Yep, another one of those posts about books and writing and stuff.
I keep feeling apologies are due for that. But what can you do? That sense of fannish disconnect continues to grow, with me looking through my flist page(s) and having not a clue what anyone's going on about because I don't watch this, I'm not into that, and never even heard of the other thing. So pretty much the only thing left is books.
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Anyway, first up: Huge, ginormous thanks to maisfeeka, for sending me a copy of Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I did wind up enjoying the author's Getting Rid of Bradley a lot, and this one sounds like it should be even more of a fun romp, with all the things that make me happy. I cannot thank you enough, and wish you would at least request a fic so I can give you a little something in return. Pretty please?
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Now I'm reading Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister, and enjoying it, although I could go for a little less jousting and a little more romance. Mostly I'm just having a tough time getting into the setting of the book, a Ren Faire, and sharing the passion of the characters for all that goes on at such an event. That kind of taking-it-all-so- incredibly-seriously role playing always strikes me as a bit odd. But then I was never into dress up when I was little, either. To MacAlister's credit, she manages to make most of it interesting, the Designated Couple are appealing, and I can do nothing but applaud a writer who dares to present a cat as the truly evil creature I know it to be. *g*
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The current issue of Writer's Digest (April 2008), dedicated to popular fiction, actually has some good stuff. (Well, most issues do, but the one before was a real yawn fest.)
This, from the editorial, got me thinking, for instance. Quoting: The schism between so-called literary-fiction writers and their genre-writing counterparts was apparent to me (writes Maria Schneider) as we put together this issue, our first dedicated primarily to pop fiction. Pop-fiction priestess Laurell K. Hamilton was actually asked to leave her creative-writing program years ago when she wouldn't give up her wicked genre-writing ways.
Now, I gave up on the Anita Blake series around Book 4 or 5 (not because of the pornographic sex I'd heard about in upcoming books, but because of the excess of gore and violence), but despite that I have to give Ms. Hamilton huge props for sticking to her guns, because WTF is up with that kind of a snooty attitude that genre fiction is somehow unworthy?
From the LKH interview in the issue:
HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE WRITING PROGRAM BEFORE YOU WERE KICKED OUT? Two years. I submitted two horror stories to get into the writing program; I made no pretense that I wanted to write anything else. What I didn't realize until too late was that the president of the writing program accepted me with the idea that she could cure me and make me want to write what she considered proper writing. She told me that all genre was garbage, but I refused to write anything else. And within two to three weeks, half the class was writing genre -- romance, science fiction, fantasy and mystery. But one fateful day before she kicked me out, I asked her, 'What about Shakespeare? A Midsummer Night's Dream is fantasy. Macbeth doesn't work without the witches and Hamlet doesn't work without the ghosts. What about Dickens? A Christmas Carol is a ghost story.' She called me into her office and told me I would never write for publication. She was determined that I wouldn't go out and do exactly what I've done. I've now corrupted millions [laughs].
I mean ... Words fail me. What kind of petty, narrow-minded fascist would do that to any aspiring writer?
I may just cut that out and paste in my journal to look at, whenever I'm having one of those "I'm not writing what other people think I should" bouts.
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Also in the issue, in the main popular fiction article, is this snippet from the romance section, quoting again: [Jayne Ann] Krentz notes with some relief the wane of chick-lit and a greater freedom to cross-breed with other genres. A fine example is a series of detective romances that evoke the classic film noir style of the '40s.
Only they neglect to name any examples!!!
That so sounds like my kind of book, too. ::hmph::
If anyone has a clue what titles/authors this could be in reference to, please send info, though. I have found one that might be in that line, Nobody But You by Julie Kenner, but so far that's it.
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And I really like this month's writer's prompt: A character walks into a kitchen at the end of the day. He finds on the kitchen table something that isn't supposed to be there.
That has so many possibilies... :)
===========
Anyway, first up: Huge, ginormous thanks to maisfeeka, for sending me a copy of Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I did wind up enjoying the author's Getting Rid of Bradley a lot, and this one sounds like it should be even more of a fun romp, with all the things that make me happy. I cannot thank you enough, and wish you would at least request a fic so I can give you a little something in return. Pretty please?
===========
Now I'm reading Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister, and enjoying it, although I could go for a little less jousting and a little more romance. Mostly I'm just having a tough time getting into the setting of the book, a Ren Faire, and sharing the passion of the characters for all that goes on at such an event. That kind of taking-it-all-so- incredibly-seriously role playing always strikes me as a bit odd. But then I was never into dress up when I was little, either. To MacAlister's credit, she manages to make most of it interesting, the Designated Couple are appealing, and I can do nothing but applaud a writer who dares to present a cat as the truly evil creature I know it to be. *g*
============
The current issue of Writer's Digest (April 2008), dedicated to popular fiction, actually has some good stuff. (Well, most issues do, but the one before was a real yawn fest.)
This, from the editorial, got me thinking, for instance. Quoting: The schism between so-called literary-fiction writers and their genre-writing counterparts was apparent to me (writes Maria Schneider) as we put together this issue, our first dedicated primarily to pop fiction. Pop-fiction priestess Laurell K. Hamilton was actually asked to leave her creative-writing program years ago when she wouldn't give up her wicked genre-writing ways.
Now, I gave up on the Anita Blake series around Book 4 or 5 (not because of the pornographic sex I'd heard about in upcoming books, but because of the excess of gore and violence), but despite that I have to give Ms. Hamilton huge props for sticking to her guns, because WTF is up with that kind of a snooty attitude that genre fiction is somehow unworthy?
From the LKH interview in the issue:
HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE WRITING PROGRAM BEFORE YOU WERE KICKED OUT? Two years. I submitted two horror stories to get into the writing program; I made no pretense that I wanted to write anything else. What I didn't realize until too late was that the president of the writing program accepted me with the idea that she could cure me and make me want to write what she considered proper writing. She told me that all genre was garbage, but I refused to write anything else. And within two to three weeks, half the class was writing genre -- romance, science fiction, fantasy and mystery. But one fateful day before she kicked me out, I asked her, 'What about Shakespeare? A Midsummer Night's Dream is fantasy. Macbeth doesn't work without the witches and Hamlet doesn't work without the ghosts. What about Dickens? A Christmas Carol is a ghost story.' She called me into her office and told me I would never write for publication. She was determined that I wouldn't go out and do exactly what I've done. I've now corrupted millions [laughs].
I mean ... Words fail me. What kind of petty, narrow-minded fascist would do that to any aspiring writer?
I may just cut that out and paste in my journal to look at, whenever I'm having one of those "I'm not writing what other people think I should" bouts.
===========
Also in the issue, in the main popular fiction article, is this snippet from the romance section, quoting again: [Jayne Ann] Krentz notes with some relief the wane of chick-lit and a greater freedom to cross-breed with other genres. A fine example is a series of detective romances that evoke the classic film noir style of the '40s.
Only they neglect to name any examples!!!
That so sounds like my kind of book, too. ::hmph::
If anyone has a clue what titles/authors this could be in reference to, please send info, though. I have found one that might be in that line, Nobody But You by Julie Kenner, but so far that's it.
============
And I really like this month's writer's prompt: A character walks into a kitchen at the end of the day. He finds on the kitchen table something that isn't supposed to be there.
That has so many possibilies... :)