Rocki’s post on Tuesday asking if there was a double-standard in romance elicited a groundswell of responses from MSW readers. Some of the comments were particularly noteworthy, so I’d suggest if you haven’t read the blog you do so.
The primary theme of the blog was whether readers had a double standard in romance vis-a-vis the hero and heroine. That heroines are held to a higher standard than heroes. We forgive heroes for sleeping around, playing the field, having oodles of sexual experience–but if the heroine has more than one or two lovers (and they should be steady lovers, perhaps even a fiance thrown in there, because that would make having sex more acceptable for our heroines) then readers turn on her. That slut.
Heroines can be brave, but they can’t be proactive in a dangerous situation otherwise they are deemed TSTL. A hero, on the other hand, who runs into a burning building to save a child is, well, a hero.
The comments to Rocki’s post were also interesting, highlighting how women treat women. The cattiness. The backstabbing. The backhanded compliments (that Lori discussed yesterday.) I did remember a slight that had been irritating me–but it was directed at my oldest daughter. Katie is an athlete. She has a great body, is physically fit, has defined muscles, and has practice or works out daily. One of her closest friends is always making comments about Katie’s weight, either implying or outright stating that she’s “fat” or “chunky.” WTF? Fortunately, my daughter is far too confident and grounded to believe it, but it irritates her.
And I can’t help wonder why this non-violent aggression by women to women exists. I could cite examples, but we all have them, don’t we? Times where we’ve given, times where we’ve received. There were several comments that struck home to me:
AMALIA: I would suggest that it is perhaps instinctive for women to appreciate the Alpha male. Also, by that same logic, perhaps the problem we have with strong Heroines is that they are Competition for the best protection/food supply. If they simper, we know we can elbow them out of the way and take over!
ALY: I can only echo what so many have already said about women being the worst critics of other women. Think about the constant argument of Working vs. SAH moms. These arguments get so vicious! And instead of just agreeing to disagree or finding some common ground, the women have to beat each other down. Unfortunately, I think because women have had to fight for so much for so long, that we no longer see other women as comrades in our fight but as enemies that are in our way. And in my opinion, this fracture has helped perpetuate the double standard.
LORI: Women. NEVER men. Let me repeat that. I’ve NEVER had a man approach me and say, “Gee, I really liked the book, but I wish your character wouldn’t swear so much. Or drink so much. Or pistol whip people so much.”
I also found it interesting that Rocki, and most of the commenters who write, have a harder time with their heroine than their heroes (those who write romances.) I don’t. My heroines are so much easier for me. So I started thinking about why that was.
Sophie and Lori both write a series with a strong female lead. These aren’t romances, though there may be a romantic interest. And even they are getting flak for their straight-shooting, foul-mouthed, violent females. But probably not as much as a romance writer. I haven’t gotten much flak, either–and I finally figured out why. My heroines are in professions the average reader already equates as a “male profession” (I say this very loosely!) like cops, FBI agents, private investigators. A heroine who is a cop can get away with more than a heroine who is, for example, a museum curator.
My heroes and heroines are a TEAM. From day one. Men and women have strengths and weaknesses, and they can compliment each other when they work as a TEAM. That became so clear to me writing my Seven Deadly Sins series because Rafe and Moira must work together to defeat the demon–neither is stronger than the other. I use “stronger” to mean all-around stronger, not just brute strength. The average man has a greater capacity to gain physical strength than the average woman–but in the brain department, we all have the same potential.
My big pet peeve is alpha heroes. I know, I’m going to be kicked out of the romance community! It’s not the cops or military guys, but the brutes. I’ve skimmed some message boards that have me scratching my head at readers who forgive a hero for manhandling the heroine, or think the heroine is an idiot because she’s not caving to the hero’s will. I don’t get it. I just don’t get the allure of assholes. (Yes, I know that one woman’s asshole is another woman’s alpha . . . )
The hardest heroines for me to write are those NOT in law enforcement or a similar profession. Though Julia Chandler in SEE NO EVIL was my first “other” heroine, she was still a prosecutor who is still connected. It was really Robin McKenna in KILLING FEAR who was the biggest challenge for me. A former stripper who now owns a nightclub. How could I make her a strong heroine? I struggled with her greatly.
Female cops aren’t generally in the TSTL category because they are trained to face hostile situations. Strippers, on the other hand, have a much higher threshold. And now I realize why–I am as guilty as everyone else. I struggle to create a strong, believable heroine who doesn’t have the automatic authority to BE a strong heroine. Because I know that if she steps off the reservation and is too bold or too independent or too strong-willed, readers will hate her.
This is why I write romantic suspense with a strong emphasis on law enforcement. Maybe it’s just a little bit easier because I can create a strong heroine who isn’t going to be called a bitch by readers. And ultimately, that’s where we are. Reader expectations, which are drawn on reader lives and values–which mirror ours because writers are readers too. We’re all guilty of double-standards. And I don’t know how to fix it, no matter how unfair it is. It starts young. Drama in school starts the day the kids cross into the classroom–and it doesn’t end when we graduate.
What do you think? Are law enforcement heroines cut more slack? Who is one of your favorite non-law enforcement (i.e. “regular, everyday profession) heroine? Why?
Tonight I finished watching LIFE, a two-season television show starring Damian Lewis on NBC. It was cancelled, but somehow that seems to happen a lot with some of my favorite shows.
I can tell you why it was cancelled. 1) There was little action for a police drama. 2) It was too different (for a police drama) for network audiences (I suspect if it was on the WB of FOX it wouldn’t have been cancelled.) 3) It was subtle.
The premise of LIFE is simple, but don’t let the simplicity of a good log line fool you into thinking it was a simple show. A cop goes to prison for 12 years for a crime he didn’t commit. When exonerated, he’s given $50 million in restitution–and his job back.
Intrigued? I was, thanks to Toni who clued me into this series a few weeks ago.
When most people think of police drama, they think Law & Order. Hill Street Blues. CSI. They expect highs and lows, gun fights and car chases and clear good guys and bad guys. Viewer expectations in television are as important as reader expectations in genre fiction. LIFE was different, and because it was network television–the big guys–they didn’t quite know how to do different. But it’s not really their fault, it’s (again) viewer expectation: network television + crime drama = action.
