Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
Josh wrote: "Is it terrible of me to want someone to write my story for me? :-D I'm so mentally sluggish these days. "No, it's not terrible. Just don't expect it to happen. :)
Merith wrote: "Now see, I think the St Nachos and the A to Z series should be read in complete to get the whole picture. There's so much to glean from St Nachos the first book, and not necessarily the backstory that follows the other 2 books (and the 4th upcoming one)."So ZAM is working on a fourth? I've been trying to find out (occasionally, when it crosses my mind) and I thought there was no sign on the horizon. I really want that fourth book.
I agree re: A to Z. You could read those 3 books without the other two, and the other two as stand-alones. I love Angel.
Yvonne wrote: "Merith wrote: "Yvonne wrote: "I haven't decided about Paris A to Z yet, since that's supposed to be about Cole and Jon. "Actually, it's more about Zach and Angel than Cole and Jon. It rather wrap..."
Actually, Angel and Zach are my favorite couple, and while I'm not generally into exhibitionism, sharing, menage, etc., it totally works for them. I was not as big a fan of Promises. I almost didn't read any more by Marie Sexton after finishing it.
The discussion I've seen on her Coda books are pretty evenly split, people either love or hate Angel (and it's all about Angel).
My views on series: Don't drag it out if it's not warranted. Has anyone ever read Stephanie Laurens? I don't think I could even look at another Cynster book (and please, god, no more of her sex scenes).I also tend not to like the idea of series were it's the same couple in each book, we just see them moving into the next phase of life/relationship. In practice, I like those series if they are interesting, engaging, etc.
I love some series, because when it's a book I love set in a world I love with secondary characters I love (who will become primary characters in the next book, introducing new secondaries) -- I just wanna keep the high going, man.
Right now, I think writing a series sucks.
Anne wrote: "Yvonne wrote: "Merith wrote: "Yvonne wrote: "I haven't decided about Paris A to Z yet, since that's supposed to be about Cole and Jon. "Actually, it's more about Zach and Angel than Cole and Jon...."
You're probably right about the evenly split. I just don't know why she'd go for the 50/50 couple when wrapping up the series. Most readers would have loved it if the focus was on the ones getting married, Cole & Jon with the other couples as supporting players. That was the biggest complaint I saw about Paris A to Z--that Jon & Cole was not the main stars in the book. But writers have to write what inspires them (even if it ticks off some readers)
As for the St. Nacho's series, ZAM has the next book under coming soon on her website, but no publishing date. It's going to be, no surprise here, about Yasha's brother Dan & firefighter Cameron.
Yvonne wrote: "As for the St. Nacho's series, ZAM has the next book under coming soon on her website, but no publishing date. It's going to be, no surprise here, about Yasha's brother Dan & firefighter Cameron. "Yeah, she mentioned in her livejournal wanting to write the fourth shortly after Jacob's Ladder came out and it is needed! I mean, seriously, all the foreplay between Cam and Dan? Yeah, their story needs to be told.
Josh wrote: "I think that if there are prequels,the authors should at least give the judges the synopsis of the previous books so they can judge more accurately, particularly if we cannot understand what is goi..."I am a judge, too, and not for the first time did I get a book from a series without any info about prequels. Should I kick more?
Josh wrote: "The idea is there's this special branch of law enforcement called the Irregulars, and they're ta..."I loved the idea in Hell Cops of three different authors writing in the same universe, with three very different stories in three different styles. So I'm really looking forward to the new anthology.
Yvonne wrote: "You're probably right about the evenly split. I just don't know why she'd go for the 50/50 couple when wrapping up the series. Most readers would have loved it if the focus was on the ones getting married, Cole & Jon with the other couples as supporting players. That was the biggest complaint I saw about Paris A to Z--that Jon & Cole was not the main stars in the book. But writers have to write what inspires them (even if it ticks off some readers)"That's pretty much what she said on her blog a while ago, that she had to write about A & Z because she was compelled.
