tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post492371402463235568..comments2023-11-03T05:49:10.841-04:00Comments on Storytelling Rules: Bonnets and BeesMaureen McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-30278555707564736482008-06-18T09:59:00.000-04:002008-06-18T09:59:00.000-04:00I SO agree that if your novel is a romance, call i...I SO agree that if your novel is a romance, call it a romance. Sure, it might not impress hoity toity literary buddies but you'll more than make up for it with warm fuzzies from the very supportive romance community.<BR/><BR/>Wylie, someone told me that my first novel Breach Of Trust is erotica. I don't think it is (because my publisher prides herself on resisting the dollar lure of erotica) but if it makes folks happy to slot it in that category than darn it, it is erotica.<BR/><BR/>I simply write the books. I'll let someone else shelf them.Kimber Chinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13658012405712901099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-3129217079583815702008-06-13T15:32:00.000-04:002008-06-13T15:32:00.000-04:00Yes, Kathy... it really does remind me of the earl...Yes, Kathy... it really does remind me of the early days of that chick lit chapter. Hopefully it doesn't lead to another melt down like happened there... I should stop posting on that loop and keep my trap shut here, too. Only going to fuel people's fires...Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-13047316602627868022008-06-13T14:31:00.000-04:002008-06-13T14:31:00.000-04:00All excellent points, Maureen. I was a member of t...All excellent points, Maureen. I was a member of this group before it was RWA-approved and I was thinking about rejoining but I'm not sure it's for me.<BR/><BR/>I saw the same thing when the Chick Lit chapter was first formed - I was excited to have the focus be on chick lit but so many members were romance authors not writing chick lit - and I think there's a difference.<BR/><BR/>Interesting point, too, about knowing if your book isn't selling because of the genre or the writing or the market or what, exactly, the problem is.<BR/><BR/>I have many problems with contests, but I don't need to list them here. :)<BR/><BR/>What other brilliant points did you make that I was going to mention? Oh, just all of them. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-68408621900233331882008-06-13T10:58:00.000-04:002008-06-13T10:58:00.000-04:00I'm unpublished and the 'us vs them' picture came ...I'm unpublished and the 'us vs them' picture came across clearly to me as well. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for that rant, Molly. I continue to hear comments from my unpubbed author friends like, 'Oh, I shouldn't do a flashback or 'they' say not to begin with a prologue' or 'I worry about multiple povs.' <BR/><BR/>So many rules stifle the imagination if you concentrate on them more than your own style.<BR/><BR/>I was reading a Greg Iles thriller recently and was struck by its Romantic elements. This niche business could become a monster. lolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-61202607830989548302008-06-12T23:14:00.000-04:002008-06-12T23:14:00.000-04:00M. Yup... I like the term light women's fiction SO...M. <BR/><BR/>Yup... I like the term light women's fiction SO much better, anyway. Sadly, changing the name of the genre didn't open up the market. But I've heard from a few places, the tide might be turning. Let's hope.<BR/><BR/>Wylie. <BR/><BR/>LOL Sadly I think this is a controversy largely in my own mind. :-) I just felt like the attitude of a vocal minority in this chapter was wack. (Wack. Am I cool or what?)Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-14915154823254622512008-06-12T21:29:00.000-04:002008-06-12T21:29:00.000-04:00Hey - anything taking the sh*tstorm away from erot...Hey - anything taking the sh*tstorm away from erotic romance vs porn has my gratitude *tee hee*<BR/>Let the in-fighting begin!Wylie Kinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-34731424291003960792008-06-12T15:12:00.000-04:002008-06-12T15:12:00.000-04:00food for thought.a friend forwarded a recent agent...food for thought.<BR/><BR/>a friend forwarded a recent agent blog post about how the term chicklit '...is dead - feel free to remove from your writer's terminology'. apparently, now there is simply women's fiction, light or regular flavor. who knew?M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-77727042932629083312008-06-12T10:49:00.000-04:002008-06-12T10:49:00.000-04:00Great post, Maureen! RE is a tricky one to define,...Great post, Maureen! RE is a tricky one to define, as are some of the other genres out there. <BR/><BR/>At first I was classifying my manuscript as chick lit. Then I started calling it a contemporary romance, and even entered it in an online contest as such. The agent running the contest said it sounded more like women's fiction, so now that's what I'm calling it.