tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post4343065910978365458..comments2023-10-30T15:13:22.680+00:00Comments on Strictly Writing: Guest Post: Lisa Jewell - on Sequels and Unsympathetic Main CharactersDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-69486291152416149892010-04-17T23:27:28.266+01:002010-04-17T23:27:28.266+01:00Lisa, thanks for your very honest post. Very refr...Lisa, thanks for your very honest post. Very refreshing and inspiring.<br />SusiexSusie Nott-Bowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08428000582406338267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-63691581279929925412010-04-14T16:35:31.226+01:002010-04-14T16:35:31.226+01:00My copy of 'After the Party' arrived this ...My copy of 'After the Party' arrived this morning! Thanks so much again Lisa for taking time to post for us - as Cally says, you're an inspiration to so many with your memorable characters, situations and effortless style. Another undoubted bestseller.<br />Oh, and I can't wait to find out how Vince and Joy are getting on....after all it does say 'The beginning' at the end of that book...and that was a hint, right?Debs Ricciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10837598374947020855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-81842919045575681582010-04-14T13:07:27.068+01:002010-04-14T13:07:27.068+01:00It seems to me that for at least some writers, tak...It seems to me that for at least some writers, taking a whole novel to get to know the characters is just about right. Then they are established and understood, nuanced and ornamented. Now the writer can begin using them. I see no hesitation in my own creative mind to using an established character as a minor character in another bit of fiction I write.<br /><br />I'm glad to see you've found a way to revisit your most successful characters.Paulhttp://www.paullamb.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-61792662994556883062010-04-14T12:59:16.545+01:002010-04-14T12:59:16.545+01:00p.s. Can't wait to read 'After the Party&#...p.s. Can't wait to read 'After the Party'!CL Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04650291635298634215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-3632766841984428732010-04-14T12:58:24.657+01:002010-04-14T12:58:24.657+01:00What a fascinating post. Lisa's novel 'Ral...What a fascinating post. Lisa's novel 'Ralph's Party' was the book that got me into chicklit all those years ago and her huge success has been an inspiration.<br /><br />Now I'm published myself I can really relate to her battle between creating an authentic storyline and characters appearing unsympathetic. I've just received editorial comments on my second book and received similar feedback on two of my characters. Now the hard work REALLY starts...<br /><br />So thanks Lisa, for such an honest blog post - yet again you're an inspiration (it's reassuring that even bestselling authors have the same problems as the rest of us!)CL Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04650291635298634215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-38544871113457777672010-04-14T12:57:31.661+01:002010-04-14T12:57:31.661+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06621963308582084619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-87963556483383920482010-04-14T12:43:39.039+01:002010-04-14T12:43:39.039+01:00Another post that reveals beautifully the blood sw...Another post that reveals beautifully the blood sweat and tears that go into writing a novel. Thanks for taking the time to be with us Lisa and very best of luck with the book. <br />Now, I'm off to persevere with mine...Fionnualahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12275984316414726884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-13029507757025502012010-04-14T11:51:53.719+01:002010-04-14T11:51:53.719+01:00I read this with interest, Lisa. That must have be...I read this with interest, Lisa. That must have been really frustrating for you but it's great to see you persevered and that the book is a winner! Good luck with it.Gillian McDadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02758782108258244355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-54527988921757917702010-04-14T11:47:09.405+01:002010-04-14T11:47:09.405+01:00It's horrible when you put so much of yourself...It's horrible when you put so much of yourself into the one character in your book that everyone finds 'unsympathetic'. Perhaps we're all freer and easier when you put ourselves in to a completely different persona.<br /><br />Really interesting post, and all best wishes for the new book.Essie Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04611324005960689918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-84674705352017327652010-04-14T09:39:07.832+01:002010-04-14T09:39:07.832+01:00Fascinating. I find it frustrating to think that c...Fascinating. I find it frustrating to think that character needs to be cleaned up before presentation to a readership, that we can't portray the selfish, ego-centric reality. I suppose one way out of that is comedy: readers will put up with odious MCs if they are funny enough. Homer Simpson and Ignatius Reilly come to mind, although in the latter case the author was dead eleven years before anyone published him unsympathetic main character.Roderic Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519267912305907364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-34824837984954372712010-04-14T09:05:56.710+01:002010-04-14T09:05:56.710+01:00I sometimes wonder are we being denied views of re...I sometimes wonder are we being denied views of real life by the appetite of the mass of readers for a dreamy sort of life. I'm not a big reader in that particularly market but have read a few recently and while some are entertaining enough the final impression on me is one of insipidity, but these are the big sellers and good luck to those who are able to row along in that stream. I doubt that publishers would get excited about their profits on my tastes which are more towards the serious. I do try to write sort of romance fiction but invariably by the time I've gotten a bit into the story I've forgotten the names of the characters and rename them - saves time searching the muddle. <br /><br />I admire the skills of those who can get a bunch of characters together and keep things going, for, my gosh, a few hundred pages.<br /><br />Good luck!fidelitynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-84930827578477272010-04-14T07:20:02.979+01:002010-04-14T07:20:02.979+01:00I've had several comments from magazine editor...I've had several comments from magazine editors that the MC in a story is unsympathetic and it's invariably when they have too many elements of me in them!<br />Those stories are also the ones that I find hardest to change, but maybe too much 'reality' can be unpalatable for the reader - or maybe we're just too hard on outselves and, actually, we're not that bad from the outside.<br />Whichever, well done on striking the balance and I hope the book is a great success for you.Sherrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18288574214855156268noreply@blogger.com