I loved Jon and Cole, too, but I haven't read Paris A to Z, yet. It sounds good. I'll save it for a treat, soon.
Merith wrote: "Yvonne wrote: "As for the St. Nacho's series, ZAM has the next book under coming soon on her website, but no publishing date. It's going to be, no surprise here, about Yasha's brother Dan & firefig..."I'm glad she's working on it. It was one of those series where I was like, "Okay, where's the next one?" as soon as I finished Jacob's Ladder.
Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "The idea is there's this special branch of law enforcement called the Irregulars, and they're ta..."I loved the idea in Hell Cops of three different authors writing in the same uni..."
Josh, I have to ask, is it general ennui that's making you reluctant to write this story, or is it that -- having to write in a universe constructed by someone else?
Candice wrote: "Sylvia wrote that she'd just finished Cat in the Cradle.This book keeps slipping in and out of my shopping cart. Can you tell me a little more? What about it was especially satisfying or enjoy..."
It's a YA fantasy story with very endearing characters. Dylan & Kio, his best friend (a very funny talking cat) go out on an adventurous and magical journey trough a beautifully built world. The characters are very diverse and amazing, funny dialogs, twisting plots. Insecurity, bravery, falling in love, coming out, I thought it was breathtaking. The cover and chapter pictures fit the story perfectly. If you have an e-reader I recommend the fully illustrated PDF file. It's a great read for only $3,99!
Josh wrote: "I'm just about to watch all the movies again in preparation for the final one -- ..."I read all 7 books and loved them. But after the 3rd film, the stories Rowling had written were so involved that the movies made from books 4 - 6 could no longer capture the entire story line. Somewhat disappointing.
Susan wrote: "Josh wrote: "I'm just about to watch all the movies again in preparation for the final one -- ..."I read all 7 books and loved them. After the 3rd film, the stories were so involved that the mo..."
Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book. Loved all the books, stood in line for them in my jammies at midnight, own hardback first editions (like that's so hard, considering how many books were in each run).
Josh wrote: "IMHO, there are TOO many series in this genre and not enough stand alone.Now this is an interesting comment.
Any thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?"
Disagree, I like both! When I like a story, a character or a setting, I'm happy there is a sequel.
Calathea wrote: "Emanuela ~Zstyx~ wrote: "Am I the only one in the world who hasn't read Harry Potter?"Actually, Harry Potter was the first book I read in English. A friend recommended it with the reason that it ..."
Harry Potter was also my introduction to English reading, I loved both the books and the movies. Then came Stephanie Plum, Sookie Stackhouse, Outlander and somehow I ended up in MM, huh? I love series, especially when completed so I can devour it uninterrupted.
Josh wrote: "Merith wrote: "Josh wrote: "The idea is there's this special branch of law enforcement called the Irregulars, and they're tasked with regulating the magical interactions between the human realms an..."It's not terrible, I love my job, but sometimes..... You need to find something to tap fresh energy from. Give yourself a break!
ns wrote: "Josh wrote: "Merith wrote: "Josh wrote: "The idea is there's this special branch of law enforcement called the Irregulars, and they're tasked with regulating the magical interactions between the hu..."LOL, can't wait to read your crappy ideas!
Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*
Sylvia wrote: "Josh wrote: "IMHO, there are TOO many series in this genre and not enough stand alone.Now this is an interesting comment.
Any thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?"
Disagree, I like both! When I l..."
Well, it's not an either/or. And the question is do we have too much of any one of them -- certainly that's going to be dependent on what people have read so far.
However, taken from the writer's point of view - it's more risky.
If the reader doesn't like the story -- that's five books the writer has invested time in that sink together. It's usually all-or-nothing.
If the writer is new, that's a lot of risk to be taking before they have really felt their way around -- I think I'm much more in favor of an experienced author taking on a series than a new one (or a very talented one, duh).
