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Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 19, 2004 - 11:51 am: | 
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Hello All,
It's time for some honesty here. If you think that I am talking about you, I am. For you fans of the U-go-girl books, this is not a personal attack against you. So there ain't no need in getting all tight and defensive on me. Hey, if you like it, I love it.
I am not going to say that I am a huge fan of the U-go-girl books. I can only stand to read 2 U-go-girl books a year before I get real evil. I'm reading Brenda Thomas' new book Foreplay. Before that I read Carl Weber's new one Player Haters (real good--jam pack with drama, just the way I like 'em). I noticed in Foreplay the over used, dog tired narration structure where the character's name, the one doing the narrating for that particular chapter, is printed above the chapter. In my opinion, this format is used when the author don't or can't develop his characters. People, listen, I'm just asking, can one or two of yawl switch it up a little bit. I mean, gee whiz, even a dog gets tired. So please, try developing your characters. And when I say developing, I don't mean tell me more about the woman's wardrobe (I ain't moved), what kind of car he's driving or none of that other superficial stuff. Spare me all that mess and at least give me some drama. You know like "My mama slept with all my boyfriends and then when I started liking women, she wanted a taste of that too!" This is what I'm talking about it.
For the fans of these types of books, who keep reading them over and over again...youse has my sympathies. |
Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 11:53 pm: |
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Thumper, it is curious how this post was avoided like the plague — not even to disagree.
Here is another perspective. When I started Brenda Thomas' book Four Play I found her writing had improved. I've not (nor do I intend to) read as many books in the genre as you have. As a result, I don't have the experience to recognize her technique as being over used or worn out.
Speaking of Carl Weber, look out for his 2004 titles coming out under his imprint Urban Books. |
Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 01:19 am: |
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Sista-girl books is a subject that regularly crops up on the board and in the past, we've all pretty much agreed with what Thumper had to say. |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 12:02 pm: |
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Troy:
I don't read enough of them to be able to comment. About people's tastes--I know a woman who had all the Agatha Christies (about 200 I think). All basically the same story, over and over again. I know folks who read westerns.
I myself read issues 1-100 of the Fantastic Four. It was basically the same story 100 times (Fantastic Four saves the world from the bad guy)
I bought every record James Brown made between 1956-1970--one can argue that especially from l969-l975 he made the same record over and over (about every other week).
James Bond, Tom Clancy Novels--I think people find something and they like to do it over and over. They like what they like about it.
Explain why people keep watching Star Trek in all its incarnations. Why they watched Sienfeld or Friends.
Call it getting into a rut or falling into a groove--It is what merchandisers (and publishers of genre books) salivate over finding--the franchise. The market. |
JustTheFacts
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 10:53 pm: |
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Troy, you can read as few as 5 of these books to notice the similarities. As Carey say, it's basically the same story retold over and over. I think it's more about being lazy than anything else. |
Msveevah
Newbie Poster
Username: Msveevah
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 03:41 pm: |
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Troy: I agree with your groove theory, that is, there seems to be a formula that publishers specifically want [for example, check manuscript submission guidelines for a number of romance publishers]; in addition, this 'formula' is one that some readers enjoy--indeed, enough readers respond to it to justify mixing up that same brew. |
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