Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 132
June 12, 2009
Andrea Barra Guest Post: Romance, Academia, and Me
Please welcome my guest Andrea Barra, PhD candidate in Sociology.
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Romance, Academia, and Me by Andrea Barra
I would be lying if I said I went into graduate school with any sort of idea of what I wanted to study, let alone what I wanted to write a dissertation about. As fate would have it, however, I hit upon a topic fairly early in the process. (This may seem like a benign statement, but as anyone who has ever pursued a PhD will tell you, it's a huge deal.) I took a class on the Sociology of C
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Romance, Academia, and Me by Andrea Barra
I would be lying if I said I went into graduate school with any sort of idea of what I wanted to study, let alone what I wanted to write a dissertation about. As fate would have it, however, I hit upon a topic fairly early in the process. (This may seem like a benign statement, but as anyone who has ever pursued a PhD will tell you, it's a huge deal.) I took a class on the Sociology of C
June 11, 2009
Harper Lee Has a Backlist of One
Whenever I begin to worry too much about goals, and success, and output, and all that, I remind myself: Harper Lee.
Harper Lee wrote a novel.
It was her first novel.
She was past thirty years old when To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. In 1999, it was voted "Best Novel of the Century" in a Library Journal poll.
She began another novel, but never finished it.
She published some essays, but never published any more fiction at all.
Yet I defy anyone to say
Harper Lee wrote a novel.
It was her first novel.
She was past thirty years old when To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. In 1999, it was voted "Best Novel of the Century" in a Library Journal poll.
She began another novel, but never finished it.
She published some essays, but never published any more fiction at all.
Yet I defy anyone to say
June 10, 2009
Reading and Writing Erotica as a Feminist Act
Recently, I followed a link to a fascinating-sounding blog post on erotica only to find that I had already read the post almost a year ago, and had in fact commented on it. I still stand by my comment, and decided I should post it in my blog.
I'm about to be all high-falutin' about what I affectionately refer to as smut.
I think that demonstrating women's sexuality in erotica, erotic romance, whatever, to a public audience verifies the existence of female sexuality (woman as actor rather than tha
I'm about to be all high-falutin' about what I affectionately refer to as smut.
I think that demonstrating women's sexuality in erotica, erotic romance, whatever, to a public audience verifies the existence of female sexuality (woman as actor rather than tha
June 9, 2009
The Desire to Publish
What makes people want to have their fiction published?
I've thought about this often: how some people burn for publication and others don't; how for some, feedback from readers is a requirement, while for others simpy to write is enough; how a (paid) published writer will often get less feedback than the average fanfiction story; how a writer can fall in love with the semicolon.
There's something about the paper, for me. I handle cotton rag paper and feel like it's the biggest luxury in the worl
I've thought about this often: how some people burn for publication and others don't; how for some, feedback from readers is a requirement, while for others simpy to write is enough; how a (paid) published writer will often get less feedback than the average fanfiction story; how a writer can fall in love with the semicolon.
There's something about the paper, for me. I handle cotton rag paper and feel like it's the biggest luxury in the worl
June 8, 2009
Jeannie Lin Guest Post: Feminism in the Tang Dynasty
Please welcome my guest Jeannie Lin, Golden Heart finalist for her historical romance novel Butterfly Swords.
My muses -- four extraordinary women of the Tang dynasty. The characters at the top of each panel mean roughly: literacy, beauty, domination, heroism.
Feminism in the Tang Dynasty: The Footbinding Dilemma
I write historical romances set in Tang dynasty China. The period has always fascinated me: court intrigue, sensual silk costumes and dashing swordplay. But readers want historical accura
My muses -- four extraordinary women of the Tang dynasty. The characters at the top of each panel mean roughly: literacy, beauty, domination, heroism.
Feminism in the Tang Dynasty: The Footbinding Dilemma
I write historical romances set in Tang dynasty China. The period has always fascinated me: court intrigue, sensual silk costumes and dashing swordplay. But readers want historical accura
June 7, 2009
Doing What Interests You
"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."
--Katherine Hepburn
Tune in tomorrow for Jeannie Lin's guest post "Feminism in the Tang Dynasty: The Footbinding Dilemma."[image error]
June 6, 2009
Edward Thomas, "The Owl"
The Owl
Downhill I came, hungry, and yet not starved;
Cold, yet had heat within me that was proof
Against the North wind; tired, yet so that rest
Had seemed the sweetest thing under a roof.
Then at the inn I had food, fire, and rest,
Knowing how hungry, cold, and tired was I.
All of the night was quite barred out except
An owl's cry, a most melancholy cry
Shaken out long and clear upon the hill,
No merry note, nor cause of merriment,
But one telling me plain what I escaped
And others could not, that night,
June 5, 2009
Ann Aguirre Guest Post - On Worldbuilding
Please welcome my guest Ann Aguirre, author of futuristic romance and urban fantasy.
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Some people make exhaustive lists before they start writing. They chart things and color code them and write them on cards. I'm not one of them.
For me, world-building comes as an extension of character development, and I only know things about my world that my character does. The details come in a sieve-trickle, revealed as they become pertinent to the story. Of course, once a fact has been established, I'm com
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Some people make exhaustive lists before they start writing. They chart things and color code them and write them on cards. I'm not one of them.
For me, world-building comes as an extension of character development, and I only know things about my world that my character does. The details come in a sieve-trickle, revealed as they become pertinent to the story. Of course, once a fact has been established, I'm com
June 4, 2009
Striving for Perfection
Striving for absolute shiny perfection is the worst thing for me.
No, really. My idea of perfection is just a little too perfect. I could go mad, trying to write the Platonic ideal story; I know I could. I could work and work and work on the same story until the stars grow cold, and never feel as if I was finished with it.
So I don't try to make any single story perfect. I know it's never going to happen. My brain can always think of something more that's required.
What I do instead is work my way
June 3, 2009
The Faces of World War One
This post originated as a guest post for Lust in Time in December, 2008.
I rarely use photographs to give me character ideas, though occasionally after the story is in progress, or finished, I realize the character looks like a particular person. I do use photographs a lot, though, to both see details of clothing and weapons and to just get a feel for the period, and sometimes for inspiration. I like portraits best. I wonder what the people were thinking, and what their lives were like.
Here are s
I rarely use photographs to give me character ideas, though occasionally after the story is in progress, or finished, I realize the character looks like a particular person. I do use photographs a lot, though, to both see details of clothing and weapons and to just get a feel for the period, and sometimes for inspiration. I like portraits best. I wonder what the people were thinking, and what their lives were like.
Here are s
