Gardening, and song!
Jan. 7th, 2010 | 10:30 am
feeling: 
bouncy
posted by: 17catherines
I'm turning into a proper gardener. Not a knowledgeable one, especially, but a proper one.
I can tell because I get a little feeling of excitement and joy whenever I see bees hovering around my veggie patch - as they are doing fairly regularly at present; they seem to love basil in particular.
I'm terrified of, and slightly allergic to, bees. That hasn't changed. But it fills me with delight to know that they are happily pollinating my fruit and vegetables.
We've had our first tomatoes, and our first strawberry is nearly ripe - I've put up birdnet (which hopefully will not keep out the bees) to protect the rest from being eaten, as there are definitely a few underway. I can see at least three beetroots which look like they are verging on pickable, but I am virtuously waiting until at least Sunday to do so, because my book says 55-110 days to harvest and we are still only at day 52. Yes, yes, I know three days probably won't make much difference, but this is my first ever root vegetable crop and my first ever crop grown from seed, so I should be patient and give it time to get to a proper size.
I have bean flowers in the bud (they will be purple) and melon, strawberry, zucchini, capsicum and tomato flowers. And basil flowers and sage flowers, and my parsley is going to seed, but never mind that. Lots of happy marigolds, too, which are finding their way into salad, along with mint, basil and pineapple sage. No nasturtium or violet flowers yet, but my succulents are happily producing multicoloured paper-like blossoms. I am hoping very much that I'll be able to cancel my veggie box for a few weeks in a month or so. It's all very exciting...
In other news, I've discovered a rather clever composer of songs, Gabriel Kahane. I recommend in particular his 'Craigslistlieder', a cycle of songs with lyrics culled from Craigslist personal advertisements, which can be downloaded here from his site (homepage here). I am particularly fond of the last track, a somewhat operatic aria (I suspect a more educated Catherine would recognise the musical references I can tell he is putting in there - sounds a little Quilterish to me in places, but I really couldn't say more) from a man who has a compulsion to put ice down people's shirts. Really, this is six minutes of your life that you don't want to miss. It's incredibly clever and funny and very well-sung and composed.
The frightening part is that he is one of the more appealing characters in the song cycle...
And now, off to Blackwood for the day to visit the Digger's Club Garden of St Erth and my sister-in-law!
I can tell because I get a little feeling of excitement and joy whenever I see bees hovering around my veggie patch - as they are doing fairly regularly at present; they seem to love basil in particular.
I'm terrified of, and slightly allergic to, bees. That hasn't changed. But it fills me with delight to know that they are happily pollinating my fruit and vegetables.
We've had our first tomatoes, and our first strawberry is nearly ripe - I've put up birdnet (which hopefully will not keep out the bees) to protect the rest from being eaten, as there are definitely a few underway. I can see at least three beetroots which look like they are verging on pickable, but I am virtuously waiting until at least Sunday to do so, because my book says 55-110 days to harvest and we are still only at day 52. Yes, yes, I know three days probably won't make much difference, but this is my first ever root vegetable crop and my first ever crop grown from seed, so I should be patient and give it time to get to a proper size.
I have bean flowers in the bud (they will be purple) and melon, strawberry, zucchini, capsicum and tomato flowers. And basil flowers and sage flowers, and my parsley is going to seed, but never mind that. Lots of happy marigolds, too, which are finding their way into salad, along with mint, basil and pineapple sage. No nasturtium or violet flowers yet, but my succulents are happily producing multicoloured paper-like blossoms. I am hoping very much that I'll be able to cancel my veggie box for a few weeks in a month or so. It's all very exciting...
In other news, I've discovered a rather clever composer of songs, Gabriel Kahane. I recommend in particular his 'Craigslistlieder', a cycle of songs with lyrics culled from Craigslist personal advertisements, which can be downloaded here from his site (homepage here). I am particularly fond of the last track, a somewhat operatic aria (I suspect a more educated Catherine would recognise the musical references I can tell he is putting in there - sounds a little Quilterish to me in places, but I really couldn't say more) from a man who has a compulsion to put ice down people's shirts. Really, this is six minutes of your life that you don't want to miss. It's incredibly clever and funny and very well-sung and composed.
The frightening part is that he is one of the more appealing characters in the song cycle...
