tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post5995596852893125345..comments2024-03-27T03:14:07.652-04:00Comments on Seekerville: The Journey Continues: What Readers Want: A Non-Scientific But Fun Poll & PostMissy Tippenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05480008023330542958noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-25618802183147227092018-03-16T19:21:54.621-04:002018-03-16T19:21:54.621-04:00Hahaha! You totally should e-mail it to Mary! She&...Hahaha! You totally should e-mail it to Mary! She'll be so jealous! :-D Winniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09906713469755821006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-6649519174751083982018-03-16T05:20:01.544-04:002018-03-16T05:20:01.544-04:00WINNIE!!! YOU MADE IT IN!!!! I'm happy dancing...<b>WINNIE!!! YOU MADE IT IN!!!!</b> I'm happy dancing, my friend!!!! Aw, thank you for your kind words, I like to think the snarky humor keeps me in good standing when I mess up (regularly) but gosh, hearing the word "wisdom" will make me smile all day... and possibly e-mail that quote to Mary Connealy like A HUNDRED TIMES. :)Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-11726688405928428532018-03-15T21:31:02.073-04:002018-03-15T21:31:02.073-04:00And did you notice that I finally got my comments ...And did you notice that I finally got my comments to post? Although, I hope saying that didn't jinx me! :) Winniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09906713469755821006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-91369383452009001952018-03-15T21:30:09.926-04:002018-03-15T21:30:09.926-04:00Ruthy, I always love reading your posts. You have ...Ruthy, I always love reading your posts. You have great wisdom, but also a totally amazing sense of humor. Even though I'm not a writer, I enjoy reading about writerly things. Hugs, sweet friend! Winniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09906713469755821006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-61265670753402779682018-03-15T19:21:38.445-04:002018-03-15T19:21:38.445-04:00Karen, I've done the same thing. Or I've g...Karen, I've done the same thing. Or I've got them too wounded or too snarky... so then we dial it back. And it's amazing how easy that is once we've done it a few times. Practice makes perfect, right??? :) I just finished revising a story I missed the mark on, and I'm so glad they pointed things out to me because now, when the book releases later this year, it will be so much better. Sometimes we hit one out of the park... sometimes we barely get to first base. It's a funny world we work in!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-48051398766873273812018-03-15T19:19:28.774-04:002018-03-15T19:19:28.774-04:00Paula, it's so nice to have you here! You are ...Paula, it's so nice to have you here! You are most welcome, and we'll keep chatting about this on my days for the next few weeks. It's fun to see what readers think... and then how we authors can deliver it to them!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-747850390435724232018-03-15T19:17:56.037-04:002018-03-15T19:17:56.037-04:00I love that movie! And I love her character. And I...I love that movie! And I love her character. And I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT WORKS.... Maybe because we see the growth in all three women? In Ruth, in Idgie, in Evelyn... for me it was like God's perfect timing, that Evelyn would meet up with Idgie in the home, hearing the story of that long-before time.... seeing it through an old woman's eyes, how women have always had to stand together and fight for what's right. And how that's always better than pulling each other down. She'd be in a special category all her own, stoic enough to put up with a bossy, pesky husband, but coming into her own enough to realize she can be more than what she is. And wanting to be that person. What a great question!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-24426245203838880632018-03-15T19:13:52.675-04:002018-03-15T19:13:52.675-04:00Anne, so good to see you! I'm laughing with yo...Anne, so good to see you! I'm laughing with you because I'm okay not reading GWTW or seeing it again.... but I do love reading sweet stories of warmth and redemption. Now I know that makes me a total sap, but I'm okay with that!!!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-79959521899209079282018-03-15T12:15:55.983-04:002018-03-15T12:15:55.983-04:00This, I love this in a heroine. That she grows and...This, I love this in a heroine. That she grows and changes over the course of a series. From tough to tender or tender to a bit tougher. Either is good! I've read a bunch of Stephanie Plum books over the years but I finally hit the wall with that. Because she's always the same. I know it's a humorous read, but still... Give me that character growth and change. Please! :-)Jenna Nighthttp://jennanight.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-12911338368348489792018-03-15T11:43:13.127-04:002018-03-15T11:43:13.127-04:00Ruthy, your words of wisdom are so timely. A few r...Ruthy, your words of wisdom are so timely. A few readers have critiqued the first few chapters of my WIP, and my female protagonist is showing too much vulnerability too soon, which comes off as weakness. I agree (why couldn't I see that as I was writing?). :) I'm revising, and this post provides some good guidance. (I miss Kate Beckett.)Karen Sargenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762000226496483451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-9663370260826573752018-03-15T09:52:36.065-04:002018-03-15T09:52:36.065-04:00I love this post! I am learning so much from all ...I love this post! I am learning so much from all the comments also! Thank you (all) for sharing your wisdom with those of us that are just stepping out to begin our own WIP.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06411370182501263084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-87776248157889136092018-03-15T08:23:00.199-04:002018-03-15T08:23:00.199-04:00Love this post Ruthy!
