PSA: Writers, Don't Insult Other genres!

For me to say I am livid is an understatement. Nothing makes me more angry than someone disrespecting a specific genre of writing, any genre. But it's even worse when it's a fellow writer.

Now there are several genres I just don't read because I just don't enjoy them. Maybe some I might even think are a little silly. But you do NOT see or hear me telling the world that. I have respect for these genres even if it's not my thing. ALL writers deserve respect for their art, no matter what.

Yesterday, one of my writers group members made a comment on our message board about romance and erotic romance. I quote:

"To put it into slightly more pointed terms, it seems to be about the manufacture of overtly hyperbolic and (ever-so-slightly) hedonistic self-gratification material to satisfy sexually inhibited spinsters and untended soccer moms. Basically, it seems to be about writing pornography which allows its reader plausible deniability about the fact that she is reading pornography."

I can handle it when it's some Joe Shmoe insulting the genre...chalk it up to an idiot who's mouth moves and there's no brain attached. But a fellow writer?? Really?? That is just wrong. And this guy is in my writers group! How do I deal with that?? I read pieces of my manuscripts all the time. Is he secretly thinking I am an idiot undeserving of respect for my writing??

I did email the guy...I just couldn't sit back and hold my tongue. Maybe it was wrong of me to do it...but no one disrespects me, and my fellow romance writers and readers, and gets away with it. Do I need to bring up Judy Mays??? I think not. But I almost want to be really evil and give the whole romance community his email address. How would he react if millions of romance writers and readers knocked on his cyber door????

Why does romance get such a bad rap???

When I started writing...I had no clue what genre it was. After a while, I realized it was stuff only women would be interested in reading...so that made it women's fiction. And mostly I had young heroines...set in an urban setting...chick lit. But then someone mentioned something to me......romance. Yeah...there were romantic scenes in my writing, but to call it a romance novel with heaving busoms and burning loins???

I'll admit, when I first thought what I wrote was romance, I wasn't real comfortable. I didn't know much about romance and what I did know from sterotypes told me it was something a lot of people didn't take seriously. I did not want that for my career.

So I did my research and was amazed at what I found. It's not your Grandma's romance novel anymore! Heroines are smart, funny, resilient, strong...they get what they want and don't need a man to save them or give them anything. The difference is that they want the man around (or woman, or both. I'm extremely pleased to see how many glbt novels there are out there! Yay!)...a partner to share life with...and isn't that what we all want....even in the 21st century???

Now I'm not gonna say there aren't corny covers out there...but they are much better than they used to be! No more Fabio look-a-likes.

If you need more convincing...read this article! I got the link from my fabulous editor and fellow romance writer Piper Denna!

Just how many adults read YA for the fun of it???

I know a lot of writers who read YA because they need to get a handle on the genre for their own projects. Me, I read YA because I want to!!

I don't know what it is...well, maybe I do. I am a sucker for a coming of age story!! And nothing makes me melt like reading of first loves, first kisses...first....everything! It's a feeling you just don't get in adult fiction. It takes me back...makes me feel nostalgic for the days when I felt those flutters of puppy love!

Some of my most favorite books are YA. As a kid, my favorite author was Judy Blume- Are You There God, It's me Margaret was my fav!! I remember being so excited for her when she got her period for the first time (I hadn't gotten mine yet when I read the book). I love love love Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Every book in the series makes me laugh and cry multiple times throughout! She really knows how to write books that grow with her audience too. Sometimes I wish she would continue the story into Adult fiction just because I know her characters so well and I want to know how they are handling adult life!! (Which all goes back to my post the other day about sequels!)

I just finished the third installment of the Gallagher Series by Ally Carter, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, a series about a super secret school for teenage girl spies. While I'm not real fond of the way she leaves so many unanswered questions in her books, she's got me hooked and I need to know what happenes next!