And now, off to Blackwood for the day to visit the Digger's Club Garden of St Erth and my sister-in-law!
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Plot vs. Character
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 11:39 am
posted by: shanna_s
I'm actually somewhat ahead of schedule on the project that's due next week. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you actually devote the time to it. I survived the return to ballet. Tonight, it's back to choir.
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to go back to the bi-weekly writing posts. Every other Wednesday, I post about some topic related to writing. If you want to receive these posts by e-mail, you can subscribe here. I'm always taking questions or suggestions, so if there's something you want to know about writing craft, the publishing business or the life of a writer, let me know. You can get all the posts I made up to the end of last year in one convenient PDF file, which you can get here.
When writers talk about the way they work, they often describe themselves as "character-driven" or "plot-driven." Or you may hear a particular author's books described that way. What does that mean?
Some writers use these terms to talk about their process. They say they're character-driven if they dream up characters first and then build a plot around them. They may not even develop a plot, instead just going where the characters take them. Plot-driven writers come up with the plot first, then create characters to fill out that plot. Most writers fall somewhere in the middle, or it may vary depending on the book. Some stories may start with characters, others with plots or situations. Generally, plot and character are so intertwined that there's no way to really tell what came first. It all comes at the same time. This is the only kind of story you could tell involving these particular people, or these are the only people who could be in this particular plot.
These terms can also refer to what moves the story forward. A plot-driven story is one in which the story is moved forward by events external to the characters. A character-driven story is one in which the characters' choices and actions move the story forward. For an example of an almost purely plot-driven story, there are the CSI-type shows on television. Except in the Very Special episodes where the case is personal to one of the characters, you could swap out most of the main characters with entirely different people without changing the main story. The dialogue and character interactions would be different and the tone would be different, but the main plot wouldn't vary much because the decisions the main characters make aren't exactly character-defining. When a dead body is found, the detectives will choose to investigate (until we get to CSI Waco, where the detective might see who the victim is and say, "Aw, never mind. He needed killin'."), they'll choose to collect evidence, run tests and interview suspects, which will lead them to the killer. Just about any character who'd be in that kind of story would make the same decisions, leading to the same plot progression and the same outcome.
A character-driven story would be something like the TV series The Gilmore Girls or like a lot of romance or women's fiction novels. The story is kicked off by a character making a choice, taking an action or saying something. The other characters react to that with their own actions, and then everyone reacts to that reaction. If you changed the characters, you'd get an entirely different story because different people would react in different ways to the same situation.
Most stories fall somewhere in the middle, with a mix of external events and character choices. There are events that characters react to, and their reactions define them while setting off other events. The police procedural detective may choose to focus on specific bits of evidence or may choose to ignore the evidence and go with his gut. The romance character may have to deal with storms, car accidents, losing a job, pregnancy or other events.
The important thing to remember is that neither end of this continuum is automatically superior. Which approach is best depends on the story you're trying to tell, your genre, the audience you're writing for and the way your mind works. I think sometimes there's an impression that character-driven writing is more "worthy." That's probably because literary fiction is generally considered by a lot of people who talk about books to be superior to commercial fiction or of a higher quality, and commercial fiction tends to require some kind of plot, while literary fiction may just be about a character's inner journey, with no real plot structure.
This sometimes leads to the notion that if the story is plot-driven, that means the characters are weaker than those in character-driven stories, but I don't think this is the case at all. Even in a plot-driven story, you can have strong, sympathetic, dynamic, vivid, three-dimensional characters. You may even find that it's the characters that draw people into a plot-driven story. My books tend to fall on the plot end of the spectrum. I usually come up with the situation and main plot first, then populate it with characters (which then does affect how the plot plays out), and I think most of the plots in my books are event-driven. Yet my strength as a writer seems to be in developing characters that readers fall in love with, and the vast majority of my reader mail is about how much people love my characters. It's the characters and not the events that keep the readers coming back for more. The plot vs. character thing is really just about my thought process and has nothing to do with reader perceptions.
I say this a lot, but this is yet another area where the best way to go is what works for you. Trying to force yourself to write one way just because you think that's better, regardless of what's good for your story or the natural way you work, probably won't be successful for you.