From the reader's point of view, if you had a tight budget, and you could only spend on 2 or a few books, you're not going to spend all your money on the first two/few books of a series. You may not reach the story arc's happy end, and there might not be payoff. And your money's down the drain. Or you likely won't buy a full series to begin with, especially if you don't know the author.
Sure, most of you remember all the great series you like. But you rarely remember the bad. And most of the books I've thought were bad or have avoided reading are part of a series, whereas most of the books I have enjoyed are stand-alone (possibly because they are better written). I remember all the books I'm not buying from an author because they are a series...
And really, if a book (in the old fashioned sense of the word) was written well, you've tied up all the loose ends and provided a full story arc and a happily ever after (or some sort of end, at any rate). If there's more to be written, it's either a small story or a novella or you've not really done your job thoroughly (when intending to write a single book).
The problem with the romance genre (and the m/m in particular) is that as a species, the m/m reader is several orders of magnitude more sentimental and prone to attaching themselves emotionally to your characters than a normal reading audience.
It's really a skill most m/m authors need, to extricate the reader from their desire for the hundred sequels they will inevitably want describing every mouthful of cereal your beloved protagonists eat in their future lives (yes, I exaggerate greatly for comic effect, and to make a point. Don't shoot me). Love means never letting go, right? What wins our hearts and makes us m/m readers to begin with also makes us want bad things from a writing point of view. We are all diabetics on sugar overload.
Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
Very true. As a die-hard HP fan, I can say this without earning too much grief :). I loved the first three books. Book3 is one of the best children's fiction books (and I read it all) ever written.
From the fourth on, she was running out of control, in the wild, editor-free. The books desparately needed tight editing but she was much too much of a giant author by then -- who the hell would have the nerve to tell JKR to drop a para or two when there were so many hundreds of millions of dollars at stake? I pity that editor, really. It was an impossible task.
Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
I forgot to swear at you in elvish for dissing Tolkien, though. No statement of mine applies to him. He is very firmly on my Silmarillion-loving pedestal :).
ns wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "Josh wrote: "IMHO, there are TOO many series in this genre and not enough stand alone.Now this is an interesting comment.
Any thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?"
Disagree, I like..."
All very very good points, ns! You nail it perfectly!
Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
Because you feel they're too long (after the third) or for other reasons? I was actually happy once the books got longer.
ns wrote: "The problem with the romance genre (and the m/m in particular) is that as a species, the m/m reader is several orders of magnitude more sentimental and prone to attaching themselves emotionally to your characters than a normal reading audience. "You make a lot of really good points, ns, and for the most part I agree. But the above... Am I the only one who started reading M/M at least partly because I was sick of the level of sentimentality in many het romances?
Anne wrote: "ns wrote: "The problem with the romance genre (and the m/m in particular) is that as a species, the m/m reader is several orders of magnitude more sentimental and prone to attaching themselves emot..."Well, probably not. This is why I avoid het/rom like the plague (ok, also for a million other reasons), so you won't get an argument from me :).
From my reading experience, I feel the best of m/m >> het/rom, but the average het/rom > m/m. Don't know if that's fair or not, really, because I don't have that large a sample to tell from.
ns wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
Very true. As a die-hard HP fan, I can say this without..."
C'mon, how can you dis the Goblet of Fire? *sigh*
Fine, I'll admit the 5th, 6th and 7th might have been a wee bit overboard. Just a wee bit.
ns wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
I forgot to swear at you in elvish for dissing Tolkien,..."
Okay, swear away, but the Simarallion? Couldn't go there. I admire people with that kind of fortitude, though. :)
Anne wrote: "C'mon, how can you dis the Goblet of Fire? *sigh*Fine, I'll admit the 5th, 6th and 7th might have been a wee bit overboard. Just a wee bit.
"
Seriously. Me, Nixon. Dissing Goblet. China. Really. Die hard love, just not blind to the warts, that's all :).
Anne wrote: "Okay, swear away, but the Simarallion? Couldn't go there. I admire people with that kind of fortitude, though. :)"It really, really helps to be 12 and have nothing to do on your summer vacations :). I suspect I would not have that kind of patience/time today.