What makes LIFE a brilliant show is, in fact, it’s subtly. Dialogue is crucial, but even more important than the dialogue is the actors themselves–how they react to what is laid out before them. How they see it, how they think about it, how they work through the puzzle.
I’d never seen Damian Lewis act before, but he was perfectly cast as Charlie Crews. While most viewers might expect him to turn violent when he confronts the men who framed him, his internal battle is clearly shown in his expression. Not all actors could pull this off. But the writers and creators are as much to credit with this as the actors. When Charlie crosses the line, what would be unacceptable is now acceptable. We are with him, we understand him, even when he doesn’t talk his trauma to death. The subtly of action–and the clues that the still waters run very deep (pardon the cliche)–makes the show a bit too “smart” for the casual viewer.
I’m not saying that television viewers aren’t smart–believe me, I’m a tv addict. I love good television. I have multiple shows going on now–HEROES, FRINGE (which I suspect will be cancelled), L&O SVU, CASTLE, SUPERNATURAL, and my daughters and I are half-way through season 4 of BUFFY. But for a mass audience, there is a certain formula for success. High stakes. Action. Love. Betrayal. Hate. Irony. Puzzles. While LIFE had a crime that was investigated and solved in every episode, it also had an overarching plot that was threaded through every episode. If you didn’t watch it from the beginning, you might be lost.
Consider THE X-FILES (Fox) and SUPERNATURAL (WB) and BUFFY (WB). All three shows have “stand alone” episodes, and their over-arching storyline is easy to understand even if you missed a few. (SUPERNATURAL seasons 4 and 5 went away from that–they are hard to follow if you haven’t been there from at least the beginning of season 4, maybe 3, but they still have the stand-alones.) But . . . they were all on “off” networks. Networks who could survive with smaller audiences–niche audiences.
Ok, going back to the show. All the characters were strong, but LIFE was Charlie Crews. Donald Maass says in FIRE IN FICTION:
“An aura of greatness comes foremost not from who a given character may be, but from the profound impact that character has on others.”
When I think about why Charlie Crews was such a great character, I could focus on the details of the characterization–his love of fruit (he couldn’t eat fresh fruit in prison.) How he would use his siren and authority to pull over his ex-wife’s new husband (she thought he was guilty, divorced him and remarried.) His affinity for Zen philosophy or his odd comments that have us tilted our head quizzically just like his partner, Dani Reese (who represents us, the viewer, the outsider, in so many ways.)
But Charlie wasn’t a great character because of his idiosyncrasies. He wasn’t a great character by the characterization–the combination of writing and acting. He was a great character because of how HE impacted those around him.
A catalyst is: “a person or thing that causes a change.”
Technically, a catalyst is something that causes a change that is in and of itself not affected. But I like this definition from the online Free Dictionary:
“A substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process.”
Putting the chemical relationship aside, consider your hero (in this case Charlie Crews) as a catalyst. To be a true hero, they must increase the action/reaction/stakes but not be consumed–diminished–or destroyed in the process. They must create something better than themselves to be a hero. Solve a crime without becoming a criminal. Save a life without taking another. Save the world without dying themselves.
A true catalyst changes those around them. They become better–bigger–happier–than they were before they met the catalyst. Every person Charlie Crews came in contact with was changed . . . even while Charlie remained the same. The major characters–his partner, his captain, his former partner, his former prison-mates–were of course impacted and became better people because of how Charlie interacted with their lives. But even the minor characters–the crime survivors, for example–were better off because of something that Charlie gave of himself to them–that didn’t change Charlie himself. And I think that’s so important in fiction.
Characters must have an impact on the world around them. They don’t live in a bubble. Every action has a reaction; every choice has consequences.
Toni emailed me last week and said she’d just finished watching the Season Two finale (and the end of the series) and wanted to talk about it with me. Now I know why. It was truly the single best ending to a series I’ve seen. Everything came full-circle. We had the answers, but nothing was laid out on a silver platter. We did have to work for it. And Charlie changed in some ways, but he was never consumed or diminished by the process. He could have been–he should have been–but he was a hero.
This is one series I’ll be watching again, from the beginning.
If you want to talk about LIFE, I’m game! Or if you have another larger than life character from books or television or movies that may be overlooked as a pitch-perfect character, tell us who and why.
Last year it was Cherry Adair. We were both at the Emerald City Writers conference and she told me about this new show called FRINGE and I absolutely had to watch it. Those of you who know Cherry understand that excuses are not accepted, so she really didn’t pay attention when I explained I didn’t have time to add a new show on my watch list. And I was admittedly intrigued by the concept. It took me awhile to buy it on iTunes. Half the season was over. I thought, okay just one episode.
Now I’m waiting weekly for the new episode. Rumors of it being cancelled because of low ratings has me panicking.
Then it was Anna Stewart, my friend and president of the Sacramento Valley Rose chapter of RWA. This time it was CASTLE. (Anna also turned me onto VERONICA MARS but I started watching it after knowing it was canceled so I went in knowing there were only three seasons.) At the same time Anna recommended CASTLE, our Toni said I had to watch it. In fact, there was a buzz among the writing community because Rick Castle is a writer on perpetual ride-along with a NY City detective.
Initially, I enjoyed the premise and since I love Nathan Fillion (the idiot Hollywood move to in canceling FIREFLY is second only to the idiot move of canceling VERONICA MARS) I had to watch. But they lost me after five or six episodes for many of the reasons former cop Lee Lofland mentions on his humorous and stinging blog. But my mom said season two was really good, so I caved and bought it, and she was right–it was much better than season one. There are still many problems with the stories, but for me it’s a guilty pleasure. I mean, Nathan Fillion! And I love his relationship with his daughter.
Well, blame Toni this time. She emailed me a week or so ago about a canceled show called LIFE. Two seasons, that’s it. Not too much of an investment in time. On her recommendation, I downloaded season one.
One week later I had finished watching all eleven season one episodes and downloaded season two.
(Damn you Toni!)
Among my other current favorite shows are HEROES, SUPERNATURAL and LAW & ORDER SVU. I have the first episodes downloaded for WHITE COLLAR, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and THE PRISONER to see if these are shows I would like . . . but I hesitate to start watching them. I’m also intrigued by THE GOOD WIFE. I loved the defense attorney show MURDER ONE (again, canceled after two seasons–a total shame) and have been waiting for another good one, and THE GOOD WIFE has an intriguing premise (wife of corrupt and adulterous politician who goes to prison and she has to reclaim her life for her children by going back to her former career as a defense attorney at a prestigious firm.)
