Or, "more things I shouldn't do." I shouldn't attempt to read "The Most Popular Lesbian Romance Novel Of All Time." Why? Because on one page....on one flipping page...I find not one, but two fairly specific character traits that I've already assigned to "my girls."
You have to understand, ladies and gentlemen, I have this terrifying fear of being unoriginal. That this thing I've been working on for years is going to come out and be judged "nothing we haven't seen before."
Or perhaps worse-that it won't even get to that stage because editors will say something like "We already have thousands of books like that-and they're written by real women, real lesbians."
The more sensitive among you are beginning to figure out why the notion that a vagina instantly confers upon one deeper feeling, greater strength and talent was such a touchy subject for me last week.
3 comments:
Any first-time author (and you qualify, since you haven't had a book published) risks this exact thing, unless a) they have an "in," b) their story/plot is incredibly unique and different than anything else in the marketplace, or c) their writing style sucks a reader in completely.
Someone once said that there are really only 7 story plots, and anyone who writes merely repeats them. Pessimistic? Sure. But, it's also reassuring, because it means that there's a built-in audience and room in the marketplace for everything.
Faith, Ben, have Faith. I can get you her phone number. :)
BTW, what is "The Most Popular Lesbian Romance Novel Of All Time?"
You'd think that was funny if you didn't know I had an ex-girlfriend named Faith who, the last I heard of her (this was many years ago) was high enough in gang culture she was ordering executions.
BTW, never qualify the word "unique." To be unique is to be singular. Something either is unique or is not, it is never "incredibly" so or not.
Luckily, using hyperbole is not against the law... :)
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