Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The musings of my mind that come with sleep deprivation

So, this is probably going to be a short post today. I have a number of things going on at home that are somewhat worrisome and keeping me very busy. But it is Tuesday and I didn’t want to leave us all without a blog post so here I am. Aren’t you thrilled?

Yesterday, I was having a very interesting conversation on Twitter. How many of you use Twitter? Wow. I have to say, I really love Twitter. Anyhow, it was with a pretty famous author and she had brought up the topic of Edward Cullen in Twilight and was asking some questions about why people love him and whether or not he is the new Prince Charming and the ways that perspective of him differs from her work.

The whole thing was really interesting, a lot of people were getting really heated. There are a lot of people of truly love and hate those stories. I enjoyed them. I like to read whatever books are being talked about in popular culture so I know what is being referenced on Facebook and the View.

Plus, I’ll admit it. I like a good love story. Even when it involves a sixteen year old girl and an 80 year old Vampire. So the famous author, I’m deliberately not naming her because I don’t know what the protocol for quoting people from Twitter is but I suppose anyone is able to go and look at my twitter page so feel free, go ahead, I’ll wait….

Okay, welcome back now. So the famous author says on Twitter something along the lines of Prince Charming being a dangerous message to send to women because it gives girls the idea that they can be saved or that they should wait around for some man to come and make things better for them and why not make it the other way? Why not have the women do the saving?

So I got my courage and sent her a note telling her I thought that was equally bad. That gives young girls the idea that could ‘save’ a man, could ‘fix’ the bad boy. That somehow her love would be enough to make him ‘good.’ To me, that is a dangerous concept. Much as we love the bad boys in fiction, in real life you want to be careful of men who come off as jerks, they probably are actually jerks. (Sorry, that is my two cents.)

Anyhow, she agreed with me, which was sort of thrilling. I’m tired. Very, very tired. It doesn’t take much to get me very happy or sad right now. But I started to think about why it had been so interesting to me in my current state of mind and I realized it was because I have been reading Historical Romances. Ever since I had my third son, I seem to be obsessed with reading Historical Romances. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still reading Paranormals but now in addition, I just want to read Historicals. Regency, ballroom, bodice ripping Historicals. And there is nothing more common in Historicals like that than the good girl saving the bad boy from all of his internal demons. So I guess I have it on the brain.

Its like I’m sixteen again and I’m just discovering Romance Novels and I’m hiding in my room reading about the ton. With each of my kids, when they were infants, I had something I either watched or read that ‘got me through’ their early months. With my first son, I watched the show Nip/Tuck. It actually got to the point where I would wait for him to wake me at 3 AM so I could put on the next episode. I had never seen the show before but I caught up to the current season that year watching one episode after another.

Then with child number 2, I discovered Paranormal Romances. Hence, how I got here today. So am I going to go out and write Historicals?

Absolutely not. I am so blown away by the amount of research and time that must go into every single book, the sheer intricate details of the kind of lace on the gown and the way they danced in the ballroom that I would go nuts. I did that kind of thing in college, and truthfully, I was not that good at it.

Give me some world building any day. I will admire the Historicals from a distance while I feed the baby.

Hope you all have a great day.

8 comments:

Sandra Sookoo said...

Wow, a lot of info mashed into a post LOL

First off, I really hope the vamp in Twilight is NOT the new Prince Charming. I've never watched the movie, never read the books. Have no plans to. Not interested. I generally don't read to follow trends.

I agree about the dangerousness of the fairy tale philosophy, though. I preach it all the time LOL And the woman's love conquering the dark side of her man? I'm guilty of that. Hope it still sits well with reviewers next year LOL

And historicals? Love reading them, love writing them. Yeah, the research is a pain sometimes, but it's well worth it.

Annie Nicholas said...

I don't know Rebecca, I think paranormal historicals are going to be the next hot trend. *hint* *nudge* *wink*

My take on the Twilight madness, is that it tells teenagers it's okay to get obessed with someone. I'm sorry, you shouldn't be falling in love at sixteen, it only leads to heartbreak in the real world. (I know someone's going to post but their love story but really most young girls won't get that lucky.) As a writer, I didn enjoy her style.

Shiela Stewart said...

I fully agree that twilight sets a bad example for young girls. As a writer I tend to make my females strong, independent. I don't have her change the bad boy but more so, she goes head to head with him in strength.

I was raised to believe that the man takes care of the woman and that the woman shouldn’t have a career aside from being a wife and mother. I don’t want that for my daughter who is fourteen. I want her to know she can have anything she wants, be anything she wants.

I think it's wrong to tell young girls that they need a man to make them a better person, or need a man to support them. And I don't agree with the good girl changing the bad boy either.

Quite frankly I’m surprised that the series has become as big as it is considering I hear so much bad press about it.

J Hali Steele said...

Hmmm...

Tonya Kappes said...

Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca-I can hear your tired voice. With four children, I knooooowwww what you are talking about. It's funny how we moms have our own ways to deal with the sleep deprivation.
Donna MacMeans has some really great humorous historicals you should read-if you haven't already discovered her. She a RWA chapter mate of mine and just as funny as her books.
As for the Prince Charming...Twilight was intended for teenage girls and teenage girls are teenage girls. They love the bad boys-trust me I have one teenager and three tween boys and they are the good boys. I agree with you! If I had a daughter, I would want them to believe in the good boys!
Good luck with your new little one.

Catherine Gayle said...

I would LOVE to see what you would do with a historical. And I'm starting to see more and more paranormal historicals popping up, so that could be your slant on things. It could really work for you.

And I'm not just saying that because I love reading historicals and writing historicals. Or maybe I am. Not sure.

The research aspect of it, while it can sometimes be a bit frustrating, is also always interesting and exciting. Its worth a shot!

Rae Lori said...

Aww well I hope you get some goodie sleep but I have to say I love your musings while sleep deprived!

Virginia C said...

The detailed research undertaken by some authors of romantic fiction elevates the story from a "bodice-ripper" to a "historical romance". Sometimes, a "bodice-ripper" is just what you need when you are hungry for "fast food". When you are ready for a romantic repast, then only well-written, detailed historical romantic fiction will suffice.