I was thinking about why these shows all intrigue me. CASTLE with it’s bad police procedure and FRINGE with it’s oddities. HEROES has had some ups and downs–but mostly ups.
It comes down to one thing. I could say the cool premises, but those are just hooks. A cool premise is nothing without a good story to back it up. I could say the actors–I mean Nathan Fillion and Joshua Jackson and Milo Ventimiglia and Jared Padalecki! What’s not to like? I would be close. I could say the writers–and I would be closer. The writers of the shows I’ve mentioned are truly talented–the stories are by and large compelling.
But the single common denominator in all these shows is Character.
The talent of the actors plays a role as does the skill of the writers and creativity of the story creators. But all that together combines to give me the one thing I have to have when I invest time in a television series.
Good characters.
The movie AVATAR confirmed this truth for me. AVATAR had a cool premise, absolutely incredible CGI, fantastic music, and some good actors. I did appreciate the movie for the visual and auditory theater. The world building was fantastic. But–and this is a big BUT–the characters were weak. Sure, there were a few other irritating aspects–like with THE DARK KNIGHT, I was intensely frustrated during the last 25 minutes when the writers felt the need to beat the moral of the movie over my head. I got it already. I’m not an idiot. I suspect that SUBTLE is not in any of the writer’s vocabulary. But the single greatest problem with the move was with character. Every damn one of them a stereotype. The tortured hero (literally–he had no use of his legs); the villain, a military commander who promised surgery if the hero helped feed information back about the Navi (the native people)–a villain who was so rotten to the core that he became comic. The brainless soldiers just following orders–like NO ONE questioned the guy? At the climax I would have been much more satisfied if half the soldiers (all American soldiers) turned on their obviously insane commander and refused to follow orders of annihilating an entire race of people. Seriously, if the guy was charismatic or had a soft side or gave a compelling argument as to why they needed the minerals under the Navi’s home tree, then I could understand EVERYONE following him. But it was all “we have to kill them because they’re like animals.” Pul-eeze. More stereotypes? The noble, smart, tough scientist. (Played by the very talented Sigourney Weaver.) The tough female pilot who is the ONLY ONE who seems to have a brain questions the morality of genocide. And then there’s the Navi themselves–the heroine, who’s the daughter of the head chief of the tribe. The warrior she’s supposed to marry (but of course she falls for the hero.) The shaman character (the heroine’s mother.) There was not one character that wasn’t a two-dimensional stereotype.
It was after seeing AVATAR on Saturday that I realized what I need in every show I watch–at the movies or on television. Characters. Real characters, people who I believe exist. In film this means a symbiotic relationship between the writer, the actor, and the director. All needs to come together to create someone I believe could exist. Rick Castle–he’s real to me. While I need to suspend disbelief on the premise of the show, he makes it easier for me to do just that. I mean, what if Lee Child wanted to play ride-a-long with NYPD? I can totally picture it
HEROES is another fantastic example of over-the-top but real characters. Peter Petrelli is the “hero” of the show (in my mind)–he’s the moral core. He has flaws, namely acting without thinking, but he always acts for the right reasons (as he knows them.) He makes mistakes, but at his core he is a good person. Everyone else is on the scale of good to bad, but I can see why they do what they do. Their goals, motivations, and conflicts are REAL. I believe them. Even with all the over-the-top scenarios and the fantastical elements, at the core the show is about how ordinary people deal with extraordinary talents.
LIFE, my newest “acquisition,” seems to be low budget and other than the premise (cop goes to prison for 12 years for a crime he didn’t commit–he’s released with a huge multi-million dollar settlement–yet goes back to work. A great twist on THE FUGITIVE.) But the character of Charlie Crews is so compelling. He’s so controlled, due to his years of reading and listening to zen tapes. He is quirky–his obsession with fruit, his huge house without furniture, his odd comments–and you wonder how he could be so calm after spending 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Then he does something spontaneous–but totally in character–like tossing the zen tape out of the window of his fast-moving car. He’s walking a fine line as he breaks laws and rules to find out the truth about who framed him and why. The other characters are good as well, though perhaps a little on the stereotypical side. Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) carries the show. His partner is also good. I thought she was going to be a stereotype, but over the first season she grew into something more.
Characters become friends . . . and enemies. We become attached to them, we care about them. We love them, we hate them, we bite our nails because of them. But we CARE. We want the bad guys to get what’s coming to them, we want the good guys to win, we want justice for victims and hope for the future. And we want that because we care about the people involved. And in fiction? That means character.
Sometimes, I’m at a loss of what to say. Those who know me well are laughing right now–Allison can always find something to say! But this week is upside down. It’s release week. I’m woefully behind on my schedule. I’d planned on going out to local stores and signing stock today, but didn’t because I’m reworking the last 100 pages of CARNAL SIN, my July release. And I’m not done, so tomorrow, no stock signings either. And I’d wanted to get a newsletter out Tuesday, to announce that ORIGINAL SIN is on sale . . . but that, too, fell by the wayside because of these revisions. And this morning I woke up with a mild sore throat. I’m fighting it with zinc and Airborne (take THAT you damn germs!) and so far . . . it hasn’t gotten worse. That’s a plus!
There are always so many things I want to do release week, but there’s that little thing of only 24 hours a day. And this Tuesday, the day my book came out, we had back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back (yes, five) basketball games. I made it to three and a half–catching both my daughters, the varsity boys and half the younger middle school team. And in between games, I had my laptop out–that not-so-insignificant issue that I need to fix the ending of CARNAL SIN.
And tonight Dan had a meeting and I had to do double-duty on practice drop-off and pick-up, so didn’t sit back down at the computer until 10 pm.
So you can see that thinking what I should write about is hard. As I often do when I get stuck, I look at my bookshelves. Sound weird? Well sometimes just staring at the books filling my shelves I can come up with an idea.
It didn’t work this time. So I looked at my desk. I have one stack of my Rita books–seven books, but I’ve already read two so I’m happy. Then another stack–with included a copy of ORIGINAL SIN (because I always pre-order a copy from both Amazon and BN.com–I’ve done it with every release and I think I’m a bit superstitious because I fear if I DON’T pre-order it’ll jinx it. I know, I know–dumb. But there you go.)