I love feisty heroines tha...Love this post Ruthy! <br /><br />I love feisty heroines that deep down maybe a little insecure but keep fighting for what they want. <br /><br />Where do you put heroines like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes? No one pays her any attention and her husband doesn't treat her w/respect until she meets Jessica Tandy in the nursing home and she begins to change.<br /><br />How does the author make us like her from the beginning even though she's wimpy? I have a similar-heroine story I've never written because my heroine just comes off as annoying. Connie Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00202260212058085506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-7153034400761232832018-03-15T08:01:03.623-04:002018-03-15T08:01:03.623-04:00Love this repartee of you writers. Just keep writi...Love this repartee of you writers. Just keep writing and I will read. Thanks, Ruthie, for a great post. I’m looking forward to the upcoming posts. And I kind of sheepishly will admit that even though I have been an avid reader since I was a teenager (and that was only a month or two ago—lol more like 50 yrs ago) I have never read (or seen the movie) GWTW. Someday, although with all your Seekerville authors publishing so many books that I enjoy, I don’t see GWTW going on my TBR pile any time soon. Thx for a good read this morning! Blessings. Anne Rightlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314991305218683214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-78767480461730399442018-03-15T04:49:58.710-04:002018-03-15T04:49:58.710-04:00Hey, good to see you! I don't like mean heroin...Hey, good to see you! I don't like mean heroines, either. I don't like mean people. Kindness should always be the first order of the day. With a dash of snark, humor and a splash of wisdom. Having said that, I like tough heroines. But they don't always reveal themselves as tough initially... a solid core within a woman to pick herself up after being knocked down is a wonderful thing. <br /><br />If we don't support one another, we lose a valuable resource. I like your take on this, Valri!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-17399412308655989242018-03-15T04:47:49.412-04:002018-03-15T04:47:49.412-04:00She is so well-written and stays in character... B...She is so well-written and stays in character... But tricky in romance/romantic suspense for traditional publishers, right?Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-30847457910851863792018-03-15T04:47:04.079-04:002018-03-15T04:47:04.079-04:00Jill, I do that all the time, especially if it'...Jill, I do that all the time, especially if it's fun! :) And then I have to dial it back. <br /><br />And it's tough in LI books because we have certain parameters to walk... so if a heroine goes outside the zone, we'll probably be asked to slice and dice.<br /><br />I learned with the longer books that we still don't want to go too far out of the "zone" because we want people to love the story... but we do get to expand the whys and wherefores, and that's kind of fun!<br />Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-10300447629127863282018-03-15T04:44:57.175-04:002018-03-15T04:44:57.175-04:00THEY HAVE BOOKS ON THIS STUFF???????