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to go back to the bi-weekly writing posts. Every other Wednesday, I post about some topic related to writing. If you want to receive these posts by e-mail, you can subscribe here. I'm always taking questions or suggestions, so if there's something you want to know about writing craft, the publishing business or the life of a writer, let me know. You can get all the posts I made up to the end of last year in one convenient PDF file, which you can get here.
When writers talk about the way they work, they often describe themselves as "character-driven" or "plot-driven." Or you may hear a particular author's books described that way. What does that mean?
Some writers use these terms to talk about their process. They say they're character-driven if they dream up characters first and then build a plot around them. They may not even develop a plot, instead just going where the characters take them. Plot-driven writers come up with the plot first, then create characters to fill out that plot. Most writers fall somewhere in the middle, or it may vary depending on the book. Some stories may start with characters, others with plots or situations. Generally, plot and character are so intertwined that there's no way to really tell what came first. It all comes at the same time. This is the only kind of story you could tell involving these particular people, or these are the only people who could be in this particular plot.
These terms can also refer to what moves the story forward. A plot-driven story is one in which the story is moved forward by events external to the characters. A character-driven story is one in which the characters' choices and actions move the story forward. For an example of an almost purely plot-driven story, there are the CSI-type shows on television. Except in the Very Special episodes where the case is personal to one of the characters, you could swap out most of the main characters with entirely different people without changing the main story. The dialogue and character interactions would be different and the tone would be different, but the main plot wouldn't vary much because the decisions the main characters make aren't exactly character-defining. When a dead body is found, the detectives will choose to investigate (until we get to CSI Waco, where the detective might see who the victim is and say, "Aw, never mind. He needed killin'."), they'll choose to collect evidence, run tests and interview suspects, which will lead them to the killer. Just about any character who'd be in that kind of story would make the same decisions, leading to the same plot progression and the same outcome.
A character-driven story would be something like the TV series The Gilmore Girls or like a lot of romance or women's fiction novels. The story is kicked off by a character making a choice, taking an action or saying something. The other characters react to that with their own actions, and then everyone reacts to that reaction. If you changed the characters, you'd get an entirely different story because different people would react in different ways to the same situation.
Most stories fall somewhere in the middle, with a mix of external events and character choices. There are events that characters react to, and their reactions define them while setting off other events. The police procedural detective may choose to focus on specific bits of evidence or may choose to ignore the evidence and go with his gut. The romance character may have to deal with storms, car accidents, losing a job, pregnancy or other events.
The important thing to remember is that neither end of this continuum is automatically superior. Which approach is best depends on the story you're trying to tell, your genre, the audience you're writing for and the way your mind works. I think sometimes there's an impression that character-driven writing is more "worthy." That's probably because literary fiction is generally considered by a lot of people who talk about books to be superior to commercial fiction or of a higher quality, and commercial fiction tends to require some kind of plot, while literary fiction may just be about a character's inner journey, with no real plot structure.
This sometimes leads to the notion that if the story is plot-driven, that means the characters are weaker than those in character-driven stories, but I don't think this is the case at all. Even in a plot-driven story, you can have strong, sympathetic, dynamic, vivid, three-dimensional characters. You may even find that it's the characters that draw people into a plot-driven story. My books tend to fall on the plot end of the spectrum. I usually come up with the situation and main plot first, then populate it with characters (which then does affect how the plot plays out), and I think most of the plots in my books are event-driven. Yet my strength as a writer seems to be in developing characters that readers fall in love with, and the vast majority of my reader mail is about how much people love my characters. It's the characters and not the events that keep the readers coming back for more. The plot vs. character thing is really just about my thought process and has nothing to do with reader perceptions.
I say this a lot, but this is yet another area where the best way to go is what works for you. Trying to force yourself to write one way just because you think that's better, regardless of what's good for your story or the natural way you work, probably won't be successful for you.
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every time you spell it this way, a dolphin gets run over by a jet ski
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 11:56 am
posted by: juils in cranky_editors
I love cartoons. I love proper word usage. What's that? A hilarious grammar cartoon on an otherwise boring Wednesday afternoon?
( Yes please! )
( Yes please! )
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Book Suggestions?
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 09:40 am
posted by: t_virus_queen in romancenovels
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Brrr.
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 08:30 am
posted by: writergrl
19 degrees? In North Carolina? Really, Mother Nature?
