Comments on: Not my cuppa http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/ Weblog of National Bestselling, Award-Winning Novelist Sylvia Day Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:06:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Diana http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4098 Diana Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:21:39 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4098 There's jargon for every subgroup. I'm sure you had to explain a few nautical terms, too. I know I had to define a bunch of society words and collegiate terms. It's going to be worse with the sequel, because the first time I got to define it to a character who wasn't fmailiar with it. This time around, she will be, but I'll stilll have to define it. There’s jargon for every subgroup. I’m sure you had to explain a few nautical terms, too. I know I had to define a bunch of society words and collegiate terms. It’s going to be worse with the sequel, because the first time I got to define it to a character who wasn’t fmailiar with it. This time around, she will be, but I’ll stilll have to define it.

]]> By: Lori http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4095 Lori Sun, 22 Jan 2006 21:34:11 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4095 Well damn, does that I won't be able to sell mine lol? If I ever get the thing edited of course. :oops: Anyway, I'm not explaining jargon. No one explained it to me when I went in the Army, surely a reader can figure it out. :wink: I certainly agree that many of the milroms are way over explained though. Who doesn't know what an MRE is anyway lol!? Well damn, does that I won’t be able to sell mine lol? If I ever get the thing edited of course. :oops: Anyway, I’m not explaining jargon. No one explained it to me when I went in the Army, surely a reader can figure it out. :wink: I certainly agree that many of the milroms are way over explained though. Who doesn’t know what an MRE is anyway lol!?

]]> By: Lynn M http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4090 Lynn M Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:06:49 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4090 I'm a huge fan of milroms (and have half-a-dozen milroms in some point in the writing process even now). But I was reading one of my favorite milrom writers the other day (who shall remain nameless but is very successful) and was struck by how annoyed I got with the jargon explanations stuck in the middle of the story. Things like "...they did a a HALO jump - leaving the plane at a high altitude and opening their parachuttes at a much lower altitude - into the dangerous country...". I started to fear I was going to be forced to shoehorn such indelicate info-dumping and was feeling kind of ill. But then I picked up a Linda Howard in which the hero is a fighter pilot. She had the characters speak to each other as if the reader knew what was going on. And for the most part, from context you could figure out anything you didn't already know. Like Kendra said, if someone is hungry and is offered an MRE, surely it doesn't take a PhD to figure out an MRE is some sort of food. And unless it is necessary to specify what kind of food (like, gross tasting mush), then that's plenty of info. I've never been in the military, so I have no argument that it is probably very unglamorous. But I'm with Larissa. If romances portrayed truly glamorous or romantic professions, I think all of the heroes and heroines would be unemployed because nothing is perfect when you know the details. So give me a military man any day. He's the 21st century equivalent of the knight in shining armor.:smile: I’m a huge fan of milroms (and have half-a-dozen milroms in some point in the writing process even now). But I was reading one of my favorite milrom writers the other day (who shall remain nameless but is very successful) and was struck by how annoyed I got with the jargon explanations stuck in the middle of the story. Things like “…they did a a HALO jump - leaving the plane at a high altitude and opening their parachuttes at a much lower altitude - into the dangerous country…”. I started to fear I was going to be forced to shoehorn such indelicate info-dumping and was feeling kind of ill.

But then I picked up a Linda Howard in which the hero is a fighter pilot. She had the characters speak to each other as if the reader knew what was going on. And for the most part, from context you could figure out anything you didn’t already know. Like Kendra said, if someone is hungry and is offered an MRE, surely it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out an MRE is some sort of food. And unless it is necessary to specify what kind of food (like, gross tasting mush), then that’s plenty of info.

I’ve never been in the military, so I have no argument that it is probably very unglamorous. But I’m with Larissa. If romances portrayed truly glamorous or romantic professions, I think all of the heroes and heroines would be unemployed because nothing is perfect when you know the details. So give me a military man any day. He’s the 21st century equivalent of the knight in shining armor.:smile:

]]> By: Sylvia http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4089 Sylvia Sat, 21 Jan 2006 02:27:27 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4089 <blockquote>And yeah, romanticising the military is probably unrealistic, but really…so is romanticising life in the middle ages, or life on historical ships, or life on a ranch.</blockquote> This is very true, Larissa.

And yeah, romanticising the military is probably unrealistic, but really…so is romanticising life in the middle ages, or life on historical ships, or life on a ranch.

This is very true, Larissa.

]]> By: Beverly http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4088 Beverly Sat, 21 Jan 2006 02:22:38 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4088 As an Army vet as well, I'm completely with you on not enjoying military romances. The few I've read did not impress me. I guess it's just that being too close to the subject matter mars it, because in the Army most of the time you're either risking your life for a stupid reason or you're bored out of your mind, and neither situation is exciting. And I also don't understand the in-story explanations for things like MREs -- if it's got to be explained, why not an author's note or glossary at the beginning or end of the book. Otherwise, that stuff just yanks me out of the story. As an Army vet as well, I’m completely with you on not enjoying military romances. The few I’ve read did not impress me. I guess it’s just that being too close to the subject matter mars it, because in the Army most of the time you’re either risking your life for a stupid reason or you’re bored out of your mind, and neither situation is exciting. And I also don’t understand the in-story explanations for things like MREs — if it’s got to be explained, why not an author’s note or glossary at the beginning or end of the book. Otherwise, that stuff just yanks me out of the story.

]]> By: Jordan http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4087 Jordan Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:58:11 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4087 I like ex-special ops romances too. There the only contemporary romances that I truly enjoy. Of course, I've never been in the military. *ggg* I like ex-special ops romances too. There the only contemporary romances that I truly enjoy. Of course, I’ve never been in the military. *ggg*

]]> By: Kendra Clark http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4086 Kendra Clark Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:41:13 +0000 http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/2006/01/19/789/#comment-4086 I think I've hit the wrong emoticon:shifty: THERE! That's better :) I think I’ve hit the wrong emoticon:shifty: THERE! That’s better :)

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