06-22-09 Genre Bending Books, open chat 1
The transcript below covers the complete #litchat conversation on June 22, 2009. The order appears sequentially from the first post to the final post. Topic was open discussion of great beach reads.
| LitChat Welcome to #litchat. Glad to be back and excited about our topic: Genre Bending Books. Introduce yourself and join us now. -1:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana Am eager to learn more about genre bending. #litchat -1:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| perkmatthews Agreed — RT @George9Writer #litchat I think it’s still virgin territory to explore ways of mixing/bending genres, even to create new ones. -1:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| foliosociety RT @LitChat: Welcome to #litchat. Glad to be back and excited about our topic: Genre Bending Books. Introduce yourself and join us now. -1:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana @perkmatthews Creating new genres can be fraught. Agents tend to shy away from them, surely. #litchat -1:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson I love genre bending and try to do it whenever I get the chance! #litchat -1:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson RT: @LitChat: Welcome to #litchat. Glad to be back and excited about our topic: Genre Bending Books. Introduce yourself and join us now. -1:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @LitChat #litchat Book blogger and web producer. I love books that don’t fit in any one genre. -1:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit coming into the discussion. Hi all! #litchat -1:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| countrybooks Today’s #litchat has begun. Join in discussing genre-bending books w/ @LitChat & many others. Search twitter for #litchat to join in. -1:10 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson Combining elements traditionally belonging to one genre with that of another, going beyond what’s expected of that genre. #litchat -1:10 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| krisfulk Hi all! I have never even thought about genre bending. What an interesting concept #litchat -1:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit Hi Dom. Good to see you again. #litchat -1:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| George9Writer #litchat Who is really served by catering to pre-existing genre categories? Easier for agents/pub houses, bad for art, experimentation -1:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @maggiedana Hi there. #litchat -1:13 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| vasilly Great. Something is wrong with Twitter, so I can’t follow today’s #litchat. It keeps going back to old tweets. *sigh* 2x in the last 4 days. -1:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @George9Writer More convenient for bookstores knowing where to shelve? Which is why it’s easier to genre-bend in YA than “adult”. #litchat -1:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit Then I guess my books that combine SF and noir mystery count 🙂 #litchat -1:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana @George9Writer Well said. But agents/pubs always slow to embrace new stuff. Tough on courageous writers. #litchat -1:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @George9Writer much more difficult to sell to genre and non-genre readers #litchat -1:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana Twitter slow today. What other groups are using it? Kick ’em off, I say. #litchat -1:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books #litchat evening all! genre bending? Examples please ….. -1:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @maggiedana Yeah, but for readers, too. Some don’t like the mix. #litchat -1:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass Q1 I think genre bending books are written for one genre, but have crossover appeal to readers of other genres. #litchat -1:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter some genre-bending becomes normal, though, like romances crossed with fantasy became paranormal romance, a big category #litchat -1:16 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @LitChat coming in late, hello everyone. #litchat -1:16 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson YA books all get shelved together regardless of genre — so less bookseller & pub resistance to genre-bending in that age group. #litchat -1:16 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @Best_Books the city and the city- scifi and police procedural #litchat -1:16 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter & just to play devil’s advocate, if you want art & experimentation, why write a genre book to start off with? #litchat -1:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rj_anderson Good point. I’d not thought of that. #litchat -1:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Sidney_Williams I would say The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, a surreal mystery-like excursion is genre-bending. Oops forgot the #litchat -1:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @rj_anderson Never thought of the shelving genre-mash effect, but of course you are right…#litchat -1:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @LitChat genre-bending can be a bridge between two genres, opening new doors to those who limit themselves to one. #litchat -1:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @bostonbibliophl Will have to try that one. #litchat -1:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @LitChat genre-bending can also be the breaking of genre rules– a romance novel without a happy ending. #litchat -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @atozwriter because sometimes following genre conventions makes you work harder to be creative w/in them. #litchat -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @atozwriter Depends on genre. Actually, don’t think there is such a thing as non-genre. #litchat -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls Q1 #litchat Maybe genre-bending is the lit equivalent of academe’s “interdisciplinary”…appeals to multiple audiences. -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @BookingIt Good point, well said! #litchat -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @LitChat Taking accepted genre conventions and turning them on their heads. Or mix and match conventions. #litchat -1:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books surely if bks dont fall into 1 genre when they are categorised they miss half a potential audience(i.e romance on sci-fi shelf etc) #litchat -1:20 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @rj_anderson. I’ve always understood “genre” to be romance, western, s-f, fantasy, mystery–as opposed