Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Don't Try This at Home

Inspired by Le R's recent post (see "working-class men, alcoholic" and "working-class men, familial and interpersonal problems of") and the fact that her acerbic, high fullutent wit will be missed this week, I've decided to compile a small (highly subjective) list of themes, topics, and trends I think you'd do well to avoid.

Allegories,
          thinly veiled

Daughters,
          supernaturally inclined
          titles including the word
          troubled relationships with

How-to Guides,
          comedic*
          financial*

Mash-ups,
          "funny"
          presidential
          Victorian
          zombie

Nazis,
          alternate histories of
          modern
          romantic relationships with

Self Help,
          any variety of*

Sisters,
          see Daughters

Vampires,
          angel-related
          angsty/misunderstood
          demon-related
          ridiculous pompadours of
          super hot
          teenage

Wives,
          long-suffering
          see Daughters

Working-class men,
          alcoholic
          familial and interpersonal problems of
          mid-life crises of
          road trips of



*Ignore if you are a D-list celebrity or have survived some unspeakably terrible life event.

10 comments:

  1. The important thing is not really *what* you write about, though, it's *how* you write it. ;)
    Right?

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  2. Lydia, you're so right! That's why nothing can dissuade me from finishing my 500K comedic yet touching mashup masterpeice "How to Understand the Misunderstood Alcoholic Nazi Zombie Vampire's Daughter Sister Wife and Meet the Man of Your Dreams!"

    (The Vampire is a Symbol for the financial crisis and the Nazi part represents how to avoid men like Jesse James.)

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  3. Lucy! You've thieved my book idea!

    Now I'll have to rely on my backup plan, which is a fiction novel (per Janet Reid's new guidelines, heh!) about super-hot vampires who battle equally super-hot zombies, all while keeping their ridiculous pompadours perfectly sexy and working through their alcoholism and the angst that goes with having a romantic relationship with Nazis.

    I call it "Undead Midlife Crises. And Zombies"

    It's the next blockbuster! Everyone will love it! Oh- and it's part of a nine-book series, too :)

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  4. I love my tri-focals! I read "high fullutent wit" as "high flatulant wit."

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  5. I feel like the only failing would be not writing about ALL of those. In the same book.

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  6. @Bethany: Sounds like Lucy and Kimberly already have it covered. I'm definitely buying copies of both of those and making them bestsellers.

    In all seriousness, though, Lydia Sharp is right. You can write about any of those things and do well, so long as your take is original enough and your story well-told. Of course, this is easier said than done.

    http://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.com

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  7. Based on PW, this stuff is still being bought and selling, so there! :-)

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  8. I agree with Lydia. It's the "how" that puts a new face on old themes. But, I also want to add "show." Showing is just as important since we all see things differently.

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  9. ...what's wrong with alcoholic vampire Nazis? Some of the finest ppl I've ever whipped have been drunk, blood sucking facists...

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  10. Oops, too late. My next book has "Daughter" in the title. Luckily it does not have anything to do with Vampires, road trips or Victorians.

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