Genre identification crisis
Two things happened recently that made me consider I might not be a natural romance writer.
Firstly, I requested and received two books for Christmas. One was entitled 'The Crossing' - a book written by an Olympic rower and a tv presenter about their race across the Atlantic in a rowing boat. The other was entitled 'A Long Way Down' - a darkly comic book by Nick Hornby about four strangers who meet on a rooftop with the intention of commiting suicide. Checking other romance writers' Christmas books received lists, I couldn't help noticing that they tended to be, er, romances.
Secondly, I attended a romance writing workshop whereby we had to seek out the most romantic paragraph in one of our favourite books. Strangely, there were no romantic paragraphs in either of the above books (although the rowers did miss their other halves incredibly) and the Diary of Adrian Mole, whilst he is in love with Pandora, doesn't really have the heart-thumping, leg-trembling, mouth-drying, eyeball-exploding, ever-fizzing Pepsi, kind of romance in it either. Nor does Pooh's Greatest Adventures or any of Bill Bryson's brilliantly funny travel books.
So, I've decided to invent a new genre just so I can write it. It's going to be humour-adventure-travel - otherwise known as HAT and I reckon it should appeal to anyone in a secure institution or under the age of six.
Firstly, I requested and received two books for Christmas. One was entitled 'The Crossing' - a book written by an Olympic rower and a tv presenter about their race across the Atlantic in a rowing boat. The other was entitled 'A Long Way Down' - a darkly comic book by Nick Hornby about four strangers who meet on a rooftop with the intention of commiting suicide. Checking other romance writers' Christmas books received lists, I couldn't help noticing that they tended to be, er, romances.
Secondly, I attended a romance writing workshop whereby we had to seek out the most romantic paragraph in one of our favourite books. Strangely, there were no romantic paragraphs in either of the above books (although the rowers did miss their other halves incredibly) and the Diary of Adrian Mole, whilst he is in love with Pandora, doesn't really have the heart-thumping, leg-trembling, mouth-drying, eyeball-exploding, ever-fizzing Pepsi, kind of romance in it either. Nor does Pooh's Greatest Adventures or any of Bill Bryson's brilliantly funny travel books.
So, I've decided to invent a new genre just so I can write it. It's going to be humour-adventure-travel - otherwise known as HAT and I reckon it should appeal to anyone in a secure institution or under the age of six.
Labels: Annie
posted by Annie at 11:10 am
9 Comments:
Italics = Annie
Annie-I-am
I-am-Annie
I-am-Annie
Annie-I-am
That Annie-she-is!
That Annie-she-is!
How I like that
Annie-she-is!
Would you like to read a HAT?
I would like to read a HAT
Would you like it here or there?
I would like it anywhere.
Would you read it in a house?
Would you read it with a mouse?
I would read it with a house,
I would read it with a mouse.
I would read it here or there,
I would read it anywhere.
Would you? Could you? In a car?
Try it! Try it! In a bar.
I would, I could, in a car, I would, I could, in a bar.
I would read it in a box,
I would read it with a fox.
I would read it in a house.
I would read it with a mouse.
I would like it here or there.
I would like it anywhere.
Write it! Write it! Annie you are!
Write it! Write it! by a car!
Write it! Write it! on a plane!
Write it! Write it! on a train!
Write it! Write it! with a pen!
Write it! Write it! with a hen!
Write it! Write it! Annie-You-Are!
Cuz you're our boa-wearing star!!!
I love it. You'll go down in history as the inventer of the HAT...uh, wait a minute, isn't there already hats?
LOL. In all honesty...I think you got something there. If you don't fit, make your own...I LIKE it!
I'm sorry, I haven't read the post. I'm too impressed by the glorious title.
Annie, I take my HAT off to you (geddit?). Actually, I'm interested to know what you think of Nick Hornby book, I have it on my tbr.
I am so glad that Brown has joined our little band of happy writers. Somehow, she makes me feel quite sane again. Thank you, Brown.
You know what they say, Stacy - there's no such thing as an original idea. Also, you reminded me I've never been able to wear hats - I have a very narrow head and as a Brownie and Guide was a size 0. (Maybe I should have been a head supermodel?)
Read it, Amanda. I laughed all the way through - even at the bits I probably wasn't meant to.
Thanks, Iona. *sniff* That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
I'm touched. (no comments please)
Sometimes I think you can be a better writer if you read other genres. Nothing wrong with it! I just finished reading Lou Holtz's autobiography. How a football coach's life will help me as a writer, I'm not quite sure, but it was fun to read. :)
You're welcome, Annie, always there to lend a hand and put your insanity in rapid perspective. The rhyme was loosely inspired by Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham," (by inspired, I mean totally plagiarized). And if you're looking to get the message of your new book across in one - two syllable words, I heartily recommend reading the good doctor. The man managed to talk about things like weapon proliferation (The Great Butter Battle) and deforestation (The Lorax) with great imagination and a vocabulary that a seven year old could understand (which I know for a fact, as both my inner and outer child are somewhere around 6.5 years old).
Wishing you lots of ideas, pens that don't run out of ink, and an endless supply of chocolate.
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in the non-romance category...although I just finished reading the first romance I picked up in at least four months: Nicola Cornick's Lord's Grenville's Captive. Loved it almost as much as Brown's poem!
Thanks, Michelle - both for the comment, which has made me feel much better, and for visiting our blog.
(As an athletics coach myself, I may well have to take a look at Lou Holtz's autobiography too!)
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