to literary nonfiction. #litchat -1:20 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @BookingIt a sad romance. Isn’t that chick lit, a genre in itself? #litchat -1:20 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @Best_Books hopefully booksellers know how to shelve them, even if in more than 1 category sometimes. #litchat -1:21 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @atozwriter There is literary fiction, too. Considered a genre in itself? #litchat -1:21 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @Best_Books But on-line, they don’t have to have that problem, and a good bookseller can promote appropriately. #litchat -1:21 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @bookingIt — I like genre mixing, but if you don’t have a happy ending, it is NOT a romance. lol. #litchat -1:22 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @bostonbibliophl My books are put sometimes in mystery sometimes in SF. Is it confusing for the reader? Don’t know. #litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| George9Writer #litchat I also believe it’s possible to take tropes from various genres, incorporate them, and avoid genre typecasting altogether. -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| maggiedana Wonder if they teach genre mixing at bartender school. #litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| LitChat Q2 Are you ever disappointed when a book from your favorite genre mixes too much into another genre? #litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books @booklt not a prob online if people hv title and author but what if you are offered recommendations dependent on previous purchases?#litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @atozwriter I’d say litfic is a genre itself, but many titles billed as litfic would be genre if written by others. Like Atwood SF. #litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @bostonbibliophl–completely agree that following conventions gives plenty of room for great writing, but then yr not genrebending #litchat -1:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| heidenkind Why am I not getting the #litchat tweets? 😦 -1:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @mdbenoit Hmm, I’d have to think about that. I think sometimes, not always. #litchat -1:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @LitChat Only if I hate the other genre! But that seldom happens to me. #litchat -1:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @atozwriter you are if you’re mixing genres or playing with conventions. #litchat -1:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @rj_anderson Don’t get me started w Atwood and SF. #litchat -1:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books @bostonbibliophl shelving probs obv not reason 2 stick 2 traditional genres BUT many bkshops only hv space 4 classical categorising?#litchat -1:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @mdbenoit LOL, I hear you. #litchat -1:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @best_books the thinking is that you’ll introduce a new audience to the other genre, potentially expanding audience/market #litchat -1:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @Best_Books in an ideal world, a cross-genre book will follow both genres on-line. No reason to be limited to one. #litchat -1:26 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @rj_anderson Atwood SF is SF written by Atwood. Litfic is a catch all that includes genre bending. #litchat -1:26 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @LitChat Q2. Not me, but I read most genres. #litchat -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| shawnaatteberry @BethFishReads The 13th Tale is one of my favorite books put out in the last couple of years. I reread it last fall. Def. Gothic #litchat -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @Best_Books Even online (e.g. amazon) they are categorizing the books. Can’t get away from it. #litchat -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| George9Writer @mdbenoit #litchat Literary fiction is extremely hard to define…sometimes defined as not being in any other genre! -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @Best_Books Yes, a legit problem. How to match books w/ readers if genre lines are blurred? Can’t read all books in store to know. #litchat -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mbookworm @heidenkind I’m not getting them either. =/ I always have issues with #litchat. -1:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass Atwood is literary because of the quality of composition, rather than the subject matter. Yet, by subject matter, she’s sci-fi. #litchat -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @LitChat #litchat if I’m disappointed by a book it’s not for the genre bending. It would be for writing, pacing, editing but not genre(s). -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @pussreboots Atwood is her own genre now? Heh. #litchat -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls Q2 #litchat, Yes, I’m sometimes disappointed w/ a bk that mixes genre and doesn’t offer what I expect. Like mystery that remains open ended. -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books #litchat question 2 surely this depends on whether “yr genre” is overwhelmed by another or whether its just a useful device 2 enhance story? -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @George9Writer that’s another complete other (future) litchat! #litchat -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| doart @LitChat Not if it’s well-written. I love to be surprised so I think it’s refreshing when authors make a stretch between genres. #litchat -1:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @CarolyBurnsBass Have you read Robert Charles Wilson? He’s SF all the way but a great literary writer #litchat -1:29 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @rj_anderson Atwood, Pratchett, Gaiman are all genres unto themselves. 🙂 #litchat -1:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @pussreboots LOL Atwood would be really offended to be placed in the same pot as those two! #litchat -1:31 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat I think genre-bending, or ‘transcending’ is often used by non-genre reading critics to mean they liked the book. 