tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post9094393396173166988..comments2023-05-19T11:11:35.984-05:00Comments on Sarahlynn's Reading and Writing Blog: Who WinsSarahlynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658866017847046987noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-8224680662017962882008-02-29T02:08:00.000-06:002008-02-29T02:08:00.000-06:00I have one objection that I want to talk about. Th...I have one objection that I want to talk about. The amount of time spent creating said masterpiece against the amount of time writing to genre. <i>a thriller/mystery/western/romance/fantasy novel that an author churned out in a few weeks of work</i>. While there may be writers who can do this, I would imagine they are experience writers. A romance writer is just as likely to spend a year on a novel as an author going for the nobel prize. It's just as likely that both authors could take a few months. It's not like we can sit and write a selling novel in a couple of settings. All the elements of fiction have to be included. Genre fiction there are expectations of what the reader will experience. <br><br>Romance there should be a romance that ends with the couple getting together. Character development is key in a romance and most readers expect some sort of plot besides the romance. All this takes time and planning. Some authors chose to tackle some pretty deep issues within genres as well.<br><br>I agree that genre fiction will rarely win the Nobel prize, but there are awards of excellence within our genres.<br><br>You bring up some very interesting points for discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-10147847066848004912008-02-29T02:09:00.000-06:002008-02-29T02:09:00.000-06:00Point in case, I should always edit before I post....Point in case, I should always edit before I post. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-64002402118464419512008-02-29T02:56:00.000-06:002008-02-29T02:56:00.000-06:00Yeah, I can see how my post reads that way. But n...Yeah, I can see how my post reads that way. But note: I'm not suggesting that all genre fiction is written quickly.<br><br>(I disagree, however, that it's <i>just as likely</i> that a Nobel prize winning novel was written in a few months.) Many big name authors in popular fiction do write really quickly, turning out a book or two a year. While there are of course exceptions to the rule, most big name authors who write literary fiction (as defined by whomever is publishing or shelving it) often take much longer. Random example off the top of my head: Danielle Steel and Marilynne Robinson.<br><br>And lest there be any confusion: I agree with you that any book that gets published in any genre should have solid character development and plotting. <br><br>(I am a genre writer myself, you know.)<br><br>Question: What will distinguish Jane Austen's novels from those of Nora Roberts 100 years from now?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-26218431436966165372008-02-29T08:42:00.000-06:002008-02-29T08:42:00.000-06:00Um... I'll admit to not reading carefully and not ...Um... I'll admit to not reading carefully and not reading the post you link to, but one question popped into my head...<br>There is (at least in my mind) probably a very distinct difference between "Best Picture" and "Most Popular Picture". Lord knows what's most popular in this country doesn't always equate to quality. I mean, to continue your food metaphor, look at McDonald's! :O<br>We, as a culture, want what's fast and explosive and easily palatable. Hence Spiderman 3, hence McDonald's.<br>So is the Academy Awards about quality or popularity? They're two different things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-48705295313807563572008-02-29T09:14:00.000-06:002008-02-29T09:14:00.000-06:00Actually I've never read Nora Roberts so I wouldn'...Actually I've never read Nora Roberts so I wouldn't be able to tell you what distinguishes the two. I have read "Pride and Prejudice" but couldn't get into "Northanger Abbey." I think Jane Austen did something most women of her time wouldn't do. I don't believe that applies to Nora Roberts, but again I haven't read her. Would I love to write a modern day equivalent to "Pride and Prejudice"? Heck, yeah. I've actually never read Danielle Steele either. I've stuck to historicals.<br><br>I just think a generalization of genre writing only taking a few months isn't entirely true. I would definitely love to get to that point and be able to sell everything I write, but I think that's a long way off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-59407953430004787752008-02-29T09:22:00.000-06:002008-02-29T09:22:00.000-06:00Lady Liberal: Yes! Exactly! Thank you!Amanda, as I...Lady Liberal: Yes! Exactly! Thank you!<br><br>Amanda, as I clarified above, I didn't say that genre writing only takes a few months. (In fact, I keep saying exactly the opposite.) In this post, I specifically compared the sort of popular fiction that <i>is</i> written very quickly to something else. That's far different from suggesting that all popular (including genre) fiction is written that way!