It's been so cold here lately, I just can't even believe it. I know a lot of people love winter the way I love summer: they like sweaters and snow and wind chills and all that. Frankly, I just can't even imagine. I just look at our wireless indoor thermometer, which tells you more than you would ever want to know about what's happening, and will happen outside--the temp, what it actually feels like, what it will do tomorrow and the next day and the next---and I just close my eyes and think about this:
Five months from today, I'll be there. That's not so long, right?
*sigh*
In other news, although I've never been much of a Food Network person, we caught the first episode of Worst Cooks in America the other night, and I have a feeling we'll be watching the entire series. Not just because we've been more and more into cooking lately---I'm trying enchiladas from scratch for the first time tonight, wish me luck---but also because it makes me feel that much better about my own kitchen skills. I mean, I am no Top Chef. Last night I made a cook-in-bag meatloaf with a packet of seasoning mixed in, and potatoes and carrots scattered all around it. With bottled gravy. Hello, 1970 called: they want their dinner back. But at LEAST I can put together a meatloaf. Some of these folks couldn't do more than mix up a can of soup and put some cheese over the top. It's like when I used to watch My Super Sweet Sixteen to feel like I was a good, decent person, at least in comparison to some of the behavior showcased there. See, TV CAN be good for you!
Finally, today the guy is coming to hook up our internet and phones and stuff over at the new office. I can get a decent wireless signal from our modem, but I have to say, it's been REALLY nice to not have a phone over there. I mean, I have my cell if my babysitters or anyone needs me, but not having the hear the home phone ring, over and over, all afternoon....it's priceless. I'm thinking I might just get the line active, but then not put a phone in. At least not yet. For so long, my working/writing life has been completely intertwined with my home life: I write as dogs bark and babies cry and doors slam and UPS comes and goes, making dogs bark more. And it's a good thing, because I now know that I CAN write under just about any circumstances, even total chaos. But not having to? It's nice. I walk up those stairs, open the door, and....silence. Ahhhh. Yeah. I think I'll skip the phone. Because I can.
Have a great day, everyone!
It's been so cold here lately, I just can't even believe it. I know a lot of people love winter the way I love summer: they like sweaters and snow and wind chills and all that. Frankly, I just can't even imagine. I just look at our wireless indoor thermometer, which tells you more than you would ever want to know about what's happening, and will happen outside--the temp, what it actually feels like, what it will do tomorrow and the next day and the next---and I just close my eyes and think about this:
Five months from today, I'll be there. That's not so long, right?
*sigh*
In other news, although I've never been much of a Food Network person, we caught the first episode of Worst Cooks in America the other night, and I have a feeling we'll be watching the entire series. Not just because we've been more and more into cooking lately---I'm trying enchiladas from scratch for the first time tonight, wish me luck---but also because it makes me feel that much better about my own kitchen skills. I mean, I am no Top Chef. Last night I made a cook-in-bag meatloaf with a packet of seasoning mixed in, and potatoes and carrots scattered all around it. With bottled gravy. Hello, 1970 called: they want their dinner back. But at LEAST I can put together a meatloaf. Some of these folks couldn't do more than mix up a can of soup and put some cheese over the top. It's like when I used to watch My Super Sweet Sixteen to feel like I was a good, decent person, at least in comparison to some of the behavior showcased there. See, TV CAN be good for you!
Finally, today the guy is coming to hook up our internet and phones and stuff over at the new office. I can get a decent wireless signal from our modem, but I have to say, it's been REALLY nice to not have a phone over there. I mean, I have my cell if my babysitters or anyone needs me, but not having the hear the home phone ring, over and over, all afternoon....it's priceless. I'm thinking I might just get the line active, but then not put a phone in. At least not yet. For so long, my working/writing life has been completely intertwined with my home life: I write as dogs bark and babies cry and doors slam and UPS comes and goes, making dogs bark more. And it's a good thing, because I now know that I CAN write under just about any circumstances, even total chaos. But not having to? It's nice. I walk up those stairs, open the door, and....silence. Ahhhh. Yeah. I think I'll skip the phone. Because I can.
Have a great day, everyone!
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Summer Songs: The Recommended Playlist
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 08:23 am
posted by: smartromance
Over the past week, I’ve asked Twitter for some recommendations that had nothing to do with romance, but a few folks asked me to compile the list of responses and share it, so I’m doing so here. It’s all below the fold - obviously this has little to jack all to do with romance novels, but if you’re looking for some music, this might help you out.
