Romance Quest!: ???

[wolffyluna]

So, I wrote out a proper, full Romance Quest for tomorrow, but I borrowed a book from the library that have to liveblog.

It's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, which okay, isn't a promising title, but a quick skim revealed some advice that seemed okay, and I thought it might be worth a whirl?

I am one chapter in, and so far it's... odd. And wildly gender essentialist. It also features:

• the word 'sheroes' (as in, a portmanteau of 'she' and 'hero') unironically
• being a strong female character is like defensive tofu wielding (...I have no clue about that one)
• literally the worst description of motivation I have ever seen

...It's going to be a ride.

Comments

[chocochipbiscuit]

....I am almost tempted to look for this just because it sounds so absolutely WILD.

almost.

I don't think I'm ready to go into apoplectic fits.

[wolffyluna]

There is still a chance this pulls it's head out of it's arse and contains something useful-- but so far it is at least an entertaining train wreck? Though I also find 'authors of writing advice failing to grok gay people' vaguely amusing, so mileage may vary.

...And I also completely forgot the surprise!slut-shaming that showed up. ...in a book about how to write erotic romance. ????

[chocochipbiscuit]

*mile-long barf*

[wolffyluna]

YEP.

(Gotta make sure your protagonists who are having a lot of sex only have the right amount of a lot of sex! *eye roll* )

TCIGTWER liveblogging appreciation registration

[empresszo]

This sounds like it ought to be good *chinhands*

Re: TCIGTWER liveblogging appreciation registration

[wolffyluna]

So far chapter 2 hasn't been that horrifying (on account of mostly being about the current state of the publishing industry ca. 2006), but chapter 3 looks like it may be a doozy.

[lb_lee]

Ahahaha, my old lady read TONS of books like that, around the era that book was made. I could've warned you!

(I STILL recall the stuff about how the male love interests always have to be THE MOST ALPHA, and that even the slightest un-alphaness, like WEARING GLASSES, have to be compensated for with EVEN MORE ALPHANESS. I'm not joking, the glasses thing was one of the examples.)

[wolffyluna]

Don't you know that MANLY MEN have PERFECT EYESIGHT?

...after the first chapter it has... improved, at least somewhat. Also the author at least acknowledges that not all leads are/should be alphas? (Though she of course insists on giving the other types of leads greek letters, because of course.)