Comments on: Confessions of a Professional Writer

By: Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:40:36 +0000

Kimberly, i have 136 pages of Robert’s story done. One day . . . .

And yes, I hate it when the hero is selfish, and yet no one seems to notice. I haven’t read that particular Feather book, though I’ve loved all of the ones I have read by her. I never would have thought she’d write a hero like that. How old is the book? Perhaps that’s it. They used to have a LOT of that in romances a long time ago.

By: Kimberly A. Winrotte

Kimberly A. Winrotte — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:16:54 +0000

I actually own OLL. I liked it. It would be great if you did Robert(personally my favorite character of the book) and Duncan’s(I am seriously tickled that he is the MacLean who started it all!) stories.

There have been a few books that totally irked me beyond belief but mostly it was due to the plot versus the characters. Venus by Jane Feather is definitely the number one book on my list of “Oh My Gosh, Are You F—–g Serious?”. I hated it. The hero’s purpose for the heroine was horrible and down-right disgusting to begin with and then the fact that she has to debase herself and basically offer herself up to the “villian” to get raped repeatedly(in a whorehouse, no less) for a week to save the hero, pissed me off. I think the point where I actually got fed up with the book and threw it across the room was at the end when the “hero” is dueling the villian and lets the bastard live.

Like I said, it irks me.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:56:28 +0000

I have gotten very picky over the years. And I’ve read everything I can get my hands on since I was ten. While I love a good romance, I have only a few authors that I read consistantly.

If the hero has no saving graces, besides his muscles and a handsome face, if he’s the SLIGHTEST bit abusive, I won’t buy the book. If they hate each other at first sight, same deal. Chemistry is not ‘I hate you, go away’ chemistry is ‘oh yes, come here,’ or at the very least, ‘hmm, come closer.’ I’m personally most fond of ‘hmm, come closer.’

Oh, yeah, if their first kiss is during an argument “he kissed her to shut her up and lost himself in the softness of her lips.” Even if the plot was acceptable until then, I’ll pitch the book, right there. That’s a deal breaker. Don’t believe it for a second, pushes me right out of the story.

I adore the new (to me) fantasy/gothic romance. but the same rules apply to them.

Love this blog!

By: Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:08:45 +0000

Santa, I don’t like that EWWWW factor, either. I didn’t care for that book of Heyer’s. It’s the only one I winced over, though I read it just because I liked the heroine. At least it ended well enough.

Sorta.

And thank you, I hope I get to revise it, too. i’d sell the book but I’m so deep in contract mode right now, I couldn’t honestly schedule it and you sort of need to know that while in contract negoiations. One day, perhaps, I will get to do the AFTER version to go with the BEFORE version.

Midas, oh yeess, the whiny character! I also dislike the Heroine Who Is Brave Though She Trembles. They don’t write those so often now, but you saw it a lot when I was younger.

Great discussion, guys! Thanks for your comments!

By: Midas

Midas — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:04:42 +0000

Yes, I have stopped reading a book because of whiny characters.

By: Santa

Santa — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:49:58 +0000

Oh, I forgot to say that I hope you do have the opportunity to tweek that first novel. I’d love to read both iterations. And the fact that you have the bones of a sequel always works for me!

By: Santa

Santa — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:48:58 +0000

Worst storyline for me involves a dolt of a duke who enters into a marriage of convience and not to his liking at all while pining away for some bit of fluff and is unfaithful to his wife to boot. BIG eeewwww factor for me. So, of course, what is the first Georgette Heyer book I pick up? ‘A Civil Contract’. Turned me off to her books for a looonnnggg time.

I have to say that I give new writers a fair shake. I also enjoy seeing them grow and improve as they publish more books. I don’t hold it against my auto-buy authors if they come up short.

Santa
Forseeing a solo trip to Borders this weekend…..

By: Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:28:48 +0000

doglady, I’m the same way — my son would have been facing a MUCH testier mother if it hadn’t been for Julia’s book! It’s FABULOUS and every time I had a difficult moment today, I’d sneak off and read some of it.

Brava, Julia! Another winnah!

By: doglady

doglady — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:21:34 +0000

Just a little note! Read Julia’s Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount today. One of your very best, Julia. I loved it. As I read at work – during breaks and lunch – your wonderful book saved the lives of MANY, MANY customers and employees in the Wal-Mart bakery today. As long as I can retreat to one of the magical worlds you ladies create, my sanity remains intact … not too violent …. not certifiable ….. hanging on by a stronger thread???

By: Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:22:46 +0000

Conflict is tough, especially for people like me who just enjoy life so much better when we all get along. BUT it is also what truly drives a story – and characters – forward. An editor once told me that a story is like a wave in the ocean and it is never more interesting than when it’s crashing against the rocks in a truly spectacular manner.

Over my writing life, I have had to learn to embrace conflict and let it crash against the rocks now and then.