Something I've been meaning to do for some time is to revise my Harlequin rant, mostly because it was very rough around the edges, and because over the past few weeks, every time I've had the chance to re-read it, I wince.
But I am nothing if not honest with myself, and so to go back and edit it, to pretend that I never wrote it, would be lying.
In the end, the post can still be summed up by that one line: "I'm a girl, Daddy. I like different things." But I am also nothing if not queen of putting my foot in my mouth, so here are the revisions (note: not retractions) that I've been meaning to make, which I only partially addressed in subsequent posts.
When I was growing up, my dad made it clear to me that he believed Harlequins were trash. The first time he caught me reading one, about two years ago, he said some bad words and gave me a disparaging look. You know, the "I can't believe I'm related to you" look.
Which does make him a hypocrite, since his parents didn't want him reading science fiction and fantasy, because they believed that those books were trash. Like a good little daddy's girl, firstborn daughter of four and surrogate son, I read those genres avidly (they are still my favorite, and the genre in which I primarily write), so he has nothing to complain about.
But sometimes when I'm speaking or writing (primarily speaking, but it can happen in text), I make some logical leaps that make sense to me, except that I forget to list the steps. This is why I was bad at math. And that's a big part of why I want to revise my rant, on two key points.
Item 1: I said that I have a high IQ, and then implied that the books are not for intelligent people.
Revision: My whole life, friends and family members, even the media, have all sent out the message to me that intelligent people do not read Harlequins. And as the firstborn, everyone had high expectations of me. As a teenager, spewing what I'd learned, I swore to my best friends I'd never read a romance novel!
Then I actually tried it and found that I liked it. In fact, I slowly realised that I'd been reading fantasy and science fiction with romantic subplots my entire life ... and that the ones I liked best had good love stories attached. Anyway, my point was more that I've been conditioned to believe that romance novels are for stupid people. The whole post was dedicated to the fact that in many ways, I am not a typical reader, but that I have the right to read and enjoy what I want all the same.
Item 2: I said, essentially, that Harlequins are crap.
Revision: Harlequins have a stereotype of being "trashy romance novels". But like any stereotype, it can be proven wrong, over and over again. That post was the first time I'd ever expressed my thoughts on the matter, and it was a rant in the truest sense of the word. Like any opinion, it needed refining, and I tried to address that in subsequent Reading 2008 posts.
It's true, I don't like that there doesn't seem to be a lot of proofreading that goes into the novels. I really notice that sort of thing, and rarely a book goes by that I don't notice some sort of typo.
It's also true that I don't agree with all of the plots. Sometimes the characters are shallow or stock, or the ending seems too easy, or details get forgotten that should have been addressed. (I have already ranted on how endings should acknowledge the important details, even if they merely acknowledge that the story cannot address them. This applies to all books, even quick reads.)
The first point is merely an annoyance, because to me it cheapens my personal value of the book to know that typos were missed and the book was still printed. The second point is a more serious offense. Both points contribute to reinforcing the crappy stereotype. They're the books that make their detractors think they have the right to say bad things about Harlequins in general.
Yes, there are crappy Harlequins, but there are crappy books in every genre. On the flip side of things, there are authors like Marion Lennox, Rebecca Winters, and Nicola Marsh, who can write a brilliant story in the space of 50,000 words. These are the stories that prove to me that no book should be judged for its genre. They're the ones that make reading a Harlequin a joy.
I stand by my statement that I've learned something from every Harlequin I've read, even if it's just how not to write a book. But lately I've encountered a lot of other books to which that statement applies, books that have no stereotype to hide behind if it turns out they suck. As I just said, this is true of every genre, so why should Harlequins be the only ones punished for it?
I don't think that romance novels get enough respect. I don't like that some books perpetuate the stereotype, either. And I really don't like that some people think I should be ridiculed for reading them. One of the best ones is, "You're a married woman. Does that mean you're in a bad relationship?"
No, it means I like love stories. And there's nothing wrong with that.
After all, I'm living my favorite love story right now: the story of us. -Eleika, 04 Aug 2008
93. 28/07/08: Once Upon A Curse by E.D. Baker
94. 29/07/08: No Place For Magic by E.D. Baker
95. 31/07/08: Newlyweds of Convenience by Jessica Hart (Harlequin)
Harlequin first, because I could so easily rant about the third and fourth Tales of the Frog Princess.
Newlyweds of Convenience was different from the usual Harlequins, in that it didn't have the guy's perspective at all. I didn't like the female lead as much, but her anxiety and fears were valid and on the whole, the book was well-written, for a Harlequin.
