tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post2313400368638201461..comments2023-05-24T08:06:43.882-04:00Comments on Romance Writer's Revenge: Differences in GenreTerri Osburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-36935140024213265892011-04-07T14:11:16.000-04:002011-04-07T14:11:16.000-04:00I put my pitch in a blog comment yesterday for a C...<i>I put my pitch in a blog comment yesterday for a Carina Press editor and IT GOT A FULL REQUEST!!!<br><br>Holy shit, I can’t believe it.</i><br><br>Bo'sun: Chiming in late, but...Congratulations! That's awesome.<br><br>As for gambling...I reckon it's already been mentioned but it wasn't like there were a lot of entertainment choices back in the day, were there? (I dunno. No good w/the history.)<br><br>I know of a lot of modern men who all their free time with their asses glued to the couch, drinkin' beer, and watching sports. Frankly, I don't see it as any more an admirable hobby than gambling. (Not necessarily cheaper when you factor in Pay-per-view and other costs.)<br><br>Anyway, here in the Land of Enchantment, drive in any direction for a few minutes and you've got yourself a casino. The few I've been in are always busy. The majority of gamblers are grannies and granpas merrily spending their kids' inheritances.P. Kirbyhttp://www.patriciakirby.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-66334105894368882162011-04-07T05:34:20.000-04:002011-04-07T05:34:20.000-04:00Sorry this is a bit late girls and guys. I got ba...Sorry this is a bit late girls and guys. I got back from Florida yesterday. I thought I'd have plenty of time last night but it didn't work out that way. :(Marneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-61045505344755229482011-04-07T05:45:54.000-04:002011-04-07T05:45:54.000-04:00How was Florida, Marn? Thank goodness it's fin...How was Florida, Marn? Thank goodness it's finally warming up, or I might have been forced to head in that direction myself.<br><br>It's funny, I don't think of the Regency period as <i>gambling, drinking, parties and general debauchery.</i> That's the Georgian period to me. I think of the Regency as very proper, though the rogues did still have their fun. <br><br>As soon as you mentioned the prostitute heroine in a contemp I thought of the movie <i>Pretty Woman</i> which was a hit, but I'm still not a fan of that kind of story. To make it work in a book, she'd probably have to be a high class call girl with only the richest clientele? Takes a bit of the ICK! out when it comes to what she might have caught. (Too early to get that graphic?)Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-592671432410447862011-04-07T05:56:49.000-04:002011-04-07T05:56:49.000-04:00Gambling was a big part of the Regency period. The...Gambling was a big part of the Regency period. They bet on EVERYTHING. LOL And the timeframe is actually a bridge between the wilder Georgians and the more repressive Victorians, so there's still plenty of shenanigans. I think that happens whenever you have people with lots of money and too much time on their hands.<br><br>I think this is an interesting topic, Marn, and I'm going to come back in a minute when my brain has been fortified with caffeine. :)Donnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-50990569833741397272011-04-07T06:19:12.000-04:002011-04-07T06:19:12.000-04:00Ohh, great questions, Marn! I think Donna hit on s...Ohh, great questions, Marn! I think Donna hit on something about Regency characters usually having way too much money, and way too much spare time. <br><br>But you're right - I would expect a modern character who drank as much or gambled as much as a Regency character to be having some real frank discussions about addiction. And as much as I loved Pretty Woman, the modern-day hooker-turned-Cinderella storyline isn't one I could read very often. Yet I read it in Regencies all the time.Halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-39112484301914033352011-04-07T06:23:01.000-04:002011-04-07T06:23:01.000-04:00Ter - Florida was awesome. We went to the beach, ...Ter - Florida was awesome. We went to the beach, we went to the zoo. We hung out. It was pretty relaxing--even with the kids. :) And the weather was much nicer than it is here right now.<br><br>As to the prostitute thing and the ick factor, I think that's one of the things that gets glossed over in all romance, honestly. Those rakes would have been carrying all kinds of stuff, I'd imagine. But I think most people find syphilis to be unromantic. Who knew?<br><br>And you're not a fan of the rags to riches story. Or just not a fan of the prostitute aspect/courtesan aspect in romance right now?<br><br>Donna - <i> I think that happens whenever you have people with lots of money and too much time on their hands. </i> So true. :)<br><br>I think gambling takes different forms too. I grew up with a very entrepreneurial father. Part of the reason he was successful was because of his love of gambling, the thrill of "what happens if I do this?"<br><br>I'm not sure I'm making sense today. I need coffee too.Marneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-2449397539546856742011-04-07T06:25:21.000-04:002011-04-07T06:25:21.000-04:00But I think most people find syphilis to be unroma...<i>But I think most people find syphilis to be unromantic. Who knew?