Southern Fried Chicas

Busy week.  Lot’s of house cleaning, reading, critiquing and writing.  Not much else to say, so let’s get down to business.

Ten topics below.  Ignore what you don’t want to read, respond to what interests you.  Or, make up your own topic.

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1. WHITE-WASHING PART IV

An excellent post by Thea over at Booksmugglers (read the whole thing, it’s THAT good) on Whitewashing led me to an intriguing discussion by Gwendolyn Osborne at aalbc.com titled ‘It’s All About Love: Romance Readers Speak Out‘. Osborne quotes from a story in the Arlington Morning News about crossover marketing and how one magazine publisher suggested Afrocentric covers may “make white readers uncomfortable.“  From the magazine:

“There are many people who might see the covers of the books, which often feature women with braids or short kinky cuts and men with clean-shaven heads and dark skin, as being too black and in-your-face” She went on to suggest covers without people.”

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On the weekend, I finally got around to watching Final Destination 3. I love this movie franchise; it delivers scares as well as laughs via the creative and outlandish deaths, and it’s so cheesy Velveeta should have product placement in every scene.

But this final (heh) entry into the oeuvre?  Didn’t love it so much.

God awful dialogue (and that’s saying something), and cardboard characters that never rose above being anvilicious stereotypes. But the overdone, overplayed, overextended deaths were delivered a la palooza.

By the truck load.

In 3D.

Talk about overkill. (heh)

Sure those ‘deaths’ were the original draw for the first two movies, but at least there was some semblance of plot, character, conflict and suspense as well. Now there’s nothing but an excess of  ‘dumb’ and special effects.

If there are any more Final Destination movies, I’ll catch them on cable, because as much I loved those crazy deaths, I still needed the framework of the other elements for the ‘story’ to work for me.

The Final Destination films aren’t the first series (movie, TV show, or books) to go this route. A lot of times it results in increased popularity—give the people what they want, and all that. For me, I think ‘always leave them wanting more’, is more my speed.

What about you, what books/tv show/movie franchise evolved to emphasis one popular aspect/storyline/character that really worked for you, or didn’t?

Watching ROMANCING THE STONE Saturday, I can remember watching it as a pre-teen and it made my heart pitter-pat in a way nothing up to that point had. I fell for Jack, wanted to be Joan Wilder and go on an adventure. I think it has as much to do with why I became a writer as my wanna-be-like-you writer influences. It gave me a love for all-things romantic. (and adventurous and … well there as just so many things!)

You have the ner’erdowell hero, Jack Colton, who is only out for number one who has to eventually be accountable for not only himself but some woman who came crashing into his life turning it upside down–literally–the landing in the mud, still gets me. *sigh*  (From IMDB: Mud Slide) You have the repressed in every way possibly, yet writes romance novels heroine, Joan Wilder, who despite being scared of her own shadow steps eons out of her comfort zone to go to the jungles of Colombia to save her sister. I will admit, I so wanted to be her. She was sexy–once she let her hair down. She was smart and braver than she ever thought possible.

Add in the stolen longing glances, the chest thumping overtures and all the danger. It was a perfect blend–I mean really who’d would think watching a man kill a snake, then hand over hand pull it from behind the dame could be sexy?!?! (And Mike was–not saying he’s not still, but … –a hottie in an understated, yet still made you bat eyelashes way. And Cathy… I’d kill for her legs!) And let’s not forget the comedic aspect–Danny-boy c’mon… again, perfect blend.

Then to top it all off–SPOILER-ish if you haven’t seen it and may want to–Jack then has to let go of his future to “save” his woman but when he gets there she saved herself and he’s okay with it. He has completed his arc by letting go of the croc. She completed hers by not being a cowering dame.

It is one of those movies that I will watch every single time it comes on TV–well maybe not twice in the same day…maybe.

Side Note: when I first got into the world of pub, the image of her schlepping that huge paper box with her 400++ page manuscript to her publisher/confident was what I sorta-not-really-but-maybe thought it would be like.

Having watched it and in light of talking about my slump, it renewed something in me, gave me some much needed inspiration, I think and I am so glad I just happened to be channel surfing Saturday night. It’s a good go-to movie when I need that little extra-oomph! What about y’all? Anything like that, that rejuvenates you?

I’ve been blog hopping and many times I’ve had to step back and think about my answer. There seems to be a split in what Author Melissa thinks/feels and what the Reader Melissa thinks/feels. Sometimes the answers can be polar opposite of each other and I do, in fact, feel like two people.

Are authors entitled to do what they want with their characters and/or stories?

Author Melissa:

A writer owns their characters. They can do what they want with them. There is nothing worse than being caged in and not able to be creative as you see fit. Sometimes a reader will want you to write the same stories over and over again. Or never write outside of the rules of genre. That can be very limiting and suffocate the hell out of you.

Reader Melissa:

SPOILER ALERT:

Sandra Brown killed off one of my favorite heroes. Matter of fact it was a hero from one of my first romances. I tell you I read that sucker every year. Maybe more than once a year. I haven’t read Sunset Embrace since, because I keep thinking “He’s just going to die anyway”. Hell I haven’t read Sandra Brown since she wrote that other story.

Do you believe a cover sells a book?

Author Melissa:

Absolutely. A crappy cover is a hard sell. A book is definitely judged by the cover.

Reader Melissa:

I rarely pay attention to covers. Do I know the author? No, then I’ll take a peak on the inside. I might even arse myself to read the blurb. If the author is someone I love to read I don’t care if they have a woman with a hairy chest on it, I’m buying. To be honest the only bad cover I can remember is Christina Dodd’s. That three-armed lady. Priceless.

How do you feel about anthologies?

Author Melissa:

I love them, because they give you an opportunity to expand your readership. Plus, it’s a short story you can bang out and edit without too much headache. There’s a huge difference in editing 100 pages versus 300.

Reader Melissa:

I don’t like them. The stories feel crammed. I’ve rarely come across one that felt like a full-fledged story versus a single title edited down to fit the anthology. The former is a gift not every author has–to write short and well.
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Yeah, so when I come across discussions of reader entitlement, author ethics, I’m hard pressed to answer.

What questions do you answer differently?

When I first started in “the business”, I wasn’t really worried about getting an agent. I thought I was a fairly decent writer. Figured I could find one after the first book or two, maybe manage on my own, at least at the beginning.
Uh-huh.

Well, now I would very MUCH like to have an agent. The RIGHT agent, whatever that might entail. I hate the shopping around. The lost submissions. The lack of response. Not being able to sub proposals. And it wouldn’t hurt to know you had a professional who really believed in your work, and not just family and friends (though that support is VERY important too).

Having done a fair share of research, I do wonder about something. There are hands-on agents, agents who will make “suggestions” about the work, do editing, etc.—and those who really aren’t involved in that aspect of the business.

If you have/have had an agent, do you want them to have a part in the editing or revisions of the ms you submit to them? To what degree? Or would you prefer someone who sticks to the marketing aspect and keeps their hands to themselves?

And if you’re looking for an agent, what kind would you prefer, and why?