🙂 -1:31 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @CarolyBurnsBass Bah. Atwood is lit because she doesn’t write in any one genre. Her quality is the same as many fine genre writers. #litchat -1:31 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey kdueykduey As writers, tho, if we use the best tools at hand and try a few duck-tape inventions, genre-borrowing-mixing-expanding? #litchat -1:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy I don’t have genre preference, but am disappointed when jacket indicates no specific genre, but book has clear leanings toward one. #litchat -1:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| LitChat We had a lit-fic weekly topic, see blog for chatscripts: https://litchat.net/past-litchats @mdbenoit @George9Writer. #litchat -1:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @mdbenoit then Atwood has to get over herself. She’s shelved w/ the other two ALL THE TIME. #litchat -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat so what are some “genre-bending” or “transcending” books you all recommend? -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @pussreboots totally agree with you on that. #litchat -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Re Q2, rarely. I like the friction of blending genres. Loved Tim Powers’ Declare: Cold War spy thriller with the supernatural -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @pussreboots Neil and Terry both jump genres and use the best took at hand for the story. And get great results! #litchat -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| shawnaatteberry @BethFishReads I think it could be both Gothic and mystery. I think that would be the only 2 genres it would fall in to. #litchat -1:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @pussreboots I’m with you on that! #litchat -1:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @LitChat thanks, I’ll check it out. #litchat -1:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books #litchat so if authors create thier own genres (atwood etc)will any other author ever be able to break into the newly developed “category”? -1:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @dediaf Have no opinion on Evanovich. I haven’t read any of her books. #litchat -1:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @pussreboots re Attwood: I agree. And there are far worse fates than how she is shelved!!! #litchat -1:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson I loved Catherine Fisher’s INCARCERON for blending SF with fantasy in a quasi-historical setting. Very fresh. #litchat -1:35 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| LitChat Q3 fm @susanmpls What are some “genre-bending” or “transcending” books you all recommend? #litchat -1:35 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @Best_Books Not read all Atwood, but isn’t she simply experimenting with genre, like Lessing? It’s only complex because she’s ‘lit’ -1:36 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit Any of Charles deLint books, they’re urban fantasy. Cool. #litchat -1:36 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @pussreboots Evanovich has substantial romantic subplots, but doesn’t follow structure of romance genre at all. #litchat -1:36 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @Best_Books But…but…but….does it have to become a category??? Is it a shelving issue? #litchat -1:37 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @jeremyduns It’s not that she’s lit, it’s that she denies that she writes SF #litchat -1:37 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @BookingIt Evanovich gets tiresome after a while, IMO #litchat -1:37 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @CarolyBurnsBass Quality of composition – ie non sci-fi readers like her? -1:38 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @mdbenoit Her Plum books don’t for me, but I can see how she could. #litchat -1:38 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter what does atwood say she’s writing? #litchat -1:38 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @mdbenoit Do authors get to choose which genre they’re in? -1:38 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @jeremyduns Atwood does. She’s a Canadian icon. #litchat -1:39 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @mdbenoit Atwood really annoys me for that reason. I can understand why she doesn’t want to be ghettoized, but still don’t like it. #litchat -1:39 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Re Q3, I’ve gone off ‘transcending’ because I think it just means ‘I liked it’. 🙂 But for sci-fi, how about 1984, Brave New World? -1:39 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @mdbenoit- Isn’t urban fantasy just a subgenre of fantasy, the way Romance has historical, suspense, contemporary, etc.? #litchat -1:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @LitChat #litchat any of Neil Gaiman’s novels. Also To Say Nothing of the Dog, The Dead Father’s Club to name a few -1:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @BookingIt Yes. Smacks of snobbery. #litchat -1:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat from pub perspective: no authors don’t get to choose genre. We select b/c we know where it will get best buy/display in store. -1:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @BookingIt That’s insulting to all the great genre writers out there, but she doesn’t care. #litchat -1:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett I’ve heard ppl refer to YA as a genre-but there are so many types of it (fantasy, realistic, nonfiction YA) can it be just 1 genre? #litchat -1:41 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @mdbenoit You like Atwood! 🙂 So do I (what I’ve read of her), but surely genre is a limiting term, whoever chooses? -1:41 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @atozwriter maybe, but the way deLint does it is special I think. He mixes mystery, fantasy, SF, whatever. #litchat -1:41 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @pussreboots Oh, DEFINITELY on To Say Nothing of the Dog. Good example. (Also = love.) #litchat -1:41 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| George9Writer #litchat / I’ve noticed influences from several diff genres in INFINITE JEST, and I highly recommend it -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @egoodlett YA is more a category than genre. Like graphic novels or manga- refers to form, can be any subject/genre. #litchat -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @pussreboots I love To Say Nothing Of the Dog, but how does it bend the genre? #litchat -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @jeremyduns Genre is just a place to shelve a book, IMHO. #litchat -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Amis and Lessing were both proud to write sci-fi. But ‘genre’ comes with expectations of formula. Is Crime & Punishment mystery? -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @jeremyduns Authors write books within genre framework, publishers and booksellers determine ultimately where they’re shelved. #litchat -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @jeremyduns I love Atwood’s writing, read most of what she wrote. I just don’t like her as a public personality. #litchat -1:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @mdbenoit She might in Canada but here she’s shelved in SF. ( I was just at a bookstore) #litchat -1:43 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat @egoodlett I wouldn’t classify YA as genre. It’s the age the bks are written for (tho many bks cross into and out of YA) -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns 1984, Brave New World defined new sub-genre, dystopian science fiction. #litchat -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Q3 Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet: costume drama, soap opera, paean to Egypt, crime, romance, spy novel -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @jeremyduns Crime & Punishment. Definitely mystery, and also litfic. #litchat -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @pussreboots I’ve never seen Atwood shelved anywhere but general fic, except for The Penelopiad in mythology. #litchat -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @mdbenoit #litchat I like about half her stuff. The ones that are classic SF. If she doesn’t like the genre, she should stop writing it. -1:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @CarolyBurnsBass I am trying to venture into hard-to categorize books. They call them fantasy so far. #litchat -1:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett @bostonbibliophl Right, but Ive heard more than one adult author refer to YA as “genre fiction”. I dont see why they would think so #litchat -1:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @BookingIt It is both SF and a classic 19th century romance. #litchat -1:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit He, She and It, by Marge Piercey is example of lit writer going out of her comfort zone. Love that book. #litchat -1:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @egoodlett it might just be a question of semantics. #litchat -1:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat I write in genre: spy novels, not novels with characters who are spies. But I want to challenge the form, and use it as a bridge -1:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| nineveh_havant @bostonbibliophl Try the Childrens section. #litchat -1:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns I think more science fiction breaks genre rules than follow them. Or maybe that’s just the ones I read. #litchat -1:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @egoodlett YA as “genre fiction”. Doesn’t make sense to me. Isn’t it an age group? #litchat -1:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns I think many mysteries reach past genre definitions as well. Not so much with romance, in my experience. #litchat -1:47 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit I write SF Mysteries, or mystery SF. Is it genre fiction or simply mixed genre? What would be the difference? #litchat -1:48 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @nineveh_havant I didn’t say Atwood wrote in any one genre. That’s sort of what we were discussing. -1:48 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @egoodlett — yeah, well, some adult authors think that “creative nonfiction” means you can fudge the truth. they’re wrong. #litchat -1:49 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @atozwriter that’s called fiction! 🙂 #litchat -1:49 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila Oh great! #litchat is on. I hope I have some time left. Will have a look at questions and see if I can catch up! -1:49 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @mdbenoit YA defines an age group and a genre. The Outsiders/Catcher in the Rye, coming of age stories at first, but it in GROWING.#litchat -1:49 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @atozwriter Can you give me a definition of creative non-fiction. I find that rather interesting. #litchat -1:51 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead want to be on #litchat but can’t because I am finishing off two articles that need to go online. Sad 😦 -1:52 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter -first you need to decide what you’re calling “genre fiction” how is genre mixing different from genre bending? #litchat -1:52 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat Q3 genre-blended authors I like: CE Murphy, Jacquelyn Carey, Margaret Atwood, Anne Bishop (is she genre-blending?) -1:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @atozwriter *Teeth clenched.* Yes.I have done historical fiction and am aware of the fuzzy line. But not in memoir!! #litchat -1:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @BookingIt Do you like romance? Just wondering. #litchat -1:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter Creative nonfiction tells a true story using the tools of fiction–e.g., dialogue, scenes, suspense #litchat -1:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls @egoodlett #litchat I have a feeling these adults referring to YA genre fict were thinking of genre fict that is YA, a la Twilight. -1:54 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @susanmpls And Iain Banks- writes some hard scifi, some literary fiction/horror. #litchat -1:54 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| malenalott I’m popping in! Trying to read the stream and catch up a bit. Great discussion. I’ll me guest-hosting this Friday! #litchat -1:54 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter biography is one type of creative nonfiction. #litchat -1:54 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @kdueykduey I think it’s more than that. I write in genre – certain elements are likely to be present in my work. -1:54 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots #litchat Stephen King sometimes genre bends / blends… mixing horror elements into other genres. -1:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @atozwriter Altho the combination of creative and nonfic implies that most nonfic isn’t creative #litchat -1:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett #litchat I can understand some fuzzies in memoir–two people will remember same event differently. But outright lies are another thing -1:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| LitChat @malenalott Thanks for stopping in. Looking forward to our chat with you on Friday. #litchat -1:56 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @atozwriter Ah, thank you. #litchat -1:56 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns I do like romance. I read a mix of lit fic, chick lit, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and romance. And others too. #litchat -1:56 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| raconteurreal Aren’t the lines between genres often ambiguous and hazy anyway? #litchat @George9Writer -1:56 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @kdueykduey–sorry, don’t know what teeth clenching is about. i didn’t mention fuzzy line. . . . and let’s ignore memoir, which sho #litchat -1:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter memoir should be its own genre #litchat -1:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey And what about ‘literary’ fiction? Does that just mean, “really well written”?? #litchat -1:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @susanmpls guess most adults refering to YA as genre haven’t read lots of YA lately though. There’s a lot of creativity in new YA #litchat -1:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae I think I will stick to historical fiction, which is in itself speculative and shouldn’t be considered NF. #litchat -1:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @raconteurreal I think they are blurring more and more and I am glad. But I am a writer, not a bookseller….