The book on top of ORIGINAL SIN is THE NEXT BEST THING by Kristan Higgins. I discovered Kristan when she entered the RITAs and I judged her book (I know, we’re not supposed to say anything, but this was two or three years ago and she won.) I loved it. (I can’t remember the title–was it CATCH OF THE DAY? It had the dog in the picnic basket on the cover, but my mom stole the book so I don’t have it on my shelf.) It is exactly the opposite of what I write. She writes warm, funny, heartwarming books that I adore. And THIS one has a cat instead of a dog (Go Felines!) So I always buy Kristan’s books ostensibly for my mom, but then I get another copy because my mom wants to keep the copy she “borrows” from me. (And yes, before anyone asks, I’m bringing my mom to RWA this year, okay? I think people are more interested in talking to her than me!)
So I stared at Kristan’s book for awhile (admired the cat–it looks like a Russian Blue persian on the cover, which reminds me of my old cat named Raider–yes, after the football team–though white and orange cats are my absolutely favorite.) Her book is about second chances, family, lost loves . . . second chances? I stared, hoping for blog inspiration, worried about my opening week sales (knowing you don’t get a second chance for opening week), frustrated that my revisions are taking longer than I thought (if only I could stop tweaking and ONLY address my editor’s concerns–but no, I have to touch every damn page); and stressed about the new release date for MORTAL SIN (8.31.10) because I don’t know how it starts. (Well, I was stressed more yesterday, because I didn’t know how it started or what happens in the book, but this morning driving to Starbucks I had a flash of the opening scene, so I think I’m okay now.)
And I thought, what would be the next best career after writing books for a living? I can’t imagine doing anything else. With all the warts and stresses and worries, I love what I do.
In fact, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I thought I should be an English teacher first (but I dropped out of college) and then I thought maybe a reporter. There was also a time, for about two years, where I wanted to be a Forensic Pathologist–like Quincy, MD. That was until I dissected a fetal pig in biology in 8th grade and went back to wanting to be a teacher/reporter on the way to author. (As an aside, I did observe an autopsy and didn’t almost faint–cough cough Brenda Novak cough cough–so maybe I could have been a forensic pathologist. We’ll just never know now, will we?)
So honestly? The next best thing to being a writer . . . is writing about other careers. I have the best of both worlds (hey, Kristan! That sounds like a good title for one of your books–THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Ha.) Seriously, though. I get to talk to cops, FBI agents, forensic pathologists, lab techs, coroners, doctors (with a special SHOUT OUT to CJ Lyons who has always answered my questions with aplomb. (I’ve never used that word in a sentence–”aplomb”–meaning with “ease” “self-confidence” and “style.”) I learn about the job, go deep in my characters so I can find out what they think of their job, and for a few months, I become a cop . . . or a criminal psychologist . . . or a demon hunter. And that is the next best thing . . .
January 26, 2010
Now it’s time for some of that Blatant Self Promo. I can’t help it. It’s release week. ORIGINAL SIN is on sale . . . and I have had some amazing reviews I’m tickled about (because as you all know, especially Toni and Rocki and Karin who have seen the worst of neurotic me, I’ve been a teeny-tiny worried about changing genres.)
A terrific mixture of suspense, mystery and a lot of action with a hint of romance . . . I found myself repeatedly surprised by the turns in the plot. I have definitely been pulled into the world of the Seven Deadly Sins and I cannot wait until Carnal Sin releases later this year.
Original Sin is the start to what promises to be an amazing paranormal series. . . . I’m pretty sure that Moira will be on my list of top five heroines of 2010. She’s that good.
“Suspense maven Brennan takes a decidedly supernatural turn with her new demon fighter series. . . . Her style of suspense readily adapts to the Urban Fantasy genre, giving it a darkly powerful edge. It’s shiver inducing!”
And here’s part of a review that is supposed to appear in the Providence Journal soon . . . cross your fingers that it makes it so I can use it, because I was floored when I got it.
“A scintillating new series… evokes memories of William Peter Blatty at his level best… Brennan shows a deft command of all things both normal and otherworldly in crafting one of the best tales of its kind since Dean Koontz and Stephen King were still writing about monsters. There’s no shortage of those here and the result is a new genre classic.”
I also want to thank my fabulous partners here at Murder She Writes for being so terrific and supportive, and how about our new bloggers? Amazing women, all of them.
What would be the next best thing for you? Or if you could have a second chance at something, anything . . . what would it be?
So much is going on right now, I barely have time to breathe let alone think about a blog topic! And to follow our new additions, Lori, Laura and Sophie? Wowza! Aren’t they terrific?
When I sat down tonight to write my blog, I knew in the far depths of my brain that I had a topic . . . somewhere . . . but it disappeared. I’m not surprised. My oldest daughter turned 16 yesterday. I’m very happy–she’s a great person, strong, resourceful, grounded, and a leader. But I don’t feel old enough to have a 16 year old. But then I look in the mirror and see all the gray hair. There is a LOT. I need an appointment at my hairdresser . . . but I don’t have two hours to spare! (But honestly? I’d better find time before my book signing at Borders on January 30 because by then my hair will be more gray than brown!)
This month, daughter #1 started club volleyball. This, on top of Varsity Basketball. Yesterday was a minimum day–picked up all kids, went to birthday lunch with family and #1’s best friend, then mom took them for birthday massage while I took #2 to her basketball game (away!) and Dan watched three little kids; then we rushed home at 630 so Dan and I could go to Katie’s home game. Home at 9 . . .
Today I picked all five kids up at three, came home, signed books that my mother is shipping out for me, Dan took #1 to basketball practice at 5; I fed kids and played Spongebob Operation. Then I took daughter #2 to basketball practice, picked #1 up and drove to volleyball practice, came home, put little kids to bed. Three books and three conversations later, Dan picks up daughters while I try to work on the revisions to CARNAL SIN. But I am so stuck on a pivotal scene–and yes, these are revisions. But the scene needs to be changed and I’ve rewritten it three times and it’s not working.
