Okay, now to get down to the nitty gritty. What are the worst habits that authors do? Do you find yourself thinking about this often and making sure you don’t repeat the mistakes? Do you have it in your head the things you look for as a reviewer while writing? Do you wish you could take an author aside and tell them perhaps they’re not getting it?
And if you could give advice to a reviewer – what would it be? I mean, just because someone hates your book doesn’t mean it’s a bad story – or a bad book. I mean, there are lots of movies out there that are terrible, yet get great reviews. Most Academy Awards I find are given to either unknown movies or ones you’re thinking you’d never go see. Now that is my opinion – but does it make me right? Of course it does – this is my playground and you shall not go down my slide without my permission. 🙂
Do you find it difficult to give bad reviews? Or do you find it harder to give great reviews? Do you wish you could write some of the things authors come up with? We all wish we’d thought of Harry Potter and had millions of dollars (or billions…….) but there is only one JK Rowling. Do you think “I wish I’d thought of that” or is it more “what the hell were they thinking?” Do you come across many stories that are similar to each other, yet the authors are not related or acquainted in any way?Â
I know some of the staff from Coffee Time either through interviewing them and/or sneaking onto the loops to have a look around, but I don’t have a close relationship with them. How do you get along with them all, and do you feel overpowered by women, or wish you could meet them in person? Both?
Â
1 COMMENT
Sascha_Illyvich
16 years agoWorst habits authors do? Not writing a good story, honestly. Having a loose, weak plot tied together by not enough research and too much head hopping.
MY writing bad habits tend to be not enough layering (thanks Cyn 😛 ) When I’m writing, I’m only thinking about the story and the lessons Morgan Hawke taught me so many years ago. I’m thinking about my beta readers mostly too.
There’d be a LOT less crap out there if I COULD take an author aside and slap them. Some publishers need to be slapped too. I should NOT be sitting in my room eating popcorn during an orgy scene. As an author who has had peers be hard on me, it’s only fair that I’m hard on others who want to break into this business. It’s not easy. It requires work and dedication, and not to do things half assed.
Advice to a reviewer? Yeah. Be more honest. Stop pulling punches and giving a book a good review when it only deserves an okay one. I’d tell the reviewer to open their minds to different types of romances but also to let the publishers know, “hey we’re fair. Just stop publishing crap.” So many authors forget the BASICS of writing.
It’s hard to give bad reviews for me because I have to often have my language changed. Meaning, Iwrite what I believe to be an honest review of the work, and the editor in question says ‘you gotta rework this. It’s too harsh.” Leads me to believe the editor hasn’t a clue either. Great reviews? Nope. I’ve given a few. Cynthia Eden will stop by sometime during this stint and I’ll be posting an excerpt of her work, probably from her Midnight sEries. That book I reviewed got a good review cause it was well written!
As to the idea question? Perhaps. I think all authors want to have a unique idea that’ll make us milions. ONly timeand our readers will tell if we’re on the right track. Yeha, I come across stories that are similiar. When you review a lot, it is bound to happen. Plus I’ve made some great contacts so I have a book connection 🙂
am I overwhelmed by the ladies at Coffee Time? I think the opposite is true. They have in me a male who can bitch, looks great in a dress, can swap lingerie comments with, shoot the sh*t with and pick on Karen/neLynne. I do wish I could meet them. I even suggested a Coffee Time get together since a few of them are in the Bay Area, but I know they secretly all fear the mighty male romance writer Prince. I’d love to meet Heather though, we’d go drinking and cavorting through town!