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Thank you for the words of comfort here and through email. I'm sorry I can't answer every one of them at this time, but please know that I appreciate your reaching out to me. It's strange how you never know how much space your loved one has taken of your heart till he is gone. My heart aches.
But I'm doing okay. So.
Let's see, while I've been preoccupied, what was preoccupying the world(s) I walk in, eh?
For those in the know:
1) Sometimes it's best not to say a word when under fire. I lurv you, Sherrilyn Kenyon.
I'm not doing any links to this particular trainwreck that has been occupying the blogosphere for the last few days, but just google "big ass swan hat" and "costumes at RWA nationals." If you want to waste away an entire day of your life, there is a comment thread that's 634 comments long in a popular blog out there. Over a swan hat and two pairs of stockings on three authors.
Question: Should I worry every time I put on a big ass swan hat that I'm giving ammo to the critics of my genre, bringing back memories of Barbara Cartland and her pink poodles? Check out these old publicity photos of eight very famous authors in 1981:
EIGHT WHO WRITE OF LOVE FOR MONEY
You see what I mean now?
OTOH, today's readers are more "diverse" because the genre has spider-webbed into other genres (there was no urban fantasy in 1981, sweeties, and a heroine sleeping with more than one man/specy would have gotten your books banished from romancedom). What IS the face of romance, barring the stupid intelligentsia who insists on bringing up Fabio with every discussion? So thirty years ago. But. The image persists. It doesn't bother ME, but it bothers a heck of a lot of people, very, very smart people who defend this genre at every opportunity.
I admire them, truly I do. Nobody wants to be looked down upon, especially by their loved ones at home, who mock them of reading "trash." I have no solution to this dilemma, since I have never been in their position. Hey, I'm a roofer. My workers can barely read. And my other friends are supportive and friendly about my writing. They may make fun of the love scenes once in a while, but I've never felt a need to defend myself. I just ask them whether they thought reading the love scenes was hotter than watching McDreamy slipping off Mere-Death's panties on TV.
2) For those who wish to know why Karin Slaughter's wishing herpes on any reader who tell anyone about how her latest book ends:
Quoting specifically from her site: "© Karin Slaughter. Please do not copy, duplicate or otherwise disseminate any of the contents of this letter. If you do, you are a total jackass and I hope you get herpes."
Since her letter starts right after that warning I'm hoping my quoting those lines exclude me from jackassdom and herpes.
YOU CLICK ON THIS LINK, YOU'RE AGREEING TO READ ABOUT ITS CONTENTS THAT MIGHT CAUSE YOU STRESS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK WITH ITS SHOCKING ENDING.
http://karinslaughter.com/spoiler/spoiler.doc
3) Talking about shocking endings, was there really one in the last saga of Harry Potter? Were you really shocked? I mean, at least there's no shocking death of a major character, is there?
Question: Regardless whether it's a romance or not, how do you feel when an author in whom you've invested, oh, ten books of your time and love kills off the beloved characters (say, Harry himself)? Would you feel horrified? Disgusted? To the point of needing to scream at the author? Lest you think what an author does to his/her character shouldn't affect the readership (and sales), let me bring up the example that when Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in 1893 in a story published in Strand magazine, TWENTY THOUSAND upset readers cancelled their subscriptions.
So. What if J.D.Robbs killed off Roarke in Book #44 because it was time to push Eve's growth? Are you hyperventilating yet?
It does happen in romance books. Lately, there seems to be a trend. One I remember that brought about passionate cries from readers is Cameron Dean's vampire series. She killed off the hero in Book Three after two very hot books of hero/heroine growth. There was carnage in the forums, let me tell you. For those who loved this series, did Ash's death bother you?
For myself, I readily admit that I'm a romantic. I have enough pain from the real deaths of loved ones; I don't need to read about my beloved fictional characters' deaths too. Yes, me hypocrite, since I kill people, especially bad guys, in my books ;-). But I'm not going to invest my soul into creating the loving relationship of two people for a few books and then destroy it with a violent death. Why be cruel to myself and my readers?
And oh, I learned a new Web acronym. YMMV (Your mileage may vary).
YMMV, of course.
Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
6 comments:
I read the brouhaha that you mentioned and the funny thing is, you wouldn't have to defned yourself to the critics of your genre, it's people within the genre who are in an uproar because they're worried what critics think. It's totally ridiculous! I know my reaction to the swan hat was, dang, I wish I would have seen it. I am hundred percent behind Sherri!
As for killing off of fave characters, I am also a hundred percent against. I don't care about character or plot development. I need a happily ever after!
With few exceptions, I hate to see characters I care about get killed off. It feels like you've been set up, tricked and it's hard to finish reading the book. The only exception for me was when JR Ward killed off one of her characters. I had to admit the only reason that it didn't bother me was that I had suspected it from the beginning and never got emotionally invested in this person. But otherwise, it's very upsetting. Kind of makes you feel cheated somehow.
I have few wants when I read a book besides a great story and intriguing characters: I want the loose threads to be tied, all the "whys" to be answered, and the ending to be happy. If I want real life I put the book down.
I hate it when author's kill off the h or H in romances, *or* books with strong romantic threads. Yeah, I know this should be the exception because it's *not* a romance, but if the author has set up the story (or series of books) so that I'm emotionally invested in the characters relationship and then kills off one or both of them?! Well, hell yeah I'm gonna be pissed.
I can think of two general fiction (or literature, if you will) that were so well written and engrossing and both had a strong romantic thread with really interesting characters. The author killed off the hero part way through one book (it was the heroine's journey. natch) and in the other book, the couple were a secondary couple (while it would take several books for the main couple to hook up) I was still pissed. In both cases, I put the books down and never picked them up again to this day.
I've read the first of Karin's books, liked it enough to pick up one or two more in the series. They remain in my tbr pile.
Valerie Sherwood, you rock!!!! I still remember "These Golden Pleasures* Fab photos link, loved the Rosemary Rogers one too!
As for killing off characters, not cool at all. I'd go so far as to say I won't read them again... nearly did not pick up the 2nd Lillith Saintcrow. As you mentioned, there is enough ass going on in the world and in our lives without having to read about it thanks all the same. If I wanted to that, I'd read some **top ten** junk that feels the only real meaning in life is through experiencing death. Poop. I think it is much harder to just "choose life" as the great George Michael would say!!!
I totally am in agreement about killing off beloved characters. Leilani mentioned JR Ward, and though I knew it was coming, it was no less heartbreaking because in the short time we got to know the character, I became attached. Craziness I know, but there you have it. And killing off a hero/heroine in book 3 or 10 or whatever is uncalled for, I don't care what the reasoning is. I've read the spoilers for Slaughter's series because I haven't read the books, but boy, would I be P.O.'d. True, she defends the decision because she says she doesn't write romance, but still, what a knife in the back. Give me my HEA anyday.
Leiha,
Sometimes too many words can kill a point ;-).
I cannot take deaths of main characters in a relationship. It's depressing! Umberto Foucault's Foucault's Pendulum is one of my most favorite mainstream novels and I hated the ending. I only forgive him because it didn't end in a death, only the knowing of impending doom. But still, wahhhh!
Leilani,
Yeah, as a writer, I sort of picked up that Wellsie was going, even in the first book. Why would one brother be happily married while the rest gets their stories? Nah. ;-/
Jaye,
If it's done right, yeah, maybe. But after ten books, I would probably not continue. Like I said, I'm a romantic.
Sarah,
But a few of those pictures made quite a number of people groan because that's NOT what they want the romance industry to be portrayed. Imagine La Nora splayed temptingly in six heels silver heels on a satin bed! She would snarl. LOL. And those dead animals around the neck...shudder! LOL.
Stacy,
Not writing a romance isn't an excuse. Writing beloved characters mean you're intrinsically asking your readers to invest their emotions into them. Like I pointed out, when Sherlock Holmes was killed off, 20,000 people unsubscribed that magazine. People are emotional like that!
As for Lilith Saintcrow, I love those books! I was sad the death in the second book but you know what? I think he might come back in another form ;-). Just speculation, of course.
Now those books were done RIGHT. It was the first book and then the second. I was shocked but not fully invested. Does that make sense?
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