Anne wrote: "ns wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
I forgot to swear at you in elvish for dissi..."
Oh... Silmarillion! I like it much much better than LOTR. It is more action packed than LOTR which moved sluggishly with too many details. It is also much much shorter. lol.
ns wrote: "Anne wrote: "C'mon, how can you dis the Goblet of Fire? *sigh*Fine, I'll admit the 5th, 6th and 7th might have been a wee bit overboard. Just a wee bit.
"
Seriously. Me, Nixon. Dissing Goblet. C..."
LMAO
I should note here, in the interest of world peace, that I love Tolkien. Hated the movies, though. Now I'm ducking.
Anne wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
Because you feel they're too long (after the third) or ..."
I didn't mind when the books got longer. A lot of that was detail, and the detailed world is part of the attraction. But that whole camping section in the middle of book 7 killed the momentum and was a complete waste of paper and ink. I'm sure there are sections in all of the books that could be cut without hurt the series as a whole, but that's the one that made me want to scream.
As for Tolkien, I loved The Hobbit, but the rambling style that worked so well for that story was awful for the Lord of the Rings. The Big Bad is after you to steal back the ultimate weapon and take over the world, and you stop to eat and/or nap every three pages? Ugh. I've tried to read LOTR several times, and I just can't do it.
Hmm. I agree that if a stand-alone is particularly good, I would love to get an update on them, or see where their relationship goes. Sometimes, that's just a glimpse of them through the protagonists of the next novel, who were secondaries in the first. I think it's easier to do a series if there's another genre involved. In Dangerous Ground or Adrien English, it worked well that there were mysteries involved, because revisiting the characters felt more organic.I don't need it to be a series to enjoy it, but darn it, if you made me fall in love with the characters, is it so wrong of me to want to see how they fare, challenges and otherwise? :) m/m aside (and I'm relatively new to this genre, or vice versa, actually), I've always been a big fan of suspense/mysteries, and those are often series. Some become less effective as time goes on, but others keep the standard up, which is always amazing to me. What pressure on a writer! To be both fresh and familiar.
Josh, when you come up with a character, or an idea, do you think in terms of series? Or do you see how it goes, and then feel there's more to write about? Are there pressures from publishers to continue a popular character when you might not have as much interest? Should I take this to the appropriate thread instead?
Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anne wrote: "Personally, Rowling is right up there with Tolkien in my book."As someone who could use a good editor? *ducks*"
Because you feel they're too long (after t..."
Damn, you're harshing my glow. You're right, the whole camping thing did suck, especially when Ron was such an ass. But Ron was always kind of an ass. Hmm, good character development.
Sylvia wrote: "Candice wrote: "Sylvia wrote that she'd just finished Cat in the Cradle.This book keeps slipping in and out of my shopping cart. Can you tell me a little more? What about it was especially satis..."
Thank you. I'll give it a go.
Josh wrote: "Is it terrible of me to want someone to write my story for me? :-D I'm so mentally sluggish these days. "Perhaps you're just burned out. Although not in fiction, I really really understand the feeling. If I write another SEO article again, it'll be too soon, even though it hardly requires any thought at all after writing and rewriting such articles for hundreds of times. And nowadays I don't even make jewelries if there is no special order. Which is why I spend too much time here. lol.
Perhaps you're just burned out. Although not in fiction, I really really unde..."Cleon, I know what you're saying, too...I need to work on a (non-creative) writing project this weekend, and though it's the sort of thing I typically enjoy, I'm rather dreading it. I'm hoping a good night's sleep may refresh me.
L.C. wrote: "We'll all be here when you get back. :-)"Absolutely. Although the conversation over in General News is probably a fair warning of what we might get up to in your absence!
Becky wrote: "L.C. wrote: "We'll all be here when you get back. :-)"Absolutely. Although the conversation over in General News is probably a fair warning of what we might get up to in your absence!"