In response to my tweet asking for warm-weather music, here’s the master list of every recommendation I received. It rocked my socks, and might warm your feet, too, if it’s as cold where you are as it is here - and if you’re in the southern hemisphere (G’day, mate!) enjoy some seasonally-appropriate tunage.
In response to my tweet asking for warm-weather music, here’s the master list of every recommendation I received. It rocked my socks, and might warm your feet, too, if it’s as cold where you are as it is here - and if you’re in the southern hemisphere (G’day, mate!) enjoy some seasonally-appropriate tunage.
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I'm *how* old?
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 07:51 pm
posted by: morsla
So. I joined a gym, despite previously considering them to be strange and alien places. I still have no idea what all their shiny equipment does, but apparently I find out on Friday...
Today involved a chat about food (I should eat more of it), water (I should drink more of it), and exercise (I should do a lot more of it). Lately, my daily routine has involved something like this:
Wake up, sit in front of the computer, start work, finish layout on a chapter, and then realise it's 1pm. Eat a late breakfast (probably at my desk), and work until lunch (4-ish). Then work until dinner (9ish or later). No wonder I'm becoming some kind of amoeba.
Sitting at a desk (computer or painting) for 10+ hours a day is not healthy, especially when I forget to take breaks, and work from home. Changing from one desk to the other, while productive, doesn't really count as a break. I'm getting lots of work done, but it is time for a change.
On a more amusing note, after the fitness/weight/age/height measurements were done, I was told that I have a metabolic age of 14...
Today involved a chat about food (I should eat more of it), water (I should drink more of it), and exercise (I should do a lot more of it). Lately, my daily routine has involved something like this:
Wake up, sit in front of the computer, start work, finish layout on a chapter, and then realise it's 1pm. Eat a late breakfast (probably at my desk), and work until lunch (4-ish). Then work until dinner (9ish or later). No wonder I'm becoming some kind of amoeba.
Sitting at a desk (computer or painting) for 10+ hours a day is not healthy, especially when I forget to take breaks, and work from home. Changing from one desk to the other, while productive, doesn't really count as a break. I'm getting lots of work done, but it is time for a change.
On a more amusing note, after the fitness/weight/age/height measurements were done, I was told that I have a metabolic age of 14...
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Fun With Wart Hog
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 08:00 am
posted by: jillshalvis
Me:
Excuse me, Mr. Wart Hog. Hello? Yeah, um, can you look over here at me? See, I have this blog, and you’re so adorable I really need your picture …
Mr. Wart Hog:
Bite me, Crazy Lady.
Me:
Pretty please? Just one little peek at your face?
Mr. Wart Hog:
…
Me:
If you smile for me, I’ll go away. Wouldn’t you like that? Some peace and quiet?
Mr. Wart Hog:
I’m flipping you off in my mind right now.
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Attn: Brenda Joyce fans of the Deadly Series
Jan. 5th, 2010 | 11:01 pm
posted by: winterlillies in romancenovels
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(^_^)
Jan. 5th, 2010 | 07:15 pm
posted by: megancrane
- 10:54 Vacation ended yesterday at noon: editor turned book around in under 24 hours. Yes, you read that right. She's a superhero! #
- 13:50 @alisonkent I saw the pilot and was not really that impressed... #
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Home Again, with Additional Dog pictures.
Jan. 6th, 2010 | 12:17 am
posted by: officialgaiman
posted by Neil
I'm home.This is the weather the dog likes: crisp, cold, weather that puts him in mind of wolfish ancestors hunting on the steppes.
Me, I put on long underwear and dozens of layers over that, and top it off with the sheepskin Uigur hat I haggled for in Xinjiang, and trudge in the snow behind him. It's frozen on top, so you crunch and rock and hunt for ruts that already exist as you walk, or you teeter-totter across the surface, half-falling at every second step. While Cabal is happy in a world filled with sharp smells and frozen rivers, and he bounces over the ice and snow with joy.
***
Many years ago I discovered (via the currently hiatus-bound Fabulist) Jason Webley. I posted this a link to this song, Eleven Saints, a song Jason Webley wrote and performed with Jay Thompson...
