Evolution of Reading In-Genre
When I sold GIRL'S GUIDE to Red Dress Ink, I had (I'm ashamed to say) never read a single book in that line. Upon learning of the sale, I immediately went to the bookstore about bought three of their books. And then I went back and bought every one that I could find, from authors whose names began with A-M. And then I went back and got N-Z. And then, I made a couple of clean-up sweeps of new books (or older ones that were new to me.)
So, I've read a few dozen Red Dress books now.
My rules have been that I read each book in its entirety. It's important to me to learn how the authors handle their characters, how they handle their plots, whether the girl gets the guy in the end, whether the girl *wants* the guy in the end. I've been studying the ages of characters and the locales of stories, the professions of our heroines, the range of supporting characters. I've focused on all the characters' arcs.
A few months ago, I started a book that I found virtually unreadable. It was one of the earliest in the line, and it read as so stereotyped, so common, so boring, so mundane, that I just couldn't suffer through 300 pages. I skimmed the book, still tracking the endpoints. I decided that at least part of the book's problem was that the genre had evolved in the five years since it had written - some of the tropes were still fresh when it was written, but the book had been surpassed.
I just set aside my second book; I'm not even going to bother with skimming. It's an anomaly for the line. It's set in England (only a small handful of the books I've read have been.) It's written in the third person. While it has what could be an amusing hook, it is clunky, unimaginative and -- most damning of all -- it's not funny. The jokes, which *are* in the text, just don't make me laugh.
I got to the point, in reading fantasy, that I instituted a strict 50-page rule. If the book hadn't grabbed me in 50 pages for some reason - world-building, character, plot, written by a friend :-) - it was set aside.
And now, I've added the 50 page rule to chick-lit.
That's progress. Of a sort.
Mindy, turning to the next book on the to-be-read shelf
So, I've read a few dozen Red Dress books now.
My rules have been that I read each book in its entirety. It's important to me to learn how the authors handle their characters, how they handle their plots, whether the girl gets the guy in the end, whether the girl *wants* the guy in the end. I've been studying the ages of characters and the locales of stories, the professions of our heroines, the range of supporting characters. I've focused on all the characters' arcs.
A few months ago, I started a book that I found virtually unreadable. It was one of the earliest in the line, and it read as so stereotyped, so common, so boring, so mundane, that I just couldn't suffer through 300 pages. I skimmed the book, still tracking the endpoints. I decided that at least part of the book's problem was that the genre had evolved in the five years since it had written - some of the tropes were still fresh when it was written, but the book had been surpassed.
I just set aside my second book; I'm not even going to bother with skimming. It's an anomaly for the line. It's set in England (only a small handful of the books I've read have been.) It's written in the third person. While it has what could be an amusing hook, it is clunky, unimaginative and -- most damning of all -- it's not funny. The jokes, which *are* in the text, just don't make me laugh.
I got to the point, in reading fantasy, that I instituted a strict 50-page rule. If the book hadn't grabbed me in 50 pages for some reason - world-building, character, plot, written by a friend :-) - it was set aside.
And now, I've added the 50 page rule to chick-lit.
That's progress. Of a sort.
Mindy, turning to the next book on the to-be-read shelf
My favorite Red Dress author, hands down, is Laura Caldwell. Her books are witty and funny, and THE NIGHT I GOT LUCKY has a speculative element. (Other than that one, I don't know any Red Dress books that do. Aside from mine :-))
Other reads near the top of my list: any of Wendy Markham's books (I have a goofy soft spot for MIKE, MIKE, AND ME) and MEAN SEASON by Heather Cochran. There are others that have good bits and bad bits - like any genre fiction :-)
I've never read any books from Red Dress Ink, but I think I might try one. What would you recommend as a good book to start with? (Or any chick-lit in general, I've really never read a book in that genre o.O)
If you've never read any chicklit, I'd strongly suggest starting with (the first) Bridget Jones's Diary (by Helen Fielding.) It's the grandmother of the genre and still made me laugh out loud when I re-read it about a year ago.
Red Dress books differ from the genre at large because they usually push the stereotypes to the edges. Red Dress heroines can be as old as 50 (THE NEW LU, by Laura Castoro), they can have serious difficulties in their lives (MEAN SEASON, LOVE ME LOVES ME NOT, mentioned in entry above), etc.)
If you read some, let me know what works for you and what doesn't!