#litchat -1:58 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books @kdueykduey doesnt hv 2 become category but u hv 2 find way 2 introduce people 2 new & mixed genres when pigeon holing remains norm #litchat -1:58 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @atozwriter #litchat Good question! I’d say Tim Powers’ Declare genre-mixes, Robert Harris’ Fatherland genre-bends. Hard to say why in 140! -1:58 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| dosankodebbie re: exploring new genre categories, do you know of western writers who find inspiration from non-west lit? #litchat -1:58 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns RT @kdueykduey: And what about ‘literary’ fiction? Does that just mean, “really well written”?? #litchat <Yes, I think it can mean that!> -1:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett @kdueykduey If you ask a college prof, “literary fiction” just means it’s better than everything else… #litchat -1:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae A really excellent example of creative non fiction is “I Married Wyatt Earp” by Josephine Earp. VERY slanted on her part #litchat -1:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @BookingIt #litchat Okay – just wondering! Aren’t there dozens of sub-genres to romance, though? -1:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @mdbenoit–a lot of it isn’t. think: cookbooks, how-to, diet books, academic-type studies #litchat -1:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| nineveh_havant @jeremyduns Suggest try writing in English instead. 😉 #litchat -2:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit @atozwriter Depends on how you define creativity, I guess #litchat -2:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Could one broadly define genre fiction as novels in which a lot happens and lit fiction, not so much? 🙂 Ie plot/character ratio -2:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| malenalott I think of “bending” as breaking some of the genre’s rules, whereas “blending” would be combining different genre elements. #litchat -2:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mdbenoit Sorry folks, must run. Wind is coming up, going sailing for a couple of hours. Cheers. #litchat -2:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| pussreboots @atozwriter Speaking of Cook Books… genre bending… Nanny Ogg’s Cook Book (again by Pratchett) #litchat -2:02 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @mdbenoit–it’s another one of those definition things. some people prefer to call it narrative nonfiction, which makes sense to me #litchat -2:02 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @mdbenoit Wait … did I miss an interesting discussion here about Atwood and sci-fi? How did she get put in sci-fi? (2 books?) #litchat -2:02 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| nineveh_havant @fannyfae #litchat Have you read Mary Webb? -2:02 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns Yep. But you’ll have viewpoint of woman, meets man, fall in love, a misunderstanding, live happily ever after. #litchat -2:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat @jeremyduns LOL! A lot happens in Memoirs of a Geisha and that was classed as lit fict (I think…) -2:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| atozwriter @jeremyduns–ROFL. yes, and I think i’ve heard genre/litfic defined that way before. #litchat -2:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @pussreboots OK, I’ll buy that. Hadn’t thought of it that way. Cool. #litchat -2:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite I keep missing #litchat due to my schedule, but this sounds like a great discussion, as always. I’ll read the stream and try to catch W-F! -2:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @Best_Books I understand but for an artist it’s frustrating. Especially now. SO many books have been written and we need to stretch.#litchat -2:04 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @BookingIt Sounds like most novels! 🙂 No men meet women ones – no gay ones? #litchat -2:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @nineveh_havant I don’t believe that I have. I think I have heard the name, however. #litchat -2:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| malenalott Must run, but I hope to chat with all of you on Friday! #litchat -2:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Thandelike @mizwrite me too, missed #litchat will read transcript -2:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns My favorite mysteries are strongly character based. Romances are often character development exercises. #litchat -2:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @susanmpls #litchat Well, I’m generalising. 🙂 Dangerous thing to do. But in general… genre has more plot, no? -2:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| LitChat Great discussion today. Our official hour is up, but we’ll be back again on Wed, 4 p/edt for more on genre-bending books. #litchat -2:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae Diana Gabaldon said her Outlander series, pub wasnt sure if it should go in sci-fi, romance, historical or what. #litchat -2:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @jeremyduns it depends on the writer, lots of classics would’ve been considered genre in their times (ie Jane Austen or Chandler) #litchat -2:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| AnnaDeStefano RT @fannyfae: A really excellent example of creative nonfiction… ~~and to continue my sci fi theme, try “I am not Spock” by Nimoy #litchat -2:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett @kdueykduey But a nonfiction book about my unbelievab(ly fake)adventure would sell so much better than a fiction book!*shifty eyes* #litchat -2:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| susanmpls #litchat @jeremyduns no. 