Jason was pleased, and wrote to me to say thanks, and then, a couple of years ago, introduced me in email to his friend Amanda Palmer, with whom he was working on a project, as they worked to bring the music of two conjoined twin sisters they had discovered on the internet to the world. There were two songs out on the internet by the mysterious pair for a long time, but a new song, " A Campaign of Shock and Awe", crept out today: you can hear it at http://www.myspace.com/evelynevelyn. Highly recommended, and not just because of the, y'know, family connections.
...
Right. I do not want to be disturbed tonight. Maddy and I will be beginning our New Year's catch-up by watching the first part of Doctor Who 'The End of Time'.
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Heartwild Solitaire Classic: Free, Cheezy Bread, Free!
Jan. 5th, 2010 | 07:39 pm
posted by: smartromance
Combine romance short stories by some awesome authors, the addiction of solitaire and the appeal of beautiful graphics and you have one almighty unholy time suck. Seriously, some of you may never forgive me. I’m not even kidding.
For a limited time, Heartwild Solitaire Classic is available free for download from Orchid Games. Orchid asked seven romance authors to write short stories for the solitaire game, and if you win a game, you get to read one. Take a look at the list, yo:
“Clarissa and Hastings” by Sherry Thomas
“Fate” by Victoria Smith
“Last Words” by Megan Hart
“Price of Coffee” by Misty Simon
“The Six Of Hearts” by Kimber Chin
“Touchdown” by Natalie J. Damschroder
“When You Least Expect It” by Dee Tenorio
Oh, the PRESSURE. The game is PC and Mac compatible, too. How cool is that?! Act now while supplies last, and be sure to let me know how much time you used up- and how the stories are! I’m really busy over here… because I really suck at solitaire.
For a limited time, Heartwild Solitaire Classic is available free for download from Orchid Games. Orchid asked seven romance authors to write short stories for the solitaire game, and if you win a game, you get to read one. Take a look at the list, yo:
“Clarissa and Hastings” by Sherry Thomas
“Fate” by Victoria Smith
“Last Words” by Megan Hart
“Price of Coffee” by Misty Simon
“The Six Of Hearts” by Kimber Chin
“Touchdown” by Natalie J. Damschroder
“When You Least Expect It” by Dee Tenorio
Oh, the PRESSURE. The game is PC and Mac compatible, too. How cool is that?! Act now while supplies last, and be sure to let me know how much time you used up- and how the stories are! I’m really busy over here… because I really suck at solitaire.
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Scottish Highland Romances
Jan. 5th, 2010 | 03:43 pm
feeling: 
cheerful
music: Celtic A Capella
posted by: blackjesamine in romancenovels
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An Unlikely Setup by Margaret Watson
Jan. 5th, 2010 | 08:11 am
posted by: smartromance
Sometimes, a romance is like a souffle. It’s all delicate and airy: there’s some fat and egg white for structure, and it’s sweet and light, and it can be satisfying, if not the most rib-sticking, satisfying thing you’ve ever eaten. But sometimes, because it’s a souffle, one little thing will break it, and the whole puffy thing that until that moment was fun and simple and pleasing will collapse while you stare in horror because there is NO WAY THAT JUST HAPPENED.
An Unlikely Setup was following the path of one of my new favorite forms of category romance plot: girl returns to small rural town and finds community, home, and a really hot guy with a supremely excellent bum. Hot Bum is Quinn, who runs the local pub, and returning girl is Maddie, who has recently inherited the local pub building and a house from her godfather. She’s in deep financial trouble after losing her job as a reporter because she thought flipping houses would work as a way to earn money quickly - even borrowing money from her best friend’s IRA - and when the bottom fell out of the housing market, she found herself way, WAY under water.
I must say, financial idiocy is not admirable in a heroine, but I sort of admire the risk that the author took, because Maddie is fully cognizant of the fact that she has fucked up and is on the cusp of fucking up even more. She’s been dumb, but is still somewhat sharp, and hasn’t let her own idiocy get her down.
An Unlikely Setup was following the path of one of my new favorite forms of category romance plot: girl returns to small rural town and finds community, home, and a really hot guy with a supremely excellent bum. Hot Bum is Quinn, who runs the local pub, and returning girl is Maddie, who has recently inherited the local pub building and a house from her godfather. She’s in deep financial trouble after losing her job as a reporter because she thought flipping houses would work as a way to earn money quickly - even borrowing money from her best friend’s IRA - and when the bottom fell out of the housing market, she found herself way, WAY under water.
