tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3661466517118806861..comments2024-03-28T17:39:34.611-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Lisa Black--What Do You Do When...Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20403584144875876482013-11-27T07:12:57.920-05:002013-11-27T07:12:57.920-05:00Trust yourself, your writing groups, and your beta...Trust yourself, your writing groups, and your beta readers. Then go indie. It worked for me. :)P.M. Steffenhttp://pmsteffen.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13125239951705541932013-11-27T07:02:48.221-05:002013-11-27T07:02:48.221-05:00This is nice to see out in the open. But it really...This is nice to see out in the open. But it really just makes sense. Reading is so subjective.<br /><br />Great post and I look forward to reading Lisa Black.Kristihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01724127668983231150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-40794891582240908922013-11-27T04:23:54.321-05:002013-11-27T04:23:54.321-05:00Hi Debs,
I am sorry I missed this yesterday. Terr...Hi Debs,<br /><br />I am sorry I missed this yesterday. Terrific interview. <br /><br />I hardly ever give books to anyone except the friends I know best. Despite knowing that everybody is different, I still feel my sensibilities are in question if the dear friend thinks my fabulous book is a looser.<br /><br />That's probably why my best friend and I hung onto each other over the years and every distance imaginable when we gave each other books and we jumped up-and-down loved them. We were meant to be friends. She introduced me to foodie and kitty books. I introduced her to mysteries.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25849740315093931582013-11-26T20:38:07.647-05:002013-11-26T20:38:07.647-05:00Lisa--running in, panting, late-- so terrific to s...Lisa--running in, panting, late-- so terrific to see you! And this is a marvelous and inspirational story..though I 'm sure it didn't seem like it was going to develop that way at the outset.<br /><br />What's so instructive, to me at least-this kind of realization also makes it a bit easier to take the inevitable bad reviews...right? Because people just like different things--it's not that the book is BAD. Its that someone just doesn't like it. (I mean--look at all the one-stars for Gone Girl!) (Which I pretty much loved--and my husband loathed.) So I take some heart from that.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48137200754316900412013-11-26T16:54:34.557-05:002013-11-26T16:54:34.557-05:00I recommended one of my favorite mystery authors t...I recommended one of my favorite mystery authors to a neighbor who loves mysteries. The books are very, very funny, and it's obvious the author has a great sense of humor. The first time I read a book by that author I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the chair! I've now read everything by that author, and continue to laugh until I'm almost breathless. My neighbor doesn't like any of that author's books, and thinks they are "very dry and boring."Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81875169872065091592013-11-26T16:14:26.297-05:002013-11-26T16:14:26.297-05:00I stopped recommended A.S. Byatt's Possession-...I stopped recommended A.S. Byatt's Possession--one of my favorite books ever--after about the tenth person said, "You actually read that??"Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15070970991261127732013-11-26T15:11:45.227-05:002013-11-26T15:11:45.227-05:00David, that's the hardest thing! It's also...David, that's the hardest thing! It's also what makes rewriting and revising so awful, because I never know if I'm making something better or worse!Lisa Blackhttp://www.lisa-black.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74941028245814338962013-11-26T14:43:17.280-05:002013-11-26T14:43:17.280-05:00Even more vexing than the fact that I didn't l...Even more vexing than the fact that I didn't like (for example) GONE GIRL at all, and a good friend and one of those whose literary tastes I respect most thought it was great, is the erratic nature of self-assesment. After some time away from something I've written I will look at it and think it's the worst thing ever written by anyone. Then, a few weeks removed, I can look at the same passage and think, "This is isn't that bad. It's almost sort of good." (Which is the most enthusiastic praise I'm ever able to garner from myself). What I'm fairly sure of is that objective evaluation of one's own work--bad or good--is damn near impossible.David Hansardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55887072905529040152013-11-26T14:42:36.306-05:002013-11-26T14:42:36.306-05:00I must be the only person who hasn't read Gone...I must be the only person who hasn't read Gone Girl...but it is on my TBR shelf.<br /><br />When Gilead came out a number of years ago, I knew the day I finished it that it would win the Pulitzer, and I recommended it to everyone I knew. I was surprised that several of my very bookish friends didn't love it as I did. So much so that I am, as a result, less likely to recommend books than I used to be.