Two comments from early readers of the manuscript are the basis for this post. One person said the book, set in England in the 1770's, should have been set in America. The reasoning was, of course, that Americans rather read about America.
That advise makes perfect sense. First off, the American colonies were no more a miniature
England than was colonial India, so sure, that would work. (Of course not.)
I can imagine moving Kathryn's Beach, one of my books, to Arizona. I hardly think that Kathryn would have run to the hot desert for solace in the way she ran to the beach.
A story needs to be set where it belongs.
I can imagine moving Kathryn's Beach, one of my books, to Arizona. I hardly think that Kathryn would have run to the hot desert for solace in the way she ran to the beach.
A story needs to be set where it belongs.
If Americans are only interested in stories set in America,
then what is the explanation for the popularity of the Da Vinci Code or James
Bond, or even Out of Africa and Mary Poppins? Please don't mention to J. K.
Rowling that she should have written her million+ best sellers about Harry
Potter set in America. It simply would not have worked.
Another suggestion was that the book didn't
contain enough about lacemaking. Um, refer to the title. The book is about the
daughter of a lacemaker. It is fiction, not a how-to book.
What does work is that Diane knows a whole lot about lacemaking and gave that essence to the story. The book gives a glimpse of the life
of an English lacemaker. But the story is about one particular person, her
family, and the people she meets.
Keeping with the Cactus Rain Publishing tradition, Diane
delivers a well written, entertaining, feel-good read that does what literature
is expected to do; guide the reader through an enjoyable experience that
dispenses with their current reality.
The point is, write what you know. If your character is
schizophrenic and you have no experience with the classic behaviors of
schizophrenic people, on and off their medication, then do the research to make
your story, even fantasy and science fiction, believable to the point the reader
can dispense with reality and become immersed into the story. Follow Diane's example of excellence in storytelling.
Happy writing and reading.
Check out http://www.dianekrobertsonbooks.com/
Lacemaking video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiTqdr38tTU
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Who is the women's shelter bomber? Melissa Ryan suspects that her husband knows.
Further developments with the Wilder family.
A hidden past shakes the O'Donovan family to its core
A swirl of emotion and choice, set in Cape Town, South Africa
Love is a constant, but it comes at a price.
When the road ahead is unclear, sometimes you have to rely on trust.
The struggle between good and evil is ages old. It gets all the more complicated when the good guys aren't all good and the bad guys have redeeming qualities.
Story of a land mothering two races of people – the light-skinned and the dark-skinned.
A gifted Ukrainian ballerina comes into possession of a mysteriously coded address book.
Six passengers' lives change for better or worse after they arrive in Honiton.
Resilience and love in a harsh and unforgiving age
Kathryn's Beach
High Tide
Storm Surge
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