<BR/><BR/>And personally, I think you did a great job of doing the contest categories. Spelled it all out really well.Annette Gallanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17139138912473286143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-27234868088646804802008-06-12T10:01:00.000-04:002008-06-12T10:01:00.000-04:00Sing it Maureen!I'm leery of any writer's group wh...Sing it Maureen!<BR/><BR/>I'm leery of any writer's group whose members concentrate more on what's wrong with the industry that isn't allowing them to sell thier book, rather than what writers can do to improve thier chances of selling books.<BR/><BR/>Every group needs to have the freedom to rant and rave and nash teeth -- but in the end if the group isn't offering you ways to get better and is only letting you wallow in the frustration -- time to go. <BR/><BR/>If a book is really groundbreaking, really different it's going to get rejections, but it's going to get rejections with feedback. And someone somewhere is going to love it - but probably not in a contest.<BR/><BR/>I think going on L.A.'s point that Elements has become a destination -- RWA has niched it's niches. We're niche crazy, trying to find a place for everyone and every book - and Maureen is right - so much of it is just for the contestsMolly O'Keefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15171236688541657736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-79706813873763812462008-06-12T08:47:00.000-04:002008-06-12T08:47:00.000-04:00Well said, Maureen!Well said, Maureen!Maria Geracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02296473703226019932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-42239290175020420372008-06-12T00:55:00.000-04:002008-06-12T00:55:00.000-04:00Marilyn, I don't think the chapter's board is tryi...Marilyn, I don't think the chapter's board is trying to do this, but they've basically said anyone writing anything can call it RE if they want to. Which I guess is fine. And I'm sure the people I'm ranting about are just a vocal minority... But it's getting annoying.<BR/><BR/>Some people were taking umbrage with contest coordinators who make up their own definitions for the category... defining it "wrong" which I supposed I did for the Toronto Romance Writers contest... Because my definition made more sense and was clearer to me. :-) And I'm running it. So there.Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-37095560268247559492008-06-11T21:31:00.000-04:002008-06-11T21:31:00.000-04:00Love it when you rant. Lots of people are looking ...Love it when you rant. <BR/>Lots of people are looking for reasons why their work don't sell, and the market is a really easy reason, far better than really working on our weaknesses and getting better. <BR/>The market is tough right now, but the right book, no matter what the romance mix will sell in time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-23043645544793549522008-06-11T16:50:00.000-04:002008-06-11T16:50:00.000-04:00Ah, I love a good rant! I know absolutely nothing ...Ah, I love a good rant! I know absolutely nothing about "romantic elements" as a separate genre. I kinda just figured it was mainly written for a genre other than romance, but since it had a hint of romance in it, the marketing gurus decided to maximize on the popularity of the romance genre and double their potential readership. <BR/><BR/>I didn't realize that it was more than just a sales tool, that we had actually gotten an RWA Chapter devoted to it.J.K. Coihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09890728169343650544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-26998516438856686502008-06-11T16:16:00.000-04:002008-06-11T16:16:00.000-04:00Enjoyed your rant, Maureen.I really liked several ...Enjoyed your rant, Maureen.<BR/><BR/>I really liked several people involved in the formation of the Elements chapter and was very curious about it last year...but, ultimately, I didn't join because one of the posts I read came across as very "us" vs. "them"--and I'd been dealing with enough divisiveness in some of my other groups :).<BR/><BR/>Interesting that it's kind of gone the other way now with this attempt to include traditional romantic plots within the category. I didn't know about this...Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-61041739043085888672008-06-11T15:46:00.000-04:002008-06-11T15:46:00.000-04:00I could see the steam from down here :) I, too, h...I could see the steam from down here :) I, too, have watched the Elements discussion unfold. I think it's human nature to want to fit in to a niche and be able to define what that is. The mere fact that Elements has now become a niche has made it a destination. Does that make sense? Good, explain it to me :)L.A. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11729129827211991040noreply@blogger.com