tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post6983340845946916453..comments2024-02-16T15:14:36.719-06:00Comments on Wet Noodle Posse: The Golden Heart Historical CategoriesMJFredrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-60339256633724865262007-10-19T15:40:00.000-05:002007-10-19T15:40:00.000-05:00Titles: I love Diane's "do no harm" concept, and a...Titles: I love Diane's "do no harm" concept, and agree totally. I honestly think your title is the last thing you need to sweat over.<BR/><BR/>Comedy in Regencies: Isn't Julia Quinn writing in Regency? I don't think it's going to hurt you AT ALL.Esri Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00912657945785764363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-99156388271290162007-10-19T09:38:00.000-05:002007-10-19T09:38:00.000-05:00On another loop I'm on one of the Board members sa...On another loop I'm on one of the Board members said (If I'm interpreting this correctly) that it is totally up to the writer to decide if their entry is a Regency or a Historical. Sounds like RWA won't disqualify anyone for their choice, but you always have to keep in mind the possible bias of the people who may be judging.Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-61805352717339765512007-10-18T23:53:00.000-05:002007-10-18T23:53:00.000-05:00doglady, would not fret about comedy in a histori...doglady, would not fret about comedy in a historical or Regency. Sometimes the funny stuff is harder to sell, but sometimes not. My 2004 GH winner, APHRODITE'S BREW, is coming out in March, and it has a lot of humor in it. HIS MAJESTY, THE PRINCE OF TOADS has lots of funny stuff, and it has sold very well. And my editor is begging for a sequel to AB, so I'm busy writing that now. And I don't thnk most historical romances have a lot of action in them, although they do tend to have more than a traditional Regency. If you have strong characters who are in charge of the action instead of letting it happen to them, you're way ahead of the game.<BR/><BR/>I'm not afraid of strong women in my historicals. There weren't very many Hester Stanhopes, true, but there were certanly enough remarkable women in all eras that I thnk they're worth writing about. When you think about it, we don't have all that many strong women today. But we want to read about them.Delle Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551688823035092802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-45877483313447955782007-10-18T22:09:00.000-05:002007-10-18T22:09:00.000-05:00I remember you had cats, doglady, but there still ...I remember you had cats, doglady, but there still is that name.....Having cats does redeem you, though.Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-54782813143904841052007-10-18T21:54:00.000-05:002007-10-18T21:54:00.000-05:00Diane, do my three resident cats - Tigger (23 lbs)...Diane, do my three resident cats - Tigger (23 lbs) and Pooh (17 lbs) and Rebecca (8 lbs) count? The dogs are under no illusions. The cats run this house!dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-31070879333430285652007-10-18T21:47:00.000-05:002007-10-18T21:47:00.000-05:00Doglady, you are almost nice enough to be a catlad...Doglady, you are almost nice enough to be a catlady! Thank you for saying such a nice thing about Miss M.<BR/><BR/>And, Gillian, glad I made you laugh!Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-46878429552929873102007-10-18T21:10:00.000-05:002007-10-18T21:10:00.000-05:00Do No Harm :)I laughed out loud. And The Regency T...Do No Harm :)<BR/><BR/>I laughed out loud. And The Regency Tumble made me grin, too.Gillian Laynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15772849187702478349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-74665338957887765242007-10-18T20:56:00.000-05:002007-10-18T20:56:00.000-05:00Thanks, Diane. I feel much better about LOST IN LO...Thanks, Diane. I feel much better about LOST IN LOVE now. Thanks CM. You're a doll! And I loved everything you wrote for the Avon event! While THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M is the perfect title, I think that particular novel would have been a hit no matter what you called it.dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-32117162392810259912007-10-18T19:05:00.000-05:002007-10-18T19:05:00.000-05:00Thanks for the nice words, Santa and Jill!Thanks for the nice words, Santa and Jill!Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-7510019938206701582007-10-18T19:04:00.000-05:002007-10-18T19:04:00.000-05:00Gillian, I've been thinking about titles. I suppos...Gillian, I've been thinking about titles. I suppose you could choose a poor title that might unconsciously prejudice your judge (or an editor) against your story. <BR/>If I'd titled The Mysterious Miss M, "A Regency Tumble" or "The Lord and the Prostitute" it might have changed the mindset. My title for the GH entry was "Unmasked" which did relate to the story. <BR/><BR/>So I guess my "rule" for a title would be <I>do no harm.