Fake Romance News in the style of newyorker.com, generated by grover.allenai.org. I have emphasized the bits I liked best.
Bodice rippers for the new millennium
June 6, 2019 – Becky McBeckerson
BETWEEN romance writers, therapists and moms of nearly all ages, who didn’t fall in love with Kristen Ashley’s I Married a Witch? to Julie Beck’s Unlucky in Love? I Hate Myself for Marrying His Grandma?, small time here is big time online. Really, who would ever download 10 floppy disks?
That’s the way we’re working, and find ourselves assigned to digital titles that we’ve never read. Sometimes the cover artist is a high schooler, whose views represent what’s on the inside.
Imagine a tiny self-publishing name such as Rilea Crissbourne’s three-title collection, Heather Sets Her Sights on God. Or Pinky Edmonds’ The Waters of Emile Clermont, written by an angry self-proclaimed high school philosophy nerd who joins the planetarium club at their local school.
A writer’s journey has actually always been written on a one-page page — every day.
Researching the background behind a title, character, setting or story idea is a writing activity that keeps thousands of teachers and students closer together. But, it also rips away our imaginary identity and make us the author. How many rants could ever fit on your social media feed?
Admittedly, I am a sucker for assigned reading. From high school literature galore, to classics such as Far Side, the Chronicle of the Weird, a special kind of needed editing oversight — the dryer the novel gets, the better the suggestions get! Sometimes, the opening sentence can give you away.
Our old calendars, from when we first had to chalk faces to our foreheads, can teach us stuff we haven’t read in almost 30 years.
I use this topic as an opportunity to reflect on ways to apply basic creativity and literacy skills to developing one’s professional online presence. Would you put your mother in a dangerous situation to get a favorable review? I asked Steve Young, media specialist at librarians’ nonprofit LibrariesNYC, about some practical things writers can do, even when they don’t want to do them. The workflows involve filtering hundreds of comments, reports and comments, but the end product is stronger. Young said a great author represents herself online in many different ways.
“New literary voices get marked off by people who are completely unprepared for what it takes to develop a following,” Young said. “Your profile is a reflection of who you are and what your intentions are.”
I admit I don’t quite have to this social media end. I have some 3,000 Koko-Wi friends. But because I don’t have a paid social media person full-time, I rely on forums, tweets and blog comments for guest posts, YouTube advice and social posts.
Young shared some reviews of writers worth taking a look at online, including Julie Burchill (New Yorker), James Woods (Rolling Stone) and Analynne M. James (RIP).
To experience the instant connection between writers and readers, share your book with others and give them a reading. Books are made without any technology. Just someone willing to spend four hours thinking about what they’re writing!