😉 having worked in lit fict, I can say there’s plenty of it w/ plot. it’s just not always plot-driven like genre. -2:08 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @llunalila #litchat Oh yes, true. If they’re dead, they’re lit. 🙂 Dickens was surely seen as the King or Patterson of his day. -2:08 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns No M/M or F/F in mainstream book stores romance sections yet. Since discovering book blogs, I’ve found they do exist. #litchat -2:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @fannyfae I think genre bending/stretching/mixing/whatevering, if very well done, can hit wide, wide audiences. #litchat -2:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| egoodlett @llunalila I’m pretty sure Jane Austen was considered “chick lit” back in the day #litchat -2:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @AnnaDeStefano And then later Nimoy came out with a book titled “I Am Spock” Make up yer mind! 😉 #litchat -2:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @jeremyduns I haven’t bought any yet, although I may at some point. I wonder how closely they follow the standard formula. #litchat -2:09 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @jeremyduns And I think King might be one of our Dickens(es). #litchat -2:10 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @pussreboots Nanny Ogg’s cookbook? You’ve just discovered me the one book I want NOW. Didn’t know about it LOL Tx #litchat -2:10 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @BookingIt #litchat But without a strong plot they’re not called mysteries. Any novel big on plot is prone to being called genre, I think. -2:11 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| AnnaDeStefano RT @fannyfae: @AnnaDeStefano And then later Nimoy came out with a book titled “I Am Spock” Make up yer mind! 😉 #litchat ~~LOL! -2:11 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @LitChat As always, thanks for hosting. #litchat -2:11 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy RT @rj_anderson: RT: @LitChat: Welcome to #litchat. Glad to be back and excited about our topic: Genre Bending Books. Join us now. 🙂 -2:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @BookingIt #litchat Interesting. Made me think of Samuel Delaney – scifi writer with strong gay themes. -2:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| npilon @susanmpls #litchat I’m going to put in a vote for the Sharing Knife books by Lois McMaster Bujold. Very good romance/fantasy hybrid. -2:12 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat I think the genre discussion lags in books as oppossed to films. Nobody hesitates to call Hitchcock a master of suspense… -2:13 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat … And see him as high art. But name a thriller/suspense novelist held in similar regard. -2:14 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @jeremyduns I think of genre fiction as writing to a reader expectation of pacing, ending, protag success, etc. Lit fiction not. #litchat -2:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @kdueykduey I definitely agree with you. Genre’s are there 4 convenience of pubs & booksellers etc. readers buy what they like. #litchat -2:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy RT @atozwriter Speaking of Cook Books… genre bending… Nanny Ogg’s Cook Book (again by Pratchett) #litchat -2:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey Thanks to all, off to bend those genres ’til they squeak AND win lit prizes. (no worries, the litchat high won’t last… #litchat -2:15 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @mizwrite #litchat Doesn’t lit fiction also conform to reader expectations? Harder to define, perhaps. Unhappy endings, perhaps? -2:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy Knowing people LIKE genre-bending books is very freeing when trying to write! So much time worrying re ‘how package/where shelve’ #litchat -2:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books @kdueykduey yep – just needs inovative way 2 approach readership-2 start this means more approachable bkshop staff + gr8er knowldge?#litchat -2:17 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| kdueykduey @Best_Books which means more INDIES!!!! #litchat -2:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @fannyfae I just read first Gabaldon, and I can understand that difficulty. She follows a romance plot, but has some “outliers.” #litchat -2:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Best_Books thank you #litchat for hosting tonight’s discussion – v. interesting! -2:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy #litchat So what’s the best way to blurb your book if it crosses genres then? Often expectation in reader is important affects enjoyment. -2:18 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @AnnaDeStefano But that’s when they get shelved elsewhere (usually in “gen fiction”), no? #litchat -2:19 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy Think I missed most of #litchat 😦 Will have to read back on what people said/recommended. Awesome topic toady on genre-bending books. -2:21 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae but read are clearly affected by it Theylike many people almost get angry when something doesn’t fit their preconceptions #litchat -2:21 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @jeremyduns Good point about Hitchcock … #litchat -2:22 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy #litchat I remember being disappointed on finding out Marion Zimmer Bradley’s books weren’t fantasy but actually sci-fi (started mid-series) -2:22 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| bostonbibliophl @jeremyduns it’s stil the same person. #litchat -2:22 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| AnnaDeStefano RT @mizwrite: Yes, most commercial fiction is shelved in genre, but the lines are blurring. A lot of successful hybrids out now #litchat -2:22 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| raconteurreal It seems like you’re right–if you focus on packaging/categorizing, there’s no way you’ll write the best book you can. @inkgypsy #litchat -2:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy #litchat But then I came around to it and really loved the idea. Was young, thought only liked fantasy but I just hadn’t read right blend. -2:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @inkgypsy Seems more nervewracking when trying to convince an agent, though! And agent having to convince publisher! #litchat -2:23 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns most lit fiction does, unfortunately. Most people want to put things in nice little boxes #litchat -2:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @mizwrite #litchat Lit fic reader expectations: beautiful prose, slow pace, failures, misunderstandings, unhappy ending… As fair, no? 