</I><BR/><BR/>The other think is, if you sell they nearly always change the title. (and I still don't have a title for "Pomroy's story"Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-30555653643069415182007-10-18T18:57:00.000-05:002007-10-18T18:57:00.000-05:00Rianne said: As writers don't we create these unbe...Rianne said: <I>As writers don't we create these unbelievably strong-willed heroines (always) when most women were not like back then. Can't we then fictionalize a bit when it comes to what would normally be unforgiven in Society?</I><BR/><BR/>Rianne,<BR/>How much you fictionalize your historical is really your choice. You are right. We all create people who may not be entirely historically accurate. How much we stray from the way people would have been is a personal choice. <BR/><BR/>The question for me is always, will the reader be pulled out of the story or will she suspend her disbelief? For example, I always wonder about Regency misses who have sex with the hero and never once think about pregnancy--or their future marriagablility. But not everyone would worry about that. It isn't a rule; it's merely my preference.<BR/><BR/>If you motivate your characters well enough, though, you can do anything. I think that's the key.Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-24315604797011708912007-10-18T17:16:00.000-05:002007-10-18T17:16:00.000-05:00Diane, How much can fiction fictionalize a histori...Diane, <BR/><BR/>How much can fiction fictionalize a historical romance. Eg. doing something that would most likely have a person cut by the ton? As writers don't we create these unbelievably strong-willed heroines (always) when most women were not like back then. Can't we then fictionalize a bit when it comes to what would normally be unforgiven in Society?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-18925900632416724382007-10-18T14:09:00.000-05:002007-10-18T14:09:00.000-05:00Great article, Diane - you know the interesting th...Great article, Diane - you know the interesting thing - so much of what you said can be applied to just writing in general and not just the historical. Information dumps seems to be the biggest culprit in any time period!<BR/><BR/>And I love your discussion on sensory detail. Those suggestions are helpful to anyone writing contemp, paranormal...anything!Jill Monroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12917867670224368810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-48243210632619837802007-10-18T12:35:00.000-05:002007-10-18T12:35:00.000-05:00Great blog, Diane. I am cutting and pasting this ...Great blog, Diane. I am cutting and pasting this one for future reference....Santahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770231939962704822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-11018466717069181962007-10-18T11:59:00.000-05:002007-10-18T11:59:00.000-05:00Piece of cake, Darcy!I'm off, but I'll be back lat...Piece of cake, Darcy!<BR/><BR/>I'm off, but I'll be back later on!<BR/><BR/>DianeDiane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-60956056913605216802007-10-18T11:25:00.000-05:002007-10-18T11:25:00.000-05:00Thanks for the great post Diane. Lots of excellent...Thanks for the great post Diane. Lots of excellent information for me to stress over, er, work on. I'm really trying to work on getting modernisms out of the narrative - not words per se, but tone and rhythm. All while not editing out my voice. Easy peasy, right?Darcy Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14819984559001912841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-8084202845313778672007-10-18T11:04:00.000-05:002007-10-18T11:04:00.000-05:00Thanks Diane--that does make me feel better. I kno...Thanks Diane--that does make me feel better. I know my reader knows what time period it's set in at least from the Date/Place tsg:)<BR/><BR/>And you're right--there is such a range of what's acceptable in the publishing world. I guess I just worried because I knew this book had won--but something else I didn't think of--it might have been beefed up before it was pubbed so I wasn't necessarily reading it as it was for the GH anyway!Manda Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08475160122055747639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-64235294531575419662007-10-18T10:56:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:56:00.000-05:00Manda, don't worry about whether you have too much...Manda, don't worry about whether you have too much vs not enough historical detail. The range is so wide on this issue and it so much depends on your story.