Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The Reading Room


According to onlineslangdictionary.com to read someone is defined as: To lecture someone with a sharply worded barrage of painful truths about themselves.

With all the mess and non-sense on social media and lately in most books I think a read is necessary.

  • Can anyone tell me what happened to love stories? Where the women had a backbone and abuse wasn’t considered being an alpha male and disguised as love. Don’t get me wrong I do read what is considered “dark” reads but it’s between two consensual adults. Lately these so called “dark” reads feature young kids and rape is considered ok because the so called hero had a bad past.  Does anyone else not see a red flag? I know there is an audience for this stuff. But what are we telling women about their experiences? I feel as a reader some subject matter should be handled with a little more care and tact. And this is from someone who read and went to see 50 Shades.

  • I miss knowing what characters look like and not having to guess. What’s up with ambiguous descriptions of characters or none at all?  For instance, the women are described in terms of food and objects like heart shaped face, bow lips, long hair down her butt, and my favorite creamy skin. What is that? Sounds like you are creating an avatar and not a character.

  • I agree reading has some element of fantasy but it was a time people read for both fantasy and to see a little bit of themselves in the stories. What happened to the stories with real women? Now they are all young, virgins, dating billionaires and blemish free. And the women writing them are real full figured women. Take a chance and write about something other than the mainstream cliché.

  • And for my ladies who write in the IR genre lately a lot or posts have been devoted to color not mattering but its contradictory to what many write in their books. For example, you don’t have to demonize black men i.e. present them as a thug, no good, deadbeat to make them more appealing against the white man your character wants to be with. Men are men no matter the color. If color doesn’t matter as many of these authors say then don’t put down one race to justify being with someone of another race. Love is love and no relationship is easy. Another issue about race and representation is that there is no representation. Well let me rephrase that diverse representation. Newsflash we are not all the same color with long flowing hair. Which many of these authors know because they look nothing like who and what they write about. All I can say is self-hate is real and is reflected so much in these IR groups. I just want to give many a bell hooks book and say have at.

  • Because this is a business and you want to put your best work out why not invest in a good editor and a few beta reader? Lately there has been issues with beta readers and arc’s being pirated which in itself is sad because it is stealing and not cool on any level. Nonetheless get a few well trusted people to help read and offer advice on your book. I have come in contact with many authors who don’t have either. Huh? Do you not want advice on your story outside of your FB group of fans? How can you be better without constructive criticism? I have people who reach out to me and say you spelled that wrong, or that sentence doesn’t make sense and I take what they said and correct it. I don’t cry, or post statuses about it for validation.

But I digress…..

  • I just miss good love stories. What I mean to say is romance. There is no romance, no courting, it’s just I want you let me stalk and obsess over you until you cave.

  •  Where is the plot in some of these books? What’s up with freaky/fetish titles and a book filled with sex scenes? I am no prude but I miss actual character interaction. I love a spicy love scene but some books well the ones lately you get to 13% in and already the characters are have raunchy sex and in love. Did it happen that fast? I read insta-love/lust stories but the authors rarely tell why the two are in love. Where is the connection? I know, I know its fiction but jeez.

  • And the trolls. Once you say something about any story its let me attack and defend. If the author isn’t saying anything why are you? Especially when readers who are the buyers are asking questions about a story?
 
 
  • Remember the days of getting paperbacks and your only correspondence was the sheet of paper in the back?

  • Also, tagging your books as cook or whatever not related to the book just so you can get #1 on Amazon. Really? Really?

  • My author friends I genuinely want to know what’s up with this phenomena of step-brother stories. Is it because its taboo?  

Note these are just my thoughts as a reader and blogger so please don’t take offense. This post is not toward anyone person in general but what is reflected on social media.

Side note: Coming up in March a good friend and mentor of mine are partnering up for a few posts in a series featuring some very well-known authors. So please stay tuned.

 

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