tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post3060593689555884738..comments2024-03-24T13:49:53.099-04:00Comments on Romance Books '4' Us: Axing the BackstoryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-78109813241517411992013-08-26T18:11:08.403-04:002013-08-26T18:11:08.403-04:00Thanks for all the replies! I agree with you Rose,...Thanks for all the replies! I agree with you Rose, that some people get carried away with what I call stage instructions. And yes, I could make coffee in the pitch dark. :) I don't need a cooking lesson. <br /><br />It does amaze me how many published authors still dump at the beginning. It helps to remember always to start in the middle of action.Bobbye Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01401035901042338480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-71958477173801694082013-08-26T17:48:29.929-04:002013-08-26T17:48:29.929-04:00Wonderful post and so timely. It really shows the ...Wonderful post and so timely. It really shows the importance of sprinkling in the backstory throughout, rather than giving it a dump and the beginning.Melissa Keirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10247037321769755660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-25681289375576284602013-08-26T17:30:02.599-04:002013-08-26T17:30:02.599-04:00Great post and something I know well but find hard...Great post and something I know well but find hard to live by. Sometimes writing is damned hard.jean hart stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12287808234288499369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-28058067795977654922013-08-26T16:33:53.194-04:002013-08-26T16:33:53.194-04:00I related to your post, Bobbye. I remember when I ...I related to your post, Bobbye. I remember when I had pages of back story. lol Now, I have to watch that I don't repeat myself somewhere in the story, or in several places. Grin!Sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01843816981385732033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-8706243662743061282013-08-26T09:48:35.868-04:002013-08-26T09:48:35.868-04:00Great post, Bobbye. We all make this mistake at fi...Great post, Bobbye. We all make this mistake at first. And I've also judged my share of stories that begin with backstory. I love your examples.<br /><br />I think it was more accepted at one time to start books with lots of backstory. The old Harlequin Presents books did this all the time. I'm reading one now from 1994 by one of my favorite Presents authors. The first 20 pages are backstory and introspection. I went with it because the writing was so good and I like this author, but the story really began 20 pages later when the heroine got to Scotland and met the hero. If this had been a newbie and not an established author I wonder if Harlequin would have published it with so much backstory. Would I have continued to read if it was written by an author I didn't know? <br />I think we've all gotten used to stories that jump start, and we don't have the patience or time to go through 20 pages of introspection and backstory.Cara Marsihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384839120633419382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742415355016995707.post-31884011524475214172013-08-26T08:35:09.995-04:002013-08-26T08:35:09.995-04:00Great post Bobbye. I have old stories waiting on m...Great post Bobbye. I have old stories waiting on my return and boy oh boy will they be smaller when I get done chopping. We all improve with time and each book completed. I'm almost afraid to look at them!<br /><br />My personal reader's peeve is having every single movement explained. If the hero is making coffee, there's no need to show the entire process -- lifting the lid, opening the coffee can etc. Having made hundreds of pots of coffee in my lifetime, just telling me he's making coffee will do. Leave me something to imagine.Rose Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429566802562925080noreply@blogger.com