Jennifer Crusie's professor Lee K. Abbott is one of my new heroes. Jennifer worried about joining his PhD creative writing program because she wrote category romance and worried the others students would ridicule her for it he announced to the class - "Anybody who makes fun of romance fiction is making fun of Jane Austen, and anybody who makes fun of Jane Austen answers to me."
In the piece Jennifer paraphrased the best advice he ever gave her, and it's great!
- "Don't go for the cheap laugh" -- I so have to learn this one. Elvis anyone?
- "No sittin' and thinkin' scenes" -- I think this was the crux of my hero issue in the last book. Too much introspection about things he would never have admitted to himself. I needed to know it, but the reader doesn't need to read it.
- "Remember you're writing for the woman on the bus. Your reader is smart, but she is tired, she's had a long day and she's not reading to see you show off, she's reading for story and catharsis, so you deliver because you owe her for the time and money she's giving to you. You owe the reader everything you can give."
Wow. Why is it I want to say Amen?
4 comments:
Very good points to remember. Thanks for sharing them, Jenna!
(And isn't it great to finish revisions and be able to just relax and read??? : ) )
Steph
The thinking one gets me in trouble. It's the old "show don't tell" problem. I love the woman on the bus visual too.
Yayyy! Revisions all finished! Good for you.
Great words of wisdom and thanks for sharing! I think the sitting around and thinking thing is an issue for me too....
Great advice!
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