Romancing the Blog | Romance Authors and Readers Who Blog

Jordan Summers’ post from yesterday couldn’t have come at a better time — she focused on a topic I’ve been doing a lot of writing about recently (stay tuned and all that): writers, blogs, and opinions. I don’t believe I’ve ever met Jordan — and if I have, please blame the wine for my forgetfulness! — but I like that she’s filled with opinions, and it gives me hope to know that she’s thinking about the differences between her pre-published blogging and her post-published blogging.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, I’m a sucker for voice just as much as I’m a sucker for great writing (truth be told, I’m willing to cut a lot of slack for authors who are still learning the craft if they have great voice). Part of voice is viewpoint: how you filter the world.

That being said, there’s a fine line that authors must walk when they’re online, interacting with readers, would-be readers, other authors, editors, agents, the press, and, as I like to note, lurking relatives (my rule of thumb: your mother reads your blog). You are fulfilling a set of expectations that you might not realize exist. And you have to be you without giving yourself away.

So as you continue reading this piece, remember this above all else: your blog, like other aspects of your online activities reflect you as a professional writer (or, depending, a hope-to-be professional writer). As you interact with others on and offline, remember that you’re compiling a resume and a reputation. It’s like there are smart ways to have sex and dumb ways to have sex. You can really enjoy yourself either way, but one might leave you filled with regrets.

I am a huge proponent of focused blogging — pick a topic, any topic, and own that topic — over cheese sandwich blogging. While some of us are brilliant diarists, most of us don’t have the skill (or time, to be honest) required to blog in an interesting manner about our day-to-day lives. Focused blogging, in many ways, allows the author to create a character (who is her) and express thoughts through that character.

There was never a magical time when authors locked themselves in ivory towers and just wrote. Sure, you have the rare Emily Dickinsons of the writing world, but you also have the Charles Dickens. Authors have been putting themselves out there, interacting with members of the above list for as long as stories have been told. The technology changes, but the purpose remains the same.

And those authors have comfortably functioned as living, breathing, thinking members of society — with all associated opinions — since the beginning of storytime.

The Internet has given everyone from readers to the press greater access to you, the author, but that doesn’t mean you can’t establish boundaries. Only you can decide where the fences are placed. Once you’ve made the decision of how much of you will be available to the public, then you can decide who that you will be. Each of us has opinions, views, and positions; I think burying them or watering them down makes for less effective writing.

Put another way, placing political correctness above being true to the work is just wrong.

I believe that female genre authors should speak their minds, hits be damned. I’ve had more than my fair share, and have to say, some of the attacks are so ludicrous, I can’t stop laughing. Some are pretty darn brutal (”if you known you were going to be on television, why didn’t you lose weight?” — gee, wow, wish I’d thought of that in the 24-hours I had). But I keep getting back in the ring because I have something to say and, despite it all, an audience who is receptive to my message. Do I sometimes pull punches? Yes, when the strike feels below-the-belt. I try to be honest, but I also aim for a diplomatic approach when necessary.

Not that I can’t or won’t be downright cruel or cutting when the situation warrants it, like, oh, when I read yet another “death of the novel” or “teens don’t read” piece that sees lots of trees while completely missing the forest.

Since I write about the publishing business, sometimes I think, “Wow, you really don’t want to be published, do you?”, but I don’t let the fear of insulting this editor or that publisher stop me. I can’t. People don’t read my blog because they want to read about the sunlight and roses and magical fairies that is the publishing business; they read my blog because my focus is on the amazing changes happening to the industry, the impact of these changes, and how to make reading in the future the best possible experience for the most important players in the game — the readers.

Romance authors, particularly, seem cognizant of their images and work to convey the “right” tone. I don’t like that approach in books — it leads to very non-specific, generic-feeling conflict — and I don’t like it in blogs. Being what you think they want is boring. I am reminded of an unnamed friend (rather, she has a name, I’m just protecting her reputation!) who once complained, “Why is that all these authors think we need to feature recipes?”

Good question and good point. For every typical romance reader, I can find his or her counterpoint. If you choose to blog, blog about something that matters to you (just, ahem, avoid mentioning your children by name and be careful about revealing personal information about other people), and make sure you’re true to the subject. If you care enough to write about it every day (week, month), then you obviously have strong feelings and opinions.

Let them show. Nobody loves a milquetoast heroine but everyone loves a feisty fighter.

PS — Thanks to Jordan for pushing me toward this topic. My other potential topic was “I’m so bored with sex”, which, yeah, would require a bit of explanation for the husband.