Now, as for Once Upon A Curse and No Place For Magic? Forget that I said that this series is great if you have a ten-year-old daughter kicking around. I am going to reduce that age to eight, because a lot of the stuff was simply not plausible.
The author brought up some great issues, like how Emma is becoming a little bit addicted to using magic to solve her problems, and how Eadric's kingdom is very biased against people who use or who are magic. So you'd think she'd offer some solutions to that, real solutions where the characters learn their lessons! Nope, in the end these issues are minor inconveniences, and nothing really gets solved (but you know the characters live happily ever after *eyeroll*). They don't even deal with the villains entirely; it's merely suggested what will happen. True, this last bit leaves the door open for yet another sequel, but I don't know if one is in the works.
Maybe this was my inner critic taking over, because I did try to enjoy these books as they're meant to be. Unfortunately, a lot of stuff seems to happen in them that doesn't get resolved. In the third book, you have a vampire and a bat fall in love (because vampy can shapeshift). In the fourth book, they argue because the bat feels inferior, but then the argument gets dropped and is never revisited. I honestly thought, given Emma's amazing powers, that our wonderful witch would turn her bat-friend into a human(oid) so that she could feel more equal to her sometimes-man-shaped husband. Instead, the matter just drops. At this point, my inner eight-year-old vanished, and I just got angry.
It's not that I can't tolerate a silly book. I liked the effervescent nature of it; the fact that these stories were light and fluffy was kind of fun. But when you try to tackle a serious issue (or several, in the last book), light and fluffy and perfect endings don't cut it. -Eleika, 03 Aug 2008
After far too long, I am pleased to announce that I am finally taking commissions for Fantasy maps. After some research on the legal and business side of things, I now feel ready to take that step.
Q. So why would I want one of your awesome maps, Laura?
A. Say you have a fantasy world in your head. Maybe you're a writer; maybe you have a webcomic. Maybe you and your friends have an RPG and have created your own fantastic setting. You could even be a published author whose imaginary land just doesn't yet have a map.
No matter what the case, you have a general idea of how things are laid out—maybe even a sketch—but you want more. You want a work that you can reference or put up on your website. You want something pretty. Well, never fear ... I can provide!
Q. Can I see some samples of your work?
A. Sure! Just check out the Maps section of my website.
Q. How much does a map cost?
A. In all honesty, that depends.
Maps are a lot of work, and I take that work seriously. Before I even draw a single squiggle, you and I undergo a lenghty consultation. I want to know everything about your world (or portion thereof) that you want mapped. I need to know continents, islands, countries, cities, mountains, rivers, forests. I need to know where these features are located, what the borders are like, what shape they take. I have a degree in Geography, so I can provide basic advice if something seems unrealistic. And I will keep e-mailing you preliminary sketches until you're satisfied.
I spend a minimum of ten hours on each map. With that in mind, a typical black and white map such as this costs $100. When you think about that, it's quite a deal. For colour maps, I charge a bit more: $150.
Q: Who owns the map?
A: Under Canadian and United States copyright laws, the artist (me) retains the copyright of the artwork. To quote About.com, "Owning the actual painting is not the same as owning copyright and reproduction rights in the painting."
Q: So how does that apply to the maps?
A: That depends on what you want to use the map for.
If you want to put the map on your website? Go right ahead. If you want to link back to me, even better!
If you want to make an avatar/userpic out of it, again, have at it.
If you want to submit it with your novel manuscript to a publisher? You have to tell them about me before the book is actually published. No, I will not try to obstruct this process, but I do want to get paid for the fact that however-many-thousand copies are being made of my artwork. Based on what I know of the publishing world, though, chances are that if you get that far, your publisher may insist on their own artist rendering a new map. *shrug* That's just how it tends to work.
If you want to sell prints of the image? Sorry, that's not okay. Technically, as the artist, I have the right to do so, but that doesn't mean I will.
And of course, you still own your world — I just drew a picture of it. You can get other people to draw pictures of it too, and they own the copyright on those maps or illustrations, but the world still belongs to you.
Hope to hear from you! -Eleika, 23 May 2008
Not much to report, but boy, am I glad Spring has come again. While there's the rain to contend with as usual, we've had some delightfully sunny days already, and I'm looking forward to summer. I have a new job and a busy life with its challenges, but I'm feeling very optimistic about this year. I hope to see some real progress in my career as a writer.
You may have noticed the "Reading 2008" posts of late. It doesn't take much brainpower to figure out that as the weeks go by this year, I'm making an effort to record every book I read. This is so I can teach myself about what I like and don't like in a good book. That's an important lesson for a writer. It also makes a girl feel productive, when she can already count having read 36 books this year. ;) -Eleika, 24 Mar 2008
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