I must say, financial idiocy is not admirable in a heroine, but I sort of admire the risk that the author took, because Maddie is fully cognizant of the fact that she has fucked up and is on the cusp of fucking up even more. She’s been dumb, but is still somewhat sharp, and hasn’t let her own idiocy get her down.
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Reading, Writing, and Technology: Changing Readers and Reading
Jan. 4th, 2010 | 08:41 am
posted by: smartromance
I think it’s impossible to accurately determine HOW one influence has changed something WHILE that change is still ongoing. So while articles that attempt to determine how ebooks and digital connective technology have or will changed reading are interesting, such as this NPR article about digital reading and how it has changed reading and writing, I tend to read them with a very sizable grain of salt. (Thanks to Christine D. for the link.)
NPR’s article looks at the extra content and links inside digital books (which I don’t often see in the digital books I’m reading) and the phenomenon of cell phone and Twitter novels (which I haven’t read). But Lynn Neary’s article also looks at the way the writing has changed to capture our quick-to-distract reader’s eye:
Grossman thinks that tendency not to linger on the language also affects the way people react to a book when they are deciding whether to buy it: More purchases will be based on brief excerpts.
“It will be incumbent on novelists to hook readers right away,” says Grossman. “You won’t be allowed to do a kind of tone poem overture, you’re going to want to have blood on the wall by the end of the second paragraph. And I think that’s something writers will have to adapt to, and the challenge will be to use this powerfully narrative form, this pulpy kind of mode, to say important things.”
This is absolutely true of me. If a book does not grab me within the first 30 pages or so, or if something is bothering me about a character and there’s not enough else to hold me to the narrative, I have a few hundred other books queued up on the same device waiting to be read. I am not going to read more because I have other options of books to read. This is very different from the time when I did not have a digital reader with a few hundred books with me. I would keep reading because otherwise, I didn’t have much else to do on the bus, and commuting without reading is miserable for me.
(NPR.org’s examination comes also with a close up of Jeff Bezos’ Manic Monster Eye Expression [MMEE], which freaks me the hell out like damn and jack so don’t look at the picture at the top. Just look at Jane, there. Not at Jeff. Eep.)
NPR’s article looks at the extra content and links inside digital books (which I don’t often see in the digital books I’m reading) and the phenomenon of cell phone and Twitter novels (which I haven’t read). But Lynn Neary’s article also looks at the way the writing has changed to capture our quick-to-distract reader’s eye:
Grossman thinks that tendency not to linger on the language also affects the way people react to a book when they are deciding whether to buy it: More purchases will be based on brief excerpts.
“It will be incumbent on novelists to hook readers right away,” says Grossman. “You won’t be allowed to do a kind of tone poem overture, you’re going to want to have blood on the wall by the end of the second paragraph. And I think that’s something writers will have to adapt to, and the challenge will be to use this powerfully narrative form, this pulpy kind of mode, to say important things.”
This is absolutely true of me. If a book does not grab me within the first 30 pages or so, or if something is bothering me about a character and there’s not enough else to hold me to the narrative, I have a few hundred other books queued up on the same device waiting to be read. I am not going to read more because I have other options of books to read. This is very different from the time when I did not have a digital reader with a few hundred books with me. I would keep reading because otherwise, I didn’t have much else to do on the bus, and commuting without reading is miserable for me.
(NPR.org’s examination comes also with a close up of Jeff Bezos’ Manic Monster Eye Expression [MMEE], which freaks me the hell out like damn and jack so don’t look at the picture at the top. Just look at Jane, there. Not at Jeff. Eep.)
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Harlequin Reaches nearly 3 Million Free Books Downloaded in 2009
Jan. 3rd, 2010 | 10:55 pm
posted by: smartromance
As part of their 60th Anniversary year, Harlequin gave away 16 free titles and set a goal of putting a romance in the hands of over 1 million women.
I inquired at the end of the year as to the total number of downloads they received for their free book promotion, and got the final tally as soon as they’d finished counting: over 2.5 million romances were downloaded as of 29 December 2009.
That is numerically and romantically awesome. Way to go.
I inquired at the end of the year as to the total number of downloads they received for their free book promotion, and got the final tally as soon as they’d finished counting: over 2.5 million romances were downloaded as of 29 December 2009.