Tomorrow I decided that after the gym I’m heading to Starbucks, hoping that a change of environment will kick my muse into gear. Kids are staying in day care until 430 so I can have some extra time. I need it! Oh, and on top of it, I’m teaching a Kiss of Death class this month on Rule Breaking. I am having way too much fun–I should have made a schedule and stuck to it . . . ha ha ha ha.
And then there’s the release of ORIGINAL SIN on January 26th. I’m alternately excited and nervous. I neglected the release dates of my last three books–I was so rushed with writing the NEXT book. That’s why the revisions for CARNAL SIN are so important to finish by Sunday. (I wanted them done by Friday, but I don’t think I’ll make it.) I’m doing more for ORIGINAL SIN than I’ve done for any of my books, largely because it’s a new genre for me. While it still sounds like me, it’s still dark suspense, it’s also paranormal. I hope most of my readers will trust me to try the book, and I also need to find new readers. So I reluctantly opened my pocketbook to do a little promotion . . .
I’ve had many people come up to me, usually at conferences, and think that I’ve done a bunch of promotion for my books. The thing is, I don’t. Usually. I’ll print bookmarks, I’ll usually run a few contests and give away books, I’ll guest blog in a few places. For some of my books, I did book trailers. Those are always fun, but I didn’t have the time or the $$ for a trailer this go around. Instead, I spent $$ on a new website. I love my website–the images can be easily changed to reflect whatever book I’m promoting. It fits me and my books. I have excerpts and a news Q&A up. We’re still making some changes to content, but it’s 99% there.
Shortly, I’ll be posting new content on the Seven Deadly Sins website. But I’m not quite there yet . . .
My publisher did a widget which is kind of cool (and if you post the widget on your website/blog/facebook/wherever–let me know by Friday and you’ll be in a drawing for my novella, WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE!)
They’re also doing some other cool things with internet ads, which I haven’t had before so we’ll see if they have an impact. And an exclusive excerpt at Scribd.com. And probably the coolest thing so far is that ORIGINAL SIN is the Walmart Read of the Month and has an exclusive short story (a ghost story–I loved writing it) plus a deleted scene and reader letter. I’ll be able to post the story to my web page at some point, but probably not until March.
I’ll admit, I’m getting a bit overwhelmed by everything that’s happening this month, with the release, revisions, family and minor disasters . . . like my washing machine going out on Sunday night. Seven people — no washing machine. My mom took the kids uniforms home last night and washed them and returned them today (Love You Mom!) and the repairman comes tomorrow. And finishing the Thriller books to judge. And editing a short story I wrote for BLOOD LITE II, the anthology of the Horror Writers Association. Then there is the little problem with the back cover copy . . . but I’m trying to be zen about it all. (Stop laughing, Rocki! I mean it! . . . I saw that smirk Karin. Watch it.)
For my friends and fans in Australian–Random House Australia moved up publication to February 10. Here’s the Australian cover, which is darker and creepier than the US cover. (I love them both.)
But, with all of it and knowing my publisher will do a great job with distribution and placement, I still felt I might have a hard time finding my readers. RT reviewed ORIGINAL SIN under “Urban Fantasy” which is probably closer to accurate than “paranormal romance.” (I still like supernatural thriller best.) I wanted to make sure that readers who like darker paranormal stories, urban fantasy, and even horror. So in addition to bookmarks (which look fabulous–a friend of mine designed them. If you want some, email me with your address), the RWR ad I often buy (it looks great–I asked Ballantine to do it for me, I just paid for it,) and AuthorBuzz (which I generally do for the first book in a trilogy, and since this is a new series–I really thought it would be wise), I did something I never do.
I spent money on a media consultant.
Ok, it’s very limited. I hired Meryl Moss Media Relations for a very specific purpose–reaching out to blogs and websites and reviewers outside of the standard romance world, who will already be getting my book for review from my publisher. Yes, I could have done all the research in my spare time–like between 3 and 4 am–and probably get my publisher to send out books, but I wanted someone who knew details–who would be most interested in my book; someone who would be able to talk to the bloggers (or who would get their email read!) and pitch my book. And most importantly, do the mailing and leg work.
Time is precious. All my time is devoted to my writing and my kids. That’s really all I have now, and I felt if I didn’t do SOMETHING proactive I would regret it, especially if ORIGINAL SIN didn’t do well. At least now, I know I did everything I could do AND I only went about 15% over my budget.
I’m sorry this post is my rants and ramblings about my schedule. I’m not complaining–honestly, I’m thrilled to have the book of my heart coming out in less than two weeks. (Or, as I wrote in my Author Buzz note–the book of my fears.) I love being an author, warts and all. But sometimes, when everything comes to a head the same week, I can’t help but think what have I gotten myself into?
We’ve all had days . . . weeks . . . months like this. Right? So what was the one week from hell in your life where everything had to happen THEN and how did you manage it all? What did you learn from it–or about yourself?
If QuiltLady, Brandee, and Joy Hill would like to claim their copy of WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE — three stories in one! — email me at allison @ allisonbrennan . com (no spaces) and I’ll send it off by the end of the week. Have a great weekend! I for one can’t wait until the kids go back to school tomorrow. I have 10 more days for revisions of CARNAL SIN.
Here’s one of my favorite posts of the year . . . well, last year. I wrote this at the end of 2008, but I’m posting it again because it’s relevant to publishing today and me specifically.
Today is the last day of 2009. My career has been arguably successful. I can support my family with my writing, but I’m not at the point where I feel any sense of job security. That I’m writing something different from my first twelve books is thrilling–it’s exactly what I want to write. But it’s also scary–what if my readers don’t follow me? What if new readers don’t find me? I would have been so much easier to continue down the same path I was on . . .
But authors can get burned out if they don’t love what they are writing and I was on the verge of burn out with the last romantic thriller I wrote. I don’t want to lose the love I have for romantic suspense, so taking a step aside and writing the supernatural thriller that has been in my mind and heart for six years was truly a blessing; that I was contracted to write these books was an important and much-needed bonus.
Tomorrow I’m launching my new website. You can check out the front page here, which I believe invokes the feeling of my story. I love my cover (really, really love my cover) but at the same time am nervous because the book is being marketed as paranormal romance . . . yet the romance is secondary to the overall story. Important? Yes. But it’s a multi-book romance arc, not an HEA in the first book.