🙂 -2:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @jeremyduns I don’t think lit fiction needs to conform to happy or unhappy. Can go either way. Sometimes protag loses. #litchat -2:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @mizwrite #litchat I completely agree! Thats the pushmepullyou & yet they all say “write your passion, however undefined that may be” :s -2:24 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan One shouldn’t write for the audience, but write for oneself. Quite simply. I have to. #litchat -2:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| mizwrite @jeremyduns Of course, that wouldn’t go over with romance readers! Or mystery or suspense, i imagine. So “expectation” seems key. #litchat -2:25 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @raconteurreal #litchat I agree yet it’s really hard to think how to approach agents/find your niche etc etc What to do? -2:26 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @inkgypsy it might be better to start sticking yourself to a genre and mix them when your name is already out there. #litchat -2:26 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @bostonbibliophl #litchat Yes, I know. Was making the point that genre can be arbitrarily bestowed – even on the same writer -2:27 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy @HoodedMan Agreed. I write for me. #litchat -2:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @llunalila #litchat Agree in principle but then how do you write the best book you possibly can from the heart if that’s not really ‘you’? -2:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @mizwrite It shouldn’t conform, in any way. One should always strive to avoid that, at least. #litchat -2:28 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @mizwrite Same with genre fiction, though. Spy novels end with protags winning or losing. -2:29 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @inkgypsy write from your heart, but then try to sell it as if it only belonged to 1 genre. Agent or pub will tell you if otherwise #litchat -2:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @llunalila #litchat Do you remember long ago I mentioned my concern that my urban fantasy has a sci-fi premise if I ‘go with it’? -2:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Sidney_Williams @mizwrite, @jeremyduns #litchat Maybe in litfic it’s more than the story is about the character’s journey than it is plot -2:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| BookingIt @inkgypsy careful– us dedicated book types like genre-bending works. Casual readers may be less inclined to give leeway. #litchat -2:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat Reader expectactions are double-edged. Why is this such a stereotypical spy novel? Why isn’t this more like a real spy novel? -2:30 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Sidney_Williams @mizwrite, @jeremyduns #litchat In Ceremony by Silko, story is about hero’s recovery. Less litfic – it would have been about maybe getting.. -2:31 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @mizwrite #litchat Our box of tricks needs to be larger than ever these days it seems but persistence & passion seem to be the 2 biggies. -2:31 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Sidney_Williams @mizwrite, @jeremyduns #litchat cattle back from white ranchers. That happens but is not the main focus. -2:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @Sidney_Williams #litchat Think you’re right. Internal rather than external journey/plot given more weight in lit-fic, generally -2:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @mizwrite She does follow a Romance plot, but the books do read a little diff than many in that genre #litchat -2:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy Hence, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Truth doesn’t sell. Marketable material fits reader expectations. #litchat -2:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @inkgypsy yes, but stick to it, it’s urban fantasy. They will tell you if you need to highlight the sci-fi elements or not #litchat -2:32 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jentropy What’s the point otherwise? I have to enjoy it and I can’t do that by conforming, to anything #litchat -2:33 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| inkgypsy @llunalila #litchat Thank you! That’s good advice. 🙂 -2:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @jentropy #litchat ‘There is no such thing as truth, only a universally acceptable lie’ – Len Deighton 🙂 -2:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @inkgypsy I find it natural to get some sci-fi elements in most urban fantasy though, I wouldn’t bother beforehand. Just write #litchat -2:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| hermitpaul Not entirely sure what I can contribute to this discussion. Goodnight. #litchat -2:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @HoodedMan I would agree. Write 4 yourself 1st, then you can duke it out later with your editor/pub on what sells. #litchat -2:34 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae I agree completely. #litchat -2:35 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @walkley True – I need to rewatch that! Was just mentioning Hitchcock in #litchat -2:36 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @fannyfae #litchat Hm re writing 4self 1st. I love obscure band – shall I write a book on their B-sides? Some market awareness is good, no? -2:37 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae and if you’re your own publisher you don’t have to. #litchat -2:38 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| nineveh_havant @fannyfae #litchat Think Hardy meets De Maurier with a touch of Hawthorne. Suggest read – Precious Bane. -2:39 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @HoodedMan Very true – or your own production company if you do the film aspect of it, too. #litchat -2:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns @fannyfae no, “market awareness” is bad, very bad. #litchat -2:40 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @nineveh_havant #litchat Thank you. I shall check it out. 🙂 -2:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan But the market is… your readers. You want readers, right? 