Second this. We'll be waiting for juicy details of the beach boys you ogle! :-P
Yvonne wrote: "As for the St. Nacho's series, ZAM has the next book under coming soon on her website, but no publishing date. It's going to be, no surprise here, about Yasha's brother Dan & firefighter Cameron."Apparently planned for Summer 2011
Josh wrote: "Is it terrible of me to want someone to write my story for me? :-D I'm so mentally sluggish these days."Josh, certainly not terrible, but unfortunately just a little unrealistic since no one can write like you. Perhaps you need to focus on why you wanted to be part of this project in the first place. I do hope you are able to regain your enthusiasm for it. And if your schedule permits, take some time and remove yourself from all writing for awhile - not only your stories, but the social media too. Just a thought. :)
Mod
I'd just gotten so sick of staring at a computer screen, and going back to handwriting was rather refreshing, I must say.
But, no, it's not terrible to want someone else to write your story for you. I've wished for that before. Mainly just so I could keep coming up with ideas, but it just wouldn't work out. Whoever you choose won't be able to do your story justice and they would do something to it that you'd hate, and things wouldn't turn out HEA in the end.
Besides, writing is a job too and no matter how much fun it is, sometimes you just need to step away for awhile. Go read a pile of good books for a few weeks and then come back to it. I'm sure that'll help get the ball rolling again.
Mod
I loved the idea in Hell Cops of three different authors writing in ..."
I'm just burnt out. That's really what it's about because I love the idea of contributing a story to this world and working with the BEBs. But I never really had a chance to recover from my existing burnout. I've got a reduced schedule, yes, but it still means producing steadily all the time.
ALL. THE. TIME.
Now, I think some of my best stuff is coming out of this -- Yellow Sands for example -- but I'm still tired and the old enthusiasm just isn't there. Can I produce under pressure? Sure. I'm a pro. But it's work. It's some of the hardest work I've ever done.
On the other hand, why shouldn't it be? Writing is work and good writing takes effort. So why should I get to skate?
I just need a good long break, but the fear of no projects for what might translate into months, maybe a year is pretty scary.
Josh wrote: "I'm just burnt out. That's really what it's about because I love the idea of contributing a story to this world and working with the BEBs. But I never really had a chance to recover from my existing burnout. I've got a reduced schedule, yes, but it still means producing steadily all the time."While I know I can't help in any real, constructive way, I thought I'd help in my own little way.
Pssst. It's still only SATURDAY TODAY. You have a whole 24 more hours to the weekend than you thought you had. :) :).
Warmest wishes,
NS
ns wrote: "While I know I can't help in any real, constructive way, I thought I'd help in my own little way.Pssst. It's still only SATURDAY TODAY. You have a whole 24 more hours to the weekend than you thought you had. :) :). "
This was actually in reply to your earlier post that said:
"Hey, it's a Sunday morning. A little playtime and relaxation is fine.
Mod
I agree, the idea of not having projects for months or a year is scary as all hell. But, do take some time off. As you said, writing is work, and as with a real job, no matter how much you love what you do, you still need a vacation every now and then. So, take one for awhile, just make sure you've got projects lined up for when you return. At least one anyway. That should make you feel better, right?
I love my job, but I'm dying for a good long vacation. I with I could get out of here for a month or two, but that would be too long. *sigh* someday...
Josh wrote: "I'm just burnt out. That's really what it's about because I love the idea of contributing a story to this world and working with the BEBs. But I never really had a chance to recover from my existing burnout. I've got a reduced schedule, yes, but it still means producing steadily all the time."Maybe you need to find yourself a Saturday job *g*. Some mindless job waiting on people while watching them gathering ideas for new stories.
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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Series: I don't mind so long as each book stands on its own. I really don't like when middle books end on a cliffhanger. I also much prefer when the series is more or less planned in advance so that it doesn't keeping getting longer and more attenuated over the years.