Being a Libra (the scales) I go back and forth on this daily. I’m writing what I want to write and that makes me happy; yet in writing what I want am I shooting myself in the foot because it’s not what’s expected of me and/or of the cover on my work and/or the genre itself?
RT Book Reviews reviewed ORIGINAL SIN as “Urban Fantasy” which isn’t 100% accurate, but is more accurate than paranormal romance. What I’m writing is not definable by a popular label. I don’t say this because I’m special or advanced or supersmart–in fact, I think I’m kind of an idiot because I didn’t craft the series into an easily definable genre. On the one hand, I tell myself, “There’s nothing quite like this out there.” On the other hand, I tell myself, “There’s no market for this story” largely because it’s different. But again, it’s not original because there is nothing new under the sun. It’s classic supernatural, where good is good (sort of) and bad is bad (very). The review at least alleviated some of my fears that my readers wouldn’t come with me:
“Suspense maven Brennan takes a decidedly supernatural turn with her new demon fighter series. Blatant evil takes corporeal form in this Seven Deadly Sins series launch. Brennan’s tormented protagonists struggle with doubt and incomplete knowledge of the hazards they face. Her style of suspense readily adapts to the UF genre, giving it a darkly powerful edge. It’s shiver inducing!”
So . . . from last year, here’s my “Redux” blog. And to launch my release of ORIGINAL SIN of 1.26, I’m giving away three copies of the prequel, WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE, an anthology that I proudly share with Roxanne St. Claire and Karin Tabke who both wrote AMAZING stories that I brag about constantly. Just comment . . . and hopefully win!
GENRE BLENDING
A couple years ago, NYT bestseller James Rollins spoke to my local RWA chapter on blending genres. His presentation was fantastic–not only is Jim a great writer, but he’s also a fun and informed speaker.
He suggested that one way to break out, or to write that something “fresh and different” that editors say they want is to take an element from another genre and blend it with the “rules” of an established genre. JD Robb’s books are a perfect example of a blended genre–romantic suspense novels set in the future. They’re truly three genres–mysteries, romance, and light science fiction.
Romantic suspense has become it’s own distinct genre. There are those of us who write romantic suspense that’s heavy on the romance, such as the incomparable Roxanne St. Claire. There are those of us who write romantic suspense that’s heavy on the suspense, such as me. And our own Heather Graham has successfully incorporated paranormal elements such as ghosts into her romantic suspense novels–she helped forge the trail, as Heather has blended paranormal elements into her stories before that genre was so hot.
In fact, genre blending is nothing new–established authors have been doing it for years. In the 60s and 70s, gothic romances led the way to the modern romantic suspense novels. Romance writers who tended to write sexier than their peers became the new erotic romance writers–and there are sexy paranormals, suspense, and historicals, another branch off the tree. With the explosion of urban fantasy–which may or may not have strong paranormal and/or suspense elements; the successful science fiction romances of Linnea Sinclair; the increase in romantic mystery series (or, rather, mysteries with a nice dose of romance), our imagination is truly the limit in what we can create and blend together to make something new, different, and exciting.
When you look at some of the biggest authors of our time, they are not considered “genre” at all, even if they are shelved in an established genre. For example, Stephen King and Dean Koontz may be identified as “horror” or “suspense” but both have gone beyond genre to write stories that appeal to a large cross section of the public, largely because they incorporate ALL genre elements successfully. Stephen King’s books often deal with the supernatural or paranormal, while almost always having a relationship story (that may or may not be a romance.)
I think this is all good–it gives our imaginations more room to roam. But there’s a pitfall for up-and-coming authors, including myself: how do we market our books? Specifically, how do we create covers that appeal to cross-genre readers?
You can put Nora Roberts or Stephen King in white letters on a black cover and sell books. Their name is their genre, in a sense–they are a brand in and of themselves. They tend to have more “generic” covers without a lot of gimmicks. HIGH NOON, for example, is a simple cover that evokes a mood, but it’s Nora Roberts’ name that has you buying the book. While I’m sure bad covers for even the most popular authors can affect sales, bad covers–or the wrong covers–can negatively impact a growing author’s career.
When you write romance, you have parameters for your covers. Harlequin covers have certain guidelines and are designed to meet their reader expectations. Avon Historical Romances have certain guidelines to meet their reader expectations. When you write thrillers, there’s certain elements that tend to recur, but many of the covers either have a strong setting or image that directly relates to the story (such as James Rollins and Steve Berry) while others have a more generic or art look like Lee Child. Then there’s the running man, or other elements of speed and chase incorporated into the cover that gives the reader a sense for the type of story they are getting.
But when you write romantic thrillers, what do you focus on? The romance? The thrill? Both? To what degree?
I’m one who believes that the cover should reflect the tone of the story. More romance in the story, a more “romance focused” cover; more suspense in the story, a more “suspense focused” cover. But finding that balance that’s going to appeal to the readers who would enjoy that type of story is not easy, yet it’s probably one of the most important things for a book’s success–or failure–after the writing itself.
I recently bought a book solely for the cover. David Hewson’s THE GARDEN OF EVIL. (Great title, too!) But I was looking at covers that evoked a mood, specifically for my upcoming supernatural thriller series, and this one jumped out at me. It’s not that this cover would fit my story, but it gave me the right feeling.
Genre blending is no longer new and different, but because of the endless permutations of the genres, it will continue to grow and thrive. Yet for those of us who are trying to establish our careers, who mix it up with the genres primarily because that’s where our voice and interest takes us, finding the right covers is not always easy. And until we get to the point where our name alone puts us at #1 on the NYT list, covers will always be important.
What do you think of genre blending? Do you prefer your mysteries to be mysteries and your romances to be romances and your science fiction to be science fiction . . . or do you like mixing and matching?
Again, comment for a chance to win one of three copies of WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE!!!
My eighth grade daughter Kelly is an avid reader and will soon be launching her own blog when her mother finds ten minutes to put it together for her . . . she’s well-read in YA, loves historical, paranormal, and contemporary, and has well-formed opinions about a whole host of things, including what makes (and doesn’t make!) a good story. She prefers stories on the darker side, as you can see from her recommended YA reading list below. Like mother, like daughter perhaps? I saw this in her at the early age of eight, however, when she started reading the Lemony Snickett SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS books and said she loved them “because bad things happened and they didn’t have a happy ending.”
