tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478664906099707316.post5933214661150450168..comments2023-08-16T02:59:07.053-07:00Comments on Writer's Daily Grind: The Great Harry Potter ReviewAnne Gilberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03045500116098233731noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478664906099707316.post-48210443311482046502007-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:002007-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:00Helen:I know you are the author of several(good) h...Helen:<BR/><BR/>I know you are the author of several(good) historical novels, having read or am reading some of them. And furthermore, in the end you have to write what suits <B><I>you</I></B>! I am aware, however, of several authors who had trouble getting published for a while, because of the kind of things they were writing. One author, Roberta Gellis, comes to mund. She wrote a series called <B><I>The Roselynde Chronicles</I></B>, or something similar. It was set in medieval times. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any market for this stuff at the time; romance writing was becoming more and more "formulaic", a problem many romances still suffer from today. So she turned to writing kind of fantasy stuff about Greek gods, and sold some of that, and then wrote mysteries. I don't know how well she's doing, but her stuff turns up in paperback from time to time. But unless you really <B><I>like</I></B> writing Harry Potter-style material, then you, or any other writer, shouldn't do it. This goes for writing "literary" novels as well. Some people who write "lilterary" novels, write really good ones, and they deserve to be read. And, BTW, over the last few months, I've been bumpiing into some quite interesting and well-written novels aimed at children and young people, but which could be read with great enjoyment by adults. But if you can't write that way, don't! And I've been told, you shouldn't try to "become the next J.K.Rowling, Stephen King, etc., because you can't. Every writer is unique, and has their own, unique way of writing. Anybody who tries to follow too closely in, say Stephen King's or J.K. Rowling's footsteps, will only come up with pale imitations. <BR/><BR/>As for the critics. . . well, these people usually don't actually write anything. As I said earlier, many of them seem to come out of "English department" backgrounds. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but just because you have a "literary" education, and know the Jane Austen canon inside out, doesn't mean you will be able to judge modern authors, or modern tastes. And that, I think, is the modern critics' failing.<BR/>Anne GAnne Gilberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03045500116098233731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478664906099707316.post-58910670813740392212007-09-01T11:23:00.000-07:002007-09-01T11:23:00.000-07:00p.s visit me on :-www.helenhollick.net or www.mysp...p.s visit me on :-<BR/><BR/>www.helenhollick.net or www.myspace.com/cptjesamiahacorneHelen Hollickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04292983846350273039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478664906099707316.post-47729961837139594602007-09-01T11:21:00.000-07:002007-09-01T11:21:00.000-07:00I so agree! I am an author of several (good) histo...I so agree! I am an author of several (good) historical novels. I was dropped by my mainstream publisher because the sales figures were not high enough (well there was no marketing, so what can you expect?) My agent (ex agent now) wanted me to write something like Harry Potter. I said no. H.P. has been done & done very well by J.K.R. I didn't want to write a Harry Potter look-a-like. In the end I wrote a pirate novel for adults (Sea Witch) but my agent kept on and on about I must write it for children/boys. I did not want to write it for children. Nor boys. I wanted to write for adults, us grown-ups also like pirates. There is very little good grown-up pirate fiction. (one can only read Frenchman's Creek so many times!) What is it with these literary people? Why can they not accept a darn good novel for what it is, a darn good novel, even if it is not written in correct English prose with all the right things in the right place? MY priority for a good novel is whether it is a bl**dy good read - not whether it has too many adverbs or not! H.P is a good story ... and yes I am very, very, envious of J.K.R. but .... well Sea Witch is really good too folks!!!! :-)<BR/>Helen HollickHelen Hollickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04292983846350273039noreply@blogger.com