderful job and enjoyed all their posts! Lots of good insite.
Today is wise and wonderful Jill Myles, her first book is coming out this November I believe (check her profile out on the site to confirm). She makes some very valid points concerning taste and why comedy will always be the most subjective. When you pick-up a romance, you know there will be gushy lovin' and probably some sex. When you pick-up a fantasy, you expect to be transported into a whole new world without really much or any technolgy and magical stuff. When you pick-up an urban fantasy, you expect some familiarity with the world but with magicness thrown in. And when you pick-up science fiction, you expect gadgets galore, probably some space, and to be in the future. But when you pick-up a comedy, you expect it to be funny.
So who defines funny? Well, first the author, then the editor, then the public. There is some pandering that can be done, but there is no 'majority rules' such as 'well, a banana needs to be slipped on or someone should say something witty concerning the weather'. Romantic comedy isn't too hard. It usually tends to be situations that pull the main love interest closer together. But JUST comedy? Who knows... maybe they need to come up with their own genres like 'pie in the face' or 'squimish social situations' or 'all verbal witt' or 'bodily functions' but those just wouldn't look pretty on the spine of your book.