Kelly is now reviewing YA novels for RT Book Reviews, and she’s taken over my blog today. Last time, I wrote about my take on YA novels. Below is all Kelly with very minor editing by me, her mother. I didn’t even take out the naughty words she used, because as writers and readers know, voice is everything and I think this article shows that Kelly has a very strong voice all her own.
Here is what she thinks you should know BEFORE writing YOUR YA novel . . .
As an avid YA reader, I’ve read a wide variety of YA authors and story plots. I’ve seen vampires, witches, werewolves, romance, history, teen drama, you name it. I’ve been reading YA since I grew out of Junie B. Jones, and I appreciated a lot more when I was younger. But now the YA market is really driving me up the wall! I don’t know if it’s the authors people are choosing to rave about, publishers publishing books in that market that really weren’t meant to be there, or just less respect for the really good novels targeted to my age group. But the biggest fad I’m really noticing, is adult authors writing for YA. Done well, this could be a good thing. But more likely than not, it leaves a lot of young people annoyed. Adult authors, I’ve noticed, who do well in the YA market are the Fantasy type, because their main focus is that: fantasy. But I’ve yet to find a romance writer that can really pull off a fairly decent YA novel. Why, you ask? Well, before you even consider stepping near the YA genre, read this first …
For starters, if your writing successful novels for adults, and ADULTS love them, that’s probably a good place for you to stay. If you find that a younger audience is attracted to your work, than yeah, YA is something to consider. But here are a few suggestions from someone in your target audience:
Don’t Talk Down To Your Audience
One thing that I get extremely annoyed with is when adult authors (usually romance) talk down to their audience. It’s sort of like reading a how-to book in origami when you’ve been doing origami your whole life. Authors often ‘over enunciate’ plots, meaning they will repeat things over and over, and the plot seems babyish. Everything is over described, from what they’re doing at that very moment to every movement and hand gesture they make when talking. Big page filler for sure.
Basically, authors are afraid to really delve into the story and make it interesting, because what’s going through their head is “YA YA I’m writing for YA.” They will sugar-coat life and make it flowery, and sometimes just write it the way they remembered life at that age. They’ll cover the basics. I sometimes would really like to love an author’s story telling ability, because most of the time, it’s pretty good. But it’s this talking down to that really has me at my hair’s end. One thing I can’t stress enough is to not think about your audience! I would, and probably a lot of other readers, rather read an author that is complex and interesting that should be pulled back a little than an author that sounds like they’re writing for 3rd graders. If you think you’ll struggle with this, I suggest writing a smart ‘clean adult novel’ and then fixing it up a bit for YA, or if you think you’ll do better writing for a “lower” audience, market for the younger kids’ section.
Avoid Too Much Dialogue
Again, something you should not do is make your book entirely dialogue based. It usually is boring and uninteresting.
Language Dos And Don’ts
My parents are usually pretty ok with what I read as long as it’s not super explicit, and probably a lot of other parents too. And I’ve yet to find a YA book that shows anything like explicit sex and language. But as writers repeat the mantra “YA I’m writing YA”, what comes to their mind is using language that they think teenagers are more likely to use. For example, instead of saying, ‘bull shit’ they’ll use “bull poopie” or instead of “fucking” they’ll say “effin’” Things like that aren’t terrible, except when they’re overdone. I think most people would be surprised at the language us youngin’s use today. Adults tend to think that they need to modify every word that comes out of their character’s mouth to be ‘acceptable’. That doesn’t mean throwing curse words all over the page, but it also doesn’t mean sugar coating it the way you think teens should talk, because, more likely than not, we don’t talk like that. Instead, think about your character. Are they more likely to swear (big time), use clean swear occasionally, or not at all? If you’re making all of your characters look like little kids trying to be like their big sisters, it not going to be interesting. My one piece of advice about language is to either use it, or don’t use it at all. What I don’t mind is when authors, trying to get their book to be appropriate for every audience, will say lines such as:
As I was about to tell him to go to a place he wouldn’t need that fat mouth of his to go to…
She spat some colorful language and then doubled over…
Or if you’re going to use it, use it:
Shit, that asshole totally fucked with her.
What the hell are you doing?!
You get the idea.
Write Believable Characters
As in any novel, characters are the most important part of a great story. Writing characters in YA books is no different than writing about adults. The worst thing you could possibly do with character development in a YA novel, or any novel for that matter, is to make every character stereotypical to the role they play in the book. For example, making your main character the ‘average’ girl and pushing that factor farther than it needs to go. When there’s nothing different or interesting about the characters and they don’t grow and develop as the book(s) go on, then the plot will go nowhere. Like I said with the language concept, every character is different; they talk, react, and act upon certain situations than maybe another 16 year old girl in the story would. Stamping a label on your characters isn’t real at all because in real life, everyone knows there’s more than just one label on a person. Teenagers change and mature in their lives, so if your series goes on long term, be sure that the reader sees how they’ve changed in a relatable way. They could change by the way they speak, react, and handle situations. Otherwise, it’s just boring, and again, a little babyish. Some of you may be thinking “Well, duh, of course I wouldn’t write my characters like that!” but you’d be surprised at how many books do this. If you’d like an example, here’s an average scenario I’ve seen in too many YA books to count:
Average, everyday girl with long dark hair, doesn’t really fit in, not popular but not geeky either, has best girl friend who is super pretty and popular and gets all the guys. Has cute kind of nerdy guy friend who she is or will fall in love with and thin pretty mom who has done so much that she’ll never do. [insert tramatic experience here] happens and they are trying to deal. Oh, look! Super mysterious super-hot guy comes along! She’d never have a chance with him but she is oh-so intrigued and drawn to him…but look! She discovers she has some mysterious scary power herself!
If any part of your story resembles three or more of the scenarios above, I would consider thinking your story through a little more.
