Is at Romancing the Blog. I was inspired to write it after seeing, in short order, several online conversations bring up Harlequin romance novels in a completely random and pointless way.
One was at the blog of a writer (not romance), who had posted about another writer (arguably also not romance, and definitely not Harlequin) that generated a comment something to the effect of: “who but a writer of Harlequin romance novels would put out two large print hardcovers a year, charge $20 bucks for them, and have any self respect?” Um, huh? The writer in question has, to my knowledge, never written for Harlequin in her life. And what control does an author have over her format or price point? And what does any of that have to do with genre?
The random and casual equating of romance novels with bad literature is getting out of hand.
And, on the topic of “mean people suck,” someone with entirely too much time on her hands is attacking Circle of Seven’s book trailers throughout the internet.
And people wonder why I’m not in the mood to blog. 
January 5th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
In the spirit of talking about equating romance novels to be bad writing, I completely agree that it’s out of hand. I mentioned to someone that I wanted to write a romance novel and the look I got was awful.
I actually just posted a similar thought about soaps. I’m writing a spec soap script and so many people equate soaps with poor writing just as people think romances have bad writing. I wish people would actually read a romance and/or watch a soap before making such comments!
Glad your blog is back!
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January 5th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Happy New Year, Diana, and remember the old Harvard fight song, sung to the tune of “Ten Thousand Men of Harvard” (all-male in those days) and presented here without the numerous repetitions or hoisted hip flasks:
Illegitimi non carborundum,
Domine salvum fac! [bis]
Gaudeamus igitur,
Veritas non sequitur,
[Repeat chorus]
In other words, as you put it, “mean people suck” (especially if they’re beating us at football). In your case, not to worry: you’re comfortably ahead of the ungodly not only on points but in every other respect.
Text for the day is from Psalm 37, v. 1: “Fret not thyself because of the ungodly….” And let all the (right-minded) people say, “Amen!”
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January 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Diana, did Romancing the Blog loose its domain? Because it’s not there…not when I click your link OR when I type it in myself. It’s a parked site.
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January 6th, 2007 at 11:06 am
That’s weird, Julie! That must have just happened, since it was fine yesterday.
Jessica, you and Julie should get together. She’s a big soap fan as well! I never got addicted to them, but I used to watch AMC with a friend from college who was totally obsessed, and I thought they were great fun. My real problem with them is that they were TOO well constructed — very skillfully designed to suck you in and NEVER LET YOU GO.
Ah, Bill, what I know about Harvard cheers could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. But I’m into that first sentence (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down,” right?)
I think I might have to tape that psalm above my computer.
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January 6th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Thanks for the enlightening Post.
It’s sad that some people have to stoop to being critical of others’ works to feel good about themselves.
Whatever you do, Diana, write on!
Thanks again,
Bill
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January 6th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Jessica, yes, I’m a HUGE soap fan! I’ve been watching AMC since Erica was, well, very young and married to Tom Cudahy. Maybe even before! I don’t watch that one too much anymore, though…I’m more of a GH devotee right now. But I keep up on the storylines and characters and actors. It’s a guilty pleasure.
I have to admit that I get so exasperated with some soap writers (head writers, mainly, since they make the storyline choices,) honestly, but man when they are good, they are brilliant. I don’t equate soap writing with bad writing in any way, but as a fan, I do get more than annoyed when the writers treat their audience like idiots (like changing laws or having baby monitors work backwards or having a mob boss who has the worst security EVER,) ignore established history or change characters, particularly female ones, from strong and fiesty to weak and weepy in the blink of an eye. I challenge General Hospital to have ONE strong female character other than Carly! (Who, in the hands of Laura Wright, is brilliant.)
Oh…don’t get me started! Good luck on your spec script! I’ve always wondered how that whole industry worked.
Diana, the link worked about an hour later. I don’t know what the deal was!
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January 6th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Diana- No kidding about soaps sucking you in! I accidentally got hooked on General Hospital four years ago and I haven’t been able to stop.
Julie- I’m for GH all the way but I completely agree that certain writers treat the audience like idiots. I wish they would remember the golden rule about not talking down to your audience. I do find the industry incredibly intriguing especially since GH’s head writer also wrote the Desperate Housewives pilot with Marc Cherry.
As you mentioned, the female characters have been ruined (Sam, Liz, Georgie) except for Carly. (I love Laura Wright, as well!) By the way, my mom and I always laugh and do have to mock Sonny and Jason’s security situation. I think my spec GH script will try to get them a new system.
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January 7th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
I’ll have to check that out.
You know, I “grew up” as a writer writing erotica. Most people consider that romance, but I don’t think I did much of that because the characters usually knew each other beforehand.
My point is, writing romance scares me. Creating romantic and sexual tension between two character is incredibly hard.
I think romance is very difficult to write. So many do it so well, but it’s not easy. And the “prolific” discussion drives me nuts. Two books a year is hard, yes, but it’s not hacking. Nor is four. It’s just putting in a lot of time. It doesn’t make your work ‘worse.’
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January 7th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Jessica, you must! If you remember, Alice the maid was originally hired by Sonny to watch over Carly and Michael in the Q household. I think perhaps she and not Milo (who if he’s young enough to be mooning over Lulu–another strong female character they are ruining as we speak–isn’t old enough to carry a gun for Sonny) should be guarding the door to his office. You know, the one two steps away from the ladie’s bathroom in the coffee shop?
Hi-larious.
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January 8th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Julie, Alice would be a PERFECT body guard. I wasn’t watching GH yet when she was hired by Sonny but I wish I could have watched those scenes.
I completely agree that the Milo/Lulu pairing is quite odd. Almost as bad as the professor/Georgie romance! I had thoughts of wiping out some of the powerful men (wouldn’t Carly make a good mob boss?!) but I doubt that script would be smiled upon.
(Sorry if we hijacked your thread, Diana!)
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