<BR/><BR/>If your reader gets the feel of the historical setting, it is enough. <BR/><BR/>I know I read a Western (an erotic romance)for the RITA one year and, even after finishing the book, I didn't know what time period the book was set in. THAT is insufficient period detail!! <BR/><BR/>We've all read books that include so much historical detail that we forget the story. That is too much.<BR/><BR/>It is YOUR story, YOUR voice, and you are entitled to do it your way!Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-62330001599307398432007-10-18T10:54:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:54:00.000-05:00Thanks Diane. :)I went to a workshop at Nationals ...Thanks Diane. :)<BR/>I went to a workshop at Nationals on titles and premises, and even though the presenters were wonderful and very encouraging, I've been concerned every since.Gillian Laynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15772849187702478349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-44299536058430922142007-10-18T10:51:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:51:00.000-05:00Gillian, I think titles are not much to worry abou...Gillian, I think titles are not much to worry about in the Golden Heart. I wonder if my other Noodlers would agree. If the title relates to the story in any way, it is all right with me. Shame on any judge who marks down because of a title.Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-74462195759702572062007-10-18T10:49:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:49:00.000-05:00tiffinac,I think 1794 England is enough detail for...tiffinac,<BR/>I think 1794 England is enough detail for a general "England" setting. <BR/><BR/>As for the paranormal historical, it is so hard to say. If the paranormal elements are 50-50, I'd personally be inclined to enter in Paranormal. If they are a more minor element, I'd put them in historical. I think Paranormal readers (or I should say, readers of Paranormal!) can accept the historical setting, but I'm not sure how much paranormal a historical reader would be willing to accept without saying, "This is a Paranormal." <BR/>You wouldn't be incorrect either way you went, though. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the tip on Cassell's Dictionary of Slang!Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-53313757448226941272007-10-18T10:34:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:34:00.000-05:00Hi Diane! This is so great! It's like a master cla...Hi Diane! This is so great! It's like a master class on GH historical! I guess the thing I'm most worried about is my use of historical details. I was reading a novel the other day (that won the GH a couple of years ago) and the author used so much more historical detail than I do. It worked in her book, but how can you tell if you've got too little historical detail? <BR/><BR/>I've got the whole Place,Date tag thing down. And I anchor each chapter with a quote from the period. And I definitely have historical detail--I suppose I'm just wondering how much is too little and how much is too much? Which is really a question you can't answer so I'll go back to my corner of worry now:)Manda Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08475160122055747639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-5752601077143626112007-10-18T10:23:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:23:00.000-05:00I'd love to know everyone's thought's on titles.I'd love to know everyone's thought's on titles.Gillian Laynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15772849187702478349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-53624427738695203032007-10-18T09:58:00.000-05:002007-10-18T09:58:00.000-05:00and I almost forgot to say... I love that online e...and I almost forgot to say... I love that online entomology dictionary! It's my best friend sometimes.<BR/><BR/>But my favourite ent. dictionary is:<BR/> <BR/>Cassell's Dictionary of Slang: A Major New Edition of the Market-Leading Dictionary of Slang (gives you the date the word came into play)Tiffany Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07991564840502713121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-77772701736788522262007-10-18T09:54:00.000-05:002007-10-18T09:54:00.000-05:00Thanks for all the great advice! I do use the dat...Thanks for all the great advice! <BR/><BR/>I do use the date tag....Though it just says 1794 Enland, since I'm geographically challenged and cannot picture a setting unless I've been there... lol! sad but true for this writer. <BR/><BR/>Glad you defined categories with multiple elements to a book. I'm always unsure where to place my stuff, in any contest. It's historical but it's paranormal. I get a 50/50 split. Historical love/hate me, and paranormal love an hate me, because of the setting thing.Tiffany Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07991564840502713121noreply@blogger.com