You might ask why authors reuse and reuse this plot, and trust me, it’s definitely not just adult authors who do it. Two words: It’s easy. Not many authors realize this, but it just shows that the author is not creative enough to think of a hard-core, complex story. Why is it so easy? You have the average girl, who can relate to all readers. Every reader can see themselves inside that girl, no matter who she is or what clique she’s in. The reader can relate to not always being in the spotlight, or being in it when she doesn’t want to be. Having a huge crush on the guy friend she’s known all her life, being jealous of other girls, stress with doing well in school, living up to parents potential. All just a part of puberty and growing up. And once you get to the mysterious hot boy aspect, you should do successful with non-avid readers, young adult and adult for sure. Because every person wants to be that girl. To bring themselves up from where they are in life even if it’s kind of hard. Doesn’t everyone want to discover something they would never know could be possible about themselves? Whether it’s power to see the dead, becoming a vampire, getting magic witch powers, and in the end falling in love. That’s what every girl wants to see happen in her life. Basically, it’s her own fantasy, the fantasy no one every talks about with their friends, =is always in the back of her mind, hoping that she will be that Bella Swan and fall in love and make something of herself. It’s human nature.
So, back to book selling, what will happen when girls can relate? It will get published and sell. But it will never stand out from anything else out there. Never give anyone a different ambition. So, this was not to persuade you to write or not write this basic plot, just to show why it sells and why authors do it, and most importantly, why you should step away from that and write something more creative.
If you didn’t realize it after reading this, which you most likely have, is the fact that readers don’t want to see a cut-and-paste life with sprinkles on top. So many YA authors are great story tellers, and I want to love their stories, but just the fact that they’re writing isn’t for the right market brings it down. A lot of it isn’t even the writing itself, just the plot. A lot of authors, even though they can argue otherwise, are following the Twilight suit. More than ever adult authors are trying to make it into YA hoping for the success of Stephenie Meyer (I’m not saying this literally, if you’re a writer, you write to write, not for fame or money) and even though they don’t realize it, most of them are following in her footsteps.
Paranormal Romance is pretty much the genre dominating all things YA. And let me tell you: It. Is. So. Annoying.
Have you walked into the YA section of Borders lately? If so, you’ve seen the huge TWILIGHT-dedicated shelf, and right below, the sign that reads, “If you like Twilight you’ll also like…” and all the not-paranormal-romance-books are crammed into a corner, on their own lone shelf, while everyone rants and raves about the writing that’s just, well, not always as great. My point is, if you really have your heart set on this genre, do it WELL. Make it different from all the other pop culture books dominating the high shelves. If you’re more interested in the romance than the paranormal, write romance. Do NOT just throw the paranormal in as a side note, because a lot of fantasy lovers will be very disappointed. If you love the fantasy aspect, again, do not throw the romance in because it will more likely than not just seem awkward. Make the reader say “Hey, I didn’t think of it that way…” and make it a challenge for yourself. But, if I were writing, I’d step away from that sparkling, inviting market to do something more interesting.
Now my whole point of this blog was not to trash authors trying to make their way into YA, not at all. This is just what I‘ve found annoying in a lot of authors that do. I guess you could call them Tips from a Reader Who Knows. If you think you’d be more successful with adults, just stick to that market, but if you’re making your way to YA, make it different, make it new, interesting, and consider some stuff I’ve said here.
Books I like and why I like them
My mom told me I could not post books that I didn’t like and why I disliked them, but that she wanted to me to be positive instead. I’m fine with that (ha ha.) One thing that would be helpful if you’re writing YA, is to do your research and read lots and lots of YA novels, such as the ones I list here.
GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray (class of its own)- This is one of my recently favorite books of all time. It’s a genre all its own. All crazy unexpected twists and turns full of laughs and tears, it’s the perfect YA read. I highly suggest this to anyone looking for a really good novel.
Libba’s Gemma Doyle trilogy (fantasy/historical), beginning with A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, is a great historical/fantasy story, another one of my favorites that I’ve re-read.
UNWIND and EVERLOST by Neal Shusterman (sci-fi/thriller)- Definitely another one of my favorites, his books are placed in a sci-fi fantasy world that perfectly mixes real life issues that teens go through everyday in a smart and fascinating way. Yet they’re so broad pretty much all ages can read them. I highly recommend him.
BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves (fantasy/romance)- I reviewed this one for RT magazine and gave it 4 stars. This is a perfect example of paranormal romance done right. Hanna is most definitely not your average girl, and the romance doesn’t over power the dark, thrilling, horrific fantasy. Comes out January 2010. Definitely an author to watch for!
LAMENT and BALLAD by Maggie Stiefvater (fantasy)- A mostly fantasy based story, but definitely written in a beautiful, lyrical way, with a little romance thrown in perfectly. Both books in different POV’s, the first Dee, an introduction to the faerie world, and her best friend James, which gets more in depth with him and his relationship with Dee and the fay.
CITY OF GLASS trilogy by Cassandra Clare (action/fantasy/thriller)- an action packed demonic trilogy that’s definitely one of my favorites. A great example because for one, she’s an adult author, and on her website, she says the series was originally for adults, but the characters evolved into teenagers.
Any of Sarah Dessen’s novels (romance/drama)- If you ever even consider writing anything in the YA genre, you must read her books first. Her books are unique and address problems that any teenager can relate to and understand. Typically, her books have the same idea (girl struggling, meets different and unique guy who helps her through it, finding he has problems of his own) but each one is so unique, and the characters evolve in such a way that her stories are such a pleasure to read; anyone would adore her.
SPEAK and WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson (drama)- If you haven’t heard of her, you must be living under a YA rock. A wonderful and talented writer, her books are wonderfully crafted in a wonderful yet tear-jerking way, the first with a girl struggling to find her voice, the other with a girl struggling with eating disorders after the death of a friend. Must reads.
EVERMORE (The Immortals series) by Alyson Noel (fantasy/romance)- Again, paranormal romance done right. Ever is not your average girl, being a popular blond before an accident that killed her family and gave her psychic abilities. Her relationship with Damen balances the fantasy in a perfect way, never overriding it but combining it. In RT, I gave SHADOWLAND, the third in the series, a Top Pick.
THE FETCH (historical/paranormal) and A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT (Paranormal/drama) by Laura Whitcomb- Great writing and original, interesting stories.
Kelly has to go to school–mid-terms this week!–but she’ll be back tonight after basketball practice to talk more about books and what she likes (and doesn’t like!) Feel free to ask her (or me) questions–she’s very well and widely read in the YA genre (and younger books as well) When considering trying out for the middle school basketball team, Kelly said, “I’m just afraid that practice will take away from my reading time.” Gotta love that girl!
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