That is numerically and romantically awesome. Way to go.
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Kathleen Givens
Jan. 3rd, 2010 | 06:10 pm
posted by: smartromance
Sad news: author Kathleen Givens passed away suddenly over the weekend. Givens wrote historical fiction for Pocket, and her most recent release was Rivals for the Crown.
Our condolences to her family and friends, and to her fellow writers from the Whine Sisters author blog. In the comments, many people are recalling the first time they met her. It seems Ms. Givens met so many people in lines, bathroom queues or at RWA conferences - clearly she was one of the friendly, warm and welcoming people you meet at writer conferences, the kind with whom you find an instant friend. What a sad, sad loss.
Our condolences to her family and friends, and to her fellow writers from the Whine Sisters author blog. In the comments, many people are recalling the first time they met her. It seems Ms. Givens met so many people in lines, bathroom queues or at RWA conferences - clearly she was one of the friendly, warm and welcoming people you meet at writer conferences, the kind with whom you find an instant friend. What a sad, sad loss.
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Friday Videos Say: Happy New Year Bald Headed Women
Jan. 1st, 2010 | 08:09 am
posted by: smartromance
Monica sent this to me, and wrote, “We buried my aunt [recently], and when I posted it, [a friend] emailed me the link to his video. It’s got ‘tude just like I think you like it. *grin* I know my Mom (leukemia) and Aunt B (breast cancer) would have enjoyed the irreverent, kick ass attitude in this video.”
Amen to that. It’s a new year to kick cancer’s ass.
Amen to that. It’s a new year to kick cancer’s ass.
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Platinum Books
Dec. 31st, 2009 | 08:41 am
posted by: smartromance
The more I read and discover about how bookselling works, and how some folks want to change it while others want it to remain the same, the more mystified I am about certain elements of the sales and recognition system, most particularly the rubric of what constitutes success.
What constitutes great success in selling a book? Making a list. It’s not even making money, though that’s obviously an understood necessity. Everyone likes making money. But book sales success is making a list. Or, THE list (The New York Times, specifically).
From where I’m sitting, this has to be the most bizarre and short-sighted system in which to recognize an author and a book, topped only by closing one’s eyes and pointing at a bookshelf to pick Book of the Year.
What constitutes great success in selling a book? Making a list. It’s not even making money, though that’s obviously an understood necessity. Everyone likes making money. But book sales success is making a list. Or, THE list (The New York Times, specifically).
From where I’m sitting, this has to be the most bizarre and short-sighted system in which to recognize an author and a book, topped only by closing one’s eyes and pointing at a bookshelf to pick Book of the Year.
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Interview with Laura Clawson, Daily Kos Contributing Editor
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 08:58 am
posted by: smartromance
After seeing Laura Clawson‘s article about romance novels on Daily Kos, “Romance Reader, Unashamed” (and seeing the most awesome comment thread ever in terms of knowledge and enthusiasm) I had to get all nosy and beg Ms. Clawson for an interview. Behold!
Laura’s a contributing editor at Daily Kos, and a senior writer at Working America. Even better, she’s a romance fan - wait until you see her favorites list.
So what made you write this article about romance, sexual politics, discrimination and misogynist myths about romance?
Laura: I think that when the second Twilight movie came out I’d seen a resurgence of discussion of those books, with a lot of glancing comparisons to romance of the kind we’re all familiar with. There wasn’t one big moment where I said “I have to write about this,” but as I saw all these little slams I got progressively annoyed and it started marinating in my head to write something. It might almost be worse that people don’t feel like they have to go into detail about what’s wrong with romance, that the word alone can be used to discredit.
Laura’s a contributing editor at Daily Kos, and a senior writer at Working America. Even better, she’s a romance fan - wait until you see her favorites list.
So what made you write this article about romance, sexual politics, discrimination and misogynist myths about romance?
Laura: I think that when the second Twilight movie came out I’d seen a resurgence of discussion of those books, with a lot of glancing comparisons to romance of the kind we’re all familiar with. There wasn’t one big moment where I said “I have to write about this,” but as I saw all these little slams I got progressively annoyed and it started marinating in my head to write something. It might almost be worse that people don’t feel like they have to go into detail about what’s wrong with romance, that the word alone can be used to discredit.