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-22042489307738349402008-02-29T11:36:00.000-06:002008-02-29T11:36:00.000-06:00Sorry if my tone comes across as rough in comments...Sorry if my tone comes across as rough in comments. It's not intended that way. I enjoy your discourse on fiction. I like seeing it from someone else's point of view. Good post as usual.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-82635494638252725852008-02-29T14:02:00.000-06:002008-02-29T14:02:00.000-06:00Amanda, not at all! And, thank you. I just felt ...Amanda, not at all! And, thank you. I just felt like you were misunderstanding what I was saying, or putting words in my mouth, and I want to be clear about my point.<br><br>(Which Lady Liberal pretty much nailed above.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-61972411397486948682008-03-01T04:08:00.000-06:002008-03-01T04:08:00.000-06:00I totally agree and understood your point. The com...I totally agree and understood your point. The comment about time just got to me for some reason. I don't think we should expect Spiderman 3 to be nominated for an academy award. Though I haven't seen the film. I saw Atonement and it was moving. There have been nominees in the past like Titanic that also smashed the box office. I rather doubt anything I write would be nominated for the Nobel Prize. Do I want it to get to the top of the Bestseller's list? Heck ya. Spiderman 3 might still win the MTV Movie Awards. There is still hope.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-10172730186628659742008-03-01T13:14:00.000-06:002008-03-01T13:14:00.000-06:00Hope? Gah! (For the record, I have no idea of Spi...Hope? Gah! (For the record, I have no idea of Spiderman 3 was good or not; I haven't seen it. I did see and LOVE <i>Juno</i>. I think it's my new favorite movie.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-37209739097855514392008-03-03T11:05:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:05:00.000-06:00Voltaire allegedly wrote Candide in 3 days.There i...Voltaire allegedly wrote Candide in 3 days.<br><br>There is excellently written genre fiction. There is crap genre. There is excellently written "literary" fiction. There is crap "literary" fiction. I would bet that the percentages of what's written is about the same regardless of whether it is within a genre or not.<br><br>The difference is that there are fans of genre that will read the crap genre material. There aren't as many fans that will read the crappy literary fiction. So while it is written, it isn't published, or disappears from the shelves quickly.<br><br>With genre, you know it's well written if 20 years later there are people still buying it. But that's a good rule of thumb for the literary as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-57183498359718331972008-03-03T11:50:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:50:00.000-06:00John, I agree, especially about the getting publis...John, I agree, especially about the getting published part.<br><br>I would add, however, that literary fiction isn't simply another genre. It's a little more complicated than that, as, as it sometimes includes good books that would also fit within various genres.<br><br>I do think that current literary fiction often follows many of the same conventions as other genres, but there are differences as well. An extraordinarily well-written fantasy novel might be considered literary fiction as well as fantasy, just by merit of the writing, while the reverse is not true. (Likewise, an extraordinarily well-written mystery is not automatically a romance, unless the love story forms a very significant part of the plot in such a way as it conforms to the conventions of that genre.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-30879434020743917302008-03-03T12:42:00.000-06:002008-03-03T12:42:00.000-06:00I'll accept it if you aren't using "literary ficti...I'll accept it if you aren't using "literary fiction" as a synonym for "mainstream". Which it doesn't appear you are. If all "Literary" means is "guality" than you can have quality coming from anywhere.<br><br>The problem is when critics declare there is no quality genre fiction. Then you point to X, Y and Z, and they respond, "That's not genre, that's literary." No, it's still genre. And there are a lot of critics that do this, to the point that there are several authors who will deny they are writing genre - pissing off many potential readers - so that they aren't relegated by the critics into a cubbyhole the critics ignore.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3062509692590998754.post-9986978524930038222008-03-03T13:55:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:55:00.000-06:00100% agreed.100% agreed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com