</i><br><br>Best quote of the day so far. This is going to get fun.Halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-20679452243108040262011-04-07T06:30:08.000-04:002011-04-07T06:30:08.000-04:00Hal - I think that's a good point. Today, we ...Hal - I think that's a good point. Today, we see this stuff as addiction and as something that requires rehab and counseling. <br><br>And the Cinderella story line is one of my favorites in historicals too. But I flirted briefly with an idea about a contemporary call girl heroine. I tried to think of how I'd do it and then shied away from the plot entirely. It seemed so tricky. <br><br>I wonder if it's because we see historical women as having only a few options to support themselves. Yet contemp women are seen in almost every field. So when we as a culture look at prostitutes, we assume they had other choices and disapprove (as a general) of them choosing prostitution if they had other choices. <br><br>Just thinking. Not sure if I'm even coherent.Marneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-47960539488830245832011-04-07T06:31:19.000-04:002011-04-07T06:31:19.000-04:00Best quote of the day so far. This is going to get...<i> Best quote of the day so far. This is going to get fun. </i><br><br>hahaha!!! :)Marneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-80100924207440146342011-04-07T06:34:25.001-04:002011-04-07T06:34:25.001-04:00For me, I can totally accept and believe the court...For me, I can totally accept and believe the courtesans and mistresses in historicals because I feel like it was a time when women had very few choices in certain situtations, unlike today. That's also why it wouldn't work for me in contemps. <br><br>The drinking/gambling thing is something I will have to think on more. But I do think it the drinking doesn't bother me as much in contemps as I thought it would. I mean I buy my hubby spirits that he drinks 1 a night and I wouldn't think it a bad thing in a character. Now, if it was 8am and he was drunk, that might be a different story.Scapegoathttp://sabrinashields.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-46098855652158129842011-04-07T06:34:25.000-04:002011-04-07T06:34:25.000-04:00My problem with Pretty Woman was probably more tha...My problem with Pretty Woman was probably more that they glossed over the real point, as you say. By the end it seemed more like he'd found her being a check out girl at the local IGA than on the corner wearing thigh-high boots. <br><br>She was a good-hearted prostitute, but still a prostitute. And not exactly a high-class one at that. How that HEA will actually work is never really addressed in the movie.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-10930320757398609392011-04-07T06:35:42.000-04:002011-04-07T06:35:42.000-04:00DRD get me some caffeine too. And I've been tr...DRD get me some caffeine too. <br><br>And I've been trying to comment for 45 minutes, at least. I've totally forgot where I was going to take my comment. It was something about rampant STDs and usage of prostitutes and courtesans back in the day.Sinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-1909838167445412272011-04-07T06:37:02.000-04:002011-04-07T06:37:02.000-04:00I don't see anything wrong with contemp charac...I don't see anything wrong with contemp characters having a beer after work or kicking some back on a Saturday night. I've written trashed heroines and I have a future heroine who is actually an alcoholic. I'd actually be more surprised to find an alcoholic heroine in an historical, though I know it's been done.<br><br>Characters are people and people in all time periods often looked for an escape. Or maybe an easy fix to a tough situation. You make the motivation clear and the character credible, and I'm with you.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-26564850529352646432011-04-07T06:43:11.000-04:002011-04-07T06:43:11.000-04:00Slightly off topic, but I have to yell this somewh...Slightly off topic, but I have to yell this somewhere.<br><br>I put my pitch in a blog comment yesterday for a Carina Press editor and IT GOT A FULL REQUEST!!!<br><br>Holy shit, I can't believe it.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-60584694773724895742011-04-07T06:47:48.001-04:002011-04-07T06:47:48.001-04:00Sometimes writing makes me feel like I need to be ...Sometimes writing makes me feel like I need to be an alcoholic. <br><br>I've written characters with drug addictions and trying to rehab and relapsing. There were opium dens and gambling hells and mass amounts of alcohol being consumed back in the day. I've seen more of the alcoholic/drug addiction thing explored in mysteries than romances. I think that would be the biggest difference to me now. It's romanticized in historical novels. Gritty and gruesome detailed in mysteries. I love historicals (courtesans and prostitute stories, mistresses, addictions (Love, love, love Charlotte Featherstone's stories)). Being human is dirty. Life is dirty.Sinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-12653439813295925212011-04-07T06:47:48.000-04:002011-04-07T06:47:48.000-04:00Yay!! Bo'sun that's f*cking AWESOME!Yay!! Bo'sun that's f*cking AWESOME!Sinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-19848639709822151722011-04-07T06:49:15.001-04:002011-04-07T06:49:15.001-04:00Terri, congrats! That is so exciting!Terri, congrats! That is so exciting!Donnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-40886251781645231942011-04-07T06:49:15.000-04:002011-04-07T06:49:15.000-04:00WAHOO Bo'sun! Was that the one pitching to Gin...WAHOO Bo'sun! Was that the one pitching to Gina? There were a ton of pitches on there and I must have missed seeing yours! AWESOME!Scapegoathttp://sabrinashields.