🙂 #litchat -2:42 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae Or music, for that matter or anything. #litchat -2:43 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| nineveh_havant #litchat The Shropshire accent may be a surprise for those from Iowa, but well worth the culture shock! -2:43 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat Makes sense to know a little what they want, then? -2:43 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @HoodedMan @jeremyduns Who in their right mind would *ever* go into a market without studying it first? Disaster! #litchat -2:44 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae Bottom line is why should reader or moviegoer care about *your *story? What makes it compelling? Genre aside, is it a good story? #litchat -2:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae If you want to sell soap, you should do it. Not if you want to “sell” art. #litchat -2:45 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| Iwhodareswins RT @fannyfae: Who in their right mind would go into a market without studying it first? #litchat article on selling http://bit.ly/PCNOS -2:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @fannyfae Indeed! Agree completely. Why is it very bad @HoodedMan ? -2:46 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @HoodedMan i think that’s the great difference btw American and European publishing. Americans are more market oriented #litchat -2:47 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @HoodedMan But if you want people to read what you write, don’t you want to check if there’s an audience for it first? -2:48 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan You present your work, without considering the market implications. that’s the ideal, at least. #litchat -2:48 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns No, you do it the other way around. You write and publish and make your work somewhat known (cont) #litchat -2:49 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan (cont) and then find out if there is a market for it. #litchat -2:50 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae This is why H’llywd so often desrtroys books, unfortunately. Someone decided there needed to be a trade off. #litchat -2:51 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat Ideal if time is limitless! I had an idea to write a Harry Potter trilogy – is that a good idea or waste of my my time? -2:51 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns #litchat @HoodedMan If you want to make a living from your art, you have to consider what your audience is interested in, no? -2:52 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @fannyfae You might not need to, but usually you have to, if you’re not very, very lucky. #litchat -2:52 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns How about creating one or try to? #litchat -2:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| fannyfae @HoodedMan Or very, very inflential – like Stephen King. #litchat -2:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat You have to consider that first or you won’t be published! Are you seriously advocating writing the 1st thing you fancy? -2:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns It’s an academic question, anyway, since i can’t change what I want to write. #litchat -2:53 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat I don’t believe that. You sift ideas for creative merit. You need to sift them with your audience in mind, too. And can. -2:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy @HoodedMan What if you create to inspire a certain population, or to bring light to circumstances, as you often do? Audience then? #litchat -2:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @jeremyduns you can try to sell what you love to write to the people you think it should appeal to. But its working other way round #litchat -2:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns It isn’t about fancy, but necessity. I, for one don’t choose what to write, and i don’t want to. #litchat -2:55 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @llunalila #litchat Don’t follow the last sentence, sorry. What is working the other way round? -2:56 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jentropy audience is good, but not “sucking up” to one. #litchat -2:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat ‘Don’t want to’ implies choice. I don’t believe artistic calling is ever so strong. Do you ever cross things out? Why? -2:57 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy @HoodedMan There’s the better thesis! #litchat -2:58 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns Yes, simple to answer. I cross out what I want to write the least. #litchat -2:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @jeremyduns I had to cut so many words it didn’t make sense sorry! #litchat -2:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| llunalila @jeremyduns Better to find an audience to an honest book written from your heart than to make it artificially from smoke #litchat -2:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat If you tell a joke, do you try to tell it so people laugh or not care about them? Jokes are forms of story. -2:59 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @llunalila #litchat Agreed. But better not waste your time & talent writing something nobody wants to read, either. That book on toenails. -3:01 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @HoodedMan I agree. The best writing comes when you’re not conscious of where you’re going. #litchat -3:02 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| AnnaDeStefano RT @fannyfae: This is why H’llywd so often desrtroys books, unfortunately. #litchat ~~Yeah, not a fan of the H’llywd ending myself. -3:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat Do you never consider the reader? If not, you may find they won’t consider you! -3:03 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @jeremyduns That’s clearly different, I, for one don’t see jokes as “art”. It’s more performance than storytelling, at least. #litchat -3:04 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| HoodedMan @danish_novelist You should at least always strive to keep your work somewhat instinctive and not too directed. #litchat -3:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| AnnaDeStefano RT @fannyfae: Bottom line is why should reader or moviegoer care about *your *story? Genre aside, is it a good story? #litchat ~~Here, here! -3:05 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jeremyduns @HoodedMan #litchat That’s a copout and snobbish Storytelling was oral, is language, no difference. And Bill Hicks was an artist. 🙂 -3:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| jentropy @jeremyduns Do you think there’s a crossover point when an artist decides to make a living from art and must compromise something? #litchat -3:06 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
| danielcarney Those who share ur sense of humor will laugh. Those who dnt will smile politely or not. Tell the joke anyway. #litchat -3:07 PM Jun 22nd, 2009 |
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