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275718725422568789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43877374565851698262013-11-26T14:14:18.524-05:002013-11-26T14:14:18.524-05:00Lisa, I did wonder what happened to darling Ian:-)...Lisa, I did wonder what happened to darling Ian:-)Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-40508633998443870192013-11-26T13:41:07.195-05:002013-11-26T13:41:07.195-05:00Hello, Lisa -- glad to meet you here and to be int...Hello, Lisa -- glad to meet you here and to be introduced to your books. I shall add the series to my TBR pile! :-)<br /><br />My debut is coming out in March, and, man, yeah, I felt your pain while I was querying. From agents who obviously thought the story or my writing sucked, to the one who said, I'd like to represent you. It's nutty.<br /><br />I've been thinking about another novel, my drawer novel, for awhile. It's like how you described THE PRICE OF INNOCENCE -- the quirky kid. It would be fun to experiment with it -- serialize it in e-book form or something...<br /><br />I have a dear writer friend who detests a bestselling mystery author whose books I adore. This author has one quirk: changing POVs mid-scene, sometimes many times. My friend can't forgive the author this quirk. I'm thinking, for that, you hate her? Okaaaay.<br /><br />Who mentioned chocolate and coconut? Mmm...Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18091044181948098402013-11-26T12:57:00.157-05:002013-11-26T12:57:00.157-05:00I know, Lisa, right?I know, Lisa, right?Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-79129701378991189042013-11-26T12:41:40.039-05:002013-11-26T12:41:40.039-05:00Or, Karen, chocolate and coconut together--what...Or, Karen, chocolate and coconut together--what's not to love? Lisa Blackhttp://www.lisa-black.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55766089496890314192013-11-26T12:39:27.796-05:002013-11-26T12:39:27.796-05:00Yes Deb I did have to make some changes, for conti...Yes Deb I did have to make some changes, for continuity's sake, to The Price of Innocence. Luckily not too many. The only real sticking point for people will probably be wondering what happened to darling Ian from Blunt Impact. (Answer: They broke up but are still friends. Theresa doesn't have a lot of luck with men. Obviously.) <br />Thanks again for letting me guest here. I really appreciate all the comments! Lisa Blackhttp://www.lisa-black.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53100827879358188242013-11-26T12:24:11.621-05:002013-11-26T12:24:11.621-05:00Karen, I so agree with you about "best" ...Karen, I so agree with you about "best" lists. I rarely use them as a reading resource. I usually end up wondering why they didn't include an obviously great book I've read or questioning what went through their minds when choosing what they did.<br /><br />It's always a shock to my system when I am absolutely gaga over a book and it receives a lukewarm response (or worse, an outright rejection) from a reading friend. Right now I'm reading a book that I'm finding engaging and well-written, and one of my most like-minded reading buddies flat out didn't like it. How could that be? And, of course, there are those favorite books that you just know are going to elicit a standing ovation from your friends or family, and you are quite heartbroken when anything less than a ticker-tape parade is the response. How could something that touches your soul so deeply not touch the souls of those closest to you?<br /><br />Gone Girl. Well, I'm not its biggest fan, but I did finish it, and I do appreciate it as an intriguing read. I just find it hard to completely embrace a novel in which there are no characters I like or in whom I detect any redeeming qualities. <br /><br />I can't begin to imagine how it must feel to have written something, pouring yourself into it, and someone rejects it as unworthy of passing on to others. Writers are certainly made of sterner stuff than I. <br /><br /> Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-34394446683257654022013-11-26T12:03:21.074-05:002013-11-26T12:03:21.074-05:00Lisa, if you wrote The Price of Innocence before B...Lisa, if you wrote The Price of Innocence before Blunt Impact, did you have to change much to make the book fit in the series sequence? How hard was that?Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-14752049290896939952013-11-26T11:36:14.321-05:002013-11-26T11:36:14.321-05:00Lisa, thanks for your bravery in sharing a tough e...Lisa, thanks for your bravery in sharing a tough experience. My version's kind of reversed. Agent loved it, but left the biz due to illness before she could circulate it; next agent, for my nonfiction, didn't like it and didn't want to take it on. So there may be life in that ms. yet...<br /><br />Good luck with The Price of Innocence -- great title!Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81725866660316273332013-11-26T10:41:58.844-05:002013-11-26T10:41:58.844-05:00Dear Lisa, I had the same experience with Mr. Chur...Dear Lisa, I had the same experience with Mr. Churchill's Secretary! A new agent really did change things…. LOVED Gone Girl…. Now my mother-in-law (who have our own "reading club") are looking forward to The Price of Innocence. We tend to have the same taste in mysteries, although we diverge on other genres. The other day she tried to read my copy of The Hunger Games to "see what all the fuss is about." She didn't like it, but her tactful answer was "It's just not my kind of book."Susan Elia MacNealhttp://www.susaneliamacneal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-44207779800751157552013-11-26T09:45:41.307-05:002013-11-26T09:45:41.307-05:00Individual tastes, who can understand them? I don&...Individual tastes, who can understand them? I don't get people who abhor chocolate or coconut, either, but such weirdos exist. :-)<br /><br />This is why I take all contest results for "best" anything with a huge helping of salt. First, how is it possible that the judges have read every potential entrant for that year, and second, their judgment is colored by their personal tastes and prejudices, all of which differ from my own. And I don't know exactly how they differ, to make my own judgment of the situation. <br /><br />For instance, I don't care at all for most of Hemingway's work, and think much of it is highly overrated. He's lauded for his "spare" writing style, but I can't help wanting to edit out all the references to drinking--which would pretty much pare that spare style down to skeletal, in most of his books. <br /><br />To each her own. It's just too bad that some really good books have gotten shelved because of a single agent's or editor's opinion, while books like 50 Shades of Grey are wasting millions of trees. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56066578322197788672013-11-26T08:24:59.545-05:002013-11-26T08:24:59.545-05:00Many of my friends read my blog and on a few occas...Many of my friends read my blog and on a few occasions, they are written to me or stopped me at a party to say they really didn't enjoy a book I covered on the blog. Since I only review books that I love, this means that they did not like something that I enjoyed and wanted to encourage others to read. <br /><br />But interesting, in most of these cases, if the person had "asked" me for a book recommendation, I would not have chosen the book they picked. <br /><br />Books are like people, they each have a personality and sometimes you can just tell that there will be a clash. Or at least I can. <br /><br />The good news is that clearly my review was interesting enough to make them want to pick up that book, so for that I am grateful. Kristopherhttp://www.bolobooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82588318340491794492013-11-26T08:18:52.870-05:002013-11-26T08:18:52.870-05:00Yes yes I've experienced something similar sev...Yes yes I've experienced something similar several times...in fact this is inspiring me to go back and look at what's in my drawer.<br /><br />thanks Lisa and Debs!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27467757520907937682013-11-26T08:13:20.146-05:002013-11-26T08:13:20.146-05:00This is one of the tough realities of the business...This is one of the tough realities of the business. These brilliant agents and editors often are right; but they're also sometimes wrong. Dead wrong. At least now they are not the ultimate gatekeepers that they used to be. <br /><br />And oh, don't I hate it when I entrust a beloved book to a friend who reads it and is unimpressed. <br /> Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9449398556284394232013-11-26T06:05:11.642-05:002013-11-26T06:05:11.642-05:00So glad to see this difficult topic brought out o...So glad to see this difficult topic brought out of the closet! Most of us have endured this sort of love/hate from people whose opinion we value!!! But - if we have guts, we pick the limbs back up, dust them off and carry on to the next person/agent/editor/fan who just loves it! Thelma Straw in ManhattanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37347554947347404622013-11-26T04:45:56.224-05:002013-11-26T04:45:56.224-05:00Anxious to try Lisa's work. Has to be authenti...Anxious to try Lisa's work. Has to be authentic.<br /><br />I am still surprised over how many people dislike GONE GIRL -- or couldn't read more than a dozen pages like my wife.<br /><br />Lisa's Lesson: Sometimes getting a new agent is better than a rewrite.<br /><br />Jack Getzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09516237388744739669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57201135830141029252013-11-26T02:17:11.101-05:002013-11-26T02:17:11.101-05:00Usually, I’m not too far out of sync with my book-...Usually, I’m not too far out of sync with my book-sharing friends, but once or twice it’s happened that I’ve disliked a book so much that I’ve not even finished reading it and they’ve said to me, “It’s not that bad.” The strange thing is, even when I go back to try and give the book one more chance, I find I still don’t like it and I still don’t finish it. But it’s never been a big deal, we still share books and opinions, and I figure everyone’s entitled to their own view of things , , , .<br /><br />As for Lisa, I have to say the book sounds quite intriguing, and I’m looking forward to reading “The Price of Innocence” . . . .<br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.com