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-19955354908442573912011-04-07T06:50:27.001-04:002011-04-07T06:50:27.001-04:00The deadline to post your pitch was midnight last ...The deadline to post your pitch was midnight last night and I think I got it in around 11:50. LOL! I'm in total shock. Heh.<br><br>You're right, Sin, life is dirty. I appreciate the stuff that gets glossed over in Romance (periods, bowel movements, flatulence LOL!) but some of the grittier stuff can make the story better.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-25420038201536381402011-04-07T06:50:27.000-04:002011-04-07T06:50:27.000-04:00Scape - That's it! I literally made it in just...Scape - That's it! I literally made it in just under the wire!<br><br>Thanks, Ladies!Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-88833146449328251192011-04-07T07:03:01.000-04:002011-04-07T07:03:01.000-04:00Yes, to a degree it bothers me. *LOL* Though I'...Yes, to a degree it bothers me. *LOL* Though I'm way more accepting of a hero who drinks and smokes and has a courtesan than I would if it were a contemporary. <br><br>I think the reasons for me accepting it are:<br><br>1.) If I was reading about a hero who didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't fool around, I would immediately think he was a Prig--and I don't find that heroic either. I would consider that sort of character a blowhard, and I would rather have a Bad Boy (the sinning, drinking, smoking rogue) than a Puritan. I think the fantasy works more that a Bad Boy will reform for the right girl, but a Prig will ALWAYS be a Prig. And the sex will suck. <br><br>2.) Similar to the first (connected to the Fantasy aspect), we're so far removed from the Regency period, we don't know what it would really be like to live there. Therefore the less tempting parts (i.e. syphilis, dental care, childbirth, lack of indoor plumbing, quack doctors and lack of antibiotics), don't enter our mind much since we really couldn't imagine a world without these things. I mean, I have a father who lived without a lot of this stuff--but I didn't--and because I didn't, I don't have to think about it much. However, I do live in the modern world. I know what works and what doesn't; I know and experience societal mores and expectations--and if any contemporary novel flies in the face of that, it's much easier to abandon the book, be jerked out of the fantasy. We know too much about this world, about our world. The only thing most of us know about the Regency period are a few key historical tidbits we look up and Colin Firth from Pride & Prejudice. We focus on the romantic and not the reality. We live too much in this world to focus only on the romantic aspects.Hellionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-2794790331754623592011-04-07T07:08:05.000-04:002011-04-07T07:08:05.000-04:00Shout it, Bo'sun! Shout it! That's great n...Shout it, Bo'sun! Shout it! That's great news!!!Hellionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-16601433906655936822011-04-07T07:09:17.000-04:002011-04-07T07:09:17.000-04:00Congrats Ter!!!! How awesome!Congrats Ter!!!! How awesome!Halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-48042301806023215522011-04-07T07:13:54.000-04:002011-04-07T07:13:54.000-04:00Scape - I think what you said about the having opt...Scape - I think what you said about the having options thing is what I think about prostitutes in contemp versus historical. The one I read from JR Ward, the prostitute was running from a mafia husband, I think. So, she was underground and didn't have the choice of having a legitimate job. <br><br>And the alcohol thing is the same, too. Drunk at 8Am in a novel would need some really strong motivation.<br><br>Ter - <i> By the end it seemed more like he’d found her being a check out girl at the local IGA than on the corner wearing thigh-high boots. </i><br><br>hahaha! So true! And you're right. She had a heart of gold, almost like she wasn't touched by what happened to her. It is probably good the movie stopped there. <br><br>CONGRATS on the full request too! That's awesome. :) Hooray! Rum all around!<br><br>Be back in a sec to continue. I need to go pick up the eldest DS.Marneenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-56837709545656373882011-04-07T07:40:45.000-04:002011-04-07T07:40:45.000-04:00Interesting idea...what is acceptable and what isn...Interesting idea...what is acceptable and what isn't in any genre. Friend here at RT was ranting last night about how young adults can be pitted against each other in gladiator contests, ie, Hunger Games, but they can't have sex. Even if they love each other and it's 'true love.'<br><br>As with all things, it shifts. What is tabboo this season may be all the rage in another. Strong courtesans? Check! Five years later? Nope, has to be troulbed and downtrodden.<br><br>Acceptance and norm is a fickle friend!<br><br>Yeah, Terri! And I had an awesome time yesterday and my panel with Cherry and Katharine was a blast. I lost my voice... About 60 people attended! Whoohoo!2nd Chancehttp://www.maureenobetital.comnoreply@blogger.com