(says Ruthy ...THEY HAVE BOOKS ON THIS STUFF???????<br /><br />(says Ruthy tongue-in-cheek because she does not open craft books... not when the good Lord sent so many human subjects her way!!!)<br /><br />This is where my long (looooong) years of experience and working with people in restaurants, retail, bakery, sales, wedding gowns comes in handy. And even being part of writers' groups because women reveal themselves without a thought... and now facebook. You can learn so much about people by being a lurker on facebook. But mostly I go on the instinct of people I know, situations I see.<br /><br />Life tends to reveal itself to me, even when I beg a pass! <br /><br />AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! :)<br />Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-37708097780474179042018-03-15T04:38:25.594-04:002018-03-15T04:38:25.594-04:00OH MY STARS!!! Julie, did you hear that???? Anothe...OH MY STARS!!! <b>Julie, did you hear that????</b> Another Scarlett scoffer! :)<br /><br />Kav, spoken like the true teller of tales you are... we need to show why someone acts the way they do to make it relatable... Variety is the spice of life!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-21794646914065404262018-03-15T04:37:02.770-04:002018-03-15T04:37:02.770-04:00I wrote a brilliant response to this and then my c...I wrote a brilliant response to this and then my computer shut down for an update it didn't warn me about and GONE! <br /><br />Aye Caramba!<br /><br />I think readers love blue collar, Vince. They love the race that knows Joseph, the everyday gal who works to make it either in family or business or both... Hallmark is a great example of this. They've used a few intellectual heroines... and they don't downplay their intelligence... but their most-watched heroines are more girl-next-door type. Lacey Chabert, Lori Loughlin, Alicia Witt, Danica McKellar... People love them.<br /><br />I think so much of this comes back to reader preference. We write lots of smart heroines. I just had one character remind the other that college doesn't equate with smart. "Do you think smart women leaped into being because they let them go to college? Of course not. They always existed, long before they had degrees bestowed upon them."<br /><br />I wouldn't be a Nin fan. She's got the egocentric mindset that grates on my nerves. I like a more sacrificial heart. Done quietly!<br /><br />And she was into erotica, so that's a 'No-Go' clause for me.<br /><br />Vince. You should write this. You're about the only person I know smart enough to write it. You have the referential material that would make this shine.<br /><br />I say do it!!!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-5951598021387877302018-03-15T04:07:32.898-04:002018-03-15T04:07:32.898-04:00MJSH, I think we FEAR those stinkin' control f...MJSH, I think we FEAR those stinkin' control freaks in some old, Neanderthalic instinctive way. Because we know they can't control themselves (obsessive) and therefore we can't control them.<br /><br />I'm not drawn to them, either, even when they're sympathetically drawn. (Monk, As Good as it Gets).<br /><br />Great show/movie but maybe because we have a history of mental illness in the family, I don't get drawn into shows with borderline characters or obsessive characters. I hear you!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-74884069784595228842018-03-15T04:04:56.677-04:002018-03-15T04:04:56.677-04:00Missy, I think we put a little of ourselves into e...Missy, I think we put a little of ourselves into every heroine... and a little of Mr. Right into every hero. <br /><br />So even if we start off at #6 (which is really #1), we might end up with a mix of 1 and 3. (When a tough-as-nails woman ends up inheriting her sister's kids or a puppy)<br /><br />Or Mary's idea that a few years on the frontier turns #3 into #1. :) A lot of calving and sheet making will do that to you!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-68384285999095802112018-03-15T04:02:13.380-04:002018-03-15T04:02:13.380-04:00OH MY STARS!!!! This is part of your amazingly tal...OH MY STARS!!!! This is part of your amazingly talented visual of how people act and then react, and you're doing it at such a young age... I love glimpsing your future, brat! <br /><br />You've created a fun mix of balance and unbalanced. How cool is that???? And slightly crazy....<br /><br />LOVE IT!<br /><br />There's a little fantasy/cartoon feeling to these, but totally empathetic.<br /><br />Laughing and proud of you!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-11332480340967808932018-03-15T03:59:59.182-04:002018-03-15T03:59:59.182-04:00I think that's a fun combination! And you know...I think that's a fun combination! And you know what I say about comfort zones... they're far too cozy. I think one of the best ways we keep ourselves at the top of our game is to create a pile of work... and then challenge ourselves out of that comfort zone. It's like a 3rd grade teacher moving to fifth grade... she might hate it, but it's good for her and the kids because she can't rely on a has-been bunch of material. Everything she does smacks of new!Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-74429801174577348962018-03-14T22:21:35.910-04:002018-03-14T22:21:35.910-04:00It IS annoying how loving and naive Melanie is tow...It IS annoying how loving and naive Melanie is toward Scarlett! But Kaybee!!! You mentioned that the takeaway from Scarlett is her will to survive. That's what Margaret Mitchell said! I never actually "got" that. But she said her intention was to show Scarlett as the ultimate survivor, because from the stories her family told her about the Civil War, there were two types of people--the survivors and the not-so-good-at-surviving people. (Okay, that is NOT as eloquently as Margaret Mitchell said it.)<br />Melanie Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752176517296691824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3649424089750316818.post-17880710950068994842018-03-14T20:22:02.550-04:002018-03-14T20:22:02.550-04:00I loved Melanie... that self-sacrificial spirit......I loved Melanie... that self-sacrificial spirit... although she's a little mild for me, but I loved her. Maybe because I want to slap Scarlett???? :)Ruth Logan Hernehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550734775151341968noreply@blogger.com